~Chapter 1~
It was a week before the opening of the second branch, where I had started as a part-time worker and had now become the manager.
I was on my way back after a farewell party with the people I had worked with at the café for nine years.
I was definitely walking on the sidewalk when an SUV came rushing toward me.
Before I could even dodge, my vision turned white, followed by an excruciating pain that pierced through my bones.
âAm I really dying like this? What about my cafĂ©?â
Even as my consciousness faded on the cold ground, all I could think about was the café I had finally achieved after living fiercely since my orphanage days.
It was heartbreaking and unfair, but all I could do was close my eyes and accept my fate.
Still, once I lost consciousness, it became peaceful and comfortable. At some point, it even felt like I was lying on a soft bed.
âHuh? This doesnât feel like a dream. This unwavering comfortâŠâ
A strangely cozy feeling made me slowly open my eyes.
What is this? An angel?
I wasnât sure at first, but the moment I saw the man in front of me, I became certainâthis must be heaven.
A man with golden hair and brilliant blue eyes, exactly like the image of an angel.
On top of that, a sharp nose, firm lips, and broad shoulders!
Thereâs no way such a perfect-looking man exists in realityâhe had to be from heaven.
âWhat are you staring at?â
Oh wow. Even his voice sounds good.
The angel frowned as if making eye contact with me was unpleasant.
But even that felt like a blessing thanks to his deep, attractive voiceâunlike anything Iâd ever heard.
âThen⊠I really died?â
But the awe of meeting the handsome angel didnât last long.
As it sank in that I had died, tears welled up as I thought of the beloved café I left behind in the real world.
âHa! Are you crying now?â
So the idea that angels are kind was just a clichĂ©. He mocked me as I mournedâdefinitely not kind.
The fact that I couldnât even get comfort from an angel made me feel even sadder, and I pulled the blanket over my head.
âQuit the obvious act, Amelie Garnet.â
Amelie Garnet. The unfamiliar name rang in my ears.
There was no one else here but him and me, so that name must be referring to me?
ââŠMe?â
I poked my face out to check and asked him.
âHow tiresome.â
He clicked his tongue as if he didnât want to hear any more and stood up abruptly.
His gaze now held not only displeasure but outright disgust.
âDonât summon me through Lysa again. This is your final warning, Amelie Garnet.â
âLysa?â
Whoâs that supposed to be?
My head was full of question marks, but the man stormed out, slamming the door behind him so hard it shook.
âWhat⊠is going on?â
Still in a daze, I sat up.
Looking around, the room felt more like one that belonged to a noble young lady than a place in heaven.
âWait. A noble young ladyâŠ?â
A familiar plotline suddenly came to mind. I instinctively jumped out of bed and ran to the mirror.
âNo way. This canât be realâŠâ
I tried to deny it, but in the mirror stood a pretty woman with beige hair and calm, light brown eyesâdefinitely not my original face.
Things like this only happen in novelsâhow could this be real?
Still unable to believe it, I touched my unfamiliar face.
Poof!
âCustomer! You must be very confused right now, huh?â
âW-what theâ!â
There was still more to be surprised about?
As confusion and despair swirled in me, a round-eyed creature suddenly popped out and started talking.
It bowed with one wing resting on its plump belly.
âNice to meet you! Iâm Omok, your possession guide!â
âPossession guide? Whatâs that?â
âYouâre Han Yuna, right?â
âYes, Iâm Han Yuna!â
I never thought Iâd be so happy to hear someone call my real name instead of âAmelie Garnet.â
Even the fact that a round-eyed creature was talking didnât feel that strange anymore.
As I stood there overwhelmed, Omok suddenly put on tiny glasses from who knows where and took on a serious expression.
âIâve been dispatched from the Romance Fantasy Love Company to guide you, Han Yuna, through the âSpecial Possession Service!ââ
What I feared was confirmed by Omokâs words. I had possessed someone in another world.
Instead of being hit by a truck, I got hit by an SUVâbut still.
âOur Romance Fantasy Love Company selects clients in a coma and provides them with possession services.â
âSo Iâm in a coma right now?â
âYes! But just being unconscious isnât enough to be eligible for the Special Possession Service. You also need to have no place to go back to and have read at least 100 completed romance fantasy novels.â
Who knew being a hardcore romance fantasy fan would come in handy!
No matter how boring or nonsensical the story was, I always finished it once I started. I suddenly felt proud of myself.
Omok then pulled out something like a remote and pressed a button.
Suddenly, a screen appeared in front of me.
â» Special Possession Service â»
â Welcome to Romance Fantasy Love CompanyâĄ
âWhy is this PPT so tacky?â
A hilariously terrible PPT appeared mid-air.
Judging by how puffed up Omok looked, it mustâve made it itself.
âWere you shocked by your sudden coma? Donât worry! Romance Fantasy Love Company is here to help!â
Dudung-tak!
With a loud drum sound, the PPT moved to the next slide.
Our Romance Fantasy Love Company is a company made for, by, and of romance fantasy, established to protect the genre⊠(truncated)
The next slide was even worse. It was so packed with text that I had to shut my eyes.
Omok, overflowing with company spirit, read through the entire thing.
As my face grew more and more sour from the endless company intro and awful readability, Omok suddenly started rapping.
âSo! If youâre wondering what makes the Special Possession Service so amazingââ
Ppyororong~
Survive, defeat the villains, and reach the ending!
We will give you a special reward that will change your destinyâ
Who the heck taught this thing how to make a PPT? Iâm not letting them off easy.
The flashy and obnoxious sound effects with each slide change made me even more curious about Omokâs mentor.
âItâs all about this special reward!â
âSo what exactly is the reward?â
âFufufu. Prepare to be amazed!â
Babam-!
⣠Ending Reward (Choose 1) âŁ
-
Wake up in the real world as Han Yuna and make one wish come true (â» Wishes that disrupt world order are forbidden)
-
Live as Amelie Garnet and reach a happy ending in this novel world
The ending reward that appeared with a fanfare was certainly worth boasting about.
If I returned to reality, I could finally open the cafĂ© I had always dreamed of. And theyâd grant a wish? There was no reason to say no.
âOption 1. Definitely option 1.â
âYouâll choose the reward after reaching the ending. You might regret choosing early.â
âNo way Iâd regret this. Itâs basically a cheat choice for me!â
âYou might feel differently after living here as Amelie Garnet. Either way, you canât choose until the ending, so please take your time.â
I wasnât going to change my mind.
I was confident.
The time I spent happily making coffee and desserts, the boss who trusted me, the café I had earned through effort alone.
Giving that up by choice was out of the question.
âBy the way, if you donât reach the ending, youâll return to the same unchanged reality.â
âHuh? What do you mean unchangedâŠâ
âYouâll go back to being the comatose Han Yunaâuncertain if youâll live or die.â
Omokâs surprisingly cold words made my brain freeze.
Comatose Han Yuna. Rightâthat was my real situation.
I had been so happy to hear there was a way back, but now my emotions were suddenly complex.
âDonât worry too much. Since itâs a novel youâve read, and Amelie Garnet plays an important role, it shouldnât be too hard.â
ââŠA novel Iâve read?â
âYes! The Special Possession Service only uses novels the client has read.â
âBut Iâve never read this one.â
âThat canât be. Maybe you read it a long time ago and forgot?â
I shook my head. Omok let out a âhmm?â sound, then rummaged through its fur and pulled out a smartphone the size of its body.
Bbyok bbyok, bbyok.
Tiny button sounds, followed by screen swiping.
And thenâ
âHuh?â
A muttered line filled the large room, clearly signaling that something was wrong.
hey for once the system was like wait a second before you make a decision, nice.