episode_0002

I finally entered the Queen Bartz private school that I had only seen on my monitor.

“…So cool, so sophisticated.”

The wide circular central hall with a marble floor exuded a refreshing atmosphere of joy in its clean and tidy environment.

As someone who had attended a school where the floors creaked underfoot, this was nothing short of shocking.

“Could all private schools be like this? I’ve wasted half of my life… No, even if it’s a private school, it can’t be this good. This must be a fantasy possible only in games.”

*Ding.* An announcement came from the broadcasting room. “New students, please proceed to the auditorium on the 2nd floor of Building B for the freshman orientation. Once again…”

Enthralled by the state-of-the-art facilities within a prestigious school that even top-tier universities would envy, Lee Ji-yoon hurried to the auditorium upon hearing the announcement.

“If this place has such insane facilities, imagine how grand the freshman welcome ceremony will be?”

In reality, freshman orientations were usually dull affairs. Enduring a grueling hour and a half lecture from a septuagenarian was an unavoidable hellish experience.

Given the grandeur of the school, there were numerous staircases leading upwards.

“How can even the stairs be so neat here…?”

From the perspective of an ordinary citizen, Queen Bartz Academy was both exciting and intimidating.

Following a group of students who seemed to be fellow freshmen, she arrived at a wide-open cushioned door.

Through the open door, the auditorium came into view.

” … ”

It was a series of astonishments.

The wooden patterned floor of the auditorium didn’t strike her as anything special, being a universal design choice. However, the 4-story high ceiling and the balcony seating on the 2nd floor of the auditorium resembling a musical theater left her breathless.

Compared to the auditorium at her previous school, which had a ceiling height of only 2.5 stories and was cluttered with badminton shuttlecocks and volleyballs, the sheer size of this auditorium alone was awe-inspiring.

Heart pounding, she stood in line along the empty perimeter.

Although most students appeared to be freshmen, their attire was far from casual.

Many students confidently wore casual clothes like outerwear or hoodies over their uniforms.

Standing out in her knee-length skirt and uniform among those who exuded individuality in their casual wear, she couldn’t help but feel out of place.

“The scent of perfume and cosmetics… The smell of girls is overwhelming.”

Surrounded by hundreds of girls, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity. It was akin to sneaking into a place where she shouldn’t be and being watched surreptitiously.

After accommodating the new students for a while, the auditorium fell into a subdued state, and someone ascended the central lectern. It was a well-dressed woman in her sixties who exuded an air of authority.

“Welcome, new students. I am Kwak Gwi-rye, the director of Queen Bartz Academy.”

Her confident voice and clear articulation evoked images of a successful career woman.

But her name sounded a bit old-fashioned.

“At Queen Bartz Academy, we aim to cultivate outstanding young ladies with culture and manners…”

Perhaps because it resembled the introductory text from a game, it felt tedious. Fortunately, she ended her speech cleanly within five minutes, without delving into a tiresome monologue.

With the brief speech concluded, it seemed that the freshman orientation, marked by a directive to proceed directly to assigned classes, was merely a formality.

As they lined up to exit the auditorium, a large man in gym clothes issued instructions to the students.

“First-year students, head to Building A.”

“Yes!”

The new students responded energetically. I followed them.

On the notice board in Building A, the class assignments from 1 to 10 were listed, including names. Amidst the gathering of girls, I squeezed through and finally found my name.

“I’m in Class 3… the class that’s a key setting in the game. Should I run away now? No, it would be a shame to give up after coming this far. In fact, spending a day at school wouldn’t hurt.”

Queen Bartz Academy allows students to choose classes beyond the assigned curriculum, similar to universities.

In the game, the heroine’s route varies based on the selected major. However, my focus isn’t on that.

“I can learn something new in this outstanding facility!”

Even though I’m not particularly studious, the opportunity to receive an education at a fantasy school in another world would excite anyone, even those who haven’t read a single book in their lifetime like me.

“Moreover, unlike games, there’s no system forcing limited choices!”

If there’s danger, you can just avoid it.

The more I thought about it, the more foolish I felt worrying.

Blaming myself, I passed by a flower-filled garden and arrived at classroom 3-7. The classroom door was uniquely foldable, opening smoothly.

Back when I was a student, the classroom doors were creaky wooden ones… How come they’re all so uniquely different now?

During the wooden door era, I once got my finger stuck trying to force it open with my whole body weight because it wouldn’t budge.

“Darn wooden door. Even after telling the teacher, it wasn’t fixed for over half a year…”

Inside the classroom was a lecture hall resembling a university’s tiered seating arrangement. Of course, despite being tiered, it was a much neater, downsized version compared to a university.

“I don’t know who designed this, but it feels cozy rather than cramped.”

You could even sleep here.

Seriously.

Walking towards the back seat of the classroom, I glanced around at the students.

Seated in a corner was a girl named “Shim Chae-ah.”

She appeared fierce. Wearing a loose hoodie over her uniform, she couldn’t hide her prominent F-cup size. While her right ear was neat, the left one sported seven earrings. Always wearing a mask covering half her face, her true appearance remained a mystery.

She briefly revealed her face without the mask in a game trailer once, teasingly sticking out her tongue in a revealing mesh outfit with bead-like piercings on her tongue.

She concealed herself thoroughly at school.

“Even though she hides her face, she looks crazy… I’m really curious about her real face.”

The most striking figure in the classroom was “Im Yuna” with a gothic fashion sense.

Not as prim as me, but still, everyone wore uniforms except for Im Yuna, who dressed head-to-toe in gothic fashion.

Her deep, captivating pupils and pale skin exuded a seductive yet decadent aura. Her long hair cascaded down to her waist, tightly embracing her E-cup size. She had black eye makeup, dark stockings, black nail polish, and various accessories.

Im Yuna sincerely believed she was the mistress of darkness, suffering from severe chuunibyou (8th-grade syndrome).

“Regardless of whether she’s a yandere or not, she’s definitely a psycho, so I should avoid her at all costs.”

One by one, other heroines started entering the classroom.

“…I purposely sat in a secluded spot, but it seems like many eyes are subtly glancing in this direction. …Let’s avoid making eye contact.”

Lee Ji-yoon, a beautiful girl with a sharp nose and glass-like eyes, stood out. It’s inevitable for women to attract attention from other women. In fact, due to being the same gender, women often stared more openly than men did.

With nowhere to look, I absentmindedly fiddled with my phone.

“After school, I should go to the nearby mart to buy a thick mat and blanket, and stock up on instant rice dishes.”

Initially, I turned away from the gazes directed at me, but before I knew it, I was earnestly jotting down a shopping list for the mart.

Perhaps that’s why I didn’t realize someone had taken the seat next to me.

As I typed on my phone, a tiny face suddenly popped up, covering the screen.

“Hey, I’m So Ha-yoon.”

“Uh, uh, ack! Eek!”

“Hehe, your surprised expression is cute.”

Suddenly popping out, I was taken aback.

“What’s your name?”

She asked for my name with sparkling eyes.

“…So, are you really So Hayoon?”

“Yeah, that’s right. My name is So Hayoon.”

With a small face, round big eyes, and a densely packed cute appearance. Standing a head shorter than her peers, she was the protagonist of Queen Bartz Academy—basically a playable character in the game.

“My name is Lee Jiyoon.”

“Jiyoon! That’s a pretty name.”

“The name So Hayoon is as cute as you are.”

“Hehe, can I sit next to you?”

” …Sure.”

It was clear that the protagonist character So Hayoon was at least not a villain. However, thinking about her future, she was more dangerous than anyone else.

Scenes flashed through my mind: trapped in the basement with limbs torn apart in the trailer, feeding on raw meat, and other disturbing scenes. I had seen many insane moments.

“Am I going crazy? …No, it’s just the beginning, there’s no way I’d be fixated on So Hayoon already.”

For now, conversing with So Hayoon shouldn’t be an issue.

Apart from the danger, there was one fact I learned through the game, despite only an hour passing. The character So Hayoon easily believed others and lacked a concept of love.

Perhaps that’s why heroines easily fall for So Hayoon and get jealous quickly.

“As relationships develop, obsession grows…”

Maybe it would be safer to run away with So Hayoon before time passes?

“…No, I don’t even know the game story properly. I don’t want to die recklessly. I’m just an outsider who will attend school for today and leave.”

As time passed, the bustling chaos of finding seats faded, replaced by an awkward silence, broken by the sound of footsteps approaching.

-Creak-

A charismatic woman entered the classroom.

After scanning the room, she spoke confidently, “I am Kang Minkyung, the homeroom teacher responsible for Class 1-3 and also the ballet instructor.”

Even though I wanted to experience new things, I definitely wouldn’t take ballet.

“As students admitted to Queen Bartz, there should be no idiots who can’t find their class, but for formalities, I will call attendance. When you hear your name, respond. Kang Ye Ra, Kim So Yoon, Kim Yoo Rim…”

Overwhelmed by the teacher’s presence, the students quietly responded when their names were called.

Names were called in order, and just as I was preparing to raise my hand…

-Creak-

“Oh, it’s already started. Sorry, I’m late. I was exploring the school.”

Someone swaggered in confidently.

“A blonde tanned gangster?!”

She was none other than the infamous gangster known as Park Taei.

“Why is she called a gangster… I must avoid her at all costs.”

“…Haa. Sit down quickly. Are you Park Taei?”

“That charismatic teacher sighed… She’s more impressive than the game itself.”

The teacher frowned noticeably when Park Taei didn’t respond to her name being called.

“This is the first and last warning. As a student of Queen Bartz, you must strictly adhere to the schedule.”

“Yes.”

Park Taei casually took a seat at the nearest front row.

“If she’s sitting up front like a typical gangster would avoid, then she must be a real deal among gangsters.”

“Today is the first day, so we’ll only be taking course registrations. Pass these back.”

Homeroom teacher Kang Minkyung handed a stack of papers to Park Taei.

“Just fill this out and you’re free to go. Any questions?”

“Um, where is the cafeteria located?”

“You still haven’t figured out the basic facilities of the school? Next question.”

“…”

Contrary to her glamorous image of a curriculum influencer, Kang Minkyung seemed annoyed by the students.

A student who had raised their hand to ask a question sheepishly lowered it. The atmosphere momentarily subdued, but soon became noisy again with discussions about majors.

Non-elective courses, such as math, Korean language, physical education, and general studies/current affairs, are subjects that bore students just by listening.

“By the way, are elective courses similar to games?”

– Dding

With anticipation, strange sounds were heard the moment I received the back of the paper passed by the person in front.

After the sound was heard, a gear-shaped hologram appeared in front of me and began displaying letters one by one.

[Reached a crucial decision point. The game will be saved automatically.]

“What… is this?”