Chapter 6: Why is he here?!

The entrance ceremony, which only managed to sour my mood, finally ended, and I started being guided to my assigned class.

“1-1… Class 1-1… Oh, there it is.”

Creak-

I quietly opened the door, trying to avoid people’s gazes as much as possible, and quickly slipped into the backmost seat on the left.

To think I’d have to relive school life again. And not even as a college student, but something that feels like high school.

Sure, I didn’t have friends to hang out with, but thanks to that, I studied while others played, so I was confident in my smarts.

Of course, staying holed up at home all day meant my body was below average, but hey, this is a fantasy world—there’s got to be a way to fix that, right?

My stamina stat is a measly 6, barely half the average of 10, but my mana stat is 20, twice the average, so I had this ideal dream of somehow covering my stamina with magic.

That way, I’d do above average in gym, blend in with the others, and escape my 19 years of being a loner to live the life of a popular kid…!

A career woman admired by everyone, someone they’d think is truly amazing—that’s the grand dream I’m starting now!

“Um…”

“Y-Yes?!”

…Or so I thought.

“Uh, you’re really my type, so… could I maybe get your phone number?”

“Uh… W-Well…”

Phone number?

A problem I hadn’t considered just hit me.

What’s my phone number again?

The realization that I don’t know my own phone number.

Sure, I have a number I could call mine, but that’s the one I had before I got possessed.

No matter how similar my name and age are, there’s no way the phone number would be the same.

You’d think I could just check my phone from calls or messages sent before, right? But here’s the kicker…

Why would I ever need to call or message anyone?!

I haven’t made a call or sent a message since elementary school. Sure, Mom calls me sometimes when I’m out, but she usually calls my brother’s phone, so mine’s just used for reading novels and listening to music.

If I barely use it for family, when would I ever need it for anything else…!

This is the moment to exchange numbers and build friendships to become popular, but… ugh, to miss this golden opportunity.

I was fuming.

“Uh… I’m sorry, I don’t really know my phone number…”

“Oh… Okay.”

The guy in front of me looked at me like I was absurd.

“N-No, I’m not lying… I really don’t know my number… I mean, I forgot it! Just wait a sec!”

“No, it’s fine…”

Don’t go.

Please don’t go, can’t you be my friend…?

I’ve only been in this world for a week, and I spent four days embarrassing myself trying to use magic, only to fail miserably and beg my brother for help.

“Oppa, could you maybe teach me some magic? Just try it once.”

“O… Ohh…”

“Guess you don’t want to use magic.”

“W-Wait! O… Oppa…”

“I don’t teach people who aren’t serious.”

“Oppa, please teach me magic…! I’m begging you! I really want to learn magic…!”

In my desperation, I shouted so loudly it got recorded, and now he plays it in front of me all the time—it was humiliating to learn that way…!

I’m so clueless about this world, so please, just give me one chance…!

I’ll be super nice and kind, I swear… Please be my friend…

But the ship had already sailed, and I was left alone, pathetically turning on my phone to check my number.

…It’s the same as my old phone number.

Bang!

I slammed my head onto the desk.

Wait, I’m supposed to be smart. I was always near the top of my class.

I could’ve just checked my phone first and given him my number, or taken his number and called it so he’d have mine naturally.

Why do I only come up with the perfect answers after the moment’s gone, picking the dumbest response when it matters?

“It’s gotta be because my intelligence got nerfed when I was possessed… There’s no other explanation for my actions…”

It’s definitely the result of my intelligence dropping.

Otherwise, there’s no way my brain, which always maintained high grades, would make such judgments. Some god or someone must’ve nerfed my brain when they threw me into this world.

Yeah, that’s gotta be it.

“Hehe…”

I felt better. There’s no way I’m that dumb! Something was definitely off.

The first step didn’t go as planned, but whatever.

So what if I failed once? I’ll just make up for it double next time!

I’ll keep trying until I make a friend.

I can at least make one friend, right? No way I’d fail to make even one.

I don’t want just one friend, but if I make even one, I’ll cherish them and do anything for them.

“Hehehe…”

Just imagining it made me happy.

Making a good friend, going to karaoke together, hitting up a PC café, visiting each other’s houses to play games and eat.

Making friends one by one, becoming popular, getting good grades, and becoming a career woman everyone envies.

Yeah, that’s the plan.

I lifted my head from the desk, imagining a happy academy life ahead.

As long as I don’t get caught by the protagonist and turn into a harem heroine.

I can’t spend my whole academy life worrying about the protagonist’s harem. Since I’m already possessed, I might as well enjoy it.

With that upbeat mood, I started looking around…

“??!!!?!”

“?”

I immediately froze my gaze forward.

Why is he here?!

Right next to me, the protagonist was sitting.

*

My hands and feet started trembling.

Cold sweat broke out, and my vision blurred.

“Hello, everyone! Since it’s the first day, we’ll keep things simple!”

Up front, a presumed teacher—a really short girl, is she actually a teacher?—was talking, but I couldn’t focus on her words.

What do I do? How do I get out of this? Is this character some pathetic heroine who gets captured from the start? Why is this happening right from the beginning? What do I do? I don’t want to be a harem heroine…!

The reason was the nuclear bomb sitting right next to me.

The protagonist, Lee Joohyuk, was in the seat beside me.

I sneaked glances at him, but whenever he seemed to notice and looked my way, I quickly turned to face forward.

What is this…!

Just moments ago, I was dreaming sweet dreams.

Now I realized dreams are sweet because they don’t come true.

Why was I imagining such happy things when I haven’t even escaped the danger of becoming a harem heroine?

Alright, just focus on the class. It’s just orientation, but if I focus on this, I won’t think about the protagonist.

The more I think about him, the more likely I am to get tangled up. I should just ignore him completely. Yeah…

I tried to comfort myself that way, but a death sentence came down immediately.

“Alright, since it’s the first day, let’s start with introductions! Starting from the student on the far right, let’s go one by one!”

…I’m screwed.

Self-introductions began.

Self-introductions. I absolutely hate them.

My mind goes blank in front of others, and having to introduce myself in front of people is terrifying.

The idea of all these people staring at me while listening to my introduction—others wouldn’t understand how scary, embarrassing, and nerve-wracking that is.

One by one, students stood up, introduced themselves, and sat down, and the feeling of my throat tightening grew with each one.

“I’m Lee Joohyuk. I mainly use a sword.”

And when the protagonist next to me finished his introduction, and I was set as the last one, I genuinely felt like I was losing my mind.

But I have to stand up…

As I stood, I could feel countless eyes on me.

Ugh, uwaaa…

It felt like I was standing here naked. So embarrassing and humiliating.

Finally, I started hyping myself up like it was self-hypnosis. Everyone else is doing it. If they can, so can I.

After a moment, I calmed down and started my introduction.

“I’m Han Jiyeon—hic!”

I bit my tongue and completely botched it.

…Should I just die now?