Transmigrated into the Extra Chapter as an Extra

Chapter 2: Between Pages and Reality

Arzen turned slowly, his eyes locking onto a tall young man with neat black hair that hung just past his ears. The black-haired guy approached, his warm brown eyes sparkling with playful energy that seemed to brighten the room. The sight of him made Arzen's heart skip a beat. He quickly pushed his notes under a pile of books, trying to steady his trembling hands.

'Great. Just what I need right now.'

The name Hanjun Lan surfaced in Arzen's mind, accompanied by memories that felt both familiar and foreign. In this world, Hanjun had been Arzen's closest friend since childhood—someone who knew him inside and out. That thought sent a spike of fear through Arzen's chest.

'What if Hanjun noticed something was off?'

Arzen forced his face into a calm expression, though it took everything in him to suppress the rising panic. He had to act like this world's Arzen, had to be convincing, or Hanjun would see right through him.

Hanjun, oblivious to Arzen's internal struggle, approached with the confidence of someone who had spent years knowing exactly how to get under his friend's skin. He had always been the kind of friend who could read Arzen like a book, picking up on his moods even before Arzen himself realized what was wrong. Today, however, something felt off to Hanjun. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was a subtle shift in Arzen's demeanor—something he hadn't seen before. Still, Hanjun dismissed it as just another one of Arzen's moods, though a small part of him remained curious and a bit concerned.

"A transmigration novel, huh? Did you even finish that other one, or did you leave it hanging like you always do?"

'Oh, crap.'

Arzen panicked internally. His memories felt scattered, like a bookshelf knocked over with everything in disarray. He needed to respond in a way that wouldn't raise suspicion. He had to play along, even if every word felt like it was coming from someone else's script.

"Still working on it."

Arzen replied automatically, his eyes flicking away from Hanjun's intense gaze. He hoped Hanjun wouldn't notice the slight tremble in his hands.

Hanjun noticed, of course—he noticed everything about Arzen, even the little things. The slight shake in Arzen's hands was unusual, but Hanjun decided not to push. He could tell something was off, but he didn't want to press too hard. Instead, he continued his teasing, trying to lighten the mood.

"Sure, sure. Like that one with the magical academy? What was it called? 'The Chronicles of the Half-Finished Plot'?"

Arzen almost sighed in relief as a memory clicked into place.

"The Chronicles of the Fallen Star."

Arzen corrected softly, trying to keep his voice steady. It felt strange to say the title aloud, like he was pulling it from a distant place in his mind that didn't quite belong to him.

Hanjun grinned, but there was a hint of something deeper in his eyes—concern, perhaps? He couldn't shake the feeling that Arzen wasn't entirely himself today.

"Well, maybe you should transmigrate into that one and finish it from the inside."

'Haha, if only you knew...'

Arzen thought, managing a small, sheepish smile. His fingers tapped nervously against his thigh—a habit that had followed him even into this new world.

As Hanjun's teasing continued, Arzen's mind drifted back to the unsettling similarities between himself and this world's Arzen. The more he thought about it, the creepier it became. Both were headstrong and quiet, both kept others at arm's length. This world's Arzen had his own set of boundaries, avoided getting involved in others' business, and wasn't exactly keen on accepting kindness, just like him. It was like looking into a funhouse mirror—everything was just slightly off.