Who would've thought that Louis and Elena would end up paired together?
For a moment, I could only stare blankly at her outstretched hand.
"May I ask what your name is?" she asked, her soft voice carrying a gentle curiosity.
"…Louis."
The name that now belonged to me.
Upon hearing it, Elena's face brightened with a warm, welcoming smile.
"My name is Elena!"
I already knew that—better than anyone.
A name that appeared hundreds of times throughout the webtoon.
"Elena…" I murmured quietly, almost as if saying it would make this surreal moment feel real.
She was the heroine I had rooted for from the very beginning.
Back when I was just a reader, I used to imagine what I'd say if I ever met her face to face.
But now that she stood right before me, her hand still lightly resting in mine, my mind went completely blank.
'What should I even say?'
All the words I'd rehearsed before, all those imaginary conversations, vanished in an instant.
We had exchanged names, yet neither of us said anything more.
A faint, awkward silence hung in the air—until a firm voice cut through it.
"Everyone, take your seats."
The classroom immediately quieted down as a man with a commanding presence walked in. His tall, broad frame alone was enough to calm the noisy room.
"Nice to meet you all," he said, his voice deep and steady. "I am Dominic, the instructor in charge of Class C."
Clap, clap, clap.
Polite applause spread through the classroom as the students took their seats.
I studied him carefully, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.
Dominic.
A character I knew well.
In the webtoon, he was a man of common birth with no outstanding talent—someone who had clawed his way up through pure effort and determination until he earned a teaching position at the Academy.
Readers had admired him for that.
Despite not being a major character, he had left an impression. His journey from a powerless commoner to a respected professor made him one of the few male characters universally liked by the audience.
And it helped that he was handsome.
The sharp lines of his face, the steady confidence in his eyes—he radiated a kind of strength that wasn't just physical.
Even now, I could hear the faint whispers of a few female students near me.
"Wow… he's kind of cool."
"I didn't expect our professor to look like that."
I smirked faintly.
The webtoon hadn't exaggerated after all. Dominic really did have that magnetic presence in person.
Look at him.
Already, a few female students were stealing admiring glances his way.
Since I ended up in this world, there's something I've gradually started to notice.
The average appearance level here is ridiculously high.
Maybe it's because this is a harem webtoon world, but even the nameless extras just walking down the street are stunning—like background characters who accidentally wandered out of a beauty commercial.
And the main characters? They're on a completely different level altogether.
Even Louis, who's quite handsome himself, can't hold a candle to them.
Especially Edmund—the protagonist. His looks are so absurdly perfect it's almost unfair.
So that's why a harem is possible, huh?
…That despicable bastard.
I turned my head slightly, my gaze landing on Elena sitting next to me.
She was listening to Professor Dominic with a bright, curious expression.
Wow. She really is dazzling.
I found myself staring before I could stop. Every time her long golden hair swayed, light caught it and scattered in soft glimmers. It was so radiant that I had to squint and look away.
In the webtoon, I thought the sparkle effects around her were just artistic exaggeration—a way to show her beauty visually.
But seeing it now, I realized that was actually accurate.
If anything, the artist had undersold it.
And somehow, the glow doesn't feel unnatural at all. It fits her perfectly, like light itself just wants to linger around her.
Yet even with a heroine this beautiful, Edmund still went and built a harem?
That bastard's beyond saving.
How could a harem even make sense when Elena exists?
Absolutely not.
Pure love only.
That's the one rule my heart refuses to compromise on.
There's no universe where I'll let my favorite character cry because of some indecisive protagonist.
Edmund, you idiot. You had one job.
I'll fix your mistakes myself.
From now on, I'll make sure you end up with Elena—and only Elena.
As I sat there, quietly renewing my vow to destroy the harem route before it could even begin, a faint smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
Professor Dominic's greeting was finally wrapping up.
"That's enough about me. Next, you all will introduce yourselves—"
Ah, no.
Please, anything but that...!
The one thing I dreaded most in school was coming back to haunt me. The nightmare of self-introductions.
The awkward silence. The forced smiles. The inevitable "tell us something interesting about yourself."
Absolute hell.
"-or should we skip that?"
'Phew….'
Thank the heavens.
Professor Dominic didn't seem particularly keen on torturing us with unnecessary social pain.
A collective sigh of relief spread through the classroom like a wave.
"…Then let's end here for today."
He went on to give a few short reminders about the academy's rules and upcoming schedule before wrapping up.
"Classes officially start tomorrow, so everyone, make sure to head back to your dorms early tonight."
"Yeees~!" a few students responded cheerfully.
He chuckled at that, his gentle smile making the atmosphere even lighter.
Now this was a professor I could get used to.
Even though we'd only met for a few hours, he already gave off a dependable, approachable vibe.
With that, Professor Dominic left the room, his robes swaying slightly as the door closed behind him.
The classroom, now free of its authority figure, immediately came alive. Students chatted, laughed, and started packing up.
I slung my bag over my shoulder, ready to head out too—
When a soft voice stopped me.
"Louis…?"
I turned. "Hmm? What is it?"
Elena stood beside her desk, fidgeting slightly as her golden braid brushed against her shoulder.
"Do you have any plans for today?" she asked.
"Me?" I blinked, tilting my head. "Not really. I was planning to go to the gym after this. Why?"
"Ah…! I see. It's nothing. I was just asking." She laughed a little too quickly, her smile just a bit too forced. "Hehe."
…What was that?
Her reaction felt oddly awkward.
Was it strange that I said I was going to the gym?
I glanced at her for a moment, but her expression didn't give anything away. Maybe I was overthinking it.
After a brief pause, I decided not to dwell on it.
"Alright then. See you tomorrow," I said, giving her a casual wave.
"Mm! See you, Louis."
I stepped out of the classroom, her cheerful voice lingering faintly in my ears.
For a moment, I found myself wondering why she'd asked in the first place… but I quickly brushed the thought aside.
No need to overcomplicate things.
Right now, I had more important matters to focus on—like surviving whatever chaos tomorrow's first day of classes was bound to bring.
And with that, I headed off toward the gym, the warm afternoon light spilling through the windows behind me.