I Have a Stalker of Noble Status. And to Make Matters Worse, their Numbers are Increasing (BL) - Chapter 29

“I… I’m extra content…?”

Hearing my stunned whisper, Max, who had been reeling from the revelation about the remake version, suddenly snapped to attention.

“Rick!”

“Max… what do I do? I…”

I had started to suspect that I might have some connection to that otome game.

After all, I kept getting dragged into all sorts of events, and the characters wouldn’t stop hovering around me.

But still—being told that I was the protagonist?

That was something else entirely.

And on top of that…

I swallowed back the words that had almost slipped out and instead asked a different question.

“…What exactly is ‘extra content’?”

“That’s what you’re asking!?”

Surprisingly, it wasn’t just Max—even the transfer student blurted it out at the same time.

But I mean, come on, this conversation is full of unfamiliar terms! Shouldn’t we start with the basics?

“Well… I guess that makes sense. If you suddenly hear ‘extra content’ out of nowhere, it wouldn’t make much sense to you.

You already understand the concept of a game from my previous explanations, right? ‘Extra content’ refers to additional storylines or characters that are added to an existing game.”

“…You can add characters after the game is released?”

“Yeah, as long as the game is connected to a network. That way, data can be updated and transferred.”

A network…? Data…?

Hmm… maybe it’s kind of like how, once a magic circuit is established, you can easily channel mana through it?

“I think I can grasp the basic idea—it’s like a magical circuit, right? But still, creating something that complex just for entertainment… Your world is really amazing.”

“Games aren’t just entertainment. They’re culture.”

“…Got it. My bad.”

Whew, that was close. I almost triggered Max’s otaku switch again.

Alright, so let’s summarize:

The original game existed, then it was remade, and I was added as a second protagonist in that version.

I’ll deal with my personal feelings about this revelation later—right now, I’m starting to understand the situation.

So then, the next question is…

“What’s BL?”

“GUH—!?”

Max let out a strangled noise and collapsed.

Wait, what!? Did I just activate some kind of forbidden incantation!?

I panicked at the sight of Max trembling violently, desperately trying to recall what had been said earlier.

The transfer student mentioned, “Now you can enjoy BL too!”

Surely it can’t be some sort of… curse they were talking about, right?

And Academy Prince⭐️Labyrinth!—or Prilabi, as it’s known—is a groundbreaking otome game.

An otome game is a genre where the player takes on the role of the protagonist and enjoys various romantic storylines with handsome love interests, right?

…Wait.

……Wait wait—

“…Rick, ‘BL’ refers to, uh… male-male relationships. You know, like… shudō… or, um, nanshoku. I think… yeah. Probably. I mean, I’m not exactly an expert or anything!?”

Max was visibly struggling to maintain his composure as he tried to explain.

…Oh.

…Oh.

Well, damn.

Just moments ago, I was thinking, I’m so glad Ray and Max are getting along! I hope the three of us can stay close forever!

And now?

Now we’re stuck in this suffocatingly awkward situation.

Welcome to hell.

“A-Ah! B-But there’s a completely normal ‘Friendship Ending’ too! And they even added female characters as romance options!”

Perhaps unable to endure the suffocating tension any longer, the transfer student frantically tried to backpedal.

…Wait, a Friendship Ending?

That basically confirms there are definitely some questionable endings in there! And let’s be honest, those are probably the main attraction!

“Female characters? Who?”

Of course, Max wasn’t about to overlook that detail—not even in the middle of this nightmarish conversation.

The passion of an otaku truly burns hotter than the flames of hell itself.

“Well, rather than ‘added,’ it’s more like… romance routes were made available for female characters who were already in the game…”

…That makes it sound even more suspicious.

“…Angelica and Violetta.”

WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT——!?!?

Wait, were they the only female characters to begin with?

If that’s the case, why would they even make those routes!?

“Oh, and by the way, if you play as the female protagonist, Angelica, you can still choose Violetta as a romance option.”

C H A O S.

Wait! If Ray finds out that Lady Violetta is a romanceable character, won’t he lose it!?

I quickly turned to check on Ray—only to find him standing there like an empty shell, his soul clearly having departed.

“RAY——!?!?”

No, Ray, no!

We already have someone assigned to the spiritually-detached role in this group!

“Hey! Ray! Snap out of it!”

Panicked, I grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently, calling his name over and over.

After a moment, Ray’s consciousness finally returned.

“H-Huh!? Pat!? I-I-It’s not what you think! I wasn’t… I wasn’t thinking anything strange—!!”

“Calm down, Ray. I get that you’re shocked that Lady Violetta is now a romance option, but—”

“WHAT!? VIOLETTA IS A ROMANCE OPTION!?”

…Wait.

Ray, how long were you checked out for?

“Uh… yeah, so basically—”

But before I could explain—

“Hey, Theo. Is the developer of the remake the same as the original?”

“Oh, yeah! It’s the same studio! When they made the original, the otome game genre didn’t even exist yet, so it caused a huge uproar. And now, even though this is a remake of an otome game, they introduced a selectable protagonist system where you can play as either a male or female lead. They’re considered an industry revolutionary.”

“…I see.”

While I was busy trying to re-explain the Violetta situation to Ray, Max had shifted his focus to questioning the transfer student about the game’s creators.

Man… Max really respects game developers, huh?