For those of you who are curious about the other choices, then allow me to reveal the other outcomes before we begin.
Choice A (Jungwon's interview) would have allowed us to start Yujin's story route.
Choice C (the toy store) will have led to Leeseo's story route.
There will be more of these choices in the future, so look forward for the next ones.
Without further ado, let's begin Rei's first story chapter.
Having considered your choices carefully, you already know what you should do once your classes are over. As always, your family is always a priority, which is true. Miyeon is always doing a good job when it comes to taking care of your well-being, as well as providing you with everything else that you need. One occasional good deed is enough to show how grateful you are to her.
Even though you wanted to help Jungwon out, a part of you says that he will be able to do the interview on his own, and you believe that he can finish it even without you as his moral support.
As for your limited edition action figure, you'll always have a chance to get one online, and that you don't really need to obtain it on the first day of its release. While it's true that it's a collector's item, it's a no brainer that it can't compare to how important your other responsibilities are. Who knows, maybe you can convince your older sister to buy it for you instead, but you're not the type of person to do that.
"I'm sorry Jungwon-ah, but I already made plans to help out at our coffee shop after school. My noona is already waiting for me, so I'm afraid that I have to leave now. As for the interview, I'm sure that you'll be able to succeed without me. Yujin-ssi is a very friendly and approachable person, so I don't think you need to worry about anything when it comes to interviewing her. You'll be fine." You assured him.
"All right Y/N. I understand. But you might be right. I can do this. Ahn Yujin is like our school's princess, and with that kind of reputation, I'm sure that there's no need for me to be worried about anything. It's a shame though, since you might gain some clues about her, which may be of help to you in some form. I bet that-"
Jungwon's lips curved into a smile before he could finish that last sentence, as you looked at him strangely.
"Ah, I think I get it now. Okay Y/N, I won't keep you any longer. Sure, you may have missed a chance to get some info out of Yujin-ssi, but then again, at least you might be able to gain something through your sister's little helper instead. Am I right?" He teased.
"Well I guess you could say that. Believe me when I say this, but despite the fact that I've known her the longest compared to her friends, I still can't figure anything out. It goes to show that she, like the others, is really serious about making this game as difficult for me as they can."
"Hmm, that sounds tough. But come on. You told me that you wanted to know what it's like being a detective, and this game of theirs gave you the chance to do just that. You should be having fun by now, yes?"
"Ugh, if only that was the case. I never thought that a sleuth's job would prove to be a hassle. But yeah, I would be lying if I told you that I'm not having fun while I'm at it. But I can assure you this, Jungwon-ah. After all of this ends, you'll be able to see me succeed, and that I will have my girlfriend before the night of the prom. Get ready for that."
"Now that's some bravado you got there, Y/N. Still, having such confidence is not a bad thing. But I do hope you'll be able to remain so until the end. I have a feeling that you might be forced into an even more challenging situation before the game ends."
"Oh I hope not. For now, I'll just have to focus on what I can do. That's right. One thing at a time, is what they say. See you tomorrow, and good luck on the interview."
"Thanks Y/N. I hope you'll have a very productive afternoon with Rei-chan, all right?"
You simply laughed at your best friend's words, as the two of you said your farewells before you head towards the school gates.
However, you then heard your phone ring while you were walking, prompting you to answer it.
"Yes noona. I'm on my way to the Soulful Barista right now. Do you need me to pick up something for you?"
"No, it's okay. But I'm glad that you decided to help me today, Y/N. By the way, did you like what I cooked for you this morning?"
"Uhh, it was.....authentic, I guess? To be honest, I got a little scared after I saw it, but overall, it tastes good."
"I'm sorry. I did try to make it as perfect as possible, but it didn't come out right. I'll try better next time, okay?"
"It's fine, noona. Though it wasn't perfect, it's the thought that counts, and the least I can do to pay you back would be to help you out today."
"Aww, that's very kind of you! Oh by the way, you're still at school, right?"
"Well I'm near the school gates, so technically I'm still here. Why though?"
"I just thought that it would be good if you would wait for Rei before you leave. She told me yesterday that her club won't be meeting this afternoon, so I figured that you two should come here together."
At first, Miyeon's words sound innocent enough, as you agree that it's a good idea for you and Rei to head there together. At the same time, you of all people know your sister's mischievous side very well, which led you to assume that she's up to something when she offered you her suggestion.
"You're getting rusty, Miyeon-noona. I thought I told you so many times that Rei-chan and I aren't like that at all! Sure we're friends, but right now, there's really nothing going on between us. So let's just drop the subject, okay?"
"No can do, my little brother. Ever since you told me about that game that you're playing between you and her friends, I never felt this happy before. After years of waiting, you're about to have your very first girlfriend, and it might be her!" Miyeon said excitedly through the phone, as you could already imagine that she's causing a ruckus in the shop for speaking so loudly.
"Aish, I won't be so sure about it just yet. I thought I told you what will happen if I lose, didn't I? It's back to square one if I did."
"Don't be such a pessimist. But we'll talk later. Just wait for her there in the meantime, as I'm sure that she'll be happy if you two will go together. She's such a sweet girl. Anyways, bye for now!"
"Bye, noona. I'll see you in a bit."
You then let out a sigh as you head back to the campus building in order to wait for Rei. Luckily, it was easy to find an empty bench that's near the entrance, and being there will allow you to easily spot her once she's there.
"I guess it won't take too long for her to be here, since she doesn't have any club activities today. I must say, she's always been a busy person, and that a lot of her classmates rely on her, which is pretty much all the time. I pity her whenever I see her looking very tired."
Soon after, the girl you've been waiting for was already walking towards the exit. Upon noticing you, she smiled before she greets you.
"Good afternoon, Y/N. I didn't know that you'll still be here. Were you waiting for me?" She asked you.
"That's right. My noona told me to wait for you since you'll be leaving early today, so that's why I'm here. So umm, should we get going?"
"Sure! We shouldn't keep Miyeon-unnie waiting any longer, since she may be busy already. Let's go!"
Her enthusiasm never fails to put a smile on your face, as you readily agreed in reply.
If there's one thing you admire about Naoi Rei, it's her willingness to give her all no matter what she does.
That, coupled with her passion and work ethic, definitely makes her a very reliable girl through and through.
It's also the reason why she's a busy person all the time, and that you always see her at school doing important things either on her own or with the company of her friends.
Whether it's her studies or her club activities, Rei always makes sure that she'll accomplish anything that goes her way, which earned her a lot of respect from both her teachers and her classmates as well.
Even today, you still can't believe that you were able to become friends with her, for which you were glad that you did.
It's also worth noting that your first meeting with her was indeed an unforgettable one, which made you feel something special towards her, in a way.
But when you found out that she, along with her five other friends, are all conspiring amongst themselves through this weird game that they made, things suddenly turned more complicated than ever, much to your displeasure.
Of course, you're the type of guy who never backs down on a challenge, so you try to gain some form of amusement from it. That said, teasing and getting reactions from Rei gives you just that.
As you two rode the subway train towards the district where the shop is, you took it upon yourself to try and get her on your side once more.
"Come on, Rei-chan. I'm sure you'd agree that the two of us are already friends even before you met them, right? So the least you could do is to give me some hints about her. Or perhaps that girl is already here sitting beside me, hmm?" You began.
But instead of giving you an answer, Rei simply stuck out her tongue in reply, as you soon figured out that once again, she'd rather tease you back than to betray her "co-conspirators".
"I thought I told you that I won't fall for your tricks again, Y/N. No matter how many times you ask me, I won't give you any clues. Besides, I'm sure you know that Yujin-unnie has her ways of finding out if one of us chooses to disregard the rules. If you want to win, figure it out for yourself. Hmph."
"Ya, I'm just kidding. Of course I'll figure it out on my own as agreed, and I promise that I'll be able to before the deadline." You assured her.
"Okay, I believe you. But you know, whether you win or lose, we'll still be friends. You already did a lot for me, and I'll be forever grateful for helping me become the person that I am now. I changed for the better, and it's because of you that I did. I'm sure that the others will tell you the same. Even so, it's much more meaningful to me since we knew each other the longest."
"I just did what I thought was best, especially since you're my best friend, Rei-chan. I know that you'd do the same for me too given the chance. But please, just one tiny clue won't hurt, no?"
"This again. If you keep on asking me about it then I'll ignore you for the rest of the day. You do know what happens when Miyeon-unnie notices that we're not getting along, don't you?"
For sure, you quickly realized what she meant by that, which led you to think that it may not be a good idea for you to keep pressing her for hints.
"Y-yeah, I know Rei-chan. I'll just.....shut up about it from now on. But I have to say, you and the others are way too harsh when it comes to this game."
"Hehe, that may be true. Still, this is what we had decided, and you agreed to it as well. So that's that. You still have plenty of time to figure it out, so there's no need for you to worry about it too much."
"If only I could. But like I told you girls before, I won't give up. Now let's talk about something else. Would you like for us to go somewhere after you finish your shift at the coffee shop?"
"Huh? Wait a minute. Are you trying to bribe me. Y/N?"
"Of course not! I just thought that it would be nice since you've been so busy these days, and that I want to genuinely do something good for you. If you agree to it, I was hoping that we could get some ice cream from that same shop again. What do you say?"
Rei can't help but feel happy once she heard your suggestion. In her mind, there was really no reason for her to refuse, since that place meant a lot for the two of you.
"All right. We should invite Miyeon-unnie too. It's been a long time since that day, so I'm really looking forward to it."
"Same here. I'm happy that you're still fond of that place just like I do. That's because....."
"It's where I first met you."