Chapter 45 : Fourth Mission : Obtain Red Love Points!

"Midori-chan, we have put together the list of men who bear dragon tattoos on their chest," Arata said without much preambles. "Fortunately, only one matches your sketch, and he was also spotted in Kagemachi that night."

Midori's heart skipped a beat as she listened to her brother with rapt attention.

"Yes, Onii-chan? Who is it?"

Arata's next words hung heavy in the air, laced with a hint of dread, "Unfortunately, it is Kiyoshi Matsumoto."

Kiyoshi Matsumoto again.

Midori gnawed on her lower lip, a nervous habit that betrayed her simmering anxiety. "S-9898, why does he keep popping up?" she raised the question to S-9898.

"I thought that I am now writing my own novel. Shouldn't I be able to kick him out of my own story?"

[Ah, Midori-san, good day to you!] S-9898's bouncy voice was heard in response. [Of course, Midori-san! You can remove any character you want out of your story.]

Midori heaved a sigh of relief. Good that she thought about it!

"Alright, I want to remove Kiyoshi Matsumoto from my story."

Kiyoshi Matsumoto, with his captivating smile and dangerous aura, was a character that added a potent spice to any story. However, he was not a figment of Midori's imagination; he was the protagonist of "Dream Of The Ancient Period," a pre-existing narrative she had been drawn into. In this new world, he remained a constant threat, as alluring as he was dangerous.

Entanglement with Kiyoshi was like playing with a viper, an exciting but potentially fatal game. Midori, already struggling to navigate the treacherous landscape of her new reality, had no desire for this additional complication.

It was difficult enough surviving in this new story she created, what with S-9898's evil penchant for dishing out missions to rob her Life Points strategically!

[Please go to the Life Points store and select the Character Removal Ticket.]

"..."

Midori's face darkened. Pressing her lips together into a thin line, she accessed her Character Interface and clicked on her Life Points.

At this point, several new items made their appearance at the Life Points Store. Among which was the Character Removal Ticket, the item of her desire.

Curiously, the item did not have any price tag.

Midori clicked on it to see the item description. The letters flew into the screen one by one, as if typed on the spot by invisible fingers.

[This item allows the story creator to remove a character from the story. The price of the removal depends on the importance of the character in the story.]

...

Heh.

[Please type in the name of the character you wish to remove from the story.]

...

Midori's fingers nimbly moved across the keyboard.

Kiyoshi Matsumoto.

Ding!

The number 10000 appeared on the price tag.

Midori almost fainted on the spot.

"10000 Life Points???" She cried out in distress. "S-9898, what's with you and your obsession with the number 10000???"

[Anooooo~ Midori-san, don't say it like that, 10000 is just a number~]

"If it is just a number, reduce it to 10 right now!"

[Midori-san, you cannot haggle with the point stores...]

"At this rate, I am never going to be able to afford any item in the stores," Midori complained. "What am I going to do now?"

[Well, Midori-san, you can get rid of other characters if you want. They will cost significantly less...]

S-9898's words quickly invigorated Midori.

That's right!

How could she be so dumb?

If she removed that one other character, her life in this novel was going to be much, much easier!

Midori quickly erased the words Kiyoshi Matsumoto, replacing them with Ryouichi Koishikawa.

Another ding sound accompanied the price update.

The number 10000 disappeared, replaced by the number 2000.

"That's much better, but it is still too high," Midori bit into her thumb anxiously. "Ryouichi Koishikawa is just a side character in 'Dream Of The Ancient Period', why do I need to pay 2000 Life Points to get rid of him?"

[Oh, Midori-san, please don't forget that Ryouichi Koishikawa has earned himself the title "Ex First Husband" in your narration.]

"..."

Wonderful.

She had practically stabbed herself in the gut. Oh, if only she eliminated him from the get-go before he could give her more problems! Midori would love to throw herself to the ground and lament her poor choices.

"Midori-chan? Hello, Midori-chan?"

Midori quickly snapped back from her trance when she heard Arata's concerned voice in her ear.

"Yes, Nii-chan, I am still here," Midori said weakly into the speaker.

"Kiyoshi Matsumoto is a very famous person," Arata said.

Famous, yes. But above all, dangerous! Midori screamed in her head. Let us stay away from him!

In fact, that was what she needed to do right now. She had only met Kiyoshi Matsumoto once, and the system quickly assigned him to her as the "Future Second Husband 2". What a scary character! His protagonist's aura bled through even after he stopped being the protagonist.

If Midori stayed away from him, then she would be able to lead her life peacefully. Right? Right???

"On the other hand, both Inspector Serizawa and I are really invested in this case. We have been searching for clues for so long, and thanks to you, we finally have one. Someone needs to take responsibility for Representative Watanabe's murder."

Oh, no, no, no. Onii-san, please don't.

"Midori-chan," Arata continued, "are you absolutely certain about your claim regarding the man with the dragon tattoo? Could there be a possibility that you misremembered or misheard his words?"

With the grace and swiftness of a startled eagle, Midori seized the opportunity to extricate herself from Kiyoshi Matsumoto's orbit.

"Actually, Onii-chan..."

Midori's words were abruptly cut short as a familiar melody began to play. It was the BGM accompanying the dreaded announcement of a mission. The hairs on her neck stood on end as the chilling tune washed over her, a clear harbinger of the coming challenge.

[Hello again, Midori-san~ Your cunning plot twists have triggered a reward from the system, leading you to the Fourth Mission.

Fourth Mission : Obtain 100 Red Love Points in 48 hours!

Basic reward upon completion : + 50 Life Points.

Basic punishment upon failure : None.]