‘Crazy…’

I couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

Being called out like this… It felt like being called up on stage during a school trip back in my school days.

Of course, I’ve never had such an experience. But I still remember the desperate look on that kid’s face when he was called up as the quietest person in the class.

‘And now, I’m in his shoes…’

Both the special admission students and the male quota students didn’t have to take the entrance exam.

But the way people looked at them was like heaven and earth.

One group was met with admiration and envy.

The other, with disdain and contempt.

The special admission students were those who had achieved remarkable results outside, to the extent that the academy would pay to have them here.

On the other hand, the male quota students were those who were picked simply because they applied, despite not even meeting the qualifications, all in the name of gender equality.

‘What the hell was Jin Yuha thinking when he applied for the male quota? Does he not have a brain?’

It felt like I was starting off on the wrong foot with the characters, even before trying to raise their favorability.

No matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn’t find an answer.

What could I do but go when they called for me?

‘… No, it’s too early to give up.’

Even in this auditorium, the number of male students was far fewer than female students.

Roughly, it seemed like only a third of the total number of students.

That meant that it was difficult for males to get into this academy.

Of course, it could also mean that ‘this academy isn’t that appealing to males’.

But since graduates of Velvet Academy were treated quite well in this world, that probably wasn’t the case.

‘There must be quite a few other male quota students like me. If I can just blend in with them and fly under the radar, maybe I can get through this…’

“Jin Yuhu?”

Lee Yoo-ri, sitting next to me, asked as if curious about what I was thinking.

Ah, right.

If I didn’t tell her first and she found out later, she’d feel quite betrayed.

Even if I explained later, it was better to at least give her a heads-up now.

But still, since she had seen my skills in action, she wouldn’t say something like,

‘Hmm, I don’t want to be in a party with a male quota student…’

I didn’t raise you like that! I believe in you, Yoo-ri!

“Yoo-ri. I’m actually a male quota student.”

“Huh?”

After whispering my confession to Yoo-ri, I left her stunned and made my way forward.

“Excuse me, coming through.”

I pushed through the crowd of people and waited near the stairs leading up to the stage.

I planned to follow after the others who would surely come.

But,

‘What’s taking so long…?’

No one came.

Thud.

Then, a red-haired woman pushed past me and strode up the stairs to the stage.

“Huh? Fighting Dog?”

She turned her head sharply and glared at me.

It was indeed Kang Do-hee.

Wait, was she a special admission student too?

As I stared blankly at her back, two men hesitantly approached me from behind.

And then, we exchanged glances.

-Hey, you too?

-Yeah, me too.

We were all thinking the same thing.

Wait for someone else to take the lead, and then follow behind them.

But, could it be… Were there only three of us who entered through the male quota?

With so many men here?

“Oh my, are you the male quota students who enrolled this time?”

As we were having a macho staring contest, trying to decide who would go first, a gentle voice interrupted us.

I turned to see a woman with long, black hair and an angelic face full of kindness.

“Nice to meet you! My name is Shin Se-hee.”

“Wow, Cheonhwa… in person!”

“I’m… a fan!”

With a gentle demeanor and a sweet voice.

I knew this woman too.

Shin Se-hee.

Her known nickname was [Cheonhwa (Thousand Blossoms)].

She was the daughter of a famous hunter family,

A 4-star named character with impressive magical abilities.

Always taking the lead in clearing high-level gates, and always kind to everyone, she was as popular as a celebrity.

She greeted the male quota students warmly, taking their hands in hers.

“There’s been a lot of talk about enrolling male students this time… I’m sure it’s been hard on you.”

“Ugh, yes…”

“It’s our fault for not being good enough…”

The two male students hung their heads in shame, but Shin Se-hee stroked their heads gently.

“Don’t put yourself down like that. Don’t feel uncomfortable either. I’m actually in favor of the male quota.”

“Huh?”

“Why, why is that?”

“Hmm, just because women are naturally stronger, it doesn’t mean we should take it for granted or look down on men. Men have their own unique roles to play, too. Sometimes when I’m in a gate, I think, ah, a man would be much better at this…”
“Ah…”
“Thank you…”

The two men seemed touched by Shin Se-hee’s words, their eyes even welling up with tears.

Meanwhile, as I watched this scene unfold, I thought,

‘… Ew, it’s even more creepy seeing it in person.’

This woman, with her sweet smile and angelic face, had a very, very, very dark interior.

In addition to her known nickname, [Cheonhwa], she had another one.

[Black Snake], a black serpent.

In other words, she was the type to smile sweetly on the outside while stabbing you in the back with her venomous fangs.

Of course, due to the nature of the Velvet game, the important characters had to be somewhat likable, so this character also underwent some ‘washing machine’ process.

But I still didn’t like her.

I gave her a cold stare before turning away.

‘It’s best to stay out of that woman’s sight. My goal from the start was Kang Do-hee anyway.’

The unruly-looking redhead who had pushed past me earlier was the one I wanted to recruit during this training period.

She stood on the stage with her arms crossed, glaring down at us with annoyance.

“Hey, are you coming or what!? You’re holding up the announcements!”

“Ah, yes! Of course!”
“Sorry!”

“Ugh, why does Do-hee have to be like that? Don’t take it too personally. She’s nice, just a bit pricky. Come on, let’s go up together.”

I didn’t want to be grouped with these guys, so I quickly strode up to the stage.

As I did, I felt the eyes of the entire auditorium on me.

People whispered among themselves, but I pretended not to notice and stood next to Kang Do-hee.

She glanced at me and clicked her tongue before turning away.

‘Of course, I’m exactly the type she’d dislike.’

Kang Do-hee didn’t hate those without ability, but rather those without effort.

She was a 5-star dealer who always went solo in gates, proving her worth with her own skills.

Once we were all on stage, the expressionless female instructor opened her mouth.

“It seems everyone is here. Let’s do a quick confirmation. Are you the special admission students, Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee?”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

“Then, these three are the male quota preparatory students, Jin Yuha, Kim Chul-hyeon, and Kim So-hun?”

“Yes.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!!”

The female instructor nodded mechanically.

“Yes, that’s correct. Usually, in the first week, we train by position before doing joint training. But it’s a little different for special admission students and male quota students.”

“Huh? How is it different?”

Shin Se-hee tilted her head, curious.

“You’ll be grouped into a party of five from the start for joint training.”

“Wait, but our positions are all different?”

Gang Do-hee’s annoyance turned to irritation, and she didn’t hide it.

“Yes, we have two dealers, one special, one healer, and one supporter. So?”

“It doesn’t make sense to do position-based foundational training then.”

Even Shin Se-hee seemed surprised by this, and added,

“There will be no changes to the decision. This party will also conduct position training within the joint training.”

“Huh? Why is that? And why are we being put into a party without our consent?”

“I don’t know the exact reason as it’s a decision from above, but it seems they want the special admission students to lead the male quota students.”

‘This is that thing, right? When they pair the valedictorian with the dunce, thinking the former will carry the latter and make them useful.’

But in reality, it often goes the other way.

The valedictorian thinks, ‘Why do I have to waste my precious time because of this idiot?’

While the dunce thinks, ‘Why is this smarty-pants acting all high and mighty?’

It’s a direct path to disaster!

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

The higher-ups here seemed to have the same fantasy-like thinking as those in my previous world.

‘But, this is actually better.’

Kang Do-hee was someone rarely seen in the academy.

She was either out in the field or holed up in her room.

“Then, meet at training room C in the building next door in 30 minutes.”

The instructor spoke in a stiff tone, finished her business, and turned to leave.

Clap!

Then, Shin Se-hee, who had been frowning, suddenly smiled sweetly and clapped her hands.

“We’ll be training together for about three weeks, so why don’t we introduce ourselves?”

“Kang Do-hee. Dealer. I use Martial Arts. That’s it.”

Stomp, stomp—

Kang Do-hee quickly said what she needed to and left.

The two men seemed flustered by her abrupt departure.

“Well, I know Do-hee well, so don’t worry about it! Let’s introduce ourselves anyway.”

“Yes…! I’m fine with that!”

“Me too!”

The two men seemed enamored by Shin Se-hee, nodding along.

Her gaze turned to me.

“What about you?”

“I’ll head out too. I’ll be at the training ground later, so I won’t be late.”

“But it would be nice to introduce ourselves first, wouldn’t it?”

Her tone dropped slightly, and her eyes narrowed.

‘Why is she so interested in these useless quota students?’

Anyway, her attention was unwanted.

I needed a good excuse to leave.

“Ah, I really need to use the bathroom.”

“The bathroom?”

“Yes, the big one.”

“…”

Shin Se-hee didn’t seem to have a response to that, so she stayed silent.

“I’ll tell you my name if you haven’t heard the instructor call it earlier. It’s Jin Yuha”

I said and quickly left.

I headed in the direction Kang Do-hee had gone.

‘Where did she go?’

I turned my head, looking for her, but couldn’t spot her.

Then, in a corner, I noticed white smoke rising.

‘There she is.’

I walked towards the smoke and saw Kang Do-hee leaning against a shabby wall, smoking a cigarette.

Her bright red hair was tied up in a ponytail, accentuating her sharp features and well-toned body.

The black leggings and white tank top she wore highlighted her healthy, fit figure.

“Hoo—”

And those full lips, with a cigarette between them, exhaling white smoke.

I watched her for a moment before speaking.

“This isn’t a smoking area, you know.”

Hearing this, Kang Do-hee seemed dismayed as she looked back and forth between the cigarette in her hand and the almost full pack.

Thud.

She dropped the cigarette and stepped on it.

“Damn, I didn’t know.”

She crushed the cigarette butt with her foot and looked up at me.

And our eyes met.

“What are you doing here, quota student?”