Heading to school with confidence, even with a bizarre ability.
Heading to school with confidence, even with a bizarre ability. How long had it been since I'd done something like this? It had been about three years since I graduated from college. But high school mornings and college ones felt totally different. An academy—especially a first-year cadet's first day—felt closer to high school. Walking into a classroom full of everyone at a set time like this? It'd been a solid ten years.
"Huuu..."
Tension squeezed my chest, so I took a deep breath to loosen it as I pushed open the classroom door. The room buzzed with good-looking guys and girls mingling and chatting. Maybe it was the eroge premium at play, but every woman was at least above average in beauty—no plain Janes here—and the guys, while a bit bland in personality, weren't ugly either. Each one of them aspired to be a hero, to shoulder the future of the world. In the end, though, about seventy percent would die here without even getting a shot at their dreams. If things followed the original story, that is. Thinking about it made everything feel so fleeting.
Has the protagonist shown up yet?
If it stuck to canon, he'd have properly enrolled and come to class. The academy's policy was to admit anyone with enough qi potential, no matter how weird their Unique Ability might be. Even without flashy superpowers, as long as you could handle qi, you were combat-ready. To put it in perspective, a Unique Ability was like the Devil Fruit, while raw qi was closer to pure Haki.
I scanned the classroom carefully, but no sign of the protagonist's face. Hadn't arrived yet? Or maybe he'd ended up in a different class? ...No way. I didn't want to believe it, but what if he'd decided not to enroll? Canon had him joining the academy for sure, but if my presence had somehow influenced him to drop out? I hadn't done anything major up to now, but no one could predict how a tiny action might snowball into something huge. That's the butterfly effect for you.
Restless, I plopped down in an empty seat and glared at the door. Then, someone approached me first.
"You must be the famous Joo Hyowon! I could tell at a glance-sawayo!"
Her voice dripped with such thick character flavor it gave me chills. Fine in an anime, but hearing it in real life felt kinda ticklish. The girl talking to me looked like she'd been drawn straight out of an illustration—a classic ojou-sama type. Golden ringlet curls that must've taken ages to set. A forehead so boldly exposed it was refreshing. Emerald eyes sparkling like gems. And the fan in her hand? Adorned with enough bling to fetch the price of a used car easy. She belonged in a medieval fantasy, not modern fantasy. Her name: Esmeralda Dorardo. Eldest daughter of the Dorardo family—aka the Golden Clan—and heir apparent. One of the game's heroines... or targets, I guess? Available from the early game with solid performance, she was a safe "rice bowl pick" recommended for newbies. Despite her haughty exterior, her hidden klutz charm made her a top-five staple in popularity polls.
Her full name felt a bit long in Korean, so players on forums shortened it to "Hammol." Inverted nipples, get it? With those massive tits, you couldn't help imagining her nipples shyly tucked away, drawing your eyes back again and again. The bigger the breasts, the more flesh to bury them in—higher odds of inversion, right?
"Indeed. Even with a modicum of insight, one can sense your pure, potent qi... The famed Joo Hyowon for sure-sawayo. They say you dove into a gate at middle school age and made your mark?"
"...You know me?"
"Of course-sawayo! Dismissing the Golden Clan's intelligence network would be most unwise! Even the masses who ignore the news know of you—how could this Esmeralda overlook you?!"
She covered her mouth with her fan and let out an ojou-sama laugh: "Oh~hohohot!" Up close, it felt like watching a play. Kinda weird vibe.
"Word is you're deeply disillusioned and distrustful of society... Yet here you are at the academy, so you've realized clinging to that distrust forever isn't wise. Splendid!"
Her tone subtly patronized, though she meant it as genuine praise. Spoiled by her noble upbringing, she didn't know how to mince words.
"A true talent recognizes another. I suspect we could make excellent comrades-sawayo. If you're amenable, shall we share a handshake of friendship?"
She phrased it as a question, but Esmeralda didn't for a second think I'd refuse. Normally, no one slaps away a friendly overture like that. Hell, if I were my old self, I'd grab her hand in a heartbeat. Shaking hands with a beauty? You do it every time if you can.
But not now. Timing's off.
"I'm picky about who I get close to."
I waved off the handshake, and Esmeralda froze, hand extended, utterly baffled. The girls trailing a step behind her piped up.
"How rude! Do you even know who Lady Esmeralda is?! Daughter of Fernando, one of the Five Heroes, humanity's bulwark! And you ignore her goodwill?!"
"Think a little gate action makes you hot shit?!"
"You're just a lucky thug, that's all!"
Like guard bees swarming when the hive's threatened. To them, their lady's honor was their own.
Esmeralda, ever the solid leader, quieted her followers. "Enough! No need to get worked up over this trifle-sawayo! Such behavior tarnishes my honor more."
Her entourage grumbled but shut up at her command.
"I've heard of your circumstances-sawayo. I understand your sharp reactions to people. I apologize for being too forward. But hear me out..."
She unfolded her fan to veil her lips and leaned in. "Saving the world isn't fueled by vengeance alone—comrades' harmony is paramount. Don't think you can handle everything solo-sawayo!"
"Ahh, Lady Esmeralda!"
"So cool! I'm swooning!"
"Strong, beautiful, and with a hero's heart too!"
Her entourage cheered her bravado, showering praise. Solid words, sure. Good advice, even. But... considering her canon arc, it rang a bit hollow.
Right then, the back door creaked open cautiously, and a guy slipped in. His already poor complexion looked worse. Stooped back, hunched shoulders. Dark circles deeper than before. Visibly more wrecked than when we'd met recently, but definitely the protagonist. Hwa Yujin. Thank god—he'd enrolled properly.
He crept along like a rabbit wary of predators, glancing everywhere, heading to the back. Praying no one notice him, probably. Thing is, that just draws more eyes. Rookie mistake. Lack of experience.
Yujin settled in the farthest corner without meeting anyone's gaze. But no matter how much he hid, he couldn't escape the stares. Classmates pretended not to care while sneaking glances his way.
Well, yeah. Can't blame 'em. A guy with the Female Training Unique Ability? I'd look too.
Interviews were supposed to be confidential, but perfect secrets don't exist. Especially for Unique Abilities—they'd come out eventually, so leaks were inevitable.
"...I did say harmony among comrades matters-sawayo... but exceptions exist."
Esmeralda shot Yujin a cold glance and whispered to me. "At the very least, that shameless sort isn't fit for heroes' company-sawayo."
"...Why's he shameless? What'd he do, some creepy shit?"
"My, you don't know? That man's got this vile Female Training ability-sawayo. Proof he's the type to treat women like tools, torment them. And he struts into the academy anyway, exposed for what he is... The height of impudence!"
Her voice brimmed with raw disgust. In this world, Unique Abilities reflected one's true nature—a bias to players, but gospel here, backed by stats and science. To locals, "Female Training" screamed pre-criminal. Without the monster crisis demanding every talent, he'd be branded a latent threat under watch.
I glanced around again. Class ratio: eight girls, two guys. Ero-game world, so girl-heavy was par. Two guys was generous. The girls eyed Yujin like filth. Even the guys shot prejudiced looks, milder but there. No wonder mental breakdowns loomed in this vibe.
Only three of us—not glaring? Including me, barely. Textbook self-fulfilling prophecy. Prejudice breeds the monster it fears.
"Hyup!"
I wasn't about to just watch. I stood from my seat and plopped down next to the protagonist.
"This seat free? Mind if I sit?"
"Uh... uh... sure."
Stares swung our way; most eyes dropped innocently. Only Esmeralda's shot daggers of bewilderment. Sure, ignore my goodwill for a wannabe crook-sawayo? Something like that.
I was saving her ass here, but preventers rarely get credit. Sucks, but that's life.
"What's your name?"
"...Hwa Yujin."
"Right, Hwa Yujin. We met before, yeah? Entrance exam. Fate or whatever—let's get along."
Yujin hesitated, avoiding my eyes before muttering, "…Getting chummy with me's a bad idea. You'll get misunderstood."
"You done something wrong?"
He paused, then spoke firmly. "No. I haven't done anything wrong. Not yet."
"Good. Then quit shrinking like a criminal when you're innocent. Act like you belong."
I locked eyes with his gloomy gaze, pumping him up. "Be a man about it."
Follow my lead.