Rom-Com
Rom-Com
After the class assignments were released, I naturally parted ways with Han Yeseo.
[Han Yeseo: 010-XXXX-XXXX]
Of course, I didn't forget to exchange numbers.
As expected, I was assigned to Class B.
It would have been great if I got into Class A, but...
That's a place where only the 'big shots' go, after all.
To graduate from the academy safely, being in a higher class is advantageous.
First of all, to avoid expulsion, I have to maintain my 'grades' and also manage my 'demerits' well.
I sprawled out on the bed in the academy Dormitory room, which is provided as a single-occupancy room, and realized that I had truly fallen into the world of a comic.
'I never thought this deeply about grades even when I was in high school.'
But now...
[Main Quest: Academy]
-Failure: Death
Haha.
In many ways, I felt that I was, as they commonly say, -fucked-.
And of all things, the world I possessed into is a 19+ one?
I have no aversion to seeing it as a creative work, but now that it's reality, it came as a tremendous burden.
'I don't know where to look.'
Right now, Han Yeseo's skirt, which she was wearing just before coming into the Dormitory, was incredibly short even for a miniskirt, to the point where you could see her underwear immediately if she ran even a little bit.
This is the average level of exposure for people in this world.
'I need to adapt as soon as possible.'
I wonder if this is something one can adapt to, but what can I do.
I went into the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face to regain my slipping sanity.
Just as I was splashing cold water on my face, I was able to examine my face through the mirror.
It was my face from my fresh high school days, without a single dark circle from the wear and tear of social life.
As for my physique, it doesn't seem like anything has changed.
Wiping the water off with a towel, I decided to dig into this status window in earnest.
I brought up the status window located in one corner of my vision, enlarged it, and examined its various functions.
[Stats]
Literally, stats, or ability scores, that you'd only see in an RPG game.
The peculiar thing is...
[Potency]
...that such a stat exists.
[Potency: C]
C.
Not B, not D, but C.
There's nothing as infuriating as a C when it comes to university grades.
That single simple alphabet left a huge scratch on my pride as a man.
The fortunate thing is that, as a 'stat', I can increase the ability score by investing points.
'Since even Gong Inju invested all his points into this stat.'
Honestly, I would have done the same.
Pride is important. Hmm.
Next, I examined the [Traits].
[Owned Trait: Growth MAX]
The trait I unwillingly snatched from that guy Gong Inju was prominently positioned there.
500% increase in growth and development, an ignorant yet overwhelming effect.
Although traits with effects and performance beyond this appear in the latter half of the comic, in this academy where growth is important, a growth cheat like this is as reliable as a staple meal.
Next.
I clicked on the function that is practically the alpha and omega of this status window.
[Shop]
Even if all other functions of the status window were removed, if this function remained, it would be a game-breaking function to the point where it wouldn't hinder academy life at all.
It's a function that is practically a 'cheat key'.
The function is, as the name suggests, a function that acts as a shop.
This also inherits the characteristics of a shop you'd only see in online games, where you can buy and sell specific items or traits with the points needed for the stat growth mentioned above.
If there's anything more game-breaking about this [Shop], it lies in the point where points accumulate.
All sorts of items and traits exist in the shop.
Among them, there are bound to be things with performance that can truly be called 'game-breaking', but the points required for them are just as expensive.
However, once growth has progressed to a point where you no longer need to invest points.
You can aim for a second high-speed growth by purchasing items or traits from the shop with the accumulated points.
'This is also the method Gong Inju used in the comic.'
To call it a method, it's just that the guy who forgot to spend his accumulated points ended up playing around with the heroines for all 30 episodes of the comic, thereby acquiring a large amount of points, and thus happened to purchase high-end items.
In short, it's a stroke of luck he stumbled upon.
However, using this, I can devise a strategic academy survival method.
I recalled the survival method I had thought of myself while watching the comic that spanned hundreds of episodes.
You know, that kind of thing.
For example, a rough plan of how you would survive if you fell into an apocalypse world.
This is the same as that.
My plan is as follows.
First, I will boldly invest the points gathered in the beginning into stats.
Because unless you are in Class A, the stats you get in the classes below that are very few.
Through the rapid growth gained that way, I will enter Class A in the 're-evaluation exam' that will take place in a month.
My goal for wanting to enter Class A is simple.
'Because I can grow faster.'
And, the fact that I can meet the heroines.
This is because most of the heroines are concentrated in Class A.
It will probably take half a year for that guy Gong Inju to get up to Class A.
It was like that in the comic's development, and in the first place, unlike me, he starts in Class E, the lowest class.
Compared to me, who can go from Class B to Class A in one re-evaluation exam, he has to start from Class E and take a total of four exams to get up to Class A.
If that happens, not only will his chances of forming ties with the heroines decrease, but his growth will also be stunted.
Then naturally, his value will drop, and for me, who is aiming for his right-hand position, there is no loss in that.
In that case, I will rather be the one to form ties with the heroines first and act as the bridge to connect them to him.
Then, the growth that was delayed due to the low class will also accelerate again thanks to the points gathered from events with the heroines.
And I will just take up the position of his right-hand man right next to him.
'The plan is perfect.'
As long as I can get past the variables in the middle, there are no problematic parts.
I managed to get through the dizzying day at the academy like that and fell asleep.
///
:Confirming user's sleep activity.:
:Growth and development activity initiated.:
:Due to the effect of the trait [Growth MAX], growth and development, 500% acceleration.:
:[Stealth Mode, Usurper Mode activated] resulting in the extortion of some stats from target [Gong Inju]:
.
.
.
:Extortion successful:
[Strength (10)→(12)]
[Stamina:(10)→(12)]
[Intellect (10)→(13)]
[Potency: C→C]
:Extortion failed due to target's Potency stat falling below the required threshold.:
:Extortion penalty effect activated→Target [Gong Inju]'s Potency stat decreased.:
:Reward points granted to user:
"Ugh... why do I feel so refreshed?"
Seriously, I felt much more refreshed and clear-headed than when I woke up after sleeping soundly for 10 hours after the end of the semester in university.
"Puha! This water tastes great~!"
Maybe that's why, but the taste of cold water I drank upon waking up in the morning was better than Evian.
Looking at the phone I had placed on the Dormitory table.
[AM: 6:40]
School starts at 8:50.
In other words, there's still plenty of time.
Having gained the opportunity to experience an unwanted miracle morning thanks to waking up two hours early, I decided to wash up first and think.
I gathered my underwear and towel, went into the shower booth attached to the bathroom, and entrusted my body to the moderately warm water, washing myself clean.
"Whew~! Feels good to be clean."
I learned that waking up early in the morning to greet the sun feels incredibly good.
After drying my hair and applying just enough lotion, I neatly put on my academy uniform one by one.
"Hmm, it's still 7:30?"
Even so, there was still an hour left.
"Should I go grab some breakfast?"
I'm not the type to go out of my way to eat breakfast.
Of course, while it's said that eating breakfast is good for health and daily life, I didn't go out of my way to eat it.
Therefore, since I was up early, I decided to try the experience of having breakfast.
I simply opened the refrigerator provided in the Dormitory.
Inside, naturally...
"...It's empty."
Of course.
I hadn't gone to any supermarket or mart yesterday, so how could there be anything to eat.
"...I'll just go to the convenience store inside the academy grounds and grab something."
My plan to eat breakfast to finish off my miracle morning was aborted.
///
In fact, except for the slightly strange name of 'Sex Education Institution', there probably isn't a higher education institution in the world like the Academy.
With a site size that could be called an academy city, convenience facilities, etc... as much as not only students but even faculty members live in separate faculty dormitories rather than commuting, the Academy has everything.
In particular, the fact that there is a convenience store every 1km is a sign of good planning.
Because if I walk a little from the Dormitory building I live in, a convenience store appears right away.
As a result, it's hard to run into someone living in a different Dormitory building at the convenience store in front of their own Dormitory building.
Yes, just like now.
"Uh... that... ah, hi?"
"...."
The female student Dormitory is on the exact opposite side of the male student Dormitory.
They even have 3 buildings there, so there must be 2 convenience stores.
Then why on earth is she here?
"...Why are you here?"
"That... the convenience store in front of our Dormitory wasn't open yet... so..."
Han Yeseo's appearance, completely disarmed inside her gray hoodie, was reflected in my vision.
If yesterday she had at least some makeup on that could be called 'no-makeup makeup', now she had come out without any adornment, as if she were truly disarmed.
'...She looks better this way?'
Honestly, the way she was dressed up yesterday was incredibly pretty too.
However, that natural appearance without makeup looked even prettier to my eyes.
But Han Yeseo herself seemed embarrassed to show me her face without makeup, so she kept covering her face with her hoodie sleeves.
"...What are you covering yourself for, you're pretty even without makeup."
"...R-really?"
"Yeah."
Since we had become as close as we could be due to yesterday's events, I spoke to her without hesitation.
"...Thank you."
Then, with her cheeks still flushed, she lowered her sleeves and revealed her face completely.
'Certainly, she's a heroine, so she is pretty.'
I suddenly wondered how the artist expressed that beauty.
"Is there anything good to eat for breakfast? There's nothing to eat in the Dormitory."
"Then, how about this? It's a lunchbox, it's cheap and has a large portion."
Then she handed me a lunchbox with the name 'Hyeja' attached to it.
'You have to trust Hyeja-nim.'
I took the lunchbox without a word.
After that, it seemed she had also come to buy breakfast, as she stood in front of the counter with a few simple triangle kimbaps, a chicken breast sausage, and some milk.
The clerk looked at the two of us for a moment and said.
"Should I ring it up together?"
"...."
"No, please do it separately."
Then Han Yeseo went outside with the items she had calculated, looking a bit intimidated.
"Yes, one HyeXja lunchbox, that's 2500 won."
'Wow, crazy, so cheap.'
Around the time I had that thought.
One very fundamental problem crossed my mind.
'But.'
'Do I have money?'
I had become a young man who didn't even know his own financial situation overnight.