Rain slammed violently against the apartment windows.

Jiwon stared blankly at the glowing phone screen in his dark room, ramen cup forgotten beside him.

On the screen was the final chapter of the popular BL novel Starlight Confession.

And honestly?

He was furious.

“What kind of ending is this?!”

His voice echoed through the tiny apartment.

The villain, Kang Taehyun, had just died miserably.

Again.

Every reader hated Taehyun.

He was arrogant, rich, obsessed with the male lead, and cruel to everyone around him. He bullied the protagonist, spread rumors, and tried to force the male lead into an engagement.

By the end of the novel, Taehyun lost everything:

his family abandoned him

his company collapsed

his lover betrayed him

and he died alone in a car accident while crying in the rain

Jiwon clicked his tongue angrily.

“Okay, he was terrible… but did the author really have to torture him THAT much?”

The comments section was even worse.

“Best death ever.”

“That psycho deserved it.”

“Finally that villain is gone.”

Jiwon sighed heavily and tossed the phone beside him.

Still…

For some reason, Taehyun’s final words stayed in his mind.

“If someone had loved me first… maybe I would’ve taken another path.”

“…Damn,” Jiwon muttered softly.

The room suddenly flashed white.

CRACK—

Thunder exploded outside.

Then everything went dark.

Warm sunlight touched his face.

Jiwon frowned.

“…Huh?”

This wasn’t his apartment.

The bed beneath him was ridiculously soft. The ceiling above him glittered with expensive crystal lights.

Wait.

Why did his body feel… smaller?

Jiwon slowly sat up.

A giant mirror stood across the luxurious bedroom.

And the person reflected inside—

Silver-gray hair.

Sharp eyes.

Beautiful face.

Pale skin.

Jiwon froze.

“No way…”

He jumped off the bed and stumbled toward the mirror.

The face staring back at him was painfully familiar.

Kang Taehyun.

The villain.

The SAME villain who was supposed to die.

“…WHAT?!”

The bedroom door burst open.

A maid rushed inside, startled.

“Young master? Are you alright?”

Jiwon stared at her blankly.

Young master?

OH NO.

NO NO NO.

This wasn’t okay.

This was NOT okay.

He grabbed the maid by the shoulders desperately.

“What chapter is this?!”

The maid looked horrified.

“Y-Young master?”

“What chapter?! No, wait—what date is it?!”

After ten minutes of confusion, panic, and nearly scaring the poor maid to death, Jiwon finally understood the situation.

He had transmigrated into the novel.

And not just anytime.

He entered right before the original story began.

Meaning…

He still had time before Taehyun ruined everyone’s lives.

Jiwon collapsed dramatically onto the bed.

“I’m doomed.”

Because he remembered exactly what happened to villains in BL novels.

Especially THIS villain.

A slow, painful death.

“Nope,” he muttered firmly.

He pointed at himself in the mirror.

“We are NOT doing that.”

This time, Kang Taehyun would survive.

No bullying.

No obsession.

No evil schemes.

He would stay far away from the male lead and live peacefully.

Easy.

Simple.

Perfect plan.

A knock interrupted his thoughts.

“Young master,” the maid said nervously, “your father is asking you to attend today’s welcoming ceremony at the academy.”

Jiwon froze.

Academy.

Welcoming ceremony.

His soul nearly left his body.

Because today was the day Taehyun first met the male lead.

The beginning of the disaster.

Jiwon slowly covered his face.

“…Can I fake my death already?”

An hour later.

A luxurious black car stopped before the elite private academy.

Students crowded the entrance, excited voices filling the air.

Taehyun stepped out of the car.

And instantly—

Everyone went silent.

Whispers spread immediately.

“That’s Kang Taehyun…” “He’s even prettier in person.” “Scary…” “Don’t look at him too long.”

Jiwon wanted to cry.

So this was the villain aura.

Wonderful.

He walked through the campus carefully, trying his best not to make eye contact with anyone.

Avoid trouble.

Avoid the male lead.

Avoid death flags.

Easy.

Then—

SMACK.

Someone crashed directly into him.

Books scattered across the ground.

“Ow—”

Jiwon looked down automatically.

Black hair.

Cold sharp eyes.

Tall figure.

The male lead.

Han Seojin.

The future terrifying male lead stared at him silently from the ground.

And Jiwon’s brain screamed.

OH GOD.

According to the original novel…

This was the moment Taehyun mocked Seojin publicly and started their lifelong hatred.

The entire future depended on THIS scene.

Students nearby already looked nervous.

Waiting.

Watching.

Expecting Kang Taehyun to explode.

Jiwon panicked internally.

Then suddenly bowed deeply.

“I’M SORRY.”

The entire hallway froze.

Even Seojin looked shocked.

Jiwon quickly picked up the fallen books with trembling hands.

“S-seriously, I wasn’t looking where I was going. Are you hurt?”

Silence.

Dead silence.

A girl nearby literally dropped her phone.

Because this…

This was NOT the Kang Taehyun everyone knew.

Seojin slowly accepted the books.

Their fingers brushed slightly.

For one brief second—

Jiwon felt strangely cold.

Seojin’s dark eyes narrowed.

Carefully.

Suspiciously.

As if seeing something strange.

Then the male lead quietly asked:

“…Who are you?”

Jiwon blinked.

Wait.

What kind of question was that?

The hallway remained completely silent.

Even the air felt frozen.

Jiwon forced out an awkward laugh.

“…What do you mean who am I?”

Han Seojin continued staring at him without blinking.

Cold.

Sharp.

Unreadable.

The original novel described Seojin as someone who trusted nobody. After years of betrayal and abuse from his relatives, he became emotionally distant from everyone around him.

But right now?

His gaze looked almost… shaken.

Like he had seen a ghost.

Jiwon nervously handed over the last book.

“You dropped this.”

Seojin slowly accepted it.

Their fingers brushed again.

And suddenly—

A strange image flashed through Jiwon’s mind.

Rain.

Blood.

A car wreck.

Someone crying desperately.

“Please don’t leave me…”

Jiwon stumbled backward in shock.

“What the—”

The vision disappeared instantly.

His head throbbed painfully.

Around them, students whispered in confusion.

“Why isn’t Kang Taehyun yelling?” “Did he hit his head?” “Since when does he apologize?”

Jiwon wanted to disappear immediately.

This scene was already going off-script.

Dangerously off-script.

In the original story, Taehyun publicly humiliated Seojin here, which caused Seojin to hate him from the very beginning.

But now?

Everything felt wrong.

Especially the way Seojin kept staring at him.

Like he was searching for something.

Finally, Seojin spoke quietly.

“…You really don’t remember?”

Jiwon’s heart dropped.

Remember WHAT?!

Before he could ask, another student suddenly ran toward them.

“Seojin!”

A cheerful-looking boy with warm brown hair wrapped an arm around Seojin’s shoulder.

This was Yoo Minhyuk.

Second male lead.

Golden retriever energy.

Friendly to everyone.

And secretly in love with Seojin for almost the entire novel.

Minhyuk looked between them in confusion.

“…Why are you two standing like divorced parents?”

Jiwon nearly choked.

Seojin calmly pulled away from him.

Minhyuk then noticed who Jiwon was and immediately paled.

“Oh.”

A long awkward silence followed.

“…Oh no.”

Jiwon sighed internally.

Yep.

Even side characters were scared of the villain.

Wonderful.

To break the tension, Jiwon awkwardly pointed toward Seojin.

“You dropped your books. That’s all.”

Minhyuk blinked.

“You picked them up?”

“…Yes?”

“For Han Seojin?”

“…Should I not have?”

Minhyuk looked genuinely frightened now.

Seojin suddenly spoke.

“Minhyuk.”

“Hm?”

“Let’s go.”

Without another word, Seojin turned and walked away.

But before disappearing down the hallway—

He glanced back once.

Straight at Jiwon.

That look sent chills down his spine.

Not hatred.

Not anger.

Something far more dangerous.

Recognition.

The moment classes ended, Jiwon rushed toward the academy garden in panic.

“This is bad,” he muttered.

Very bad.

The plot was already changing.

And in transmigration stories, changed plots usually meant one thing:

Unexpected disasters.

He sat heavily beneath a tree and grabbed his hair dramatically.

“Why did he ask if I remembered something?!”

Could Seojin somehow know?

No, impossible.

Unless…

Jiwon froze.

“…Wait.”

What if Seojin also—

“No way.”

Before he could finish the thought, footsteps approached.

Jiwon looked up.

And immediately regretted existing.

Han Seojin stood there silently.

Alone.

The late afternoon sunlight made his dark uniform glow softly. Several girls nearby secretly stared at him while pretending not to.

The male lead was absurdly handsome.

Annoyingly handsome.

Jiwon quickly stood up nervously.

“H-hi.”

Seojin walked closer slowly.

Too close.

Jiwon instinctively stepped back.

Unfortunately, his back hit the tree immediately.

Trapped.

Fantastic.

Seojin lowered his gaze slightly.

“Why are you avoiding me?”

Because you’re the male lead who accidentally destroys people’s lives without even trying, Jiwon screamed internally.

Out loud, he forced a smile.

“I’m not avoiding you.”

“You’ve been running away since morning.”

“…I walk fast.”

“You almost sprinted into a fountain earlier.”

“…Exercise is healthy.”

Seojin stared at him for a long moment.

Then unexpectedly—

The corner of his lips lifted slightly.

A tiny smile.

Jiwon nearly stopped breathing.

WAIT.

THE MALE LEAD NEVER SMILED THIS EARLY IN THE STORY.

THIS WAS ILLEGAL.

In the original novel, Seojin only smiled around chapter forty-seven.

AFTER trauma.

AFTER romance.

AFTER emotional breakdowns.

So why was he smiling NOW?!

“You’re different,” Seojin said quietly.

Jiwon swallowed nervously.

“…Different from what?”

Seojin’s eyes darkened slightly.

“The Kang Taehyun I knew.”

Cold wind passed through the garden.

Jiwon’s heart pounded violently.

That sentence sounded terrifying.

Before he could respond, a group of girls suddenly approached nearby.

One of them shyly handed Seojin a small pink envelope.

“A-ah… Seojin, this is for you…”

Love letter.

Classic academy romance moment.

Jiwon immediately tried escaping sideways.

“Okay, I’ll just—”

A hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Firmly.

Jiwon froze.

Seojin didn’t even look at the girl.

His eyes stayed completely fixed on Jiwon.

Then, in front of everyone—

He said calmly:

“I’m busy right now.”

The girls gasped softly.

And Jiwon’s soul left his body.

WHY DID IT SOUND LIKE THEY WERE DATING?!

The garden became terrifyingly quiet.

The girl holding the love letter looked seconds away from tears.

Meanwhile, Han Seojin still held Jiwon’s wrist firmly.

Like he had no intention of letting go.

Jiwon’s brain completely malfunctioned.

Excuse me?

This was wrong.

VERY wrong.

In the original novel, Han Seojin rejected love letters coldly and ignored everyone equally.

So why was he suddenly acting like a jealous boyfriend in public?!

The nearby students had already started whispering wildly.

“Did you hear that?” “He said he’s busy with Kang Taehyun…” “Since when were they close?!” “Am I hallucinating?”

Jiwon wanted to jump into the nearest river.

Fast.

The girl finally ran away in embarrassment with her friends following behind her.

The moment they disappeared, Jiwon immediately whispered harshly:

“Why would you say it like THAT?!”

Seojin blinked once.

“Like what?”

“Like we’re—”

Jiwon abruptly stopped himself.

Seojin tilted his head slightly.

“…We’re what?”

Dangerous.

That face was dangerously attractive.

Jiwon quickly looked away.

“Nothing.”

Seojin’s grip loosened slightly, but he still didn’t let go completely.

Instead, his thumb brushed lightly against Jiwon’s wrist.

The tiny movement sent strange chills through him.

Jiwon froze.

Wait.

Why did that feel weirdly intimate?

Meanwhile Seojin quietly asked:

“Why are you scared of me?”

“I’m not scared.”

“You avoid eye contact.”

“Because your eyes are intense!”

“…Intense?”

“Yes! They look like you’re planning murder.”

A faint amused expression crossed Seojin’s face again.

Again?!

The male lead was smiling WAY too much today.

At this rate, the original author might descend from heaven just to slap Jiwon personally.

Finally, Seojin released him.

Jiwon instantly stepped back in relief.

Freedom.

Beautiful freedom.

Then Seojin calmly destroyed his peace again.

“Eat lunch with me tomorrow.”

“…What?”

“It wasn’t a question.”

Jiwon stared at him in horror.

NO.

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

The farther he stayed from the male lead, the longer he survived.

That was basic transmigration logic.

Unfortunately, before he could reject him—

A sharp female voice interrupted nearby.

“Seojin.”

Both boys turned.

A beautiful girl stood at the garden entrance with crossed arms.

Elegant black hair.

Cold expression.

Perfect posture.

Cha Yerin.

The original female lead.

Well… technically ex-female lead.

Because this was a BL novel.

Still, she remained one of Seojin’s closest friends throughout the story.

And unfortunately—

She hated Kang Taehyun.

A lot.

Her sharp eyes immediately narrowed upon seeing Jiwon.

“Why are you with him?”

There it was.

The hostility.

Original plot restored.

Jiwon nearly cried from relief.

YES.

THIS felt correct.

Someone finally hated him normally.

Seojin answered calmly.

“We were talking.”

Yerin looked unconvinced.

“Kang Taehyun doesn’t ‘talk.’ He threatens people.”

Rude.

Accurate, but rude.

Jiwon awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

“…Fair enough.”

Yerin blinked.

Clearly she hadn’t expected agreement.

Honestly, neither had Seojin.

Jiwon quickly bowed slightly.

“Anyway, I’ll leave first.”

Escape mission activated.

But the moment he tried walking past—

Seojin suddenly grabbed the back of his blazer lightly.

Jiwon nearly screamed.

WHY WAS THIS MAN SO HANDSY?!

“When tomorrow?” Seojin asked.

“…Tomorrow for what?”

“Lunch.”

Jiwon laughed nervously.

“Haha… about that…”

Seojin stared silently.

Waiting.

Menacingly.

Jiwon felt pressured for absolutely no reason.

“…Fine.”

“Good.”

Only then did Seojin let go.

Yerin looked between them with growing suspicion.

Jiwon immediately escaped before things became even stranger.

The second he disappeared around the hallway corner, he slammed against the wall dramatically.

“This is a nightmare.”

Why was the male lead suddenly attached to him?!

The original Taehyun spent YEARS trying to gain Seojin’s attention and only received hatred in return.

Meanwhile Jiwon accidentally apologized once and now the male lead was inviting him to lunch like they were in a romance drama.

Illegal.

Absolutely illegal.

As Jiwon continued internally panicking, he failed to notice someone approaching from behind.

“You’re interesting.”

Jiwon jumped violently.

“AH!”

A tall blond student leaned casually against the wall.

Fox-like eyes.

Lazy grin.

Expensive accessories.

Lee Hyunwoo.

One of the academy’s troublemakers.

And unfortunately—

Another person who hated Kang Taehyun in the original story.

Hyunwoo smirked slightly.

“You used to look at Seojin like you wanted to stab him.”

“…Did I?”

“Now you look like you want to kiss him.”

Jiwon choked on air.

“I WHAT?!”

Hyunwoo laughed softly.

For a moment, his sharp gaze studied Jiwon carefully.

Too carefully.

Then he leaned closer and whispered:

“…You really changed.”

Cold fear crawled down Jiwon’s spine again.

Why did everyone keep saying that?

Before he could respond, Hyunwoo suddenly reached out and fixed Jiwon’s crooked tie lazily.

“There.”

Jiwon froze.

The distance between them became dangerously close.

Hyunwoo’s voice dropped lower.

“You know… the entire academy is watching you today.”

“…Why?”

“Because Kang Taehyun apologized.”

Jiwon wanted to bury himself underground.

Right.

Of course.

Villains apparently weren’t allowed basic manners.

Hyunwoo chuckled at his miserable expression.

Then unexpectedly said:

“Careful around Han Seojin.”

Jiwon blinked.

“…Why?”

For the first time, Hyunwoo’s playful smile disappeared.

“He gets obsessive over things he likes.”

Silence.

Then—

“…Huh?”

Hyunwoo only smiled mysteriously and walked away.

Leaving Jiwon alone in the hallway with one terrifying realization echoing inside his head.

Please don’t tell me…

The male lead is already interested in me?!