Chapter 35 — Searching games online to play
Government Sence — The Quiet Hands Behind the Curtain
Inside the Male Protection and Welfare Department, the atmosphere was calm but tense, like a room full of people who understood the weight of their work. The department building looked simple on the outside — grey walls, government plaques, and the quiet authority of a place people rarely visited.
But on the inside, hundreds of screens blinked with live data.
Popularity metrics.
Social media graphs.
Trend spikes.
Screenshots.
A heatmap of the country's online activity.
One cluster of screens was marked with a bold red header:
Subject ID: Alpha-0197 (Male)
Public Alias: "The Viral Boy Model"
Status: Under Monitoring
A group of high-ranking female officials sat around a polished table. They all wore the same expression — focused, calculating, slightly stressed.
"Report," the chief officer said without raising her voice.
Her name was Director Ayase Rin, a woman in her late thirties whose presence could silence a room with a single glance. She didn't need to shout; her authority was a quiet, sharp blade.
A younger officer stood up, holding a tablet.
"Ma'am, we have successfully reduced the viral wave. His posts dropped from a projected 110 million impact to a controlled 8 million stable rate. No more international spillover, no foreign algorithms picking up the spike."
"Good," Rin said. "We cannot risk exposure. A single boy becoming globally recognizable would trigger chaos."
Another officer added, "We also inserted controlled noise into the algorithm — random trending topics, celebrity gossip, several distraction hashtags. The public is still excited, but the peak heat has cooled."
Rin nodded once.
"Maintain monitoring. Keep Hanma Studio under soft surveillance. If any external parties try to approach the boy without clearance, notify us immediately."
"Yes, ma'am."
Rin leaned back, tapping her pen thoughtfully.
"This world only has a handful of boys… and even fewer who draw attention like him."
Her voice softened — not out of affection, but out of responsibility.
"We protect them. Even from admiration."
Everyone nodded.
Another officer cleared her throat. "Ma'am… even after suppression, the boy's pictures are still circulating. Women across the country are saving his photos… repeatedly. Our logs captured 67,000+ private gallery saves in three hours."
Someone in the back muttered, "Of course they are… he's boy and too beautiful one."
Rin hid a small sigh.
"We cannot control personal reactions. Only exposure levels. Continue."
The last officer stepped forward.
"Hanma Studio has behaved responsibly. No leaks. No identity releases. They are cooperating."
"Good," Rin replied. "Keep Hanma under respectful pressure. Gentle reminders only — no aggressive tactics."
"Yes, Director."
Rin closed her eyes for a moment.
"It seems this country has gained another unpredictable variable."
They ended the meeting — unaware that the "variable" they discussed was at home, sitting in his pajamas, completely clueless to the storm he had caused.
---
Haruya's Room — A Calm Day in the Middle of Chaos
The morning sunlight drifted lazily through the curtains as Haruya stretched on his bed, still half-drowsy. His holidays were almost ending, but the past week had been so chaotic that today felt like the first day he could relax.
No interviews.
No photoshoots.
No shocking messages from studios or celebrities.
No mother barging into his room crying out of fear.
Just peace.
He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and grabbed his phone.
His social media notifications had calmed down significantly.
He blinked.
"Oh? My trending level… dropped?"
It confused him at first, but the relief was comforting.
He didn't know the government had basically thrown ten blankets over his fame to suffocate the fire.
All he knew was:
"Finally… I can breathe."
He flopped back onto his bed and opened the app store, searching for something he hadn't touched in years:
Games.
He loved games in his past world, but a busy job and life responsibilities had chained his hobbies. Here, however… he had time. And curiosity.
"What kind of games exist in this world?" he murmured.
He expected simple stuff.
But instead —
Boom.
The screen exploded with banners, ads, glowing fantasy images, and women in armor wielding massive swords.
There were dozens of games.
And almost every ranking chart was dominated by female players.
He scrolled further.
Then something caught his eye.
A trending multiplayer fantasy RPG:
"World of Ancient Ruins: Path to Heaven"
Genre: MMORPG / Fantasy / Adventure / PVP
He clicked it.
The screen filled with breathtaking art — mystical mountains, glowing ruins, divine beasts, celestial weaponry.
But the interesting part was the player demographics:
Player base: 99.3% Female
Male players: Rare (Less than 0.01%)
"Oh?"
Haruya raised a brow.
"Women in this world… really dominate games too."
He checked the reviews.
What he saw next nearly made him choke.
---
Game Reviews — Pure Chaos
★★★★★ "Best game ever!!"
Username: TigerEmpress
"BUT WHY THE HELL ARE ALL BOSS DROPS RNG??! I SWEAR IF THE GOD-BEAST DOESN'T DROP MY SKYBLADE TONIGHT I'M GOING TO KILL SOMEONE."
---
★★★★☆ "Fix the matchmaking!!!"
Username: LadyCrusher
"I got paired with three newbies who don't even know how to dodge fire. Please. I beg you. If the devs don't fix this I'm uninstalling."
Someone replied:
"Liar. You've said that 43 times."
---
★★★★★ "A masterpiece."
Username: ArcQueen
"The graphics are beautiful. The story is emotional. The female characters are badass. The enemies are hot. The bosses are hotter. 10/10."
---
★★☆☆☆ "I hate everyone."
Username: SolitaryFangirl
"WHY ARE ALL STRONG PLAYERS WOMEN WHO ALREADY HAVE BOYFRIENDS? God, let a single gaming goddess bless me with a good team please."
Reply:
"Maybe the problem is YOU."
---
★★★★★ "If a boy ever played this…"
Username: BladedPrincess
"My heart would stop. Literally. A BOY GAMING?? That's rarer than mythical equipment. If a boy joined my guild… I WOULD WORSHIP HIM."
Reply:
"Calm down, sis."
Response: "NO."
---
★★★★☆ "Nerf the Heavenly Fox!"
Username: DungeonGirl
"She killed me 17 TIMES and laughed. I HEARD HER LAUGH. DEVS PLEASE."
---
★★★★★ "BEST GAME EVER!"
Username: AnonymousPhoenix
"I SIMP FOR THE NPC PRIEST. I DON'T CARE IF HE'S NOT REAL."
Reply:
"He's coded to kill you, idiot."
User: "WORTH IT."
---
★★★★★ "If a boy plays this, I will faint."
Username: MoonSlayerLady
"No I'm serious. Boys don't game. Boys shouldn't game. Boys are too precious to touch toxic lobbies like ours. Let him stay safe 😭"
---
Haruya stared at the endless chaos in silence.
"…What is wrong with this world?"
He kept scrolling.
Featured Review — 5 stars
Username: WolfFangLeader (Guild Master)
"The day a boy joins this game is the day the heavens bless us. Girls, listen — if you ever meet a male player, treat him like royalty.
Do NOT scream in voice chat.
Do NOT scare him away.
Do NOT ask his age.
Do NOT bark.
We need to preserve the species."
Reply: "You barked at a girl yesterday."
Leader: "SHE DESERVED IT."
Haruya put his hand on his forehead.
"…This world is insane."
But also…
A smile formed on his lips.
"This seems fun."
He scrolled more deeply into the community forums.
---
Community Forum — Absolute Insanity Zone
A thread titled:
"If a BOY joins our server, what will you do??"
Replies:
"Scream."
"Cry."
"Beg him to join my guild."
"Give him all my rare items."
"I'll stop cursing for one whole match."
"Impossible. Stop lying."
One comment stood out:
"I don't believe boys exist in games. They are a myth."
Someone argued back:
"No, my cousin said she once met a boy gamer when she was young."
Reply:
"Liar. That's like meeting a unicorn."
Another:
"Boys are sacred. They shouldn't experience lag."
Haruya laughed aloud.
"Sacred? I'm just trying to play a game…"
He clicked on another thread:
"New Player Guide: If a boy joins your lobby — DO NOT INTIMIDATE HIM."
It listed:
1. Don't talk too loudly.
2. Don't flirt aggressively.
3. Don't scream in excitement.
4. Don't challenge him to PVP.
5. Don't ask if he's single.
6. Don't interrogate him.
7. Don't cry if he logs out.
8. Don't fight other women for him.
"…They really think I'll get kidnapped in voice chat?"
He sighed, leaning back.
"This is going to be such a disaster…"
But a fun disaster.
He bookmarked the game.
---
Reviews From Streamers — The Final Layer of Madness
There were dozens of female streamers playing the game daily.
Haruya clicked a random stream.
A pretty woman was screaming:
"WHY DID THE BOSS RESET AGAIN??!? WHO DIDN'T STAY IN THE CIRCLE?? SHOW YOURSELF COWARD!!"
Chat responded:
"LMAO she's mad again"
"Queen rage moment"
"Imagine if a boy was watching this"
"She would die of shame haha, lol"
"No, she would bark louder hahahaha"
Another streamer said:
"If a boy joins my stream… I will instantly behave like a saint. I'm not joking."
Someone donated:
"Boys don't watch game streams."
Stream reacted: "TRUEEEEEE."
Haruya closed the tab slowly.
"I… need to mentally prepare myself."
Then he glanced at the game icon again.
"…But it looks fun."
He felt a small thrill.
"I'll download it."
---
Meanwhile — Government Monitoring the Game
Back at the Male Protection Department, one officer suddenly frowned at her screen.
"Director Rin… the subject appears to be browsing online games."
Rin raised her head.
"…Games?"
"Yes. MMORPG category. Particularly… 'World of Ancient Ruins: Path to Heaven'."
The room felt silent.
"That game?" one officer whispered.
Another muttered, "Dear god… that community is insane."
Rin exhaled slowly.
"If he enters voice chat… the community might collapse."
Her assistant asked, "Should we restrict his access?"
Rin shook her head.
"No. He has the right to enjoy entertainment. Let him play."
"But—"
"If he enters a toxic lobby, we will intervene quietly. For now, observe him only."
"Yes, Director."
Rin stared at the game's page on the screen.
"This community is not ready… for a boy gamer."
---
Back To Haruya — The Decision
After reading reviews, watching streams, and scrolling through chaos for almost an hour…
Haruya finally stretched his back and smiled.
"…Alright."
He tapped the screen.
Download initiated.
He placed his phone down, feeling a strange excitement bubbling inside him.
This world's gaming culture was wild. Weird. Hilarious.
But also…
Refreshing.
His heart stirred slightly with the familiar warmth of anticipation — the same feeling he had long ago when games still fit into his life.
"I'm looking forward to this."
He whispered it softly, almost like a promise to himself.
Without knowing…
His entry into the game would create a storm far bigger than his modeling fame.
A storm the gaming world wasn't prepared for.
And neither was he.
---
To Be Continued…