Echoes of My Heart

Echoes of My Heart was a reverse harem simulation game Solana used to play as a teen. Before becoming the great detective she was known for, she had all sorts of hobbies to escape the terrible reality she was in. 

She could say it was part of her "dark" past, indulging in a storyline no one else would expect.

"And apparently, I'm in one of them," she breathed out, her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach. Reclining on the hospital bed, she held a hand mirror in front of her. "What in the plot twist is this nonsense?"

It had been three days since she had woken up in this world. Initially, she was just swimming in a pool of confusion. Visitors she had never met before came into her ward, calling her by this strangely familiar name. It took her some time to get a grasp of her situation.

After all, there was one simulation game she remembered by listening to everyone's crappy names.

Echoes of My Heart.

A hardcore reverse harem about a heroine and four obsessed hunks fighting to be the heroine's groom. It was a game so intense that just playing it felt wrong, so she never finished it.

"Oh, my god…" she mumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose as her head began to throb again. Looking back at the mirror, her nose scrunched up. "And of all the characters I could be shoved into, it just had to be this woman."

Genevieve Valentine, or Gigi for short.

She was the evil and jealous sister of the heroine, whose only role was to make the heroine look good until her cruel end. Cliché. What was even more cliché was that there was no good ending for her.

"Fed to piranhas, rotting in jail, or dying in her own scheme," she listed the character's, or rather, her OWN endings, her face crumpling even uglier. "Come on! Why is this the only option I've got?!"

Gigi tossed the mirror aside as she dramatically lamented about this cruel plot twist she didn't see coming.

Back in her world, she was a detective on a dangerous, long-term mission to take down the biggest drug cartels in the world. She had infiltrated it successfully and even managed to climb the ranks after years of playing as a member.

She was so close to taking the whole syndicate down, but her cover was blown at the last minute. Had she known she would not only survive by jumping off that cliff but get shoved into an entirely different world, she would've rather surrendered and taken her chance to escape.

"For Pete's sake!" she grumbled, looking around the private ward that didn't seem like a private hospital room at all. Flowers and gifts had piled up in the corner, a sign of the people who wished her a fast recovery. Even her bed was soft and wide.

It wasn't just cozy—it was luxurious.

"Huh." Gigi nodded to herself, forcing herself to accept the situation. "It's not like there's anything I can do if I just keep crying and stressing about this."

With that, her eyes glinted with determination.

"I need to find a way to go back to my world," she told herself. "But first… I need to survive this game."

Just as those words slipped past her lips, she arched a brow. "Perhaps, if the storyline ends, I can go back to my world."

There was no guarantee she would go back to her world, but there was no harm in trying. Besides, it was also for her survival.

As long as she didn't bully the heroine of this world, she could dodge the wrath of her four obsessed admirers. Better yet, she could help the heroine get close to them without the drama Gigi's character would often start.

"That's it!" Gigi clapped, feeling decided about what to do. The corner of her mouth hooked into a wide smirk.

And thus began her journey as Gigi.

But things were often easier said than done, especially when the damage had already been done.

*****

Moments later…

"What… what did you say?"

Bubbles, the green-haired young lady who was also Gigi's lackey, nodded proudly. Seated on the chair beside the bed where Gigi was idling, she crossed her arms.

"That's right, Young Miss," Bubbles huffed. "The person responsible for your amnesia and for almost killing you has already been arrested. She'll face the consequences of her actions and rot in jail forever!"

"…" Gigi stared at Bubbles blankly. "Uh… this person is…?"

"It's your cousin, Young Miss!" Bubbles harrumphed. "Aqua has always been jealous of you because not only are you pretty, smart, and talented, but also because you are loved! Because of her, you've lost your memory! Serves her right!"

Gigi closed her eyes as she held her head, feeling it throb again. Every word spilling from Bubbles' mouth felt like the last bit of hope she had was draining away.

'Aqua… well, guess who that is?' she thought, already picturing her relationship with Aqua, the heroine of this story. 'A part of me feels like redemption is already slipping out the window.'

Gigi peeked at Bubbles, who existed in this world to hype Gigi's character—nothing more, nothing less. The problem was that Bubbles and Gigi were originally shallow characters in a poorly written simulation game. So, this? How could she not predict this?

And based on these current events, Gigi already had a clear idea of which part of the story she had just woken up in. It was coincidentally the part where the heroine would meet her first male lead and where Gigi and the heroine's relationship were beyond saving.

"Ha… ha… hah…" Gigi laughed, making Bubbles' brows rise.

"Young Miss? Why are you laughing?"

Because Gigi could already see her impending face slap tomorrow.

"Bubbles, didn't you say the person arrested—this Aqua—is my cousin, right?" Gigi forced a smile. "I don't think she would do this to me. Family doesn't do that, right?"

"No, she did this—I know! I saw it!" Bubbles intoned. "She's the one who pushed you off that yacht!"

'You mean I was bullying her, and I ended up getting slapped by karma? And almost killed myself?' was what Gigi wanted to say, but since everyone in this world believed she had amnesia, she decided to stick to that story for now.

"Miss, your mother won't let this slide! I know you don't remember how vile that woman is because of your memory loss, but she's bad news! Rotting in jail is actually mercy for her." Just before Bubbles could finish, Gigi grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Hey…" Let's stop messing with the female lead from now on and live a good, long, and carefree life, okay?

But before Gigi could figure out how to relay that message less suspiciously, a knock interrupted them. Turning to the door, they watched it open, revealing a handsome young doctor on the other side. Blonde hair, blue eyes, an Adam's apple protruding from his throat, the air around him shimmering with golden dust—

"Ah… my male lead radar just went off. Give me a break," Gigi mumbled, earning a "Huh?" from Bubbles.

Another heavy sigh escaped Gigi as she forced a smile at Bubbles. Bubbles automatically smiled back at her, only to gasp when Gigi's eyes rolled back.

"Young Miss! YOUNG MISS!"

But Gigi just played dead. No way in hell would she deal with one of the male leads before she could even think of an improvised plan!