Chapter 16 – The Damn Cutscene

A Normal Afternoon… Until the Bullsh*t Starts

I was minding my own business, sitting in a quiet café, sipping on some overpriced tea, when I heard a familiar voice.

Seria.

My grip on the cup tightened.

I had been carefully avoiding her for the past few weeks, and now—here she was.

But she wasn't alone.

Across from her sat a handsome blond guy, the typical noble prince type. The main love interest of the game.

And I knew exactly what scene this was.

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The Sweetest Sh*t I've Ever Seen

Seria laughed.

I almost choked.

Not because of the sound—nah, she had a nice laugh. But because I recognized the damn moment.

This was one of the cutscenes.

One of the "iconic" romance events from the game.

And I knew it because my sister lost her damn mind over it.

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Flashback: My Sister's Screaming Obsession

[Real World, Years Ago]

I was sitting on the couch, minding my own business, while my sister played this otome game.

"AHHHH! IT'S HAPPENING! IT'S HAPPENING!" she shrieked.

I had almost thrown my phone across the room. "What the f*ck is happening?!"

She pointed at the screen, eyes shining. "Seria and Julius! THE CAFÉ SCENE! THIS IS THE CUTEST THING EVER!!!"

On the screen, Seria sat across from Julius, blushing like an idiot as he gently wiped some cream off her cheek.

"LOOK AT HIM!" she continued screaming. "HE'S SO SMOOTH! I'M GONNA DIE!"

I groaned. "You need to f*cking relax."

She didn't. Instead, she replayed the scene five more times, squealing every time.

That was when I made the mistake of peeking at the screen.

It was a standard shoujo anime moment.

✔ Handsome guy.

✔ Oblivious but adorable heroine.

✔ Some sweet gesture that made fangirls lose their minds.

I had blocked it out of my memory until this exact moment.

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Back to Reality – Oh, Sh*t, It's Happening Live

I stared at the café table where Seria and Julius sat.

And the moment I saw Julius reach out with a napkin—

I knew.

I f*cking knew.

"No way," I whispered.

The scene played out exactly like the game.

Seria blinked in surprise. "Oh?"

Julius smiled softly. "You got cream on your cheek."

He leaned forward and gently wiped it off.

The café went silent.

And then—

"KYYYYYAAAAAA!"

A table full of noble ladies erupted into high-pitched screams.

One even fainted on the spot.

Another grabbed her friend and shook her violently. "IT'S TOO SWEET! I CAN'T HANDLE IT!"

A waiter dropped a tray because his hands were shaking.

I watched in horrified fascination.

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My Internal Breakdown

"This world is a f*cking joke," I muttered.

I had fought ogres.

I had struggled in the dungeons.

I had dodged death multiple times.

But nothing—and I mean nothing—had prepared me for this level of secondhand embarrassment.

And then—

Seria blushed.

F*ck.

She's actually falling for him.

I wanted to look away, but it was like watching a train crash in slow motion.

Julius smiled like he knew exactly what he was doing.

Seria covered her face with her hands, completely flustered.

The noble ladies kept screaming.

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My Escape Plan – Get the Hell Out

I downed the rest of my tea in one gulp and stood up.

I needed to leave before someone noticed me.

Because if Seria saw me—

And realized I had witnessed this scene—

I might actually die from cringe.

I threw some coins on the table, turned around—

And slammed into a waiter.

Hot tea spilled everywhere.

The entire café turned to look at me.

And then—

Seria's eyes met mine.

…F*ck.

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To Be Continued…