Unwrapping the lollipop, Flora popped it in her mouth, shaking her pink hair from her face.

Saying goodbye to her, I was on my way back to the dorms, but for some reason my hands felt empty. I immediately stopped in my tracks.

“Ack! The book!”

Goodness gracious, I’d left that book behind.

Ruffling up my hair, I turned around in a panic. My steps gradually grew faster and faster.

The red hardcover book, the Book of Prophecy.

It wasn’t a book from the book club, so what was I thinking leaving that behind?

Hitting myself on the forehead, I returned to the classroom in a hurry, only to find that Gloria was sitting with her legs crossed inside the room.

That surprised me. What was she still doing here?

Just as I was about to open the door, I stopped and stepped back. Taking a closer look, Gloria wasn’t looking very happy.

The moment I found myself wondering what was going on, I heard a loud sound.

Bang.

Gloria slammed her fist down on the table and swore, her platinum hair swaying with her movements.

“This rotten piece of shit!”

Wincing, I hunched into myself.

As I’d thought, she was a scary person.

Swallowing thickly, I looked inside and saw that my book, at least, was on the desk.

“That arrogant—the prick, smiling like that sticking right next to…”

Gloria growled like an animal. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to have noticed the existence of the book.

… but that was me she was talking about, right? I’m doomed.

Closing my eyes, I rubbed my chest.

Scary. I was scared to death. In this chilly mood, it felt like a snowstorm would come blowing through at any moment.

“I can’t hand you over to that thing, that’s for certain.”

Wow, that was just like a standard line from a villainess in a novel.

Licking my lips, I was trying to think of what to do when suddenly I realized all was silent right then.

What the?

Timidly, I peeked back into the classroom and almost screamed.

Gloria was looking intently at the red hardcover book.

“…!”

My heart dropped to my stomach but remembering that the contents could only be read by me, I was just barely able to calm myself down again.

Since things didn’t look all that great right now, I was pondering where I should hide until Gloria left when I heard a warm voice coming from inside the classroom.

“This… This is the hardcover limited edition, isn’t it!”

With the book in her hands, Gloria’s eyes were sparkling.

“…?”

All the strength in my tense body poured out of me in a second. The book from the book club I was holding onto like it was my lifeline slid out of my hands from the sweat that had collected there.

“But what’s this doing here?”

Flipping through the book here and there, Gloria spoke to herself.

Having managed just barely to grab the book before it fell on the floor, I leaned against the door to calm my pounding heart.

But perhaps I had been leaning too hard, or maybe it was because I’d forgotten the club room doors opened inwardly — with an ominous squeak, the door slid open.

“…”

Doomed! I’m doomed! I’m doomed!

Sticking onto the door, I was now turned toward Gloria, crying on the inside with a tearful expression on my face.

“You…?”

Ahh, I don’t know anymore. Now that things have come to this, I should just come clean and ask.

Gloria looked bewildered as if she had been surprised by the sound. I opened my mouth and stuttered, “Um, by any chance, can you… see that? Actually, that, um, that’s a… a book.”

“Oh, is it yours?”

Forgetting to even say hello, I closed the distance between Gloria and I with big steps. “… Can you see what’s inside?”

“… You too?” Her sea-blue eyes gleamed as she looked back at me.

“You…! Don’t tell me, you know too!”

Tossing the book in her hand, Gloria screamed and took my hands. Her eyes shined with joy.

“…!”

Oh my goodness, there were people who could read that besides me. Then did that mean Gloria had also been chosen by the goddess? Or were there several copies of the same prophecy?

I was completely dumbstruck but feeling myself get a little choked up, I put strength into my hands as well.

“… I thought I was the only one who knew.”

“Me too, I thought I was the only one who knew.”

With a fonder-than-ever expression on her face, Gloria brought me into a hug.

Her deep blue eyes sparkled, unable to hide her excitement.

“That we’re living inside a novel.”

“Yeah…. Huh?”

I blinked and gave her a bewildered look once I heard such random words come out of her bright red lips.

What did she say just now…?

“Hey.”

Before I could even do anything about my expression, Gloria took her hands off my shoulders and whispered into my ear.

I was still baffled, but I paid close attention to what she was about to say.

“Are you also a reincarnator, then?”

“… What?”

Despite my focus, the words that came out of Gloria’s mouth still sounded like complete incomprehensible nonsense to me.

No really, what are you even saying?

I felt the corners of my lips waver before my tearful expression broke through once more.