Chapter 0: Prologue- Admission

The warm spring sunlight filled the air. In front of the prestigious Takamari Academy‘s gates, a mix of nervousness and excitement hung heavy. Students, seemingly from noble and distinguished families, lined up, their presence transforming the school from a simple place of learning to a sanctuary for those promised a bright future.

I stood among them, an ordinary freshman. I resolved to blend in, to live my school life quietly, like a typical background character.

“Sigh…”

Just moments ago, as I passed through the school gates, a sigh escaped my lips. I realized where I was. Takamari Academy, the aristocratic school from the Japanese web novel I’d been reading before falling asleep.

A sliver of doubt remained. Could I really be inside the novel I had been engrossed in? Thankfully, this world wasn’t a fantasy setting with incomprehensible magic or superpowers. If it were, mere survival as a bottom-rung character would have been an overwhelming struggle.

When I awoke, a middle-aged woman I had never seen before stood over me. “You need to wake up when your mother calls you! Do you want to be late for your high school entrance ceremony?” she’d scolded. It was then that I realized I wasn’t in my previous life’s body—the unsuccessful college entrance exam taker—but in the body of a girl. And the words coming from this “mother” were Japanese, yet they felt like my native tongue.

It dawned on me that I had somehow become another being, just like the protagonists in the novels I frequently read.

Standing in front of the mirror, dressed in the Japanese school uniform, felt oddly satisfying. I seemed to have been granted above-average looks, a pleasant voice, and a decent height. Brown bobbed hair, brown eyes – a fairly common appearance in Japan. This was my new self.

Yet, I couldn’t believe that this new world I inhabited was the one from the novel I’d been reading. I held back from confirming my suspicions based solely on the school’s name. Perhaps it was just a coincidence.

“Students, please take your seats. The entrance ceremony will begin shortly.”

As I entered the spacious auditorium, new students began to fill the seats. A grand stage dominated the center, and the principal’s voice echoed through the hall.

It was then that I saw her. Or rather, she was already there, and I simply became aware of her presence.

‘Wow… she’s beautiful.’

And then, certainty washed over me. This was the world of the recently popular one-on-one romantic comedy, “The Heroine is Such a Perfect and Doting Angel That I’m Scared.” As the title suggested, it was a derivative work that followed the trend of several successful romantic comedy novels and anime.

I also realized that I wasn’t part of the main group – the protagonist, the heroine, and their friends. That was a given. My name in this world was Kurosawa Rina, a character I’d never encountered in the novel.

And the girl confidently walking onto the stage was the protagonist, Yukikawa Aya. Born to a noble father and a foreign mother, her presence captivated everyone. The entire space seemed to revolve around her, the top-scoring freshman.

“Representative of the incoming class, Yukikawa Aya.”

Aya’s presence commanded attention. It was as if time slowed down around her. Her vibrant silver hair shimmered under the auditorium lights, contrasting with her clear blue eyes that calmly gazed forward. Her slightly upturned lips formed a perfect smile, a breathtaking sight, truly angelic. Every movement was flawless, the textbook definition of a perfect heroine.

‘But… something’s… different?’

This was supposed to be the scene where the protagonist, Yamahashi Hiro, and Aya exchanged glances, marking their fateful first encounter. But Hiro was nowhere to be seen, and Aya seemed to avoid eye contact altogether, her gaze fixed on the podium.

“Now that the representative’s speech has concluded, please return to your seats.”

Following the principal’s words, Aya bowed her head slightly and descended from the stage. The students’ eyes followed her, and she accepted their attention as if it were her due.

And then, it happened. As she passed by me…

“I haven’t seen your face before.”

Her voice reached my ears. I turned my head in surprise. Aya stood right beside me, her steps halted, her eyes on me.

“…Yes?”

I couldn’t believe it. In the novel, Yukikawa Aya was kind to everyone. However, she was also quite shy and rarely engaged in intimate conversations with strangers.

Her charm stemmed from that contrast. Her kindness, coupled with a certain distance, made her mysterious. But now, she was talking to… me?

“What’s your name?”

Aya asked softly, her gentle voice directed at me.

“K-Kurosawa Rina!”

I stammered, my response clumsy. Aya repeated my name softly, then offered a gentle smile. It was so perfect that it almost took my breath away.

“Kurosawa Rina… I’ll remember that.”

With those words, she resumed her walk, disappearing toward the auditorium exit. I could only stare blankly as she vanished from sight.

‘Remember… me?’

It was a simple statement, but I recognized the scene. This was supposed to be the protagonist’s first encounter with the heroine. Aya was meant to ask Hiro his name, remember him, and set the story in motion.

Yet, I was taking his place. I was hearing the lines meant for the male lead. Her first meeting was with me.

Could it be that the protagonist didn’t exist? That I, a non-existent background character, had somehow slipped in as an irregularity, causing a critical error in the novel’s established setting?

No… that couldn’t be it. There was no hidden plot twist revealing that my family, the Kurosawas, were a distant branch of a noble house, or anything like that.