Harem Quest: Love or Escape?

Chapter 8: I Hate This Transfer Student

Chapter 8: I Hate This Transfer Student

At first, Kai thought today would be just another ordinary day. He walked to school with Aya as usual. Haruto wasn't making any moves, and Kai could casually chat with Ganta about their favorite anime. Ai, sitting in front of him, seemed indifferent as always.

Kai was convinced the day would pass peacefully, and he was pleased about that. But his happiness didn't last long. As soon as the first class started, the teacher introduced a new transfer student.

The moment she stepped into the classroom, all the boys erupted in excitement. She had the looks of a mix between a South Korean and an American, possibly of mixed heritage. Her long wavy blonde hair, her striking blue eyes captivated everyone, and her fair skin radiated elegance. She had a medium breast size and have charisma that instantly mesmerized all the boys in class.

Kai found himself captivated as well but couldn't shake the feeling that she looked familiar. He tried to recall where he had seen her before but drew a blank.

Suddenly, the boys started shouting loudly.

"That's Rin-chan! No way, is this real?!" one of the guys in the front row screamed.

"I never imagined I'd be in the same class as her! This has to be a dream!" another one looked like he was about to cry.

"Rin-chan! I'm your biggest fan! I can die happy now!" someone else declared dramatically.

"RIN-CHAN, AISHITERU!" Ganta, Kai's chubby otaku friend, yelled at the top of his lungs.

Kai was completely lost. But when he heard the name Rin-chan, a memory clicked in his mind.

"Why is she here?!" Kai muttered in shock.

The teacher struggled to calm down the fanatical boys. Once the class finally quieted down, the girl introduced herself.

"Hello, everyone! Like the clear blue sky and a field of blooming flowers, my smile will brighten your hearts! I'm Charlotte Hyo-Rin (?? ?? / ???????????), nice to meet you all~" She gracefully twirled her skirt and flashed a radiant smile. The boys in the class immediately suffered from nosebleeds and collapsed from sheer cuteness overload.

"No way!" Kai suddenly stood up in shock.

He knew exactly who she was. In his mind, he recalled, "Charlotte Hyo-Rin... She's one of Haruto's main heroines. She's a famous idol from the girl group Twinkles, one of the top idol groups in Japan. She's the only half-American, half-Korean idol who managed to become a huge success here. Her unique background and stunning looks have captivated countless men."

"But this doesn't make sense... She shouldn't be here yet! I've only been in my second year for a month. In that trashy harem novel written by that idiotic goddess, Hyo-Rin was supposed to transfer two months later!" Kai clutched his head in confusion.

He started wondering—was this happening because Arc 1: Aya's Arc was supposed to conclude in the third month, but he had wrapped it up within a single month? Was this all because he interfered with the novel's main storyline? Was this because he prevented Aya from being manipulated by Haruto, the original protagonist?

Kai's loud outburst caught everyone's attention, including Hyo-Rin's. She walked up to him and asked, "Aigoo, are you a fan too? I know, I know, you must be so shocked. Don't worry, I'll give you my autograph. Just hand me your marker, and I'll sign your shirt~" She smiled confidently.

Without thinking, Kai immediately responded, "Ahh, no thanks. That would just mess up my shirt. Besides, I don't even know who you are, and I'm definitely not your fan." His tone was flat, and he looked away disinterestedly.

The classroom fell silent. The boys, who worshipped Hyo-Rin like a goddess, looked at him with sheer hatred.

Kai could hear their murmurs cursing him under their breath. But in his mind, he rationalized, "It's better if I pretend not to know her. If she hates me, she won't acknowledge my existence. That's the best option. Besides, I hate Hyo-Rin. Sure, she's cute and beautiful, but she's a two-faced heroine. Just thinking about her makes me sick."

Hyo-Rin, stunned by Kai's cold reaction, gasped, "W-What do you mean? You don't know me? I'm Hyo-Rin from Twinkles!"

"I don't know what Twinkles is, and I don't care," Kai replied indifferently.

Hyo-Rin stood frozen in front of him. Even when the teacher asked her to sit, she ignored him.

"Sir, I've decided—I'm sitting next to this gloomy guy!" She pointed straight at Kai.

"But that's Takashima Aya's seat..." the teacher informed her.

Hyo-Rin immediately turned to Aya and asked, "I want to sit here. Can we switch seats?"

Aya hesitated but replied shyly, "Umm... Sorry, but I want to sit next to Kai too."

"Ugh..." Hyo-Rin and Aya exchanged sharp glares, as if invisible laser beams were colliding between their eyes.

"Fine, I'll let it go. Sorry for asking," Hyo-Rin finally said with a charming smile. Aya also apologized for declining her request.

However, one of Hyo-Rin's devoted male fans eagerly offered his seat—the one diagonally in front of Kai. Hyo-Rin accepted it happily.

Once she was seated, the lesson resumed. But throughout the class, Hyo-Rin kept staring at Kai with an unreadable expression. Then, she whispered something just loud enough for him to hear.

"Meet me behind the school building after class."

Hearing this made Kai's spine shiver. He had no idea what Hyo-Rin wanted from him.

Desperate for answers, Kai whispered to Ai, the "Goddess of Love" sitting in front of him, "Hey, you damn love goddess! Why is Hyo-Rin here already?! She was supposed to show up two months later! Did you mess with the timeline?!"

Ai turned around, giving him a cold stare before replying, "How would I know? I don't have the power to change the story anymore. Maybe it's because you built a relationship with Aya and saved her."

She smirked slightly.

"Just as I thought..." Kai realized his interference had altered the timeline of the trashy harem novel.

"Good luck, Bakachin! Consider this a reward!" Ai teased with a playful smile, making Kai's heart skip a beat.

"Hey, no need to—"

Before Kai could finish his sentence, a sudden notification popped up before his eyes.

---

[Harem Quest!]

Increase Charlotte Hyo-Rin's affection level to you by 1.

Her current affection level: (0/5)

Failure Penalty: Death.

---

Seeing this, Kai was shocked. Ai, that troublesome love goddess, was messing with his peaceful days again. He glared at her and whispered, "Hey, stupid goddess! This is more like a punishment than a reward! a death penalty? WTF! You want to kill me again and take me back to the checkpoint? Enough with this kind of sudden quest!"

"You ungrateful side character! You should be thanking me! I think it's about time a loser like you tried to win Hyo-Rin's heart! If you keep whining, I won't hesitate to punch you!" Ai threatened with a clenched fist.

"Hikh! Damn gorilla goddess! Fine, I'll do it, but I won't try too hard. I hate her!" Kai declared firmly.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up, Bakachin~" Ai looked annoyed.

Kai had no choice but to accept the quest. He figured the first step would be agreeing to meet Hyo-Rin after school.

...

After school, Hyo-Rin shot Kai a sharp glance before quickly leaving the classroom, waiting for him behind the school building as promised.

Aya then approached Kai, as usual, to walk home together. But today, Kai decided to turn her down.

"Sorry, Aya, I can't today. I'll walk home with you tomorrow." Kai spoke gently.

"O-okay, I understand... You want to settle things with Hyo-Rin from this morning, right? Be careful, Kai..." Aya said with concern.

"I'll be fine, Aya. Thanks for worrying about me."

With that, Aya said goodbye and left. Kai immediately made his way to the back of the school.

When he arrived, Hyo-Rin was already there, waiting.

"Finally, you came, Kai... no, I'll call you Bakachin, just like your classmates. There's something I want to talk to you about." Hyo-Rin said with a smile.

"What is it? Just say it quickly, I'm busy." Kai replied indifferently.

Hyo-Rin clenched her fists and said, "Fine, fine. Here, take this." She handed Kai a ticket to Twinkles' concert that night.

"A concert ticket? Tonight, at Tokyo Dome Center? You want me to watch your concert?!" Kai looked at her, puzzled.

"That's right. I'll show you what Twinkles is and who I REALLY am!" Hyo-Rin, who had been smiling, suddenly turned serious.

"No way, I'm not going. I'm tired, and I want to sleep early tonight." Kai made an excuse to avoid her invitation. He could feel something bad was going to happen.

Kai turned around to leave but bumped into something big.

THUD!

It was a large, muscular woman with a fierce face, white skin, blonde hair, and a black-and-white maid outfit.

"W-who are y—"

THWACK!

Before Kai could react, the woman punched him in the stomach, causing him to slowly pass out.

"Master, he's unconscious." The woman said.

"Good... Take him to the car, let's go! we don't have many times left!" Hyo-Rin said with a wide grin.

...

When Kai woke up, he was already in a car. He was on the lap of the large woman, his neck locked between her muscular arms.

"You already wake up Bakachin?" Hyo-Rin smile at Kai.

"UGH!! What the hell is this?! Hey, this is a crime, this is kidnapping! HELP, POLICE!! HELP, MAMA!!! HELP, PAPA!!" Kai screamed like a kid, but the car was soundproof.

"Shut up. We'll be there soon..." Hyo-Rin said casually.

"Where are we?! Where are you taking me?!" Kai demanded, but his eyes immediately locked onto the massive building in front of them—shaped almost like a football stadium.

He could hear loud music everywhere, and the crowd was overwhelming.

"What... is this?!"

"Welcome to the Twinkles concert, Bakachin! I'll turn you into a Twinkles fan—especially my biggest fan!" Hyo-Rin declared, pointing at Kai confidently.

Kai had no choice but to accept his fate.