“Today is February 20th, Year 200 of the New Calendar. It’s 7:00 in the morning, and after eight consecutive workdays, we’ve finally arrived at the first day of the second break this month. First, let’s turn our attention to the red-hot Top Ten Tournament…”
The magic mirror screen hanging on the wall buzzed with noisy commentary.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, landing on the sofa across from the screen, where a bundle of blankets began to rustle.
Sheffil tossed aside the blanket and sat up, staring blankly at the neatly dressed host on the screen.
After zoning out for a while, Sheffil slowly came back to his senses and checked the time—7:30.
Still so early.
Although he wasn’t in the habit of waking up early, he didn’t have a habit of lazing around either.
After a quick wash, he walked into the kitchen to begin his day.
“Eggs, bread, and… huh, no ham? Tch, that damn Dorothy must’ve stolen my snacks again.”
After grumbling about his childhood friend in his mind, Sheffil returned to the sofa, munching on bread while watching the news on the screen.
In truth, watching the news wasn’t part of Sheffil’s daily routine.
At this hour, he was usually at school or too busy to sit down and stare at the screen.
Having so much free time today was a rare exception.
And if you asked him why, he’d definitely say—
He’d managed to escape Dorothy’s invitation yesterday and got home early for once.
If the other students in the academy heard that, there would surely be no shortage of jealous snark. But it was true.
Dorothy Byrne.
If you had to describe her in one phrase, it would be “Heaven’s Favorite.”
Her waist-length snow-white hair framed a face so beautiful it seemed to be blessed by the gods.
Her slender figure perfectly captured the blossoming charm of youth, and her ruby-like crimson eyes constantly radiated warmth and allure.
But in Jadecrest Academy—one of the most prestigious academies in the Empire of Aubert and across the continent—there was no shortage of pretty girls.
Here, beauty was just a bonus.
Dorothy, however, was in a league of her own.
Known as the Witch of Words, Dorothy was the youngest magician in Jadecrest Academy’s history to earn the title of Witch.
She had aced the entrance exam with ease, defeated a senior two years above her in the end-of-term ranking exams, and outperformed every student in her cohort.
Her published paper, “On the Fundamentals and Applications of Word-Spirit Magic and Rune Spells,” shook both the academy’s Department of Magic and the Aubert Empire’s Witch Association.
The head of the Magic Department immediately accepted her as a nominal disciple, and the Witch Association flew overnight to Jadecrest to award her a medal—bringing down the record for youngest witch from 19 to 16 years old.
During that time, Dorothy would drag Sheffil to the bookstore “by accident” every day, conveniently grab her own published book, and shamelessly show it off. It drove him nuts.
But setting aside the gossip, someone like Dorothy—beautiful, brilliant, and immensely talented—wasn’t just charming.
She had a magnetic presence that naturally drew people in.
What made her even more appealing was her complete lack of arrogance.
She wasn’t condescending like the powerful, nor aloof like the scholarly.
She got along with everyone and unknowingly stole the hearts of countless teenage boys.
Her beauty was renowned from the Empire of Aubert to the Northern Federation.
The line of people wanting to confess to her stretched from the academy gates to the outskirts of the city.
But—what a pity.
As Dorothy’s childhood friend, and the object of envy for countless students, Sheffil was the ultimate villain in their eyes—the one who could always appear beside their goddess.
Too bad for them.
No matter what they did or how hard they tried, Dorothy never responded.
No man would ever win the race for her heart.
Because Dorothy, Heaven’s Favorite, wasn’t interested in men.
“Sheffy, I might be the heroine of a GL game where I build a harem of beautiful girls!” —Dorothy, age ten.
Sheffil had to admit—when he heard that coming from a ten-year-old loli, he was utterly shocked.
At ten, you’re already thinking about building a harem?
That’s next-level.
Even corrupt old officials with decades of scandalous experience would shake their heads.
Oh, right.
Sheffil had never had romantic feelings for Dorothy.
Not even once.
And after she said that terrifying line, he simply saw her as a complete bro.
At least, that’s how it was—until last year’s entrance exam.
[‘Affection Level List’ loading——]
[Face Recognition——]
[Match Successful——【Sheffil Galal】]
[——Opening Affection File——【Dorothy Byrne】]
Dorothy Byrne
A translucent blue screen appeared in front of Sheffil.
At the top was Dorothy’s name, followed by a list of more than ten names, each with a string of strange numbers beside them.
“Bluebell, 75/100 (Crush). Raised 15 points overnight. Damn, Dorothy really is Queen of the Girls.”
Sheffil found the junior who had asked him for advice a few days ago.
Seeing her affection bar almost turning red, he muttered in awe, “This girl… might really be the heroine of a GL game.”
It all began with last year’s spring entrance exam.
He and Dorothy had arrived at Jadecrest Academy together with the blessings of their hometown.
There was a hiccup midway—Dorothy got held up in the arena for half an hour and almost missed the written magic test—but in the end, they passed with flying colors.
That evening, as Sheffil and Dorothy strolled through the academy, a girl approached him while Dorothy had stepped away.
The girl was stunning.
Even Sheffil—used to being around beauties thanks to Dorothy—had to admit she ranked among the top.
“Um…”
The girl shifted nervously.
The green band on her arm marked her as a fellow freshman.
The setting sun bathed half her figure in soft gold, and the other half in a blush of crimson, making her look breathtaking.
“I was wondering…”
She lowered her eyes, her shoulder-length auburn hair tinted slightly red by her bashfulness.
Sheffil gulped and waited for what she’d say next.
Maybe… I’ve been in our hometown too long, where everyone only had eyes for Dorothy.
Maybe I’ve been underestimating myself?
Maybe I’m more charming than I thought—
“Could you… introduce me to Miss Dorothy?!”
『Target Identified——』
【Affection System】 Activated
『Welcome to “Affection Meter,” hello, Mr. Sheffil.』
『Verifying——』
『Target: Dorothy Byrne』
『Current Subject: Lucia Vivian』
『Affection Level: 50/100』
『Status: Budding Crush』
Sheffil froze—not because he was heartbroken or shocked by the blue screen that had appeared in front of him, but because he suddenly realized something very important.
Main characters really do exist in this world.
And somehow, his childhood friend… might actually be one.
As for what happened afterward, the memory was fuzzy.
He vaguely remembered introducing the girl to Dorothy, like the helpful side character in romance novels or dating sims.
Maybe that’s all he was meant to be.
Returning to the present, Sheffil stood up.
Even though it was the weekend, that didn’t mean he could relax.
If his memory served him right—
Ding! The black rectangular mirror screen on the coffee table lit up.
[Dorothy: “Meet me at the commercial street later. Waiting for you.” 8:30 (unread)]
“I knew it,” Sheffil chuckled helplessly.
“If this really is a yuri game, this protagonist sure calls on her one male friend way too often…”
He sent a quick reply and started getting ready to leave.
[Sheffil: Got it. Your dad’s on the way. 8:31 (read)]