The Gacha Addict of the Academy

The situation settled down quickly.

I was the only one injured, and since most of the students hadn’t witnessed the incident up close, the excuse that it was illusion magic seemed to work. It made sense in a way—powerful illusion magic could theoretically manifest physical force. They used that excuse to sweep everything under the rug.

The professor explained that if the situation escalated further, it could cause huge problems, which I understood. Still, I never expected them to deceive the entire class like this.

Not all the students seemed convinced. Even though I was disillusioned with the academy, I figured most of them were staying quiet out of fear, unsure of the consequences they might face if they spoke out. It was hard to believe they’d let themselves be duped so easily.

After all, who would actually believe that it was illusion magic from that teacher?

He was well-known, a highly respected figure with a reputation for his strength on the frontlines. It was easy to see why some might give him the benefit of the doubt. But once physical force entered the picture, the narrative changed. If this were true, it meant the professor had crossed a line, using physical force to intimidate students.

Was this really okay?

Officially, the incident was covered up to “avoid further confusion,” but honestly, it seemed more about protecting the academy’s reputation. If news of an attack on the academy leaked, it would spell disaster. The higher-ups clearly wanted to suppress the incident within the academy walls.

The monsters weren’t particularly high-ranked, but for first-year students like us, they were overwhelming. If anyone had died, the fallout would have been catastrophic.

The professor reassured us that everything had been resolved quickly and there wouldn’t be any issues with the media, but I wasn’t so sure. Was this really how Korea’s academies operated?

“Really sorry about all this.”

The professor’s apology felt hollow. I couldn’t exactly lash out at him, though—it wasn’t entirely his fault.

Standing beside me were the blue-haired elf girl I’d mentioned earlier and the girl I had saved. Since we had been directly attacked, we were personally called in to receive apologies, compensation, and a request to keep the incident quiet.

“This is ridiculous.”

The blue-haired elf muttered angrily as soon as we stepped outside. I couldn’t blame her. We had nearly been killed, and all they offered were apologies and a request for silence. No real compensation. No acknowledgment of the danger we’d faced.

“What are you two going to do?”

Since the incident hadn’t escalated further, we had no choice but to head back to class. Most of us agreed it was safer to follow the professor’s instructions and avoid stirring up trouble.

The blue-haired elf, despite her cool demeanor, clearly had a temper. She was still fuming. “You guys are really something… I’m still pissed, but you’re all so calm. Aren’t you angry?”

Of course, I wasn’t entirely calm.

I’d nearly died and received no real compensation for it. I had risked my life to save someone and ended up being dismissed like this. It was frustrating.

But was I furious? Not really.
I mean, I did save a pretty girl—maybe that wasn’t such a bad outcome.

“Don’t be too hard on them. The academy probably has its reasons,” said Kang Juhyeok.

I shot him a sharp look before turning away. He might have been popular for his icy demeanor, but his fiery temper wasn’t exactly endearing.

Well, the novel this world was based on wasn’t particularly popular, so I guess none of this really mattered in the grand scheme of things.

“Hey… um…”

“…?”

The girl I had saved earlier, the one I’d risked my life for, called out to me.

Could this be the start of us becoming friends?

“Are you going to call in the favor for saving me earlier?”

Wait, is that what this is about? Should I feel happy about it?
I fumbled for a response, unsure of what to say. Was this the part where she asked if we could be friends?

Sigh…

Why was I so nervous? Compared to the heroines in the story, she wasn’t extraordinarily beautiful or anything. Still, she was undeniably pretty. The heroines were all stunning—like Reina, who was already leagues above ordinary people simply by being an elf.

Yet this girl, not even an elf, seemed to rival Reina in her own way. I couldn’t quite describe it.

“I’m Hyeon-ah. And… thank you so much for saving me earlier.” She walked up to me and held out her hand.
I carefully shook it, and she smiled, saying, “I look forward to working with you.”

Huh? Is this real friendship?

I think I’m a little touched.

“Hey…”
“Uh… yeah?”

She suddenly lowered her head and hesitated, like she was about to ask something.

Wait, could it be? Is she about to confess something?

“C-could you… hug me just once?”

“Uh…”

What is happening?

We went back to class and finished the day like normal. Nothing really changed.

Since then, I’ve gotten close to Hyeon-ah, the girl I saved. She often comes to talk to me during breaks. After she hugged me earlier, she kept saying things like how soft I was and how nice I smelled… She kept saying embarrassing stuff like that.

It felt nice, though, having someone talk to me so much. Honestly, I’ve never really talked to a pretty girl before, so maybe that’s why it felt so good.

Most of the time, I just answer her questions while she talks. I’m not used to talking so much, so even answering can feel hard sometimes. And her attention makes me feel all sorts of emotions. I almost had a breakdown but managed to keep it together.

It feels like she sees me as a cute kid rather than a friend. But… is that okay?
Even if it’s not perfect, it’s much better than eating alone or staying silent all the time.

Still, I don’t want anyone to find out I play games to escape from all this.

Feeling stressed, I turned on my game to relax. A gacha pull might make me happy or mad, but at least it helps me take my mind off things. If I keep being this social, I might lose it.

…

“Oh… This is a good pull.”

I stared at the screen in surprise.
Did I somehow get lucky in this world’s gacha system?

I felt happy but didn’t show it. Instead, I turned off the game and packed my things.

Today had been full of surprises, but at least I got through it. Still, almost dying on the first day was a bit too much.

I remember there won’t be any big problems for a while, so I should enjoy the quiet while it lasts.

Good job, me.

… Now, time for dinner and then home.

“Luna?”
“…?”

Huh…

I’m happy she wants to be my friend, but having her cling to me every time something happens is starting to get annoying. Luckily, my face always looks neutral—like my facial muscles don’t work—so she can’t tell how I feel.

Imagine smiling at someone, only for them to turn around with an annoyed face. I’d probably punch them.

I tilted my head toward Hyeon-ah, who was smiling and waving at me. What’s going on now? If it’s nothing important, I won’t let this slide.

Maybe I should show her my new 5-star weapon in the game. In the game, I’m unbeatable.
The game company is like a god.

“Let’s have dinner together!”

“Uh…”

S-suddenly?

I don’t mind having dinner together, but…

“…What’s this?”

“I collected it!”

“…That’s not what I meant…”

Dinner turned out a bit awkward.

I looked around the table. There was the blue-haired elf—or wait, maybe a gnome?—a red-haired guy with a weird white streak in his hair, the black-haired girl I saved earlier, and me.

I have no idea what kind of group this is.

I just want to cry.