After several months overseas, I returned to my home in Japan.
I'm in my mid-twenties and was part of an anti-terrorism military unit. Since I had some free time, I decided to buy some video games.
They were on sale, so I grabbed as many as I could and started playing them one by one.
Just as I finished the last one, I stumbled upon a peculiar title.
It was called "Hope of Love in Wartime"—or "SenChu~" for short. I preferred the English version, which apparently had a Western release under the name "Kiss-War~."
I thought it was some old-school Western war game set in the 1800s, but I was dead wrong. The game I bought had nothing to do with that.
The moment I booted it up, a sickeningly sweet intro played, making me think, "Is this a game for women?" And it was. The genre was called an "otome game."
I was about to eject it and demand a refund when something stopped me.
The reason was simple—I was captivated by the character designs.
Their eyes, hair, and outfits were all stunning, but the one detail that made me keep it was the artist's name in the credits: Akamagi.
She was one of the most famous artists in the adult genre, known for drawing breathtaking female characters. But it wasn't just their beauty—their bodies were pure eroticism.
Big hips, slender waists, and massive breasts. You could recognize her art from a mile away.
Even though the game toned down the bust sizes, they were still big enough to clearly appeal to male players.
I quickly searched her up online and, sure enough, it was her.
"Is it weird for a woman to draw erotic art for men?"
I used to think so, but apparently, it's pretty normal.
Her social media was full of 18+ posts, all locked behind a paywall.
I checked player reviews for the game.
Most were overwhelmingly positive.
People praised the characters, the plot twists, everything.
Men loved the female designs, and women loved the male ones.
A few Westerners complained about the "unrealistic" breast sizes, but they got shut down fast.
In the end, I decided to play it. "What's the harm, right?"
◇
"Eliza, how dare you hurt Lydie?!"
"Your Highness, you're mistaken! That woman is the one at fault!"
"I don't want to hear another word from your filthy mouth!"
…Wait a second.
"I refuse to accept her!"
"Mother, she's the woman I love. The entire country supports us!"
"Your Highness… I love you too."
No, hold on—
"Lydie, we can finally be together."
"Yes… I've always wanted this."
"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK—?!"
I nearly smashed my controller on the floor.
What kind of garbage is this?!
Is this seriously a romance game?!
Sure, it's rated 16+, but… but…
"I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS BULLSHIIIIIIIT!!!"
First off, yeah, it's a game for women, so maybe it's not for me.
But this is just nonsense.
The protagonist (or "heroine," as they call her—but I'll call her a bitch because that's what she is) makes the most toxic decisions.
I'm no expert—I haven't had many relationships—but even I can spot a walking red flag.
She's a commoner adopted by a noble, yet she talks down to a prince?
Not only that, she shamelessly flirts with engaged men—even older ones!
She's a full-blown slut in my book.
Just because it's a "reverse harem" doesn't mean you get to NTR everyone!
The story is trash too—the whole world revolves around her.
But the worst part? Every female character (all prettier than her, mind you) becomes her enemy.
And as enemies, they get horrific endings—sold off to ugly nobles, exiled, abused, or just killed off.
I liked them because they were all gorgeous and stacked, but reading their fates made me sick.
Eliza's final scene, watching her fiancé embrace another woman, was gut-wrenching.
My head started pounding. I left a scathing review online and went to return this dumpster fire.
◇
I was so blinded by rage that I barely noticed my surroundings.
People were whispering, but I didn't care.
I just wanted to return this crap, grab some food, and maybe find a girl to vent my frustration on.
But then I realized—something was off.
The streets of Shinjuku were empty.
That… wasn't normal.
Signs were knocked over, food was scattered—like everyone had vanished.
As I turned a corner, someone crashed into me.
We both fell, but when I got up, I saw the man was covered in blood.
I tried to help, but he shoved me away and ran.
Then—BOOM.
A thunderous noise echoed, and a flood of people came sprinting down the street.
Some were bleeding. Others carried the wounded.
"The hell? A movie shoot?"
I started running to avoid ruining the scene when—
BANG.
A searing pain shot through my back.
Hot. My strength drained away.
Blood pooled beneath me as I collapsed.
A masked figure loomed over me—another terrorist.
"Dammit… Intel said there was only one…"
The barrel of his rifle flashed—
Sirens wailed in the distance.
"So I die like some NPC… for returning a shitty game…"
◇
I woke up in my apartment.
"A… bad dream?"
Then my phone buzzed. An unknown number.
I ignored it. It buzzed again.
I blocked it, but then—my screen lit up on its own.
Breaking News: Anti-terror unit member among casualties in Shinjuku attack.
My name. My photo.
"…So I really died."
Strangely, I didn't feel sad.
After seeing so many comrades die, even my own death just felt… numb.
A new message appeared:
"We commend your sacrifice. You have been granted reincarnation."
"Reincarnation…?"
A peaceful world? No—a life without conflict would be boring.
A classless utopia? I don't care about that.
My eyes fell on the game lying on the floor.
"Send me into that damn otome game world."
Why? Simple—I wanted to save the "tragic villainesses."
In the game, they were doomed. But now? I'd rewrite their fates.
The reply came instantly:
"Random reincarnation. Gender, status not guaranteed."
"Wait! At least make me young—"
Light swallowed everything.
◇◇◇
It was a night of torrential rain—the kind that would make even the bravest sailor refuse to go out fishing.
A massive castle was illuminated by the lightning strikes tearing across the sky.
In a certain room, where windows rattled against the howling winds and a fireplace crackled, lay a grand hall filled with luxurious furniture.
Normally, this was a place of relaxation and recreation for the family, but tonight, only two little girls were present.
These two girls looked like spitting images of each other—they were twins, a rarity in this world.
Sob
The younger one was buried under her blankets.
Her elder sister pulled the covers away and confronted her:
"How pathetic you look. It's just a storm."
The older sister acted with maturity beyond her mere five years, but that very age still meant she ought to be childish.
Another bolt of lightning struck nearby, flooding the room with intense light. She hid, too.
"D-don't get the wrong idea. I was just, umm, looking for my hairpin that fell."
"It's on your head, Onee-chan."
"I-I put it back on already."
The elder sister snuggled up next to her younger sister and pulled out a storybook.
"Since Father isn't here today, I'll read you a story."
"Can you read better now?"
"Who do you take me for? Nothing is too hard for me."
The girl opened to the first page, and her cute face twisted in discomfort.
"O-once… upon… a t-time…"
"You read like an old man."
"S-shut up!"
Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching—fast. The younger sister jumped out of bed.
"Onee-chan, Mommy and Daddy are finally here!"
The girl ran to the door, but when she opened it, her joyful expression turned to disappointment.
"It's you, Jason. I thought it was Mommy and Daddy coming back."
A huge man stood before her. He was drenched in rainwater and mud, and despite that, sweat beaded on his skin.
The elder sister climbed down from the bed, sensing something wrong.
"Jason, it's odd for you to come instead of our father. Did they get delayed again?"
Seeing both girls before him, the giant spoke words that—though nearly drowned out by a thunderclap—the two heard clearly.
That night, two little girls shed tears that were lost to the rain. Marking the beginning of that game-like world.