Do Straight Men Have to Sacrifice Themselves for Insectoid Love?

[Transmigrate-Into-a-Book Top x Reborn Bottom, Faking His Death]

After being hit on for the Nth time by a man at a drinking party, Jiang Yue slammed the table in fury. "I'm straight! I'm homophobic, okay?" Who knew that the very next second, he'd transmigrate into some bizarre insectoid novel?

The good news: He'd transmigrated into a male insect, so at least he'd have food and drink without worry.

The bad news: He'd transmigrated into a lackey of the villain's henchman insect. Now he had to get two men together by repeatedly courting death, only to be chopped in half by them afterward. Wait, he was a male insect now.

Jiang Yue: [Ascending-to-Heaven.jpg]

But fate's twisted sense of humor was far from over. Being transmigrated into a book as cannon fodder was bad enough, but this damn System was practically an artificial idiot. The book said he had to kick the protagonist female insect three times, so he couldn't kick her even one time short. He couldn't even be the least bit nice to her.

Jiang Yue rubbed his forehead. "Are you worried I won't get chopped into big enough pieces?"

At least being a lackey wasn't for nothing. When he dared to kick the protagonist female insect, his powerful backer Carlo promptly brought up the Male Insect Protection Act. When he dared to insult the protagonist male insect, Carlo, the Empire's Third Prince and heir to the throne, smiled and held the protagonist back. "Little brother, he's just playing around."

Even when Jiang Yue charged into a nest of rampaging alien beasts to complete a System task, Carlo could calmly haul him out. Afterward, he even smiled and listened to Jiang Yue's desperate attempts to make sarcastic remarks without going out of character.

Jiang Yue was touched. Was this what a lackey was? No, this was a lackey riding on an insect's coattails! Just as he was breathing a sigh of relief at the thought of all the death-seeking still ahead of him, the System sounded another alarm:

Warning, warning. Values exceeding the limit. OOC imminent.

Jiang Yue was baffled. His rank hadn't changed, his appearance hadn't changed, and he'd followed every plot point he was supposed to. He'd been so careful, so which value was about to make him go OOC?

Until he opened the affection meter he'd never checked before. The long string of numbers under Carlo's name left him dumbfounded. Wait, was this right? With a number this high, how had he only gone OOC today?

System, you're the one going OOC, aren't you?

The System, receiving criticism for the first time, rolled its eyes. "Want to guess why, as the lackey, he's always the one chasing after you to clean up your messes?"

Jiang Yue felt as if thunder had struck him from all sides.

But... I'm straight, aren't I?

System: "Heh. There's no time to worry about that. Punishment countdown: three, two, one... Go!"

And so Jiang Yue vanished from the world overnight.

Meanwhile, in the royal city, one insect went mad.

*

As the Empire's heir to the throne, Carlo had always been held up as a model for all insects. He had won countless military honors and was beloved by his people. At the next festival celebration, he would be crowned king.

At that very moment, his mental powers had also found a match. All that remained was for him to return victorious and marry his partner. His career and love life were both flourishing, and his prospects had never looked brighter.

But just as he was about to be crowned, he was ambushed. Gravely wounded, he was devoured by the rampaging beast tide. When he opened his eyes again, he had returned to a time before any of it had happened. Everything was exactly as before, except...

Since when had he acquired a lackey named Jiang Yue?

This male insect, who kept muttering about the "System" and "tasks," was highly suspicious. Carlo narrowed his eyes. He would never allow any insect to stand in his way. He would personally remove every obstacle.

Until one day, Jiang Yue really did disappear.

*

Under a secret identity he'd prepared long ago, Jiang Yue, returned from the dead, felt freer than ever.

Hehe, at last he didn't have to be stuck between a bunch of gay guys.

Just as he was planning to enjoy his new life of freedom, Carlo, now the Insect Emperor, appeared right in front of him without warning.

"Jiang Yue," Carlo's voice trembled despite himself. "Please don't leave me, okay?"

Jiang Yue: ???

Wait, man, how did you find me?

And besides, I'm really straight!

This story contains many original settings. Please don't overanalyze them.

Readers with extreme preferences for either the top or the bottom, please do not read.

1v1, happy ending, both characters are pure in every sense.

Theme: Stay true to yourself, and see things through to the end.