Chapter 5: Love Onstage, Fate Offscreen

After the last song, the lights went out.

I thought it was over and was about to go backstage, when a warm spotlight hit me.

Then, another spotlight lit up the stage. Lila sat on a stool with a guitar, speaking into the mic: “Mariah Lane, can I invite you up?”

“Say yes, say yes!”

“Sister-in-law, get up there, there’s a surprise.”

I remembered.

Back on “Homestead Challenge,” I’d heard her inner voice from the cliff—she said she’d confess at a concert.

Didn’t expect it to be today.

I took off my mask, ready to go up. Fans nearby placed a white flower crown on my head.

“We have a sister-in-law~”

“Shh~ be gentle, don’t scare her.” Lila put a finger to her lips.

“Just spoil her!” Fans whooped.

I walked onstage, grabbed the mic, and headed to Lila. She strummed and sang a song she wrote just for me.

At the end, she set down the guitar, took my hand, and led me to center stage:

“Mariah Lane, without your help, there’d be no superstar Lila Fox. You’ve always been my most important person.”

“Once, I was scared to tell anyone how I felt about you, afraid they wouldn’t accept it. But after I found out you liked me too, I was so happy. I told my fan group I wanted to confess—they all gave me advice.”

I freed a hand to wipe her tears: “Love shouldn’t be boxed in by gender. We all get to choose who we love. I’m just glad I found you.”

Maybe as my mission wound down, I finally got it.

Before the original died, her last memory was Lila coming for her. Lila was one of her few loyal fans.

When Mariah was under attack, Lila’s alt account defended her. Her main was under contract, so she could only help with her alt.

“Will you spend the rest of your life with me?” Lila asked, voice trembling.

“Lila, babe, honey—of course I will.” I stepped in and hugged her, both of us crying.

In front of thousands, we held each other, promising to be each other’s only, never leaving, always supporting. My love is unwavering.

The next day.

I got a system notification: my mission in this book was complete, and I’d soon be forcibly removed from this world.

I begged the system to let me stay—offering up every point I’d ever earned for a chance.

But the system said I should ask Lila: if we stay, we both stay; if we go, we both go.

Me: “??”

Wait, is she a transmigrator too?!

I yanked Lila out from under the covers. She sleepily flopped onto my lap, mumbling, “What’s wrong?”

“Number 0002?” I’m 0001 in the system. I always knew I had a partner, but I was always a mission machine.

Only with Lila, only this time, did I fall for someone.

“Oh, you finally figured it out. We’ve partnered so many times, and you just now recognized me?” She snorted, then pouted for effect.

“Fine, why didn’t you confess first!” I ruffled her hair—the same hair I washed last night, still smelling like lilies.

“I was wrong, I was wrong.” Lila giggled, throwing her arms around me. “Since I fell for you first, forgive me just this once.”

“Please, please, I’m begging you~”

“By the way, how did you get here?”

“After Mariah Lane’s suicide, Lila Fox couldn’t take it either, so I came. Her wish was to confess to Mariah, so I planned the concert.”

“What do you want to do next? Stay here or leave?” I let her choose.

“I kinda like this world. Should we stick around?” she asked, hopeful.

“Up to you. Next time, wherever we meet, promise you’ll spot me first, okay?”

“Mm.”

“Then it’s settled, we’ll always be together.”

“Even if it hasn’t started yet, I’m already hyped for our next life—whether it’s the Roaring Twenties, the ‘60s, or the apocalypse.”

“No matter where, as long as it’s you.”

—End of Full Text