“Anything unusual today?”

“No! Lady Mary, you're as beautiful as always!”

I—no, Ken Feinstein—greeted her with a bright smile.

Right in front of my eyes, a window appeared.

[Ken Feinstein's immersion level has increased.]

Whenever I meet Mary Hydia after the possession, this kind of status message frequently pops up.

When I’m in this state, my own emotions take a backseat, and whatever I say is heavily mixed with Ken Feinstein's true feelings.

Thanks to this, I’ve managed to avoid sudden awkward changes in the atmosphere...

‘She really is incredibly beautiful.’

Right before my eyes was the very female character I had adored for so long.

Mary Hydia.

Her light blue short hair and cool blue eyes gave her a dignified and refreshing aura.

Matching her image, she was cool-headed and righteous.

Every day, she would visit my class once to check if everything was okay.

‘She’s so kind...’

After possessing Ken Feinstein, I was able to glimpse some of his past memories.

One thing I learned was how Ken met Mary.

Their meeting began when Mary saved Ken, who was frequently bullied.

It was a storyline I had never known while playing the game as Emily.

A year ago, when Ken Feinstein was still a freshman, he was often bullied by a group of students led by Rafne Vel Martinez, the villainess of Part 1.

Mary, who happened to witness this, saved Ken.

Rafne, who ranked among the academy's top fighters, seemed reluctant to challenge Mary, who was second in strength. As a result, Rafne's bullying of Ken decreased.

Of course, Mary had a tendency to skip school whenever it rained, and on those days, Ken would still get bullied.

Nevertheless, after that event, Ken developed a deep affection for Mary and became one of her followers.

“It’s good to know that nothing’s wrong,” Mary said, her usually stoic face showing a faint smile.

Seeing such a normally expressionless beauty smile like that, it was hard not to fall for her.

I could feel Ken’s heart rate increasing.

Well, that said, the chances of anything happening between Mary and Ken were slim.

The game’s story predetermined who she would fall in love with.

Mary glanced subtly toward the center of the classroom.

Where she was secretly looking stood one man.

Surrounded by several people, anyone could see he was the center of attention—a handsome guy.

Adrian Faraday.

He was one of the main male characters of Academy of Epirus. As the story progressed, it was revealed that Adrian had a "secret prince" backstory.

He was also the reason for the rivalry between Emily Epirus, the protagonist, and Mary Hydia.

Mary was glancing at him secretly.

It didn’t quite look like the gaze of a girl in love—more like someone who was merely intrigued.

It seemed she hadn’t yet fallen for Adrian.

‘…So, this means we’re in the early part of Part 2.’

Once an event happens between Mary and Adrian, she begins to fall for him, and that’s when the trouble with Emily starts.

Since she hadn’t completely fallen for him yet, I could gauge the current timing in the game.

‘And there she is…’

In the middle of Adrian’s lively conversation was another important character from the game.

‘Seeing these characters move around in real life is a strange feeling.’

That was none other than the protagonist of the game.

Emily Epirus.

A commoner at the start, she struggled to fit in with the predominantly noble academy. However, as the story progressed, she built friendships with the male leads and gained recognition after defeating Rafne in a duel at the end of Part 1.

Even from afar, Emily’s bright smile was beautiful. Her expression radiated warmth and purity.

It made sense why the male characters fell for her.

In the main game illustrations, the focus was always on the male characters and villainous females, so seeing such a range of expressions from Emily was new.

She was undeniably a stunning heroine.

The game described her as plain and modest, but in my opinion, that was a stretch.

Aside from her beauty, she also had a heart of gold, helping those in need and always listening to others’ problems.

But then…

“...Hmph.”

Emily turned her gaze away from me, clearly annoyed.

‘What’s her problem?’

It seemed like she hated me.

No, it was more than that—it was as if she was looking at trash.

Now that I think about it, while playing the game, Emily never responded or reacted to Ken’s lines.

I thought it was just because he was a background character, but now it was clear that she had been openly ignoring him.

‘…I don’t remember doing anything wrong.’

Even searching through Ken’s memories, I couldn’t find any prior interaction with Emily.

Perhaps, later in the story, she and Mary would be at odds and start to recognize each other, but…

Could it really be just because of my appearance?

Did she despise me because I was a fat pig?

“...Ken, do you think she’s pretty too?”

Noticing how I had been staring at Emily, Mary suddenly asked.

“Th-that may be true, but Lady Mary is still the most beautiful! H-haha.”

“…Do men prefer that kind of style?”

Mary was clearly bothered.

Of course she was. The man she had feelings for was chatting away happily with another girl right in front of her.

But, Mary Hydia, I’m sorry to say that you’re not going to end up with that guy.

For my survival, Emily has to end up with Adrian.

The conditions for the happy ending that avoids the demon war.

One of those conditions includes Emily’s relationship with that guy.

I silently offered my condolences for Mary’s doomed first love.

‘Wait, but something feels off…’

I’d already found Emily and Mary… So where was Rafne?

As time passed, I naturally began to encounter the major characters.

But there was no sign of Rafne Vel Martinez.

A red-haired, voluptuous beauty like her couldn’t have gone unnoticed.

At this point in the story, we were in the early stages of Part 2.

Rafne’s last appearance was during her duel with Emily at the end of Part 1.

After her defeat, she didn’t show up again.

I thought it was just a story mechanic in the game, but… Could she really have left the academy?

There were rumors that she had returned to the Martinez estate.

‘I’ll have to look into this more.’

And no, it’s not just because I want to see her in person…

After possessing Ken Feinstein, I added something new to my daily routine.

Morning jogging.

Why jogging, you ask?

Why not use my game knowledge to obtain powerful items and skills to strengthen myself?

It’s not that I haven’t thought about it, and it’s not that I don’t know where to find those items.

But my current stats are too low to go after those things.

If I tried to tackle any dungeons or mazes alone, it would be a fast pass to an early grave.

If I were playing as Emily, I’d gather the male leads and work my way through those challenges.

But right now, there’s no one willing to risk their life alongside Ken Feinstein.

So, to prepare myself for the future, I needed to build up my basic physical abilities.

“Huff... huff…”

My belly fat jiggled, and I was already out of breath.

Just a little running left me utterly exhausted.

Why jogging, then?

Why not train my magic or learn a new skill instead?

Sorry, but in this game, the measure of strength lies in unique traits and skills.

Sure, you can learn regular skills and traits, but nothing is more efficient than utilizing your character's unique abilities.

My, Ken Feinstein’s, unique skills:

[Unique Skills: Crafting, Calorie Burn]

While checking Ken's status to figure out how to get stronger, I noticed a skill I’d never seen before.

Crafting is pretty self-explanatory, but Calorie Burn? I’d never encountered this skill while playing the game.

Judging by the name, it seems to burn calories, but…

In a game with self-destruct abilities, I wasn’t going to recklessly use it outside of a crisis.

Next up were the traits.

[Unique Trait: Physical abilities increase as you lose weight]

This was the key to improving Ken’s stats.

That’s right.

Ken Feinstein’s unique trait made him stronger the more weight he lost.

It seemed like a quirky feature the developers added for fun.

But why the hell hadn’t this idiot started dieting earlier?

I sneered internally at how dumb he must have been and started my own weight-loss routine.

After about a week, I realized something important.

“Huff... huff… It’s… it’s fucking hard!”

Yeah, it was brutally difficult.

I couldn’t sustain exercise for long because of the sheer weight of all this fat. If I pushed too hard, I’d risk injuring my ankles.

And Ken’s body? His metabolism was weirdly slow.

Whatever I ate instantly turned into fat. And if I ate less, the hunger was unbearable.

Before the possession, I had looked down on people who failed to diet, thinking they were just lazy.

Now I knew the truth. It wasn’t something you could easily accomplish with willpower alone.

“Huff… huff… I can’t… go on…”

Every morning I woke up early to run around the academy, but after just a little while, I was exhausted.

But I had to keep going.

I needed to remember that illustration of Ken lying dead on the ground.

And Emily Epirus, glaring down at me like I was garbage.

“…Aaargh!”

Fueled by that memory, I started running again with all my might.

[You have acquired a new trait: Dehydration.]

“…W-water…”

I had failed to pace myself.

Damn it, I was trying hard, but if I wasn’t careful, I’d die from dehydration instead of a bad ending.

Panting desperately, I realized I had reached an unfamiliar place.

I couldn’t take in my surroundings. All I cared about now was quenching my thirst.

Looking around, I noticed something odd.

It was eerily quiet.

I was in a small forest near the edge of the academy, standing in a clearing about 50 meters in diameter.

Aside from the old tower in the center, there was nothing else.

But the problem wasn’t the emptiness. It was the complete absence of sound.

No birds chirping, no insects buzzing.

It was an unsettling atmosphere, but right now, my thirst was more urgent.

[Possessed Traits: Obesity, Dehydration – 62%]

[Warning: If dehydration reaches 100%, you will die.]

Water, I need water…!

“W-water…!”

Desperate for relief, I staggered toward the tower ahead of me.

I opened the tower’s front door.

“…Shit.”

There were stairs. Of course.

Cursing gravity and enduring the pain in my overworked thighs, I finally reached the top of the tower after what felt like an eternity.

“Huff... huff… I’m gonna… die…”

[Possessed Traits: Obesity, Dehydration – 69%]

If there wasn’t water up here, it would be game over for me. With a final glimmer of hope, I carefully unlocked the door.

The door creaked open slowly, as if it hadn’t been touched in a long time.

“W-water…!”

Like a zombie searching for brains, I flung the door open. But as I forced it open, my legs gave out, and I collapsed to the floor.

“Ugh!”

I even screamed like a pig.

But I couldn’t pass out here…! I had to find water…!

“Huh…?”

At that moment, I heard a voice.

I looked up toward the sound.

There, sitting among a pile of dolls, was a girl with long red hair cascading down her shoulders. She looked like a princess locked away in a tower.

Her face, beautiful beyond words, was tired and worn out. Yet her eyes were sparkling.

It was like I, dying of thirst, had stumbled upon an oasis.

And to her, I seemed like an oasis too.

In front of me was none other than Rafne Vel Martinez.

“…A... person. …A... person…!”

She repeated those words as she stared at me, sprawled on the floor.

Did she mistake me for something other than a person for a second?

“B-but more importantly… Water… Please… give me water…”

“W-w-w-water?! Oh, okay! I’ll get it right away!”

Her voice stuttered oddly, but she seemed happy—too happy.

Since I possessed Ken, no one had greeted me this warmly.

‘And it’s… Rafne Vel… Martinez…’

With that last thought, I blacked out.