♪
♪ Headlights, your Mustang witnessed as we're eye to eye ♪
Noah woke up to the sound of his alarm.
♪
♪ Tell me why, your lack of intuition burns me white ♪
He lay still, staring blankly at the ceiling.
The memory replayed vividly in his mind.
Cold metal pressed against his temple.The pull of the trigger.The brief—merciful—silence.
♪
♪ Only you can make me burn just like the sun ♪
Yet—
He was alive.
Breathing.
His heart beat steadily in his chest.
Which meant there was only one possible explanation.
♪
♪ Only you can piece me back to one ♪
"…Return by Death," Noah muttered."Or something similar."
His expression hardened almost instantly.
"Fuck."
He grabbed the pillow beside him, muscles tensing as he hurled it against the wall with all his strength.
♪
♪ No matter what you do, I'll stay ♪
The alarm kept playing, the music oddly calming—almost mocking him.
♪
♪ This isn't up to you today ♪
It was someone's favorite song.
♪
♪ It hasn't always been this way ♪
"…I'm sorry," he murmured quietly. "You'll have to wait a little longer."
♪
♪ I've got a lot to prove today ♪
BAM!
The door slammed open with enough force to rattle the walls.
Noah's train of thought shattered—but he didn't flinch.
Standing in the doorway was the blue-haired goddess who had dragged him into this hell, her face frozen in horror.
"W-WHY DID YOU KILL YOURSELF!?" she screamed, her voice trembling with rage and disbelief.
Noah calmly reached over and turned off the alarm, as if he hadn't died moments ago.
"Why are you screaming?" he asked flatly, his expression almost confused.
"WHY AM I SCREAMING!?" she shrieked."BECAUSE YOU KILLED YOURSELF!"
"Stop screaming," Noah said, pressing his fingers against his temples. "Just send me back to my original world."
She stared at him in silence.
"…Are all mortals like this?" she muttered, genuinely disturbed. "I can't. I was punished because of you."
"The fuck did I do?" Noah snapped, standing up and glaring at her.
"And why are you always cursing!?" she shot back, glaring right back.
"Because I'm trapped in this shitty novel because of you," Noah said, his voice barely containing his anger.
"Don't you dare call my masterpiece shitty," she replied sharply. Her tone was calmer—but there was a dangerous edge beneath it.
Their eyes met.
For several tense seconds, neither spoke.
Aihime looked away first.
"…Anyway," she said, crossing her arms and forcing a composed expression, "I was punished because I transmigrated you into my novel."
"And rightfully so," Noah scoffed. "What kind of goddess gets offended over a harmless review?"
"Shut up," she muttered, her head hanging low.
"And then you dare blame me for being dragged into this shitty novel?" Noah continued coldly.
"Just… shut up already," she said, a little louder now—still shaking.
"Really?" Noah sneered. "Shame on the shitty goddess who transmigrated me here."
Her body trembled.
"I SAID—SHUT UP!"
Her fist erupted with blinding golden light.
Before Noah could react—
BAM!
Pain exploded through his body.
Something burst inside him.
A hole opened in his abdomen.
Noah stood frozen, blood flooding his mouth as unbearable agony tore through him.
"Sh-Shitty… g-goddess…" he managed to gasp.
His legs gave out.
Darkness swallowed his vision as he collapsed onto the cold floor.
…
♪
♪ Headlights, your Mustang witnessed as we're eye to eye ♪
Noah woke up again.
This time, he didn't bother turning off the alarm—too stunned to move.
♪
♪ Tell me why, your lack of intuition burns me white ♪
Phantom pain ripped through his abdomen, forcing a groan from his throat.
The first death had been quick.
This one?
This one was slow.
The agony lingered deep inside him, terrifyingly real.
♪
♪ Only you can make me burn just like the sun ♪♪ Only you can piece me back to one ♪
BAM!
The door burst open once more.
Aihime stood there—smiling brightly.
"Hehehe~" she giggled."Even with only a fragment of my divinity, you now understand what happens when you disrespect a goddess. So show some proper respect!"
Noah stared at her.
She killed me.And she's smiling.
I really want to kill this bitch.
"Just send me back to my original world," he said, his voice ice-cold.
"I can't," she replied flatly.
"Then speak in full sentences, you stupid fuck," Noah snapped, pushing himself upright.
"Shut up! Go to hell!" she shouted. "I'm explaining what you have to do to return to your world!"
She pointed dramatically at him—then suddenly stepped forward.
Before Noah could react, she stepped forward and climbed onto the bed, the mattress sinking beneath her feet. She loomed over him, her shadow falling across his face.
"You must seduce ten women from my masterpiece, Youth Love Seduction!"
Noah stared up at her in stunned disbelief.
"…"
"…"
"…?"
A moment of silence followed.
"…Motherfucker," Noah muttered at last, rubbing his temples.
"But do not despair, lowly mortal!" she declared proudly. "You will receive a system that shows the affection levels of the women you seduce—and it will provide quests and rewards!"
She closed her eyes smugly, clearly not finished.
"And that's not all! You also get me—the great Goddess of Love and Beauty, Aihime—to guide you!"
Silence.
She opened her eyes.
Noah was gone.
"…."
Her mind froze.
A lowly human had just ghosted her.
Unacceptable.
"LOWLY HUMAN! WHERE ARE YOU!?" she screamed, her voice echoing through the hallway as she stormed out of the room.
She swung open the first door she saw with a loud bang—
An empty guest room.
"…Of course," she scoffed, spinning on her heel. "Running away the moment things get difficult."
She took two cautious steps forward—
And froze.
Drip.Hiss.
A faint, unmistakable sound reached her ears.
Running water.
Her eyes narrowed.
"…You wouldn't," she muttered under her breath.No mortal would dare take a shower after being threatened by a goddess. After dying twice, even.
Her feet carried her toward the bathroom almost on instinct. Her hand gripped the door handle, heart hammering in her chest.
Steam curled from beneath the door. She pulled it open—
And froze completely.
A laundry basket sat neatly in the corner, filled with freshly folded clothes. The sound of running water confirmed her suspicion.
Her face flushed violently, heat creeping up her neck.
With a sharp gasp, she slammed the door shut—far more quietly this time—and leaned against it, heart pounding.
"I-I didn't see anything," she whispered, covering her face with trembling hands."I-I'm a goddess… This doesn't count."
Without another word, she fled downstairs to the living room, fidgeting nervously as she waited.
How am I supposed to face him after that…?Pretend nothing happened? Act normal? Or—
She didn't have time to think further.
Noah emerged moments later, wearing a black T-shirt and dark blue pajama pants. His still-wet, semi-long black hair framed his sharp, handsome face perfectly.
Aihime froze.
The faint pink on her cheeks deepened by the second.
"WAIT!" she screamed, snapping herself out of the trance.
"I swear to God," Noah muttered tiredly. "What is it now?"
"E-Ehem! Why are we still here!? We're going to be late for school!"
"You could've said that earlier," he sighed. "Bitchy goddess."
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" she yelled, shoving him toward the stairs. "Change. Now!"
"How much time do we have left?" Noah asked, allowing himself to be pushed.
"…Twenty-five minutes until school starts," she replied, tapping her lips thoughtfully.
Noah let out an exaggerated sigh and headed upstairs to change.
…
??? POV
"Oh no! We're late!" a boy shouted dramatically, a piece of bread dangling from his mouth as he sprinted toward the train station. His black hair bounced with every step, and his dull black eyes scanned the crowd. His face was above average—not ugly, not remarkable—but there was a subtle charm that set him apart from other handsome boys his age.
"And that's on the first day after the holidays!" he added unnecessarily.
"That's because you wouldn't wake up, Hiroshi-kun!" a girl beside him yelled, running as her short, light-brown hair swayed in the wind. Her fresh green eyes were scrunched into a frown, clearly annoyed.
"Even your little sister gave up waiting and headed to school without you!" she added, still fuming from the twenty minutes she'd wasted.
"I'm sorry! But… why didn't you just ring the bell? Or go without me?" Hiroshi asked, still running, his voice half-panicked, half-incredulous.
"Because I called you, and you said you'd come in five minutes! And the reason I didn't go without you was be—because—" Ayaka started, flustered, but trailed off as they entered the train station. Her cheeks were flushed.
"What were you going to say, Ayaka-chan?" Hiroshi asked innocently, tilting his head.
"N-nothing! Just shut up!" she snapped, glaring at him as her blush deepened.
"O-okay… Jeez," Hiroshi muttered, pouting slightly. He didn't understand why she was so flustered.
They fell into awkward silence.
As the train pulled into the next station, a pair of striking figures boarded, immediately catching everyone's attention.
One was a beautiful girlwith milky-white skin and silver-blue hair cascading in gentle waves down to her waist. Her sky-blue eyes narrowed in a frown at the boy beside her, and her flawless, delicate features made her look almost unreal.
"We almost missed the train because of you, lowly human!" she snapped, her voice melodic even in anger.
The boy beside her was tall, with messy black hair framing his sharp, handsome features. His piercing ocean-blue eyes met hers with an equally displeased expression, though calmer and far more intimidating.
"Don't be so loud," he said flatly, glancing around. "We're on a public train."
Some boys nearby glared, jealous that a girl like her was with such a handsome guy. Some girls stared, blushing uncontrollably, taking out their phones. A few noticed they wore the same school uniform and squealed quietly in excitement.
Hiroshi and Ayaka froze.
They recognized her immediately.
It wasYukariAihime -senpai. She had transferred into their class at the start of the semester and quickly earned a reputation as the cold, beautiful type—completely uninterested in boys.
And yet…
This was the first time they had seen her act like this. Much less with a boy no one recognized.
"Tch," Aihime clicked her tongue, turning her head—only to notice Hiroshi and Ayaka staring. Her cheeks faintly flushed pink.
"Good morning, Ayaka-chan," she said, forcing a smile. "Good morning to you too, Hiroshi-kun."
"G-Good morning! A-Aihime-chan," Hiroshi stammered, bowing slightly, his own blush spreading across his face.
Ayaka shot him an annoyed glance before looking back at Aihime, a teasing smile on her lips.
"Good morning, Aihime-chan~ But… who's the boy with you? Is he your boyfriend~?"
"N-No! That's—" Aihime began, but the boy spoke first.
"I'm Noah Ashcroft," he said calmly. "I'm from the U.S., and I'm transferring to Hikarizora High School today."
"Eh—Ehem! I-I'm Kuroda Hiroshi , a second-year at Hikarizora High School. N-Nice to meet you, Ashcroft-san! I… I hope we get along well," Hiroshi stammered, extending his hand, which was slightly sweaty from running.
Noah glanced at it briefly, then gave a curt nod instead of shaking it.
"You should at least greet Hiroshi-kun properly, Ashcroft-san," Ayaka said sharply, glaring at him.
Noah turned his piercing cold ocean-blue eyes on her.
"…"
"…?"
Ayaka fidgeted under his gaze.
"Eh… Gu—" Hiroshi tried to break the tension, but Noah ignored him.
"Why should I?" Noah asked flatly, looking down at her and deliberately using his height to intimidate her further.
"W-What!?" Ayaka blurted, flustered. No one had ever spoken to her like that.
"I asked," Noah repeated, his voice colder now, "why should I?"
The air between them tightened.
"H-Hey, man, th-tha—" Hiroshi attempted to intervene, but Noah's sharp glare cut him off instantly.
Hiroshi swallowed hard. Still, he forced himself to muster some courage.
"He-He—"
Ding.
The train slowed. Doors slid open with a mechanical hiss.
"This is our stop," someone nearby muttered.
The tension finally snapped. Noah stepped off the train, each movement cold and unbothered. Aihime hurried after him, her delicate form quickly casting a brief, apologetic glance at Hiroshi and Ayaka before vanishing down the platform