Have you ever been mocked for liking something "meant for the opposite gender"?
Maybe you collect dolls.
Maybe you enjoy love between the same gender.
Maybe you read reverse-harem novels and get strange looks for it.
If you've ever felt judged for that—don't worry. You're not alone.
I used to think hobbies had some kind of gender assignment, like certain interests became forbidden territory just because you weren't the "target audience." But somewhere along the way, I stopped caring. If something is good, it's good.
That's how I ended up quietly sitting beside the window of a small book café, holding a novel that was definitely not written with men in mind.
The warm smell of coffee drifted through the air, soft chatter filled the background, and sunlight spilled lazily across my table. A peaceful afternoon—perfect for reading.
The book in my hand was titled:
"어라? 내가 소설 주인공이라고?"
"What? I'm the Protagonist of a Novel."
A friend of mine—who was very much into romance webnovels—recommended it.
"It's cute, chaotic, dramatic, and will melt your heart," she said.
She wasn't wrong.
The story followed a girl who suddenly fell into a visual novel game and accidentally replaced the original heroine. A classic reverse-harem setup, filled with handsome male leads and a protagonist who kept stumbling her way into romantic scenarios she never asked for.
Even as a guy, I found myself drawn in. Sure, I couldn't self-insert into the main character's shoes, but there was something charming about reading stories where the woman wasn't treated like a fragile flower who needed constant rescuing.
Korean webnovels excelled at that—fresh ideas, new dynamics, interesting power systems. They always gave me something to look forward to.
I turned another page.
「She jumped on top of him and pressed her lips lightly against his, a playful gleam in her eyes.
"That makes us even," Charlotte said with a triumphant smile.
The two of them sat quietly beneath the rising sun, its soft glow marking a new beginning.
After everything she'd been through, Charlotte Everbright.
No!
Seo Nari finally accepted the truth—she really was the protagonist of this world.」
"Aaaahh… that was great."
I leaned back in my chair, stretching a little.
I had been reading for three hours straight without realizing it. Not surprising—I was already on volume seven.
"The author really fixed things after volume five," I murmured. "That ending was actually nice."
I closed the book, staring at the cover with a satisfied smile.
"Is this how women feel after finishing a romance novel? Emotional… relieved… fulfilled?"
I snorted at myself.
Who was I asking? Definitely not someone qualified to answer.
I flipped to the author's note page. As expected, it was the usual—thank you, future plans, the classic heartfelt message every volume ended with. Still nice, though.
"Well… I guess that's enough for today."
I yawned. "Time to return this and head home for a nap."
I stood up and stretched lazily. The café was calm—soft music, clinking cups, the distant sound of the espresso machine. I walked to the shelf to return the book, but as I tilted it forward—
slip
Something slid out from between the last few pages and fluttered to the ground.
"Huh?"
I bent down to pick it up.
It was a train ticket.
___
Passenger Name : Asher Reiner
Train Name : Silver Line Express
Train Number : 0817
___
"Is this… a merch?"
Some novels might came with special items for deluxe editions. Maybe this was one of them?
"Who's name is this?"
I held it up to the light. It was oddly clean, almost too clean, like it had never been touched.
And it wasn't like it belonged to anyone either—the date clearly showed a year that didn't make sense.
[Oct-6-751]
Since it clearly wasn't mine, I walked to the front desk.
The staff member was slouched over his phone, tapping rapidly on the screen like he was fighting boss enemies in whatever game he was playing.
"Excuse me…"
He jumped slightly, sitting upright. "Ah—yes? How can I help you?"
"I want to return this book," I said, holding it out. "And I found this inside. I think it might be part of the novel's merchandise."
He took the book, flipping it over and checking the barcode.
Then he examined the train ticket, raising an eyebrow.
"This isn't the deluxe edition," he said. "There shouldn't be any merch."
He handed the ticket back.
"You can keep it. It seems that this was some sort of prank."
"Really? You just gave this to me?" I asked.
"Really. It's all yours."
"Well… thanks. I guess."
"No problem. Have a good day."
'well that's weird.'
I stepped outside right after.
The sky was bright and clear, a gentle breeze brushing past. The perfect weather for a short walk.
I slid the train ticket out of my pocket again. It still looked perfectly blank—almost too perfect. The plastic was smooth, cold, and strangely sturdy.
Then I flipped it over.
There—engraved into the back—was a familiar symbol.
"…Wait a sec."
I leaned closer.
"Isn't this the insignia of Luminaris Grand Church?"
The same church from the novel.
The very same crest shown in the illustrations.
Something so recognizable, iconic, and impossible to mistake.
"Whoa… this is actually looks real."
I stared at it for a few seconds. Something about holding a fictional train ticket made the whole thing feel strangely immersive—like I was holding a prop from a drama set.
"Well… might as well tear this apart."
I grabbed both sides, ready to rip it apart.
But as I ripped the ticket apart, the wind around me suddenly stopped, and everything became silent, as if the world itself had frozen.
The kids running around laughing now looked like statues, same for the birds in the sky and the water from the fountain.
"Why's everything gray?"
Everything I saw had turned gray, leaving the only colored thing just me and the ripped ticket.
The words on the ticket began to glow.
"…Is this some kind of sick joke?!"
At first, I thought it was a trick of the light. But the letters weren't just glowing—they were breathing, pulsing with a faint rhythm like a heartbeat.
It grew brighter until I had to shield my eyes.
"Fuck!"
I dropped the ticket instinctively, shaking my hand.
My skin wasn't blistered, but it tingled like it'd been slapped with a hot iron.
"What kind of paper is this ticket made of?!"
Then the entire surface erupted in blinding white light.
"H-Hey—what the—?!"
The glow didn't stop at the ground.
It crawled outward, like spiderweb fractures of light spreading through the air itself.
Before I could move—before I could even think—the world snapped.
The light swallowed my hand.
Then my arm.
Then my chest, pulling me in like a riptide.
I squeezed my eyes shut, but it didn't matter. The brightness pierced straight through my eyelids, through my skull, leaving everything blank.
Then, silence.
A long, heavy silence.
The burning faded first. Then the ringing. Then the world slid back into focus, warped at the edges.
I blinked and realized I was sitting in a booth—two benches facing each other, a narrow table squeezed between them. The carriage hummed under my feet. Sunlight cut a sharp line across the tabletop, and for some reason that made my stomach drop.
Two young man sat across from me. Strangers. One sat stiff and alert. The other kept rubbing the back of his neck like he was still trying to wake up.
Without realizing it, I already wore a cassock. Black robe, silver trim. Stiff fabric, faint starch smell. A name tag stitched on the left breast.
Asher Reiner.
The same exact name on the train ticket.
"C-Cardinal Reiner," the blond kid blurted, voice shaking. "We were told to wait here with you."
Cardinal.
The title meant absolutely nothing to me—But it clearly meant everything to them.
Panic crawled under my ribs. My heartbeat thudded loud in the cramped booth. I wanted to demand answers, but all that came out was:
"—Sweet mother of pearl!" The words that came out of my mouth weren't the kind of swear I wanted to shout. But I already said it anyway.
The blond kid flinched like I was about to strike him.
"S-sorry! I know it doesn't make sense for a commoner to sit with a cardinal—I didn't mean—"
The fear in his voice was real. Not the fake kind of fear people use to impress someone important. Real fear.
Panicking wouldn't help. Freaking out in front of two man definitely wouldn't help.
"…Sorry," I said, trying to steady myself. "That was… insightful of me."
I needed information. I needed my head clear.
The train suddenly jolted, making everything in the booth rattle. A suitcase beside me toppled over.
Mine?
It had to be.
I opened it. Inside I found Clothes, miscellaneous items, and a sealed letter.
'I' ll read it later.'
Not when two strangers were watching me like I might explode.
"Let's start over." I straighten my posture.
"I'm... Asher Reiner." the name came out weirdly,, since those weren't my actual name.
The darker-skinned boy reached out to shake my hand. His emerald eyes were sharp—too sharp for someone his age.
"Yes, sir. We've heard a lot about you. Sitting in the same booth with the genius of the Church of Moon Lunaris… it's a dream come true."
"…I'm really thankful for your compliment."
"I'm Bishop Tanner," he added, jerking a thumb toward the blond kid. "And he's Senior Bishop Hugo."
Hugo gave a small, nervous bow, clutching a thick book to his chest.
Tanner.
Hugo.
The names hit my ears strange—not familiar, just… distinct.
Like something I might've heard once years ago and forgot.
But none of this helped.
I sighed heavily, enough for them to feel my frustrations.
Tanner leaned forward carefully, like I might snap if he makes any wrong mo.
"Cardinal Reiner…? Should we call someone?"
Cardinal.
Right.
They kept calling me that.
I forced a breath out through my teeth.
Okay.
Think.
No matter how insane this was, I couldn't freak out in front of strangers.
"I'm fine,"
The lies came out perfectly, more than I thought it would.
I look towards the window,
"…Where is this train heading again?"
My tone came out steadier than I expected.
Good.
Inside, though, everything was shaking, because none of this makes sense.
And if this wasn't a very strong hallucinations…
Then I had no idea what it was.
They looked confused and glanced at each other before asking.
"Uhhh… We are heading to Luminaris Grand Church, right?" Hugo said as if this was the most obvious thing, eyebrows furrowed.
"Oh… I was just making sure."
I forced a smile, but my pulse was thundering. I leaned back into my seat and shut my eyes, screaming internally.
Is this a dream?
I pinched my own thighs and it hurts, real bad.
"How long is it until we arrive?"
Hugo pulled out a pocket watch, he looked at the watch for several second before saying.
"Around... 12 minutes if I'm correct."
I don't know what just happened, nor do I know who is this Asher Reiner guy.
But there's one thing that's certainly important.
'i need to act like him.'
To be continued.