"Oh noio."

"Huh? What's wrong?" My roommate asked as she came over to me with a concerned look on her face. I stepped back on impulse.

"Why did I only remember this now?" I thought. I had already recovered my past life memories three years ago, but I didn't realize my knowledge of that otome game would come in handy! What was the name again? Objects of Affection, was it?

In the game, you played as the adopted daughter of a poor baron who was sent to an all girls boarding school for nobles. Despite her lowly status, the heroine was the type of person who can excel at anything she sets her mind on. Not only that, but her red hair and silver eyes, an extremely rare combination, made her stand out. The only shame was well, her name, though to be fair, all the other characters were named after objects as well, and you could change the heroine's name as you played. (You still had to deal with the other characters' object names however). Thinking back on it, my name, Bubble, should have tipped me off that this was the world of that otome game, but I just assumed that was a nickname my parents used for me. Now, however...

Seeing the game's heroine, Pin Vaillant, (luckily this world's last names, at least, are legitimate) brought back my memories of the game.

"Bubble Auclair" wasn't a character in the original otome game, so at first, I didn't think there was any need to be worried. However, the nameless roommate of the heroine, a minor character with little presence and betrays the heroine out of jealousy, was in fact a character. As a minor villainess, the heroine's dorm-mate had only a minor downfall as compared to what happened to the real villainesses whom she served as a spy for. I know it would be easy for me to just be a genuine friend to Pin and never betray her, however... a girl like her, who is bound to turn heads wherever she goes... to be with someone like her, there's bound to be jealous people around her who would like to use someone like me against her! Even in my past life, I've never been good with conflict or standing up for myself, so if possible, I would like to not get involved with anything that could lead to trouble. This may be the coward's way out but I kind of want to switch dorms...

While I was lost in my thoughts, Pin started speaking, snapping me back to reality. "Ah, right, you must not have wanted to share a dorm with a baron's daughter," she said, shying back.

"Ah- no, it's not that!" I said hastily, feeling rather guilty. Right, even though Pin seemed so confident (which, as the heroine of an otome game, she had every right to be), she actually had a hidden insecure side, particularly in regards to her social status. All thoughts of running away were immediately discarded. Even though I'm not looking down on her, my real reason for almost requesting a room switch is still selfish. "I'm not one of the higher up nobles like a duke's daughter or a daughter of a marquise. I'm just a count's daughter and a simple one at that!"

"What do you mean, simple?" Pin asked, looking confused. Well, most noble ladies wouldn't call themselves simple, but I have long since accepted that I am. As a nameless side character in an otome game, I had an incredibly average face, along with my hair just being a common shade of black. My round blue eyes were slightly cute, I'll admit, but I paled in comparison to most other noble girls I saw. Even in my past life, I was like this, an average person who wouldn't stand out in any way whatsoever. I never really had any particular talents either, nor did I have the confidence or attitude to stand out.

"I mean, what right do I have to look down on others?" I continued. "The only outstanding thing about myself is the fact that I'm Count Auclair's daughter, and even that isn't my own doing. So uh, if you ever consider yourself unworthy of being here at this school, you still probably deserve to be here more than me."

For a few moments, Pin just remained silent before shaking her head. "No, that's a lie. There is something outstanding about you." Her sharp silver eyes met mine for a moment, making me realize how the capture targets of the game must have felt. "A few hours ago, this girl who introduced herself as Lady Flower Escoffier told me that I was but a commoner who just so happened to get the sympathy of a poor baron and that this school was only for 'true nobles' like herself."

"Ah, that's right," I thought. "I'm only a minor villainess, but Lady Flower, the daughter of Duke Escoffier, was one of the main villainesses. I get that she wants to throw her status around, but should you really be introducing yourself to a person you will be bullying? Well, not that it's right to bully anyone in the first place, but your fiancée could overhear, you know? And I'm sure- no I played this game before so I know- that your fiancée wouldn't like to be engaged to someone who likes to bully others... Well, you might think that Crown Princess Lollipop wouldn't care and considering her attitude, I don't blame you for thinking that, but this is an otome game world, one where true love conquers all. She'll soon change her tune."

Pin seemed to have not noticed that I had temporarily zoned out, for she continued. "And then when I got away from her, more nobles came to taunt me. Honestly, I didn't think I would make any friends here." However, she soon smiled and gently took my hands. "But you're so humble and friendly. I don't think you're unworthy of attending this school at all, Lady Aclair. In fact, I think this school needs more people like you. So, I hope we can be friends." She let go of my hands and curtsied. "My name is Pin Vaillant. It's a pleasure to meet you."

As I looked into her shining silver eyes, I couldn't even think to say no to that hopeful face. How cruel the original owner of my body must be to betray Pin when she made her that face! I made up my mind to always stay her friend. Sure, the  capture targets will keep her company later on, but for now, she needs to know that she's not alone. Besides, there's no harm in befriending one more person, right?

I curtsied in return. "Likewise. My name is Bubble Auclair."