I Was Possessed By An Unknown Manga

Ayase Satsuki was the Class President of Class 2-B.

With her black braided hair, round glasses, makeup-free face, and long skirt.

Due to her appearance, which resembled that of a picture-perfect model student, she had often been elected as Class President since her childhood, regardless of her own will.

Though not particularly fond of being Class President, there were nonetheless benefits to the role.

Being Class President allowed her to naturally get acquainted with the teachers in the faculty room, which made various aspects of school life more convenient.

As a child from an ordinary family, Ayase, attending the expensive Ichijo Academy, a private school, could not afford to give up these advantages given her financial constraints.

Anyway, she had one particular concern lately.

It was about her classmate in the same class, Kim Yu-seong.

She first became acquainted with Kim Yu-seong during their first year.

Back then, he wasn’t as rugged as he was now, and as a student representative at the entrance ceremony, he was a notable figure among the students for his excellent grades.

It was hard to imagine now, with his current end-of-century loser vibe, but it was indeed the case.

He was tall, academically brilliant, and good-looking—a triple threat.

Kim Yu-seong caught the Student Council President’s attention and joined the council, and rumors started to swirl around him after he began bulking up. However, Ayase knew these rumors were false.

After all, he wasn’t the type to do such things.

They were probably just false rumors spread by those who were jealous of Yu-seong.

But as the new school year began in their second year, women suddenly began flocking around the once-quiet Yu-seong.

Unlike his first year, where he kept to himself and read quietly during breaks, he became actively social in his second year.

And each of these women possessed exceptional beauty, leading to whispers about ‘Kim Yu-seong’s harem’.

Ayase, believing that a person couldn’t change so drastically overnight, decided to find out what was really going on.

The first semester’s final exams, which spanned over three days, finally concluded.

As for me, I took the exams in my usual decent condition, but most of the students groaned about the significantly increased difficulty compared to the midterm exams, and indeed, their answer sheets were filled with tears.

Despite all this, the one who achieved remarkable grades was none other than Rika.

“Yay! I’ve set a new high score!”

Perhaps the one-on-one tutoring I gave her to keep our promise of going out together this summer paid off, as Rika achieved excellent scores in all subjects, including math.

It must be due to her own efforts as well.

“Congratulations, Rika.”

“Hehe, it’s all thanks to you, Ryu-chan.”

“Really… What have I done?”

After exchanging a word of thanks, we prepared for an early return home.

Due to not having slept properly these past few days, I planned to get good sleep as soon as I got home.

“What? You’re just going home? The exams are finally over, why don’t we hang out together?”

It was a rather nice offer, but I politely declined Satoru’s suggestion.

“I’ve been staying up all night. I’m dead tired. Let’s hang out another time. We have vacation in just a week, so we can do plenty then.”

“That’s true.”

Convinced by my words, Satoru nodded, and that was the end of the discussion.

We decided to call it a day.

Next week marked the end of the first semester already.

Compared to last year, these three months had been quite eventful, but somehow, I managed to get through them safely.

Thinking about it, this semester has been a series of events every day.

It was so hectic that one might wonder how a high school student’s life could be this busy.

Perhaps it was because I ended up experiencing the things that the protagonist, Sakamoto Ryuji, was supposed to face, but that was just speculation.

Normally, I would commute with Rika, but today, she went shopping in Shibuya in her mother’s car to celebrate her high scores, so I couldn’t see her.

Thanks to that, I was about to go down to the subway station alone for the first time in a while.

“Yu-seong!”

A familiar voice grabbed my attention.

Wondering who it was, I turned around to find Ayase Satsuki in her school uniform standing there.

“What’s up? Class President.”

Then Ayase slightly pushed up her thick glasses and said,

“Do you have time now? There’s something I want to ask you.”

It was a bit sudden, but I decided to accept her request.

After all, I’ve known her for two years now.

Aside from her, the only people I’ve known for the longest time at school were the President and Satoru.

We decided to go to a cafe near the subway station to talk.

Ayase’s question was a bit out of the blue.

“Do you know how the other class students refer to you, Yu-seong?”

Holding my coffee cup, I paused for a moment before answering.

“Strongest man in the academy, Mr. Muscle, elite yakuza who attends school as a hobby?”

“You’re surprisingly well-informed about your own rumors.”

“Well, rumors reach you even if you’re just sitting still.”

Honestly, they were such childish nicknames and absurd stories that I didn’t bother to respond.

“Then this will be quick. Do you know the nickname you got for hanging out with Rika, Sasha, and Karen?”

“…It’s probably not something good, I guess.”

And the nickname that came out of the Class President’s mouth was beyond imagination.

“It’s ‘The Beast King of Ichijo.’”

“What’s that? A name like some game’s main character?”

“That just proves the looks you get aren’t all that favorable.”

The Class President said that and sipped her coffee.

“So, what’s the truth?”

“The truth?”

“Who among the three are you planning to date? There must be at least one you’re interested in.”

I was at a loss for words due to the direct question that hit me unexpectedly.

“Me and those girls, we’re not in that kind of relationship.”

“Really? For that, the way those girls look at you seems to contain more than just friendliness.”

Ayase pointed out the facts I had been avoiding and looked at me with clear eyes that seemed to see right through people’s thoughts.

“Isn’t it actually because you, Yu-seong, are indecisive about who to date?”

It was an irrefutable truth, leaving no room for excuses.

Thinking that lying would be futile, I sighed softly and said,

“…I was afraid of breaking our current relationship.”

And there was one more worry that I couldn’t share with anyone.

Originally, in the genre of romantic comedy, it would end the moment the heroine was decided.

If I, as of now, am progressing the story of ‘Scramble Love’ instead of Sakamoto Ryuji, it would be premature to decide on a heroine already.

Moreover, I was also worried about how many people could genuinely like a high school student who looked like me.

Even I get startled every time I look in the mirror at my fierce appearance.

I couldn’t help but wonder if there was anyone who could genuinely like me and who would not be out of place in a fighting manga rather than a romantic comedy.

Maybe it was unbearable to think that the three of them were fond of me just because I was performing the role of the main character instead of Sakamoto Ryuji.

I’m human. How could I not notice their obvious affection?

But such hesitation was preventing me from being more proactive than I am now.

Hearing my answer, the Class President, who was staring at me, smiled slightly and put down the coffee cup she was holding.

“That’s a relief. The Yu-seong I know seems to have not changed.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Most high school boys, seeing such pretty girls showing signs of liking them, would first think of trying something out. But you, Yu-seong, get scared even before having a proper conversation and start weighing this and that. I think it’s not bad to approach with such caution. After all, dating isn’t something you do alone.”

The Class President said so, looking intently at me.

“Still, making her wait too long isn’t good. You know they say when a woman harbors resentment, frost falls even in the warmest months?”

It was painfully good advice, so I nodded with a bitter smile.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I’m just returning the favor since you helped me in my first year.”

With that, the Class President stood up from her seat first.

“I’ll take care of the bill. Take your time and finish up.”

“Leaving already?”

The Class President nodded and took her wallet out of her bag.

“School ended early for once, so I should enjoy the rest of the day.”

It seemed like an uncharacteristic thing for her to say, but I knew that Ayase wasn’t a top student, despite appearances.

“Thanks for today, Ayase.”

Then Ayase blushed slightly and retorted,

“Just call me ‘Class President’ as usual. It’s less awkward that way.”