‘The sports storage room.’

I gave up on opening the door and sat down on the mattress inside the sports storage room.

‘It’s so cliché, I can’t even laugh.’

One of the common repertoires of romance novels.

Locking the female lead in the sports storage room.

At this point, you had to be locked in the storage room at least once to qualify as a female lead.

The sister product was kidnapping.

There was a similar scene in the original work.

‘I can’t believe I missed this.’

It’s truly a cliché of clichés.

I feel so stupid for not noticing even as I entered the sports storage room.

[Kyaah >ㅁ< Ms. Ju Eun is in danger again!]

The system that appeared without fail mocked me.

"What do you mean 'again'? When did I ever…"

As soon as I said that, everything that had happened so far flashed through my mind like a kaleidoscope.

Yeah. Since the possession, it's been nothing but crises.

'Why have I been living so busily…?'

I didn't want to live this hard…

Maybe a 'peaceful daily life' was impossible from the start.

With events exploding like this even when I'm just sitting still, what peace?

'…I want to go home.'

I suddenly felt exhausted.

I lost all motivation and let out a deep sigh.

[Don't you need my help today? +_+]

"It's fine. If I contact someone else…"

Ah, right. My phone is with Ban Ha Min.

'That guy is really no help at all.'

I'll get my revenge someday. I clenched my fist and thought.

But thinking about my current situation, even that fighting spirit wilted.

"Sigh."

Another sigh came out.

Is the system the only thing that can help me now?

I raised my head and looked at the system.

[ㅇ_ㅇ?]

'If I ask for help, you'll give me some weird quest again, right?'

If there's really no other way, I'd have no choice, but if possible, I didn't want the system's help. Who knows what crazy thing it might set as a condition.

It's better to keep the system as a last resort.

'Then the only option left is… to just wait?'

It's not like the sports storage room is never used. If I wait, it should open eventually.

'But the last period just ended.'

Oh?

'…'

Surely it won't stay closed until tomorrow…?

I suddenly felt anxious.

I jumped up and knocked on the door again.

"Is anyone out there? Someone's locked in here!"

The outside was quiet, with no sign of anyone passing by.

Click, click. I turned the doorknob again, knowing it was useless.

I just remembered, according to the original work, the doorknob of this sports storage room is broken and can only be opened from the outside, not from the inside.

'It really won't open.'

With all options blocked, I gave up and plopped back down on the mattress.

In a state of despair, I muttered.

"Ah, whatever. Should I just become one of the four princes' followers?"

If I become Yoo Hee Na's lackey, at least I won't be bullied like this.

Then the system reacted.

[Gasp, Ms. Ju Eun…!] [You must be… really struggling…!]

"…"

For it to say something like this. I think I know how crazy what I just said was.

'Right, let's get it together.'

I lightly slapped my cheeks.

Now is not the time to be feeling depressed. The sun will set soon and it'll be completely dark. I didn't want to be locked in the sports storage room until then.

'Is there really no way out?'

There was a window, but it was barely big enough for light to come through, not for a person to exit.

'What should I do… Should I keep knocking on the door until someone passes by? Maybe a passerby will open it.'

It's inefficient, but it's the method with the highest possibility.

I knocked on the door again.

"Hello! Is anyone out there?"

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

But no matter how much I knocked, there was no sign of the door opening.

I put my ear to the door to listen for sounds outside, but I couldn't hear any sign of people.

'This method doesn't work… Then picking the lock?'

In movies, they use wire to pick locks like this and that.

Let's give it a try.

I looked around the sports storage room for something I could use to poke the keyhole.

Of course, there was nothing.

'…Even if there was, I would have failed.'

This isn't some movie. Even if I had found a wire, my chances of picking the lock would have been very low. Can't be helped. I quickly gave up on the idea of picking the lock.

'Lastly, breaking the doorknob?'

I picked up a folding chair from the sports storage room and looked down at the doorknob.

'I don't know how that structure works, but…'

I've often seen cases where smashing the doorknob opens a locked door. Maybe if I do it well, it'll work like that?

'But if I break this, will they make me pay for it?'

They'll definitely try to find the culprit.

But when someone's locked in, is that really important? The teacher will understand.

Alright, let's go.

I swung the chair at the doorknob.

Bang!

And immediately, all my worries proved to be unnecessary.

The doorknob was much sturdier than I thought.

'This doesn't work either?'

I swung the chair a few more times, but the doorknob remained intact.

'How can this be? I didn't know I was this weak…'

I put down the chair and felt dejected.

There's no choice.

Finally giving up on everything, I said pathetically.

"Hey, can you help me?"

[Hehe]

What's with that unpleasant laugh…? I had a bad feeling, but right now the system had the upper hand. I spoke again.

"You said before that you could teleport, right? Can't you use that now?"

Back then, I refused the quest partly because there were a lot of people around. But now I'm alone, so it wouldn't be strange if I suddenly disappeared with teleportation.

[You know it doesn't work just like that, right? ^^]

It's the first time that eye smile emoticon has looked so ominous.

But with no other options, I obediently nodded.

Then the system brought up a quest window.

[SYSTEM] [QUEST] [] [Content: A pitiful situation, locked in the sports storage room due to the fan club’s jealousy. The best solution at times like this is to show your relationship with the Three Princes! Let’s clearly show people my position by flaunting my friendship with the Three Princes.] [Clear Condition: Eat lunch with the Three Princes at school tomorrow (Penalty for violation)] [Reward: Teleport home] [Do you accept? Y / N]

“No, I won’t do it.”

I immediately dismissed the quest window.

[You won’t do it?]

“Ah, I don’t know. Forget it.”

I flopped down on the mattress.

“I’ll just live here for a day.”

Someone will open it when the time comes.

Surely it won’t stay closed until tomorrow?

Fortunately, tomorrow is a weekday. A school day. If it were the weekend, I would have tried to escape by any means, but one day is bearable.

[Then you’ll have to stay here all night!]

“I said one day is fine, didn’t I?”

I said this, but actually it wasn’t fine.

‘What should I really do?’

My internal conflict intensified. Should I really endure here for a day? Or should I pretend to be crazy and accept the quest?

The former would destroy my current mental state, and the latter would destroy my future mental state. Either way, my mental state was destined to be destroyed… I really want to give up on everything.

‘I wonder what the penalty is.’

Considering the conditions they’ve set so far, the penalty was sure to be abnormal.

But I have nothing to lose. Let’s ask.

“What happens if I accept the quest but don’t eat with them tomorrow?”

The system answered cheerfully.

[I’ll control Ms. Ju Eun’s body and make you eat together! ㅇ_ㅁ<]

What's wrong with this one now?

[Someone's coming!]

What?

I reflexively raised my head.

Someone's coming? Here? Does that mean I can get out?

With hope, I looked towards the door. Footsteps approached steadily.

Soon after, the sound of the doorknob turning was heard and the door opened.

Click.

Someone really came?

My heart pounded. My body tensed briefly with hope and excitement that I could finally get out.

Creak. Light entered through the gap of the opening door.

A person's shadow stretched long on the floor.

'…Huh?'

I was startled by the unexpected entrance.

Surprisingly, the one who opened the door and came in was.

"What are you doing here?"

Seon Woo Jin, who had disappeared earlier saying he was going to the hospital.