Preview:
I'm a player.
From the start, I landed at a moment of death, got the same identity as an NPC, and successfully triggered the Death End.
I restarted, only to get the same NPC identity again. Death End.
I don't make the same mistake three times, so I cheerfully rolled back time.
But the third time, I still got the same NPC identity. And then I understood!
This might be one of those weird game easter eggs talked about on player forums, the kind that supposedly comes from a development team that doesn't care about its players.
The player eyed the doctor, who was coaxing him along, with a complicated expression.
Doctor, I can see the ruthlessness and malice behind your smile.
If you really want the position I'm occupying, I don't mind giving it to you. Could you at least kill me another way next time? Having my throat slit really hurts.
But before he could speak, the doctor slit his throat as usual, neat and efficient.
Though it was still a Death End for the third time, the player thought that without the influence of the NPC identity, there was no way he'd have died so ingloriously, given how he played.
Going mad in pursuit of immortality because of an NPC's influence? The player was speechless.
On the fourth run, everything was shuffled from the NPC's youth.
The player lived through the NPC's life, making other people live and die for him. Then, in old age, he once again fell into the NPC's curse of pursuing immortality to escape death.
Doctor, stop slitting my throat next time!
--
On his fifth restart, he faced his future, elderly self while still young.
The best move was to strike first.
So he seized the position.
The sea breeze blew gently, and the waves rolled in with a salty tang.
An old man lay on a beach lounger by the shore, facing the evening wind as it gradually cooled. His long white hair at the temples fluttered in the breeze, and the focus slowly faded from his eyes.
At last, he closed them.
His vital signs gradually disappeared.
This legendary man died at sunset on an ordinary day.
--
SSS-Rank Dangerous Person File
File No.: WAN-13011708X
Himori Arin, male, died on November 11, XXXX, aged 99.
Origin unknown. First appeared on the eve of the Dragon Head War.
September, Year XX, age 26: summoned by the previous Port Mafia boss to the conference room atop the □□ Building.
October of the same year: arranged the transfer of the Port Mafia leadership and became its second boss.
November of the same year: passed the position to Mori Ogai, becoming the shortest-serving Port Mafia boss on record.
December, Year XX: broke up with current Port Mafia boss Mori Ogai.
January, Year XX: current partner is the SSS-Rank Dangerous Person Collector, File No. ■■■■.
December, Year XX: began dating Dazai Osamu, a □□ Mafia executive and his eleventh boyfriend.
February of the following year: broke up.
Currently the fourth-shortest relationship on record.
November 11, Year XX: Himori Arin confirmed dead.
Over the course of his life, he had 56 partners.
-- Special Division for Unusual Powers
Updated by Special Division for Unusual Powers file clerk Sakaguchi Ango on November 12, Year XX
--
After the character died and the player logged out, he couldn't help reminiscing.
The fifth playthrough was exhilarating.
He knew it! Without the NPC's influence, he'd lived an absolutely amazing life!
His ability was a bit ridiculous, but this time he'd dated quite a few boyfriends. They were either handsome or incredibly sweet talkers. He really liked them!
So he successfully turned them all into ex-boyfriends.
Satisfied, the player exited the game and looked at the electronic screen floating in the air. Comments streamed across it like snowflakes, too fast to take in.
: Arin! Do you have no heart? You actually made Ango watch you go!
"What could I do? I never expected Ango to outlive me."
: Ango was lucky, at least. Lucky he never fell in love with Arin. [doge.jpg]
"You think so?"
The player neither confirmed nor denied it, only gazing at the SSR card that had been added to the game collection at the end.
: My Chuuya had it rough too, okay! Original Mori Bay is a lifelong pain for me!
"That bay was my final expression of longing for my little angel."
: Isn't Dazai sinking into the river even worse?
"That was his wish, and my heartfelt offering."
: The winter the rice ball died, my heart died too. [Buddha's mercy.jpg]
"I couldn't keep him, just as he couldn't keep me."
: Come on, repeat after me: Mori has children of both sexes and a happy family.
"Isn't that wonderful?"
: My little angel Ranpo, sob sob sob, his only mistake was falling for someone he shouldn't have loved, sob sob sob.
"Age is an issue. At the very least, he shouldn't have been robbing the cradle."
: Apparently my Shibusawa wasn't worthy of a reply :-D.
":-D."
: Arin never hangs himself on one tree, so he climbed countless trees instead. [doge.jpg]
"Maybe he was just collecting stamps?"
: Go check the forum! Sen edited a walkthrough video about Arin. It's called "Bungo Mori Life."
The player bantered and picked out comments to answer. He froze when he saw this, then watched as the comments streamed by to say goodbye and disappeared in droves.
: Arin, I need to go to Sen's page to heal the soul you wounded.
: Arin, see you later. I'll mail you the razor blades.
: Arin, see you.
: Arin...
The people who hadn't left yet saw the screen go black.
The player decisively closed the video, opened Sen's video, and started watching.
--
Also known as: The 56 Stamps in the Heartthrob's Stamp Collection Handbook.
I don't know if there are really 56 stamps, but I'll do my best. I just want to write something that can go out with Wen
Content warning: illogical, OOC wish-fulfillment story, heartthrob romancing, male protagonist.
If it's not your thing, please don't read it. Click the X in the upper right or the close button in the upper left and leave. No need to tell me. Thanks for understanding.
Theme: Live well and reach a hundred
