The Gacha Addict of the Academy

As usual, I woke up to the sound of my alarm, half-asleep and groggy. Still dazed, I stripped off my clothes and headed to the shower.

Ever since I became “this,” I’ve made sure to keep up with basic grooming. That’s why I shower every morning.

Honestly, it’s such a hassle. My hair is so long that if I start washing it, I might as well take a full shower. There’s no point in doing it halfway.

I’ve been wondering if I should just cut it.

But I really like having long hair.

Long hair is just prettier, don’t you think? Especially when it has that soft glow, like moonlight. Every time I look at it, I can’t bring myself to even consider cutting it. Still, during my morning showers, I’m often tempted.

I used to shower every day when I was a guy, so this part of my routine hasn’t really changed. Washing my hair in the morning has always been a habit of mine.

The difference now is that this body’s hair turns into a bird’s nest if I don’t wash it. Cutting it wouldn’t fix that problem either—it would still stick out everywhere after sleeping.

There’s another downside to having long hair: no matter how much I dry it, it never dries completely.

“…Hurry up and dry already…”

They weren’t kidding when they said drying long hair takes forever.

I wonder how people managed back in the day. Did they use wind magic? Or just let it air-dry naturally?

Not that it matters to me. I don’t care about keeping my hair in perfect condition anyway.

“Ughhh…”

This weak body of mine is so frustrating. I really need to start working out or something.

At least I made it to class on time. The last thing I want is to walk in late and have everyone stare at me. Latecomers always draw attention since they disrupt the class.

I just want to live a quiet, uneventful life.

While everyone was chatting in their little groups, I quietly slipped into my seat and pulled out my smartphone to read a novel.

Even though this world is a fantasy, modern-style novels are surprisingly common. Some are like heroic sagas or historical epics, while others are even isekai (otherworld) stories. I guess people are the same no matter where they live.

“What are you reading?”

“Eek?!”

A voice behind me startled me so much that I quickly hid my phone.

Hyunah stood there, looking slightly annoyed that I wasn’t showing her.

Well, I might’ve let her see if it were a normal novel, but the one I was reading was R-rated.

How do I read stuff like that? It’s simple—they just ask if you’re over 19 and let you in. This part of the world feels a bit different from where I came from.

Not that I mind—it’s entertaining.

“So, you’re not going to tell me what you’re reading?”

“…Nope…”

“Well, can’t be helped~”

Hyunah smiled awkwardly, and I felt a twinge of guilt. She’s the only one who treats me well, yet I can’t even tell her what I’m doing.

Seriously, how could I say, “I’m reading smut”?

…

Honestly, I don’t even know why I read this stuff.

Am I broken?

I wanted to cry.

“Oh, right. Last time, it seemed like you were interested in magic. I’m studying magic too! Want to study together?”

“Study… together?”

Study together?

I wanted to say yes right away.

In my previous life, I didn’t have any friends, let alone someone to study with. And now, a girl I recently befriended is inviting me to study magic with her?

There’s no way I can turn this down.

“Well, um…”

It wasn’t about personal feelings—I genuinely needed this. I know almost nothing about magic, and this was the perfect chance to learn.

I’m not here because I’m great at magic; I probably got into this academy because of my innate abilities. Or maybe it’s because of my family background. I definitely didn’t want her thinking I was some antisocial loser desperate for friends. I wanted to maintain the image of someone who led the group… or something like that.

“Sure, let’s do it.”

“Phew, I’m glad!”

“By the way, your name was… Hyeon-ah, right?”

Huh? Who’s this now?

Just as things were getting comfortable between me and Hyeon-ah, some random guy interrupted. I glared at him, wondering what he wanted. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, gave a sheepish grin, and cautiously asked:

“Can I join too?”

“Oh, of course! I was planning to invite you anyway!”

“Uh, o-okay?”

The guy looked confused, tilting his head.

Honestly, I was just as baffled.

What’s going on here?

“Reina, you’ll be studying with Luna! I’m counting on you!”

“…Yes?”

What?

How did I end up here?

A moment ago, I was excited to study with Hyeon-ah, someone I’d only started getting close to yesterday. Now, I was trembling with unease, feeling completely out of my depth.

It wasn’t exactly fear, but starting a conversation felt impossible, like the atmosphere around me was suffocating.

And the reason for my predicament?

The girl standing in front of me.

“…”

Even though I had approached her, she was entirely focused on her smartphone, ignoring me completely. Seeing someone who looked like a fantasy elf casually using a phone was surreal, but I couldn’t afford to show my amazement. I had no idea what this sharp, intimidating woman might do if I upset her.

She’s seriously terrifying.

“Hey, uh, you there…”

Why did they have to assign this to me? From what I saw yesterday, she seemed perfectly fine attending dinner without me. Wouldn’t it make more sense for Hyeon-ah to handle this instead of me?

“Um… can I talk to you for a moment…?”

Why me?

Not that I entirely minded—this was a good chance to improve my standing with her. If I had a solid reason to approach her, I might even gain something from it.

Alright, let’s try talking to her.

“Hey!”

“Eek!”

Whoa!

I didn’t expect her to yell—it scared the life out of me. What did I do to make her react like that?

Frowning, I looked at Reina, who seemed just as startled by her own outburst.

Did I mess up already?

“I’ve called you several times—why didn’t you answer?”

“Y-you did…?”

“Haa… So, why are you here?”

“Well, it’s just that…”

I trailed off.

Would she even agree to study with me?

She wasn’t outright ignoring me, but her sharp gaze was enough to freeze me in place. Getting the words out was harder than I thought.

Hyeon-ah had said she wasn’t a bad person. Even when Reina refused the dinner invitation, she still listened.

I knew that.

But knowing it didn’t make talking to her any easier.

I wanted to say something quickly, but the words were stuck in my throat, like a lump I couldn’t swallow.

Honestly, just being near someone this stunning felt impossible.

Why do I always get stuck with the hardest tasks?

This is so unfair.

I glanced toward Hyeon-ah, hoping for some support, and saw her giving me a fist-pump gesture of encouragement. A moment ago, I thought she was lovely, but now, she just seemed unbearably annoying.

Just wait.

“Hurry up and say something, will you?”

At least she wasn’t ignoring me completely. That was something.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to speak.

“W-would you… like to study together…?”

I said it.

Now all I could do was wait for her answer.

I didn’t care much if she rejected me—so long as she didn’t yell at me. Deep down, though, I hoped she’d say yes. Not that I thought this icy girl would ever agree.

“Sure, let’s study together.”

What?

Wait, what?

That’s not what I expected at all.

Huh?

I stared at Reina, stunned. Her response was so unlike the person I thought she was.

While I was trying to process this, Reina asked if I wasn’t feeling well. Her expression stayed cold, but I could hear a faint hint of concern in her voice. It completely threw me off.

Maybe this world isn’t exactly the novel I thought it was.

The fact that even one character could act differently—it’s hard to wrap my head around.