[Skip to □◇□◇□◇ to jump directly on authors' words]
Dareureureung
Ddareureureung...
Dda— syuk.
"Yobos— ack. What the hell?"
I turned my face around, looking at this devilish existence. My head still aches from the sudden noogie.
"What are you up to?" he said.
"Nothing."
"Real~ly?"
"C'mon. Don't you see? I'm holding the handset. Someone just called, so I picked it up."
"Who's it?"
"Dunno, beats me. Let me speak to them first."
My gaze turn back to the rotary phone. I could feel the fierce stare from that guy behind me, it's like daggers. Why he's always scolding me?
I put the receiver closer to my mouth and start speaking. "Hello. Niko's speaking. Anyone there?"
Silent.
"Hey? Anyone?"
Another awkward silence.
But then... bbi, bbi, bbi—
Clack.
"Welp. They hung up long ago," I shrug and put the telephone back to where it was.
"You sure you're not the one calling to prank them?"
"No! What do you take me as for?"
He shrugged. "Silly goose."
"You–!"
Yet before I manage to refute, he suddenly clear his throat and points at me. No... it seems like his gesture directed to what behind me.
"Wha— oh."
"Yep, they're already here a while ago."
"Why you didn't tell me? Aak. Don't let me be."
I quickly dash towards him, slipping behind his back with my body turn in such graceful rotation.
Then my head peeking out from the corner.
□◇□◇□◇
Ahem.
"Hello there dear, reader. Apologies for the random skit at the beginning."
*A goose and a guinea pig bowing down towards the screen*
"Let me introduce us to you. I'm Mikhail Park." -MP
"He's a short guy, just like a guinea pig."
"Oh, shut up!" -MP
"Anyway, this is Nikolayev Seraphim. Or Nikorfim, get it?" -MP
"That's right!~" -Goose
"?" -Goose
"Mwoya?" -MP
"..." -Goose
"Alright there. Fixed it." -MP
"I won't let you join the next author's note. I swear." -NR
"Alrighty~ Let's not sweat it. Back to the topic, dear reader. This novel is a collab project between us two, slacker buddies." -MP
*Intense stare at this abomination* -NR
"...right?" -MP
"...yep. Couldn't be any worse." *fist bump with MP* -NR
"This novel is heavily inspired on us both. It's kinda weird to see our own meta character, but who doesn't like to torment them? KAKKAKA~~" -NR
"The unspeakable goose at it again..." -MP
"Anyway, this novel is more or less an experiment for both of us. We were actually already gathered references and wrote them nicely into a storyboard. That's how we supposed to plan to expand the novel's worldbuilding." -MP
"Welp. It just so happens I lost the file. R.I.P." -MP
"I got the written draft for the few chapters, made it in a rush. But... none of us could read it either." -NR
"We both are fools, huh?" -MP
"Ye!" -NR
*High-5s for our lacks of concern. Please don't be like us dear reader*
"Experimental novel it is." -NR
"They're responsible to build back the characters and worldbuilding. While I'm the one to write the novel in English and fixing any typos." -MP
"Yep. So if you want to find someone to blame for a problem, frame one of us. Preferably yours truly guinea pig." -NR
"Please don't." -MP
"Anyhow, we would like to know your opinion dear reader. If there's a plot hole, please report to us immediately. We knew this novel is a flop, but fixing isn't a bad thing." -NR
"I'll rate it 2 star for the overall." -MP
"Mine will be 3 star. Heh, combined it's 5 star." -NR
"Since English isn't any of us' first language, we would love to learn new words that's not exist in Simplified English." -NR
"Like Sordid, Incorrigible, Lackadaisical..." -MP
"Oh please. Don't use search engine to look that up." -NR
"Now that I suddenly realized. Have you done your military service?" -MP
"Eum... nope. Haha." -NR
"You gotta be kidding me! Are you randomly going to leave me to handle this novel?" -MP
"I'll see what I could do." -NR
"Nah, you're not going to do it, don't you?" -MP
"Haha, okay. Time is over. See you next time, guys! XOXO" -NR
"No, wait–"
Bzzt— shut...