1 - I've Been Possessed [Evan]

"We're... best friends forever, right?"

"Ah! Why the hell is it you again?!"

Crash!

I ripped off the VR headset like I was hurling it across the room. Panting raggedly, I glared at the monitor, but the damn ending credits just kept rolling mercilessly.

The jeers from my buddies—ones I'd met up with to celebrate my discharge—echoed in my ears like tinnitus.

'Dude, don't even open your mouth on blind dates.' 'Yeah, just stay quiet. Might get a pity lay at best.'

Fuck that! They set me up on the damn date and then talk shit?!

...When I called them out on it, those assholes recommended this game.

The VR dating sim dominating sales charts on every platform right now.

Garden of the Academy.

Its ultra-advanced AI interactions were revolutionary. It analyzed your gaze, even your psychological state in real-time, and reacted accordingly.

'Perfect. Time to rehab my romance cells, pickled from middle school boys, high school boys, engineering college, and the army tech tree!'

That's how I dove in with grim determination. A fantasy academy packed with gorgeous girls, flirty vibes all around, building a harem party to smash the demon king—the ultimate guy's dream.

That's the brilliant vista that should've unfolded.

"But why am I stuck in solitary confinement for four whole playthroughs?!"

Is my charm the issue? Or are my romance cells necrotic beyond revival?

"Nah, I've got it now. Their patterns. Hard on the weak, soft on the strong!!"

I gritted my teeth and snatched the headset rolling on the floor.

"This time's different!!"

Staking my gamer pride, this fifth run—I'd nail it no matter what!

“You’re the one I can trust with my back. Let’s stay together forever, friend.”

"Get your filthy back away from me!! You goddamn game!!"

Five straight Evan endings. Evan-freaking? No harem, couldn't even hold a girl's hand. Instead, I sealed "soul oaths" with dudes five times.

"Shit, I was seriously ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠aiming for the heroine route this time!"

Third run, same crap. Noble punks had Evan cornered against a wall. Kicking him, spitting on him. Date with the heroine in just 30 minutes.

I hesitated for exactly three seconds.

It's just an NPC anyway.

But in those three seconds, Evan took the beating without a peep. Just clenched his teeth, bracing against the wall.

...Fuck.

I blew the date.

Fourth run, found Evan lagging behind right before dungeon escape. Leg injured, couldn't walk. Evening date with the heroine that day.

I piggybacked the guy. Knowing it'd skip the event. Did it anyway.

...Honestly? No regrets.

How do you ignore a guy on the verge of death?

Just an in-game NPC. But I couldn't ignore that Evan bastard.

The price? This "Soulmates Forever" ending. Traded my glorious harem for his friendship.

Grind.

No more.

Whew, no choice now. Screw my gamer pride, my manly honor? Feed it to the dogs.

Trembling fingers opened the search bar.

My scrolling eyes locked on.

“This is it.”

Grasping at straws, I logged back in. A red system window popped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up—never seen before.

"No, you crazy bastards!! That was friendship!!"

Before I could finish cursing, the system window rippled grotesquely.

"Bring it! As long as it's not dudes!!"

I slammed [Y] without hesitation.

Fwoosh!

"Huh?"

A blinding flash erupted from the headset like a solar flare.

"Gah! My eyes!"

Vision went pure white, then pitch black swallowed everything.

That was my last memory of reality.

"...You okay?"

Ugh, what...

Someone grabbed my shoulder and shook me mercilessly.

Ah... Mom, five more minutes...

Just a bit more sleep. Outside the blanket is hell.

But the shaking grew rougher.

Wait. Did I fall asleep with the headset on? My 2 million won VR...!

“Gasp!!”

I bolted upright.

"Urk... My head's splitting..."

"You okay? Feel sick anywhere?"

Cold marble under my palms. Geometric patterns glowing ominously at my feet.

Anyone could tell—this was a summoning circle.

"Where... is this?"

"Summoning Practice Room, duh. You bubbled at the mouth and collapsed on the circle—scared me. Wanna hit the infirmary?"

The voice was kindness itself. I turned dazedly, and the sight was straight out of a circus.

Pink hair, mint hair, silver hair... Cosplay club meetup or what?

Hold up...

The guy's face in front of me felt eerily familiar. No, beyond familiar.

That obnoxiously handsome mug. That flashy golden hair.

Chills ran down my spine.

This dude was Leon Caliban, protagonist of my five-run hell!

Which means here... no way, inside Garden of the Academy?!

"Pl-please."

I reflexively leaned on Leon's shoulder. As I stepped, gazes stabbed like daggers.

“Hah, that beggar punk's showboating again.”

Not whispers—shouted for me to hear.

The noble brats with their rainbow hair radiated bug-crushing disgust.

"Prof said no, but he headbutted the floor begging?"

"Why'd his past school even let him in? Total nuisance..."

...What absolute scum.

I gritted my teeth, letting Leon support me to the infirmary.

Slide.

"Ma'am, student collapsed during training."

"Him again? Sigh... Lay him there."

The infirmary teacher's reaction was a spectacle. She twirled her pen lazily, chin-jerking at the bed.

Leon gently laid me down.

"Got class left—gotta go. Rest up, take care. Evan."

"Y-yeah. Thanks."

Leon left with the world's most worried eyes.

Door shut, teacher approached. Flipped my eyelids, half-assed pulse check, scowled hard.

"No faking sick. Rest lightly and scram. Don't dirty the sheets."

Scribble!

She slashed the chart and yanked the curtain shut.

Fuck... treatment's way off.

Wait, what'd Leon call me? Evan?

"......No way."

I clutched my throbbing head, sitting up. A translucent system window reappeared.

"......Insane."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

No dream haze. Yeah, this ain't a dream.

Gut feeling. Cliche as it gets: slay demon king to return home?

No panic.

Familiar setup. Just me as player now. Better even. Build harem here, cure romance impotence, triumph back to reality—perfect arc. Not hardcore RPG, just a dating sim. Piece of cake.

So, my specs?

Not Leon's body—what trash character gets this treatment from the start? Time to check.

"Status window."

Muttered softly, blue text ignited before my eyes.

"......"

Breath caught.

Name: Evan. All stats F. Mana: not even F, straight "None".

I know this fucker. Intimately.

The guy glued to my side like gum through five endings.

Commoner knight hopeful, in on work-study scholarship. "Student" my ass—school errand boy.

Pitied ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his bullying, saved him every time. Then he tailed me yapping "soul friends."

Shattered heroine flags, turned true end into "Soulmates Forever"—that walking disaster.

Goosebumps exploded.

"No, fuck!! Why!!"

I tore at my hair, screaming.

"Why possess not Leon, but this Evan shithead's body!! Fuuuuck!!"

The "true heroine(?)" vibe—crushing flags, filling endings with guy-on-guy. That's me now.

"Evan... student?"

Infirmary teacher's forehead vein writhed like a worm. I huddled on the bed, bowing frantically.

"Ah... sorry. Sleep-talking."

"Out."

Kicked out.

"Ha..."

Dashed to the bathroom. Hid in a stall, rechecked status.

Unique skills: Bad Ending Loop and Resonance. Passive EX skills. Trigger regardless of will.

General skills... none.

Fuck, for real?

Whew, calm. First, Bad Ending Loop. Obvious: loops on bad ends? Save/load function.

Issue: Resonance. Buff for heroines at affinity 50+. Skyrockets their stats.

Good, confirms Garden of the Academy lore. Collect heroines, amp 'em via Resonance, demon king falls. Classic RPG-dating sim.

Expectant, I faced the sink mirror.

A pale pretty boy with light brown hair stared back. Ribs like he'd starved days. Deep dark circles under eyes annoying, but features solid.

"Eat well, sleep, hit the gym... could be decent?"

But my flimsy hope circuit shattered in under five minutes.

"......"

Eye contact with a passing girl. I nodded lightly.

Her brow furrowed instantly.

"Eww, what... staring creepily?"

"Bad luck attached. C'mon, hurry. It's contagious."

Contagious what!! Am I a virus!!

They fled like I'd crawled from a trash bag.

And it wasn't just them. Uniform reactions from every student.

[Contempt] [Disgust] [Avoidance]

Fist clenched in bewilderment.

No... what the hell's Evan's rep!!

In-game, just ignored as poor commoner. Reality? Walking hate magnet.

"Hah, gonna lose it."

I rubbed my dry face, peering out the window.

Situation graver than thought.

Demon king ain't some level-grind punchbag. Needs Resonance at 50 affinity to damage.

To beat him and survive, "romance" mandatory.

But hate's maxed, affinity? Zero.

Chilly stares from passing students pierced bone again.

Turn bug-eyes into blind devotion, life-risking love? With F stats, no mana trash body?

"...You're kidding."

Despair flooded my throat.

But no time to crumple. Dating sim skin over hardcore survival game.

To live, I must romance.

Fine, bring it.

Oh, perfect—my type cutie passing by.

"......"

Heart pounding. Embarrassing. No, don't chicken out. Dating sim world. No shame.

Seducing girls? My job here.

Go time. Intel first.

I flashed max suave expression, dropping voice low and husky. Girls melt for cave-man timbre, right?

"Excuse me, miss?"

She turned, eyes wary. Brimming with disgust.

Damn, gotta push through. I'm no quitter!