"I'm quite satisfied with the current situation. By the way, what kind of character was I in the story?"
When discussing the original story, Sakuya was more curious about her own character positioning.
This made Sakuya look at Ren with curious eyes.
"A girl who likes to tell jokes but always tells bad ones, is a bit slow to react, can be blunt, but is inwardly very considerate of others' feelings.
"If I had to say, she somewhat wishes she had a reliable older brother, a bit of a brother-complex setting."
"A brother complex…"
Sakuya deflated, her lips pouted, then she nodded in understanding.
"So, this brother complex was set for the original male protagonist, right?"
Seeing that Sakuya had understood, Ren nodded slightly.
"I knew it."
Sakuya only felt like complaining about this setting, but she did not really care; it was just standard procedure.
Then she remembered Ren saying that she, Nagi, Maria, and Hinagiku were all from the same story.
"So, Nagi is the female protagonist? Then who is the male protagonist?"
"A poor boy who was sold on Christmas Eve."
Speaking of that male protagonist, Ren could not help but light a 13-candle in his heart.
"His gambling-addicted parents took away the salary of a boy who lied about his age to work, gambled away all the money in the casino, and even accumulated debts of over 100 million yen. To protect themselves, they threw the debt onto their son, leaving that poor boy in a cold room with only cold debt to face."
"That's the end of it."
Hearing such a summary, Sakuya immediately made a definitive statement about this male protagonist.
"Now, no one who owes money to the yakuza has a good end. It's fine if they can bear the debt. But once they can't even repay the debt, they usually end up being sold off piece by piece."
Sakuya tried hard to recall this year's Christmas Eve.
"This year's Christmas Eve, Nagi stayed at home the whole time and didn't go out. She shouldn't have had a chance to meet that male protagonist."
"So, he was caught, taken to some Southeast Asian country and harvested, right?"
This outcome was something Sakuya had already foreseen.
When she saw Ren nod, she was not surprised at all.
"Indeed, the real world is not a fairy tale."
Would Nagi, who lives in an independent villa, go out on Christmas Eve and meet a boy who was sold by his parents? Obviously, this reason is too far-fetched. Normally, there would be no chance for them to meet.
And this idea was also verified in Sakuya's memory.
Christmas Eve was before Nagi transferred schools.
Nagi's transfer was in February, two months after Christmas Eve.
It is clear that the original story was designed with a meeting scene, which allowed the two to meet and the subsequent story to unfold.
But there was no such arrangement in reality, so naturally, there was no Christmas Eve encounter.
The male protagonist lost the chance to change his fate, so he could only fall into the pit his parents dug for him, be caught, and be forced to become one of those people who "donate" their bodies for the wealthy, even if it meant losing their lives.
Sakuya felt sufficient sympathy for the male protagonist she had never met.
Of course, it was only sympathy.
Her eyes shifted, and Hinagiku's profile made her curious.
"Ren, can I ask about Hinagiku's role in the story?"
Ren did not answer immediately, but instead looked at the person concerned.
"Miss Katsura, what do you think?"
Hinagiku thought for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"Actually, Miss Katsura's role in the story isn't very different from reality. She's a genius girl, the Student Council President of Hakuo Academy, excelling in both academics and martial arts. Despite being very afraid of heights, she always ends up climbing to high places for inexplicable reasons.
"She has a very good personality, likes to help people, and is dedicated to pulling Sanzenin out of her reclusive life.
"Her abilities and actions lean towards the masculine, and she is very popular among the female students at Hakuo Academy. Many female students around her like her."
"Eh!? Many girls like me!?"
Hinagiku was surprised to suddenly hear this news.
"…So, you usually don't have this awareness?"
Nagi looked at the surprised Hinagiku with astonishment. She knew that many girls secretly admired this person.
"The Student Council President is clearly very sharp, but she's unexpectedly dense when it comes to this matter."
Isumi also could not help but complain.
Listening to their words, Hinagiku turned her head in disbelief.
"I really didn't know."
No matter how sharp she was, she could not possibly know if girls liked her. After all, she was a standard girl herself.
Aside from being a bit flat-chested, she was a girl in every other way. She always wore skirts, so why would girls like her?
Hinagiku did not quite understand.
"That's probably because Miss Katsura herself isn't aware of it."
Ren directly gave a definitive answer, then provided a general hypothetical situation.
"Miss Katsura, please imagine this scene first."
Hinagiku took a deep breath, then nodded slightly, listening intently.
"When a girl is being bullied, a boy with a dark expression rushes forward, very domineeringly chasing away all those who were bullying the girl. Then, that boy even comforts the girl with a smile."
A scene had already appeared in Hinagiku's mind, but this scene made her frown slightly.
"So, the protected girl would have a good impression of that boy, right?"
"Yes."
"In subsequent interactions, this boy is excellent in both academics and martial arts. Not only does he have a good personality and strong abilities, he speaks softly and occasionally shows a cool and reliable side."
Some color was added to the black and white scene just now.
After the additional conditions for the boy were included, Hinagiku also saw a template for a very popular boy from a third-person perspective.
She also quite liked such a boy.
"And then, that boy is actually a girl. The protected girl is named Hanabishi Miki, and the boy protecting her is named Katsura Hinagiku."
"…Huh!?"
Instantly, the scene that had just been completed in her mind had some more color added to it.
Only this time, the images of the male and female protagonists were crystal clear.
The male protagonist was her in her childhood, and the female protagonist was the bullied Hanamishi Miki in her childhood.
However, what she had previously seen as normal behavior had now changed color.
Suddenly, Hinagiku realized why girls would like her.
Then she suddenly woke up.
"So, those chocolates I received on Valentine's Day years ago, they weren't just thank-yous?"
"They were honmei."
Ren was very certain.
"Mm, they were definitely honmei."
Nagi also nodded in agreement.
"They were honmei."
Isumi also gave her answer.
"…What a sinful woman, Katsura Hinagiku."
Sakuya sighed and concluded.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
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