"What is your answer?"
Beneath a sky painted blue, yellow, and pink, a gentle breeze stirred the cherry blossom tree beside them. Music drifted faintly from afar, blending with the laughter and cheers of students celebrating the final day of the cultural festival.
Behind the school building, Totsuka Saika had just confessed his feelings to a junior Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou. She had long silver hair and wore their middle school's black sailor uniform.
Alisa was, without question, one of the most beautiful students in the school. Maybe it was her half-Russian heritage that made her stand out, but that wasn't why Saika liked her then not exactly.
He admired her honesty, her bluntness, the way she treated everyone equally. Once, when he'd been in trouble, she had stepped in to defend him. It was her kindness that gave him the courage to confess in the first place.
"I'm sorry, but I have to decline."
"...Owff."
So that was it. In the end, he was just another guy who fell for the unreachable princess.
"May I ask why?" he managed to say.
She blinked a few times before answering softly, "I don't have romantic feelings toward girls. Besides, I don't plan on dating anyone… yet." Her fingers twirled the ends of her silver hair as she spoke.
But that reason caught him off guard.
"I..... beg your pardon?"
Alisa frowned slightly. "I think my answer was clear. I don't see girls romantically, and I never will. I'm grateful for your feelings, but I'm sorry." She gave a small bow before turning away. Then she paused and looked back. "Oh, one more thing. I wanted to clear up a rumor. I heard you've been using the men's restroom?"
"…"
She sighed. "Haah… Senpai, please stop doing that before you get yourself in trouble."
And with that, she walked away, leaving him standing there, completely dumbfounded.
Truth be told, Saika wasn't shocked by the rejection. He already knew the odds weren't in his favor. But to think she turned him down because she thought he was a girl and a lesbian on top of that? He had thought she was different, but she turned out to be just like everyone else.
His name was Totsuka Saika a third-year middle schooler famous for his looks.
People always mistook him for a girl, but he was, without a doubt, a boy.
A few weeks earlier, when he was about to change for P.E., the boys' restroom had been out of order. He'd had no choice but to use the boys' locker room. Somehow, that incident spiraled into a rumor that he was an attention-seeking slut trying to get close to guys.
Of course, the teachers knew, but they handled it as poorly as ever punishing the victim who fought back instead of the bullies who started it. Typical.
To make things worse, one of the popular girl cliques confronted him because he'd talked to a guy she liked. That girl actually accused him of trying to hit on her crush. As if! She was so insecure, she might as well have just gotten plastic surgery if it bothered her that much.
But back then, Alisa had stepped in and defended him. That was when Saika truly believed she was different. That's why he'd gathered all his courage to confess because he genuinely liked her.
And for the record, he was straight. He liked girls. Especially girls with thick thighs!
After standing there in silence for a while, Saika took a deep breath and walked toward the school field. The warm glow of the campfire flickered against the night, and the cheers of his classmates grew louder. He leaned on the railing, watching from above as couples danced around the fire. He sighed.
Why couldn't he be the one dancing with the girl he liked?
"Hey, look."
"Whoa…"
Suddenly, the crowd murmured excitedly.
A boy gently took a girl's hand and led her toward the campfire. The scene looked straight out of a romantic comedy. The boy was the student council vice president and the girl was none other than Alisa.
When Saika saw her smile at that lucky bastard, he instantly understood where her heart truly belonged. It was… bitter, to say the least.
"Um…"
A hesitant voice pulled him from his thoughts. He turned to see a nervous-looking boy standing beside him. Saika wasn't in the mood.
"What?" he asked flatly.
The boy flinched. "Um… do you want to dance with me?"
Saika stared at him sideways. "The fuck, man? I'm a dude."
The boy fidgeted, his face turning red. "I don't see the problem."
Saika blinked then sigh.
"…you maidenless runt. Fuck you."
---
When Saika arrived at his front door and pushed it open, he was greeted by the sight of a broad-shouldered man in his forties wearing an apron.
"Welcome back, son. Want some meat?"
"..."
"I made steak for dinner."
"…I see, just said that next time. Can I borrow the kitchen knife?"
"Sure. It's on the cabinet."
After taking off his shoes, Saika walked past him. "Thanks." He found the knife and glanced back at his father, who was setting three plates on the table.
"You're not going to ask why I suddenly need the knife?"
"That's a stupid question, son. You need a knife to cut the meat."
"Can we stop mentioning meat, please?"
His father paused mid-motion. "That's not going to happen. Look…" He came over and patted Saika's shoulder. "You need to build some muscle. Eat more protein."
Saika sighed. "Okay."
His father frowned. "That's strange. You're not arguing back. Are you sick?"
Sometimes, Saika wondered where all that protein went. Maybe he already knew. The world had rules, and apparently, his body didn't follow any of them. He should've inherited his father's build, but instead, he took after his mother way too much. The only thing he seemed to have gotten from his father was… well, anyway, he was tired.
"While we wait for Mom, I'm going to take a shower," he said.
"Sure. Hold on." His father disappeared into the other room and came back with a bottle. "Also, stop using your mom's shampoo. Use this."
Saika squinted at the label. 7-in-1. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, shaving cream, detergent… and engine oil?
"Dad, it says... engine oil."
"And?"
He nodded slowly. "Never mind. Thanks." Better than baby oil, he supposed.
Anyway, he put the knife down and started looking for an alternative maybe a rope. Once he was in his room, he prepared everything.
Was he really about to do this? Die for dignity? What was this, the Showa era? He didn't need to kill himself just to save face. Still, the rope was already around his neck. All it would take was one push of that rickety chair, and it would be over.
"Are you winning ssso... what are you doing?"
Saika turned. His father stood in the doorway.
"Uh… about to kill myself?"
"I can see that. But why? Saika, no matter what you're facing, you can't run away from it."
"I'm just tired, okay?"
His father crossed his arms. "Then put that on hold. If I can't convince you or fix your problem, you can continue."
"Okay. Wait, what?"
A few minutes later, still standing there with the rope around his neck, Saika told him everything, everything that had been bothering him, all the nonsense about his body, and how it felt like God had created him purely for fan service. Like heck he was going to believe this was normal!
"That's it?" his father asked calmly.
"Yeah. Now what?"
His father smiled faintly and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Just lift son."
"...that's it? But I did."
"Yes, but this time, you'll do it my way. Come on, let's talk while we eat."
As his father walked toward the door, Saika tried to follow.
Silly him he forgot, thus his foot slipped on the edge of the chair.
"Kuek! Dad! Hel—ack!"
"Saika! H-hold on!"
At that moment, Saika's feet lifted off the ground.
---
"Mom's sorry, Saika! I never thought you'd get bullied at school."
"It's okay, Mom."
When Saika opened his eyes again, his mother was sobbing beside his hospital bed. He had been in a coma for five days. Her face was swollen red from crying, while his father looked like he'd just gone a few rounds with a heavyweight boxer. There were also a few people in suits standing near the door probably lawyers. Great. His parents weren't getting divorced, were they?
Anyway, as he fully came to, it felt like waking up from a long, strange dream. Only… it hadn't been a mere dream. He realized those were his past lives. He had been a Roman architect, a scientist in the Dark Ages, a doctor, a lawyer, a forensic, designer, and lastly, a struggle third rate novelist and mangaka.
Now, it seemed he'd become a character in a light novel and anime he watched in his past life.
Staring at the hospital ceiling, he sighed. Is this punishment or gift?
Still, he had to find a way to fix this somehow.
---
What is plot armor?
It's something that even the main character is not able to cope with. The ability that seems to be the way to escape reality, somehow. Plot armor exists so that the main character is able to survive or overcome his struggle not because they could do that, rather the story needs them to be alive so the story could continue.
When the plot needs them thus certain adjustments need to be done no matter how absurd it was.
Just like him, he knew this adjustment had been done so the main character didn't appear maidenless.
As for him.
The adjustment in question is his body itself.
Originally, he was made for the shake of romantic comedy plot.
Born as cute as a doll that he could be mistaken for a girl.
It made him sick.
He refuses, he revolts, he objects to absurdity that he doesn't want to become a fraud with a pretty face to satisfy the maidenless runts that thinks he was made to fill the main character's harem, and telling whoever made him like this that he would not yield.
Touch some grace. Such a cringy alpha male thing would say. Sure. He doesn't care about such things. He just wants to be himself and how things would go as he wants.
"Man, look."
"Yeah, that's a forbidden lift."
With a calm breath, Saika prepared to squat with the heaviest weights in the gym, everyone stopped their workouts just to watch the legend unfold. A few of his gym bros even helped him set up. Just as expected from his loyal spotters.
"Go for it, Totsuka-kun!"
Saika grabs the handle bar, blood veins tense up on his muscle.
"Hueek! AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
That sound could only mean three things that had happened in all his lives, he had to take a shit after eating spicy food, he paid his taxes to the IRS, and lastly, he couldn't solo Malenia.
BANG!
When the impossible became clear, Saika let go of the weight.
"Magnifique!"
The gym erupted in applause, and Saika felt his face heat up. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
Saika couldn't go on living with a Rimuru's body. So, he was going to fix it. After all, with all the lives he'd lived, he might as well make use of every bit of experience he had.
Still, having been a doctor in his past life, he couldn't help but be curious. How could he have been so girly and bulky at the same time?
He perfectly fit the description of what it takes for a real man to become the best girl, and vice versa.
While he drowns on his own thoughts.
"Hey, congrats."
He noticed a few people congratulating him before heading back to their routines. One of his regular gym acquaintances approached him, though this time she wasn't alone.
"Thank you," he said politely. "Um, is he your boyfriend?"
She turned red and nodded. "Yes, he is."
"Sure does. Totsuka."
"Ah, yes, I'm Takashi," the guy said.
It seemed they had something on their minds and they did. They invited him out to eat at a fancy restaurant with a private room. Saika's cheapskate ass always welcomes free food.
"So," he said once they were seated, "what do you guys want to talk about? If it's business, I'm all ears."
He wasn't a fool. The gym they all trained at was pretty exclusive, only certain people could enter.
"Then let's get straight to the point." The boyfriend gulped. "Can you sleep with my girlfriend?"
Saika smiled politely. "I see…" Then his neurons connected. He blinked. "Pardon?"
"Actually, I'm starting to get into cuck. If the problem is money, I'm willing to pay."
Saika sighed, stood up, and straightened his jacket. "Go buy some dignity." Without another word, he left the room.
But seriously how did it come to this? How did Totsuka Saika, once a sweet, awkward guy, end up in situations straight out of a doujin shit?
Still, this was the new Saika. He had already undergone a metamorphosis and emerged as his new self.
'Those fucked ups....'
He sighed again as he reached the restaurant's entrance. The street outside was packed with people.
He made his way to his usual library, grabbed the book he wanted, and started reading.
As I thought, he mused, this really is an anime world.
He chuckled to himself.
'What next? A pervert in a sexy bunny costume in broad daylight?'
A shadow suddenly loomed over him. Saika frowned.
"…"
It was exactly what he'd just imagined, a bunny girl suddenly sitting on top of his table, one leg crossed over the other, looking effortlessly spicy.
"Bruh."
She glanced down at him. She was stunning but also clearly need help. Like she's need them quickly.
"Hm? How unusual that someone can see me."
"Sorry? Of course I can see you. In fact, I can really see you."
Of course he does.
'Damn those tits and thigh.'
Still, what is going on? And who is this crazy bitch?
The librarian immediately shushed him. He looked around as no one else seemed to notice her. People were just walking past like a bunny girl sitting on a table completely... normal.
"Never mind," she said, flicking her hair with a touch of irritation. Then she stepped down from the table, one hand resting casually on her hip as she glanced at him.
"Please forget what you just saw."
"Sorry?"
"Forget everything."
Saika blinked, thrown off by the sudden command. Forget everything?Yeah, right. That was impossible.
He had a photographic memory and even if he didn't, there was no way he could forget that. Especially when it was… good stuff.
A light smile tugged at his lips as he met her gaze.
"I refuse."
The bunny girl froze. She clearly hadn't expected that answer.
"Hmph."
She turned away, ready to leave, but Saika stepped forward and grabbed her wrist.
"Wait," he said. "What's going on?"
"Tch. Let go! Mind your own business!"
Her voice was sharp enough to echo through the library yet strangely, no one reacted. Not a single head turned.
That was when Saika realized something. 'No one can hear or see her?'
He slowly released her wrist, watching as she flicked her hair with a final huff.
"Hmph."
Then she walked away, leaving him standing there amid the silence.
Saika watched her retreating figure, a spark of curiosity lighting in his eyes.
'Could this be…?'
There was something undeniably off about her that kind of mysterious aura only heroines in stories seemed to have. And that strange, supernatural phenomenon? It fit perfectly.
'The behavior of a female lead,' he thought. 'And the kind of weird, reality bending stuff that only happens to an unfortunate heroine.'
Then something on the floor caught his eye. He crouched down and picked it up, a black fluffy bunny ears.
"Cinderella dropped her bunny ears," he muttered, amused at the turn of events.