I Joined a Dating Sim Game and Got the Horror Boss Instead

In the year 2224, I won the lottery to participate in a romance otome game. As long as I maxed out the male lead’s affection meter, I would clear the game and walk away with a ten-million credit reward.

But the moment I entered the game, the system malfunctioned and completely lost contact with me.

Luckily, I had been briefed beforehand: the male lead I needed to romance would have white hair. Everyone else in the game would have black hair.

So the day I spotted a boy in a school uniform with silver-white hair, my heart just about exploded. I had finally found my target.

A breeze lifted the ends of his silver-white hair, revealing a striking face. His skin was pale and luminous, his frame tall and slender, his whole presence cool and distant.

What made my excitement spike even more was how much he resembled my real-life idol, Wayne—top celebrity, national heartthrob, the man I had fangirled over for three whole years.

It looked like the developers had modeled the game’s male lead after him.

So there I was, a fresh college graduate, enrolling back into high school just to get close to him.

The principal approved my “transfer,” and I became the boy’s deskmate.

His name was printed neatly on the cover of his textbook: Aaron Wallace.

For an entire month, I pursued him with the stubborn dedication of someone chasing a ten-million credit prize. Every day I brought him snacks, milk, little gifts. I followed him on walks. I tried talking to him whenever I could.

He never responded.

I eventually noticed he didn’t talk to anyone. According to the info I’d received before entering the game, he was supposed to be the lonely, bullied type.

I had such a soft spot for fragile, quiet boys. His silence only made me more determined.

One morning, six new girls transferred into our class. They filled the six empty desks. Our homeroom teacher stood at the podium and clapped his hands with a cheerful smile.

“Now that everyone is here, we can begin the game.”

I had been half-asleep and completely missed whatever he was talking about. I definitely didn’t notice the strange glint in Aaron’s eyes as he looked at me.

That night, I went back to Dorm 204, where three of the new girls were assigned to live with me. The other three were placed next door in Dorm 205.

All six of them looked tense and unnaturally pale.

The short-haired one, Lily Sanders, asked me, “You’re a player too, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

A romance otome game. So… were these girls my rivals? Were they all here to pursue the male lead?

Lily muttered, “Weird. There are usually only six people chosen. Why is there a seventh this time?”

As the night went on, the girls grew even more unsettled.

Finally, Lily spoke up. “Alright. Let’s draw lots to decide who will fetch the first key tonight.”

The first what?

I blinked at her in confusion.

We drew straws. I pulled number one.

The other girls looked at me with a mix of pity and relief.

“You should go get the key,” Lily said.

“What key?” I asked. “And where am I supposed to get it?”

“You really are a newbie.”

She exhaled and explained, “According to this round’s instructions, the first key is located in the dorm manager’s room.”

I turned toward the dim hallway.

That room?