Chapter 3: Bamboo Forest

The next day, I was still inside the game.

“Hey, did you watch the Worlds yesterday?”

“It was insane.”

“Did you change the tint?”

“Yeah, I didn’t like the color.”

Arriving at the academy filled with the laughter of youth, I quietly entered the classroom.

The seating chart was taped to the podium, but I went straight to the window seat in the back.

I already knew where my assigned seat was.

I liked the location—it was easy to avoid attention, and the cool breeze flowing in through the open window was as soothing as a lullaby.

But there was one major downside that overshadowed all those perks.

My seatmate was Seo Yuna.

Blonde wavy hair.

Flashy piercings and nail art.

A tight school uniform.

The heroine I had met in the alley yesterday.

She sat at her desk, legs crossed, fiddling with her smartphone.

When I sat down, Yuna turned her head and stared at me intently.

Then, covering her mouth with her hand, she looked surprised.

“You’re that… guy from yesterday, right? The one who grabbed my wrist?”

I let out a light sigh.

“Yeah.”

Damn.

‘Yesterday, she said not to acknowledge her if we met at school.’

‘Now what am I supposed to do?’

‘Women—they’re truly incomprehensible creatures.’

Hearing my reply, Yuna smirked.

“What’s this? You’ve got a completely different vibe now.”

Ignoring her words, I rested my head on the desk.

I didn’t feel like responding.

[OF, CHEF.]

When I didn’t react, Yuna poked my shoulder.

“Hey, answer me.”

Ah.

I hadn’t slept well last night, praying fervently until dawn, and now she was chattering beside me nonstop.

I’d have to ask the homeroom teacher to change my seat.

“Answer me.”

For five straight minutes, Seo Yuna persistently demanded a response.

Normally, in cliché lucky-pervert events, she’d scowl at the protagonist every time she looked at him.

But somehow, the situation was unfolding differently.

Taking a deep breath, I lifted my head from the desk.

“Hey, I have a favor to ask.”

“A favor? What is it? Just so you know, if it’s something lame like asking for my number, I’m rejecting it now.”

“Don’t acknowledge me.”

Yuna widened her eyes at my words, then let out a laugh.

“What’s this sudden cool act? Unbelievable.”

Losing interest in my response, she turned back to her phone.

***

Yesterday morning.

Yuna had overslept as usual and rushed out of the house with a slice of bread in her mouth.

Five minutes until the school gate closed.

‘At least I won’t be late,’ she thought as she sprinted full speed down the street.

That’s when a male student suddenly appeared from the alley.

“Kyaaa!”

Startled, she screamed.

They were too close to avoid colliding.

Yuna braced herself internally.

‘Please, at least don’t let my face get hurt.’

Then, his hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her off balance.

‘What the…? Why is he grabbing my wrist like that?’

She feigned surprise but couldn’t deny it was a bit cool.

The way he steadied her so instinctively.

The subtle firmness of his arm muscles.

But then she got a good look at him.

Red-rimmed glasses, a tattered shirt, and messy hair.

He was a total nerd.

‘What the heck? Just a dork.’

Yuna resolved then and there that if she saw him at school, she wouldn’t acknowledge him.

***

This morning.

Arriving at school, Yuna checked the seating chart on the podium.

Her seatmate’s name seemed oddly familiar.

‘Kim Dohyun.’

That dork from yesterday.

But as she sat at her desk scrolling through social media, a good-looking boy sat next to her.

At first, she thought it was someone else with the same name.

Then she looked more closely and realized it was the same guy from yesterday.

The red-rimmed glasses were gone, replaced by semi-leaf cut hair, the trendy style.

A slim jawline, sharp eyes, and a crisp school uniform that complemented his fair skin.

Even his single eyelids appealed to her taste.

‘If he looks like this, maybe we could actually get along…’

Naturally, Yuna started a conversation with her seatmate.

“You’re that… guy from yesterday, right? The one who grabbed my wrist.”

Despite telling herself not to acknowledge him, Yuna was, after all, Seo Yuna.

The kind of girl who had boys swarming her, asking for her number and flattering her, right after the entrance ceremony.

“Yeah.”

A curt reply.

‘What’s with that tone?’

‘Was he acting confident just because he dressed up a bit?’

Her pride took a hit.

Yuna scrutinized Kim Dohyun again.

‘This is basically a full transformation.’

Yesterday’s dork was gone, replaced by today’s Kim Dohyun, who could only be described as handsome.

That’s when he suddenly spoke.

“Hey, I have a favor to ask.”

Kim Dohyun, now looking directly at her, said out of nowhere.

But his tone remained aloof.

‘What? Was he shy because a pretty girl like her kept talking to him?’

He was probably just going to ask for her number, like every other guy.

“Don’t acknowledge me.”

“What’s this sudden favor? Just so you know, if you’re going to ask for my number, I’m rejecting it outright.”

Yuna preemptively cut off Kim Dohyun, ignoring his lack of response.

‘Wake up. You’re not at that level.’

But his answer was unexpected.

“Don’t acknowledge me.”

Yuna laughed, baffled by his words.

“What? Acting all cool out of nowhere? Ridiculous.”

She laughed playfully, but something twisted inside her.

‘Does he dislike being paired with me?’

Normally, she wouldn’t have cared, but today, it bothered her.

‘It’s kind of a blow to my pride.’

***

First period: Math.

I rested my elbow on the desk and leaned my chin on my hand, staring out the window.

The view was serene.

Cherry blossoms fluttered in the breeze, painting the academy courtyard pink.

I sighed and returned my gaze to the reality before me.

‘Math in the first period. This is actual hell.’

Looking at the chalkboard filled with formulas made my head throb.

‘It’s like science students see some magical formulas, but this is just a graph of a function.’

I tried to ignore the strange gaze coming from beside me, but Seo Yuna blatantly nudged me with her elbow.

“Hey.”

Without turning my head, I replied.

“What.”

“Are you good at math?”

“…No.”

“Then teach me.”

“I told you, I don’t know either.”

“Hah, liar. You looked like a total nerd yesterday.”

Yuna pouted her lips and shoved her notebook toward me.

“Just explain it roughly.”

I sighed and glanced at the notebook.

‘Persistent, isn’t she? It’d be a shame to waste the affection points I’ve earned.’

In Love is War, raising affection points with the heroine was essential.

Skipping main events or dropping affection to zero would lead to bad endings, like a billboard falling on the protagonist or the heroine dismembering him in his sleep.

Maintaining a balanced level of affection was key to survival.

Fortunately, the problem she showed was easy enough for me to solve.

I picked up my pen, marking the question while explaining.

“If you rearrange this equation here…”

Yuna listened surprisingly attentively.

“Wow… You’re actually good at teaching.”

“I just did the basics.”

“But even your tone changed—it’s like you’re a real teacher.”

I frowned and set down my pen.

“Let’s just stay quiet.”

“Hmph, acting all aloof again.”

Yuna playfully tapped my shoulder and laughed.

‘Why does the distance feel so close?’

I sighed internally.

Even in the game, Seo Yuna was the kind of heroine who stubbornly entangled herself with the protagonist.

She was playful, blunt, and occasionally showed a surprisingly delicate side.

The problem was that this wasn’t a normal dating simulation game.

‘If I mess up the flags, I might actually die.’

I quietly closed her notebook and looked back out the window.

Yuna observed me for a moment before pulling out her phone again.

Suddenly, she shoved her phone in front of me.

“Hey, look at this.”

[Hanbit Academy 1st-Year Bamboo Forest]

[Seo Yuna Got a New Seatmate!]

On the screen was a photo from this morning, showing me and Seo Yuna sitting side by side.

“What’s this?”

“The other students posted it. You’re pretty popular, you know?”

‘Damn it…’

In the photo, I was staring out the window, while Yuna was smiling in my direction.

The comments were mortifying.

• “Seo Yuna’s seatmate is insanely good-looking. Didn’t see anyone like him during the entrance ceremony.”
• “Did he transfer today?”
• “So jealous. That vixen.”
• “They’ll start dating soon. Perfect couple vibes LOL.”

Disgusted, I pushed Yuna’s phone away and looked back out the window.

Yuna chuckled at my reaction.

“Are you embarrassed right now?”

“No.”

“Then why are your ears red?”

“It’s just hot.”

Yuna burst into laughter, lightly tapping my arm.

“You’re seriously funny. I think I like you.”

I instinctively turned to look at her.

‘What was that?’

‘Did she lose her mind?’

But Yuna winked mischievously.

“As a seatmate, that is.”

I turned my head away without responding, but her words lingered in my mind.

‘Annoying girl.’

***

Hanbit Academy Bamboo Forest.

A new post was pinned to the top.

[Shocking Real Story – Beware of Perverts!]

Attached was a single photo.

A blonde girl smiling, with a boy’s face seemingly buried near her waist.

The photo alone was enough to warp the narrative beyond recognition.

The comments section erupted like wildfire.

• “That nerd is lucky as hell.”
• “Isn’t he Yuna’s seatmate? LOL hilarious.”
• “Did it smell good? LMAO.”
• “That guy’s been creepy since this morning. Gross.”
• “Poor Yuna. That dirty scumbag.”

The boy in the photo tried to explain, but no one cared.

To them, he was just a toy to spice up their dull lives.

Truth or lies didn’t matter.

His name spread across the entire school in no time.

• “Is that the pervert?”
• “Seeing him in person is even more disgusting.”
• “Don’t make eye contact. You might get pregnant.”

The boy’s name became synonymous with “pervert.”

***

[Teacher’s Office]

The boy looked at the teacher with dim eyes.

“Are you really going to drop out?”

The teacher sighed, sounding regretful.

“You’re still young. If you quit like this, you might regret it later.”

The boy gave a bitter smile.

“Staying here and enduring this hell would be worse.”