This Novel is not my Novel

"What do you mean by that? Those two were trying to use you, so you tried to use them the same way, but even that ended up being just another way of getting used yourself."

A very accurate summary.

Right now, I was laying the groundwork to shift the blame for the atrocities this possessed body committed during the first semester onto Tryggdrik.

But I shouldn't be the one to say that.

"It wasn't something I should have said in front of you... I said something I shouldn't have. Just pretend you didn't hear it."

No matter how much I framed it as being instigated by Tryggdrik, the fact that Karvaldr bullied the innocent Reisir wouldn't change.

So openly insisting that 'the real villain is Tryggdrik' would be a terrible strategy.

It would only make me look like someone refusing to reflect on his own actions while shifting the blame onto others.

That was why I vaguely implied that 'it was connected to you' while subtly showing guilt.

"How am I supposed to pretend I didn't hear something I've already heard? And what do you mean it wasn't something you should have said in front of me?"

That's for you to think about and figure out on your own from now on.

That way, you'll fall under the illusion that you figured it out yourself, even though I never intended to tell you.

Hiding that calculation, and wanting to show that I had no intention of answering no matter how much he asked, I changed the subject.

"More importantly, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I really... don't understand what goes on in your head."

"Is it any of your business to understand what goes on in my head?"

"Of course not!!"

When I deliberately answered with nonsense, Reisir suddenly raised his voice.

Acting like the 'annoying type to talk to' didn't seem like a bad strategy.

Sooner or later, the thought of wanting to get close to me would enter his mind and immediately flee.

"Karvaldr, you... You didn't actually believe everything that professor said, did you?"

Reisir stared at me for a moment, let out a heavy sigh, and finally got to the point.

But what he said was completely unexpected.

"Did I look like I did?"

"No."

"You already know the answer. So why are you keeping me here just to ask that?"

I frowned and crossed my arms.

Even though I deliberately used a slightly irritated tone, Reisir's expression didn't waver at all.

Was it because he was already used to this body's arrogant personality, or was he simply not thinking too deeply about it?

Don't tell me he still hasn't given up on that reading-friend plan.

The thought made me uneasy, but since I also had something I wanted to say to him, I continued the conversation.

"I was originally going to ask something else. But after you started mumbling about being used and all that, I wondered if you were the type to trust other people's words and get easily swayed, except it doesn't show because of the way you talk and act."

"...I'm pretty sure I told you to pretend you didn't hear that."

"It's not like I have to obey everything you say."

That was true.

A response befitting a web novel protagonist with a strong sense of self.

Without thinking, I nodded in agreement, and my eyes met Reisir's, whose expression had suddenly turned strange.

It was probably too late now, but I pretended nothing had happened.

Lifting my chin brazenly, I spoke.

"That's enough small talk. Get to the point. What was it you originally wanted to ask?"

"Ever since we met in the library the other day, your way of ending sentences with '~nya' [N1]... Are you aware of it?"

"Was that useless crap your main point?"

"No, it just came to mind."

He had just said he didn't have to obey everything I said, and apparently he really meant it.

Still, it was useful advice.

From now on, I should pay more attention to the way I end my sentences.

This time too, I should have asked 'What is it?' instead of 'What's up?'.

"We're not close enough to casually joke around, are we? I'd appreciate it if you got to the point now."

"You could have gotten that professor fired. Right?"

Only after I practically pleaded did Reisir finally bring up what seemed to be his real point.

Feeling as though I had somehow lost, I didn't want to admit so easily that he was right.

"No matter how prestigious the Austri Ducal Family may be, it's impossible to get an Imperial Academy professor fired over personal matters."

"So instead of threatening him with your family's influence, you created an atmosphere where public opinion could be turned against him?"

"...What exactly are you trying to say? I thought you believed I was reflecting on what happened last semester and trying to live properly from now on, but are you disappointed that it doesn't seem that way?"

"There you go being prickly again."

Once again, Reisir described me as 'prickly.'

Did he think I was some socially awkward teenager going through a rebellious phase?

Even though I had deliberately acted that way, it still felt strange to actually be treated like that.

"Anyway, it's not disappointment like you said. Honestly, I was impressed. It made me think you've really changed. The old you would have gotten angry first and waved your family's prestige around. Actually, you probably wouldn't have even accepted the sparring match in the first place. I think your response today was very wise."

"...Was that all you wanted to say? I don't remember asking for your praise, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't approach me over things like this in the future."

"There's still something else I really wanted to say."

"Then hurry up and say it."

I kept my arms crossed and tapped my forearm with one finger to show my irritation.

At that, Reisir looked at my face with an interested expression instead.

"You're still listening, though."

So he had been deliberately dragging out the conversation with pointless remarks.

Just to watch how I reacted.

"...If you have nothing to say, I'm leaving."

"Alright, alright! I was just about to say it!"

As I turned to head toward the dormitory, Reisir hurriedly stepped in front of me.

He looked ready to grab onto my arm if I ignored him and walked away.

So I stopped and ran a hand through my hair with an annoyed expression, making it clear that if he had something to say, he should just say it already.

"You could have gotten that professor fired if you'd pushed a little harder, so why did you let it go by saying the misunderstanding had been resolved?"

"Is that really such an important issue to you? Important enough for you to approach the person who bullied you in front of everyone and start a conversation?"

"Are you worried about me? Worried I might end up looking pathetic in front of the others?"

"Of course not. I was just wondering whether you and that professor were close."

Of course, I already knew that wasn't the case because I had read the original.

I only said it because I didn't want to seem concerned about Reisir.

"I have no relationship with that professor. And I don't care what the other students think of me. As for whether it's important... it's not really that either..."

"If not?"

"I was just curious what you were thinking when you decided to give that professor another chance."

"Didn't you answer 'of course not' when I asked whether understanding what I think was any of your business?"

"Uh...?"

The protagonist of someone else's novel blinked in confusion.

Looking at him like that, I was so dumbfounded that I let out a scoff before I realized it, and Reisir awkwardly laughed.

The moment I saw that, I immediately stopped laughing and straightened my expression.

It would be a disaster if we somehow became closer after laughing together.

"To answer your question, I simply wanted to avoid having the lecture canceled."

"Oooh~."

"What kind of reaction is that? Can that even be called a reaction?"

"Are you fixing your speech because you're conscious of what I pointed out? Puhahaha!"

"...Now that this conversation finally seems to be over, I will be taking my leave."

I was supposed to be the one trying to act annoying to talk to.

So why was I the one getting irritated instead?

Frowning deeply, I stepped to the side to walk past the laughing Reisir.

But Reisir moved in the same direction and blocked my path again.

At first, I thought he had simply moved the wrong way while trying to step aside, but even when I tried going around the other side, he blocked me again.

"What exactly is the meaning of this?"

"I still have one more thing I want to say."

"...Then hurry up and say it."

If he dragged this out with more nonsense, I was really going to lose my temper.

Thinking that, I glared at Reisir.

Fortunately, Reisir didn't seem interested in wasting any more time either.

After clearing his throat with an exaggerated "ahem ahem," he spoke with an unusually serious expression.

"Even though I said your response was wise, accepting the sparring match in the first place wasn't a good decision. You could have pointed out the problem before the match even started, right? What if I'd held a grudge and beaten you so badly you couldn't even say the word 'surrender'?"

I wondered what he was going to say, but in the end, it was concern for me.

This guy is seriously too nice.

If a scene like this had appeared in the original novel, readers would have flooded the comments asking whether the protagonist was a complete pushover.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I answered him.

"I judged it would be more effective to bring it up after demonstrating that I was a beginner rather than before the sparring started. And I didn't think you were the type to use one-sided violence against a defenseless opponent. I did assume I might get hit once or twice, but considering what I did last semester, that much is just..."

"You really feel different from how you were last semester."

"I'd appreciate it if you thought of it as me having matured."

"It's also become a lot more comfortable talking to you."

"That's not something I'm particularly happy to hear, since I don't want to become comfortable with you."

"But why?"

Reisir asked while openly studying my face with a persistent gaze.

At the same time, he fidgeted with the eyepatch covering his right eye.

He was probably thinking, 'If only I could read people's thoughts with my Truth Reading Eye.'

In the original story, Reisir often showed that kind of thinking.

But at least up to the point I had read, he never actually gained that ability.

Which meant I could lie with confidence.

"Because I don't like you."

Nobody keeps reading a novel if they dislike the protagonist.

Of course, I was one of those ordinary people.

I liked Reisir as a character because, in many ways, he felt similar to me.

That's why I wanted to watch him overcome his hardships, earn recognition from others, and reach a happy ending.

But as the original story progressed, the chances of that happening steadily dropped until they had already hit rock bottom long ago.

Even so, I continued reading his story out of lingering hope and simple habit.

I still wanted him to reach a happy ending.

But before any of that, I had to survive first.

"So why?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"......"

"Now move. And don't speak to me again."

I felt a little sorry for Reisir, who had just been told to his face that he was disliked without even knowing the reason. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

But I thought he was partly at fault too.

It would have been better if he hadn't asked why.

And before that, if he had simply ignored whatever was going on in my head, he never would have heard words like that.

Actually, there was something I wanted to ask him instead.

Why are you so concerned about someone like Karvaldr?

But I couldn't ask.

Because I already knew the answer I'd get would probably be something kind that I wouldn't know how to respond to.

And that's perfectly natural.

Because effortlessly opening other people's hearts is basically a passive ability every web novel protagonist possesses.