16 – 7. Isn’t the entrance ceremony always a mess? – 1

“Kyoo Kyoo! Miss Noah! Wake up! It’s morning!”

Noah was awoken from her sleep by the chirping noise.

Just as Kyoo Kyoo said, the sun was shining outside the window.

“I’ll get up…”

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Noah started getting ready. It was the first day of high school, after all, she couldn’t be too careless.

She washed up and donned her new uniform.

Her neatly arranged hair topped with clean and tidy uniform, she couldn’t wear make-up but a bit of perfume seemed okay.

She pulled out a small pink bottle and sprayed on a whisper of scent.

It was a gift from the man for her birthday. A pleasant, faint scent of strawberries.

But in front of Noah’s smile, all these adornments turned into trivial things.

“…Heehee.”

The girl in the mirror was smiling like a fool.

Somehow, she felt good today. She had the feeling she would meet him.

While straightening out her clothes, she keenly felt how quickly time had passed.

The last year.

Thanks to his presence, she had found life much easier.

He would tend to her when she was sick, comfort her when she was struggling, lend his shoulder when she cried.

And in the process, he would give a slight smile, and fondly stroke her…

“Haaah…”

Noah let out a long sigh.

She looked up and gazed back at the mirror again.

The smile had disappeared from the girl’s face. Instead, a girl with a shy, blushing expression appeared.

Her heart was thumping wildly.

It felt as if a frog had made a home in her heart.

Why am I like this? She put away this question long ago. Thinking about it provided no answers, nor did asking on the internet.

-Question

[I am a sixteen year-old middle-schooler with a question.]

[Hello. I have a question because something has been bothering me lately. In short, there is this man who I keep thinking about. Just an older brother… No, a middle-aged man. Whenever I think of him, my head gets dizzy and my face turns all red. Why is this happening? Do I have a disease or something?]

-Reply

[That’s severe. That’s a serious affliction. Your heart pounding, breaking out in a fever, feeling dazed, is that it? You need to treat this asap. I’ll post a link, try checking it out. See if you can try what the guidelines suggest.]

When she went in via the weird link, a strange Wiki page popped up:

– How to confess to the man you like.

Just odd words like that popped up.

“… Love, what nonsense.”

Love, she said. The recipient was just a strange middle-aged man five years older.

The idea that she could love such a man was preposterous.

From noble mtl dot com

Noah thought so.

What she was doing now, was merely expressing some affection to a friendly uncle.

Since she had no one to depend on, she could fuss around him. It was a kind of necessary relationship.

“Mister!”

When she saw the man likes this, her step felt light.

“Mister, did you see this?”

She wanted to show off her accomplishments for no reason.

“You’re going to pat me on the head, aren’t you? I did well, didn’t I? You should commend me.”

That big, rough hand patting her head.

It’s just because she needed it. Absolutely not because she’s in love or anything of the sort!

Even then,

‘hehehe… I love being patted on the head.’

The displays of affection with the man were nice. So nice that she could forget all the worries in the world at that moment.

Before it used to embarrass her, but now it’s rather delightful.

Therefore, she got a little sulky when he was about to spank her hand. The man had a slightly bewildered look on his face…

‘The bad guy is you… you taught me this good thing, so you have to take responsibility…’

What can she do? He’s the one who made her this way.

“hehehehe…”

Noah, who had been savoring his touch for a while, suddenly realized.

‘… I’ll be late if I do any more of this.’

Being late on the first day of the entrance ceremony, she’d rather not.

‘But, I met him first thing in the morning…’

Noah hopped on the bus with a pleased expression. Somehow, she had the feeling that today would be the best day, a thought that made her lips curl into a smile.

++

…Noah’s day today would probably be the worst.

I could make that assertion with certainty.

“Mr. Shin-hyun.”

“Why?”

‘What do you think will happen?’

“Oh. One hundred percent sure. Guaranteed.”

The reason I could say this with such certainty was simple.

Not only because I had personally seen it, but also because the original game had some academy-style content.

The entrance ceremony of the Academy. There are many ways to make good use of it. It can be used to showcase the protagonist’s abilities, and can also be used as an introduction to other characters.

To facilitate this, there are events where the faculty prepare tests, or even the students engage in competitions.

“Sigh.”

‘Why do you sigh like that?’

“Just because… I pity Noah, thinking what a mess the first day will be.”

How nice it would be if the event of this entrance ceremony felt like a youth drama.

But I know very well that it wouldn’t be. I knew only too well.

‘So, let’s say that’s a given. Why are you doing this?’

“Of course. What do you think you need to do if you want to go to a place teeming with students?”

‘Well…’

“You disguise yourself, naturally.”

Near Noah’s school, I changed my clothes near the epicenter of the impending disaster.

Carefully, since it was expensive. Gently, so it wouldn’t rip.

“How about this, do I look like a student?”

‘Oh… you haven’t died yet.’

“Right? It’d be a trouble if they all looked at me because I’m handsome. It’d be bad if Noah spots me.”

‘That won’t happen.’

“Harsh.”

What I wore was the school uniform of Noah’s school. Since I was worried and wanted to go there in person, there is nothing better than this uniform to confidently make an entrance.

Who would notice, if only Noah doesn’t? It’s not like there would be someone wearing a school uniform and observing the entrance ceremony at my age.

Admittedly, the surest thing would have been to transform into a woman, but unfortunately, the potion has not been available.

“Let’s go.”

Adjusting my necktie, I slowly moved towards the school. Towards the high school Noah is attending: “Hyeseong High School.”

After walking, after some time I reached the auditorium of Hyeseong High School. Many kids were here, chatting cheerfully.

Among those children, there were ones looking after the auditorium entrance.

My gaze landed on a child with blue hair.

“…Hmm.”

‘What? Do you know them?’

“Well… it’s a bit ambiguous.”

I saw a familiar face. Moreover, it would probably be a familiar face only to me.

A girl with blue hair and golden eyes.

‘Taehwa Lee.’

Noah’s childhood friend. Depending on the chosen route, they could become an enemy or an ally.

With their meticulous personality and thorough work, they had been the student council president since middle school. As soon as they entered high school, they began student council work.

‘I suppose I have to make Noah meet them as well at some point.’

For no particular reason, Noah and Taehwa have become estranged.

Even during collaboration in the game, they weren’t particularly thrilled with each other.

I would like for the two to get along, but that is a problem for later.

‘They are still a freshman and are already acting like this.’

That character was currently wearing a student council badge and managing the students.

They were quite organized if nothing else. They were fully utilizing their unique charisma.

“Please scan the QR code given by the school and enter.”

“I… I don’t have a QR code…”

“Excuse me? Is that possible? All Hyeseong High School students should have one.”

“Well…”

“Are you… a pervert trying to sneak in wearing a school uniform? That’s not acceptable. First, let’s talk at the student council room.”

Swallowing hard at the sight of someone mercilessly taken away.

If I were caught, I would be branded as a pervert… No, in fact, I might even be taken to a real police station.

It was a problem.

I was just planning to enter naturally, but if this happens my plan is distorted from the start.

I pondered for a moment.

There were two choices.

Acknowledge that there’s no way around it and go back.No matter what, I must get inside that gate.

Honestly, if it wasn’t for a particular thing, I would’ve turned back. But is what’s happening to Noah today just any random occurrence?

What if I turn back and something goes wrong with Noah?

Would I be able to bear the regret that would come later?

“…Damn.”

‘What should we do?’

“Coil, get ready.”

‘With what?’

“The operation is called Marionette.”

‘That one? Understood.’

For the span of a year, I lived as the villain known as Kraken.

In other words, I gained more abilities and my manipulation of tentacles improved.

“Excuse me, sir.”

“Hello, are you a student?”

“I’m trying to enter… I forgot my phone… is there any way I can?”

“You can’t. Our school, Comet High School, uses QR codes for every attendance for unexpected accidents. It’s basic knowledge that we’ve already informed you about in the announcement.”

I felt Lee Taehwa’s stern glare.

Seeing it for myself, it’s pretty intimidating.

I wish I could see Noah stumbling around cluelessly, even if it’s a bit burdensome.

‘Sigh. Noah, I’m doing all this for you.’

I nod slowly and put my hand in my pocket.

Small, long tentacles grow from my fingertips.

“…you really forgot your phone, right?”

“I told you I did.”

“Well, you can attend the class if you verify it directly with the teacher.”

“I…I’m sorry. I’m bad with directions… can you guide me, maybe?”

“…Hmm…Fine. It’s a task for the discipline committee, anyways. Come with me.”

Lee Taehwa turned her back.

Several thin, thread-like tentacles shot toward her body and wrapped around it.

“…Hmm?”

Lee Taehwa stumbled, surprised from the unexpected change in her body. She reluctantly began to walk towards the auditorium.

“What is going -“

“You said follow you, right?”

“…You couldn’t possibly…!”

“I’ll be in your care for the guidance.”

“Pervert -“

“Hush.”

Several tentacles moved to silence Lee Taehwa.

“Just be my puppet for a while. Understand?”

“Uh uh! Ugh -!”

“I’m sorry, just think of it as doing it for Noah and bear with it a little longer.”

“…”

As soon as I mentioned Noah, Lee Taehwa fell silent.

What could have happened? I should definitely ask later.

For now.

“The auditorium is quite large. Guide me to the entrance ceremony place.”

As much as today’s incidents are important…

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