I Joined a Dating Sim Game and Got the Horror Boss Instead

All the snacks ended up in my stomach anyway.

But maybe it was just my imagination. During class, I kept feeling his gaze land on me every now and then, soft and light like a butterfly touching down on a flower.

A few days later…

One night, half-asleep, I vaguely heard screaming and something that sounded like growling outside. I wanted to get up, but my eyelids grew heavier and heavier until I slipped right back into sleep.

The next morning, two of the six new girls had withdrawn from school.

That day, our homeroom teacher entered the classroom carrying a thick stack of test papers. She wore a strange smile. “We’re having an exam today. Only students who pass may stay and continue studying. Those who fail will be punished.”

What?

I have to take exams in a dating-sim otome game?

What kind of broken game is this?

I completely missed the second half of what she said.

I did notice, though, that Lily and the others looked even paler than before. They clearly wanted nothing to do with exams. Honestly, same. I graduated high school ages ago. Everything I learned back then has already gone back to the teachers long, long ago.

When the test landed on my desk, I glanced at the questions and nearly spit blood.

What even was this?

Calculus?

Linear algebra?

Since when do high school seniors learn this stuff?!

My head dropped onto the table as I groaned. “I’m done. Absolutely done.”

Aaron shot me a sideways look.

I grabbed onto that look like a drowning person spotting a life preserver. I put on my most pitiful expression. “Save me! Please, great master, help this poor child.”

Aaron answered calmly, “I don’t know how to do it either.”

Right. Right. Great. We’re both academic disasters.

Two hours later, the exam ended.

Aaron was sprawled over his desk asleep. His test was completely blank.

Mine was full of random scribbles. My old teacher always said, “If you don’t know it, at least write something. You might get a point for showing your work.” So I did exactly that.

Once the test was over, I felt much lighter. No matter how miserably I failed, it wouldn’t affect my mission to romance the male lead.

But Lily and the others looked absolutely terrified. Their faces were ghost-white, their eyes full of despair, like they were about to be marched to execution.

That evening.

I was heading back to the dorm when I saw three tall guys blocking Aaron’s path. Their expressions were hostile, and their presence screamed trouble.

Instantly, I remembered the male lead’s backstory. He suffered constant bullying. He was supposed to be fragile and pitiful.

These three must be the school bullies.

I couldn’t just stand by. This was my chance to “shine.”

I rushed to Aaron’s side and yanked him behind me.

All three guys stared at me in shock.

I glared at them. “Stop bullying him. I’m warning you. Back off, or I won’t be polite. I learned martial arts.”

I completely missed how strange Aaron’s expression became.

His eyes were deep and quiet, almost unfathomable, like he could swallow me whole. His mouth curved slightly as he gave the three boys a small nod.

One of them, a buzz-cut guy, sneered. “And what if we… don’t?”

I responded with action.

A few minutes later, all three were on the ground, groaning.

I hated bullies more than anything.

Once I had taken care of them, I turned to Aaron with a big, toothy grin.

“Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, they won’t lay a finger on you again.”

I even patted his shoulder reassuringly. “I’ll protect you.”

Aaron’s eyes darkened with a strange, shifting emotion. “You want… to protect me?”

“Of course,” I said. “I’ll protect you.”