Chapter 0

“Soldiers, I welcome you to join our Border Defense Army.”

 

As I glanced up, a man stood on the platform with a calm expression, and the people around me wore equally puzzled looks.

 

“Our Border Defense Army bears the heavy responsibility of guarding the borders of the Adolf Empire. The fate of this empire and the safety of its people rest in your hands.”

 

Why am I even here?

 

“Judging by your expressions… it seems becoming outstanding soldiers is still a long way off for you. However, with proper training, each of you can gather enough strength to protect this empire.”

 

Training? Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this.

 

“Well, I won’t make a long speech! You all have a lot to do today! Now, move to your respective units!”

 

Everything around me was overwhelmingly unfamiliar.

 

The dusty training ground, people in military uniforms standing on the platform, and my peers filling the training ground, all surrounded me.

 

Everyone had either a dumbfounded expression or stood awkwardly.

 

As I looked around in confusion, I locked eyes with a guy standing right in front of me.

 

He had jet-black hair and orange eyes with a tinge of red.

 

His eyes slanted upwards, and his mouth was tightly closed, giving off a somewhat refined yet fierce impression.

 

…Wait.

 

This is a military setting, right? And that guy with black hair and orange eyes… Besides, why does he look like a cat?

 

This feels strangely familiar, like I’ve seen it somewhere before.

 

“Ah.”

 

At that moment, I suddenly realized something.

 

Yeah, that’s right. Lately, I’ve been hearing familiar words for a few days now.

 

It seems like I’m in…

 

A romantic fantasy novel with a military twist called <Four Crazy Guys Obsess Over Me>.

***

 

So, this “F4” story follows the usual romantic fantasy pattern.

 

The main character lives in the Adolf Empire but is part of a different group called the heterogeneous race.

 

This race stands out with a fancy appearance and special abilities, and they’re bound by a magic contract to serve and protect the empire.

 

Our protagonist, who was just a servant, gets roped into the border defense army because of this magic contract.

 

This army guards the northern border where magical creatures show up, and they need folks with strong abilities, like those from the heterogeneous race.

 

And there, our protagonist meets four guys, and as expected in this kind of story, all four fall head over heels for the main character.

 

“The male leads are pretty cliché, huh?”

 

The author set up these guys in a very typical way.

 

Male Lead 1: He’s the quiet, tough guy with a touch of craziness. Seems cold to others, but warms up to his girl. Oh, and he’s got a thing for fire.

 

Male Lead 2: Mr. Cold as Ice. Perfect in everything he does. Doesn’t talk much, and he’s a bit of a perfectionist. Ice is his thing.

 

Male Lead 3: Sweet and gentle on the outside, but deep down, he’s got some villain vibes. Still, he’s a bit of a crazy guy when it comes to his girl.

 

Male Lead 4: A cute, puppy-like younger guy. Super adorable. But mess with the protagonist, and he turns into a bit of a crazy guy.

 

In short, it’s the classic F4 setup with the added twist of crazy guy obsession.

 

And why do these guys fall for the protagonist? It’s pretty classic too.

 

“You… look like someone who died a long time ago.”

 

Yep. The protagonist used to be buddies with these male leads in the border defense army, but sadly kicked the bucket in a battle. And it turns out, I resemble their first love who also passed away.

 

“No matter how I think about it, my life seems ruined.”

 

Did I end up as the heroine in this romantic fantasy novel? Nah, not quite.

 

“You… look like someone who died a long time ago.”

 

Yep. I’m reincarnated as that person – the deceased first love of these male leads, shit.

 

***

 

“Ha…”

 

In a bumpy carriage ride, a sigh slipped out without me meaning it to.

 

I was on my way to join the unit where I’d be serving, alongside my ‘comrades.’

 

There were seven of us in the carriage, and everyone wore a kind of vacant, clueless expression.

 

The sighs kept coming, and some even shed a few tears.

 

“Well, go ahead and cry your heart out.”

 

A guy with us, who looked like a senior in his military uniform, said mockingly.

 

“When we get to the unit, there won’t be time for tears.”

 

Throughout this ride, I couldn’t help but think about what’s coming.

 

Being in a romance novel transmigration, I figured I’d have to play by the genre’s rules.

 

First off, I didn’t want to end up as the ‘first love who died.’ To avoid that fate, I had to find a way out of this unit.

 

And if the male leads do find me, I can hit them with a line like, “Suddenly obsessing over me? Did the plot change?”

 

“Well, even so, I’m not a fan of being the object of their obsession.”

 

Sure, it might be a thing in romance stories, but dealing with obsessed guys isn’t my cup of tea.

 

Then, the carriage jerked to a halt.

 

“Hey! Newbies, get off!”

 

We stumbled out with puzzled faces.

 

The senior waiting for us scowled.

 

“These newbies look pretty useless, damn it!”

 

Wait a minute. Something doesn’t seem right, does it?

 

“Ugh, managing these kids is such a pain… Come on, why are you so slow getting off?!”

 

This isn’t how romance novels usually go. It’s supposed to be a military-themed romance, right?

 

“Thinking of starting by dunking your heads in mud on the first day, huh?”

 

Okay, scratch what I said before. Whether it’s obsessed guys or whatever, does it really matter? Can I even avoid the original plot at this point? Maybe getting obsessed over by the male leads isn’t so bad after all.

 

“F**k, this is just the military, after all.”

 

What’s going on? Can I have my romance novel back, please?