Humanity's greatest hero-training institute—
[Atlas Academy]
Located in the heart of Seoul, Atlas Academy has stood for over three decades as the center of hero education, where legends are forged and reputations are decided.
Most students here come from noble families, so everything is supposed to be top-tier...at least, that's what the lore says. I used to ignore it as world building.
Turns out… they weren't exaggerating. The food alone is ridiculously expensive.
"…Kylen? You've been staring at the menu for a while. Something wrong?"
"…11 points."
"Huh?"
"The cheapest thing here is 11 points…"
"…That's normal, isn't it?"
"Of course it's wrong! How do you make mac and cheese this expensive?"
11 points… that's basically 22 dollars. What a scam. Is this what noble kids eat these days?
"At that price, it better cure cancer."
We walked up to the counter.
"What would you like?"
"I'll take the sundubu jjigae set," Ji-Hyun said without even checking the price.
Of course he didn't.
I glanced at the number beside it.
21 points.
…For tofu stew?
The lady tapped her tablet to register Ji-Hyun's order.
"Here." Ji-Hyun pulled out his phone, and she quickly scanned the barcode.
She handed him a bowl of bright red tofu stew, along with rice and a few side dishes.
"What would you like?" she asked, turning to me.
"I—"
"The ultra grand parfait deluxe." A student stepped in front of me, cutting the line.
Okay, that was just rude.
I grabbed his shoulder and turned him toward me.
"Dude… didn't your mother teach you to wait in line?"
His face went pale. "Is something wrong? When did you even get here?"
"uh?"
The lady cut in.
"Hey—you emo boy! I don't know when you got here, but he ordered first!"
"What?! I've been waiting here this whole time! You can ask him!" I pointed at Ji-Hyun.
"Yes, miss. He came with me."
"Huh?"
Both the lady and the boy looked confused, as if Ji-Hyun had just said something absurd.
Sigh…
Why are people being so rude to me? In class, someone bumped into me without apologizing. The receptionist ignored me completely.
And now this guy cut the line like I wasn't even there.
It wasn't that they couldn't see me—it felt more like their minds refused to register me properly.
"If we keep arguing, this won't solve anything. Just take his order first."
"If you say so."
After placing his order, the boy quickly left, still sneaking glances at us.
"Here's your mac and cheese."
The lady handed me a small cup.
"Is this it?"
"Yes."
"Size doesn't matter," she said.
Yeah—no. It definitely does.
What do you mean I just paid 22 dollars for this? This wouldn't even count as a sample.
"Thanks for your help miss. Hey Kylen, let's sit near the window," Ji-Hyun said, trying to comfort me.
"…Sure."
We sat by the window, silence settling between us as we ate.
Ji-Hyun ate without issue.
While I just stared at my pathetic cup of mac and cheese.
This is just a spoonful, isn't it?
And I was proven right when I finished it in a single bite. A tear rolled down my cheek.
"Ji-Hyun!"
I looked up.
A girl approached our table, waving slightly with a bright expression.
"Mind if I sit?" she asked.
"Go ahead," Ji-Hyun replied.
She pulled out the chair across from him and sat down.
"So? How's your first day?" she asked.
"Nothing special," Ji-Hyun said calmly. "Just the usual."
She nodded, then glanced at the table.
"…You're eating alone?"
I blinked.
Ji-Hyun paused slightly. "…No?"
The girl tilted her head."There's no one else here."
Silence.
I looked down at my tray. Then back at her.
"…Are you serious?"
She didn't react.
Her eyes stayed on Ji-Hyun, waiting for his response.
Ji-Hyun frowned. "He's sitting right here."
"…What?"
Her gaze passed over me—then paused. Like something failed to register.
"…Since when did you sit there?"
"From the start…"
She rubbed her eyes, then laughed it off.
"Anyway," she said, turning back to Ji-Hyun, "did you already choose your weapon?"
I didn't say anything.
Because at this point—
Even I wasn't sure if I should.
◆◆◆
How did everything get so wrong so fast?
This world exists within a game called Atlas Online. That much is obvious—but it doesn't explain everything.
The game itself is an adaptation of a romance fantasy novel—I Entered a Romance Novel By Accident.
The novel follows a young girl named Han Seora, who entered the world of a novel she had read. She grows up at a magic academy, preventing any unfortunate events from happening.
Eventually, her actions lead to her taking the protagonist's place.
And yes, Han Seora doesn't know that she was just another character written by an author.
—At the park near the cafeteria, Han Seora was hiding behind the bushes, her reason was simple.
She wants to witness the event from the story unfold with her own eyes. Even if she has the mental age of an adult she can't deny that she still loves the story of her novel.
[The Heroine's resolve]
This day was the day where the main male lead Namgung Lucian will come across with Seo Ji-Hye, this event will be the start of the bitter sweet love story of the novel.
"It should be any minute now."
As expected, Lucian had already arrived alone, scanning the area to make sure no one else was around.
Thankfully Seora had already concealed her presence. If not, someone like Lucian—a candidate for Sword Saint—would have noticed her immediately.
Now, let's just wait for Ji-Hye.
After waiting for thirty minutes, Ji-Hye hadn't come yet, and Lucian was growing impatient. An hour passed but Ji-Hye was still nowhere to be seen.
After two hours, Lucian had enough and turned to leave.
I can't allow this to happen, I need to do something..
She thought of several ways to hold Lucian in place, but thinking wouldn't stop him from leaving.
With no other choice, she stepped forward.
"I really don't want to do this..." She muttered before she stormed out of the bush and blocked Lucian's path.
"Huh?"
"You cannot leave yet."
He was supposed to meet with Ji-Hye and encourage her to reveal her true self. If he left, the story will go in a path that Seora cannot predict.
But now that she was face to face with Lucian, she was forced to make her own choice. She didn't know what she was supposed to do anymore.
And only then did she realize—
I fucked up the script...didn't I?
Lucian brushed Seora off and tried to walk the other way.
Oh no, I need to do something! Anything!
A memory came into her mind, one that can hold Lucian, but might also make him suspicious of her.
But she had no other choice.
"Your left arm… it's still hurt, isn't it?"
Lucian stopped, he slowly turned around with a serious expression on his face.
His eyes narrowed.
"Han Seora… personally selected by the director, wasn't it? How do you know that?"
The pressure around him grew heavier. Using her magic, Seora forced herself to stand upright, facing him with confidence.
Only on the outside though, inside her mind was a mess.
Ji-Hye, where are you, I tried my best to hold him here!
Lucian let out a heavy sigh and his expression grew softer.
"....You've got my attention. Did the director tell you?"
"That is… none of your business. Just know that I'm aware of your secret."
How did this turn out to be a blackmailing now.
Just then Seora noticed—she could see Ji-Hye who was supposed to be here eating leisurely with another boy.
Wha…? But wasn't she supposed to be here…? Why is she with him…? What about the event…?
...what will happen to the story?
To be continued