Her father had settled down comfortably with a new family. He even had another daughter who was not much younger than her.
Nozomi was still thinking about what to say and what to think of her father when she rang the doorbell.
By luck, it was her father who opened the door.
When her father’s face fell in horror upon seeing her, Nozomi’s heart involuntarily wrenched. While she was still in a daze and thinking of an appropriate greeting, her father excused himself from his family and brought her to a quiet and secluded area.
“Um-“ Before she could say anything, her father fell to his knees.
“I’m sorry...” He weakly said.
/Eh?/ Nozomi struggled to make sense of what was happening.
“I have left that life behind. I want a normal life now. I’m sorry but please understand… I’m just a normal person…”
A small frown formed betwee
“Of course, it’s just a matter of time.” Her shadow spoke again. “You were just lucky.” Nozomi concluded that the shadow could hear her thoughts while the book could not. She had to be careful. “What’s this? It’s like this is the first time that you’re meeting us. You haven’t recovered from earlier? Girl, you’re already losing it at such an early age! I’m disappointed!” Shrill mocking laughter that grated on Nozomi’s nerves echoed inside her head and worsened her mood. “Are you really okay with going out just like that? You can’t possibly be okay leaving the world as it is?! How is it fair for you to be forsaken by everyone and suffer so much, only to die quietly like that?!” Slowly, the mocking voice changed to one of anger. Throughout the entire time, BaoBao could not hear a thing. To him, Nozomi was either talking aloud to herself or thinking to herself. It was like listening to one half of a conversation while someone was
Streets were filled with natural and created monsters like never before. Magical people gathered a lot sooner, leading to pleasant and unpleasant encounters among them. This turned out to be fortunate for Nozomi. The magical people were so preoccupied with each other, that Nozomi had room to scutter around under their noses. Nozomi went on until she experienced her first fainting spell. The effects of her sleep deprivation had caught up to her. /Just a little more.../ Nozomi had to get to a place where no one was around before she could transform and teleport herself to some place safer to knock out at. However, she started to experience mini blackouts while she dragged her feet forward, step by step. Her eyelids were getting too heavy for her to keep open. /Damn it.../ Her gait became lop-sided, and her steps faltered. Then, she finally collapsed. Strangers and schoolmates stared at her in shock. [I think it’s time to meet Hina again. She’s here.] BaoBao reassured Nozom
Following the original story, Hina started to seek Nozomi out more frequently. Hina had taken it upon herself to find out who Nozomi was. However, all she could find was Nozomi’s name and class. No one really knew anything else about her. Even the teachers only remembered Nozomi by checking the class register, and the most they knew was how Nozomi was a poor orphan. Heck, the only ones who were aware of Nozomi’s presence in class were those who sat close to Nozomi and found her creepy. These students confided in Hina and revealed how they would rather Nozomi not come to school. “She’s always drifting in and out of sleep, she might as well stay home instead of spreading her gloominess around.” They gossiped. Hina frowned with reproach and suggested that Nozomi could be having a hard time. However, the girls brushed Hina’s comment off as her being nice and naïve as usual, then left her alone. Nozomi was fully aware of the background checks and investigation that Hina was doing
For such a clumsy and overzealous person, Nozomi went with an old and simple scheme. At the end of school, Hina appeared as usual. She greeted Nozomi as cheerfully as ever and bounded after Nozomi to extend yet another invite to her house. Nozomi eyed the coffee cup that someone else had in their hand. Then, she moved just in time for Hina to knock into the cup such that its contents poured all over Nozomi’s skirt and part of her shirt. Hina froze in horror. What had she done? Nozomi h
When Nozomi woke up, everything was dark. She was alone in the room, like the first night she had spent in this house.However, this time, she was so groggy that it was as if she had not slept for days. Her body screamed at her to fall back asleep, but Nozomi knew she should not. “Fuck...” She had not expected to sleep for this long, so she had not covered herself in spiritual energy. The moment she did, a huge weight on her shoulders became apparent and pressed her down against the table. There was also something cold and clammy holding onto her legs under the table. Goosebumps rose all over her body. /Will I ever get used to this?/
After several days and nights of having Nozomi at their house, Hikaru noticed some unusual things about Nozomi that worried him. Nozomi slept a lot. Every time he came home, he would tutor her, then she would nap. If they did not wake Nozomi up, her dinner would always end up as her supper, then she would return to sleep. Yet, she still looked haggard and dull. Did she have some sleep disorder or health condition? Despite feeding Nozomi large amounts of food with the intention to put some flesh on her bones, she did not look that much different. Then again, that would probably take more time.
BaoBao brought up everything that he could pass as an accomplishment, no matter how small it was, to argue all of Nozomi's self-deprecating thoughts. If Nozomi lacked optimism, BaoBao would be that voice for her. /Bao... Bao...?/ Nozomi finally responded. In his agitated state, BaoBao missed her weak voice and kept shouting. [IF YOU’RE SO DETESTABLE AND USELESS, HOW COULD ANYONE FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU?! DOESN'T YOUR FAMILY LOVE YOU? DOESN’T THE FAMILIAR SOUL
“Why the hell do they keep coming?” Hikaru grumbled in frustration. “What am I supposed to do when I don’t have anything that can kill them?” “To answer your first question, they must be drawn to something. As for your second question, you’d have to find another mage with offensive powers and support them. That IS your role.” Hikaru took this chance to clarify things with the book. Where did it come from? How did it find him? Why did it choose him? “My previous owner had died. I
RenRan began napping. A lot. Souls did not need sleep, but they could choose to do so. FanHai was one of those who seemed to never catch a wink of sleep. While RenRan slept, he stayed by her side, always keeping himself busy with something. This carried on for a good time before she began to catch him with his guard lowered after waking up. ‘A while more.’ RenRan did not believe that a man like him could keep himself entertained this long and resist a cat nap with her. At this point, BaoBao cried out in frustration. There were a few times she could have slipped away because he had already fallen asleep with her! He even dared to cuddle with her. That spot was only reserved for two people! Him and the familiar soul! “Is it really too much to assist by waking her up?” He challenged the elder one. “Is it so hard for her to stay awake in a world that doesn’t need sleep?” He challenged BaoBao back. “...That’s easy for you to say.” Then, BaoBao puffed his cheeks and returned to gl
RenRan’s eyes opened wide. No matter how hard she pushed against him or how much she pounded his chest, shoulders, or head, he persisted on. She tried to bite him, but he avoided using his tongue and skillfully moved his mouth in tandem with her attempts. With his hand cupping the back of her head, she could not break the kiss either. She was at his complete mercy. ‘I should have dropped the act earlier. This isn’t worth it!’ Fear slowly gripped her heart as she wondered how far he would take it. Then, he stopped, just as suddenly as he started. “Enough?” He grinned and meaningfully applied greater pressure on her lower back. His move made RenRan conscious of the rock hard member against her abdomen. Immediately recognising what it was, she fiercely pushed against his chest and demanded, “Okay, let me go! I’ll properly spend some time with you first!” He smiled with satisfaction. “Like I thought.” Then, he let her go. “You wouldn’t have to waste so much time and energy if you jus
RenRan’s heart jumped but she poised herself promptly, ready to grapple with whoever had manhandled her. “Why’d you run away from me? Didn't we have deal?” The somewhat familiar deep voice cleared up the situation. “I’m not running from you.” RenRan explained as she attempted to pull her arm out of his strong grip. “You know you can’t lie with this within us.” He pointed at his chest and kept on his tight smile. “You got to try harder than that to convince me.” RenRan frowned. “And I was precisely following that to find you, as agreed.” His smile gradually disappeared as his gaze dropped to study her entire body. “…You’re weaker than the last time I saw you.” RenRan had nothing to say in response. Instead, she attempted to twist her arm free again. “Even so, I’ve never heard of a compass malfunctioning because of this before.” Annoyed with his accusations, RenRan tuned in
RenRan headed for a condensed group of swirling sparkles that was just a little larger than her. ‘So, my mission is to achieve my dream no matter the cost. What’s my dream? To find YingTao? No, I’ll definitely find him. It’s just a matter of time. Then, I’ll find out that YingTao doesn’t want me anymore. And I’ll want him back...’ RenRan thought of everything that had happened in RenRan’s life. ‘I can only hope that her dream’s that simple...’ She began to think of all her misdemeanors, then ways to right her wrongs. [I should stop you right there. If it wasn’t clear enough before, as long as you’re in the story scenes, you’re supposed to do and say all the things the original character did.] ‘What? You didn’t say that earlier.’ [I mentioned earlier that it's risky to provoke this world’s consciousness into doing anything. So, we can only observe this world. What do you think this mea
Luna was right. She had inhabited Luo RenRan’s body. RenRan’s family belonged to the working class, but her gripe was not their standard of living, it was her parents’ favourtism for her brothers. She was the only girl, and she was the oldest. Anything her brothers did, she was responsible for. Any wrong they committed, they were let off with a more lenient punishment, while she was supposed to forgive and forget. Their expectations for her and the restrictions they imposed on her could not be compared to the standards they held her brothers against. The only solace she had was that her siblings never directly crossed her line, even when she was old enough to start working. If only it stayed that way forever. “RenRan... Forgive your brother, okay? You know he only took it because he needed it and only you can help him. If you have someone you need to blame, blame your father.” A gentle motherly voice coaxed her. “If your father helped, none of us would be
“Wh- What am I doing here?” BaoBao looked around in shock. He recognised this place. The last time he was here, it was to defend Luna. “Why am I back here?”The elder one sighed. “Why did you do it?”“D- Do what?”Gasps were heard around him.“It lies.”“It truly deceives.”“Surely, that’s bad.”“This can’t go on.”“It’s always this one system.”“Clearly there’s something wrong with it.”All the administration looked at the elder one, waiting for the go ahead. The elder one looked at BaoBao so intensely as if BaoBao was a specimen under his microscope. BaoBao gulped. He felt exposed. What was with this elder one? Whatever the case, Luna had already been sent to the next world. He could not dilly dall
“Don’t ignore me! I know you’re awake!” Someone pushed Luna’s shoulder hard. Her eyes flew open, and a purple and black galaxy unfolded before her. Her bottom left whatever she had been sitting on, but she did not fall. There was a resistance that made her body glide instead. Luna blinked a few times, stunned. "I dare you to say it again.” The same voice challenged her. Luna turned towards the source. There it was again. The sensation when she moved was familiar. However, she had no time to make sense of it. The deep voice belonged to a burly woman, instead of a man like Luna had assumed, not that it made anything better. Her guest looked as friendly as a starving lioness. Luna straightened her neat celestial-like robes while she quickly collected her thoughts. It shimmered and shone brighter than the glow emanating from her body. The fabric was so silky to touch that it was like water. Although it was transluc
“LUNA!” BaoBao jumped onto her. Luna grunted from the impact. It reminded her of how much he had grown from the first time she met him. ‘How is he so weightless but so heavy at the same time?’ “Hi BaoBao,” she laughed lightly, “Is this your new way of sending me to the next world?” “Huh?! No, no! It’s far too soon to be sending you to the next world, isn’t it?!” Luna laughed even more. “I was just teasing.” BaoBao blinked innocently. “Oh.” Luna looked at him endearingly. “You’re still so much like a kid.” She rubbed the top of his head lovingly. “Don’t systems live for eternity, if nothing goes wrong?” “Mmhm, what about it?” “It still felt that long to you?” “YES!” BaoBao confirmed without a second thought. Luna laughed. “Let’s spend some time together before heading to the next world.” BaoBao’s heart warmed and h
Nozomi closed her eyes and thought hard about his request. It did not feel right or good to take his years, but she had no right to dictate how he should live his life.‘Since he’s really fine with it...’Nozomi pushed her hands forward to cup his cheeks. “Okay...”Hikaru’s eyes brightened up. He promptly retrieved his book and readied himself. Nozomi watched Hikaru activate his magic with interest. The way his book’s ribbon splits and transforms into a robe and staff never got old. “Thank you, for going along with my wishes.” His heartfelt gratitude was reflected in his eyes as well. Nozomi smiled in understanding and squeezed his hands that were once again holding onto hers. Hikaru closed his eyes and focused on her presence, then said the incantation that he had memorised by then.Green glowing vine marks appeared