The world swirled in a cascade of darkness and light. One moment, Adrian was a regular university student—struggling with assignments, cursing his mundane life, and envying fictional characters in novels and games for their grand adventures. The next moment, he was dying, though he couldn't quite recall how.

And then... nothing.

When he opened his eyes, the glaring sun above burned into his retinas, making him squint. His body felt different—leaner, weaker, and unfamiliar. He staggered to his feet, groaning, and his surroundings slowly came into focus.

"Where the hell am I?" he muttered, looking around.

A sprawling university campus surrounded him, but it wasn't his. The buildings were modern but grand, as if someone had taken a regular campus and infused it with a billion-dollar budget. Students bustled around, their chatter blending into an indecipherable hum.

He blinked, staring at his hands—calloused yet thin. These weren't his hands. Panic set in as he searched for a reflective surface, eventually finding a large glass window nearby.

The face staring back at him wasn't his own.

"Shit. What the hell is this?"

A sharp, mocking voice echoed in his head.

[Welcome to the world of Love's Eternal Symphony!]

Adrian froze.

"What… was that?"

[It's me, dumbass. Your System. Did you forget your brain when you reincarnated?]

"System?"

[Congratulations! You've been reborn in a romance fantasy novel you never bothered to read. Well done, genius.]

The words hit him like a truck.

"A romance novel? Are you kidding me?"

[Do I sound like I'm joking? Spoiler alert: You're an extra—an irrelevant nobody. No powers, no plot armor, no purpose. Oh, but there's a twist! I'm here to force some 'purpose' into your miserable existence.]

Adrian clenched his fists. "If I'm just an extra, why the hell are you even talking to me?"

[Because you're going to steal the heroines.]

"Steal the what?"

[The heroines. You know, the main girls of this story. The protagonist and the villain are already playing tug-of-war with them, but here's the catch—you're going to win.]

Adrian's lips curled into a cynical smile. "Oh? And what makes you think I'd want to play this stupid game?"

[Because if you don't, you die.]

The System's tone turned sharp, almost gleeful.

[Fail to make at least one heroine fall for you? Dead. Lose too much favorability with a heroine? Dead. Get caught by the protagonist or villain? Dead.]

Adrian's jaw tightened. "So, I'm screwed either way."

[Bingo! But don't worry, I'll help… a little.]

"Help? You sound like a sadistic bastard."

[You're quick. You'll need that brain to survive.]

Adrian inhaled deeply, trying to process the absurdity of the situation. A romance novel, heroines, a protagonist with luck, a villain with a system, and him—an extra—stuck in the middle.

[Here's the fun part: The protagonist has insane plot armor. Luck is practically his middle name. The villain knows the entire story and has a system of his own. And you? You're stuck with me.]

"Great," Adrian muttered.

[Oh, and one more thing. Each heroine has her quirks—tsunderes, yanderes, kuuderes, dandere types—you name it. Winning them over isn't going to be easy. In fact, it's going to be hell. They're tied to the plot, and the protagonist and villain won't let them go without a fight.]

Adrian smirked bitterly. "Sounds like a nightmare."

[You're catching on. Now, let's get started. You've got a long road ahead, and it starts here.]

---

Adrian spent the rest of the day navigating the unfamiliar campus. His System, while sarcastic and unhelpful at times, gave him snippets of information about the heroines and the key players in the story.

The protagonist, Alexander Reid, was the epitome of a golden boy—handsome, talented, and naturally charismatic. Luck followed him like a shadow, ensuring everything fell perfectly into place.

The villain, Damian Crowe, was a transmigrator just like Adrian. Armed with a system that gave him access to the novel's plot and hidden opportunities, Damian was ruthless, cunning, and leagues ahead of Adrian in terms of power and resources.

As for the heroines, the System provided vague descriptions:

Sophia Hart: The tsundere. Sharp-tongued, fiery, and fiercely independent.

Lilith Blackwell: The yandere. Sweet on the surface, but possessive and terrifyingly obsessive.

Iris Vale: The kuudere. Cold, logical, and distant, with walls built high around her heart.

Emily Rivers: The dandere. Shy, quiet, and soft-spoken, with a hidden strength.

And there were more. Many more.

[Remember, dumbass, this isn't a fairy tale. Winning them over takes effort—and one wrong move can destroy everything.]

Adrian's lips curved into a dark smile. "Effort, huh? I'll show you effort. If I'm going to be forced into this game, I'll play to win."

For the first time, Adrian felt a spark of determination. He wasn't the protagonist, nor the villain, but he'd carve out his own place in this story. Even if it meant manipulating, scheming, and stealing what wasn't his to take.

---