Chapter 3: Doki Doki literary club

As I stepped into the auditorium, it was teeming with students uniformly dressed in navy blue uniforms, devoid of any individuality.

Dismissing the thought that they resembled a colony of seals, I began searching for an empty seat.

After wandering for a while, I finally settled into a spot in the back right corner.

A girl I’d never seen before was dozing off beside me.

She must have had a rough night, judging by the dark circles under her eyes.

“With this, I declare the Wolhyang High School entrance ceremony open. New students, please take your seats.”

Was it starting? I perked up my ears as the voice of what sounded like a teacher boomed through the microphone.

Looking ahead, I saw a massive stage, befitting the name “Grand Auditorium.” The ceremony seemed to be taking place up there.

…But Wolhyang High School? What kind of lunatic named this place, even for a dating sim? They should consider the students who will have to reveal their alma mater in the future.

Would we have to say, “Hello, I’m so-and-so from Wolhyang High School wink” during college interviews? The mere thought was horrifying. I unconsciously shook my head.

“Next, we will have a congratulatory address from the principal.”

After a brief opening address, an elderly man with a receding hairline and a rather ill-fitting purple suit, walked onto the stage.

It seemed even prestigious private schools had ordinary principals.

I was a bit surprised by his rather unremarkable appearance.

Honestly, given the nature of the game, I’d been worried a flamboyant, handsome man with golden hair would appear, singing or something.

I should be grateful to the principal for shattering those expectations.

“Lastly, I’d like to add…”

However, I couldn’t bring myself to appreciate his long, tedious speech.

How many times had he repeated the word “lastly”? Did everyone develop a fondness for that lie as they aged? I’d heard it at least five more times already.

I’d been listening attentively at first, but I was getting increasingly sleepy.

It seemed the other students felt the same, as I could hear the sounds of dozing coming from all directions.

Yet, the principal’s mouth showed no signs of stopping.

Was he oblivious, or was he doing this on purpose? Either way, his persistence was admirable.

Thirty minutes passed.

Good heavens, our principal had stretched a simple “Congratulations on your enrollment” into a 30-minute speech. A truly terrifying ability.

But the most terrifying thing was knowing I’d have to hear this speech again someday as a student here.

Realizing that, I wasn’t the only one suddenly feeling the urge to drop out.

Looking around, I saw the auditorium filled with students who had practically turned into zombies.

“Well then, I’ll conclude my speech with this. Once again, congratulations on your enrollment.”

Since everyone was dozing off, the usual applause was faint.

I was barely holding on myself, my eyes half-closed.

Normally, I would have fallen asleep like the others.

The only reason I was still awake was…

“Next, we will have a congratulatory address from the 22nd student council president.”

As soon as the principal left the stage, a petite figure appeared, and my drowsy eyes snapped open.

It seemed the other students reacted similarly, as those who had been nodding off suddenly straightened up.

I shifted in my seat to get a better view of her lovely form.

Her glossy black hair was clearly visible even from the back.

Although the podium, which reached her chest, partially obscured her, I could still make out her lovely face.

A beauty as if painted by the hand of a master artist. Why did the mere thought of her make my mouth water?

Sighs rippled through the auditorium.

They were probably captivated by her excessively cute appearance.

Of course, I was one of them. Even though I had seen her last week, the day before yesterday, last night, and for the past several decades, this was the first time I’d seen her standing so confidently in a public setting.

Despite her small stature, her straight posture made her look truly noble.

Yes, she was the reason I applied to this daunting school.

“Hello, everyone.”

A clear, bright voice, yet full of strength, resonated through the auditorium.

Unlike during the principal’s speech, everyone listened intently to this petite girl’s words.

Her gentle voice was like a siren’s song, captivating the soul, and her eyes, darker than the night sky, sparkled under the ceiling lights.

This young-looking girl was my older sister.

And she was also one of the rivals in the game.

The reason I used the past tense was because I had no intention of opposing her.

She was the person I loved most in this world.

Would I oppose her over a boy? That was laughable.

Even if this feeling turned into romantic love, I held a deep affection for my sister.

Perhaps it was because we were family, but to me, she was more than just family.

She was my benefactor.

“I have no intention of boring you with clichés about upholding the school’s spirit or succeeding in society. Your school days are just a few pages of your youth, and human life isn’t solely about hard work and competition.”

In the game, the relationship between me, the protagonist, and my sister wasn’t good. No, it was far worse than just “not good.”

On the surface, we were affectionate sisters, but that was just a facade.

She saw her younger sister as an annoying obstacle and always treated her with a mask.

The foolish protagonist was completely fooled by this pretense and admired her until she revealed her true colors.

But this wasn’t limited to her sister. She treated everyone this way.

She hid her true feelings and played the role of someone ideal.

The ideal older sister, the ideal student, and the ideal lover.

If I had to describe her in the game with one word, it would be “sociopath.”

Someone who couldn’t understand the value of others except for the person they loved.

To her, her first love was the only colorful thing in a black and white world.

Thus, her love was extremely dependent and obsessive.

Because of her twisted personality, the role she played in the game was madness.

Consumed by jealousy over her love interest growing closer to her younger sister, she tried to kill him.

Failing that, she ultimately took her own life, a tragic end.

“Therefore, I hope that all new students will enjoy their school days to the fullest.

Of course, you can’t just play around since you’re students, but the time of your youth won’t come back once it’s gone.”

At first, I was wary of my sister.

I didn’t want to force a false relationship, so I intentionally avoided her.

At least, that was the case until that incident.

If she hadn’t pushed me out of the way of an oncoming car and gotten hit instead, we would probably still have that awkward relationship.

That incident was a turning point for us and the moment I realized this world wasn’t just a game.

The game and reality were different.

And the life I was living now was undeniably real. The character in the game might have been crazy, but I didn’t want to be concerned with that anymore.

The sister I knew was kinder, warmer, and genuinely cared for me.

More than anything, if she were truly a sociopath, she wouldn’t have sacrificed herself for me.

So, I loved my sister. Very much.

“…This concludes my speech. Thank you to everyone for patiently listening to my humble words.”

Lost in thought, time flew by.

My sister’s speech ended, and thunderous applause erupted.

In this school filled with children of chaebol families, it was extraordinary for my sister, who lacked such a privileged background, to become the student council president.

But she was more than qualified for the position.

I could confidently say no one her age possessed her character and charisma.

“Lastly, we will have the scholarship certificate presentation and entrance speech from the representative of the new students.”

A new student representative? Was that part of the entrance ceremony? Confused, I looked up at the stage, having never heard of such a thing.

It seemed the student council president, not the principal, would be presenting the award, as my sister remained on stage, holding what looked like a certificate.

So the scholarship would be presented up there.

With all eyes focused on one spot, it was a task not for the faint of heart.

Well, it wouldn’t be me, so it didn’t really matter…

“Freshman representative, Lee Sia, please come up to the stage.”

…Wasn’t that my name?

“I repeat, Lee Sia, please come up to the stage.”

My name was called again.

But no one came forward.

An awkward silence filled the air, followed by murmurs as the situation took an unexpected turn.

“Lee Sia?”

—That’s me! What kind of school does this without any prior notice…Come to think of it, I had received a text about being the top freshman or something. But I had skimmed over it. To think that text was about this… How could I be so stupid? I couldn’t help but sigh at my own foolishness.

I stopped berating myself and hurried to the front.

Of all places, I had to be sitting in the back, making the walk to the stage feel like an eternity.

As I climbed the stairs, panting, my sister let out a sigh.

…Sorry.

“Yes, well…then we’ll proceed with the ceremony as planned.”

The teacher in charge seemed flustered, as if he hadn’t anticipated this mishap.

Overwhelmed by embarrassment and a sense of apology, I lowered my head. I couldn’t bring myself to look up.

It wasn’t just embarrassment. I hadn’t prepared anything.

How was I supposed to give a speech?

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

A small voice reached me from below (not above). I looked up in confusion to see my sister, a head shorter than me, looking at me with a warm, reassuring smile that almost made me cry.

Although she didn’t say anything, her Madonna-like smile seemed to be telling me, “It’s okay.”

*Okay. I’ll have to improvise.