Chapter 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: I'm Going to Write?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I'm going to write?
Ranyori.
A cat beastkin girl with soft yellow hair the color of a wheat field.
A girl with fluffy ears on her head and a tail at her hips.
Her eyes sparkle brightly, her nose is perky, and her ears stand straight up.
Cute. It's my own face, but yeah, it's objectively cute.
It's not just self-indulgence—other people see her as cute too. She views herself as a cute 'stray cat.'
And it's not a metaphor. In reality, that's exactly how people perceive her: as a stray cat.
Hmm... She used to come off as more like an annoying pest, but things have improved.
Just now, she got a gift from the restaurant owner.
A whole fish that's starting to go off.
She's a cat beastkin, not an actual cat, you know.
I wish he'd at least gutted it if he was giving it raw.
Still, a gift's a gift. Better than straight-up food waste.
Of course, with nowhere to store it, she had to toss it. That fishy smell...!
Ranyori has one friend.
A friend she met by chance.
But for a chance encounter, they clicked remarkably well.
He's a boy with black hair.
His name is Aren. He's human.
Different race, different gender, but they get along great in conversation.
He's a really good friend. Maybe because he's my first...
That said, being a good friend doesn't stop him from doing quirky things sometimes.
For starters, he has a habit of bringing up weird topics out of nowhere.
"…Oh!"
"What’s up all of a sudden?"
"I just found something amazing in the wildlife encyclopedia."
"Show me, show me."
"Unicorn."
"?"
"It actually exists."
"…I've known you for a while now, Aren."
"Right? So why this one?"
"This is the dumbest thing you've said today."
"No way. I'm just finding out now."
"You’re only learning about unicorns today? That doesn't make sense!"
"Of course I knew what a unicorn was."
"Then why act like you didn't know it existed?"
"Well... I thought it was just some made-up creature."
"Pfft~ A horse with a horn on its head? What's so special about that? No need to invent it."
"…."
Unicorns have every reason to exist in reality!
"If you're gonna make something up, why not go for really bizarre animals? Like a raccoon with a beak!"
"…A raccoon that lays eggs?"
"Whoa... that would be wild... Anyway, something like that!"
"Yeah. So why unicorns, though?"
"Huh? Me? Why what?"
"Not you."
"Who then?"
"God. Or evolution."
"…?"
He'd also suddenly show up with something random he'd made.
"What's that?"
"Soap."
"Soap? Why'd you bring that? And it looks weird."
"Didn't buy it. Made it."
"Oho... Why make it? Does it clean better?"
"Nah?"
"Smells nice?"
"Nah?"
"Got too much free time?"
"…I do have time, but that's not why."
"Then why?"
"Saw it in a novel."
"And then what?"
"Sell it and get rich."
"What kind of books are you reading?"
One day, he declared he wanted to learn the sword.
"Out of nowhere? Why?"
"Just... a hobby?"
"But Aren, you've never exercised once."
"I can start now."
"Exercise isn't that easy!"
"It's fine. I think I can do it."
"How're you gonna learn?"
"Swordsmanship manual."
"Nyahahaha!"
"Why're you laughing?"
"I'd laugh even if I were you!"
"I can really do it."
"Aha! Then Ranyori's gonna learn swordsmanship from a manual starting today too! And later, let's spar, Aren!"
"You've never held a sword either."
"Still, as a beastkin, Ranyori's base physicals are way better than yours!"
I lost.
"Eee?!"
"Hoo..."
"…Aren! Aren! Looks like you've got real talent for swordsmanship!"
"I'm quitting now."
"What."
"Swordsmanship's no fun. Just tiring."
"??"
Another day, he said he wanted to learn magic.
"If you'd stuck to one thing instead of dabbling, you'd be making money by now, right?"
"It's fine. My family's loaded."
"Shouldn't you check with your parents first?"
"They said as long as I don't cause trouble, they don't care."
"…Hey, do Aren’s parents need a daughter by any chance?"
"You're already lounging around our house. What's the difference?"
"Fair point."
"Anyway, magic's fascinating."
"You're really gonna do it? Seriously?"
"Of course."
"Got a master this time?"
"Nah. Manual again?"
"That'll work? Magic's not easy."
It did.
"The world's so unfair."
"That's life."
"You do swordsmanship, magic, everything solo!"
"Huh? Not doing magic."
"??"
"This is no fun either. Just gives me headaches."
"I seriously have no idea what kind of person you are, Aren."
This pattern repeated several times.
He'd suddenly want to try something.
But he'd never learn it properly—just half-ass it.
And he'd always be good at it. The problem? He'd quit because it wasn't fun.
It annoyed me a little at first, but lately it's kinda entertaining.
Like watching a periodic show.
And this time, what caught his interest was writing.
"Huh. Writing's a total curveball."
"Novels are fun. Wanted to try it myself."
"Yeah, that could just be a hobby."
"Nah. I wanna show it to other people."
"Like... get it published?"
"Not up to me. If I'm lucky."
"Hmm... This one's definitely gonna flop! Can't picture you writing!"
"Not expecting much either. Just gonna half-ass it."
"Hmmm... Alright! Then Ranyori'll help you this time!"
"How?"
"You can write about Ranyori as the model! Special permission!"
"Oh."
"…'Oh'?"
Why isn't that a rejection?
"Was too lazy to pick a subject. Perfect."
"You're really gonna write it...?"
"Yeah. You said it was okay."
"I was just saying... Thought you'd refuse..."
"No one's gonna see it anyway."
"Write it well...? Make me cool...?"
"Just trust me."
At first, I peeked over his shoulder out of curiosity.
But I quickly lost interest.
No news, so I figured he'd given up midway.
"Hey, big trouble."
"…No way."
"The response is great."
"The world's broken! It's unfair you even have writing talent!"
"If other people like it, what can I do?"
"Sighhh... So why's that a big deal...?"
"It's not just good—it's really good."
"That's not a problem! That's awesome!"
"I was just gonna write it casually, but now they want the next chapter."
"Just say you can't. Tell 'em it blew up too much for a casual thing."
"Hmm..."
"You only showed it to people you know anyway! Just apologize!"
"Can't."
"Why?"
"Already published."
"…Huh? How?"
"Dunno. Sent the manuscript, and they took it."
"So... now they're hounding you to keep serializing...?"
"Publisher's getting tons of letters."
"…Sounds like none of my business!"
Oof... He got dragged into something annoyingly big.
Better bail now. He'll figure it out!
"No, I actually need your help."
"Why! I'm not involved!"
"Told you. You're the protagonist's model."
"You really did it...?!"
"Obviously. Why pass up such a great opportunity?"
"What makes me protagonist material?!"
"Dunno. There was demand. Anyway, gonna have to observe you for a bit."
"Ugyaaaaah!"
"I'll note that cheer."
Ranyori screamed.
The cry of someone unwittingly dragged into a headache of a situation.