i smiled, then quietly activated my Seductive Aura as I sat beside her, hoping it would help her relax. But to my surprise…
It didn't work the way I expected.
Instead of calming down, Andrea's blush deepened so much I was worried she might combust on the spot. She kept fidgeting with her fingers, twisting and turning them like she was trying to summon a spell through sheer awkwardness. Her eyes refused to meet mine.
I couldn't help but admire her beauty in that moment—messy, adorable, and completely flustered. Her usual bubbly demeanor was replaced by this shy, trembling version of herself. It was a side of her I never thought I'd see.
I chuckled softly and reached out, gently patting her head. "Hmm… Can't I give my friend a goodbye kiss on the forehead?" I asked, my voice low and teasing.
She stiffened like a statue.
I swear I could almost see steam coming out of her head.
Uh-oh. I gulped. Damn, I overdid it. She might bury herself from embarrassment at this point.
Andrea didn't say anything. Her face was frozen in red, her hands gripping her uniform tightly like she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.
Right then, the door opened.
Sheila stepped in, graceful and elegant as always, and the room snapped back to reality. The class began, and everyone turned their attention to the front—everyone except Andrea and me, still caught in that awkward bubble of silence.
Time crawled.
The rest of the day was a blur of classes and training, and before I knew it, a Week had already passed
Exam day.
Andrea was back to her usual self—talkative, lively, and bright like the sun. It was almost like my kissed in the forehead never happened. Almost.
We'd grown much closer since that incident. I could feel the difference. She was more comfortable around me now. And me? I had finally mastered the maneuvering of my First Wing. A major milestone.
I was confident I could at least reach the Top 50 and avoid bringing shame to the family name.
I sat in my room that night, taking a long bath, preparing for tomorrow. I yawned, staring at the ceiling. Getting transmigrated really gave me complex feelings.
If I had to choose… I'd just want two or three heroines or villainesses. Not too many.
But if I were to combine all of them—let's see… there were six heroines and six villainesses in the game. So far, I've met three heroines and one villainess.
Shaking my head, I dried off, threw on some clothes, and went to sleep.
---
The next morning, I went through my usual routine and headed to class.
Andrea greeted me with her usual energy. She had become more clingy lately, especially when I used my Seductive Aura. She no longer avoided it. In fact, sometimes our shoulders touched, and she'd just lean on me casually—like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Not that I was complaining.
The classroom door burst open. Sheila entered like a queen walking onto her stage—stunning, flawless, and always dazzling. I sighed internally. Even in this world, some people were just built differently.
She began explaining the rules of the exam, and I noticed Andrea's eyes lighting up with excitement. Miguel also looked surprised, then pumped up. He was probably thinking this was his moment.
And Luna? Cold as ever. That icy stare of hers never changed.
The exam format was simple but brutal. We'd be facing off against senior students while being assessed by the professors. Win or lose, how we performed mattered more than the result.
Then the system's voice echoed in my mind.
{Side Quest: Get into the Top 20 of the Exam}
{Reward: Talent Lottery Unlocked + 1 Bronze Ticket}
My eyes widened.
A Talent Lottery? That is interesting But Top 20… that was no joke. I needed to stand out a bit especially in the fight against the seniors. I'd need a moment that would leave everyone stunned.
I sighed and stood up with the rest of the class. We made our way to the training ground, though it was less of a "training ground" and more of a coliseum. Massive. Loud. Packed with students and onlookers.
The battles had already begun. A few juniors were facing off against seniors, but it was obvious how large the gap was. One senior scoffed coldly before executing a flawless move, sending his opponent flying across the arena. He crashed with a loud thud, knocked out cold.
Yet even in defeat, a strong showing could still earn a good rank.
We sat near the top stands. Miguel looked fired up, chatting excitedly. Fatty his friend with a round figure and a heart of gold—sat beside him, munching on something, of course.
Luna sat a little distance away, arms crossed, scanning the crowd with her usual disdain, as if everyone around her was beneath her notice.
Andrea was the complete opposite. She was practically bouncing in her seat, grabbing my arm like an excited child. "Look! Did you see that? That move was awesome! You think my Hellhound could take that guy on?"
She looked at me, her eyes glowing.
Sigh. She was too naive, too pure.
Time moved slowly. Andrea kept talking, rarely staying on topic for more than a few seconds. But whenever I tried to ignore her, she would pout dramatically and pretend to be mad. Honestly, it was way too cute.
Finally, our class was up.
The first to step onto the arena was Fatty. He wore his usual armor and wielded a large shield. The crowd snickered at first—but he surprised everyone.
He held his ground well. His defense was solid. He might not make the Top 20, but Top 50? Definitely possible.
Next was Luna.
She faced off against a girl I instantly recognized: Melissa.
A beautiful side character from the game. She was never a major threat, but her fate… tragic. In the original storyline, she sacrificed herself to save Miguel—just another stepping stone for the protagonist's development.
But early in the story?
She was powerful.
The fight was intense. Melissa pushed Luna back multiple times, her swordplay sharp and relentless. Luna, true to form, kept dodging and countering, never backing down.
This was the longest battle so far.
From what I remembered, Luna placed Top 4 in the original game.
Selena took Top 2, and Amy was Top 3.
Andrea would reach Top 5, though her Dragon Awakening came too late in the timeline for her to use its full power.
The arena buzzed with excitement as Luna and Melissa clashed again and again, their magic and skills lighting up the arena.
While...
I sat there, watching everything carefully. Planning.