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Chapter : 19
Even If I’m Just an Extra, I Refuse the Death Route (19)
A familiar alleyway.
Yet the sign hanging there still felt strangely unfamiliar.
“Is it closed?”
Inside the window, I could see only darkness.
Just in case, I gently tugged at the door.
Creak.
With a groaning sound, the door opened.
“Excuse me.”
My voice echoed in the empty room, where no sign of life could be felt.
I stepped inside and slowly looked around.
Nothing seemed particularly different from last time.
As I continued deeper, scanning the room, something suddenly glimmered.
“…Is it here?”
I stepped all the way in—farther than before—and noticed a door cracked open in the corner.
It was just as dark inside.
But I was sure I’d seen something shimmer.
“Oh.”
As I was thinking that, a glint flickered again from inside the room.
This is definitely the place.
Knock, knock.
“Is anyone here?”
I tapped on the secretive-looking door.
No answer—not for a long while.
“Pardon me…”
Normally, I would’ve given up and left.
But this wasn’t the time to waste.
I needed something—anything. Even the smallest clue.
I was convinced this man knew something.
A tiny suspicion that had sprouted quietly had now bloomed into certainty.
Wow…
Inside, every wall was covered with bookshelves.
Just eyeballing it, there must have been at least several hundred books jammed inside.
“…What is this.”
In the center of the room—
A table stood alone, just slightly higher than my waist.
And on it lay an open book.
“Gah—!”
As I stared absentmindedly at the book—
The supposedly ordinary table flashed with light.
So that’s what I’d seen from outside.
Naturally, I walked toward it.
I was just about to check the contents of the book—
Tap, tap.
Footsteps echoed from the far corner behind another door.
I hurriedly slipped back out, moving as silently as I could.
I left the door just as slightly open as before and hid behind it.
A moment later, I heard the inner door open.
“…Ah.”
A familiar voice.
It must be the man from last time.
He muttered something under his breath—too quiet to make out.
Should I get closer—
“Ack!”
Just as I leaned against the door to eavesdrop—
My foot twisted, throwing my balance forward.
The door flung open and I bumbled clumsily inside.
I clung desperately to the doorknob to avoid face-planting, bursting into the room uninvited.
“You—!”
“Ah, haha…”
Startled, the man pointed at me wide-eyed and stepped back.
I awkwardly steadied myself, peeling off the doorknob.
“You sneaked in again?”
He sighed heavily.
I suddenly felt like a scolded child who got caught playing pranks.
My chest stung, and I muttered quietly.
“…Then lock the door.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
He frowned and approached.
“So? Why are you here again?”
I agonized over how to answer.
Finally, I blurted out the conclusion I’d reached—
“What are you?”
A direct hit.
I was tired of vague nonsense. I needed something solid.
He shrugged and walked past me.
“Come on. Outside. We’ll talk.”
I followed him out and sat at the same table as before.
He stared at me for a long moment before speaking slowly.
“Shell.”
“…Huh?”
“My name.”
The man—Shell—grinned and crossed his legs.
No way… I ask what he is, and he gives me his name?
“That’s not what I meant.”
I frowned.
Shell only smirked.
“Then what?”
“What are you?”
“And why do you want to know?”
He touched his chin like he genuinely didn’t understand.
That fox.
Pretending ignorance while knowing everything.
“It’s not fair if only you know about me.”
I snapped back.
“Is it a crime for me to know something with my abilities?”
“You even showed me that book last time!”
“I never said you could look.”
Again I was reminded—
I suck at arguments.
I couldn’t win a single line.
All I could do was angrily puff air out of my nose.
“I’m sure I said I’m not explaining anything.”
“…Would it kill you to tell me a little?!”
“You’re not a kid—stop whining.”
“Well then think of me as one and help me!”
“In what world are you a kid?”
“I dunno, I might be younger than you.”
“Then show me some proper respect.”
“Yes, yes. Dear Elder, please help me.”
We bickered childishly for a while.
Eventually, Shell sighed as if tired out.
“So why are you so curious about what I am?”
I met his gaze.
“You knew I wasn’t the original owner of this body.”
Shell ran a hand through his hair.
“I’m not human.”
“…What?”
“And that’s all I’m saying. Be satisfied.”
Not human?
So what, a ghost? Demon? Yokai?
No matter how I examined him—near or far—he looked fully human.
“So then… do you breathe fire or something?”
His face twisted before I even finished.
“Do you hear yourself?”
“Well—you said you’re not human…”
Embarrassed by his new expression, I scratched my head.
Shell chuckled lightly.
“You really are strange.”
“…Me? That’s a first.”
I’d always thought I was painfully average.
Sure, in my previous body people sometimes said I was odd because of my scar—
But this body didn’t even have that.
“When people hear someone isn’t human, don’t they usually get scared?”
“Oh.”
He had a point.
Why wasn’t I scared?
Because we’d talked before?
But we hardly knew each other.
“Interesting.”
Shell’s grin made me realize the truth—
He simply didn’t feel threatening.
“Anyway.”
“What—whoa!”
Shell snapped his fingers over the empty table.
Tea and cookies appeared instantly.
“Since you came all the way here, looks like this’ll take a while.”
“What did you just do??”
He only shrugged.
“Say what you need to say.”
He looked utterly unfazed by my shock—
And thanks to that, I calmed down too.
“I need your help.”
“…Help?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded.
Human or not, Shell knew a lot.
Even if I had to humble myself—I needed him.
“You know I’m not the owner of this body, and I barely know anything about this world.”
“So?”
“You know plenty, right?”
“Well, to some extent.”
Just as I thought.
“You said you couldn’t read the book properly?”
“Right.”
“The book records your probability of dying.”
“…Probability of death?”
Shell sat up straighter.
“Yeah.”
“…I see. So that’s it.”
He stroked his chin quietly.
“This world—it’s inside a novel, right?”
“A novel?”
“Evening Primrose. Same as the shop name.”
He mulled it over, then slowly nodded.
“So that’s what you call it—a novel.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Go on.”
Weird—but I continued anyway.
“The book tells me to change the story.”
“…”
“When a new episode starts, I have to alter the events like the book says—and depending on my death probability, dangerous things happen.”
“You’ve had it rough.”
I ignored his casual remark.
“So I want you to help me.”
“What can I do?”
Hope flickered in his voice.
“I don’t have enough info. Just explain what I ask, if you can.”
“That’s simple enough.”
He smiled.
“You will help?!”
I jumped up, excited—
And immediately fell back down at his next words.
“No.”
Still smiling.
“I told you—I’m not getting involved.”
“Then what can you do? Not even share what you know?”
“Well—not exactly.”
“Then help me! Please?”
I begged, eyes sparkling with desperation.
“If I help…”
“Yeah?”
“What do I get?”
My words jammed in my throat.
“It’s easier to help if there’s something in it for me.”
Annoyingly reasonable.
How many people—no, beings—help others for free?
“…What do you want?”
“Hmm… not sure yet.”
He leaned back, smirking.
“You look entertaining, though. I’ll tell you what I want later.”
“No asking for weird things.”
His only answer was a mischievous grin.
“So—what do you want to know?”
There were countless questions.
But the first one that slipped out surprised even me.
“If I change the story… could Eart not die?”
Silence.
Had I pushed too suddenly?
I assumed Shell would know everything.
Just as I tried to speak again, he finally replied—wearing an unreadable expression.
“He’s destined to die. The madness is set up to make it happen.”
A chilling rush of emotion flooded me—none that I could name.
“…Even if there’s a way to stop the madness?”
Shell lowered his gaze and pondered.
The short wait felt unbearably long.
“Well… I can’t say for sure.”
Another vague answer.
“It’s late. Go home. If you have more questions, come here.”
I glanced outside—the sun was already sinking.
“…Okay.”
As I turned away, defeated, he added one last line.
“And keep my existence a secret.”
His expression was serious.
“If you tell anyone, my help ends there. Remember.”
