~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Slowly, Xuān opened his eyes. Everything was blurry. The light was too bright. He could smell the faint scent of medicines.

  "Am I in a hospital?"

  He thought

  His head was dizzy. He kept blinking. Finally, his vision cleared a bit.

  He sat up, and was amused to find no IV drips or any other extravagant medical equipment. Not even bandages. He did get hit by a car. It was no small accident.

  Sounds of heel clicking, and suddenly, there was a nurse in front of his face. Too close for his liking. But honestly, his personal space tends to be really large.

  He noticed the pink walls and...wait, is this an infirmary? Am I in...school? That made no sense. His next school year doesn't start until next month. And he got hit by a car!

  He suddenly realised the nurse was still talking to him.

  "Kid, are you okay? Can you hear me? You took quite the hit back in P.E. Just make sure to put some ice on it, and you'll be fine!"

  Xuān felt the pain in the back of his head. Definitely not by a car accident. He is so confused right now. What was even going on?

  Just as his mind scrambled for answers, he heard a snap. And saw the...same creature. The same one he saw on his screen.

  It was sitting on the Nurse's desk.

  "What...? Who are you?"

  The...thing jumped down, but didn't touch the ground, it floated towards Xuān, floating closer and closer to his face.

  Xuān leaned back. The creature was somehow eerie and cute at the same time.

  "Host. Took you long enough to wake up."

  Xuān felt his throat dry. He couldn't say anything. He was confused and startled. You can't expect a guy to be coherent when he just got hit by a car. Even if the said guy is an academic weapon.

  "Aww, don't be so confused, host. You have transmigrated!"

  "Trans...what?"

  The thing seemed unamused.

  "Seriously? You don't know what transmigration is? Isekai? Ever read a novel?"

  The bunny continued after the lack of response.

  "In simple words, it's when you take over someone else's body."

  Yup. Now that he thought about it, how did he not think that he might be dreaming? He looked at the clock for confirmation, and fair enough, it was paused.

  Wait.

  He belatedly realised that the nurse had also stopped mid-sentence. Her lips slightly parted.

  He swallowed. Suddenly, the surroundings seemed less bright. It was dull.

  "Ah! Introductions! This system is called 'System 1415'! Or, you can call it 'Syntar'!"

  "Syntar...?"

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  The boy repeated.

  System? What was going on? His brain was a mess. He just really wanted to bury himself in math books at this point. Math is much easier.

  "Ah, Syntar will explain everything. Don't worry, host."

  The system giggled. It was anything but pretty. A chilly giggle.

  And then, everything resumed, the nurse kelt talking.

  "-it still hurt?"

  Xuān got up from the bed, "I am fine."

  The nurse sputtered, "wait! You should-"

  He had already left the infirmary.

  As soon as he stepped into the hallways, it was noisy. Students here and there. Some chatting casually. Some studying and while others were on their phones.

  He was standing aimlessly. Confused, like a lost puppy.

  Then, the bunny...no. Syntar appeared in front of him. And started talking.

  "So host, to put it simply, you are in the body of a character of the game- Fleeting Heartbeats. And no. You are not the main character."

  "Then...what am I?"

  "You are a minor antagonist. Pretty simple, you are the character who causes trouble for the MC, which leads to a convenient situation for the main character to romance the female leads."

  Xuān was offended. Because how could he be just a...a..."love bridge"?!

  "This is ridiculous. I want to go back."

  "No. You can't."

  The system looked serious. It's systematic voice filled the air.

  Then, suddenly, someone tapped Xuān's shoulder. It was a boy.

  "Hey, dude. Who are you talking to?"

  Xuān glanced at the boy and then to the system.

  So others can't see the system. Wow. He must look like a lunatic.

  He turned around and left, the system followed him while the other boy looked confused.

  He looked around and entered a store room. Empty. Obviously.

  "What if I refuse to...play along? I don't want to do this."

  Xuān questioned.

  "If you refuse, you'll go back to your real body. Syntar will send you back."

  Xuān was relieved. He could leave after all. "Then I want to go bac-"

  "But host. Do you want to go back?"

  The system cut him off.

  "You were hit by a car. Do you think there are any chances you are alive? This is your second chance at life. Might as well savor it."

  Xuān gritted his teeth. This...

  "You have no choice, host. But to play along."

  Syntar snapped. And a holographic screen appeared in front of him.

  ? [Kaito Sakuragi] – Main Protagonist

  ? Background: A scholarship student from a modest background.

  ? Attributes: Exceptionally intelligent, excels in academics and sports.

  ? Appearance: Tall, conventionally attractive, the ideal "prince" type.

  ? Role: The central love interest, destined to attract the female leads.

  "Ah, of course. A guy who’s ‘exceptionally intelligent’ and excels at everything. How original. I bet he’s also a heartthrob and has no flaws."

  ? [Tsuki Shimizu] – The Shy Bookworm

  ? Personality: Reserved, soft-spoken, deeply passionate about literature.

  ? Background: Frequently targeted by bullies due to her timid nature.

  ? Role: The "damsel in distress," often requiring the protagonist’s rescue.

  "Great. Another shy bookworm who gets picked on. Must be nice being the ‘helpless one’ in the story. The prince charming must save her everytime."

  ? [Lumi Vasiliev] – The Ice Queen

  ? Personality: Intelligent, elegant, distant—unapproachable yet captivating.

  ? Background: Comes from an influential family, maintains a perfect academic record.? Role: The untouchable "princess" of the school, waiting for someone to break through her icy exterior.

  "A perfect academic record, ‘untouchable.’ Yeah, right. Typical cold princess stuff. How very creative. Besides, I bet I am smarter."

  ? [Suzumi Hasumi] – The Spoiled Tsundere

  ? Personality: Proud, quick-tempered, struggles to express her emotions properly.

  ? Background: Daughter of the academy’s largest benefactor, used to getting her way.

  ? Role: The "rich girl" who pushes people away but secretly craves genuine affection.

  "A tsundere, huh? Quick-tempered, spoiled, and pushing people away, but secretly craves affection. How...unexpected. Sure, I'll pretend I have never seen that one before."

  ? [Saeko Hoshikawa] – The Aspiring Idol

  ? Personality: Cheerful, energetic, always looking on the bright side.

  ? Background: Dreams of becoming a famous idol despite the challenges ahead.

  ? Role: The childhood friend, she is supportive and very close to the protagonist. She has known Kaito for 10 years.

  "And ofcourse, the childhood friend. A cheesy romance can't be completed without that."

  Xuān's eyes narrowed at the descriptions. Tch. What was this? Some stupid story written by a 12 year old? It's so cliché.

  "Host, these are the main characters. As for you...your goal is to give...a happy ending to Saeko."

  Xuān stared at the creature in confusion.

  "Huh? Why?"

  "Well, just the luck of the draw," Syntar said, its voice too cheerful to be trusted. "Just complete and then, you'll be able to jump to another game."

  Xuān clenched his fists. Next world? Was he supposed to keep jumping form one game to another? Surely there was a way out. He could figure it out. He would. It's him after all.

  "Host. Just an advice. Never go against the game."