The iron gates of Astoria Royal Academy loomed before me, ornate and imposing in the afternoon light. Beyond them, marble pathways wound between manicured gardens and Gothic spires that seemed to pierce the clouds themselves.
I adjusted the strap of my travel bag and took a breath. This was it, my new life at the most prestigious academy in the kingdom. Part of me still couldn't believe I had been accepted. The scholarship letter had arrived three months ago, and I'd read it so many times the paper had started to wear thin at the creases.
"New student?"
I turned to find a girl in a pristine academy uniform standing nearby. Long silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her violet eyes studied me with detached curiosity. Everything about her screamed "noble"—from her perfect posture to the way she held herself with effortless grace.
"Is it that obvious?" I managed, suddenly aware of my rumpled traveling clothes.
"The lost expression gave it away." A hint of amusement touched her lips. "I'm Celestia Ravencroft, third year. You'll want the administration building—that way, past the fountain." She gestured toward a path lined with cherry trees.
"Thanks. I'm—"
But she'd already turned away, gliding toward the main building with the confidence of someone who owned the very ground beneath her feet.
'Well, that was humbling.'
I followed the path she had indicated, trying not to gawk too obviously at the architecture. The academy looked like something out of a fairy tale, or more accurately, out of one of those dating sim games my roommate back home used to play obsessively.
The thought made me smile. He would probably lose his mind if he could see this place. All it needed was a quirky childhood friend character to pop out and—
Just then my PC screen exploded on my face and my vision blurred.
----
-Ding!
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]
My mind froze in shock as a translucent blue screen floated before my field of vision.
[WELCOME, PLAYER]
'What the—' I blinked hard, but the words remained, floating impossibly in the air before me. Or not in the air, exactly. They seemed overlaid directly onto my field of vision, like some kind of augmented reality display.
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS THE PROTAGONIST OF: "HEARTS OF ASTORIA - ROMANCE IN THE ACADEMY"]
My blood ran cold upon seeing that text. That title. I knew that title.
It was the dating sim my old roommate had been playing for months. The one he had tried to get me to try. The one with dozens of romance routes, multiple endings, and—
A slow grin spread across my face.
Oh hell yes.
[SEDUCTION SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 1]
[RELATIONSHIP POINTS: 0]
I stared at the blue screen, my initial shock giving way to something else entirely. I was in an awfully familiar place.
I turned my head and immediately saw the imposing academy building standing before me. It was real and I was staring at it.
'Did I just die?' I thought, though the concern was fleeting. A few moments ago I was watching the dialogue of the opening game and now I was in it.
I stumbled over to a nearby bench and sat down, not out of shock, but to process this golden opportunity. This was insane. This was impossible.
This was fucking perfect.
[TUTORIAL: As the protagonist, you possess the unique ability to capture the hearts of this world's heroines and villainesses. Complete romantic interactions to gain Relationship Points and unlock special abilities. Your charm, wit, and choices will determine your success.]
[FIRST QUEST: SETTLE INTO THE ACADEMY]
[- Locate your dormitory]
[- Attend the welcome ceremony]
[- Meet at least three potential targets]
[REWARD: +100 XP, SKILL UNLOCK]
"Alright then," I muttered, a smirk playing at my lips. "Let's see what we're working with."
A dating sim. I was inside a dating sim with a seduction system. My roommate had spent months trying to complete every route in this game, ranting about the difficulty curves and the impossible choices.
But I wasn't limited by save files or dialogue options anymore. This was real. The system was giving me actual supernatural help and I could actually fuck them all.
My thoughts suddenly went to Celestia Ravencroft, the silver-haired beauty from moments ago. In the game, she was the "Ice Queen" route—notoriously difficult, requiring specific dialogue choices and gifts. One of the villainesses who would make the protagonist's life hell before her route even opened up.
But she had just helped me. That meant things could play out differently here.
And if the system was offering rewards for seduction? Well, I'd be an idiot not to take advantage of it.
[TIP: Hesitation is the enemy of romance! Fortune favors the bold~]
"Oh, I plan to be very bold," I said to the system prompt, standing up with renewed purpose.
The text seemed to pulse approvingly before fading from view, though I could sense it was still there, waiting at the edge of my consciousness.
I took a deep breath and straightened my clothes. Alright. First things first—figure out the lay of the land, complete this initial quest, and start building my harem.
If I was going to be stuck in a dating sim, I might as well enjoy every minute of it.
I headed toward the administration building with a confident stride. The system wanted me to seduce heroines and villainesses?
Challenge accepted.
---
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS]
[CELESTIA RAVENCROFT: 5/100 - "Brief Encounter"]
The notification popped up, and I grinned.
"I'll fuck them all"