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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Monologue
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"…My head hurts."
A terrible headache made me clutch my head.
What was I doing?
I drank the alcohol Amelia made for me, and then…
"I don't remember…"
[Ah, Reader. Are you awake?]
The Author's voice reached my ears.
It sounded playful, as if she was holding back laughter.
I wondered why she sounded that way, but then the Author's words made me realize the reason.
[Oh my, what could a man and a woman have done in such a state, in the middle of the night…?]
"Huh?"
As soon as I looked around, wondering what she was talking about, I saw a black-haired man.
His appearance was so familiar, I didn't need to be told who he was.
…Why are *you* here?
A terrifying thought crossed my mind, and when I checked my body, I saw an embarrassingly revealing bikini.
Huh? Huh?
My face instantly paled, and my head felt hazy, though for a different reason than before.
No way, no… It can't be, right…?
[A man and a woman, alone at a travel destination, exposed like this…! Heh, did you have fun last night?]
"No!!!!"
I shrieked at the horrifying thought without realizing it, then instantly panicked.
If I scream like this, Yoo Si-woo will…!
"Yawn… Sleep well, Arte? Why are you yelling…?"
"Tell me honestly! Hurry!"
"You startled me… What?"
"Last night! I, I didn't do anything weird while I was drunk, did I?!"
"Last night?"
Si-woo, with his eyes half-closed, looked at me and then around, starting to assess the situation.
My thoroughly flustered state, two people in the same room. And our half-naked attire.
"…Ah, my bad."
"What?!"
Si-woo's sudden apology made me want to lose my mind.
No way, no way.
Seriously? Really? Did we… *do it*?
The Author's cackling laughter echoed in my ears.
Just as I was about to let out a silent scream, wondering what on earth my past self had done, Si-woo spoke.
"I guess I was a bit tired yesterday and fell asleep. I should have slept in my own room. My bad."
"…Fell asleep?"
"Yeah. You were a bit drunk, so I helped you, but I guess I just accidentally fell asleep."
I mulled over Yoo Si-woo's words.
He fell asleep?
"…Nothing happened?"
[Ugh, he just had to say it. How boring.]
I heard the Author click her tongue softly in complaint.
…So nothing happened after all!
"Y-you scared me…"
"What, Arte. Were you thinking something weird?"
"N-n-n-no!"
Si-woo's knowing smile annoyed me.
It seemed Si-woo had figured out what I was thinking, as he was smiling and looked like he was about to tease me.
"Don't tease me!"
"Alright, alright."
Si-woo's smooth dismissal caught my eye.
…He's changed a lot.
The Si-woo I first met wouldn't have even thought of playing such a prank.
After going through various things, he seemed to have become a bit bolder.
Should I consider this growth?
No, there's no way.
No matter how much of a growth-type protagonist he is, I was certain this wasn't growth.
Amelia must have had a really bad influence on Si-woo.
Shouldn't she be called an inkblot, rather than a heroine?
The speed at which she influenced people was like ink spreading.
Dorothy seemed to be falling under Amelia's influence more and more, too.
"Sigh. Alright. What about the others?"
"Well. They were drinking when I left."
"Just the two of them?"
"Yeah, pretty much. There were three of us drinking, but I left. It was hard to leave, too. I used you as an excuse, saying I'd be back in a bit."
"A bit? It's morning now, though?"
"…Ah."
I clearly remembered Amelia's appearance from before I passed out.
She was in high spirits, encouraging others to drink and livening up the mood.
I thought, 'Oh, she's the type to get more energetic when drunk,' and she kept pushing drinks on me, so I remembered it clearly.
…But he dumped Amelia, in that state, onto just Dorothy?
And he said he'd be back in a bit, then just fell asleep?
"This is bad…"
"I guess we should go check. Ugh, my head…"
Clutching my throbbing head from the hangover, I decided to go find Dorothy and Amelia.
Where was it? We definitely had a party on the beach.
"Here, take this."
"Huh? Why clothes…?"
"You left your clothes and swimsuit there. At least cover yourself. It's morning, and it'll be cold near the sea."
"…Thank you."
I took the clothes Si-woo offered.
I had clothes in my luggage back at the accommodation, so I could have put on my own, but he gave these to me out of consideration.
I didn't want to reject his kindness.
"…It's warm."
The clothes Si-woo gave me didn't fit at all.
The shoulders were much too big, and because he was taller than me, they were too long, which bothered me.
It was as if it reminded me of the fact that I had entered Arte Isys's body.
…I felt a human warmth that I hadn't felt from other beings.
"Arte, let's go. There's no way, but if they're still sleeping there, we'll have to wake them up."
"Ah, yes. I'll be right there."
Clutching the baggy top tightly, I hurriedly left the room with Si-woo.
***
[Normally, I'd give you a good scolding, Reader. It's a big deal to tell *the protagonist* something like that, of all people. I let it slide once before, and look what happened.]
She complained softly, laughing, saying she'd forgiven me once because my mental state seemed unstable, but I'd done it again.
[Well, this is fun in its own way, so I'll forgive you. As long as it's fun, that's all that matters, just fun. Should I change the final boss candidate a bit?]
As she watched Si-woo support Arte as they walked back along the path they'd taken the night before, this time together, she muttered.
[This world is truly interesting. Even with my power, I sometimes get flustered because I don't know where things will go. But that's what makes it more fun.]
Life with the Reader is more fun than I expected.
Sometimes, whenever I tried to scale things up as usual, problems would erupt exactly as the Reader predicted, which was a bit disconcerting, but oh well.
When unexpected events occur, the process of resolving them is quite enjoyable, so I suppose it's fine.
The reactions of other beings are also better than expected, and it made me want to continue this enjoyable creative life with the Reader forever.
[Ah, it's truly a shame that nothing in this world lasts forever.]
But someday, I'll have to part ways with the Reader.
The Reader's mental state didn't seem that great, so at most, perhaps one to two years?
Had the Reader ever complained that academy novels always stop being primarily about the academy after about a year?
It really turned out that way.
There's a fellow I've been watching with interest who can manipulate time, but I didn't want to borrow the help of other fellows.
Because this story is about me and the Reader.
[I wonder how it will end! I can't wait to see!]
She watched as the Reader and the protagonist, seeing two people lying on the sand, frantically tried to wake them up.
Indeed, I wasn't wrong.
A completed story certainly has its charm, but a story progressing towards completion while still unfinished also has its unique flavor.
The sight of those who scoffed when I said I'd show it in real-time, now watching with eager anticipation, was quite something.
Even when they complained, 'How can you develop the story like that?' and 'I could do better than you,' I just laughed heartily at the sight of them still watching in the end.
The impatient ones were even looking for suitable places, saying they wanted to try it themselves.
Well, if they want to, let them. I'm too busy enjoying my time with the Reader to care what others are doing.
[What will happen today, Reader? Please entertain us today too.]
The Reader seemed to think I was truly a web novel author, but oh well.
I thought there wouldn't be any problem if they thought that.
They say a work of art is another world, don't they?
If so, there's no problem displaying a world as a work of art. I can be called an author.
It was quite difficult to bring the Reader into this world, but so far, the Reader has always brought me entertainment.
So, if I trust the Reader and wait, they'll surely create an interesting story for me in the future.
The pure girl smiled brightly.
As if she was looking forward to what would happen next.
***
"I'm disappointed."
"I said I'm sorry…"
"I can't forgive… *Ugh*."
"…Alright, it's all done. Dorothy, there's hangover medicine in that bag over there, so take that first."
"T-thank you…"
Dorothy shuffled off like a zombie to find the hangover medicine.
Even then, her glare at Si-woo was fierce, as if saying, 'Just you wait.'
"She's definitely sulking, isn't she…"
"Of course she is. Wow, how many bottles did they even drink?"
"…Ugh, I think I drank almost all of it."
"Ah, Amelia."
Amelia walked over, clutching her head.
Amelia, usually so energetic, was stumbling today as if she'd poured all her energy into last night.
…She looks like a complete mess.
"You drank *all* of that? Are you out of your mind?"
"I wasn't in my right mind, that's why I drank it all. Ugh, my head…"
I handed the hangover-suffering Amelia some *haejangguk*, and she started devouring it instantly.
…Are you really suffering from a hangover? You're incredibly fast.