Trip Aren't Built For Introverts Like Me

"Ugh, I was so excited I barely slept," I muttered, groaning as I dragged myself out of bed. The faint chirping of morning birds filtered through the window, a soft reminder that the day had already begun.

The room which I’d somehow grown accustomed to felt oddly comforting despite its unfamiliarity. Still half-asleep I stumbled toward the washroom, my feet shuffling against the cool floor. The faint scent of mint toothpaste hit me before I even reached the door of washroom.

"Onii-sama, you’ve got that trip today, right? Yawn..." Tamaki’s voice, laced with her usual morning drowsiness, greeted me. She was already there, brushing her teeth with the precision of someone who’d done this a thousand times before.

"Yeah," I replied grabbing my toothbrush and squeezing a dollop of toothpaste onto it. The sharp, sweet tang of charcoal mint exploded in my mouth, jolting me awake just a little more.

Today was the day. The first year cram school trip. I’d packed my bag the night before, double checking everything to make sure I didn’t forget anything. The school bus would leave from the nearby station's bus stop at 9 a.m., and the entire class was supposed to meet there.

Ping! Ping!

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and Tamaki shot me a curious glance. Her expression was a mix of surprise and amusement...probably because she wasn’t used to seeing the introverted me receive messages, let alone respond to them. I turned away shielding my phone from her prying eyes and opened the group chat.

Erina and Shino—no, Shishie—were already awake and chatting. Their messages were a flurry of excitement about the trip, though I knew half of it would be spent in lectures and classes. Still, their enthusiasm was contagious. I muted the notifications and slipped my phone back into my pocket.

"Aren’t you going to reply?" Tamaki asked, rinsing her mouth at the sink.

"Not your business," I shot back, my tone teasing.

"Booooo, Onii-sama! You really don’t know how to talk to women, do you?" she retorted, sticking out her tongue.

"Oh? And am I not talking to a woman right now?" I mumbled, still half-asleep. The words slipped out before I could think, and Tamaki froze, her cheeks flushing a deep red.

"W-what are you even saying?!" she stammered, quickly fleeing the room. The sound of her door slamming shut echoed down the hallway.

"…Was it something I said?" I muttered to myself shaking my head. Maybe she’s on her period or something. With a shrug, I headed to the kitchen.

"Good morning Mom," I greeted her softly as I entered. She was already busy at the stove, the aroma of miso soup and grilled fish filling the air.

"Amiya, do you need extra bento to share with your friends?" she asked, her cheerful smile lighting up the room.

"Mom, I’m not in kindergarten anymore!" I laughed, though her thoughtfulness warmed me. It was moments like these that made me miss my mother from my old world. Even in this strange, light novel-esque reality, I’d found into playing family and, surprisingly, I was starting to feel at home here.

❋❋❋

The morning sun filtered through the clouds, casting a golden hue over the bus stop. Today was the day of our much-anticipated school trip, and the air was buzzing with a mix of excitement and hosh posh. The bus stood ready, its engine humming softly as students milled about, chattering and laughing. Out of the 56 students in our class with no sections, mind you that 42 were boarding the bus. The rest, well, they probably had their reasons, but who cared? The real painful cram school was about to begin...more like real classes and lessons...the thought of it made me sigh.

I stood by the bus, my school uniform neatly pressed, feeling oddly excited. Maybe it was because I was looking forward to spending the day with Shishie and Erina. Speaking of which, I spotted Erina approaching, her long hair swaying gently in the breeze. Behind her, Shishie trailed like a shy stray cat, her silver hair catching the sunlight. I waved at them, and they returned the gesture with warm smiles.

"Sorry, did you wait for us?" Erina asked, bowing slightly with her usual formal grace. It seemed she and Shishie had wandered off somewhere before joining the group.

"Nah, I was just about to board the bus myself," I replied, slipping into a teasing tone I’d been practicing after reading a book on how "normies" usually talk. It was a mask, sure but it was fun to play the part and honestly, it felt natural enough.

Shishie pouted at my words and shoved a pack of store bought onigiri into my hands. Cherry flavored onigiri. Huh. I’d never seen cherry flavored onigiri before, but then again, this is Japan, where pineapple flavored Oreos exist. Despite its weird pinkish hue, I was genuinely touched that Shishie had thought of me. They must’ve gone out of their way to buy these for themselves and got one for me too. Feeling a little guilty for my earlier teasing, I quickly backtracked.

"Ah, sorry, Shishie. You even went and got one for me. Thanks," I said, grabbing the onigiri with a smile. Her face lit up like the sun itself had decided to shine directly on her. It was almost blinding.

Before I knew it, my hand was on Shishie’s head giving her a gentle pat. She kind of looked like a cat, okay? I know it’s weird, but it just happened! That is, until I noticed the icy glare from Erina, who was standing beside her. The air suddenly turned frigid, and the back of my neck felt like a sword was resting on it, one wrong move and my head would be severed. I shivered and quickly pulled my hand back.

"A-awawa…" Shishie made a strange, cute noise, her face turning as red as the cherry onigiri she’d just handed me. Great. Now I’d made things awkward again.

"M-mhm, everyone’s already on the bus, you three. You’re taking forever to get in," a voice of our teacher called out, snapping us out of our little bubble.

"Ah!" we all exclaimed in unison, suddenly aware of the stares from our classmates. Flustered, we quickly boarded the bus, heads down, and made our way to the back. Naturally, all the front seats were taken so we ended up sitting together at the very back. It was spacious enough, but the ride was… shaky. We soon understood why everyone had avoided this spot.

But honestly? I wasn’t complaining. No matter how bumpy the ride got, I was already in heaven. Why? Because this was a scene straight out of a light novel or anime! The MC...well, in this case, a side character like me...was sandwiched between two girls! Ta-da! On my right sat the icy-cool Ojou-sama, Fukada Erina, and on my left was the serene, elf-like Shishie Shinomori. The winning SS-tier heroine and the SS-tier background character were literally sandwiching me from both sides! My heart was racing, and I didn’t know where to look.

If I turned to the left, Shishie’s adorable face which was still red for some reason was way too close. Her silver hair gleamed under the sunlight streaming through the bus window. If I turned to the right, Erina’s long hair kept brushing against my face, carrying a faint sweetness from her shampoo or hair oil. Looking up at the roof hurt my neck, and pulling out my phone to look down would’ve made me look pathetic. To make matters worse, the boys and even Erina’s fanclub of girls were shooting me death glares from their seats if I faced front. The only ones not trying to murder me with their eyes were Hitsugi and Joji, who were giving me thumbs-up and peace signs like some absolute bros they were.

I could tell Shishie and Erina were nervous too. The bumpy road kept jostling us, and our bodies kept bumping into each other. I tried to act normal, pushing away any ill thoughts, but the tension was too much catching. They stayed quiet, enduring the discomfort in silence. If they’d wanted, I could’ve asked Hitsugi and Joji to switch seats with me, letting Erina and Shishie sit together. I’m sure they would’ve understood. But bringing it up now would’ve made it seem like I was chickening out, so I decided to go with the flow.

And so, for the entire trip to Aomori, the three of us sat in awkward silence.

❋❋❋

After we reached the destination, everyone hurriedly got down, the clattering noise of shoes and footsteps filling the air as they stepped off the bus one by one. There were two villas rented for our stay, and the bus had stopped right beside them in the empty parking lot. The place had a sparse population, wise and peaceful, with fresh air that felt rejuvenating. The cram school was just 10 minutes away by bus, so it wouldn’t take much time to get there. Aside from that, it looked great place by itself.

After we got down, the three of us stepped a little to the side, away from the group.

"Phew, the ride was too bumpy," I said, taking deep breaths to steady myself.

"Y-Yeah, it was a bit too much," Shinomori added, her voice slightly shaky.

"Yeah... too... much touchy..." Erina mumbled in a tone so low it was hard to hear. She had a fatigued expression, her face flushed red.

"Erina, here, take some water. God, you’re all red ...are you alright?" Shinomori panicked after noticing her state and quickly pulled out her water bottle from her bag.

I had to admit, the ride had been rough for them. It was too bumpy, and we probably should have gotten on the bus earlier, but there was no point in bantering about it now. I took out my phone to check the time and started glancing around, as if searching for something.

"Amiya?" Shinomori asked curiously after seeing me looking around.

"Ah, it’s nothing. I’m just thirsty, so I was searching for a vending machine nearby," I waved my hands to reassure her that everything was alright.

The teacher then made calls and divided the students into male and female groups, with the males staying in one villa and the females in the other. Naturally, I found myself in a tough spot after getting inside the villa. Each room had space for four people, but I, a background character with no friends other than Erina and Shishie, started panicking. Will I be left out again? I shouldn’t have come here... As I thought this, two angels descended and took my hands as if to help me only to blindfold me like devils planning a kidnapping. I could hear a loud shut of the door and the mischievous laughter of those devils. There was no way these were angels!

"Now then, Amiya, how the heck did you get that slightly stomachache tone, hmm~? You working out by any chance?" one of them teased peeking through my shirt like a pervert.

"How cute! Is it because of that day we saw your teddy soft body? Or perhaps you’re trying to show off for those two girls?" the other added with a smirk.

As the blindfold which was actually a handkerchief was removed from my eyes, light flooded my vision. The two guys were Hitsugi and Joji. I had almost forgotten that these bastards for some reason never left me alone after that one conversation we had on rooftop. Now they were teasing me again.

"S-Shut up! It’s not like that. I started working out before that happened, so it’s just like that, yeah," I stammered, trying to defend myself.

"Oho, you don’t say..." Joji chuckled with a devilish tone. "Anyways, we knew you’d be left out. You’re a loner after all, so we thought of taking you into our room," he said with a scoff, acting natural again.

Hitsugi gave me a thumbs up as if to say it was okay for me to stay with them. I was glad inside, but I didn’t want to get tangled with the light novel’s main cast. Still, I had no reason to deny their offer since it wasn’t out of ill intention and I had messed a little with plot at first and everything now going smoothly.

"From tomorrow, we’ll have to attend cram school. Haah, I’m beat. I never wanted to do this," Hitsugi sighed deeply, wobbling his body as if the weight of the world had just been placed on his shoulders.

"You won’t be able to pass if you stay like that," Joji frowned, looking at Hitsugi with a mix of concern and exasperation.

Inside, I started feeling a little proud of myself for having this cheat skill. I already had knowledge up to the third year since I was a pass-out redoing high school in this light novel setting. That being said, the syllabus here in this world was almost the same, so there was no problem for me. I just had to do a little revision, which the regular classes helped me with. I was pretty sure I could pass the tests without any hassle. I chuckled to myself, feeling like some sort of genius!

We inspected the room and found cards inside. There was a large mirror, and each room had a television, or so the villa owner said. The toilet was nice, though the sink felt a little dirty. No one talked about it since it was just for a week we would be staying. We played cards and chatted to pass the time until lunch. For lunch, I didn’t join the girls and instead thought of male bonding, which was essential for an introvert like me. It didn’t feel bad in a way. Ootori Shea didn’t join us either and she tagged along with her female friends, considering Hitsugi and Joji were having time with me. She was probably being considerate of our male bonding. We had lunch at a nearby hotel, and it felt weird as the entire place was occupied by students from our school. I did feel a little bad for the regulars, but well, we were customers too, so it was understandable. The teachers were being cautious about attendance, checking to make sure no one got left out.

On our way back after eating full plates, the three of us boys decided to take a stroll and explore the town. There were tourists everywhere...a huge number of them. It was a little scary, but they weren’t bothering us, so we adjusted to it.

During our tour, we saw a riverside with a bridge over the river. We decided to step down the road and check out the riverbank below the shade of the bridge. The evening sun was dull, yet it still shone enough to scorch.

"Say, Amiya, are you and Shinomori-san dating?" Joji spoke up casually throwing a stone to skip across the river water. It skipped four times and he did a victory pose, his behavior as childish as a middle schooler.

 What are you, a kid?

Even though the question was concerning, I felt oddly calm. I did think Shishie was beautiful, and being a background character with SS-tier illustrations, I had stanned for her back in the real world. But after coming to this world, it was a strange feeling knowing what her future held. The future she had was one with no future, She would die a ridiculous, unexpected death. Trying to change her fate and everything else was something that occupied my mind most of the time. In the first place, I wasn’t even interested in playing romance in this light novel setting, especially as a background character. But I had to admit, my heart skipped a beat a lot when I was with Shinomori—and with Erina too... I was sure even if Ootori Shea, the try hard tsundere, came up close to me, I’d have the same reaction. Was it because of my lack of female interaction? That couldn’t be considered love, could it? It was strange that I had this fear I might fall for them, but it would be a sin for me to even think of a chance with them after manipulating the story for a route change. That being said, there were far better guys than me...a plain, simple guy like me was just a drainage rat just as Erina had once said. I chuckled internally and gave Joji the obvious answer...

"Nope. Do you even think I have a chance?" I answered him with a scoffing laugh.

"Haha, well, you’re right!" Joji laughed and smacked my back. It hurt. An SS-tier normie's gesture huh?

"Tch, I wish there were cute girls around me too. The sight of you grinning on the bus is still irking me on," Hitsugi chimed in, pouting like a maiden even though he was a guy.

"Huh? No way I was smirking back then... hell no! Also, isn’t Ootori Shea always with you? She’s cute too, you know?" I shot back.

"W-w-w-what are you t-talking about? The Twin tails? N-no, i-it’s not l-like her," Hitsugi stuttered, his face turning red.

Joji and I just stared at him, waiting for him to finish his sentence. It was obvious that he probably had an interest in her. If it was like the original novel, Hitsugi would have fallen for Fukada Erina, the actual winning heroine, but now he seemed to have chosen Ootori Shea, the losing heroine, who was winning right now.

Clap, clap. "Now, now, enough of love talk. Let’s get back before it’s late. Tomorrow we have cram school, and we need to prepare our books and everything," Joji took the initiative to break the awkwardness, and we headed back.

❋❋❋

The evening had settled in, painting the sky in hues of deep indigo and faint streaks of orange. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of blooming flowers and the distant hum of the city. I stepped outside, craving a moment of solitude. Socializing had drained me, and the weight of maintaining my cheerful facade around Joji and Hitsugi had left me exhausted. I considered them as good friends slowly...but sometimes, even the best of company could feel overwhelming. I needed a break, a moment to breathe, to let my thoughts wander without the pressure of conversation.

The streets were quiet, almost eerily so, as if the world had paused just for me. My mind however, felt anything but empty. It was a swirling mess of thoughts, emotions, and the lingering fatigue of the day. Just as I was beginning to enjoy the stillness, my phone buzzed in my pocket, shattering the calm. I pulled it out, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the caller ID it was Shishie.

Shishie? Calling me? A girl? Calling me? My pulse quickened, and I immediately felt a wave of nervousness crash over me. This wasn’t love, noi...it was just the anxiety of an unexpected call. We had talked in the group chat, sure, and I had grown comfortable with texting her. But a call? Out of the blue? That was a different story altogether. My heart was racing, and I couldn’t help but overthink the situation.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, and answered the call. “H-hello,” I stammered, immediately cursing myself for the stumble. Even in my thoughts, I was stuttering. D-damn it!

Her voice came through the speaker, soft and melodic, like a gentle breeze on a warm summer evening. It was soothing, almost otherworldly, as if a fairy had cast a spell to calm my nerves just by speaking. “Hello, Amiya… are you busy?”

“N-no, I’m not busy right now. What is it?” I replied, trying to keep my tone as natural as possible, though my voice still wavered slightly.

“I-I was just worried if you were doing alright with the boys,” she said, her voice tinged with concern.

I blinked, caught off guard by her question. “What’s that out of nowhere?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“Well, you know… you’re introverted…” she trailed off, and I could hear a faint chuckle on the other end. Is she teasing me?

“Am I that awkward to talk to?” I frowned, feeling a little self-conscious.

“N-no, you’re really easy to talk to… it’s just me who made it awkward last time… he-he.” Her laugh this time sounded a little sad, and I could sense a hint of regret in her tone.

A memory flashed in my mind of the day we had gone out together, and she had opened up to me about something personal. I remembered the scar on her back peeking out, a reminder of the way we had gone out together. I shook my head, pushing the thought away. This wasn’t the time to dwell on that. I needed to steer the conversation in a lighter direction.

“What are you doing right now, by the way?” I asked, changing the subject as I continued walking down the quiet road.

“Erina went to take a shower, and well, I was just sitting on the desk,” she replied.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “How do you sit on a desk? Don’t you mean a chair?”

“Ehh, oh, you’re right!” she exclaimed, sounding like an airhead. Her tone was so endearing that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Don’t laugh!! Or I’ll curse you!” she bantered, her voice playful yet threatening.

“Huh? Curse? No way, you know black magic?” I teased finding the idea oddly amusing. The irony of an angelic voice talking about curses was too good to pass up. “What kind of curse, hmm~?” I asked, my tone dripping with mock curiosity.

“Eh… uh… y-you won’t be able to get married!” she blurted out after a moment’s hesitation.

Wait, what? I won’t be able to get married? Isn’t that a bit harsh? I thought to myself, slightly taken aback. But then I realized she was just teasing me, and I decided to play along. If she was going to joke around, I wasn’t going to back down either. I took a deep breath mustering my courage, and fired back.

“T-then you’ll have to take responsibility and marry me yourself…” I said, my voice trembling slightly. It was a risky move, but I was determined to see how she would react. After all, if she was going to curse me, she should at least take responsibility for it as a friend right? A friend would only care about friend? Isn't that what all friendship about? Let’s see how she handles this, I thought, a sly grin forming on my face.

There was a pause—a long, agonizing pause. My heart raced, and I immediately regretted my words. Shit, did I go too far? This is so embarrassing! I wanted to rewind time, to take back what I had said. If only I had powers like Subaru, I could just reset the day by killing myself and avoid this entire situation. Damn these light novel settings!

Then, faintly, I heard her voice again, soft and hesitant. “I wouldn’t… mind.”

The words hit me like a gust of wind sending a shiver down my spine. My heart skipped a beat and for a moment, I felt as if all the fatigue from the day had vanished. Her voice echoed in my mind, replaying over and over like a dramatic scene from an Indian TV show. “I wouldn’t mind,” she had said. Did she really mean it? Or was she just playing along?

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHH?” I exclaimed, my voice louder than I intended. An old lady passing by turned to look at me, her expression of concern. I quickly lowered my voice, feeling my face heat up with embarrassment.

“I-It was a joke! A joke! Don’t take it seriously!” Shishie’s voice squeaked through the phone, her pitch rising in panic.

“What is it, Shishie? What’s your excitement for? Who’s on the call?” Erina’s voice could be heard in the background, indicating that she had just come out of the shower.

“I-I’ll talk to you later!” Shishie squealed, and before I could say anything else, the call ended.

I stood there, staring at my phone, my mind a mess of emotions. Talking on the phone is scary… Chats are definitely better than this, I thought, though a small part of me couldn’t help but smile at the unexpected turn of events. The evening breeze brushed against my face, carrying with it the faint scent of wild flowers from the roadsides, and for the first time that day, I felt kinda alive for the moment.

❋❋❋

It was our second day of the trip, and I couldn’t sleep a wink last night thanks to Hitsugi’s snoring. Today marked the start of cram school, and the teachers had already handed us packed bread with jams in our rooms. After a quick breakfast, we lined up to board the bus. The two teachers accompanying us took attendance, and we filed in. Thankfully, us, the boys managed to snag the front seats, while Erina and Shinomori settled in the middle. Sitting at the back yesterday had been a nightmare, the constant shaking was unbearable that we don't even want to experience that again. Three unlucky guys ended up stuck in the rear seats have no idea what they will have to go through.

The ride to the cram school took only twelve minutes. The school was located right in the heart of town, surrounded by bustling markets filled with tourists and locals. As we stepped off the bus, the scent of fresh paint hit us. The building was newly constructed, its clean and modern design a stark contrast to the older structures around it. The long desks and sleek architecture screamed modernity, and it was clear the school was trying to make an impression.

Our class occupied one room but there were students from other schools too. It seemed the cram school was trying hard to promote itself. Honestly, the idea of a cram school in this light novel setting still feels like a fever dream. Shishie, Erina, and I sat together at one of the long desks, while Ootori Shea joined Hitsugi and his buddy. The teacher arrived promptly and began the lesson.

It was... boring. Incredibly boring. I couldn’t stop yawning throughout the entire class. We had three consecutive classes, each more tedious than the last. During the second class, biology, the teacher’s eyes landed on me just as I yawned. He called on me to answer a question, but thanks to my three years of high school knowledge, I answered it easily. It felt like reliving high school all over again.

“Amiya, I didn’t know you were secretly smart?” Shinomori whispered, covering her mouth with one hand in a praying gesture. The way she did it was honestly adorable.

“N-No way! I just happened to study it before. It was pure coincidence,” I stammered, mentally kicking myself.

She tilted her head, a visible question mark of confusion floating above her, before turning her attention back to the class. I smiled wryly and focused on revising the material. Erina, on the other hand, was completely engrossed in the lesson, her diligent demeanor radiating an undeniable ojou-sama aura.

When the classes finally ended, we all headed to a nearby restaurant. The teachers did their duty, and everyone bore the mark of fatigue from the intense sessions. The topics were advanced, almost university-level, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the cram school was trying to achieve. It’s not like anyone would actually enroll here after going through all these, right? or maybe it's just me...

After lunch, I decided to take a solo stroll. Exploring new places has always been a habit of mine, but this light novel world was proving to be a challenge. The map of Japan here was completely different from the one I knew. Back in my world, I had visited Aomori few times, but here, nothing matched except the crowds and the over-tourism. No matter how much I relied on Doogle Maps, I always ended up lost. It felt like a personal challenge to navigate these unfamiliar streets.

“Vending machine, vending machine...” I mumbled as I wandered, searching for—yes, you guessed it—a vending machine.

I spotted a few, but they were either filled with cigarettes, ramen, tonkatsu, or unnecessary products like beer. What I wanted was a canned, cold caramel-flavored coffee.

After walking a fair distance, I finally found one. The vending machine had an edgy design, its interior light flickering ominously. I glanced up at the sky and realized the sun was already setting, casting a reddish-yellow hue over everything. The streetlights flickered, insects buzzing around them.

“Shoot, I got carried away. It’s already this late?” I muttered.

But I couldn’t turn back now. I approached the vending machine, determined to get something after coming this far. My eyes scanned the options, and then I froze.

“Hmm?”

What caught my attention was both interesting and shocking. A chill ran down my spine as I read the name printed on one of the bottles: Okairi Sweat.

The name was eerily similar to Pocari Sweat, a drink from the real Japan. It was the drink I had consumed before finding myself in this world. I had no idea it existed here too. Back in my world, Pocari Sweat had collaborated with the light novel True Tales of the Heart. After drinking it, I had somehow ended up here in this novel. And now, here it was again as with a third rate name—Okairi Sweat.

I was certain they were the same drink, just with different names. There were other brands like Toshiba, which here was called Koshiba. It all felt like a rip-off, but that was the reality of this world. My intuition told me I wasn’t wrong.

I gulped hard. The urge to drink it was overwhelming. The bottle seemed to call out to me, as if the vending machine had chained me to it. My breathing grew uneven, hesitation gripping me as my eyes stared on the.

“D-don’t do it, Amiya! Don’t!” I screamed at myself, earning strange looks from the few passersby.

But before I knew it, I had already paid for the drink. The machine made a plop sound as the bottle dropped. Time seemed to stop as I slowly reached for it and opened the cap.

I hesitated, staring at the drink for a few seconds.

If I drank this, would I return to my own world? Just like how I ended up here after drinking Pocari Sweat?

The thought consumed me. Part of me desperately wanted to go back—to see my parents, to return to my real life. I wondered what had happened to my real body. But then there were Shinomori, Erina, Hitsugi, Joji, and Ootori Shea....the people I had connected with here. Leaving them felt like a betrayal. And yet, was this world even real? Logically, a light novel couldn’t have an actual world. This had to be a dream. Maybe I was in a coma, and this was all happening in my subconscious the result of drinking drug instead of Pocari Sweat probably the case... I remembered losing consciousness after drinking that in my world clearly. It must have been drugged.

With a deep breath, I chugged the drink in one go, closing my eyes.

Seconds passed.

Nothing happened. I was still standing there, right beside the vending machine.

“Ha-ha-ha... it’s reality. I knew it, but sometimes it’s hard to believe this is all happening to me.”

I scratched my head, feeling a little foolish for even entertaining the thought. I tossed the empty bottle into a nearby trash bin and started heading back.

Yeah, I’m a bit of an idiot for thinking that way.

❋❋❋

"Oi! Have you seen Hitsugi and Joji anywhere?!" A sharp, almost electric tone jolted me back to reality, shattering my thoughts like fragile glass. My heart leaped to the voice as I turned to face the source of the voice.

It was Shea-san, her fiery red twin tails swaying like flames with every movement, her hands firmly planted on her hips. Her eyes burned with a mix of frustration and urgency, her cheeks slightly flushed. She was pissed.

"Shea-san? You mean they aren’t with you?" I asked, my voice weaver with confusion. I was near the villa we were staying at, and the area was bustling with students from our class and other schools. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm, golden hue over everything, but the tension in the air was anything but warm.

"Yeah, I lost them somehow! We were just exploring the area, and then poof...they vanished! Probably goofing around somewhere... Argh! how annoying!" Shea’s veins practically popped out of her forehead as she clenched her fists. Her anger was easy to be seen, and I could feel the heat radiating off her like a furnace.

Why is she this angry anyway? Please don’t beat me for no reason... I thought, taking a cautious step back.

"Well, they probably haven’t gone far. We might be able to find them. Anyways, can’t you just call them?" I suggested, trying to sound calm and logical.

"I did try calling them! They didn’t pick up! It’s weird!" she snapped, her frown deepening. But despite her anger, there was a slight of worry in her eyes.

Are you angry and worried at the same time? I wondered, my own anxiety starting to create talking to her.

"Well, it’s Hitsugi and Joji. I’m pretty sure they’re doing alright, so don’t worry. Let’s just give it a go and stroll around to search for them, shall we?" I offered her a reassuring smile, hoping to lighten the mood. The last thing I needed was for Shea-san to unleash her infamous kicks on me. I still remembered that scene in the novel where she kicked Hitsugi's buttocks so hard he couldn’t sit or stand properly for weeks. I wonder how he emptied his stomach.

She groaned but started walking with me, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The sun was dipping lower, painting the sky in shades of red and orange, and the shadows around us grew longer. We were searching an area Shea hadn’t checked yet, and I couldn’t help but wonder just how long she’d been looking for them.

"Hey, Amiya? What’s over there?" Shea suddenly pointed toward the seaside, where a cliff loomed dangerously over the water. The scene was almost cinematic, the hues of the sunset dyeing everything in a dramatic red.

I squinted, trying to make out the two shadows standing near the edge of the cliff. It was hard to see clearly, but before I could say anything, Shea whipped out her phone...a Jamjung S24 Ultra, of course she zoomed in with the precision of a sniper without wasting any time.

Ugh, rich people’s phones... I thought, but my attention was quickly drawn to the screen.

 My heart nearly stopped.

There they were—Hitsugi and Erina, standing at the edge of the cliff.

What the hell are they doing there?! My mind raced as I tried to process the scene unfolding before my eyes. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I had changed the plot. I had rewritten it definitely! This scenario wasn’t supposed to occur until much later, if at all.

Hitsugi and Erina had only interacted once in this original timeline completely different from light novel. And that once were where I interrupted them in canteen. So why... why the hell are they kissing?! And not just kissing—they are doing it exactly as described in the novel. The same spot, the same timing, the same everything.

Worse... I glanced at Shea, who was standing beside me, her face frozen in shock. Her phone trembled in her hand, and I could practically see the rage brewing inside her not even comical as we see in manga or light novel.

This was is bad.

Shea had a tendency to resort to violence when she was angry, and if she decided to confront Erina right now, things would go out of control. My mind raced as I tried to think of a way to defuse the situation, but Ootori Shea’s voice cut through my thoughts like a nodachi.

"Hey, Amiya... can I meddle with them? Can I cut Hitsugi into pieces and feed him to the pigs? No, even pigs wouldn’t eat that scumbag’s body... Yeah, I get it. As his friend, I should just give him atleast a painless death." Her voice was eerily calm, but her words sent a chill down my spine.

Hey hey hey! What am I supposed to do?! Those words are too scary....she’s totally snapped!

"S-Shea-san, calm down! There has to be some reason... Erina isn’t a woman like that!" I stammered, my voice stammered as I tried to reason with her. I was just as shocked as she was, but I couldn’t let her lose control. Not now. Not like this.

I recalled the conversation I’d had with Hitsugi just yesterday under the bridge by the riverbank.

"Tch, I wish there were cute girls around me too. The sight of you grinning in the bus is still irking me," Hitsugi had said, pouting like a maiden even though he was a guy.

"Huh? No way I was smirking back then... hell no! Also, isn’t Ootori Shea always with you? She’s cute too, you know?" I had shot back.

"W-w-w-what are you t-talking about?  That twin tails? N-no, i-it’s not l-like her!" Hitsugi had stammered, his face turning bright red.

I had thought everything was going smoothly. I had thought there was nothing to worry about. But now, standing here, watching Hitsugi and Erina together, I realized how wrong I had been, I wasn't supposed to be that laxed.

This was the moment from the novel—the moment when Shea discovers Hitsugi’s feelings for Erina. The moment her heart shatters. The same scenario where she was searching for them and finding them at same spot as it.

Don’t tell me... all this time, I thought my actions were right, but they weren’t. The scenario is playing out exactly as it did in the novel. Was Erina secretly seeing Hitsugi all along? Why didn’t either of them ever mention it? Have I overseen something?

"Reason? Don’t be naive, Amiya. Women have many secrets... and Hitsugi, that dense idiot..." Shea’s voice was low and dangerous as she closed her phone and slipped it into her skirt pocket. Then, without warning, she crouched down, unbuckled her shoes, and handed them to me.

"Huh?" I grabbed them in confusion. "Wait a minute, don’t tell me you’re... Hey, wait!" My scream was pointless. She was already running toward them, her bare feet pounding against the sands of the beach.

T-This is bad! I hadn't anticipated it! 

I sprinted after her, clutching her shoes like some kind of bizarre trophy. From a distance a kid pointed at me and shouted, "Mom, look! A shoe-sniffing pervert!" His mother quickly covered his eyes and muttered, "Don’t say weird stuff in public... You shouldn’t grow up to be a guy like him."

I didn’t have time to care about their nonsense. I pushed my body forward, my legs burning as I tried to catch up to Shea. But she was faster...way faster. By the time I reached the cliff, she was already standing in front of Hitsugi and Erina, her chest heaving with rage.

Erina’s eyes were slightly teary, but she was smiling, her ears red with embarrassment. Hitsugi, on the other hand, looked like he’d just been caught in the act of a crime. His jaw dropped, and he took a step back, his face pale.

Busted.

Shea stood there, her fists clenched, her entire body trembling with barely contained control over herself. 

Well then I guess time to lock in....sigh...I hope I can fix this in different way. But then what the hell am I supposed to do now?

Well, crap.