Thump!
I shot up in bed, my blanket tangled around my legs. My chest rose and fell so fast it hurt, and I clutched the fabric of my shirt over my heart.
My phone screen was still glowing beside me.
The final panel of The Price for Love stared back at me.
Rei and Akari—lying on the ground. Cold. Motionless. Fingers barely touching.
Above them stood the villainess, her lips curled in a cruel smile.
I blinked hard, but the image wouldn't leave my mind.
"No… No, no, no!" my voice cracked as it echoed in my quiet room.
"This can't be the ending!"
I grabbed my phone with shaky hands, nearly dropping it.
Ping!
A flood of WebGram notifications popped up on my screen. New comments. Dozens. Maybe hundreds.
My fingers tapped the screen so fast they left smudges.
They shouldn't have died like that (crying face emoji)
Oh nooo, my favorite couple… gone…
Does everything have to end like Romeo and Juliet? Just once… can't they be happy?
What yuri do I read now? (Three crying emojis)
Ugh, the villainess… heartless snake!
Who even gave birth to that villainess? She's too jealous!
I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted copper. My chest tightened and my stomach churned.
The comments kept coming, piling up one after the other.
My hands trembled over the keyboard.
Fine. If they could say it, so could I.
I jabbed my thumbs against the glass screen as angry words poured out.
"This is the author's fault!" tap.
"She made this happen!" tap.
"How dare she kill my favorite characters! No heart at all!"
"She shouldn't even be allowed to write! Allergic to happy endings!"
Send.
I threw the phone onto the bed and crossed my arms, glaring at the ceiling. My cheeks burned hot, and I could feel my pulse in my ears.
Then—ping.
My eyes darted to the screen.
A reply.
From… the author?
I grabbed the phone so fast it slipped from my hands and almost hit my face.
> Hey you. I'm the god of my characters. If you want a happy ending, go write your own.
I froze, staring at the message.
My jaw dropped.
Did… she just—
My whole body went rigid, and I sat up straighter. My thumbs hovered over the keyboard.
"You're not even human!" tap, tap, tap.
"If I were there, I'd write a better ending myself!"
Send.
Barely two seconds passed before she fired back.
> I bet you've never even left your room. I'm the god of you too.
My mouth fell open, and heat rushed to my face.
My fingers flew across the screen so fast it startled even me.
"Oh yeah? Send me your location and I'll storm over there and whoop your butt!"
My heart thudded like crazy as I hit send. My hands were shaking now, but I didn't care.
Then—ping.
A private message popped up.
I blinked.
An… address?
It was real.
I stared at the glowing text, my breath caught in my throat.
Was this a joke?
My reflection in the screen stared back at me — wide-eyed, messy-haired, cheeks flushed.
I swallowed hard.
Then… I grinned.
An awkward, nervous grin, but a grin all the same.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my knees feeling like jelly.
For the first time in forever, I stood up.
My hands were still trembling as I grabbed my jacket from the chair. My stomach flipped and my pulse refused to calm down, but something in my chest sparked to life.
"Alright then…" I whispered to myself, clenching my fists.
"This introvert girl is going to teach that author a lesson."
I grabbed my jacket, yanked the door open, and stormed out.
The taxi dropped me off… in front of what looked like a haunted house.
The paint was peeling, the windows cracked, and a single crooked gate swung in the wind.
I leaned forward from the back seat, my hands gripping the headrest.
"Uh… sir? Are you sure this is the right address?"
The driver glanced at me in the mirror and shrugged.
"Yes, miss. That's what you showed me earlier."
My throat went dry.
"…Oh. Right."
I tapped my phone on the little glowing pad to pay — ding! — and stepped out into the chilly air.
The taxi's headlights faded away as it drove off, leaving me alone under the pale moonlight.
I stared at the dark house, my hands clenched into fists.
"I will find this… Author LeeDevil… and make her rewrite the ending," I muttered under my breath.
When I pushed open the door, it groaned like something from a horror movie.
Inside was worse — everything was dusty, rusty, and cold. The air smelled like old paper and ink.
It didn't feel like anyone had lived here for years.
I tiptoed inside, my sneakers crunching on the wooden floor.
"Hello?" I called softly, my voice trembling.
No answer.
I wandered through the hallway, peeking into rooms — all empty.
"That author LeeDevil… she made a fool out of me," I grumbled, turning back toward the door.
But then—
—a faint blue glow caught my eye.
At the end of the hallway, one door was cracked open, and light spilled out like water.
I hesitated… then swallowed hard and pushed it open.
And froze.
The room was chaos.
Stacks of papers everywhere, sketches of characters plastered all over the walls, crumpled takeaway boxes, empty water bottles, and in the center — a glowing screen.
And sitting in front of it…
Her.
Author LeeDevil.
Her back was to me as she worked, her pen flying across the screen.
I stared, wide-eyed.
"What in the name of Sailor Moon is THIS…?" I whispered.
Her chair creaked as she turned around slowly.
Her face came into view — pale, with dark circles under her eyes and a crooked smile.
"Welcome… Claire Evans," she said, her voice low and eerie. "I thought you wouldn't come."
My stomach dropped.
Her clothes were messy, her hair wild, and her eyes… hollow. But something about her face… looked familiar.
Then my gaze drifted to the wall — to a drawing of the villainess from The Price for Love.
My chest tightened.
"…You're… the villain of the story…" I breathed.
She tilted her head and grinned wider.
"And the god," she said softly. "Now that you're here… are you going to whoop me?"
I blinked, my knees feeling weak.
"W-What? Just change the story! That's all!" I said quickly, backing up a step.
Her laugh was bitter.
"Change it? You saw the title, didn't you? The Price for Love." Her eyes glinted. "What were you expecting? A happy ending?"
"Everyone deserves a happy ending!" I shot back, fists clenched. "Rei and Akari should have been happy — not dead! They were… my last hope!"
She went quiet for a moment… then her smile twisted.
"I know you," she murmured.
I froze.
"You're that girl… twelve years ago. The one whose parents died in a car accident, right?" she said, her voice like a knife. "Even your parents didn't get a happy ending. So why should fictional characters? This world doesn't deserve happy endings. Everyone's story ends in sadness."
I swallowed hard.
"You're… truly a villain," I whispered.
That's when I noticed — her glowing screen.
The light pulsed brighter, like it was alive.
She stood up slowly, her steps light but threatening, her eyes locked on me.
"Why would a girl like you come here," she asked, "unless you have… a death wish?"
I stumbled back toward her desk. My palms hit the wood as I tried to keep my distance.
"I can see right through you," she continued, her voice soft and mocking. "You love watching other people fall in love… but you're too scared to fall yourself. Afraid you'll end up like your parents. Afraid of your own story's ending."
"Don't come closer," I whispered, my breath shaking. "You don't know me. You have no idea what my life is like."
She just smirked as she closed the distance.
I panicked, reaching behind me — and my fingers brushed the glowing screen.
The moment I touched it, I felt it.
Something… pulling me.
No — dragging me.
"What— what is happening?!" I screamed, my body lifting off the ground, sucked toward the light.
The room around me blurred into streaks of color.
Her voice echoed in my ears.
"Since you want a happy ending so badly…"
Her smile was the last thing I saw.
"…Go and make it happen."
I screamed as everything went white—
"Ahhh…!"
And then… silence.
My eyes flew open.
My body felt heavy.
"Phew… it was just a dream," I muttered, sitting up and stretching.
But then… I froze.
"Wait… this isn't my room…"
The bed was huge. The sheets silky. The walls decorated with ornate gold trim.
And my body—my hands—felt… different.
"Rin? Are you awake?"
A voice came from the other side of the door.
Rin?
"Okay, I'm coming in! Awake or not!"
The door swung open — and a girl walked in, her face bright with impatience.
"Rin! Why aren't you dressed yet? We have somewhere to be!"
I stared at her.
My mouth dropped open.
Her face—
Her face was…
"Ah—ah!" I clapped my hands over my mouth.
"Y-your face…" I stammered.
She blinked, touching her cheek. "Huh? What about my face?"
"…Your face is… Akari Hoshino…" I whispered, my voice trembling.
It hit me all at once.
The clothes. The room. The name.
I… I was inside the story.
My knees gave out, and I grabbed the edge of the bed to steady myself.
"What in the name of… Shoujo Manga… is this?!"