Chapter 2
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: First Meeting
On the day of the entrance ceremony, the auditorium was buzzing from the morning.
The freshmen, including me, filled the seats in our neatly pressed uniforms, while the principal droned on with his formal address from the podium.
"Therefore, freshmen, do not forget that you represent New Moon for the next three years—"
I stifled a yawn and bowed my head.
How could anyone spout such empty nonsense for thirty whole minutes? Nothing he said even registered.
And right now, I had other things on my mind.
"...Where the hell is that guy?"
I craned my neck slightly, peering through the crowd.
The protagonist should be scanning the room by now, hunting for a girl who catches his eye.
A little searching, and he'd stand out.
That's when I spotted him.
A few rows ahead in the center of the auditorium sat a guy with an conspicuously relaxed posture.
As a girl with a silver hairpin walked past him, he slowly shifted his gaze and curved his lips into a meaningful smile.
Cha Ji-hyuk.
The protagonist of this world, Stat Window Adjustment to Conquer All.
He looked exactly as described countless times in the novel.
Sharp features, slightly upturned lips, a large build paired with a gentle, affable smile that left a strong impression.
As expected of the protagonist.
I could see girls stealing glances at him from all corners of the auditorium.
When Ji-hyuk noticed and flashed a light smile, the girls who'd been staring blushed in unison and ducked their heads.
'What a joke.'
I scowled at the scene.
Even giving him the benefit of the doubt, he had the look of a total pretty boy parasite.
His skin was unnaturally pale, his hair meticulously styled for effect.
His shirt button was casually undone, and his attitude came off as more arrogant than laid-back.
'Women like that? Well...'
They had no idea about Cha Ji-hyuk's perverted side.
That behind his friendly smile, he used his powers to satisfy his base urges.
"...Ugh... Poor heroines."
I thought of all the heroines who'd be toyed with by him over the course of school life.
When I'd read it as a novel, those developments had been thrillingly arousing, but now they left a strangely uncomfortable feeling.
'Snap out of it! This isn't the time to worry about others.'
Realizing I'd gotten caught up in pointless emotions, I quickly shook my head.
Thinking about it, the heroines initially resisted his blatant lust, but eventually crumbled to the pleasure he offered, willingly giving themselves to him.
They might seem like victims at first, but in the end, they happily embraced the role of his slaves. That was the law of this world.
So there was no need to worry.
It was just the predetermined script.
With that settled, I pulled my gaze from him and stared at the floor.
Staring too openly might make him notice me.
Of course, even if he did, he'd lose interest the moment he saw my ruined looks.
Still, I had to be careful. I couldn't do anything to draw his attention.
1-1.
That's the classroom I'm in right now, along with over thirty classmates.
After the long, tedious principal's speech finally wrapped up, we'd been assigned to our classes.
The classroom was surprisingly spacious, and I'd been placed in a corner seat.
For someone like me who just wanted to quietly graduate, this was ideal.
But I couldn't relax and smile.
'Damn it... why the hell...!'
Because the top two people I needed to avoid had been assigned to the same class.
Cha Ji-hyuk and Ryu Ah-young, his first heroine.
And Ryu Ah-young was seated right next to me.
Black hair, black eyes.
She had an instantly captivating appearance.
In the original story, her lively and bright energy made her the epitome of youthful charm among her peers.
"Hi! I'm Ryu Ah-young. You?"
"...Kang Seo-ah."
"Seo-ah, huh? Pretty name!"
"Uh... thanks. You're pretty too."
My plain looks didn't faze her at all. She greeted me with a bright smile, no awkwardness whatsoever. My head started to ache.
It was better than Cha Ji-hyuk being next to me, but still, it felt like I'd been dragged into the whirlwind of events I most wanted to avoid.
Out of unease, I flicked my eyes toward Cha Ji-hyuk.
Fortunately, he was too distracted by Ah-young to spare me a glance.
Whether Ah-young noticed his gaze or not, she kept talking to me.
"Can I call you Seo-ah?"
"Whatever..."
"Thanks, Seo-ah! Call me Ah-young too. You using the dorms? My place is far, so I am."
"No, I got an apartment nearby..."
"Oh... Kinda disappointing. Sharing a room with you would've been fun."
Ryu Ah-young kept the conversation flowing effortlessly with her natural friendliness.
I wasn't great at making friends despite wanting to, so being chosen by such a social butterfly should have been a blessing.
'Ah, but no...'
The problem was that she was Cha Ji-hyuk's first heroine. Way too inconvenient.
And what about me made her think it'd be fun to room together?
"Y-yeah. Too bad... haha..."
At a loss for words, I forced an awkward laugh and lied.
It wouldn't have been fun, so no real disappointment either.
Anyway, Ryu Ah-young was the first one Cha Ji-hyuk would target.
If we roomed together, I'd just watch her change day by day up close.
Late at night, she'd suddenly head out, claiming something came up, then return flushed and panting.
"Hey."
That's when it happened.
Cha Ji-hyuk, who'd been watching Ah-young from afar, approached us with a greeting.
"Hey!"
"..."
Ah-young returned his greeting with her usual bright smile, while I ignored him and kept my head down.
"I'm Cha Ji-hyuk."
"I'm Ryu Ah-young! This is Seo-ah, Kang Seo-ah!!"
'Aah... please, no!!'
Oblivious to my efforts to stay under Ji-hyuk's radar, Ah-young introduced me to him right alongside herself.
I wanted to grab her collar and shut her up, but that would only draw that pervert's eyes.
I shrank back further.
"Ah-young? You're next to me?"
Brushing past my introduction, Cha Ji-hyuk turned to chat with her.
Seemed like he had zero interest in me.
I inwardly cheered.
This close, and still flying under the radar of a guy who only had eyes for pretty girls? My disguise was perfect.
Their chatter about being neighbors dragged on for over ten minutes until the bell rang.
Only then did Cha Ji-hyuk and Ryu Ah-young head back to their seats.
As everyone settled, the front door opened, and a man walked in.
He wore a checkered dress shirt with his collar stiffly upright.
His hair was thinning at the crown, and the sharp glint behind his square glasses screamed "I'm a strict one."
"Class starts now."
Those words made me feel the reality of being back at school.
"Mm..."
Class was over. Well, the first period, technically.
But none of the content stuck with me, naturally, since I hadn't paid attention.
'Full clear or all endings... that is the question.'
That dilemma had dominated my mind since class began and still did.
The games I hadn't fully enjoyed in my past life danced in my thoughts—a crucial topic for me.
So I was dead serious right now.
"Ah-young, wanna hit the vending machine?"
That's when Cha Ji-hyuk's voice cut in.
I glanced over, and there he was, leaning on Ryu Ah-young's desk, looking at her.
'Here it comes.'
I knew exactly what that meant.
In the original, that's how Cha Ji-hyuk lured her out.
He'd buy strawberry milk from the vending machine, hand it to her with a straw, and she'd gratefully drink it.
Once she finished, he'd offer to toss the carton on his way to the bathroom.
She'd hesitate at first—couldn't ask him to handle something she'd drunk from—but he'd insist it was on his way anyway, so she'd hand over the carton with the straw still bearing her saliva, completely unaware of his scheme.
Once he had it, he'd duck into the bathroom, suck on the straw once, fulfilling the "ingest Ah-young's saliva" condition.
That unlocked the stat adjustment window for her.
The moment she fell completely into his trap, marking the start of her conquest.
"Seo-ah~ Come with?"
Blissfully ignorant of what awaited her, Ah-young flashed an innocent smile and clung like a water ghost.
"Nah, stomach's not feeling great..."
"Whoa, you okay? Want me to take you to the nurse?"
"It's not that bad! Just need to sit a bit. You two go ahead."
A strange guilt bloomed in my chest as she worried genuinely over my fake excuse.
Was it right to know what was coming and just sit by...?
'No... She'll end up liking it eventually...'
I steeled myself again.
As long as I didn't stick to her side, it was inevitable.
Besides, for me to stay off his radar for three years, it was better if she held his attention.
I gave a wry smile at their backs as they headed to the vending machine.
'Gonna have a rough time...'
Ah-young wouldn't fully fall until after several rounds of his torment.
Resisting while taking all his lust head-on would be brutal.
Especially with his power granting infinite stamina and virility during sex.
"Whatever. None of my business."
I muttered under my breath and slumped over my desk.
To game late into the night, I needed a nap now.