—Saki's room—
I lie on my bed with both legs propped against the wall, one hand buried inside a bag of chips while the other scrolls through my phone.
"I'm bored…"
I scroll through my phone.
"Is there even a new story to read?"
"I just finished reading what my two female co-workers recommended, and I can't lie…"
I clench my fist.
"…They have good taste."
A single tear rolls down my cheek.
"Damn it. Why was the confession scene actually good?"
"The way the author portrayed the characters was just top tier!!!"
For a moment, I stare at the ceiling like a man who has lost something important.
'My pride, maybe.'
Then I immediately go back to scrolling.
—Few minutes later of doom scrolling—
My thumb suddenly stops.
"Flowers Are Actually Fairies…?"
"The Main Character Always Wins."
I stare at it for a while.
"…Why did they add The Main Character Always Wins? Isn't that too obvious?"
I scroll down.
"Oh. It's shoujo."
I pause.
"I don't read cute stories."
…
I scroll back up.
"…But the title is kind of interesting."
Another pause.
"Eh, nah…"
I check the chapter count.
"What the—?! Over two hundred chapters and still ongoing?!"
I tilt my head as I scroll down to the comments.
"The best?"
"Hm…"
"It says it has a worthy plot and you can actually learn a thing or two from it…"
I immediately sit up.
"Nope. I'm not reading that. I have work tomorrow."
I place my phone face-down on my chest.
I stare at the ceiling.
The ceiling stares back.
"…"
My hand slowly reaches for my phone again.
"No."
I slap my own hand.
"Sleep."
I turn to my side.
"I have to wake up early."
Five seconds pass.
I turn to the other side.
—Several hours later—
My room is dark.
The chip bag is empty.
My phone battery is at seven percent.
My eyes are dry.
I tap chapter one.
"Just one more."
And I am still reading.
"…No way."
I slowly sit up.
"Why is the arc actually so good?"
I swipe to the next chapter.
"Woah, she's pretty—"
I stare at my screen as a new character suddenly appears in the scene.
"NOT! How dare she bully our MC!?"
I swipe again.
"Velora? Villainess?"
"Typical villainess face. Everyone is obsessed with red, lol."
Another chapter.
"Oh, she's hella crazy, lol. Did she think that would work?"
I scroll down through my phone.
"See? Even the others noticed!"
Another chapter.
"…Oh."
My smile fades slightly.
"She's…"
The room falls quiet.
I stare at the screen longer than I should.
"She only wanted someone to choose her."
For some reason, my chest feels heavy.
I rub my face with one hand.
"Damn it. Why am I getting emotional over a fictional villainess?"
I stare at the screen in disbelief.
"Aren't villains supposed to be bad until the end!? I read too much shounen."
I check the time.
…
"Ah."
It is already morning.
Then suddenly, my phone turns off.
"Crap…"
—Few hours later, work—
'I didn't sleep a wink…'
I stand in the office pantry like a corpse wearing an employee ID.
My co-worker tilts her head.
"Saki? Are you okay… those eyebags."
"Ahahaha…"
"Did you sleep?"
I slowly sip my coffee.
"I just had some business."
"Yesterday?"
I nod.
"Yesterday? Wasn't it Sunday?"
I freeze.
She crosses her arms as I hide my face behind the mug.
She narrows her eyes.
"Did you finish reading what we recommended?"
I almost choke.
"N-No."
"What did you read?"
"…"
"Hm."
"Don't tell me it's something new?"
"No."
She stares at me harder.
I start to sweat.
She gasps.
"You did!"
"No!"
I turn away, gripping my coffee like it is the only thing keeping my dignity alive.
'I can't…'
I gulp down.
'I cannot tell them I stayed up reading a shoujo fantasy.'
'I'm a guy.'
'I still have dignity as a man.'
'There is no way I can say I got emotionally invested in a cute fantasy story about flowers, fairies, and a tragic villainess!'
My other co-worker passes by.
"Hiik!"
"Why are you so shocked, Sir Saki?"
"He read something!!!"
"Look at his eyebags!"
"Oh, what did you read?"
—The speaker suddenly buzzes—
I scream at the top of my lungs as I run.
"It's nothing!!!"
—That night—
I lie in bed again.
Phone in hand.
Blanket over my head.
"I'll sleep early tonight."
…
I open the app.
"Just three chapters."
—Few hours later—
I frown.
"Bro, someone give her a fairy too."
—Few minutes later—
"Out of all the villains, only Velora's life can be considered a tragedy at this point."
"If I were her, I would've just run away somewhere."
I stare at the screen.
"I definitely wouldn't follow some random man just because he gave me attention."
Then I check the time.
"…Ah."
It is already morning.
—Several days later—
At work, I start reading during breaks.
At home, I read until my eyes burn.
My boss places a document on my desk.
"Saki."
"Yes, sir."
"You look terrible."
"Thank you, sir."
"That wasn't praise."
"Thank you, sir."
I reach for my coffee.
My hand trembles slightly as I reach for the documents.
'I'll sleep properly tonight.'
I didn't.
—A few days later, during my shift—
"Err…"
A wave of dizziness suddenly hits me.
'I really should rest but, I'm close to her being married to the Duke.'
The office lights blur.
The voices around me stretch into muffled noise.
I slowly blink.
My eyes rolls back.
My coffee slips from my hand.
—clatter—
Someone calls my name.
"Saki?"
'I feel like I'm going to pass out.'
The floor tilts.
My body follows.
Everything goes dark.
—Velora's room—
I wake up.
A beam of sunlight slips through the curtains and stings my eyes.
"…Mm."
I slowly rub my eyes, still half-asleep.
A dream?
I yawn and stretch my arms above my head.
Suddenly, a knock on the door catches my attention.
"Lady Velora!"
I turn toward the voice.
The person standing there feels strangely familiar, yet I cannot remember who it might be.
For some reason.
The moment I take a look, a smile naturally forms on my face.