Chapter 521: Cherry(2)
Chapter 521: Cherry(2)
I stared at the final phrase, my mind momentarily going blank.
It was summer.
Before I crossed over to this world, it was a phrase I saw all the time on the internet. It was a magic sentence—one that could make even the most nonsensical rambling feel poignant and emotional just by tacking it onto the end.
If you look at the sentence itself, it’s quite lyrical and evocative, even excellent. However, it had evolved into a sort of meme. To put it simply, once you see the words "It was summer," everything that came before it is dismissed as "nonsense." It’s a format where the reader is fully immersed, only to realize too late that the entire story was a fabrication.
Could it be... a Light Path Ending?
Perhaps that was why I couldn't take my eyes off the conclusion of Cherry’s debut work, Red Sunset Once Again. For a split second—maybe just a second—I actually doubted her. There was no reason for that sentence to just pop out of nowhere otherwise.
But Cherry was a person born and raised 100% in this world. Unlike me, she wasn't an immigrant from another dimension. It was likely just my brain, still marinated in internet culture even after twenty years of reincarnation, reacting automatically.
Above all, the sentence itself was a perfect fit for a lyrical conclusion. It certainly wouldn't lead into a "Ah, hell, it was all a dream" or a "Boss, this guy is laughing" kind of development.
I wanted to believe that. If not, the readers would set the place on fire.
"...Cherry?"
"Yes...?"
I looked away from the sentence and called out to her. She replied with her characteristic vacant, hazy eyes. I agonized over my words for a long time before finally speaking.
"You're going to end it like this, right?"
"For now..."
"You're not going to suddenly reveal that this was all a dream, or that a god showed the protagonist an illusion, or anything like that, right?"
One might say I was overreacting, but the trauma was deeply engraved in my mind. The "Shock and Horror" of the Light Path Ending was a conclusion that people talked about for ages, and I had read it myself. I’d started it thinking it was a perfectly normal novel, only to end up nearly traumatized. What was even more surprising was that there were foreshadowing hints scattered throughout, yet not a single reader had predicted such an ending.
"..."
Cherry looked like she didn't understand my question at all. I could tell by the way she blinked slowly. Seeing that reaction, I felt a wave of relief inside. I really was just overreacting. Since this was a different world, there was no way she meant it in that sense. I’d worried for nothing.
"Oh..."
Just as I was relaxing, Cherry let out a soft exclamation for some unknown reason. That single sound made the anxiety I’d just suppressed crawl right back up.
"That's actually... not a bad idea?"
The moment those words—the words that should never have been uttered—came out, I felt the blood in my body turn cold.
No. Not that. You really can't do that.
I looked at Cherry in shock. For once, she had an expression of genuine interest. Usually, she wore a dark, gloomy, expressionless mask, but now the corners of her mouth were slightly turned up.
"Ending it like that, the way you suggested, Senior... it might be quite good..."
"...Why?"
"Because it was your advice...?"
I had dug my own grave—no, I’d planted my own landmine. I had no excuse. My brain stalled for a moment, but I quickly snapped out of it. I had to at least ask for her reasoning.
After steadying my breath so she wouldn't notice, I spoke to Cherry in a slightly trembling voice.
"...No. Just pretend you didn't hear that."
"Um... then why did you say it...?"
Because my head is thoroughly rotted by the internet. It’s a condition that doesn't go away even after reincarnation.
I wanted to answer like that, but I couldn't. It wasn't time to tell her yet. Instead, I had a plausible excuse ready.
"I once asked Lord Luminous if returning to the past—regression—was actually possible. He said it was. You know this too, right?"
"Yes... but I heard that even for a hero with deep faith, staying for more than a day is extremely difficult..."
Since she was writing a regression story herself, she seemed well aware of how difficult regression was. That made the explanation a bit easier. I nodded and added a further explanation.
"Exactly. It's no different for me. Even when I wrote the Xenon Biography, I could only manage about a month."
"Ah... so you're saying I need to explain the reason for the female protagonist's regression in more detail...?"
Cherry nodded as if she understood. Some people can understand a mess of words perfectly, and she was exactly that type. Since there was room for a positive interpretation, I nodded along. There are no results without a cause in this world, so this would help maintain probability.
"Right. Looking at the plot so far, it feels like the focus has only been on the female protagonist overcoming obstacles and trials. Wouldn't it be better to explain the reason, even if it's in a side story? For example, the world after the protagonist's death fell further into ruin for some reason, and a god who learned of this sent her back to the past."
"Oh..."
A bit of life returned to Cherry's eyes at my explanation. Judging by the exclamation she let out, she seemed genuinely impressed. Now that I’d explained it this way, the Light Path Ending shouldn't happen. I’d managed to fix it as much as possible.
"There was a way like that... It would definitely secure enough probability..."
"Right?"
Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, seeing Cherry convinced...
"...But it's hard."
"Huh?"
"It's too hard... Can't I just do what you said, Senior...? I hadn't planned for that at all..."
We were right back where we started. Cherry pleaded with me, looking troubled. I felt like I’d been hit in the head with a hammer; my mind went dizzy. After all that circling around, we were back to the Light Path Ending.
It was all because of my big mouth. I should have just said it was a good ending and kept my mouth shut, but my anxiety wouldn't let me. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy—my desperate struggle to avoid a predicted future was the very thing bringing it to pass.
"...You hadn't planned for it?"
I wiped my face with my hands, asking with a heavy heart. Not thinking about the cause of the regression was a major mistake on Cherry's part, Light Path Ending aside.
Of course, back before I crossed over, everyone and their mother was doing regression, reincarnation, and possession stories, so no one really cared about the 'why' anymore. But in this world, Cherry was the pioneer of the regression genre. She was building a genre that even I hadn't touched, and if the foundation was off, everything could go wrong.
"Yes... I just made her regress because I felt sorry for her... I didn't think deeply about it..."
"What are you going to do if a reader asks for the reason later?"
"I was going to say it was the will of the gods..."
In my past life, the response would have been, "What kind of bullshit is that?" but not here. The will of the gods? Ah, well, gods are beyond the understanding of mortals like us, so there must be a reason. People would just accept it like that. Even I had ended up here because of a plot by demon worshippers.
In many ways, it was a case of passing the buck made possible by the overwhelming power of divine right. But I couldn't just blame Cherry. As I said, she was currently constructing the genre of regression stories. From her perspective, it was bound to be a headache.
Still, it has to be done.
This was a step she had to take for her growth as a writer. If she just glossed over it, she wouldn't improve. And a Light Path Ending was absolutely out of the question. It was better to take a bit of criticism than to have the whole thing go up in flames.
"I'm sorry, but I think it's best to handle the probability of the regression in a side story. You could just say it's the will of the gods, like you said. But this is a book you wrote. In the world of this book, you are the god, the cause of all things, and the result. Explaining clearly why you made the protagonist regress will not only help you grow but also increase your value as an author."
"Mmm..."
At my firm words, Cherry pressed her lips together and nodded. She seemed to have accepted my point. Now that I’d used the stick, it was time for the carrot. I praised her by mentioning that final, "masterpiece" of a sentence.
"Still, the conclusion of the main story was really good. Especially that last phrase—it’s likely to be remembered for a long time."
"Really...?"
"Of course. That one sentence made everything feel so emotional."
"..."
At my sincere praise, the corners of Cherry's mouth lifted noticeably. Her eyes remained gloomy, making the smile feel a bit eerie, but since she was naturally beautiful, even that felt charming. I’d also grown used to her unique atmosphere. If she could just brighten up, she’d be a popular student in class, but her past was holding her back. Plus, her personality was closer to being a voluntary loner. I wasn't her parent, so there wasn't much I could say.
I guess I should be glad no bad types are bothering her?
I let my gaze slide down from Cherry's face. There was an overwhelming presence resting heavily on the desk. Perhaps because she was in the middle of a growth spurt, she seemed even larger than Cecile lately. She hadn't been quite that big before.
Despite having a body more than capable of stirring a man's desires, not a single fly buzzed around her. It wasn't that she was ugly. Even if her aura was dark, objectively speaking, Cherry was a great beauty.
Why is that?
Was it because she was like a flower on a cliff that no one dared touch? Or was it because of her family and her atmosphere? I often heard about incidents and accidents happening around school, but the area around Cherry was uniquely quiet.
Well, just because it's fine now doesn't mean it'll be fine forever.
If her self-esteem continued to recover like this, her face would gradually brighten, and she’d make friends soon enough. If any dark hands reached out to her then, I would cut them off immediately.
I raised my gaze again to meet Cherry's. When our eyes met, she blinked slowly.
"So, Cherry. Now that you've finished this one, have you thought about your next work?"
"I still have the side stories left..."
"You can take your time with the side stories. I only put mine out quickly because I was in a rush; you should take your time."
"Next work..."
At the mention of a next work, Cherry looked down. She blinked slowly once more. While she was lost in thought, I brought over the typewriter I’d placed on the table. As I’d mentioned before, it was a gift for her. It would take a while to get used to, but once she did, her writing speed would increase drastically. Since we were colleagues and partners who shared a secret, it felt unfair for me to be the only one using one.
How happy would Cherry be to receive this? Of course, she wouldn't react wildly. But just seeing the corners of her mouth go up would be enough. It felt a bit like raising a hamster.
"Cherry. Can you look at this for a second?"
"Mm...?"
Cherry snapped out of her thoughts at my call. I placed the typewriter in front of her and stood up. I pulled over a chair to sit next to her. As a result, we were sitting side-by-side. She flinched and seemed flustered when I sat close. She probably hadn't expected me to sit so near. But with a machine like this, it was easier to show than to tell.
"I have a gift for you. It's something I use too."
"A gift...? Something you use, Senior...?"
"Yeah. A demon—I mean, Cecile invented it for me. If you press it like this..."
I slowly explained what the typewriter was and how to use it. Cherry, who was puzzled at first, showed the typical interest of a writer as life returned to her eyes. With the press of a button, letters appeared in the air, and those letters soon formed words. Before long, words gathered into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into a complete piece of writing. It was overwhelmingly faster than writing by hand, and typos could be corrected instantly. That was the power of the typewriter—an essential tool for anyone who writes.
"How is it? Do you understand?"
"Wow...!"
When I finished the explanation, Cherry’s mouth fell open in an exclamation of wonder. It was an unusually intense reaction for her. It showed that the typewriter was more than just surprising; it was a revolution. I’d had a similar reaction when I first received mine. Furthermore, unlike me, she didn't have a past life. To her, this was a machine that seemed like it could only exist in a dream.
"T-this... for m-me... r-really...?"
Cherry looked back and forth between me and the typewriter, her voice trembling. Receiving something that seemed like it belonged in a dream would naturally cause more hesitation than gratitude at first. But I already had one, and I felt bad for not taking better care of her lately. I smiled warmly and reassured her.
"That's right. It's for you. I felt bad for not paying enough attention to you, and I already have one myself."
"S-Senior..."
"As a colleague in the same profession, and as your senior, I should look out for you."
"I... I have nothing... to give you in return..."
Cherry's voice dropped sharply. It seemed her self-esteem was plummeting as she realized her situation. But I wasn't flustered. This was a predictable pattern by now.
"Would you... like to touch my chest...?"
"..."
I didn't predict that. I was dumbfounded as Cherry placed a hand over her chest and asked tentatively. Seeing her ask without a hint of embarrassment, it seemed she was offering it purely as a form of 'repayment.' My head spun for a moment, but I managed to keep my composure. Where did she even hear such a thing?
"...No. It's okay. You don't have to do that."
"Oh..."
"By the way, where did you hear that?"
"You were staring at my chest earlier..."
I had to shut my mouth tight. At the same time, a wave of existential dread washed over me. If I had to make an excuse, men are just built that way. How could one ignore such massive fruit hanging there? No matter how many beautiful women were around me, animal instinct was a hard thing to defy. Of course, I couldn't deny that I felt like trash. I didn't want to cut off my hands; I wanted to pluck out my eyes.
"...Anyway, try using it once. I'll teach you from right here."
"Okay..."
Pushing the dread aside, I began teaching Cherry how to use the typewriter. How was I supposed to deal with this awkward atmosphere?
"Um... Senior..."
"Yeah?"
"I think it's broken..."
"What?"
I was trying to clear my foggy head when words I couldn't believe reached my ears. The typewriter was broken? I’d asked Cecile to make this one a new model. More puzzled than surprised, I shifted my gaze toward the typewriter.
"Huh? What's wrong with it?"
The hologram window was acting strange, as if it really were broken. The text was scrolling down on its own, and weird words were being typed in between. I tilted my head, wondering why a machine that was perfectly fine a moment ago was acting like this.
"Cherry. Hold on..."
As soon as I turned my head, I realized the reason.
"Senior...?"
"..."
It wasn't her school uniform screaming for help anymore.
"......Cherry?"
"Yes...?"
"Could you... move back just a little?"
"What do you mean... Oh...!"
The typewriter was the one screaming for help.
Cherry seemed to realize what I meant; she looked startled and pulled her chair back slightly. The typewriter, which had been nearly suffocated by her heavy chest, finally regained its freedom. The hologram window returned to normal as well.
The atmosphere turned awkward for a moment, but somehow I managed to teach her—
"It's too uncomfortable..."
"..."
—Actually, I couldn't. Her chest was so large that even typing was a struggle for her.
"......I'll ask Cecile."
It looked like I’d have to get a custom-made typewriter.