Episode 2: Lucky Pervert
“This is Strange. So Strange. This is Strange. So Strange.”
Kim Harin kept repeating the same words over and over.
I was so terrified of the current situation that I could probably count the number of sweat drops forming on my forehead in real time.
‘What’s wrong with her eyes…?’
Harin’s eyes were out of focus, to the point where it was impossible to tell what she was looking at.
If this were a game, there should have been a choice popping up by now.
Calming myself down, I racked my brain.
In the game, I was sure…
1. Harin, you’re too old to be barging into your brother’s room like this.
2. Harin, you’re in the way. Move.
Back then, I’d jokingly chosen the second option, and her affection level plummeted. After repeating a few more unfavorable choices, her affection hit zero, and I was railroaded straight into a bad ending.
The Chop-Chop Ending was not an option.
At least with the first option, her affection level remained neutral.
But this wasn’t a game. This was reality.
‘My memories of the game are just a compass, nothing more.’
Harin was still clutching my collar, her eyes filled with suspicion as she stared me down.
I took a deep breath.
“Harin.”
Forcing a pleasant smile, I gently grabbed Harin’s hand. Startled by my sudden action, she blinked several times.
“I didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m still groggy.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Speaking in a calm voice, I lightly brushed my fingers across the back of Harin’s soft hand.
Flinch—
For a moment, Harin’s expression faltered.
“The ribbon in your hair looks great on you too.”
I smiled awkwardly.
‘Did it work…?’
Please.
Was it the power of my silent prayers?
Harin’s suspicious face broke into a wide grin, and she climbed off the bed.
“Anyway, if you don’t hurry, you’ll be late for the entrance ceremony. Ooh-hoo-hoo~”
Humming a cheerful tune, she left the room with a spring in her step.
I collapsed onto the bed.
‘God, I thought I was going to die…’
As the tension from moments ago drained away, I realized I was drenched in sweat.
“Ugh, being a bro-con is way too much…”
Harin muttered complaints about having to go to school early because she was on duty today. For me, that was a huge relief.
In the living room, a neatly prepared breakfast was waiting on the dining table.
A Post-it note caught my eye in the corner of the table.
[Dear Brother, don’t you dare leave anything behind~! (Sticker of a cute bunny holding a knife in its mouth)]
A heaping bowl of rice, fried eggs, sausages, and even seasoned greens and soup?
“This is practically food harassment.”
Each dish was meticulously prepared with care.
In the game, skipping meals always lowered her affection level, and now I understood why.
*
I forced myself to finish the breakfast and slung my bag over my shoulder before stepping out of the house.
The front door password was the same as in the game.
‘How can I escape this situation?’
In the end, the only answer seemed to be reaching the ending.
The problem was the insane difficulty level.
Having experienced dozens of bad endings, I knew better than anyone. This was a system where even slight neglect during main events with the heroines could trigger death flags.
And to make matters worse, there were traps laid out here and there.
‘Is this seriously a dark fantasy game?’
I tried to recall everything I could.
When I focused on pursuing another heroine, Kim Harin’s affection level would drop like a rock.
And when it hit zero…
Crunch!
So, I decided to solely focus on Harin and managed to max out her affection at 100.
But when I opened my eyes…
‘I woke up with my hands and feet tied.’
Damn it.
I guess the game’s ending is probably graduation from the academy, but honestly, it’s such a garbage game that I can’t say for sure.
For now, I decided to keep a safe distance from the heroines and aim for graduation.
And if I still couldn’t return to my original world?
Well, I’d just move out and live independently.
Having made up my mind, I walked toward the school.
*
The alleyway leading to the academy.
This was the location where an event occurred with one of the heroines in the game.
As soon as I turned the corner—
“Kyaaah!”
A familiar scream rang out.
Turning my head, I saw a blonde-haired girl with toast in her mouth sprinting toward me at full speed.
Seo Yuna.
Her wavy blonde hair, glittering piercings, and flashy nail art stood out immediately.
Her tight blouse and skirt hinted at a certain provocative charm.
She had a bold and playful style that anyone could recognize at a glance. She was one of the heroines in the game.
According to the game’s setting, Seo Yuna was free-spirited and lively but had a surprisingly delicate side to her character.
‘The problem is… this first meeting event begins with a Lucky Pervert moment.’
A chance accident where the protagonist and the heroine end up in inappropriate physical contact.
And I was just seconds away from it happening.
Anyone would think this was a lucky situation.
But this game wasn’t your typical romantic comedy.
【“Oops—Thud! Event.”】
Yuna, running full speed with toast in her mouth, collides with the protagonist and falls.
In the process, the protagonist’s face ends up directly hitting Yuna’s backside.
A classic Lucky Pervert cliché.
The problem? Onlookers would snap photos with their smartphones, and the scene would end up plastered across the front page of the school community forum.
Does this raise the heroine’s affection level?
Not at all.
Instead, rumors of the protagonist being a pervert would spread, effectively blocking access to the heroine’s route. That was the worst-case scenario of the infamous “Oops—Thud! Event.”
And what if I dodged her outright?
The reason this game was truly hellish was that even choosing option 2—dodging—would still lower Seo Yuna’s affection.
It’s hellish no matter what you do.
If the protagonist dodged the oncoming Yuna, she’d trip on a rock and fall in an embarrassingly awkward manner.
With her disheveled appearance, Yuna would glare daggers at the protagonist.
A drop in affection was guaranteed.
‘Is this even a game?’
Yuna screamed as she sprinted toward me.
Just seconds before collision.
I quickly shifted my body and grabbed her wrist.
“Kyaaah?!”
The sudden movement caused Yuna to stumble, and I pulled her firmly to steady her balance.
A faint jasmine scent wafted from her, tickling my nose.
It smelled nice.
‘Did I avoid triggering the flag?’
Yuna stared at me with wide, surprised eyes.
“What? What’s going on?!”
She quickly regained her composure and pulled the toast out of her mouth.
“Wow, insane reflexes. Are you even human?”
“…”
“But why are you holding my wrist? Are you flirting with me or something?”
“You were about to fall.”
I pointed with my chin to the rock on the ground.
Realizing her misunderstanding, Yuna’s face flushed bright red.
“But why are you speaking so casually to me on first meeting…?”
“We’re the same age.”
Yuna glanced at the name tag on my chest.
“Kim Dohyun…? Judging by the name tag color, I guess we are the same age. Anyway, if we run into each other at school, don’t act like we’re close. Keep it cool. Got it?”
With that, Yuna shoved the toast back into her mouth and hurried off toward the school gate.
I sighed and muttered under my breath.
“What an ungrateful brat with a princess complex.”
*
By the time I reached the school gate, cherry blossom petals were scattering in the breeze, creating a picturesque scene.
Two tall cherry blossom trees stood on either side, as if marking the area as a special stage.
Brilliant sunlight filtered through the petals, and the ground looked as though it were covered in a pink carpet.
‘It’s even prettier in real life.’
I steadied my breath and looked up at the academy’s modern buildings through the cherry blossoms.
The light reflecting off the glass windows and the sleek design combined to create a refined atmosphere.
“Freshmen, the entrance ceremony is about to begin! Please gather in the auditorium!”
Hearing the announcement over the speaker, students began heading to the auditorium one by one.
Seo Yuna was among them.
Her striking appearance made her impossible to miss.
She was surrounded by friends who were just as flashy as her, proving the saying “birds of a feather flock together.”
Even the two male students walking ahead of me couldn’t take their eyes off Yuna and her group.
They were having the time of their lives, hyping themselves up.
“Hey, she looks like she’d fall for you instantly if you tried. Am I right or not?”
“Totally right. Just ask her to go to karaoke with you after this.”
“It’s your turn this time. I was the one who asked last time when we were downtown, remember.”
“Let’s just go to the PC café after this. I’ve got a promotion match.”
“Fine.”
I naturally blended into the flow and walked along with the crowd.
The entrance ceremony was as boring as expected.
The bald principal gave a speech that went on for a solid 30 minutes, and I barely survived the battle against my drowsiness.
As soon as the ceremony ended, students gathered in small groups, chatting noisily.
It already felt like groups were forming.
“Hey, we’re in the same class!”
“Really? That’s awesome!”
“Dude, that blonde girl is so hot.”
“If we’re in the same class, I’ve totally got a shot.”
Bright laughter filled the air all around.
I couldn’t adapt to this kind of lively atmosphere at all.
*
When I got home, I stood in front of the mirror.
The moment I saw my reflection, I let out a deep sigh.
Red, thick-rimmed glasses.
Messy, unkempt hair.
A textbook example of a loser.
• “Hey, there goes your boyfriend.”
• “Ugh, stop being annoying.”
That’s exactly the impression I gave off.
‘No wonder Seo Yuna told me not to talk to her.’
Still, if I wanted to maintain good relationships with the heroines, something needed to change.
In the game, I couldn’t change my appearance, but this was reality.
As I carefully examined my face, I realized it wasn’t bad at all.
Fair skin.
A sharp nose.
Piercing eyes.
Maybe it was the protagonist buff.
The biggest issue was my terrible style.
Sure, nerdy guys are trending these days, but red, thick-rimmed glasses? That’s just too much.
And bad eyesight isn’t even a problem anymore—you just wear contacts.
Beep—beep—beep—beep.
While I was in the middle of this self-assessment, I heard the sound of the door opening.
It was Kim Harin.
Before I knew it, she had approached me and was now standing right beside me.
“Brother, do you happen to have someone you’re interested in?”
Startled, I turned my head toward her.
“What?”
“Well, you were staring at yourself in the mirror, and yesterday you even said you couldn’t sleep well. I was just wondering.”
Harin crossed her arms and stared at me intently. Though she was smiling, for some reason, it gave me goosebumps.
“There’s no one. Nothing like that.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Hearing my reply, Harin moved even closer, pressing herself against me, and began sniffing around.
Goosebumps ran all over my skin.
This must be what it feels like to have a snake wrapped around your neck.
“I smell women’s perfume on you….”
“It was the entrance ceremony. There were so many people.”
“Hmm~ I see.”
I tried to stay calm and changed the subject.
“Did you eat?”
“I ate with my friends. Anyway, if you ever develop feelings for someone, you have to tell me first, okay? Promise me! Promise!”
Without responding, I just smiled and patted Harin’s head.
‘Do you think I’d be crazy enough to tell you that?’
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