I AM EXTRA IN A SHONEN MANGA

The corridor was dim. The moonlight through the academy windows flickered like passing ghosts as Ceyla stormed down the hallway, boots echoing sharply off the stone floor.

Her heart was racing way too fast.

Her fist clenched by her side, crackling faintly with static.

"(That bastard… How dare he look at me like that… as if he knows me.)"

She turned sharply into a shadowed hall, pressing her back against the cold wall. Her storm affinity reacted to her pulse, loose sparks of wind flickering around her ankles.

"(He doesn't know anything.)"

She shut her eyes, jaw trembling.

"(He doesn't know what it's like… being born into a clan that treats you like a flaw in the bloodline. Like a disgrace with a name too heavy to carry.)"

Her nails dug into her palm.

"(I trained until my bones cracked. And still—still—they only looked at me like a mistake waiting to happen.)"

Images swirled behind her eyes.

Her father's back as he walked away.

Her mother's soft smile. Gone too soon.

The cold looks of the clan elders.

And now…

"(That damn boy… with that look… those eyes… just like hers…)"

Her chest tightened.

She hated it.

That warmth.

That hope.

It made her want to scream.

"(Don't look at me like I'm some broken bird you want to save…)"

"(Don't try to see something good in me. There's nothing left.)"

But still—

His eyes wouldn't leave her mind.

The way he didn't flinch.

Didn't judge.

Didn't fight back with anger.

Just stood there… and looked at her like—

"(…Like I mattered.)"

She growled and shoved herself off the wall, storm energy flaring at her heels.

"(Tch. Whatever.)"

"(Next time I see him… I'll make him regret thinking I'm anything but a storm ready to swallow him whole.)"

And yet…

Her hands stopped trembling.

Just a little.

..

Next day…

The morning sun filtered through the stained glass of the academy windows, casting colored shards of light across the polished floors.

Class hadn't started yet.

But Kaen Suro was already there seated near the back of the room, one arm slung lazily over his chair, eyes staring at nothing.

He was quiet.

Still.

But not empty.

Something inside him had changed.

Up in the shadows of the upper balcony, Khael leaned against a pillar, arms crossed, observing quietly.

"(This is it... the day everyone finally sees it. The moment Kaen shows he's not just the outcast with no Echo control... but a fire wielder. The real protagonist arc begins here.)"

Down below—

A presence approached.

Pompous. Annoying.

"Well, well, look who's still sitting here like he belongs."

Kaen glanced to the side, unbothered.

The voice, smug and familiar, belonged to Andromeda Ban.

Trailing behind him, padding with snarling pride, was his Echo Pet, Junjun

Ban stood beside Kaen's desk, arms folded, smirk ready.

"I thought you got kicked out, flameout."

Kaen rolled his shoulders and leaned back in his seat, a cocky grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Heh. You thought."

He tapped the edge of his uniform with one finger.

Right where the Veinwalker Academy insignia badge gleamed—polished and unmistakable.

A proof of survival.

A badge earned.

Ban's smile faltered for just a second.

"Tch. I don't know what trick you pulled, but you're still weak."

Up above, Khael chuckled under his breath, lips curving.

"(There it is… the cliché line. 'You're still weak.' Classic villain-to-hero setup. Textbook Act I trash talk.)

Ban leaned in closer, Junjun growling quietly at Kaen's side.

Kaen didn't flinch.

He simply stared forward, gaze lit with quiet flame.

"Keep talking, Ban. I'll let my Echo Arts do the answering next time."

"(That's it, Kaen. Build it. Step by step. Burn your way into their respect.)"

The room buzzed as more students entered. Some glanced Kaen's way. Whispered. Gawked.

The outcast who didn't burn was now the boy who stood against a Voidborn.

And lived.

Meanwhile as the classroom buzzed with early chatter, still humming from the quiet shock of Kaen's return.

Then—

The sliding doors opened with a click.

Sensei Shun Asamaru entered, coat flowing, calm and composed as always. His eyes swept the classroom, pausing briefly on Kaen.

He faced the room with quiet authority.

"As you already know," he began, "only those who passed the trial have been allowed into this classroom."

"Yes... all of you are the ones who made it."

Murmurs rippled through the students equal parts pride and tension.

But then—

Another figure stepped into the room, silently.

Eyes turned.

A boy walked in, steady and calm, yet carrying no aura. No flicker of Echo. No emotional presence of affinity.

Black undershirt. Gray pants. Sleeves rolled. Hands wrapped in thin bindings.

No badge. No shine. Just fists.

"This," said Shun, gesturing toward him, "is Juno Arkai."

Khael's eyes widened slightly.

"(That name... Right. Juno Arkai. The 'Affinity-less Demon.' One of the few taishin fighters who could shatter Vein Gates with his fists alone.)"

Sensei Shun turned toward the class again.

"From today onward, he'll be one of your classmates."

More whispers.

Juno stood at the front without reacting. He didn't bow. Didn't smile.

He just stood there, quiet… unmoved.

"He may not have an Affinity," Shun continued, "but he is a prodigy in Taishin Arts."

Some students looked confused.

Others? Annoyed.

Then—

A hand rose.

A boy with mint-green hair and a medical bandolier across his shoulder. Calm demeanor, soft voice.

"Sir," said Daru Venn, Bloom Affinity user and aspiring battlefield medic.

"Shouldn't he be in the Taishin division? Why bring him here—into a class full of Affinity talents?"

A few students nodded.

Juno didn't flinch. He kept his hands behind his back, expression unreadable.

Sensei Shun's gaze didn't shift.

He nodded slightly. "Good question, Daru."

He stepped forward and placed a hand on Juno's shoulder.

"The Committee chose to place a Taishin practitioner among you for one reason: To prove that Echo users and Empty Hands fighters deserve the same battlefield respect."

He looked around.

"Today, we will be forming teams."

That silenced the class instantly.

"Three students. One teacher. Permanent squad for combat training, missions, and Echo development."

He added:

"Juno's mentor—Master Vince of the Taishin Path—requested Juno be paired with Affinity holders."

"Why?" Shun paused. "Because it's time to shatter the idea that Taishin warriors are 'lesser.'"

Khael stared at Juno now.

"(Welp, that's why you're here… Not just a prodigy. A challenge to the system.)"

Kaen, too, blinked in curiosity. His hand rested on his desk.

Juno finally spoke.

His voice was calm.

Low. Clear. Unshaken.

"I'm not here to prove anything."

"I'm here to fight. That's all."

The room went quiet again.

But Kaen smiled faintly.

"Heh… I like him."

Then A slender hand rose from the third row.

It was graceful, deliberate neither shy nor arrogant.

The classroom quieted as all eyes turned to her.

The girl's silver-pink hair shimmered under the ceiling lights, like moonlight trailing through rosewater. One side was braided with floral pins that matched the embroidery on her uniform. Her lavender eyes held a quiet clarity.

She met Sensei Shun's gaze with poise.

"So… we're going to form teams?" she asked, voice soft, but certain.

"Will the announcements be made today?"

Khael's breath caught in his throat.

(Lira Valenne.)

(The heroine. The core of Kaen's future team. The heart that saves him when even he thinks he's beyond saving.)

(In the manga… she's the one who stabilizes Kaen when the Shadowfire nearly consumes him. Bloom Affinity, one of the strongest of her generation. A healer, yes—but also a deadly tactician when pushed.)

(This is it.s The moment the main story begins to lock into place.)

His eyes drifted to Kaen, who hadn't reacted yet. Still slouched, arms folded. His eyes flicked toward Lira, curious but unaware of her future importance.

Khael exhaled.

(And that… is her team.)

He looked between the seats in front of him.

(Kaen Suro, the cursed. Lira Valenne, the heart. Rael Eluron, the prodigy rival. That trio… that was the team.)

Up front, Sensei Shun gave a small, understanding smile.

"Good question, Lira."

"No, the team assignments will be announced tomorrow."

A few students sighed in anticipation.

"However—" Shun continued, stepping forward.

"Today, we'll be holding a mock battle evaluation."

That changed the air.

Excitement. Tension. Strategy.

Shun gestured toward the chalk board. A shimmering Echo rune glowed on its surface as he activated a display field.

"You'll be randomly paired for today's matches. This won't affect your final squad—but it will give us insight on your compatibility and performance under pressure."

A few gasps. A few grins. A few worried glances.

Khael glanced again at Lira.

(I wonder…)

(Will I fight someone stronger in these mock battle?)

And then—

(Rael Eluron…)

He turned toward the boy in the second row, already reclined in his chair, arms crossed and face unreadable.

The prodigy.

Kaen's destined rival.

(He's already Veinwalker -level in terms of control, even if no one admits it. His Affinity? Top notch. His Echo Arts? Precision itself. He's cold, arrogant… but when Kaen falls, he's the one who drags him back through fists, not friendship.)

(That's the original team dynamic. The trio of fate.)

And now…

They were all in one room.

Waiting for the spark that would ignite everything.

To be continue