The capital city of Lumaria was exactly as impressive as the concept art had promised, except now Takeshi could smell it—a mixture of fresh bread, horse manure, and something floral he couldn't identify. The carriage ride with Duke Alaric had been awkward.
"ARRIVING AT MAIN STORY LOCATION," CUPID announced as they passed through iron gates adorned with roses. "THE GRAND ACADEMY OF HEARTS: WHERE NOBLES LEARN ETIQUETTE, MAGIC, AND FIND TRUE LOVE!"
"I wrote that tagline," Takeshi muttered.
"Did you say something?" Alaric asked.
"Just... admiring the architecture."
The Academy was a sprawling campus of white stone buildings, perfectly manicured gardens, and students in color-coded uniforms. Takeshi recognized it all—he'd spent months working with the background artists on this location. It was the central hub for all seven romance routes.
"I should inform you," Alaric said as they disembarked, "that the Academy year has already begun. You'll be joining mid-semester, which may prove... challenging."
"TUTORIAL QUEST: NAVIGATE YOUR FIRST DAY WITHOUT TRIGGERING ANY DEATH FLAGS," CUPID chimed. "KNOWN DEATH FLAGS AT ACADEMY: 23. WOULD YOU LIKE TO VIEW LIST?"
"Yes," Takeshi whispered.
A list materialized.
materialized, and his stomach dropped. He'd designed most of these himself—falling staircases, poisoned tea at the welcome party, the jealous rival noble, the forbidden section of the library that contained soul-stealing books. What had seemed like exciting plot points in a game now felt like a minefield.
"Miss Rosewood?" A new voice called out. Takeshi turned to see a young woman with auburn hair and sharp green eyes approaching. Lady Vivienne Ashford—the protagonist's rival in multiple routes, and the source of at least five bad endings.
"Oh no," he breathed.
"Oh yes!" Vivienne's smile was sharp. "I heard we'd be getting a new student. How... quaint." Her eyes flicked to Alaric, and her expression shifted subtly. "Your Grace. How kind of you to personally escort our new arrival."
"AFFECTION LEVEL: LADY VIVIENNE -20%," CUPID announced. "STATUS: HOSTILE. REASON: ROMANTIC JEALOUSY (DUKE ALARIC)."
The notification appeared above Vivienne's head, visible only to Takeshi. He'd programmed her as a rival character, giving her a hidden affection system that could either make her an ally or an enemy depending on player choices.
"Lady Ashford," Alaric nodded politely. "I trust you'll help Miss Rosewood acclimate to Academy life."
"Of course," Vivienne said sweetly. "I'll take excellent care of her."
"THREAT DETECTED," CUPID warned. "PROBABILITY OF POISONING ATTEMPT: 67%. PROBABILITY OF SOCIAL SABOTAGE: 94%."
Takeshi's developer knowledge kicked in. In the original game, befriending Vivienne was optional but beneficial—she had information about secret routes and could unlock special events. However, most players triggered her rivalry path by pursuing the characters she was interested in.
"Lady Ashford," Takeshi said, deciding to gamble on deviation, "I've heard so much about your accomplishments in magical theory. I was hoping you might tutor me? I'm afraid I'm rather behind."
Vivienne blinked. This clearly wasn't the response she'd expected. Above her head, the affection meter twitched.
"UNEXPECTED DIALOGUE CHOICE," CUPID noted. "CALCULATING..."
"You... want me to tutor you?" Vivienne's suspicion was evident.
"I'm terrible at practical magic," Takeshi continued, which was true—he'd never cast a spell in his life. "And I'd rather not embarrass myself. Everyone says you're the best in our year."
"AFFECTION LEVEL: LADY VIVIENNE +5%," CUPID chimed.
Alaric cleared his throat. "I should attend to other matters. Miss Rosewood, I hope we meet again soon." He bowed slightly—a gesture that sent several nearby students into whispered conversations—and departed.
Vivienne watched him go, then turned back to Takeshi with calculating eyes. "Very well. I'll tutor you. My schedule is quite full, but I suppose I can make time. Tomorrow afternoon, the Crystal Tower library. Don't be late."
As she walked away, CUPID provided an analysis: "VIVIENNE ASHFORD ROUTE: UNLOCKED (HIDDEN PATH). WARNING: THIS WAS AN UNFINISHED ROUTE. PROCEED WITH CAUTION."
"Wait, what?" Takeshi hissed. "I never programmed a Vivienne route."
"DEVELOPER MODE ACTIVE. ACCESSING INCOMPLETE DATA. VIVIENNE ASHFORD: SCRAPPED FEMALE ROMANCE OPTION. COMPLETION: 34%. PLANNED ENDING TYPE: [CORRUPTED]."
This was new. Takeshi had vaguely remembered discussions about including female romance options for inclusivity, but they'd been cut for time and budget. Yet here in this world, Vivienne apparently had hidden route data that could be triggered.
"ATTENTION: ROMANCE TARGET APPROACHING," CUPID warned. "CROWN PRINCE LYSANDER AURELIUS. CAUTION: MAIN ROUTE CHARACTER. HIGH DIFFICULTY. KNOWN FOR: UNEXPECTED PLOT TWISTS."
A young man with golden hair and violet eyes walked across the courtyard, surrounded by an entourage. Crown Prince Lysander—the secret identity route, where the protagonist didn't initially know she was falling for royalty. He was disguised as a regular student, though "disguised" was generous given how much he stood out.
Their eyes met across the garden.
"FIRST MEETING TRIGGERED," CUPID announced. "PRINCE LYSANDER: AFFECTION LEVEL +2%. STATUS: MILDLY INTERESTED."
Lysander changed direction, heading straight for Takeshi. This wasn't supposed to happen yet—in the game, the first meeting with Lysander occurred during a specific event three chapters in.
"You're the new student," Lysander said, his voice cultured and curious. "Seraphina Rosewood, correct?"
"That's me," Takeshi replied cautiously.
"I look forward to getting to know you." Lysander smiled, and Takeshi recognized the expression—it was the one he'd specifically directed to trigger the "mysterious stranger" trope that female players loved. "Something tells me you're going to make this semester very interesting."
"ROMANCE FLAG: TRIGGERED," CUPID chimed. "PRINCE LYSANDER ROUTE: ACCESSIBLE."
As Lysander walked away, Takeshi noticed several other students watching—including a tall young man with dark hair and amber eyes leaning against a pillar. Professor Theron Blackwood, the forbidden teacher romance route. Their gazes locked.
"ROMANCE TARGET IDENTIFIED," CUPID announced. "PROFESSOR THERON BLACKWOOD: AGE 29. ROUTE DIFFICULTY: EXTREME. WARNING: CONTAINS MATURE THEMES AND MULTIPLE BAD ENDINGS."
Theron's status screen appeared:
THERON BLACKWOOD
Affection Level: 0%
Special Status: [GLITCHED - UNUSUAL DATA DETECTED]
Route Type: Forbidden Romance
Completion Rate in Beta: 12% (Lowest of all routes)
The Professor turned away, but not before Takeshi caught something unsettling—a glitch in the air around him, like static on a screen.
"CUPID," Takeshi whispered, "why does Professor Blackwood have glitched data?"
"ACCESSING... ERROR. INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE. DEVELOPER MODE OVERRIDE REQUIRED. WARNING: PROFESSOR BLACKWOOD MAY BE AWARE OF SYSTEM ANOMALIES."
A chill ran down Takeshi's spine. He'd designed seven romance routes, but he'd given the writers free rein on the teacher route's deeper mysteries. Now he was wondering what they'd created.
"NEW STUDENTS!" A cheerful voice called out. A plump woman in elegant robes approached—Headmistress Cordelia, the tutorial NPC. "Welcome to your first day! Please proceed to the Great Hall for the orientation ceremony!"
As Takeshi followed the crowd, he noticed the glitches—small ones, barely perceptible. A flower flickering between two colors. A student's shadow moving independently for a fraction of a second. A bird frozen mid-flight for just a moment before resuming.
"CUPID, are those glitches supposed to be happening?"
"SCANNING... DETECTED ANOMALIES: 47 IN IMMEDIATE AREA. LIKELY CAUSE: SYSTEM INSTABILITY DUE TO PROTAGONIST GENDER MISMATCH. SECONDARY CAUSE: [UNKNOWN]. TERTIARY CAUSE: [DATA CORRUPTED]."
The Great Hall was magnificent—vaulted ceilings, floating chandeliers, and enchanted windows showing different landscapes. Hundreds of students filled the space.
Takeshi found himself seated between a nervous-looking boy and a girl who immediately tried to strike up a conversation.
"Hi! I'm Melody Winters! Is this your first year too? I'm so nervous! They say the entrance exam for combat magic is really hard, but I've been practicing, and—oh, you're so pretty! Is that your natural hair color?"
"POTENTIAL FRIEND CHARACTER DETECTED," CUPID announced. "MELODY WINTERS: SIDE CHARACTER. ROLE: COMIC RELIEF AND INFORMATION SOURCE. AFFECTION LEVEL: +30% (EASILY BEFRIENDED)."
Before Takeshi could respond, the headmistress took the stage, and silence fell.
"Welcome, students, to another year at the Grand Academy of Hearts!" Cordelia's voice boomed with magical amplification. "This year promises to be extraordinary. We have new students, new challenges, and..." she paused dramatically, "the return of the Heart's Choosing ceremony!"
Gasps echoed through the hall.
"Oh no," Melody whispered. "I heard about this! It's where the magic of the Academy pairs students for joint projects based on compatibility. They say it's never wrong about who belongs together!"
"MAIN STORY EVENT TRIGGERED EARLY," CUPID warned. "THE HEART'S CHOOSING CEREMONY: DESIGNED TO FORCE PROXIMITY WITH ROMANCE TARGETS. WARNING: THIS WAS SCHEDULED FOR CHAPTER 5. TIMELINE ACCELERATION DETECTED."
Takeshi's mind raced. The Heart's Choosing was a key mechanic he'd designed—it locked the protagonist into spending time with specific characters, triggering romance events. But it wasn't supposed to happen on day one.
"The ceremony will take place tonight," Cordelia continued. "All students must attend. The Academy's magic will select pairs who share the strongest potential for growth, learning, and..." she smiled knowingly, "perhaps something more."
"ROMANCE TARGET ALERT," CUPID announced. "MULTIPLE TARGETS IN ATTENDANCE. CALCULATING PROBABILITY OF PAIRING..."
The rest of orientation passed in a blur of information about classes, rules, and expectations. When it ended, students filed out in excited clusters, but Takeshi remained seated, trying to process.
"Miss Rosewood?" A deep voice made him look up. Professor Blackwood stood nearby, his amber eyes studying her with unnerving intensity. "A word, if you please."
"PROFESSOR THERON BLACKWOOD ROUTE: APPROACHING CRITICAL CHOICE POINT," CUPID warned.
Takeshi stood, following the Professor to a quieter corner of the hall. Up close, Theron was even more imposing—tall, with sharp features .