Chapter Text
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System:
Welcome Huang Renjun to:
Dream In a Dream: Love Simulator
You are a scholarship student attending one of
the country’s most prestigious boarding schools.
Your goal is to make Na Jaemin, the school prince
to fall in love with you within 7 days.
If you Succeed, you will be able to return to your original life
but the Failure to do so will result in your death.
Press the play button to start.
▶️ Play
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How did Renjun even get here?
♠️
“Finally,”
Renjun exhales, after finally being able to find Chenle sitting at a table in a secluded corner of the dining hall.
It’s one of those days where a sea of students swarm around the dining hall and make him feel cramped because of how tight and crowded it is. Maybe this school can use some of their university funds to expand and renovate this tiny dining hall to make it feel less like he’s stuck in a claustrophobic-inducing space and more of an appropriate place to eat instead of building more unnecessary statues of the “notable” alumni of this university that are as old and irrelevant as Renjun’s ageing chinese takeout in his fridge.
Chenle gives Renjun a once-over as a form of acknowledgment and half-grunt too before letting his phone occupy his line of sight. Bitch .
“What happened to saying ‘Hi, hello?’” Renjun grumbles, sitting down in his seat.
A beat or two passes, then, Chenle looks up to him and replies, “Sorry, Renjun-ge but I’m busy,”
His eyes instantaneously goes back to his phone. The stretch of silence afterwards kills Renjun mentally. He crosses over to the table to take a peek at what’s making him quote-on-quote busy (an overstatement of the century by a man who is a business student and a trust fund from Shanghai. With all that money in your bank account the world is your playground.)
“What the hell are you playing?”
Chenle shrieks loudly. Renjun almost snickers but keeps himself composed. Amusing, he supplies in his mind. Some students walking by their table gave them a side-eying glance. Renjun glares at them back.
“And what happened to privacy?!” Chenle hisses with his wide-eyed frown and face turning alarmingly red from the sheer embarrassing scene he had shown. Renjun can almost see white smoke billowing from his ears. He pulls his phone closer to his chest, afraid that Renjun might figure something out from his phone. Maybe he doesn’t want Renjun to know about a secret he’s not inclined to share.
“Privacy stopped existing between us a long time ago when you burst into my room while I had company ,” Renjun replies, “plus, I was just trying to take a look at your phone because you would just not talk to me!
“First of all, I said I was sorry, and who the hell doesn’t lock their door when they’re trying to get laid!”
“My door was broken and I texted you, b-t-w, maybe read your goddamn texts for once!”
“And you’re never this… weird whenever you’re playing games before. Are you hiding something from me?” One of his eyebrows quirk up. If Chenle’s face looks alarmingly red before, now, he might be hospitalised for his bright, fire truck red colour he’s sporting. Before Chenle can even do anything about his red-in-the-face appearance, Renjun snatches his phone from him.
Thank you, Chenle, a text reads in a frame of pink roses. The male character smiles, his hair blows swiftly from the wind. He holds up the player’s hand and gives it a soft kiss. I hope to see more of you again soon, he continues, the scene pans to the male character giving the player a wave then Jaemin walks away. The player remains awestruck standing still in the middle of the school garden feeling a lingering warmth on his hand.
Huh.
Chenle yanks back his phone from Renjun’s grips and scowls at him, snapping Renjun out from his reverie. He mumbles something but Renjun doesn’t decipher it over the thrilling discovery he has found. Is this what Renjun thinks this is? The thing that’s been keeping Chenle so preoccupied is him playing an otome game and not wanting to admit it. The smug look on Renjun’s face dreads Chenle.
Renjun’s face contorts wildly, trying to hold in his laughter but Chenle notices it anyway.
“Laugh all you want,” Chenle rolls his eyes “but just know there’s nothing wrong with me playing this game as a guy.”
“I’m not even judging you!” Renjun retorts back, a snort accidentally coming out. Chenle sends him a deeper frown.
He tries to keep his cool but it’s evident that he’s failing marginally with his trembling shoulders and subtly-but-not-so-subtly punching the knot twisting his stomach. Renjun just thinks it’s hilarious to know that Chenle, who prides himself as nonchalant and coolheaded also plays otome games.
Chenle telepathically sends a yeah, right to Renjun.
“I just never pegged you playing otome games though. Thought it was too girly,” Renjun shrugs.
“It’s not girly to play games aimed for women as a man. I thought we all agreed that men can and should be able to indulge in hobbies or activities even if it’s deemed as feminine,” Renjun can’t argue with that.
Once, Chenle had casually walked into his business studies class wearing a plaid mini skirt and giving a life-shocking heart attack to his 65-year-old professor that he loathed. How did Renjun know? He had heard it from several witnesses (Chenle’s classmates) and Chenle also recounted the story to Renjun too. He said something about trying to prove to his conservative professor that men can also wear skirts and look good in them. Safe to say, Chenle was smug the whole week for that.
“What game was that anyway?” Renjun asks after seeing Chenle putting his phone back in his back pocket.
“Dream In a Dream: Love Simulator,” Chenle answers without missing a beat and gripping his face and groans, flustered for getting found out.
“Mark recommended it to me saying how I should broaden my taste in games or whatever instead of playing Pubg all the time,” Chenle supplies, his ears turning pinker by the second mentioning Mark’s name. He then whines. “Mark said that it was good and he got recommended to play it because of Taeyong but Renjun…” he splutters, “you know I can’t resist those eyes he’s giving you when he’s tells you something and looks in your eyes like they house fucking stars,”
“You could’ve said no.” Renjun gives him a dead-eyed stare.
“And watch him shrivel up and give you those sad, droopy puppy eyes and die? Are you crazy!” Chenle’s eyes go so wide Renjun swears they’re about to pop out from his eye sockets.
“God, why don’t you man up and admit that you like him and just shove your tongue down his throat instead of deflecting your feelings,” Renjun snaps, giving Chenle a once-over and tsk. It’s unlike him to be down this bad over someone because god forbid Chenle to willingly admit that he can actually like someone without wanting to dig himself a hole and bury in it.
Chenle slumps down on his chair, tired to give out another word.
“In my defence, Mark told me he’s struggling to clear Jaemin’s route and he’s wasted enough gems already that he’s broke. I downloaded this game so I can clear the route and show it off to Mark. He’s devastated because he keeps on getting the bad ending from Jaemin and I’m trying to make him feel better by getting the good ending for him,” Chenle sounds so pathetic in Renjun’s eyes that he cringes.
Renjun almost pities Chenle— almost . He had been in the same predicament as Chenle two years ago during freshman year. He had been in love with Mark but who hasn’t really? He’s nice and hot and has his social life basically intact. He’s like those two-for-one deals for crippling bachelors and Renjun is also not immune to it. Well it’s all in the past now and he can finally talk to Mark without wanting to combust on the spot. Small wins.
Loser, mumbles Renjun which earns him a glare.
But before Chenle can comment on it he can feel his phone vibrating in his pocket and takes it out to see who’s messaging him. Chenle reads the notification and he’s about to gasp before controlling his face to maintain a neutral emotion but Renjun can’t be fooled by his poker face. He can see Chenle’s eyebrow twitching. He starts to gather his things and packs up his bag hastily. Chenle’s about to leave the dining hall when he’s stopped by Renjun.
“Where are you going? I thought we’re going to eat together,”
“I did way before you came here. I have—uh… I have to help Ningning with one of her assignments right now,” Chenle gives him a wave and heads out.
Renjun knows it’s a lie. Mark probably texted Chenle to see him and that’s why he hurriedly ran away but now how the hell is Renjun going to eat here when he’s all alone because Chenle has ditched him for a guy. He feels a tiny bit vilified and hurt but no pain can be any more worse than eating alone. Don’t get Renjun wrong he believes in having the power to eat by yourself but personally Renjun will rather stick to eating with someone rather than being pitied at by a student for looking like a depressingly lonely guy eating food all alone at a corner. Now he has to trudge back to his apartment and order takeout instead. God .
♠️
“That concludes our lecture for today and don’t forget to hand in your assignment on Friday,” Professor Kim announces to his students, closing his powerpoint presentation and plugging his computer out from the projector’s adapter.
Some of the students in his class sigh in relief while Renjun is thankful he doesn’t have to be in Professor Kim’s physics class for the entire day. He’ll literally and figuratively jump in front of a moving train if he has to sit one more hour to listen to his professor explain about the law of thermodynamics one more time. It’s over!!! Worst experience of my fucking life!!!!! He hurriedly starts packing up his pens and papers. Out of the doors, he sends a text to Jisung.
Renjun
you coming over?
i’m done with all my classes today so we can
finally watch that space movie we’ve been wanting to see back home
Jisung
Hyung 😭😭😭
I can’t I’m sorry 😭😭😭😭
I still have dance practice today
Ten-hyung says we can’t go until we’ve perfected our formation
Renjun
will it take long?
we can’t miss this when else are we going
to watch this movie together????
Jisung
Idk it’s up to Ten-hyung I guess
It could take hours…
💔
Renjun
i’ll wait for you
Jisung
🙁
I feel bad
You can watch the movie without me, hyung
But don’t spoil it for me if you do!!!!
Renjun
just finish your dance practice quickly and hurry home
Back at their shared apartment, Renjun kicks off his shoes and lunges towards the sofa; his bag is discarded somewhere around the living room. Him and Jisung have been meaning to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey together since it’s been on their to Letterboxd watchlist for months but they haven’t gotten time to do so because Renjun’s been busy studying (read: sobbing and throwing up) for his semester exams while Jisung’s busy with his dance practice. His team has been preparing for a dance competition lately and that’s why they both keep on delaying to watch the movie together. Judging by Jisung’s message, Renjun thinks his dance practice will end late at night especially when their competition is nearing.
He’d like to watch it alone but he knows it’ll be more enjoyable to have Jisung by his side so they can debate about the themes of the movie and the ending message it tries to convey as soon as it ends (Renjun also has no brain-to-mouth filter and will accidentally spoil it to Jisung so he’ll rather be safe than sorry lest Jisung will sulk for an eternity over it.) “Ah, hyung! Why did you have to ruin it for me?” Renjun can vividly hear Jisung whining and feel the onslaught headache coming. He’ll watch the movie next time instead.
Renjun glances at the clock on their living room wall. 4p.m. He has plenty of time to kill. First, he’ll shoot a text to Chenle first asking if he’s up for a round of Pubg (which he always is) then go and take a nice, long shower now that nobody can hog the bathroom. Renjun thinks it’s a good time to get back on the Pubg grind and rise up his ranking after weeks of not playing it. you up for pubg? He sends the message to Chenle then hurries off into the bathroom.
♠️
Renjun throws his phone to the other side of the sofa which it narrowly lands and drops to the floor instead with a loud, sad thump. His heart dies a little bit on the inside holding a prayer that his phone screen won’t be fucked. He picks up the phone and sighs in relief over not having to fork out his savings to repair the screen.
“Why are you so bad at this?” Chenle cackles through the speaker ruining Renjun’s momentary relief. Listen, Renjun chalks up the reason for him losing significantly in their Pubg game over his faulty game controls, which, in turn makes it difficult for him to move around accurately and defeat their opponents!
“I’m going to delete this game.” Renjun grimaces while Chenle laughs harder over Renjun’s misery.
“ One more round! ” Chenle says probably trying to lift up his spirits but it’s not working when during their whole Pubg session Chenle’s been berating him nonstop for having a horrible aim that makes him feel bad over his poor gameplay. “No, I’m not up for it.” Renjun laments.
“Don’t be sad, ge!” He consoles Renjun but it remains futile when his next choice of words were: “You kind of suck but it’s okay you can help me with the next round by just keeping watch while I’ll do the shooting, okay baby?”
Renjun is this close to ending their call.
“If you don’t stop I’m going to hang up on you,” He threatens him.
“Make me.”
Renjun ends the call.
At last, peace has returned.
It’s short lived anyway. It’s 6 now and Jisung hasn’t returned home yet and Renjun is still bored out of his mind. He could get started on Professor Kim’s assignment but he digresses. Renjun thinks he still has his life together but not that together to warrant him already starting his assignment. He’s not even close to being neurotic, plus, the deadline is two days away.
Suddenly, a thought strucks Renjun. He immediately dials Chenle.
“What?” Chenle snarks.
“What’s that game that you’re playing? The one Mark recommended to you,”
“Dream In a Dream: Love Simulator,” Chenle questions him. “Why?”
“Nothing…” Renjun drawls, already typing the app name in the app store. “Just thinking maybe I should try it out too, trying to change up the genre of games I’m playing.”
“You’re kidding right?” He can hear Chenle scoff. Rude . “You’re like the last person who’s willing to change. You’re practically repugnant by it.”
“Well, here’s me trying!” Renjun barks and quickly ends the call, again. He can feel 5 years of his life drained completely due to Chenle.
Dream In a Dream: Love Simulator
Ratings & Review: 4.5 out of 5 / ★★★★☆
mymbticute 💬
has a good storyline and characters. the only flaw about this game is that the amount of gems you receive for succeeding is little compared to how much you can spend for
bluewave 💬
10/10 would SMASH
hehecat 💬
where did the “jeno submissive and breedable” review go?
Renjun reads the reviews and he too would like to know who Jeno is and why he is submissive and breedable?
Just as Renjun installs the game, his phone starts to vibrate and clacker causing it to drop on the floor continuously thudding. Suddenly, a bright, white light beams from his phone covering the space he’s in in stark light.
“What’s happening?”
╒═══════════════════════✰°
System:
Initiating data
Please wait…
█▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 𝟏𝟎%
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“Stop!” Renjun shouts but he’s only met with silence. The loading sequence increases in number.
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System:
Initiating data
Please wait…
█████▒▒▒▒▒ 𝟓𝟎%
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In a fit of hysterics, he picks up his phone and tries turning it off. “Why is it not working?!” Renjun screams and throws it on the ground hoping to break it so whatever situation that he currently is in will stop.
╒═══════════════════════✰°
System:
Initiating data
Please wait…
███████▒▒▒ 𝟕𝟓%
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“No, no, no! Make it stop!” He pleads, the panic is surging into his body. Renjun has to find a way out but… where? The whole room is covered in white and there’s no exit. There’s no way to escape.
╒═══════════════════════✰°
System:
Initiating data
Please wait…
██████████ 𝟏𝟎𝟎%
°✰═══════════════════════╛
╒═══════════════════════✰°
System:
Data initiation complete
Transmission successful
You are now entering:
Dream In a Dream: Love Simulator
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What? Before Renjun can figure out what’s going on, a sliver of his skin starts to illuminate in the same light. He looks at his hands and screams in terror. It’s spreading all over his body, succumbing him and swallowing him whole. Finally, the light blinds him.