"I am… your online ex-boyfriend…"
Words could not describe the further silence that followed after I said those words. Miyuki's expression remained unchanged. Stern as it was when she saved me. But, I could feel a shift in her breathing.
"Online ex-boyfriend huh? What type of loser would have an online ex-boyfriend!?"
She started to chuckle, but then that chuckle turned into a laugh. Everything was going smoothly, all I needed to do was say this,
"Miyu_loves_m'ms."
The moment the words of her old online username left my mouth, I could feel the atmosphere of the small store shift completely. I could sense that Miyuki knew exactly what I was talking about.
I'm stealing this opportunity from the protagonist of my novel so I can get out of here alive and figure out what to do next. I don't want to be killed by the next 『 Corpse 』
"So that means… you're kafkaesque_69, right?"
"Uh—yeah…"
Before I even had the chance to soak in the awkwardness of the current situation, and how I was tricking Miyuki and robbing the protagonist of ever using this once she meets Miyuki. She responded by kicking me incredibly hard in my stomach and it made me float off the ground for a second.
"Kafka… you little bastard!"
I spat out some saliva as an instinct and fell to the ground, my body twitching a lot. Miyuki scoffed and glanced at her phone.
"It'll start soon, you better get to a safe place. And, what's your actual name?"
I gripped my stomach and tried to steady my breathing. My hair was entangled in a messy form and the impact somehow cut my hair tie. My hair was about shoulder length, I usually tie it up every day because it gets annoying walking around and having the wind blow your hair into your face.
"My name is, Kafka Sumikawa…"
I stuttered saying and more saliva leaked from my mouth. I felt Miyuki stare at me as I lifted my head to look at her. She paused for a moment. I found that odd. I took this moment to ask something that would probably make her stay longer and avoid having a chance to save the protagonist. If the protagonist meets Miyuki and says that he's her actual ex-boyfriend, she'd probably hunt me down and demand why I faked my identity.
'Sorry Kafka Washitaki… but if I had to kill off one of my characters so could live, I'd be happy if it was you.'
"What exactly is happening Miyuki?"
She sighed and looked at me with an irritated expression. As I lay on my stomach on the ground, Miyuki grabbed the stool behind the counter, placed it in front of me, and sat down. She placed her katana by her sword. I noticed that it had the same accessories I wrote for it to have. It felt odd seeing that Cinnamoroll keychain attached to the hilt.
"You really don't know anything about what's happening do you?"
I nodded.
After that, Miyuki started to explain just what exactly was happening right now. She said that many years ago, when gods ruled the earth, a power from beyond the stars arrived and created a little game for the gods called, "High Divine Configuration." A game where all gods would have to participate and would have to kill gods until only one remained. She explained that the power from beyond is now back and created a new game called, "Lesser Divine Configuration."
"The only way to stop the game without every human having to die is to kill one of the higher beings."
She glanced at her watch on her wrist and I felt a change in her breath. Like she was nervous. She then helped me up off the ground.
"In one day, everyone within Japan, foreigner or not, will gain something called a [Incandescent] which is a reincarnated god. And you'll become the vessel for one. But there's a 50% chance that that god will choose you. I have to go for now. Later, Kafka."
She ran out of the store, holding her katana close to her waist. I knew everything about what she was talking about. Of course, I did. I wrote her and her trauma and everything that is currently happening is because of me—.
'Wait, I forgot about the 50% chance whether your [Incandescent] will bless you. If they don't, then you die…'
I rushed home to my apartment threw the cold meat in the fridge and tossed my bag into the dining room table. I rummaged through it and assembled all the pages for my 7 novel volumes that I pre-made. I scanned through every one of them. Memorizing every event that'll happen. I had reread my novel since I forgot the majority of what happened in the beginning.
I specifically reread the chapter where people gained their [Incandescents] and how those who were chosen, got blessed. All of them were just important characters.
Now that I was scanning through my novel once more, I feel like I understand why he said that I was trying so hard to be unique. I can see plot holes now.
'I'll fix them. All the plot holes make this story perfect! But, what if I die?'
The thought echoed through my head. Why don't I just run away from here? I wrote in an extra that even if Miyuki didn't meet Kafka Washitaki, she'd still find a way to kill a "higher being."
"Nobody besides me knows about my book nor the disaster that will come tomorrow. I should probably prepare. Monsters will be summoned by the sound of the first horn. Miyuki will activate her
I lay down on my bed thinking about what's to come tomorrow. How many people will die because of this? The thoughts of guilt overwhelmed my already fearful heart.
Tomorrow shall decide what [Incandescent] I'll get and what I'll do from there. There's also the chance of me dying which also terrified me. Death is like the endless thoughts, hopes, and dreams that someone implants into our minds so that we have something to believe. A reason to continue our pointless lives. Yet, I talk about that, and, I fear death.
I closed my eyes and waited for the new and terrifying day that is, tomorrow.
————————————————————
"Are you crazy!? This is not my son! My son is not malnourished! He's probably a lost kid or something that's been secretly clinging to me so he can steal my money!"
I sat down in the sandbox in the playground with my ragged clothes and made silly noises as my broken toy construction truck began to lift some sand.
The police officer next to Mom was stressed out. I may be young, but I've seen my mother stressed out so I know what stress is. They were probably irritated by the fact that my mom was denying the fact I was her kid and that she was purposefully malnourishing me.
A few days after that incident, she was arrested and placed in jail for ten years for child abuse. I was six at the time.
I drifted off into the dream and heard a whisper. Something that would incite a memory in my mind that I could never forget.
"I love you so much Kafka Sumikawa…"