"What the hell is wrong with this guy?"
I couldn't help but shout, lying on my bed with a light novel in hand titled The Melody of Magic and Love.
It was a typical fast-food fantasy novel set in a magical world.
The story revolved around Arcanum Academy, the most prestigious magic academy in the royal capital. That's where the protagonist, Dan — a sixteen-year-old boy dreaming of becoming a hero — began his journey.
During his time at the academy, Dan met many beautiful girls, each with unique personalities. The academy life itself was fun to read about. But what really got on my nerves was the way Dan treated the heroines. He was unbelievably dense and insensitive, constantly hurting them for the most ridiculous reasons.
Just like the scene I was reading now.
Dan was yelling at a loyal maid, one of the main heroines, who had done absolutely nothing wrong.
He had just lost an important battle and came home, lashing out at her in frustration. It was completely unfair. Was the author trying to piss off the readers?
I had bought the novel on a whim while browsing an online store. The cover had a stunning girl with long black hair, the maid and I was instantly drawn in. But after three hours of nonstop reading, all I felt was irritation. The heroines were great: well-written and likable. But the protagonist? Terrible.
I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed my phone and went straight to the review page.
[This protagonist is seriously awful. The heroines and the academy setting are decent, but Dan is unbearable. Are you trying to annoy the readers on purpose?].
It didn't take long before I got a reply from the author.
[Come on, that's just his personality. I think he's actually a great character, lol].
I frowned and replied instantly.
[You call that normal? He yelled at the maid for no reason. If it were me, I'd make sure the heroines were happy, not treat them like that.]
[Haha, you sound pretty confident. But what if you were thrown into the same tricky situations as him? Think you'd still do better?]
[Of course I would.]
[Even when the worst happens near the end of the story? Well then… I hope you can overcome everything in his place. Goodbye.]
[Huh? What does that even mean—]
Suddenly, everything went dark.
---
"Master Yuto, it's time to wake up."
A deep, unfamiliar voice called out next to me.
"Today's the entrance ceremony. You wouldn't want to be late, would you?"
…Academy? What?
I slowly opened my eyes to find a ceiling I didn't recognize. Instinctively, I bolted upright. This wasn't my tiny rented room — it was spacious, elegant. Standing beside my bed was an old man dressed like a butler.
"Since you're awake, I shall go prepare other tasks," he said before leaving quietly.
What the hell was going on?
I rushed to the mirror. The reflection staring back at me… was still me.
Was this some kind of prank?
Suddenly, my window swung open with a loud thud. A cheerful girl with short brown hair peeked in, smiling brightly.
"Yuto! What took you so long? Come on, we're gonna be late!"
I knew her.
Sachi — a side character from the novel I'd just been reading.
Wait a second.
Yuto?
That was the name of a minor character in the story too!
And just like that, it hit me.
I had become a side character… inside the very novel I was complaining about.