Chapter 16: A Novel with You as the Protagonist
"I never expected Nia-san's preferences to be quite so unique~"
"It's not that bad. If it were the opposite gender, I'd probably find it hard to accept. But when it's all cute girls, I'd say I'm even more excited than a certain young man~"
"..." x4
This person really feels dangerous.
Watching the silver-haired girl sitting with her legs crossed, stroking her smooth chin where no beard existed while observing them with great interest, everyone present couldn't help but silently complain in their hearts.
Given that she's always been exclusively into 2D, it's understandable her thoughts would differ from ordinary people. But this particular preference is just too... peculiar.
Both Mei and Ayano couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines, instinctively shivering.
Compared to Satoru, they felt this person was even more "dangerous"!
"Are you trying to steal me away with that kind of talk?"
"Well, since a certain young man is always dreaming of having a harem~ As the main wife, it's only natural for me to help manage things, right~"
"You..."
Even Satoru found himself at a loss for words with Nia's remarks.
This time, however, he directly placed his right hand on Nia's head and patted it, messing up her already short hair.
But Nia didn't get angry or try to avoid it. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, looking quite pleased.
...Why do these two seem even closer now?
Watching this scene unfold, Mei and Ayano's expressions turned slightly strange.
Satoru and Nia had been dating for about half a year.
But their relationship hadn't been particularly intimate—physical contact was relatively rare, let alone something as affectionate as head pats.
Yet now, Nia was acting like a docile kitten, obediently letting Satoru pet her.
...Normally, she'd be saying something like, "Head pats only work on lolis," but she wasn't saying anything now.
Had something happened between them?
"Ara~ What a harmonious relationship. Satoru-kun is so popular, and with such an understanding girlfriend, you must be very happy~"
Kurumi, unsurprised, teased them with a smile.
These two were willing to risk their lives for each other. Even without seeing their memories, their bond was undeniably genuine.
"If you'd like, Kurumi-chan, you could join us too~ I wouldn't mind~"
Nia continued to laugh casually, extending an olive branch to Kurumi, leaving everyone speechless.
She just transferred here today—what kind of talk is this??
...What the other two didn't know was that despite Nia's seemingly welcoming words, the wariness in her eyes was unmistakable!
Whether it was Mei-chan or Ayano-chan, they were both cute and innocent. If they really wanted to join this "big family," she'd genuinely welcome them.
Life like that would probably be quite fun.
But Kurumi was the exception!
Who would willingly share true feelings with a woman who had tried to kill them not long ago?
Even though I had heard Satoru talk about Kurumi's general experiences and understood that she was probably a pitiable person too.
But that didn't mean Kurumi could kill people and destroy their happiness!
"Hehehe~ That sounds like a rather tempting idea, but compared to that, I'm more interested in Satoru-kun's works right now. Are these all adapted from your own personal experiences?"
"...More or less. Why do you ask?"
Works like "The Ryuo's Work is Never Done!" and "Food Wars" were largely based on people around him and memories from his past life, so there was probably some element of personal experience in them.
"Nothing~ I'm just so envious. Being able to decide your own future direction, with endings you can control as you please~"
Kurumi picked up the stack of manuscripts, silently reading them before answering with a light laugh, her expression becoming uncharacteristically gentle.
If only she could rewrite her own ending as she pleased, how wonderful would that be?
If possible, she would definitely write a happy ending...
"Is that so? Then I'll write one with you as the protagonist. How does that sound?"
"Huh?"
"Let's call it 'Date a Bullet'—about a Spirit who lost her memories in a world inhabited only by Spirits~ I think it might turn out quite well~"
"..."
Satoru-kun... do you even know about what happened in that world...