BLBJ 1.4

💬It’s up!

💬Add more romanceable characters!

💬Buying Bartholomew stock.

💬I’m still all-in on Christian stock.

💬Will more romanceable characters appear?

While Eizen stared at the quest with a sour expression, a frenzied festival was unfolding in the chat window. Everyone seemed thrilled that the number of viewers had increased.

‘This is crazy.’

One by one, the viewer count climbed past ten. With a dozen or so people spamming the chat simultaneously, the text scrolled frantically upward.

While Eizen briefly looked away, Bartholomew stepped forward.

“Christian, turns out there are people who dislike you.”
“They dislike me?”

This blue-haired man seemed to find the whole situation utterly amusing. His beaming smile clearly conveyed that he was laughing his head off.

‘I just want out of this situation.’

Eizen swallowed a sigh. How on earth did things get like this?

He’d clearly intended to play it light-hearted – it’s just a BL game, so he’d play along casually and try to rake in some donations! – but he never expected to get tangled up in something like this.

To be precise, it wasn’t even that he got tangled up. Christian had simply dragged Eizen into it unilaterally.

Eizen stared at Christian, who was putting on his most pitiful expression, asking if Eizen disliked him. As viewers often said, his face was a weapon. A handsome guy pretending to be pitiful was enough to truly soften anyone’s heart.

“Eeek!” He let out a scream.

Just this morning, Eizen hadn’t given men a second thought. He was just a normal guy who liked girls, so why? Why was he feeling so strange? Maybe it was because he was too conscious of it being a BL game.

-Why is Eizen acting like that all of a sudden?
-Seems like he doesn’t know which of the two to choose.
-Well, it is a tough choice.

💎[Acorn donated 3,000 won] — No second-hand treatment here. Always brand new, let’s go.

💎[Misogu donated 4,000 won] — Secondhand? Handsome guys are always fresh.

💎[BlueBear donated 5,000 won] — Just go for both. It’s fun to eat your cake and have it too.

People started sending donations left and right. Choose Bartholomew, they said. Choose Christian, they said.

Eizen stared frantically at the donation messages flashing before his eyes. The rapidly accumulating donations were enough to make his mind spin.

In that moment, Eizen realized. Setting aside his own heart racing in response to the man, he suddenly understood why he had willingly agreed to this broadcast.

Donations! The saving light to escape his fallen noble status!

‘Weighing the pros and cons of the target character actually makes money!’

Yes, people were generously donating for the character they were promoting. Even donations in the 1,000 won range added up – becoming 10,000 won, then 100,000 won.

Eizen looked at Bartholomew and Christian, struck by this new realization.

“Well, um, I don’t dislike him, but…“ To say something like that. 

Eizen smiled awkwardly, feeling like he was throwing everything away for the donations.

This is what makes being a fallen noble so terrifying. If there’s a crack to squeeze through, he’ll find a way.

“What? So I was just being used after all?” Bartholomew twisted the corners of his mouth upward. His displeasure was plain to see.

💬Seems like we need to appease Bartholomew.

💬But when do we plant the flag? We’ve only just met. He’s not an official target yet.

💬Exactly. Let’s plant the flag first.

“It’s not that. It’s just… everything feels so sudden, I guess…”
“Was I too hasty? Eizen.”

Eizen gave a half-hearted smile, wondering when they’d become so familiar that he could call him by name like this. He tried to gently brush Christian’s hand away while giving Bartholomew a meaningful glance.

‘What the hell are you doing, seriously?’

Both Christian and Bartholomew were desperate to avoid being left out, so they were desperately trying to stay close. Yet Bartholomew, still wearing that peculiar smile that suggested something was amiss, merely stood with his arms crossed, observing.

“I’d appreciate it if you left me out of your little love game.” His head tilted askew, fully conveying Bartholomew’s displeasure.

“Truly, I… “

What should he call him?

Christian? That felt too familiar. Sir Christian? That felt too strange. Felpertin? 

He didn’t know his rank or position. Was he a noble, a knight, or royalty?

Eizen bit his lip slightly and squirmed to free himself from Christian’s hand.

“I met this gentleman for the first time today.”
“Well, it’s not like you’re the first person to fall for that guy at first sight.”
“I didn’t fall for him!”

💬Mr. Eizen, let’s be honest.

💬Honestly, I’m smitten. My heart’s racing like crazy.

💬Still gotta play hard to get with a womanizer.

💬Handsome guys are the best!

“Didn’t I see you clinging to Christian? Stuck right up against him, rubbing up against him…”
“I wasn’t rubbing up against him.”

Eizen felt wronged. When had he ever rubbed up against him? It was just that Christian wouldn’t let go, so their bodies were slightly touching! Really just slightly! 

His face flushed bright red.

Then Christian naturally pressed a little closer. He really was a man who made physical contact way too easily. He even casually put his arm around his shoulders as if they were actually dating. 

Eizen felt uncomfortable and tried to pull away slightly, but it didn’t help much.

“Then what is it? You’re still holding his hand so tightly right now, aren’t you?”
“This is…”

Eizen twisted his hand this way and that, trying to pull it free, but Christian wouldn’t let go, as if his hand was stuck to Eizen’s like glue.

Eizen bit his lip lightly. Target character or not, why did he have to get entangled with a guy like this from the start? Was it because, as the viewers said, he was the first target character he met, so he was in easy mode where whatever he did would be liked?

‘I don’t need this easy mode!’

But completely pushing him away felt wrong, considering the people rooting for Christian. Choosing one person meant abandoning those viewers, didn’t it?

No. The goal was to shed the label of a fallen noble. What was needed for that? Sponsorship money.

‘It’s business. This is business.’

He kept flip-flopping, confusing even himself, but there was no choice. He hadn’t even been streaming for a few hours yet; it was just the beginning.

Eizen stared at Christian, convinced this was all about money.

“Um, could you at least let me go?”
“Why? I don’t want to.”

Christian grinned and tightened his grip on Eizen’s hand even more.

Bartholomew just stood by watching. He didn’t seem to have the slightest intention of helping.

Just as Eizen made a pouty face and started squirming to pull his hand free, someone’s hand clamped down hard on Christian’s wrist. 

The fingers tightened visibly, and only then did Eizen’s hand slip free.

Eizen clutched his still-warm hand when a cold voice spoke, “You don’t like it, do you?”

💬The target character appears.

💬Third one. How many are there?

💬Nobody knows. Probably around ten?

The new man possessed the kind of looks people would naturally call ‘a character worth pursuing.’ If Christian was the playboy and Bartholomew the scholar type, this man simply looked holy at first glance.

His face was as expressionless as a stone statue, yet it overflowed with grace, and his sparkling silver hair added to the mystery. His inorganic-looking gray eyes held no emotion whatsoever, making him feel truly like a sculpture.

“Are you playing some kind of knight of justice?”
”Weren’t they asking you to let go since earlier?”

”So you were watching, huh?” Christian narrowed his eyes and smiled.

Eizen glanced at Bartholomew, who wore an expression that seemed to say he was dying of amusement.

‘He seems like he has a terrible personality.’

That crooked smile, and that whole act of playing the bystander.

Bartholomew’s eyes met Eizen’s, and he gave a faint smile. The kind of smile that seemed to say, ‘Isn’t this perfect?’. 

Eizen quickly jerked his head away.

In the chat window, people were discussing the newly introduced target character.

💬New target character: One vote for the Priest, another for the Paladin.

💬Two votes from me, too.

💬Three votes.

💬Actually, isn’t he the Pope or something?

💬That seems way too over the top.

“Even if I don’t want to see you, you go and do something that catches my eye.”
“What? You’re interested in me? I don’t like that.”

💬Wow, his expression is awful.

💬Even with a blank face, emotions can show.

💬But it was a stretch. There’s no way a target character can target another target character.

💬Absolutely not, precisely because they’re ‘target’ characters.

“Don’t speak such filth.”

The man who had bluntly dismissed it as filth twisted his expression ever so slightly once more. As viewers noted, despite his impassive face, emotion flashed briefly. Should we call it blatant displeasure?

“Is female desire no longer enough? Must you now indulge in male desire as well?”
“What’s new about that?
“Seems the rumors weren’t unfounded.”
“Since the noble Lord Pike keeps both women and men at arm’s length, doesn’t the world’s balance require me to love even more?”

💬Bullshit, but it’s convincing.

💬What? I think I just bought that.

💬Turns out he really was an ascetic. He plays the part perfectly.

“Don’t discuss the world’s balance using such trivial things.”

“Trivial things? I pity you for not understanding the greatness of love.” Christian, who had spoken those words, burst out laughing.

As Eizen watched the two facing off with a sour expression and took a step back, the back of his head collided with someone’s chest.

“My apologies.”

It was Bartholomew. His lips still stretched into a wicked grin, as if he found the whole thing utterly hilarious. Wasn’t this guy the worst-tempered character among the capture targets? The moment Eizen thought this, it solidified into certainty.

Bartholomew continued to grin crookedly as he spoke.

“Both knights, yet so different, aren’t they?”
“Ah.”

So he was a knight. Eizen gave a short nod at this newly discovered information.

💬That holy knight is probably a holy knight.

💬Haha, holy knight.

💬Eizen, ask him. Is he a holy knight?

“Is that person a holy knight?”
“Of course. Holy knights are obvious just by their appearance, right? It’s like they have ‘asceticism’ written all over their faces.“

Bartholomew’s words had viewers excitedly chattering, saying they knew it would be like that.

”Knowing only the greatness of God is enough.“
”Does God hug you? Or kiss you? Or…?“ 

”If you’re going to say filthy things, please shut your mouth.” As if he knew exactly what was coming, he cut Christian off cleanly. “Today is the first time I’ve realized Lord Felpertin has become so desperate he’d force himself on someone who clearly dislikes him.”

“Force? How could I refuse when Eizen looks at me with such sparkling eyes?”

“I’ve never looked at you with sparkling eyes…” Eizen replied, sounding a bit weary.

The Holy Knight stared at Eizen silently for a moment, then pressed his lips tightly together as if in deep thought.

“Did I get involved in something unnecessary?”
“Huh? Ah, no. Thank you.”
“Then I’m relieved.”

“What is it, Eizen? You’re staring at me with such intense eyes.”

💬Christian seems a bit full of himself.

💬He was a womanizer, after all. Let’s cut him some slack.

💬In the end, it was another knight who saved him.

💬Bartholomew just keeps smiling strangely.

💬Seems like he’s enjoying this situation.

“I never stared at you with intense eyes!”
“I definitely felt it.”

“It’s best not to get involved with someone like that.” The silver-haired paladin stepped between Eizen and Christian. “If I’m not interrupting, that’s fine. My name is Pike.”

“I’m Eizen Sarnah.”
“Brother.”

[Encounter with Pike completed]

[Quest]
★ Plant a flag on Pike
[Reward]
★ Pike can now be pursued

Just as Eizen suspected. He had been right about Pike being a capturable character.

As Eizen glanced sideways to check the quest, Pike approached him with an utterly serious expression.

“Sexual desire… is utterly futile.”
“…Ah. Okay.”

What the hell is he trying to say? As Eizen stared intently at Pike, an unforgiving, intense light flashed through the man’s gray eyes.

“Especially homosexual desire. It’s nothing but a relationship for pleasure, isn’t it?”
“Huh?”

Why was he being subjected to this? Even though Eizen answered reluctantly, Pike showed no sign of stopping.

“I speak out of concern that you won’t stray onto the wrong path, brother. Christian. You mustn’t be swept away by that man. He’s already committed many sins.”

“… Ah, haha.” Bartholomew was laughing through gritted teeth, and Christian shrugged his shoulders as if already accustomed to it.

Eizen closed his eyes tightly, then opened them.

Really… what could he say? Not a single one of them is normal. Christian and Bartholomew weren’t exactly ordinary either, but even Pike was far from ordinary.

‘Are all BL game romance characters like this?’

Pike, with a serious expression, kept explaining to Eizen about the futility of sexual desire, Christian’s dangerous nature, and the reasons why one shouldn’t engage in homosexuality.

💬Pike seems like he’s a virgin.

💬A virgin? That’s totally awesome!

💬Characters who are so strictly abstinent and restrained like that are usually the most perverted when they finally let loose.

💬Out of all of them, Pike is probably the biggest pervert.

Viewers already seemed to take it as a given that Pike was a pervert. Eizen nodded along to Pike’s words while glancing at the chat window.

‘They say this and that about homosexuality, but what can you do – it’s a BL game.’

Besides, wasn’t Pike also a character in this game? And a capture target!

Which meant Pike was also destined to fall for a man. None other than Eizen himself.

Eizen swept his pink hair back with an awkward expression.

‘Thinking about it like this makes me feel like such a sinful man.’

What could he do? It’s a BL game, and he’s the protagonist. People call him the main soo.

Eizen still couldn’t figure out where exactly this “soo” came from. After pondering for a moment, he simply gave up. What was the point of guessing when he had no clue?

“Anyway, I’ve never seen your face before. Surely you weren’t dragged here secretly by Christian?”

Bartholomew chuckled softly and placed a hand on Eizen’s shoulder.

“He’s Eizen Sarnah. He receives an invitation every year, but… well… various reasons.”

As he trailed off, the three men’s eyes scanned Eizen from head to toe.

Eizen’s face burned. Should he have somehow scraped together the sponsorship money to buy a suit? He regretted it. Still, he couldn’t exactly ask for the money right now.

“First time at the party, huh?” Christian smiled warmly and casually pulled Eizen’s shoulder.

Pike immediately yanked his arm away.

“Don’t assume everyone lives like you do.”
“What do you mean, like me?”
“Living with your mind soaked in filthy thoughts.”

“Pike never holds back, does he?”
“Bartholomew, you’re no different.”
“You don’t care what happens to the world as long as you’re having fun, do you?”
“You only live once, so you might as well enjoy it.”
“Do you think God doesn’t know what you’re making?”

💬Wow, this is intense.

💬The character’s personality really shines through.

💬So Bartholomew is a sage?

💬From how he’s crafting and all, wouldn’t he be a mage? Mages overlap with scholar characters, too.

💬Given the fantasy setting, he’s probably a mage.

Bartholomew chuckled at Pike’s warning-filled voice.

“What if God finds out?”
“It is an unforgivable sin before God.”
“To me, it seems like something God would actually find amusing.”
“It is defying the will of God.”

Eizen, who had been standing back, blinked.

‘I don’t know about anything else, but I know Pike is a fanatic.’

God, God, God at the end of every sentence. And he called himself a paladin, so his faith must be immense. A slight worry crept in about whether he could be properly dealt with.

“Bartholomew’s always been a bit of an oddball. Honestly, where are you supposed to find a mage with a normal head on his shoulders?”
“I can’t tell if you’re insulting me or taking my side.”
“I’m only telling the truth.”

“Regardless, both of you are committing sins.”
“Ah, forget it. Typical paladin. Nothing but stale, old-fashioned talk.”

“That’s true. Pike. If a God truly exists, then…”
“God truly exists.”
“Ah, I suppose so. But I don’t believe in things I haven’t seen.”

Pike’s expression stiffened slightly at Bartholomew’s words.

“God is always with us…”
“If I truly defied God’s will like that, shouldn’t something terrible have happened to me a hundred times over by now?”
“You will be recompensed, even in death, Bartholomew.”
“What good is recompense after I’m dead?”

💬Really, Pike, you seem to have a bit of a nutcase streak.

💬I thought we weren’t supposed to fight fanatics.

💬Fine. They’re all handsome, so I forgive them.

💬Is being handsome enough?

💬What else do you need? If they’re handsome, you can forgive even a personality disorder.

💬And it’s a BL game! If only bland, gentle partners show up, it’d be boring, right?

Eizen pressed his lips tightly together. Even if it’s boring, couldn’t they just not have a safe, gentle main character? Even typical visual novels aren’t this bad.

‘It’s been so long my memory’s hazy, but…’

Just the model student class president type with glasses, the lively, cheerful, and clumsy goofball type, the childhood friend type. 

Well, that seemed to be the safe, predictable route.

Why is it that here, it’s nothing but fanatics, womanizers, and, on top of that, jerks who don’t seem to have particularly good personalities? 

He wanted to ask if this is what BL is supposed to be like, or if this game is just a mess.

Eizen glanced at the three men sniping at each other.

He wasn’t planning on choosing just one side… but if he picked one here, it would be a total disaster. How could the target characters possibly dislike each other this much?

Wouldn’t it be better for everyone if they got along?

💬Ah, there’s a capture target coming.

💬Definitely a capture target. It’s written all over his face: Cap. Ture. Tar. Get.

💬A capture target you can pick and choose from, however you like.