1 I am Gilbert Bedivere. Apart from being handsome, I am still searching for my other strengths.
I woke up in a new world, which is different from the previous one.
This world has no computer for cyber spying. Instead, there are magic and crystal balls that allow you to stalk other people if you are talented enough. This world has no cars or motorcycles for you to rev up the engine. However, there are carts (if you are rich) and dragons (if you can tame them to become your vehicles).
To sum up…
I have just arrived in another world.
At first, I thought it was just a dream I had because I had been reading such a novel... But as time passed by, I began to accept that…either my soul has left my previous body, or I am actually dead.
Did I accept the truth too easily?
Hey! Believe me, I assume you will also be able to adapt as easily as I am if you have a younger sister who is a fujoshi— a girl who loves romantic relationships between men, and if you can bear it when that boy-crazed sister raves about her anime ships, and convinces you to play Otome games as well as orders you to ink a pencil sketch for her 18+ doujinshi.
I am sure if there is a pair of homosexual guys kissing in front of me, I will just give them an indifferent look and say 'Ah…’ before walking away quietly.
For me, apart from having a fujoshi sister…everything in my life is extremely easy to accept.
Even though I am a bit upset that, in the end, I will not be able to know whether my sister will date an actual guy or stay single while hugging a pillow with her favorite anime guy printed on it for the rest of her life… I am truly regretful from the bottom of my heart.
I hope that after I become skillful enough, I will be able to use my magic to see what is going on in another world…well, I mean, if it is possible, of course.
“Are you sick, Gil?”
“Ah, no, I'm fine.”
I answer my best friend in this life, who slightly raises his eyebrows, with a smile before shifting my attention back to the teacup as before.
In this world, I was born into Duke Bedivere's family with the name Gilbert Bedivere—a classy name combined with a slight banality from the previous world. I have golden hair and eyes, an adorable face, and cute chubby cheeks, just like other normal six-year-old boys. Hm…I really hope that I will not grow up to become a plain-looking guy as the saying goes, 'Beautiful babies tend to become quite ugly once they grow up…’
But if that saying actually comes true…ah, I really want it to happen to my best friend.
I glance at the handsome face of a six-year-old boy…and by handsome, I mean really handsome since an early age that it makes me feel odd. My best friend, Nigel Gawain, is a son of Duke Gawain. He is extremely attractive to the point that if there is a kindergarten in this world, you might see little girls fighting over this kid. Meanwhile, the boys might instinctively form alliances against him.
“Gil?” A still pair of silvery eyes look at me. A silver color which resembles someone who has cataracts…yes, they are really silver, and they are able to see properly (I have already tested them). He looks at me with no expression on his face. “Do you want to say something to me?”
“Ah, it's nothing, Nigel.” I smile softly before sipping tea to hide my awkwardness. It will sound too evil if I tell him I was secretly cursing him to become less attractive. “Hm, I just thought…a lot of maids are walking past this area…”
Nigel froze. His face has gone pale, his eyebrows quirked, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Perhaps I have not mentioned that this handsome kid in front of me is scared of women.
But most people don’t really know about this. Everyone only knows the son of Duke Gawain is so good-looking that a pretty maid almost claimed his virginity. But luckily…help arrived just in time, and the little boy’s virginity was not stolen. However, it turned this child into an introvert who is afraid of every woman, even his own mother.
Hmm…what would it be like if the person who tried to claim his virginity was a man…
I pause and sip my tea, then tell myself…
That was a close one…there is no crazy fujoshi sister in this world to egg me on. I should grow up as a normal boy who has a normal life, normal friends, and a lovely girlfriend like a normal person!
After having that thought, I started to calm down. I look at my little friend, who begins to look to his left and his right. Maybe he wants to talk inside the mansion but is too embarrassed to say since he cannot find any proper excuses. Thus, I decided to smile gently and place my teacup down. “Shall we continue our conversation inside the mansion instead?”
“Yes.” Nigel quickly nods before standing up abruptly. Then he stops a little once he realizes his action may seem rude, but when he sees my smile, he breathes a sigh of relief.
Nigel might not expect me to know about his fear of women, but I’m so sorry, buddy. I may look like this, but in my previous life I also had a younger sister, and I was not that young either; piecing things together is not a difficult task for me!
However, it seems like he wants to hide it…so I will just turn a blind eye to this for now.
I have a slight smile on my face while I follow Nigel since he is the host. Although he is my best friend, I see him as more of an adorable little brother. If someone asks me to choose between a fujoshi sister and a brother who is scared of women, I will have to apologize to my absent sister because I will definitely choose a brother…
“If I’m not mistaken…today Hareve…is coming too…” A mumble that comes from the little kid walking in front of me makes me raise my eyebrow, but I decide not to ask.
Honestly, I’ve been living here for five years, but still don’t know much about the other dukes, except for my own father and the father of the person in front of me. Unlike Nigel, who is not only attractive but also has a lovable personality along with a determination to learn about everything, so he could quickly grow up to become a perfect man, I must admit that I do not really want to research anything about the dukes.
Every time my father saw Nigel, his eyes would sparkle. But when he shifted his gaze to me…I am sorry father, this son of yours prefers slow living…
Besides, I really want to tell Nigel that just by his look alone, none of the boys will want to become his friends. Being perfect and intelligent since birth with everything one can wish for like this…perhaps I should find a new friend too.
“Gil…” Nigel’s voice pulls me back from my inner thoughts. “Today Hareve is coming too. This person is one of my friends, so…would you…like to have some tea with us…”
The phrase 'one of Nigel’s friends' makes me raise my eyebrow. With a face like this, I don’t think he will be able to find more friends.
Hm, now I want to see that friend of his.
“Yes, please.” Nigel grins widely after I say that…oh my little brother. As a friend and a person who assumed the role of an older brother, I advise you not to smile like that. Because not only the girls might pull you aside, but the boys might make you disappear as well.
I will warn him later then.
I follow Nigel until we stop in front of a certain room. Nigel knocks on the door gently before pushing it open. A broad smile appears on his face after seeing someone’s back. That person is currently sipping tea on an upholstered armchair. Judging by his reaction, I can assume that they certainly have a very good relationship.
It is quite difficult to identify gender when looking at that person from the back, especially when this person has long white hair and wears a long white coat that looks similar to a skirt, which makes it even more difficult to identify.
“Hareve!”
Nigel calls out the other’s name with joy, allowing me to get a full vision of Hareve’s face. This person has an attractive figure, but maybe two-quarters less than Nigel. However, that peculiar eye color can eventually fulfill the missing two-quarters, making him as good-looking as Nigel. There is no doubt why both of them are able to stand beside each other.
Rainbow eyes
I feel…strange.
Rainbow eyes… Hareve… Nigel… Gawain…
...
'Kyaa!! Look at this! Hareve just appeared in the second episode. Kyaa!! Hareve Lancelooottt!'
'Don’t pull my shirt! You’re gonna rip it! So, you crazy fujoshi, is this the Hareve who you said was very handsome? I think…he’s kinda weird. Hm, rainbow eyes? How many colors did they use?'
'Rainbow eyes are Hareve’s selling point! I even planned my next doujin to be Hareve x Cass!!'
'Whatever…but does that guy have cataracts in his eyes? Why is his eye color super light…?’
'How dare you! You, stupid brother, can slap me, but you can’t insult my man! Nigel has silver eyes, you idiot! Well, well! Wherever Nigel goes, Gil is ALWAYS with him. I REALLY want the creator team to create a spring version of the game for the 3P route of Nigel x Cass x Gil.'
…
My face becomes paler…and paler.
Especially when that pair of rainbow eyes slowly land on me, the extended hand sends a chill up my spine.
Oh god…
“Er…May I ask you a question?” I try to suppress my tremor in order to ask a very important question. “Are you…Hareve Lancelot?”
That unusual pair of rainbow eyes blink slightly. At this moment, I really pray that he is not. This cannot be true. What karma is this? The connection between my sister and me is long gone since I was born in this world…
“Yes…I am Hareve Lancelot.”
Oh........
Oh.............
The corner of my mouth twitches the same way Nigel does when he sees a woman. The words that the person in front of me just said hit me in the head. Hareve Lancelot…obviously…more than obviously…
“Nigel…could you…list the present ducal families…please…?”
Although Nigel is still puzzled, he begins to list them out. This helps to confirm a particular truth, which makes me want to cry.
“...Of course...er...Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, Tristan, Bors, Percival, Lamorak, Kay, Gareth, Gaheris, Geralt, and Bedivere.”
Lancelot...Lancelot!!
There is no need to ask...
“The king...”
“King Arthur?”
As if everything is spinning, I fall to the floor and begin to cry right at that second, shocking both Nigel and Hareve. So they help to console me while still being confused like they do not really understand why I am crying. They will not understand. They will never understand me!!
You may not know anyone from the Knights of the Round Table, but you should know Lancelot!
When I heard the name Lancelot, I was sure that…the ducal families in this world are references to the names of the Knights of the Round Table from the legend of King Arthur[1].
But that is not what is giving me a mental breakdown. It is because of where I am and the person who is consoling me right now.
Hareve Lancelot...
A guy who has the bestselling character song at this moment, ranks fourth in figure sales, ranks second in Figma sales, and has separate light novels for his own route2 of at least three routes!!
A guy whom girls are crazy over, and my sister is also one of them. He is an owner of the SM3 route within the game. Nigel is the second-ranked character, the owner of a route of an ice-cold guy, who girls are trying to melt the ice in his heart. Ha ha ha…
Melting the ice in his heart by playing as a male character.
Yes, at this point, many of you might be able to piece everything together already. Hareve Lancelot and Nigel Gawain are the characters in a dating simulator game that is not an Otome game 4, where a girl flirts with guys. Instead, it is a BL game5!!
And it will not be depressing at all if I am not Gilbert Bedivere, the owner of the immoral love route6, which includes a new route like the 3P route. It is a brand-new route that was added into the game by the creator team before I died, and it is also a route that my sister was screaming about every day!
Dear God, I am a guy…a mere ordinary guy who does not want to become the greatest man and does not want to lose his manhood either…
I look up at my best friend, who will be on the same 3P route with me. Nigel looks at me with concern before wiping away my tears. What a gentleman…but I do not want it right now. I extend my hand to grab Nigel’s small wrist before I try hard to utter…
“Nigel…I beg you…from now on…please don’t come near me.”
For the sake of securing my manhood and preventing myself from stealing others’ manhood, the most dangerous person like you should not come into my life!
I duck my head before standing up and running off as if I am a little girl who is running away from the truth. Yes! I am currently running away from the truth while paying no mind to Nigel’s cry. I bet if my fujoshi sister were here she would have said…
'Oh hoho! Even if you aren’t with me, you can’t escape the BL world!!'
Absolutely.
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[1] The legend of King Arthur: a gallant warrior king who pulled out the Excalibur sword with the Knights of the Round Table by his side
[2] Route: a path, a separate storyline within a game
[3] SM: sadism and masochism, the pleasure derives from inflicting and receiving pain
[4] Otome game: a dating simulator game where the main character is a female male flirting with guys
[5] BL Game: Boy’s love game, a dating simulator game where the main character is a male flirting with guys
[6] Immoral love: a love that is morally wrong, a forbidden love
