/POP Sana/
Alice turned her eyes back to Sana, her voice sweet. "Sana, I'll treasure that name. You're my hero." Her face turned a little red.
Sana felt his heart beat faster than usual at her smile. It reminded him of some old waifu scenes he had seen in his past life. Somehow, his whole body felt nervous, yet it made him completely forget the pain. It was as if something was forcing him to remember how miserable his past life had been.
[Did I do something wrong? Is this world really Japan? Or maybe just an illusion from a sweet dream? This life is fucking bullshit. Am I still playing this death game, trapped in an illusion where something good actually happens? Is all my effort just a waste of time?]
Sana smiled back at her while hiding his headache and his uncertain feelings. "I'm just a normal guy, but I feel really great when I can become someone's hero."
[What a liar. I never wanted to be a hero like this. I never want to be like this. I'm just a selfish human being.]
Alice shook her head, forcing a smile. "No, you're truly my hero."
[I am now a hero… it still feels heavy somehow, right? Maybe living a normal life is the best thing, rather than being something special to other people. Being known by many people is a bad idea for me, right? But why is she so friendly to me? This is not normal for a Japanese person, right?]
Sana tried to change the topic because he felt weird continuing this conversation. "What about your parents? Did you call them about this?"
[Hopefully, she's not like the same Alice I know… her parents were always busy with work, leaving her lonely throughout her childhood. Maybe that's just how the app was made, to give the user a chance to spend time alone with her in her home.]
Alice looked down, hiding her sad face. "Yes, I already talked to them, so don't worry."
[You're a liar. I know you very well. I'm sure she is the Alice I know, but she looks more human than ever.]
Sana let out a long sigh. He really wanted to stroke her head, but his hand stopped mid-air. His voice trembled. "That's a relief. I'll meet them when I recover to apologize for borrowing their daughter."
Alice looked a little scared, avoiding his gaze. "They're very busy. I wish they could come see you as their hero."
Sana wanted to comfort her and said in a warm voice, "It's okay, I understand. They work hard to earn money and take care of you."
For some reason, his words triggered something deep inside her, like a deep wound becoming even deeper. Her face showed hurt. Turning her pained gaze toward Sana, she said in a harsh voice, "I never thought like that… they're just working and working. They don't care about me."
[Alice… why haven't you changed much? Why does your life always suck? I feel bad for you. I wish I could bring some happiness into your life. But sorry, I can't show it. It would be weird if I displayed inconsistent behavior.]
Sana looked at her with a sad expression. "Maybe they have their own problems they can't tell you about. Even if it feels bad… they're still our parents."
Feeling bad about her attitude, Alice looked around with a bitter smile. "You're so different… you're more mature than I thought."
Sana felt a little shy and looked around to see what she was watching. "Maybe." He scratched his head.
[Dammit, these wounds still hurt so badly. How can I overcome this pain? What a tragic life I have right now.]
Alice came back to her senses and moved her head closer to him. Sana could feel her presence, making his heart beat crazily. "Are you still in pain?" She looked at him with a worried face while placing her hand on his chest.
[How does she even know about this? Is this just female instinct? But my mother never understood me this way. Why, Alice, you're so special to my life now. Even if I can't be sure I'll have a relationship with her in this life, I want to make sure she can live a normal life, even if she doesn't know about me. What a true hero I had dreamed about in my past life.]
Sana was hurting badly, but he hid it. Not wanting to make her worry, he gave a blushing smile and slowly shook his head. "I believe I'll recover soon, so don't worry."
Alice forced a smile and stepped back to create some distance between them. "That's great to hear."
[Yes, you should let me be involved in your life. My life is so unlucky and tragic, and yours was just as bad, so this is for the best, right?]
Alice checked her phone because she had lied to Sana. She hadn't actually called her parents. She didn't want to bother them. They usually came home very late. Her father barely came home at all, stuck in some unknown way. For some reason, after losing her mother, he never dared to look at her or take care of her. She was simply abandoned. Her childhood sucked.
When she opened her phone, a flurry of notifications appeared. *Tick, tick...*
Sana blinked, reading the hurt on her face. "Is something wrong?"
Alice checked the announcements on her phone. They were not from her parents, but from her childhood friend. She bit her lip as she read them. There were many missed calls from him.
~Where are you, Alice? Do you hate me? Please answer me. It's so mysterious… are you going to die or commit suicide? How can I live with this guilt for the rest of my life? Huhu.~
Alice held her phone tightly, her voice laced with anger. "Why does he keep annoying me even after all that? What a stalker!"
Sana, without realizing it, reached out and grabbed her hand. He squeezed it firmly, trying to help her calm down.
Alice was taken aback. "Oh, I'm sorry… just some annoying things keeping coming up." Yet, she didn't let go of his hand. Her face grew calmer, soothed by a feeling of warmth she had forgotten long ago.
Sana slowly tried to pull his hand back, but Alice held on. Her face turned a little red. Sana felt awkward about this sudden intimacy.
Alice suddenly realized what she was doing. She hadn't even noticed that Sana was actually the first one to hold her hand, not her. "I was just thinking too deeply… I couldn't control my actions."
Alice finally freed his hand, leaving an awkward atmosphere between them.
Sana smiled, avoiding her gaze. "It's okay. You look like you're having some trouble."
Alice spoke in a calm voice, though she felt annoyed by the way Sana was trying to distance himself from her—she really hated it. It wasn't because she was the type of girl who easily fell in love with a good guy like Sana. It was because she knew Sana was her fated love. From the very first moment she saw him in class, she already knew it. "It's my childhood friend. I've rejected him many times, but he never gives up. I already told him I really don't like him." She looked down, clutching her clothes.
Sana said in a sad voice, "I can understand why he keeps pursuing you… You're beautiful, and you're also his childhood friend."
Alice looked at Sana in disbelief. This was the first time anyone had ever called her that. She always thought of herself as just an ordinary girl, like an extra character in a novel. So, in Sana's heart, she was actually beautiful?
Alice gave a bright smile. "We just happen to know each other. I never wanted to be friends with him. Just because we live near each other doesn't mean we're childhood friends."
A strange idea popped into Sana's mind. "I have a way to help you." He felt his heart beat faster, his voice stumbling.
Alice looked curious, tilting her head with a glimmer of hope.
Sana took a deep breath, his face blushing. This was the first time he had ever tried to use a trick on Alice. After all, he just couldn't stop caring about her. "I'll pretend to be your boyfriend." His voice trembled slightly.
Alice smiled at him. She really wanted to giggle at his clumsy attempt to find a chance to be with her. With a sweet voice, she took his hand again, wrapping it in both of hers. "Yes, my hero. You're the only one I can trust."
Sana's face turned completely red as he struggled to find his voice. "Yeah… in return, you need to take care of me well."
Alice nodded happily. "Yes, I promise, hihi. My shy hero, you're just like a child after all, hihi."