The Gacha Addict of the Academy

What Is Gacha?

Not everyone might know what “gacha” is, so let me put it simply. If we were to use a more intuitive name, it would probably be something like a random loot box or a capsule toy machine.

To elaborate, it’s one of the most exciting features in games. You spend money—an amount you can afford—and receive a random item. If you’re lucky, it’s like hitting the jackpot, but if you’re not… well, you might feel like dying. What else is there to do?

Anyway, game companies must make a fortune off this system.

And yes, I get it. I really do.

Honestly, doesn’t a bit of gambling make games more fun? If everything could be achieved through sheer effort, where’s the excitement in that?

Of course, I’m not mocking people who grind their way through games purely on effort.

It’s just that I personally find games with random elements to be more enjoyable.

Now, you might be wondering:

Why am I even talking about this?

It’s simple.

“… You fing b***s!!!”

Today, I bombed out on 100 pulls in a row.

As I stared at the result screen in front of me, despair engulfed me.

“How much money have I spent, you worthless pieces of crap?!”

The odds of pulling a 5-star character are 0.7%. That might seem low, but with a guaranteed pity system, it’s actually quite generous. Spend enough, and you’re bound to get the character eventually. For low-budget players, this is practically a blessing.

Then why am I swearing over these supposedly “high” odds?

It’s simple.

Weapons share the same 0.7% odds, but unlike characters, there are way more weapon options.

“… Screw this. I’m done.”

I lost all motivation.

Honestly, getting to this point and still pulling makes me the real idiot here.

With a deep sigh, I stood in front of a mirror. A petite girl with platinum blonde hair and light blue eyes stared back at me, her face scrunched up in frustration.

At this point, you might be wondering: What’s the problem here?

The problem is that I realized something was off the moment I saw the starry sparkles embedded in my eyes.

More importantly, I wasn’t originally in a body like this.

I used to be a gloomy, average guy… um, yeah.

Anyway, here I am.

“Ahhh, seriously…”

Never in my life did I think I’d end up in a situation like this.

You know those clichés? The ones where you suddenly get sucked into a novel? That’s exactly what happened to me. A story I used to casually check out whenever it popped up in my mind, thinking, “Oh yeah, this was a fun one.”

How do I know I’m inside the novel?

Thanks to the student ID in my wallet.

“Seriously, what am I supposed to do now…?”

I don’t care about the novel’s plot or how things play out. Whether it’s the epic demon war in the later chapters or the secret evil organization working in the shadows, the protagonist will handle it all. I have no intention of interfering.

I thought I’d just live a comfortable life here and pass away peacefully when the time came.

Oh, right.

So much for a comfortable life.

“I really want to pull gacha.”

I’m a gacha addict, after all…

First things first: I need to roll the gacha.

Say what you will, but having a lot of money is a blessing. My bank account was stuffed with more cash than I could ever spend, so I could splurge on gacha without hesitation.

Granted, it wasn’t my bank account but one tied to this girl’s identity.

But hey, what can I do?

Now It’s Mine Anyway.

Still, being turned into a girl… yeah, that’s a bit much.

As someone who was originally a guy, I can’t help but feel frustrated. If I had my way, I would’ve preferred entering the body of some decent-looking, talented guy—maybe even someone who could charm the girls and live out a dream life.

But nope. Instead, it looks like I’ve ended up as one of the heroines.

I figure I must be one of the characters in this novel.

In truth, this character didn’t even have much screen time. There was only a passing mention of her existence, with no details about her story.

The name Luna Crystal rang a bell, but I didn’t know much about what she did or who she was. If anything, she seemed like a total extra—background filler at best.

Sure enough, the student ID I found had a picture of a girl who looked just like me now, with the name Luna Crystal.

If memory serves, her full name had an extra family title tacked on, and she was the child of some major corporation. That much I remembered.

No wonder she had so much money.

Still, Luna Crystal… doesn’t that name sound familiar? Like the name of a rare item or something?

Well, she certainly lives up to her name. With moonlit hair and eyes that literally sparkle with embedded stars, she looks as fantastical as her name suggests.

“Sigh… at least this life feels comfortable.”

For now, I’m free.

Thanks to the academy’s rules, no one could intrude on my peace. You’d think someone from a wealthy family like mine would have maids or bodyguards hovering nearby, but none of that was allowed within the academy.

Here, everyone is supposedly “equal.”

Sure, students had to buy essentials with points earned through academic performance, but thankfully, there were no rules against spending money on gacha. And since my bank account was overflowing, I had nothing to worry about.

The original owner of this body also seemed to be a good student, so my points were plentiful too.

Still, there was one small problem.

I didn’t know a single thing about magical theory.

“Oh well… I’ll figure it out.”

That’s a problem for future me to solve.

“For now, I just want to relax…”

Unfortunately, my peaceful days would end tomorrow.

From then on, I’d have to attend the academy—a place straight out of a cliché, where students awaken their powers to fight monsters that have appeared around the world.

Those who awaken abilities trigger them through specific mechanisms, and the academy trains students not only in using their abilities but also in the basics of magic, swordsmanship, and physical fitness. This particular academy is the largest and most renowned institution of its kind.

What a ridiculous world.

It’s like a fantasy world evolved into modern times, with magic, swordsmanship, and even non-human races surviving into the present. And now, they’ve all become mega-corporations.

Apparently, I’m one of those corporate heirs. Judging by the name Luna Crystal, it’s obvious I belong to a magic-focused corporation.

Not that it matters to me. Backstories like that don’t interest me.

Looking through my contacts, I noticed only “Father” and “Mother” listed, with no siblings in sight.

While I can’t say for sure, it looks like this family discarded Luna despite her elite background.

Well, it’s not like it affects me. I couldn’t care less.

“… I’m hungry.”

After spending the entire day cooped up at home spinning gacha, I was starving.

I got up and put on the academy uniform.

Honestly, I don’t get why the academy insists on students wearing uniforms all the time. Thanks to that rule, I had no choice but to wear skirts and blouses now.

“Haa… all set.”

Time to grab some food.

I arrived at the dining hall within the academy.

As I walked, I left my gacha game running on auto-mode. Normally, I’d kill time by reading a novel, but since the game was running, I didn’t bother. This is unacceptable—I’m definitely buying another smartphone later.

One for novels and one for gaming.

Anyway, even though I’d come to the busiest dining hall, not a single person approached me.

Of course, the academy is a place where you learn how to wield magic or swordsmanship, in addition to basic physical training. Among all the academies worldwide, this one is the largest and most prominent.

What a ridiculous world.

A fantasy setting that’s evolved into modern times, with magic, swordsmanship, and even non-human races becoming legacy businesses passed down to future generations. Each has grown into a massive corporation.

Apparently, I’m part of such a family too. Judging by the name Luna Crystal, it’s obvious I’m associated with a magic-focused corporation.

But honestly, given my current circumstances, that backstory is irrelevant to me.

Looking through the phonebook, I found only “Father” and “Mother” listed. No siblings. No friends. Not even any traces of past messages or calls.

It’s pretty clear this body is from a family that discarded her.

Well, not like it matters to me.

“… I’m hungry.”

After spending all day cooped up at home and pulling gacha, my stomach started growling.

I stood up and put on the academy uniform.

Honestly, I still don’t get the academy rule that says you can only wear your uniform on campus. Because of it, I’m stuck wearing skirts and blouses now.

“Haa… all set.”

Time to eat.

I arrived at the academy’s cafeteria.

As I walked, I left my gacha game running on auto-mode. Normally, I’d pass the time reading novels, but since my phone was busy, I couldn’t. This won’t do—I’ll have to buy another smartphone. One for games and one for novels.

Anyway, even though I chose the busiest cafeteria, not a single person approached me.

“… Figures.”

I kind of expected this.

There were no contacts on this phone except for “Father” and “Mother,” and no traces of any past communications. It’s safe to assume this body has no friends.

I don’t know if it’s because the original owner of this body was shy or if my sudden arrival severed all existing connections, but either way, I don’t mind.

If there had been any friends, I wouldn’t have known how to deal with them.

Since it was my first time here, I wasn’t familiar with the layout, but at least I figured out that food was ordered and picked up through machines.

Following the others, I placed an order through the machine and waited.

When the notification for my food pickup came, I got up and headed over. The cafeteria worker saw me and, commenting on how small I was, tried to give me extra food “to help me grow.” I barely managed to stop her.

“… I’m already full.”

This body’s small size must mean I eat far less than I used to. I hadn’t even finished my meal, yet I felt stuffed. The food was delicious, but I couldn’t eat more, and it frustrated me.

“Should I… throw this away?”

The food was so good…

Even though my mind knew it was tasty, my stomach simply refused to accept any more. After agonizing over it for a while, I let out a disappointed sigh and set my spoon down. No matter how delicious it was, I didn’t want to overeat and feel sick.

“Thank you for the meal.”

If it were my original body, this amount wouldn’t even begin to fill me. It wasn’t like I was particularly gluttonous or overweight back then—this body just genuinely couldn’t eat much.

Honestly, isn’t this body way too small for someone my age?

If I’m attending this academy, I should be in my mid-to-late teens, but my height and weight seem unbelievable for that age.

It’s not like I look like an elementary schooler or anything, but I’m small enough that my classmates probably treat me like a kid.

“Still, being this small… I really don’t like it.”

Muttering a complaint no one would hear, I turned to leave the cafeteria. That’s when someone suddenly bumped into me.

“..!?”

“Whoa! Are you okay?”

Before I could fall, someone caught me by the arm and asked if I was alright.

I didn’t know who it was, but I should at least thank them for catching me. First, I needed to let them know I was okay.

“… Yeah, I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief.”

I looked up to see who had caught me and found a guy standing there. From his voice, I already knew he was male, but being held by him felt… uncomfortable.

Still, it wasn’t something I’d openly show on my face.

“… Did I offend you somehow?”

“…”

Ah… crap.