This Novel is not my Novel

"But that's really unexpected! I never thought you had a side like that..."

"W-w-w-wait a minute!"

Was I too flustered?

I stuttered without realizing it as I hurriedly cut Reisir off.

Then I took another deep breath to calm my agitated heart.

'Stay calm. They say there's a way out even when the sky falls, right? Then there must be a way out when a character's personality collapses too.'

First, I decided to review Karvaldr's existing persona.

He was a thug with a foul temper.

And while Yor's true form was a dragon, the people of this world perceived her as a cat...

'A thug-like character who's only kind to a cat? Isn't that a classic cliché with a long and storied tradition?'

From that perspective, this situation could actually be an opportunity to strengthen his character.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to achieve by appealing to the Original Protagonist I'm supposed to distance myself from with a personality that's 'abrasive to people but gentle to small animals like cats.'

'Still, it's much better than having my identity suspected because of a character collapse.'

Anyway, since I'd decided on the concept I was going to push, it was time to show it through action.

The reaction of a thug character caught being kind to a cat.

"...Did you say you followed me because you were worried? Someone like you?"

I swept my bangs back and changed the subject in an arrogant tone.

As if the scene of my character collapse had never been witnessed.

If my prediction was correct, Reisir wouldn't play along with the act and would call me out on it.

"Are you changing the subject now because you're embarrassed?"

I knew it.

He had even corrected me when I misused the "~nya" ending.

I expected him not to let this slide either.

"Ugh...! Sh-shut up...!!"

If you're acting out a classic character, then the dialogue and reactions have to be classic too.

I deliberately flinched dramatically to show how flustered I was, then shouted sharply.

It was meant to show that I was covering up my embarrassment with anger, not knowing what to do after being caught showing a shameful side I didn't want others to see...

But.

'This is truly embarrassing and shameful.'

My face grew hot.

It wasn't intentional, but since my face had changed color, there was no way he could suspect this was an act.

"Ahaha! What are you so embarrassed about?"

The expression on Reisir's face as he asked didn't suggest he actually wanted an answer.

The only thing clearly written across his face was, 'I want to tease him!'

It was a playful side that suited his current age, but it was also a rare sight that had only appeared a few times in the original novel.

A heavy feeling washed over me.

'Thanks to my possession, he escaped Karvaldr's bullying. But when he loses his childhood friend at the graduation ceremony, he'll fall into depression for a while, right? Then, just when he finally regains his smile, someone close to him will die again, and then again and again...'

Reisir would lose his smile that way and become someone far removed from playfulness.

Even knowing that, instead of resolving to lend him a hand...

I pressed my lips together, furrowed my brow, and put on an angry expression to hide my pity.

"I don't think we're close enough to joke around like this."

"It was just nice to see you relaxed for once, unlike usual. Why don't you try talking to people gently, just like you did when you were talking to your familiar? I think people's opinion of you would get much better if you did..."

"That is none of your concern."

I didn't understand why he was so worried about me.

Even though I was the one turning a blind eye to Reisir's scheduled misfortune and running away to distance myself from it.

At this rate, I would have no way to refute the accusation of being a coward.

"I know I'm meddling too much in other people's business, but..."

"If you know that, then why don't you stop? In the first place, you've chosen the wrong person to worry about. I will continue enjoying a comfortable academy life backed by the prestige of my ducal family, without caring what others think. But the future of that nobody who was kneeling before me just now will be dark, if not pitch black. So if you want to pity someone, go pity him."

Before Reisir could add an explanation, I quickly cut him off with a sneer.

But even then, I couldn't stop the words that finally came out of Reisir's mouth.

"If you hate me meddling in your business that much, then you shouldn't have made me worry in the first place!!"

I had deliberately sneered to hurt Reisir's feelings, but I hadn't expected him to suddenly shout like that.

So this time, it wasn't an act. I really flinched.

Just then, the thought 'What if people gather after hearing this?' crossed my mind, and I reflexively looked around.

"You said you don't care about what others think. Then why are you looking around like that?"

"......"

Thankfully, no spectators had gathered yet, but it wasn't a situation where I could feel relieved.

Looking around had been a mistake. I had fallen for the ploy of someone else's novel protagonist.

I realized that, but since I couldn't take back what I'd already done, the most I could do was clench my fists and continue acting angry.

"I wasn't there from the beginning, so I don't know what was said before. But I saw it when I entered the dormitory lobby. You, hiding behind a pillar with a pale face."

"You... saw... that?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Even though I had just made a mistake, I couldn't pull myself together and could only show my agitation.

What an unbelievable coincidence.

It was bad enough that Reisir of all people had to witness my character collapse, but why did he have to enter the lobby at that exact moment and see me like that?

'The reason I was shocked then was solely because the coercion of this world created by the setting gave me chills... It wasn't because I was hurt by what those extras said!'

Of course, there was no way I could say that to the Original Protagonist.

Therefore, I had no choice but to silently accept this ridiculous misunderstanding-driven plot progression.

"Yes, I saw. You must have heard something pretty harsh. That's why the expression 'shocked' even came out of your mouth, right?"

The opinion that 'his familiar's body is long, so it could be used as a whip' could probably be considered a harsh statement.

But the "harsh statement" Reisir was thinking of was probably something else.

He had misunderstood and assumed that the extras had insulted and ridiculed me.

"What's the intention behind saying something like that? Are you curious how it feels now that I, who used to ignore and ridicule you, have suffered a similar fate?"

"Why are you twisting it like that? I told you I followed you because I was worried about you."

I tried twisting his intentions with a sneer, but it was useless.

Reisir looked at me with straightforward eyes and approached me sincerely.

"Come to think of it, you seem to be deliberately trying to make people dislike you. And yet, you also look scared of getting hurt. Why are you like that?"

A painfully accurate analysis.

Or had I failed to completely hide my true intentions, allowing him to notice?

"......"

I didn't know what to say and hesitated before opening my mouth.

But my hesitation couldn't last long.

Because I could hear murmuring and the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs from below.

"This is the last time I will overlook your presumptuous remarks."

If this conversation continued, we'd just become a spectacle again.

So I ended the conversation by turning away, making it clear I intended to leave.

As if he had no intention of making me uncomfortable in front of others, Reisir didn't follow me or grab me as I headed toward my room.

Instead...

"Hey, Karvaldr! Happy birthday! And congratulations on getting a familiar friend who genuinely cares about you!"

Reisir stood there and shouted those words.

I hadn't expected to hear something like that from him, so I stopped in my tracks without thinking.

But I barely managed to stop myself from turning around and started walking again.

'As expected of a web novel protagonist, he's way too persistent and meddlesome.'

As I'd said before, I thought Reisir's personality resembled mine.

That had been both conceited and arrogantly delusional.

Reisir and I weren't alike at all.

'If Reisir were in my position, he wouldn't turn a blind eye to other people's scheduled misfortunes while claiming he wanted to live alone like I do. Even knowing it would put him in danger, he would still try to help somehow.'

My footsteps grew heavier.

With every step I took, I felt my guilt piling up.

"Myaaa..."

Yor let out a worried cry and circled around me.

I couldn't react to her at all. Right then, just continuing to walk was already a struggle.

I finally arrived at my room, and only after closing the door could I catch my breath.

"Yor... am I doing the right thing right now?"

"Yaong, nyao, nyang, nyan nyat. Myaah, myamya!"

"I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're saying..."

"Myah, myat...!"

Yor let out a bewildered sound, then started twisting her long body back and forth in midair.

As if she couldn't stay still because she didn't know what to do.

If Yor were an animal that lived on the ground, I wondered if she would be stomping her feet in place.

I watched the baby dragon for a moment, then took off my shoes, slipped into my slippers, and squatted on the floor.

I was aware this was a pitiful posture.

But I couldn't lie down on the bed in my outdoor clothes, and right now I didn't even have the energy to change, so I had no choice.

'At times like this, I should be doing something instead of just staying still...'

While I sat curled up, wallowing in self-reproach, I heard a rustling sound.

Curiosity stirred, but I couldn't bring myself to lift my head.

I felt ashamed of myself and couldn't face Yor.

"Yaooong~!"

Then Yor let out a long cry and dropped something in front of me.

I didn't know what it was, but she must have wanted me to look at it.

I cautiously straightened my posture and checked what Yor had dropped.

'A notebook...?'

To be precise, it was a spiral notebook.

Because it was spiral-bound, the pages didn't flip over when it fell, and the page Yor had opened remained clearly visible.

Written there in large, crooked but carefully pressed letters, as if by a child unaccustomed to holding a pencil, were the words:

「 Protagonist? 」

The handwriting in the notebook was neither mine nor Karvaldr's.

There was only one answer.

Surprised, I lifted my head and saw Yor clutching a pen.

"...You know how to write too?!"

"Nyaaah~!"

The wasted effort from our communication error at the training ground came to mind.

Still, this was a pretty quick solution.

In terms of novel chapters, it would probably take more than eight chapters, but in reality, less than twenty four hours had passed since Yor was born.