Defending My No-CP Status in a World Full of Hopeless Romantics

Ever since he transmigrated and learned that this was a world full of people with their heads in the clouds over romance, he knew his career prospects were secure.

But he had no interest in dating his superiors or subordinates.

He hated work so much that outside working hours, he didn't even want to lay eyes on his coworkers.

That didn't stop him from taking advantage of this world's peculiarities to cut corners, lighten his workload, and advance his career.

So he set his sights on the people he worked with.

For example, the wanted criminals numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7... The ones who strutted around in the Federation's eyes, periodically coming right under its nose to provoke it and make their presence known.

As a member of the pursuit squad, he looked at the wanted posters on his photobrain. Each criminal had a distinctively handsome face, handsome enough that the images had to be censored before they could be shown to the public on the news. A thoughtful expression crossed his face.

By the rules of this romance-obsessed world, the better-looking someone was, the more likely they were to be hopeless romantics, right?

The young man switched his photobrain screen to mirror mode and studied his own face.

His black hair and black eyes were still as ordinary as they had been before he transmigrated, but in this colorful interstellar world, perhaps being utterly ordinary would make him stand out as a breath of fresh air.

Right, you wanted criminals numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, who hadn't committed murder or arson and had plenty of personal charisma, yet were worth a fortune.

With your faces, this setup feels like it's about to turn into some outrageous romance plot...

And so he happily decided that, from now on, these wanted criminals would be his targets.

He would teach the people of this romance-obsessed world what it meant to be dedicated to their careers.

First up was the flirtatious, teasing romantic who was actually painfully bashful, a top with a strong offense and weak defenses. This top-tier romantic always flirted the moment they met, but instead of flustering their pursuer, they ended up turning soft and sweet themselves. He coaxed them into going straight, all without showing his hand:

"I'm not into flirting with criminals I'm actively pursuing... So first, you'll need a legitimate identity..."

"Come back to the Federation with me, okay?"

Then there was the tsundere romantic, all bluster and swagger, whose every glance challenged him. He came up with a line on the spot:

"As my most evenly matched rival, surely you aren't afraid to admit you feel something special for me, hmm?"

The young man gave a quiet, amused snort.

"Afraid? Then I'll apply to my superiors to have someone else come arrest you."

But then the irreverent young man slowly grew serious, his dark eyes fixed on him with utter sincerity.

"Seriously, would you like to come back to the Federation with me and be my rival for the rest of our lives?"

When it came to the highly intelligent romantic, as cunning and clear-headed as a viper, always coiled in some corner plotting one conspiracy after another against the Federation, he played the part of a resourceful, untouchable hero and baited them into making the first move:

"I won't let any conspiracy destabilize the Federation."

"If you really think of yourself as the Federation's savior, then spare the innocent civilians..."

On the news, the black-haired young man looked composed, his dark eyes as calm and unbreakable as ice. His voice was so steady that no one could tell he was publicly provoking a wanted criminal.

"Come. For. Me."

And then there were the rest, numbers four, five, six, seven...

Hopeless romantics, huh? Then leave your hearts in my hands.

It's fine. As someone who transmigrated here, he's an expert on every romance trope and trick.

Handling hopeless romantics is a piece of cake.

=

A new story idea born of a burst of inspiration.

Honestly, I'd rather read a similar novel and get my fill than write one myself.

Sometimes I really don't want to carve out a story from scratch... especially when I already owe three books.

Since I don't have any particular expectations for this one, I've put it in the Multi-Genre category too, so I can keep indulging my tastes.

But the ending should have the protagonist single and thriving, with no romantic pairing. I think that's the right term?

I looked it up, and if there's romance along the way but the ending has the protagonist single and thriving, it belongs in Multi-Genre after all.

Although this isn't romance in the traditional sense. It's written as romance but reads as abduction, so things will stay very restrained. I'm not very open-minded to begin with.

Unless something unexpected happens, the wanted criminals should all be men, though given the interstellar setting, they might not all be human.

I won't write women because I don't think this story will be very kind to the hopeless romantics who are its victims. I might not have the heart to go after the ladies, so let's leave them to pursue their careers in other stories.

The blurb has a word limit, so I've only shared the first half of the idea. We'll get to the second half in Chapter One. To all the lovely readers interested in this premise, please share similar novels in the comments.

Let me say it again: I don't want to start writing another book while I'm already in debt on three! So I might not update this one, but please recommend lots of similar books in the comments on Chapter One!

Theme: Teach the hopeless romantics to do their jobs properly