Chapter 4: Ivy

"Ahh, I’m so tired...!"

A girl, shorter than 160 cm, who could easily be mistaken for a middle schooler, was walking back after finishing her training.

However, the Primrose Academy uniform she wore and her overwhelming chest insisted that she wasn’t a middle schooler. It was as if all her growth hormones went straight to her chest, making it disproportionately large for her petite frame.

Ivy, who had just finished her mana training in the private room, was as much of a training freak as Yaze Orpheus, who had rushed to the training room right after the entrance ceremony.

As she walked down the private room hallway, an alarm blared with a hissing sound of air escaping.

"Huh? What’s going on? An accident? Huh?"

One of the private room doors in the hallway Ivy was passing through began to open upward.

Luckily, she had diligently read the training center’s guidebook handed out at the entrance, which nobody else bothered to read, so she immediately understood what was happening.

’Mana exhaustion during training!’

If mana exhaustion occurs during training and isn’t addressed quickly, it could become life-threatening.

That’s why the training system detects it immediately, dispatches rescue personnel, and sounds an alarm to alert anyone nearby to provide emergency assistance.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Due to the smoke, she could only make out a silhouette, unable to recognize who it was.

Waving her hand to clear the smoke, Ivy approached the collapsed figure.

"Wait, isn’t this the guy who was sleeping during the entrance ceremony?"

It was the same guy who had suddenly dozed off beside her during the ceremony, giving her a fright when she had to wake him.

’I noticed it then, but seeing him up close now, he’s actually really handsome.’

She was momentarily distracted by his good looks, but quickly shook it off and approached the unconscious guy.

"Hey, wake up! Come on!"

She gave his cheeks a few taps, but he didn’t respond. Realizing she needed to administer emergency aid, she tried to recall what she knew.

But while she’d read the training guide, she hadn’t bothered with the emergency aid manual.

The only first aid she knew was CPR from her middle school health class.

’Something is better than nothing, right?’

CPR on someone who hasn’t experienced cardiac arrest can be dangerous, but Ivy didn’t know that.

As she clasped her hands together to position for chest compressions, the placement created an awkward and suggestive image.

However, Ivy remained focused on performing the CPR correctly.

"One, two, three, four, five, six...."

"Ugh... uhh..."

"Oh? Are you waking up?"

Seeing a response, Ivy gained confidence and resumed the chest compressions.

Just then, the man’s hand suddenly moved upward.

"Huh?"

Startled, Ivy froze when she realized that the man’s hand was groping her chest.

Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze.

"Kyaaaaah~!"

___

What the...?

I was sure my mana was gathering properly, but suddenly my vision went blurry.

When I came to, I was staring at two giant watermelons bouncing in front of me.

My mind was still hazy from waking up, and I instinctively grabbed the watermelons to lift myself up.

Since when were watermelons this soft? Wait... what is this?

It’s soft... like a woman’s boobs...

"Kyaaaaah!!!"

A piercing scream shot through my ears.

My consciousness snapped into place.

Looking past the soft mounds, I saw a petite girl in a uniform trembling with rage.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Ivy]

- [ Affection: 8 ]

- [ Lust: 5 ]

- [ Appetite: 50 ]

- [ Fatigue: 60 ]

Wait, why is Ivy here?

She’s the older sister of the twin heroine siblings, with mixed European blood.

Known for easily making friends since childhood, Ivy befriends the protagonist quickly but struggles to go beyond friendship due to her outgoing personality.

In the game, the protagonist’s persistent efforts eventually win her heart—but now I’ve screwed up our first meeting.

"Uh... I’m really sorry. I was out of it..."

"You... you bastard!"

Ivy’s face turned red as fire as she began conjuring a flaming arrow above her palm.

"Wait, wait! It was an accident! Calm down, please!"

"Perverts should die, you criminal!"

If that fireball hits me, I’m done for. I tried to move my mana, but it wouldn’t budge.

"Room 402! The alarm came from Room 402!"

"Right over there! Huh? Student! What are you doing casting magic here?"

Thankfully, the rescue team arrived just in time. The system must have dispatched them when I collapsed.

"Help! Over here!"

"Let me go! Let go of me!"

Ivy struggled wildly as the rescuers restrained her.

Her small stature caused her to dangle mid-air as the rescuers held her by the arms.

Her suspended body thrashed, making her bouncing chest all the more noticeable.

In the game, once Ivy gets angry, she becomes completely irrational. I need to get out of here and apologize later when she’s cooled off.

For now, she seems too distracted by the rescue team to notice me, so this is my chance to escape.

"Hey, what the hell? Where’d the patient go?"

"I saw him run down that corridor."

"Why the fuck did you let him go?"

"He looked fine, so..."

"Let me goooo!"

"Damn it, I need a new job."

One of the academy’s emergency responders seriously considered quitting.

___

"Mana exhaustion?"

So that’s what happened to me. Apparently, if you forcefully manipulate mana when your reserves are nearly empty, this condition occurs.

That wasn’t a thing in the game. What a harsh world.

It makes sense, though—I was pushing my mana beyond its limit to test myself. Plus, I wasn’t in peak condition to begin with. Now that I know my limits, I won’t repeat this mistake.

’But why did it have to happen in front of Ivy? Damn it.’

I got carried away experimenting with magic. My very first mistake had to be in front of a heroine.

I need more training. My mana pool is far too shallow.

’And Ivy’s an issue too...’

Ivy is one of the heroines in ’Eroge Online.’ Plus, she’s in Class A with me, which means we’ll see each other in class tomorrow.

I need a strategy. But right now, there’s nothing I can do.

My best hope is that she gets too preoccupied with the rescue team to remember me.

Ah, screw it. I’ll just trust in the protagonist buff.

___

Tuesday morning. My first day of class.

Primrose Academy is huge. Each grade has its own building, with separate wings for magic, sparring arenas, dining halls—all glittering like some tourist attraction.

I took my time familiarizing myself with the surroundings and eventually arrived at the freshman building.

[Class A]

’Class A definitely sounds cooler than Section A.’

"Whew..."

Thump-thump.

My heart was pounding like a kid’s on the first day of school, worried about fitting in.

After a deep breath, I confidently opened the door.

The classroom looked more like a lecture hall.

Clean white interiors with tiered rows of long desks resembling a university auditorium.

A hologram projector was positioned at the front.

As I entered, every student’s gaze shifted toward me.

Usually, curiosity fades quickly, but their eyes lingered.

"Whoa, wait, who’s that?"

"Damn, he’s hot."

"I swear I saw him on TV yesterday."

I casually glanced around and chose a window seat in the middle row.

Sitting in the back looks delinquent; sitting in front attracts the professor’s attention. The middle’s just right.

Each desk had a built-in hologram projector for displaying learning materials.

After settling in, I scanned the room. In the back row, Ivy and Isis sat chatting.

They’re identical twins—so identical even their parents struggle to tell them apart.

Thankfully, they differ in hairstyle, clothing, and speech patterns.

Ivy dyed her hair blue and often wears a cardigan to hide her figure. She socializes constantly.

Isis ties her hair with a signature red ribbon and maintains a gentle, reserved demeanor.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Ivy]

- [ Affection: 1 ]

- [ Lust: 5 ]

- [ Appetite: 40 ]

- [ Fatigue: 20 ]

★ Heroine Status Window

[Iris]

- [ Affection: 15 ]

- [ Lust: 30 ]

- [ Appetite: 40 ]

- [ Fatigue: 30 ]

Ivy’s affection had plummeted to 1. Lower than a random rock on the street.

Isis’s affection was average, so Ivy probably hadn’t told her about yesterday.

As I watched their status windows, Ivy and I locked eyes.

Her smile vanished instantly.

Iris, oblivious to Ivy’s shift in mood, looked confused.

I turned away before Ivy exploded.

The top scorers, Alice and Nam Daeun, hadn’t arrived yet.

"Ivy, why are you making that scary face?"

Ivy glared at me, pressing her chest to the desk as if ready to pounce.

Scrrreeech—

Thankfully, the instructor entered just then, drawing attention away from me.

A man in a black suit with slicked-back hair walked to the podium.

"I’m Professor Kim Jinhyuk, your Class A homeroom teacher."

After introducing himself, he scanned the room and frowned.

"Many of you look too relaxed. As Primrose Academy cadets, I expect you to act with dignity."

Tapping the pointer against the screen, an orientation guide appeared.

"Check the rules and timetable on the academy website."

After a boring lecture, the screen displayed: [Team Assignments].

"Cooperation is essential for hunters. Whether exploring dungeons, fighting villains, or responding to emergencies, teamwork comes first."

He wasn’t wrong. Lone wolves are inefficient.

"That’s why most of our classes are team-based."

Tap. Tap. The team list appeared.

The academy’s system automatically grouped us based on entrance scores.

"These assignments apply to all subjects u

ntil next semester. No switching teams unless you’re failing, so don’t bother complaining."

The class murmured. Some students were thrilled to be with friends; others looked disappointed.

My team lineup... huh?

[Team 7: Nam Daeun, Iris, Lee Byunghoon, Yaze Orpheus]

Two heroines on my team. Lucky me.

***