"Hey… I'm Kang Lin. Can I ask you one question?If you asked out your crush and she rejected you—horribly, in front of everyone—would you reload your last save and try again?For me… YES! I FUCKING NEED IT!"
Kang Lin, 19 years old, a second-year student of X College, had just been dumped—publicly.
Two years of chasing after his crush. Countless efforts, confessions wrapped in small gestures, fake confidence in crowded halls. All of it shredded in an instant like a paper tossed into the trash.
"Loser," the word whispered in the crowd. Whether they actually said it or not, Kang Lin felt it.
Humiliation burned in his chest as he staggered home. His head was heavy, but his fingers moved on instinct.
Datcord. His refuge, his sanctuary. The only place where he wasn't a failure.
He typed one sentence in his private group chat.
KangLin99: I got rejected.
A pause. Three dots blinked back, then the replies rolled in—
OtakuSlayer: LOL finally made a move? How bad was it? 😏
MechaKing: Bro don't tell me she rejected you in PUBLIC.
HentaiSaint: (¬‿¬) Screenshot or it didn't happen.
LilSisOP: Idiot. I told you not to chase the same girl for 2 years. 🤦
ChadGod: Don't worry bro, rejection is just proof you tried. Unlike MechaKing, who only talks to waifus.
MechaKing: Shut the fuck up, I get bitches.
OtakuSlayer: 2D bitches don't count. 😂
KangLin99: …thanks, guys. I feel so much better.
LilSisOP: No you don't. Don't lie.
Kang Lin leaned back in his chair, staring at the mocking stream of text.
Pathetic. That was the only word to describe him. Rejected in public, and now clowned on by his online friends. He was a loser IRL, clown online.
Little did he know… this would be his last save point as a normal human being.
Kang Lin sat slumped in his chair, drowning in grief, when a sudden ping jolted him out of his thoughts. A direct message—not from a friend, not from any server he knew—just a stranger.
"Hey, KangLin99. I heard you like visual novels? Wanna try this one?Conquer Your World."
It screamed scam. And yet… the title hooked him. Against better judgment, he clicked the link and downloaded it.
Within minutes, his suspicion proved right—it was a virus. His computer screen glitched, his files corrupted, and then—zap! A blinding light struck his PC, frying everything in an instant. The one and only place where Kang Lin found comfort—his games, his escape—was gone in a flash.
"Figures…" he muttered. Bad luck never left his side. No matter how hard he tried, it always came back, heavier each time.
He tossed himself onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. Rejection. Hacked. Eviction notice next? As if on cue, a knock rattled his door. He opened it only to find a notice pasted outside:
VACANT SOON.
Late rent again. Time to pack up and leave. Another Tuesday in the life of Kang Lin.
"Rejection, hacked, eviction… what's next?" He let out a hollow laugh. "An endless death loop? Who am I kidding…"
Too tired to think, he sank into sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, he wasn't in his room. He was standing in a strange place—half dream, half digital haze. And right in front of him… his crush.
She stood with arms crossed, tapping her foot like she'd been waiting.
Confusion tore through his head. What the hell…?
"So? What are you trying to say?" she asked flatly.
"Eh? Say what—" Before he could finish, a glowing panel appeared above her head:
[This is the beginning, Player. Good luck. Choose wisely.]
The words blinked out of existence. Kang Lin's mind flashed—memories of his confession, his rejection, the way it all ended. The same moment, here again.
"Hurry up already! Why'd you call me here!?"
Her voice snapped him back. He stumbled, heart racing.
"Uh… sorry. I… accidentally called you here…"
She scoffed and turned, walking away toward her dorm.
Kang Lin stood frozen. Dream? Game? Or the start of something else entirely?
Suddenly, a voice echoed in his head.
[System]: Congratulations! You avoided humiliation by not confessing. Reward: Save Slot +1.
"Saves…slot? What the hell? Wait—does that mean there's more than one?"
[System]: Correct! Just say 'My Saves' to view your slots.
"…My Saves?"
A glowing panel appeared before his eyes, an empty slot flickering while the rest were still locked. Infinite spaces stretched downward.
[System]: Your save slots are infinite! Create as many as you like. Recommended: save your starting point.
Kang Lin smirked. "Sure. Save."
The slot shimmered, filling with an image of him standing in front of the dorm.
"Damn… this looks exactly like a visual novel. Nice detail… What surprises me more is… I'm not scared. I'm actually—"
HONK!
Headlights. Too close. Too fast.
CRASH!
The car slammed into him, crushing him against the wall. Pain burned through his body—brief, brutal, final.
[System]: Player died. Auto-load activated. Loading…
He gasped awake, back where he started. The car screeched by as he dodged at the last second. His chest heaved, his heart pounded—alive again.
Slowly, his lips curved upward. Not relief. Not joy. Something darker.
A laugh slipped out—low, shaky at first, then sharp.
"Heh… hehehe… so that's how it works? Every time I die… I come back?"
He pressed a trembling hand over his racing heart, but his grin only widened, almost hungry.
"…Hah. This is gonna be fun."
[To be continued…]