A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

7:

Without so much as a glance at the fallen lad, Meng Huai lazily waved his hand: “Someone help him back to his seat to lie down. With your weak constitutions, lying on the cold floor will only make you ill, and then the principal will have to trouble me.”

The boys who had just been chatting animatedly with the blond-haired youth exchanged glances, none daring to move.

But Su Bei, who hadn’t spoken with him, rose leisurely, easily grasping the back of the boy’s collar, lifting him from the ground, and casually placing him on a chair, then giving a gentle push to his back. The boy naturally sprawled over the table, as if merely asleep.

Who says a stupor isn’t sleep?

Thanks to years of persistent training, Su Bei’s physical condition was not something ordinary people could match, handling physical tasks with ease. By estimation, only the class leader Mu Tie Ren in Class F could compare with him.

Having done all this, he nodded to Meng Huai and returned to his seat under the watchful eyes of all.

Others might fear Meng Huai, but he could not. The reason was simple: a man born a soldier and now a teacher at the special abilities academy could not possibly harm students.

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

His own father was a soldier, so he was naturally familiar with the profession. Despite Meng Huai’s lack of a commanding presence, whether it was his walking posture, the subconscious straightening of his back, or his overall demeanor, everything told Su Bei of his identity.

Moreover, following the typical trajectory of comics, such a homeroom teacher would either become an ally to the protagonist group or a minor adversary. But in any case, it was impossible for him to be dismissed at the start of school for harming a student.

So there was nothing to worry about. By stepping forward to help, he might even gain a bit more prominence in the comic.

Seeing Su Bei’s unconcerned attitude, a flicker of interest passed through Meng Huai’s eyes. Just as Su Bei could tell he was a soldier, the more discerning Meng Huai could surely see the traces of military training on Su Bei.

Interesting.

If he hadn’t misremembered the student profiles he had memorized, the file on this student named Su Bei mentioned only that his parents were deceased, nothing about a military background.

But Meng Huai quickly curbed his curiosity, listlessly letting his eyelids droop again. Whatever Su Bei wanted to hide, as a new student still in Class F, he wasn’t worth too much of Meng Huai’s attention. He would wait until the other climbed to Class A.

However, speaking of which, was it really possible for someone with a useless special ability like “Gear” to climb to Class A? Unless his ability was not “Gear” at all.

With this thought, he curled the corner of his mouth, feeling good as he said to everyone, “On the first day of school, I won’t trouble you too much. Just run ten laps around the track field, and then you can go eat.”

Run ten laps around the track field?

At these words, everyone’s eyes widened, and many felt as if the sky was falling.

Ten laps? Why not just take their lives!

After all, the “Infinite Special Abilities Academy” might not have many people, but it covered a vast area. The school’s track field alone was a full sixteen hundred meters.

In other words, ten laps amount to sixteen kilometers. Middle school boys have at most run a kilometer, and girls even two hundred meters less.

Though awakening special abilities does enhance one’s physical condition significantly,

who could endure an immediate sixteen-fold increase?

Moreover, it’s already half-past eleven, nearing mealtime. Though Meng Huai didn’t explicitly say so, the implication was clear: they could only eat after completing the run.

Sixteen kilometers, even for Su Bei with his excellent fitness, would take an hour and a half. For the other students, it’s at least three hours starting. Running on an empty stomach only makes the ordeal more torturous.

Most students immediately wore a bitter expression, but Meng Huai’s displayed strength deterred any defiance. They could only whisper complaints about the head teacher leaving no room for survival.

Su Bei, sitting in the back row, couldn’t see the expressions of the students in front, but their postures revealed much.

Those complaining slouched, leaning this way and that, looking utterly defeated.

Yet, a small portion sat upright, seemingly prepared mentally, like Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing.

Lan Subing, realizing there was no need for self-introductions, was already thanking her lucky stars, uncaring of what came next.

And Jiang Tianming… from the first season of the comic, due to a childhood lacking in necessities, his physical condition was average, but his willpower was incredibly strong. So even if he might not be able to run, he wouldn’t falter without a fight.

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

A high nose bridge, pale yet well-shaped lips, and smooth facial lines. However, the most striking feature on his face was his pair of golden eyes, clear, naive, free of any speck of dust, as if never tainted by the slightest desire of this world.

Unlike Su Bei, his white hair lay smoothly atop his head, a bit messy from just waking up. But a stubborn tuft of hair stood atop, showing that his hair wasn’t as compliant as it seemed.

The white-haired boy yawned with restraint, looking towards the podium with a bored expression: “Hmm… time to run?”

Seeing this, Su Bei naturally replied: “Yes, ten laps. Let’s go, no food if we don’t finish.”

From his observation, since the white-haired boy slept during the head teacher’s opening speech, he clearly valued his own feelings. So eating must also be of importance to him.

Sure enough, upon hearing Su Bei’s words, the boy’s face turned serious. Abandoning his lazy, aristocratic demeanor, he decisively stood up: “Then we must hurry.”

After taking a few steps, he suddenly realized his behavior might seem ungrateful. Turning back with a somewhat embarrassed look, he asked: “Together?”

A hint of amusement touched Su Bei’s eyes. If the other hadn’t invited him, he wouldn’t have followed. It would be beneath him.

Fortunately, his efforts were not in vain.

“Alright, my name is Su Bei, and you?”

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

Clearly, he must be a young master who doesn’t partake in worldly concerns, with little to no social interactions in his early life. His reaction just now was probably something his family had drilled into him.

Su Bei quickly labeled Feng Lan in his mind, then took a step closer, breaching the normal personal space boundary: “How’s your stamina?”

He was testing, testing Feng Lan’s tolerance for such proximity. If Feng Lan were to step back because of his action, it would mean that he still has a sense of personal boundaries. In that case, it would be better for Su Bei to maintain a respectful distance as well.

But if Feng Lan didn’t move, it would prove that he was indeed a blank slate in this regard. And a blank slate could be freely written and drawn upon, couldn’t it?

Confronted with the sudden reduction of space, Feng Lan’s pupils contracted slightly, instinctively wanting to retreat, but he immediately suppressed the urge: “I suppose my stamina is alright.”

Su Bei had his calculations and didn’t push further: “That’s good, let’s go then.”

By now, several classmates had already left the room. Su Bei’s idle chat with Feng Lan wasn’t just for the sake of interaction; he also wanted to delay time.

As a semi-otaku, Su Bei understood the readers’ minds well. In comics, if a character is always first, they are certainly beloved. But if not, an occasional first place is less appealing than a sudden discovery of hidden talent.

He knew himself well; his physical strength was indeed decent, but it paled in comparison to other classmates who had physical enhancements from their abilities. Not to mention his own ability, he still didn’t know to what extent he could adjust through comics.

Therefore, instead of competing for the first place in Class F and exposing his limits, it was better to hide his skills at the start. In the future, when discovered, he could even mislead the comic readers.

Arriving at the track, the 1600-meter field looked vast, but for the students who had to run ten laps, it was overwhelmingly large.

There were no students from other classes on the entire field. The first year started early, and the other grades hadn’t arrived yet. At the same time, no other teacher was as ruthless as Meng Huai, making students run 16,000 meters on the first day of school.

Meng Huai didn’t come down, nor did he watch them from the window. A girl with loose hair walked slowly onto the track, looking at the vast field, a hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes, she whispered, “What if we run fewer laps, do you think the teacher will notice?”

Such matters required a leader, and several classmates immediately agreed: “I think it’s fine, the teacher isn’t watching, we just need to go through the motions.”

Another boy was even more direct: “Honestly, what if we don’t run at all? Could he really expel us on behalf of the school?”

“Exactly! I’m planning on walking just five laps.”

Su Bei watched the group’s conversation with a cold eye, no doubt that starting school like this would easily invite a show of force. Clearly, the previous lesson hadn’t been enough for them.

But this was of little consequence to him. Su Bei glanced at the four students, including Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing, who had already started running on the track. He exchanged a look with Feng Lan, and the two of them stepped onto the track side by side.

Feng Lan’s long legs carried him forward, his figure graceful, and he quickly caught up with the first group. Suddenly feeling a void beside him, he turned his head to see that Su Bei, who had been right next to him, had vanished.

Turning back, he saw Su Bei lagging behind at a snail’s pace.

Confusion filled Feng Lan’s golden eyes. He tilted his head, and it seemed as if a tangible question mark popped above his head: “What are you doing there?”!

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