A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Meng Huai didn’t even glance at the guy who had fallen to the ground. He lazily waved his hand and said, “Someone help him back onto the chair. If you weaklings stay on the floor and catch a cold, the principal will blame me.”

The boys who had been enthusiastically chatting with the blond boy looked at each other, not daring to move.

However, Su Bei, who hadn’t been part of the conversation, leisurely stood up. He casually grabbed the boy by the back of his collar, lifted him off the ground, and placed him back on the chair. He then gave a gentle push to his back, making him naturally lie on the table as if he were simply asleep.

Who said unconsciousness isn’t sleep?

Thanks to years of consistent exercise, Su Bei’s physical strength was far beyond that of an average person, making physical tasks a breeze for him. From a visual estimate, only the class monitor, Mu Tieren, could compare with his physical fitness in Class F.

After finishing this, he nodded to Meng Huai and returned to his seat under everyone’s gaze.

Others feared Meng Huai, but he had no reason to. The reason was simple: a man with a military background who became a teacher at the Ability Academy wouldn’t harm students.

Indeed, in his view, Meng Huai was most likely a former soldier.

His father was a soldier, so he was naturally familiar with the profession. Although Meng Huai seemed lazy and nonchalant, his walking posture, the instinctive straightening of his back, and his overall demeanor all indicated his military background to Su Bei.

Moreover, according to the usual progression in manga, such a homeroom teacher would either become an ally of the protagonist group or serve as a minor antagonist. In any case, it was unlikely for him to be dismissed at the start of the term for harming students.

So there was nothing to worry about. Taking the initiative to help might even get him more screen time in the manga.

Seeing Su Bei’s carefree attitude, a glimmer of interest flashed in Meng Huai’s eyes. Just as Su Bei could tell he was a soldier, Meng Huai, with his sharper perception, could see the traces of military training in Su Bei.

Interesting.

If he remembered correctly, the student records he had memorized only mentioned that this student named Su Bei was an orphan, with no mention of any military background.

But Meng Huai quickly suppressed his curiosity and idly lowered his eyelids again. For now, these freshmen in Class F weren’t worth his attention. He’d wait until they climbed to Class A.

However, he thought, could someone with such a useless ability as “Gear” really make it to Class A? Unless his ability wasn’t actually “Gear.”

Thinking this, he curled his lips and, in a good mood, said to everyone, “It’s the first day of school, so I won’t torture you. Just run ten laps around the playground, and you can go eat.”

Ten laps around the playground?

Everyone’s eyes widened instantly. Many felt like the sky was falling.

Ten laps? They might as well be asking for their lives!

The “Infinity Ability Academy” might not have many people, but it occupied a large area. The playground alone was 1,600 meters.

In other words, ten laps were 16,000 meters. Junior high school boys typically ran no more than 1,000 meters, with girls running 200 meters less.

Although physical fitness would significantly improve after awakening abilities, multiplying it by sixteen was unbearable for anyone!

Furthermore, it was already 11:30 AM, almost lunchtime. Although Meng Huai hadn’t explicitly said so, it was obvious: they had to finish running before they could eat.

Even Su Bei, with his excellent physical condition, would need an hour and a half to complete 16,000 meters. For other students, it would take at least three hours. Running on an empty stomach would only make it more torturous.

Most students wore bitter expressions, but Meng Huai’s display of power made them too afraid to protest. They could only whisper complaints about the homeroom teacher’s harshness.

Sitting in the back, Su Bei couldn’t see the students’ expressions but could tell a lot from their postures.

The complaining students mostly had slumped shoulders, looking dejected.

However, a few were still sitting upright, seemingly prepared. For example, Jiang Tianming and Lan Su Bing.

Lan Su Bing had been relieved when she realized she didn’t have to introduce herself, so she didn’t care about what came next.

As for Jiang Tianming, from the first season of the manga, despite his poor physical condition due to growing up with insufficient food and clothing, his willpower was very strong. Even if he might not be able to run, he wouldn’t give up before trying.

Turning his head, Su Bei noticed that the white-haired boy behind him had woken up. As expected, the white-haired boy had a strikingly superior face.

A high nose bridge, lips pale yet well-shaped, and smooth facial lines. However, the most striking feature on his face was his golden eyes—clear, innocent, and untouched by the desires of this world.

Unlike Su Bei, his white hair lay gently on his head, slightly messy from just waking up. Yet, a stubborn cowlick at the top indicated that his hair was not as obedient as it seemed.

The white-haired boy yawned demurely, looking at the podium with a bored expression, “Ugh… Do we have to run now?”

Seeing this, Su Bei naturally responded, “Yes, ten laps. Let’s go quickly; we can’t eat until we finish running.”

From his observations, since the white-haired boy had slept through the homeroom teacher’s speech earlier, he was evidently someone who valued his comfort. So, eating was likely important to him as well.

Sure enough, upon hearing Su Bei’s words, the boy’s expression immediately turned serious. Shedding his previously lazy demeanor, he stood up decisively, “Then we’d better get going.”

After taking a couple of steps, he suddenly realized that his actions might seem ungrateful. Turning back, he asked somewhat sheepishly, “Shall we go together?”

A hint of amusement appeared in Su Bei’s eyes. If the other hadn’t invited him, he wouldn’t have followed—losing face.

Thankfully, his efforts weren’t in vain.

“Sure, I’m Su Bei. What’s your name?”

“I’m Feng Lan,” the boy said seriously, pausing for a moment before adding, “Nice to meet you.”

Clearly, this was a young master who didn’t partake in common grains and had little social interaction in the first half of his life. His previous reaction was probably instilled in him by family instruction.

Su Bei quickly tagged Feng Lan in his mind, then stepped closer, crossing the normal safety distance, “How’s your stamina?”

He was testing Feng Lan’s tolerance for such proximity. If he stepped back due to Su Bei’s actions, it would mean he valued his personal space, and Su Bei would have to maintain a respectful distance.

If there was no reaction, it would indicate that Feng Lan was indeed a blank slate in this regard. And a blank slate was open for all sorts of scribbling.

Facing the sudden decrease in space, Feng Lan’s pupils shrank slightly. He instinctively wanted to step back but quickly restrained himself, “My stamina should be alright.”

Having gauged his reaction, Su Bei didn’t push further, “That’s good. Let’s go.”

By now, a few students had already left. Su Bei had been chatting with Feng Lan not only to interact with him but also to delay time.

As a semi-otaku, Su Bei understood readers’ minds well. A character who was always first was certainly well-loved. But if he couldn’t consistently be first, a few initial wins followed by a surprise comeback would garner more popularity.

He knew his physical strength was good, but compared to other students with physical enhancement abilities, it wasn’t enough. His ability was another matter, and he wasn’t sure how much he could adjust through the manga.

Therefore, rather than striving for first place in Class F and exposing his limits, it was better to hold back initially and then surprise everyone later.

At the playground, the 1,600-meter track seemed vast, but for students facing ten laps, it was despairingly large.

There were no other classes on the field; the first-year students started early, and other grades hadn’t arrived yet. Also, no other teacher was as insane as Meng Huai to make students run 16,000 meters on the first day.

Meng Huai hadn’t followed them outside, not even watching from the windows. A girl with loose hair walked slowly towards the track. Looking at the vast field, she hesitated and asked softly, “Do you think the teacher will notice if we run fewer laps?”

Such an idea needed a leader, and several classmates immediately agreed, “I think we can do it. The teacher isn’t watching; we just need to make it look convincing.”

Another boy bluntly said, “Honestly, what if we don’t run at all? Can he really expel us on behalf of the school?”

“Exactly! I plan to walk five laps.”

Su Bei watched their conversation coldly. Without a doubt, starting like this was asking for trouble. Apparently, the previous incident with the blond boy hadn’t taught them enough.

But it didn’t concern him. Su Bei glanced at the four students, including Jiang Tianming and Lan Su Bing, who had already started running on the track, and exchanged a look with Feng Lan. They stepped onto the track together.

With long strides, Feng Lan moved gracefully, quickly catching up with the first group. Suddenly noticing the space beside him empty, he turned his head and saw that Su Bei had disappeared.

Looking back, he found Su Bei slowly advancing at a snail’s pace.

Feng Lan’s golden eyes filled with confusion. Tilting his head, it seemed a question mark appeared above him, “What are you doing back there?”