"So, you want to train for Friday? I thought you said training for a short time wouldn't make a difference. Why did you change your mind?"

"Rather than training, this will be more something akin to a warm-up exercise."

"We already changed our clothes, but are you really sure about this? I won't go easy on you."

At least on a technical level, if I used my full power without holding back, nothing of her body would be left after even just a single punch.

"Yes, I'm confident. I won't hold back, either. Don't come crying after you lose!"

"Like I would."

"No, please do, actually. I'll embrace and cheer you up in my warm bosom."

"...warm bosom?"

I hope she is okay. Hallucinations could be symptoms of severe injury.

While I was thinking silly thoughts, Chiaka rushed toward me and tried to grab my arm.

I moved my arm out of the way and stepped to the side.

"Cheater."

"Hmpf!"

Quickly twisting her body, she thrusts both her arms towards my collar.

Oh, she isn't half bad. I really didn't expect her to be at this level. But this is really a bad matchup for her.

Stepping forward, I close our gap before she can grab my collar. Whatever move she wanted to execute, the change in distance will make it impossible.

"Ha?!"

Before she can do anything else, I hug her tightly and lift her.

"What now?"

"Can't you let me go?"

"Nope."

She tries freeing herself using her arms and legs, but I have no plans of letting go.

"Hnnng."

"Giving up?"

"No shot! Let me go or I will really hurt you!"

"Pfft."

She sounds kind of serious, but it still sounds funny.

"Take this!"

She awkwardly tries to stab her fingers at my eyes without being able to see them. I simply tilted my head down slightly, and her fingers hit my forehead instead.

*Cack*

"AAAAHHHH OKAY! LET ME GO!"

Looks like I won. I let her down and she immediately starts blowing on her fingers. They are slightly red. Hitting my forehead like that must've hurt.

"I'll get you some ice..."

"...Sorry."

She looks a bit sad right now... I quickly leave the room to take out an ice pack and return to her.

"Here you go."

"Thanks..."

She takes the ice pack and wraps it around her fingers.

"You look down, it's not because of the match, right?"

"..."

"Chiaka?"

She takes a deep breath. Did I do something?

"I love you, Hiro."

"Huh?"

What? Out of the blue?

"I'm sure you noticed already, but the others feel the same."

"Eh, that--"

"We talked a lot about you. All of us enjoyed those moments."

Ugh. This feels awful, what is this feeling?

"At some point, we noticed something about you though. You don't view us the same way. It's like you're keeping a distance between us and enjoying us safely from afar. Sometimes I think you have a grand plan and everything we do or feel is just part of it."

It feels like she is staring right at my soul. I can't understand the emotions in her eyes. I hate this. It feels bad. I really hate this.

"Hiro, what am I to you?"

"I..."

I don't know. I love you. Right?

"Pleas---"

Everything stopped. The whole world is gray. Everything I look at looks glitchy. No sound at all.

"Haaah."

I can finally breathe again.

[Do you want to change the world?]

What? Change the world?

[Previous Objective: Become a better protagonist.]

Objective? Wait, it feels like I've seen these before... Ugh, my head hurts, too many shocking things happen at once...

[The world will be shaped to be more suitable for your wishes.]

My wishes? But I just want to live freely without novels, grind my skills and enjoy the people around me...

[Preparing update...]

Update... Right, I remember, this is a novel world. I came here after that weird dream where I also saw these messages...

[New Objective: Enjoy a power fantasy and be trash.]

[Do you accept?]

[X] [Yes] [_] [No]

What kind of absurdity is this?

[Accepting will gamify the world to an extreme extent and turn everyone into NPCs. History and all events will always go as you wish.]

No. This isn't what I want! I! I swore to accept everything here as it is! I won't treat anyone like some character again.

[Do you accept?]

[_] [Yes] [X] [No]

You are a person, right? I don't know why you did this or what you expect from me, but I will try my best!

[Declined.]

[This world is as real as your previous one. Never forget that you have a role to fulfill in this play, mortal.]

With that last message, the windows disappeared.

Just what happened right now? First, I get called out by Chiaka, and then this...

The world looks more and more glitchy, it's not breaking, is it? I close my eyes as a reflex due to how bad it became.

...

"I love you, Hiro."

"Huh?"