How to Survive as a Supporting Male Lead

His emphasis on ‘extremely’ left no room for interpretation. Yuhwa, usually accustomed to Derrick’s calm and polite demeanor, looked taken aback. He seemed to be channeling the bluntness of a superficial critic, and she shot Iann a helpless look, as if asking what had come over him. Iann, relieved to have his mouth covered, stifled a laugh.

Derrick might never admit it, but Iann was sure Derrick had a deeply rooted obsession with appearances. When he teased Derrick with remarks like, “You’re only following me around because I look good,” there was a hint of truth behind the joke.

Derrick, being particular in his tastes as always, had especially high standards. Unlike Iann, who applied his aesthetic judgment only to his “ideal type,” Derrick scrutinized many things around him with strict criteria. His discerning eye was delicate and exacting, and though that often helped Iann acquire some fine rings, it could be trying at times.

“It might be best if you didn’t attend.”

Derrick advised with all seriousness.

“Huh? I mean… why?”

Yuhwa asked, looking puzzled, still reeling from Iann’s lack of assistance.

“Because monsters are… ugly.”

“Ah!”

Iann couldn’t hold back his laughter, practically trembling from the effort to contain it, while Derrick shot him a pointed glare, the kind that clearly said, ‘Get a hold of yourself.’ Iann somehow managed to regain his composure.

“So, you see, it’s because Derrick doesn’t handle ugly things well. He’s rather… refined, you know? Have you noticed he wears glasses? They make him look so… I mean, anyway! Forget it. Derrick is right, though, Yuhwa. Are you sure you’ll be okay? Even though only weaker monsters will be around, and, well, they’re not all hideous, I struggled the first time I saw one myself.”

Of course, that wasn’t because of their appearance. The first monster he saw had been the one responsible for his parents’ deaths. For a moment, dark memories rose to the surface, but Iann quickly shook them off.

“I’ll be fine! I can handle cockroaches with just a tissue!”

Iann burst out laughing again, mostly because Derrick’s expression had fallen with misery. Derrick glanced down at his hands as if contemplating something dreadful, his shoulders slumping in resignation.

“I see, Miss Yuhwa….”

Defeated, Derrick didn’t even attempt to stop Iann’s laughter. Iann seized the moment to laugh as much as he wanted, even wiping away a tear, then spoke to Yuhwa with a gentleness that almost masked his mischief.

“Well, I guess that’s a relief. It might be better to see it safely now, anyway, since this is where you’ll be living.”

Thinking about the dangers Yuhwa might face in her encounters with Kallian, he figured it was best if she saw a monster now, with someone to protect her.

“Let’s go together, then.”

“Yes, I’d love to! Thank you! But wait—if I go as your partner, does that mean Derrick can’t join us?”

“No, it’s fine. Derrick will come as my aide, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Oh, thank goodness.”

“I doubt Derrick wants to go anyway.”

Iann added in a hushed voice to Yuhwa, who nodded in agreement, having already picked up on Derrick’s preferences through their earlier conversation.

“Is there anything I need to prepare?”

“Hmm, I’ll take care of most things, so there’s not much you need to…. Just, um—oh…”

Iann laughed, embarrassed.
“Are you sensitive to the cold?”

* * *

Fortunately, Yuhwa had nodded, but it turned out not to matter: the weather was warm on the day of the spring hunting festival.

This year’s festival was being held in the North, which was unusual since it was typically hosted around the capital or, at most, near Iann’s southern territory. Officially, it was to enjoy the Northern white nights and deal with the increasingly rampant monsters in the area, but Iann thought it was all in service of the protagonists’ romance. Yet another twist of fate, dictated by the novel’s plot.

The one fortunate aspect was that the festival coincided with the “white nights,” a period of mild weather in the North that was unlike the usual chill of such northern latitudes. Unlike Earth, where the white nights could still be cold, here they brought a stretch of warm days, which was good news for both Iann and Yuhwa, who weren’t fond of the cold. In fact, this year’s white nights were unseasonably warm, with people calling it a blessing from the goddess.

“Wow! The weather is so nice!” Yuhwa exclaimed.

“Yeah, sure is nice…”

Iann replied, though his enthusiasm was clearly lacking. The thought that everything was tailored for Kallian’s love story soured his mood. It seemed like the whole world was working hard to support Kallian’s romance, leaving nothing for the second male lead. These moments always made Iann feel a bit cheated.