A Saintly Straight Man Enters the Dragon-Attired Academy

After an accident, Luo Yi entered the Dragon Aotian Academy.

It was a specialized institution under the Cosmic Narrative Administration.

Its goal was: "To cultivate the most outstanding Dragon Aotian talents, ensuring every world has enough explosive protagonist templates to shoulder the threads of fate."

In short, the kind of Dragon Aotian protagonist who starts out with nothing but a knife, ends up ruling the world, and happens to experience several epic romances along the way.

Of course, Luo Yi wasn't that lucky.

He was assigned to the support division, which played the background roles in Dragon Aotian stories. That meant playing characters like the System that assigned missions, the best friend who took a blade for the protagonist and sacrificed himself at a crucial moment, or the passerby who handed over a golden finger and then disappeared from the story.

Oh, and when they were short-staffed, he also had to fill in as a villain, cannon fodder, or underling.

...Maybe the big data had decided he lacked protagonist potential because he was a slow-witted saintly type!

Since he was already there, Luo Yi decided to keep his head down and graduate. But all sorts of accidents kept happening...

*

During his first plot-simulation exercise, Luo Yi was randomly assigned to the top-ranked first-year team.

The captain was a cultivation-type Dragon Aotian. At their first meeting, he looked down at Luo Yi condescendingly. "What are you here for? To hand out cheat abilities, throw your life away, or get yourself killed?"

"Oh." Flipping through the plot notes, Luo Yi said slowly, "I'm Luo Yi. I'm playing the mysterious healer who treats your injuries after you fall into a ravine, teaches you a technique, and happens to upgrade your extraordinary constitution..."

Just as the plot notes prescribed, the Dragon Aotian was badly injured and fell off a cliff during the exam.

Luo Yi went to drag him back to a cave.

But the next second...

The Dragon Aotian suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze unfocused, as though he'd been struck by a love spell. He turned around and pinned Luo Yi to the ground, his breath scorching and his eyes tinged red.

"Th-the script's wrong..." Luo Yi frowned and reminded him softly, confused. "Did you mistake me for someone else?"

A student from the Mission Assignment Division shouted furiously over the comms channel: "Why did you touch him! The protagonist's script is in its unhinged phase right now. You'll trigger a romance arc!"

...But his classmate looked like he was suffering.

Luo Yi couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

Long after the simulation exercise ended, the Dragon Aotian would sometimes find himself thinking of that support-division student.

Maybe it was because the cave was so damp, but the teardrop mole at the corner of the boy's eye had looked dewy.

It was terribly alluring.

*

Good student Luo Yi was reviewing a mission in the library.

Suddenly, he received a request to form a bond. The applicant was a Dragon Aotian student who ranked first in combat class.

The academy System asked if he would agree to assist.

Luo Yi looked at the note: "Needs verbal help organizing the world's plotline and mission logic. May require emotional reassurance."

He tapped [Agree].

That evening, the Dragon Aotian stood outside his dorm room and looked at him. "Didn't you say you'd teach me how to 'analyze the plot's development'? I've got some textbooks in here."

Luo Yi nodded. "Then I'll come in and explain."

The protagonist division's dorms were single-occupancy, with high levels and privileges. They even had the ability to turn off the surveillance in certain areas.

Luo Yi sat on the sofa, took out the plot notes and protagonist-template matching chart, and explained earnestly, head bowed. "This instance is pretty difficult. I'd recommend skipping from chapter six to chapter nine to avoid wasting emotional points in the middle."

The Dragon Aotian said nothing. He sat opposite Luo Yi and stared at him for a long time.

"Are you always this loyal to everyone?"

Luo Yi paused and turned his head. "Huh?"

"If someone asks you for help, you just help them?"

"...If it's within the proper procedure."

The Dragon Aotian's gaze darkened. He suddenly stood and walked toward him, one step at a time.

Before Luo Yi could react, he was pulled into an embrace and shoved against the wall.

"Do you know how many times I've bonded with you?"

His voice was soft, almost brushing Luo Yi's ear.

"I'm clearly from the unhinged type. Didn't you even look at my character card? Can anyone just hug you?"

A System alert sounded in Luo Yi's mind: [Warning: Dragon Aotian protagonist E-01 has independently requested [Private Storyline Unlock]. Will the support division accept the bond?]

Luo Yi didn't move. He was quiet for a few seconds, then answered seriously:

"...You're getting a little emotionally unstable."

"I recommend drinking some water and taking ten minutes to calm down."

*

To earn enough credits for his volunteer-practice requirement, Luo Yi signed up for the academy's volunteer service team.

Every week, he took part in the "Psychological Support for Plot Characters Volunteer Program." His results were so outstanding that he was often named "Outstanding Volunteer."

This week, he was assigned to a familiar face: a third-year Dragon Aotian student, the number-one emperor-type protagonist.

The System reminded him: "This mission carries a high risk of emotional triggers. The student's emotional index has crossed the danger threshold after each of his last three missions."

Luo Yi said nothing, simply nodding as he accepted the assignment.

When he entered the dorm, the Dragon Aotian was sitting by the window. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept in a long time.

He didn't look at Luo Yi. He just said softly, "You're back."

Luo Yi paused. "Yes, Senior. I'm here to complete the support mission."

He set the emotional-support kit on the table and, as he'd done countless times before, offered him a hot drink and an ice pack.

But he didn't notice the veins rising on the back of the Dragon Aotian's hand the moment he walked in, as if he were struggling to hold something back.

"Why did you leave?" the senior asked.

"I'm only a volunteer. I was too busy at the end of last semester, so I took a break for a while," Luo Yi answered.

"So you don't think... there's any connection between you leaving and me getting more and more unhinged?"

He stepped closer and stopped in front of Luo Yi, speaking softly. "I didn't go crazy because of the missions."

"I went crazy because you left."

The System chimed: [Emotional index briefly decreased by 16%. Target student is developing a dependency on the bond. Support division, proceed with caution.]

Luo Yi froze, as if he were hearing something for the first time.

The senior stared at him, his tone gentle but strained. "Can you please stop leaving?"

*

Later, Luo Yi received a notice from the academy's discipline department.

[Academy Conduct Notice]

[Support Division: Luo Yi]

This week, you have caused five protagonist-division rampage incidents, two plotline deviations, and one instance collapse ahead of schedule.

You are advised to stop interacting with mission protagonists. Please complete a self-review and submit an emotional reflection report.

Theme: Though he has seen the vastness of the world, he still feels tenderness for every blade of grass.