Chapter 20

〈Episode 21〉 On How the Protagonist is Too Dumb for His Own Good

A female student appeared right before my eyes.

According to Soo-hyun, this world was originally supposed to be an adult dating sim game.

And not just any game—it was famous for being one of the hardest genres out there: NTR.

“Wait, what’s NTR?”

“It refers to the act of stealing another man’s woman.”

The game’s title? *Trouble to Fight.*

Most people just called it “T2” for short.

One of T2’s defining features? A ridiculous number of NTR routes.

See, the protagonist—or rather, the player character—progresses through the game by making choices, which unlock quests and battles.

But make the wrong choice, and your NTR meter goes up.

Once that bar hits a certain point? Bam—you’ve unlocked an NTR route.

Your reward? Watching the heroine get stolen away by the villain.

“Wh-what happens then?”

“Well, to put it bluntly…the heroine ends up joining the bad guy, and they…you know…do stuff.”

Yeah, we all get it. No need for details.

Soo-hyun blushed slightly at having to explain it out loud.

“So, boosting the protagonist’s stats while making the right choices is key.”

But apparently, in this game, NTR endings far outnumber happy ones.

In most cases, the hero fails and loses the heroine to the bad guy.

Sometimes he gets defeated in battle and submits to his enemy’s power.

Other times, the heroine succumbs to pleasure and betrays her man.

It’s brutal. Supposedly, you have to see the NTR ending ten times just to unlock the happy one.

“Why would anyone play that?”

That was Yu-jin’s first thought after hearing the explanation.

I mean, it’s not like you’re charming girls or anything.

And it’s not like you get to meet lots of women either.

If anything, the harder you try, the more likely you are to lose your girlfriend.

Why would anyone enjoy that? Are these people perverts?

After pondering it for a moment, Yu-jin came to a conclusion:

“Well, everyone has different tastes, I guess.”

In other words, he decided to just pretend to understand and move on.

There are so many things to worry about in life—why fight over someone else’s preferences?

How many people live in this world anyway?

Everyone has the right to chase what turns them on.

So if some people like NTR games, who cares?

Of course, I’m never touching that stuff.

“So…what does this have to do with me?”

Anyway, why keep talking about this game?

Not that I didn’t already suspect something, but I wanted confirmation.

“Well, as I mentioned earlier, this world *is* that NTR game. And you, sir, are the antagonist who steals Young-hee from Chul-soo.”

“Wait, me?! What are you talking about?!”

Before I could protest further, Soo-hyun continued.

“Of course, this only applies to the early part of the story. Later on, you become Chul-soo’s rival.”

“Rival?”

Apparently, according to the story, Chul-soo and I were meant to be friendly competitors.

After our initial duel, I’m supposed to recognize Chul-soe’s strength and respect him as an equal.

From there, we continue to clash—but in a healthy, schoolboy rivalry sort of way.

Think Naruto vs. Sasuke.

Or Harry Potter vs. Draco Malfoy.

Eventually, when faced with a real enemy, we team up and become friends.

It’s basically a classic shonen manga plotline.

And the turning point of this whole thing?

My first duel with Chul-soo.

You know, the day I got discharged from the hospital and fought him with wooden swords on the schoolyard.

In the original story, the duel ends in a draw, which leads to me respecting Chul-soo.

But here’s the kicker…

“For some reason, you completely annihilated Chul-soo instead.”

Yeah, I remember that day clearly.

It was the moment everything went sideways between us.

Even now, I regret ever doing that.

Apparently, because of that fight, the story took a drastic turn away from the original version.

“Hmm…not bad. The plot is actually pretty solid.”

Sure, there are some clunky parts here and there, but overall, it’s well-crafted.

It doesn’t feel like something someone made up on a whim.

If this were a novel, I might’ve even enjoyed reading it.

To go to such lengths just for their own delusions…this person must really care about this world.

Soo-hyun seems genuinely invested in this “NTR disease.”

“And judging by her expression, she truly believes every word she’s saying.”

Still, Yu-jin refused to believe it.

Even if this world were written by some clumsy author, believing it’s an adult game is just absurd.

Especially an NTR game?

“No way such a world could exist.”

If anything, it feels more like some random web novel written by a noob.

Besides, in the original story, I’m supposed to steal Chul-soo’s girlfriend, Young-hee.

But I’m not that kind of trash!

If anything, I prefer pure, wholesome romance!

“But maybe this whole setup is because she sees me as the heir to Hwagcheon.”

Yu-jin kept his thoughts to himself.

Experienced loners know better than to argue unnecessarily.

If I start questioning her too much, I might ruin this rare connection.

Besides, she did take the initiative to talk to me.

Might as well humor her for now.

“Haha, interesting story.”

Yu-jin chuckled lightly.

“To be honest, it doesn’t concern me much, but sure, let’s hear more.”

—

Realizing she’d been transported into a game, Soo-hyun was understandably shocked.

She wasn’t opposed to gaming, but being thrown into an adult game?

Still, thanks to years spent reading web novels and playing RPGs, she quickly adapted.

Within moments, she realized she was nothing more than an extra in this story.

“Phew, lucky me. Guess I don’t have to worry about anything.”

In these kinds of stories, the ones who suffer are always the main characters.

At worst, I’d be stuck watching the main heroine—Young-hee—and a few others endure drama.

As long as I stay quiet, the protagonist will handle everything.

That’s how these plots usually work.

Until Chul-soo starts losing and the story spirals out of control.

It took her a while to fully grasp the situation.

By the time Chul-soo stopped coming to school, Soo-hyun realized something was off.

“The story’s changed…”

At first, she had no intention of interfering.

But then she noticed something important.

Events in the story weren’t just affecting the school—they were impacting the entire country.

If left unchecked, things could spiral beyond repair.

Reluctantly, Soo-hyun decided to approach Yu-jin.

“But…he’s actually easier to talk to than I expected.”

She’d prepared meticulously for this conversation.

If he demanded proof, she was ready to provide it.

Instead, he accepted her story surprisingly easily.

“Then how do you know about the future?”

“That’s because I’m a transported soul.”

Internally, Soo-hyun sighed in relief.

Thankfully, he seemed intrigued instead of dismissing her outright.

Given what she knew about “Yu-jin,” this reaction made sense.

He was ambitious and cared deeply about his position within Hwagcheon.

“Good call approaching him.”

Yu-jin wasn’t someone to underestimate.

On par with the legendary protagonist Chul-soo in combat prowess.

Plus, he wielded significant power as heir to Hwagcheon.

One misstep, and she could ruin her life.

Or worse, end up like those hapless heroines in adult games, panting at the sight of any man.

“But his position within the organization is shaky right now, isn’t it?”

According to the story, Yu-jin’s actions—especially his clashes with Chul-soo—have weakened his standing within Hwagcheon.

Many members view him as unfit for leadership due to his indulgence in alcohol, smoking, and lewd behavior.

Symbolic of this dissatisfaction is Biseo Park.

Originally assigned as both Yu-jin’s assistant and watchdog, Park judged him unworthy and began plotting rebellion.

This betrayal ultimately forces Yu-jin and Chul-soo to team up.

“Park is probably planning his betrayal right now. And Yu-jin must be feeling uneasy about it.”

Soo-hyun’s goal was simple: exploit this weakness.

What Yu-jin needed most was information.

And she could provide exactly that.

“I also know what’s going to happen next. With this knowledge, your position within Hwagcheon will strengthen.”

“Hmm…”

Needless to say, Hwagcheon was an evil organization.

The main storyline revolves around fighting against them.

Along the way, various enemies appear, forcing Yu-jin to lose Young-hee repeatedly via NTR scenarios.

Which is why cooperation between him and Chul-soo is essential for reaching the happy ending.

“But now that the story’s gone haywire, the only one who can fix it is me.”

Deep down, Soo-hyun felt guilty.

This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.

Somehow, her presence as a transported soul disrupted the timeline.

No matter where the butterfly effect originated, this mess was her fault.

“If things had gone as planned, Yu-jin and Chul-soo would’ve become great friends by now.”

Determined to take responsibility, Soo-hyun declared boldly:

“I’ll help you rise to the top of Hwagcheon—if you let me.”

Unaware that the Yu-jin before her wasn’t the same person she knew from the game.

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