The Stories I Loved Refused to Choose Me, and That Was My Plan From the Beginning

◆◆◆◇◆◆◆

“I love you-”

The moment the words were about to leave my mouth, the air around me shifted.

It wasn’t dramatic at first. No blinding light, no booming sound. Just… poof.

I opened my eyes.

Blink. Blink.

“…Huh?”

The scenery I’d been preparing myself for, tears, a bittersweet smile, a heartfelt farewell, was gone. Completely erased, as if someone had dragged a sloppy eraser across the scene.

“Ah… what the hell?!” I crouched down instinctively, one hand gripping my head as frustration bubbled up all at once.

I had spent so long building that moment up in my head. The timing, the tone, the way my voice would waver just enough to sound sincere. It was supposed to be warm. Painful. Memorable.

And now?

Ruined. Utterly anti-climactic.

“I was about to make a heartfelt, emotional goodbye!” I snapped at the empty space around me.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to line that stuff up perfectly?!”

“That was so anticlimactic…” I muttered. “All that buildup just… wasted.”

A slow clap echoed behind me.

“My, my,” a voice said, amused. “That was quite interesting, Yuzu. I have to admit… I had fun watching.”

A voice echoed behind me, light and amused, like this was all just some kind of show.

I froze.

Slowly, I turned around.

Standing there was a man, no, someone stood, with a face disturbingly similar to mine. Same structure, same eyes, same general outline…

Or rather…

A god.

“…Whatever,” I muttered, rolling my eyes as irritation overtook the shock. “I guess I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

He laughed softly, as if my sarcasm only entertained him further, then extended his hand toward me.

“Well then,” he said pleasantly, “shall we talk about your first experience?”

Honestly? I didn’t want to.

But it wasn’t like I could refuse him anyway.

I sighed, took his hand, and let him pull me up. After all, he was the one who got me into this mess in the first place.

◆◆◆◇◆◆◆

“Haha! Seriously?!”

The laugh that escaped me was sharp and humorless as I scrolled through the comments on my screen.

What a joke.

I wasn’t the type to comment on novels. I usually just lurked, half introverted, half extroverted online, depending on my mood. I read, judged silently, then moved on.

But this one?

This novel crossed a line.

It pissed me off enough that my fingers moved on their own.

> > What a pathetic waste of space. Kirito, the ‘protagonist,’ can’t even MAN UP and confess his feelings? What was the point of the entire story? You dragged readers through an emotional rollercoaster for NOTHING. And you, author, are the real villain here. Creating a story where the hero is a spineless coward who gets left behind? 1 star. Kirito deserved to be gut wrapped, not pitied.

I hit send without hesitation.

My chest still burned, though. The anger didn’t fade, it only twisted tighter.

“No… that’s not enough,” I muttered. “I have to warn others too.”

My fingers flew again.

> > Don’t bother reading this trash of a novel. It honestly makes me sick knowing the author probably has more works exactly like this. Save your time and your emotions.

Send.

I slammed the tab shut and leaned back, exhaling slowly.

There, i vented. That should’ve been enough.

At least… I thought so.

Just as my breathing steadied, a sharp notification sound rang out.

“…Huh?”

An inbox message?

I frowned and reopened the site, clicking into my messages.

> > Is that so?

“…What?”

My stomach sank.

Out of the thousands of comments this author probably got… he replied to me?

And what kind of reply even was that?

Before I could think further, the ground trembled beneath my feet.

“W-What the hell?!”

The walls rattled. My desk shook. My monitor flickered violently before turning completely white, so bright it forced my eyes shut.

“AAAAAAAAH-!”

I screamed.

And then…

Nothing.

“…Ah?”

A loud bang hit the wall beside me.

“HEY! WHAT’S WITH ALL THAT RUCKUS? IT’S TWO IN THE MORNING! SOME OF US HAVE WORK!”

“Ah-! I-I’m sorry!” I yelled back quickly. “I’ll keep it down!”

The banging stopped, replaced by muffled complaints leaking through the thin walls.

“Kids these days… so loud.”

“…Right.” I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck in embarrassment.

That was… disappointing.

I really thought, for a second, that I was about to get isekai’d like in all those novels.

Guess they really were just fiction.

I stretched, yawning. “I should sleep. I have school tommorow, it’s already bad enough that i got on my neighbors’ bad side.”

Just as I stood up…

My monitor turned on again.

White screen.

“O-Oh?!”

My heart jumped.

This was it. This had to be it.

The PC began shaking violently, the desk rattling like it was possessed. Sparks crackled faintly.

I waited.

Seconds passed.

Then..

“…Nothing.”

“…Again?” I sighed. “This is getting ridiculous.”

Alright. Enough delusions.

I turned away, but my hand brushed against the desk-

BOOM.

A deafening thunderclap roared outside.

I froze.

Lightning split the sky, illuminating my room through the window.

“…That’s sick.”

Another strike followed. Louder. Stronger.

The building shook.

“W-What the…?!”

I grabbed the desk, panic flooding in.

Is this normal? Since when does lightning feel like it’s tearing the world apart?

Then the third strike hit.

Closer.

Too close.

I knew, instinctively, that it hit my building.

And my outlet.

And my PC.

“H-Huh?!”

I tried to move back…

Too late.

ZZZZT-!

Pain exploded through my body.

My muscles seized as electricity coursed through me, violent and unforgiving. I collapsed, vision blurring, ears ringing.

It hurt.

God, it hurt.

I couldn’t scream. Couldn’t move.

“…I don’t want to die…”

But even that thought felt distant.

“I’m… tired…”

My eyes closed.

◆◆◆◇◆◆◆

Light.

That was the first thing I noticed.

Too bright.

I gasped and shot upright, lungs burning as I sucked in air desperately.

“I-I’m alive…?”

My hands trembled as I examined myself.

Relief washed over me.

Then I noticed it.

My body was… translucent.

“…Never mind. I’m dead.”

“You’re in a half-dead state, my dearest Yuzu.”

I turned toward the voice.

A figure stood before me, radiating light so intense I could barely make out his form. Clouds beneath his feet, the sky stretching endlessly around us.

“…You are…?”

He stepped forward, sunlight no longer hiding his face.

“God.”

“…God?! B-But-”

The face staring back at me was mine.

“…Me?”

He chuckled softly.

“Silly Yuzu. I’m not you. I’m merely an avatar.”

“…An avatar?”

A replica.

A better version.

“…So why am I here, Mr. God?”