Luca stared at the boy standing in front of him, trying to process the situation. The sunlight felt warm on his skin. The wind moved the cherry blossoms. The courtyard smelled like real grass and dirt—not polygons.
This world wasn't acting like a game.
The tomboy girl stepped closer, placing her hands on her hips. "You two alright? That fall looked rough."
Her voice wasn't robotic or scripted. It had emotion—concern mixed with curiosity. She leaned in a little too close to Luca, squinting at him.
"Never seen you two around before," she added. "You new?"
Marc shot Luca a look that screamed: Play along until we figure this out.
"Uh—yeah," Luca said. "Transfer students."
The tomboy raised an eyebrow. "Both of you? Same day? Weird timing."
The other guy—the one who looked straight out of a VN cover—crossed his arms. His presence felt heavy, confident, almost… familiar.
"So," he said slowly, "are you here for the competition too?"
Marc blinked. "Competition?"
The boy nodded, smirking like he already knew the answer. "Yeah. Today's the start of the Spring Term Festival. Everyone's trying to make their big impression."
Luca kept his expression neutral, but inside he whispered to himself: So this world has events… routes… rivalries.
His stomach knotted.
The tomboy clapped her hands lightly. "Oh! I'm Hana, by the way. Second-year. I run track, so if you need a tour, I can show you around."
Hana.
That was her name here.
She looked at Luca first. Not Marc. Not the rival MC.
Just him.
Marc leaned slightly toward Luca and whispered just loud enough:
"She's into you already. How?"
Luca almost elbowed him.
The protagonist boy finally stepped forward.
"I'm Aiden," he said. "Second-year, class 2B."
Aiden.
The main character of this world.
Everything in Lucas chest tightened. Aiden's gaze didn't match the friendly tone. His eyes evaluated them—like he was sizing up enemies.
"And this is my friend," Aiden continued, nodding to the tall guy beside him, "Ryo."
Ryo gave a polite nod. "Nice to meet you."
Marc tensed instantly. The way Ryo looked at him—calm, observant, a little smug—it was the same expression Marc used on Luca all the time.
They were mirrors.
Opposites.
Rivals.
Aiden shoved his hands into his pockets. "Anyway, try not to get in my way today. Festival week gets competitive, and I don't need distractions."
Luca raised an eyebrow. "Competitive how?"
Aiden smirked. "It's a school festival. Clubs, events, challenges… and of course, confessions. Big week for relationships."
Marc and Luca exchanged a look.
This world really was a dating sim—just without the menus.
A bell rang in the distance. Students started heading toward the building.
Hana pointed toward the main hall. "Come on. If you don't want to get marked late on your first day, follow me."
She grabbed Luca by the wrist without hesitation and pulled him along.
Her grip was strong. Warm.
Real.
Marc followed, Ryo trailing behind him with a small, knowing smile.
As they stepped into the hallway, Luca felt something shift—like a faint pressure in the back of his mind. The world around him felt too perfect, too smooth, too scripted… but the emotions felt real.
Marc leaned close as they walked.
"We need a plan," he whispered. "Now."
Luca nodded. "Yeah. But first we need to figure out the rules of this world."
Marc glanced back at Ryo, who was definitely listening.
"And our rivals," Marc muttered.
Luca followed his gaze to Hana, who was talking to him, smiling easily.
Then to Aiden up ahead, turning to look back at them with that same confident spark in his eyes.
For the first time, Luca truly understood:
This wasn't just a strange world.
It was a competition.
And the routes were already starting.
Hana turned around and flashed Luca a grin. "Hey, Luca. Hope you're good at running. You look like you might need it."
Luca blinked. "Why?"
She pointed behind him.
Aiden's eyes didn't leave him.
"He doesn't like losing," Hana whispered.
Luca swallowed.
"Great," he muttered. "First day here and the main character already wants me dead."