"Ah. Haha... Ijin, you're the freshman representative, right? That's amazing! Um, uh. Yeah! So, Ijin, what's your hobby?"
Jeong Chaeyeon-sensei's efforts to somehow lighten the mood brought tears to my heart.
Sorry for being such a loner.
I started to answer from my seat but stood up again.
"Uh... My hobby is drawing, and I like exercise about as much as anyone else."
"Ooh~ You're good at studying and have hobbies like that too. Everyone, give him a round of applause!"
- Clap clap clap...
Somehow, I managed to get through without ruining the atmosphere.
After me, the protagonist and the heroines gave their introductions.
The one who particularly caught my eye was Seong Yurin.
Seong Yurin gave a formal introduction with such a cold mask on that I wondered if she was the same person I'd talked to on the sports field.
According to the instincts of a veteran loner with over twenty years of experience combining my past and present lives, this girl was definitely one of my kind.
A personality that can't easily say what's really on her mind. She's surely a loner too.
Maybe Seong Yurin noticed that and mustered the courage to approach me because she wanted to be friends?
After that, Yoon Jiu—whose personality was now more outgoing than in the original story at this point—gave a goofy greeting like a total social butterfly, declaring his ambition to get along with everyone.
When it was Lee Sea's turn, the moment she stood up, everyone—guys and girls alike—let out an involuntary "ooh" of admiration at her beauty.
Lee Sea brushed her side hair behind her ear with a shy smile, accepting all the awestruck gazes.
Look at her, acting all modest while showing off again!
I knew it wasn't intentional on her part, but in my eyes—with a pathetic adult's mind all tangled up inside—Sea looked different.
Though that kind of charm was attractive too.
Back in the day, she used to be so timid she could barely stand in front of people, but thanks to Yoon Jiu's steady influence from the side, she'd gotten much bolder by middle school.
Anyway, the introductions went off without a hitch.
What had changed was that, in the original story, Yoon Jiu was supposed to stammer through his introduction and fail at it.
Now, he'd finished it confidently?
Looked like I'd done well helping him avoid that trauma.
A rom-com protagonist looks best full of energy like that, right?
Hmm, good job, past me.
"...So when we have handball tournaments, everyone come cheer us on!"
- Woo~
Hong Yeonseo, the last one up, showed off her bubbly charm before sitting down, and Jeong Chaeyeon-sensei continued.
"Great job, everyone! We'll take a 10-minute break, then hold elections for temporary class president and vice president~"
The classroom buzzed the moment the homeroom teacher announced break time.
Some were trying to befriend kids from the same middle school they'd just learned about, others were approaching their crushes.
A few students crowded the teacher's desk to chat with Jeong Chaeyeon-sensei.
Thanks to years of school life, my body had conditioned itself to relax reflexively during breaks, so I flopped alone onto my desk.
Normally I'd doodle in the corner of a textbook, but I hadn't gotten my books yet.
"Hi?"
...
"Hey! You there!"
...What is it.
"Hey? Get up~"
I'd put up my "Do Not Disturb" aura and absolute territory, yet someone dared invade my world.
I subtly lifted my head from my arms just enough to peek outside.
There, half-crouched with her face right up against my desk, staring at me with those vivid red eyes.
...Ah.
"Ah! I knew you weren't asleep~"
A cold sweat broke out in my imaginary mental state, trickling down my neck.
Hong Yeonseo...?
Why her.
"Why are you so slumped over~ on the first day of school! We're gonna be together for a year—or even longer—so let's be friends!"
I glanced away, and there were Lee Sea and Lee Soyun.
Both had wide eyes, hands over their mouths in shock.
Why are they like that.
I looked the other way, and Seong Yurin was glaring over here too.
Why's she doing that.
After ignoring her persistent "let's be friends" a bunch of times, I finally said okay to Hong Yeonseo and fled to the bathroom.
I sorted out my thoughts.
First, comparing the original story I knew to the current situation.
The big changes were three things.
Yoon Jiu's changed personality, his changed relationship with Lee Soyun, and Hong Yeonseo's changed approach target.
Next, my goal was to watch the rom-com world up close, laugh, and enjoy it.
Whether there's a way back to my original world or not was secondary—I didn't really plan on going back anyway.
If the original story ends in some form, I'd just stay here and live on somehow.
Alright. Let's rethink this.
Do these changes to the original story affect my goal?
Answer: No.
"Then it doesn't matter."
So what if Lee Soyun, who was ambiguously close to me, is already friends with Yoon Jiu? They were supposed to get close anyway.
So what if Hong Yeonseo, who was supposed to approach Yoon Jiu, comes to me instead? I'd be hanging with Yoon Jiu anyway.
Things would probably go back to the original route when the time comes.
Even if not, this world was already one I lived in—and would keep living in.
Original story or no, following it or not. Life's for enjoying when you can.
My meddling had twisted the original a bit, but I wasn't planning to gain anything from original knowledge anyway, so it was perfectly irrelevant.
My confused mind cleared up in no time. I finished my business, washed my hands, splashed water on my face to refresh, and headed back to class.
Everyone else was already seated except me.
Huh. Am I a little late?
"Ijin, there you are. Take a seat. Like I said earlier, we're electing a temporary class president and vice president."
Jeong Chaeyeon-sensei called my name casually, like she'd already memorized it from the introductions.
"Yes, ma'am."
As I sat, the teacher explained.
"It's temporary, but unless something comes up, you'll stick with it for the whole year, so I'd like responsible students for the job!"
Hmm. Class president and vice president, huh.
In the original, class president was Lee Sea, vice was Hong Yeonseo.
As expected, the candidates for president were Lee Sea and Hong Yeonseo.
Sea had three years of experience as class president in middle school, so she was reliable.
I wrote Lee Sea's name on my ballot and submitted it.
The vote was close, but Lee Sea won class president.
Vice president was a bit different.
"Me, Yoon Jiu! Veteran with nine years of class officer experience!! I'll support Dawn High 1st Year Class C from the president's side as vice president. Count me in!"
...Yoon Jiu nominated himself with incredible gusto.
True to his nine years as a veteran class officer,
backed by several guys he'd already befriended and most of the girls in class, he snatched the vice president spot that was originally Hong Yeonseo's.
"Eek. I can't do both president and vice...?"
I felt inexplicably sorry for the deflated Hong Yeonseo.
In a way, it was my fault for changing Yoon Jiu's personality.
But I voted for you, Yeonseo...
I was suddenly curious how this snowball of a vice president change would roll.
It might even meaningfully impact his romance front with Lee Sea.
"Then give a round of applause to President Sea and Vice President Jiu~"
So much clapping this morning.
I took in the sight of Lee Sea smiling primly at the front and Yoon Jiu laughing with hands on hips, "Uahaha!"
I gave two obligatory claps. Clap clap.
For some reason, the warmth in my palms felt vivid.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After the election, we did seat assignments along with locker allocations.
The results of the blatantly rom-com-influenced lottery were arranged to blatantly push the rom-com plot forward.
Me and Lee Soyun in the back corner by the left window, Yoon Jiu and Lee Sea in front of us.
Across from Lee Soyun on her right was Seong Yurin, and in front of her, Hong Yeonseo.
Thanks to Lee Soyun's petite frame, all the heroines were visible at a glance.
Anyway, I was thrilled to snag my beloved corner seat.
But the class guys' hot glares at Yoon Jiu—surrounded by all these stunning heroine beauties—were stinging.
...Because I was in the exact same boat, getting those looks too.
My sympathies to the Class C guys who'll be fruitlessly ogling from afar from now on.
But this ringside seat to a rom-com novel is one-of-a-kind.
Enjoy it like me, in the same spot.
...Stop glaring at me, guys...
Others' blatant stares are scary.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
In the original worldline that could no longer come to pass.
Hong Yeonseo's attention had actually been drawn to Yoon Jiu.
With her innate personality that couldn't ignore outcasts,
her eyes had fallen on Yoon Jiu, who failed his introduction and gave off a gloomy vibe.
But the wheels of history had veered off course long ago.
Far from its destined path, it had diverged into a completely different direction ages back.
Toward a new ending at the end of this road.