Chapter 14: The Abyssal Lord’s Rival in Romance?! A Twist in Fate!
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Kaoru sat at his desk, furiously typing away as if possessed by an otherworldly force. His fingers danced across the keyboard, his eyes gleaming with the fire of inspiration. "Yes… yes! The protagonist confesses under the moonlit sky, his voice trembling with raw emotion! 'I have loved you for ten thousand lifetimes, and I shall love you for ten thousand more!'"
Aya, standing behind him with her arms crossed, exhaled through her nose. "That's too much."
Kaoru turned around dramatically, flipping his imaginary cape. "How dare you, mere mortal?! You question the depth of my storytelling prowess?!"
Aya remained unimpressed. "No human talks like that. Unless you're writing an isekai protagonist with a god complex. And besides…" She leaned forward, her cold stare sending a chill down Kaoru's spine. "Why does this confession scene sound eerily similar to a certain other manga you wrote?"
Kaoru swallowed hard. "Uh… Coincidence?"
Aya sighed. "Rewrite it."
Kaoru collapsed onto his desk, groaning. "Fine… but my creative spirit weeps."
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Scene 1 Action!: Kaede's Relentless Defense Against Aya!
Kaede sat on the couch, watching the scene unfold. She clicked her tongue and pointed at Aya. "You're getting way too close to big bro Kaoru Back off. villainess."
Aya raised an eyebrow. "I'm his editor. It's my job to be close to his work."
Kaede narrowed her eyes. "Yeah? Well, I know your true goal." She dramatically pointed at Aya. "You're trying to activate your 'romance form.' aren't you? I won't let that happen!"
Kaoru looked up from his drafts. "What the hell is a 'romance form'?"
Kaede crossed her arms, looking smug. "It's when a cold and emotionless girl starts getting all soft and flustered. The classic dere-dere transformation."
Aya rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculous."
Kaede smirked. "Oh? Then why are your ears turning red?"
Aya immediately covered her ears. "They are not!"
Kaoru watched in confusion. "Is this… some sort of battle I wasn't informed about?"
The Narrator chimed in calmly: "Indeed indeed. dear readers. a silent war rages on. One determined little sister against a stoic editor on the verge of becoming a full-fledged romance heroine. Who shall emerge victorious? Only time will tell."
Kaede threw a victory pose while giving a thumbs up. "Narrator-san gets it!"
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Scene 2 Action!: The Arrival of Kaoru's Best Friend!
Just as Kaede and Aya's banter reached its peak, the apartment door slammed open.
"Kaoru! You absolute foolll!!!"
A tall young man with sharp features, stylish black hair, and a confident smirk strode into the room. His presence radiated coolness, like a protagonist from a high-school romance anime.
Kaoru blinked. "T-Takeshi?!"
Takeshi Saito, Kaoru's childhood best friend and longtime rival in everything, pointed at him. "You never text back! What kind of best friend ghosts someone after achieving fame?"
"it was ten years ago since they texted each other, They both literally ghosted each other.." (Narrator)
Kaoru scratched the back of his head. "I was… uh.. busy?"
Takeshi scoffed. "Busy? You're just writing cringe worthy romance, aren't you?"
Kaoru gasped. "H-How dare you slander my work! I'll have you know, Petals Beneath the Moonlight is a masterpiece in the making!"
Aya nodded. "It actually is. Unlike his previous works, this one has depth."
Kaede added, "Yeah. and it's got no explosions or demon warlords for once."
Takeshi smirked. "Well.. I wouldn't know. I've been busy with my own romance after all."
Kaoru's brain short-circuited. "Wait. What!?!?"
Takeshi casually pulled out his phone, showing a picture of him and a beautiful girl posing together excitingly. "Meet my girlfriend.. Emi!! We've been together for almost a year now."
Kaoru felt as if time had stopped.
(Narrator)
"it was at this very moment that Kaoru Kagami realized he was utterly and completely behind in the game of love. His best friend. had surpassed him not in battle, not in strength, but in the one arena Kaoru never even dared to enter… romance."
Kaede fell off the couch, laughing so hard she was clutching her stomach. "b-br- Bro.. got third-wheeled in real life! Pffft"
Aya, though trying to maintain her usual composure, had to cover her mouth to stop a chuckle from escaping.
Kaoru, meanwhile, clutched his chest in fake agony. "T-This can't be… I… I was supposed to be the main character…"
Takeshi patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, buddy. Maybe you'll find love someday."
Kaoru whispered dramatically, "This is the darkest timeline…"
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Scene 3 Action!: The Final Twist A Perfectly Timed Disaster!?
Just when Kaoru thought his suffering was over, a notification popped up on his phone. He clicked on it absentmindedly… and instantly paled.
Aya noticed his expression and frowned. "What now?"
Kaoru turned to her, his voice barely above a whisper. "Aya… what's today's date?"
Aya checked her phone. "It's February 12. Why?"
Kaoru shot up from his seat, panic written all over his face. "THE DEADLINE WAS TODAY?!"
Aya's calm expression shattered. "WHAT?!"
Kaede and Takeshi exchanged looks as Kaoru scrambled to gather his unfinished manuscript, papers flying everywhere.
Kaoru wailed, "THE ABYSSAL LORD OF PASSION HAS FALLEN! I'VE FORGOTTEN THE DEADLINE! THIS IS WORSE THAN LOSING IN A SHOUNEN TOURNAMENT POWER ARC!"
Aya, now in full editor mode, grabbed his collar. "WE HAVE FOUR HOURS. TYPE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!!"
Kaede, wiping away tears of laughter, smirked. "Hey~ Brother. Need a romance expert's help?"
Kaoru, now desperate, nodded. "Yes! Anything!"
Kaede grinned. "Okay.. First step: get a girlfriend."
Kaoru collapsed onto the floor. "SOMEONE END ME..."
(Narrator)
"I'll gladly END you. but anyway our hero continues his never-ending struggle not just against deadlines, but against the cruel fate of his chuunibyo existence. Will he finally complete his manuscript in time? Will he ever catch up to Takeshi in romance? Will Kaede ever stop teasing him? Find out… in the next chapter!"
"God I hate saying 'find out in the next chapter!' wait.. why isn't the screen fading?! oh good it's back."
As the screen faded to black as the sounds of frantic typing, loud arguing, and uncontrollable laughter filled the room.
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End of Chapter Fourteen.