Chapter 9: 09: A Bird Amongst Books

If she’s the embodiment of a red flag, does it really matter if she’s drop-dead gorgeous?

After your shocking realization yesterday, it wasn’t farfetched to say that you were absolutely bamboozled. Reese, the polite and pretty lady you managed to become friends with, was actually some weird, mysterious, manipulative sorceress? What the actual fuck? What is this BS anime plot twist? You genuinely thought she was a nice person, and you genuinely wanted to get to know her better. But after that stunt, you were regretting ever feeling that in the first place.

Your back hits the bouncy surface of your bed as you stare up at the ceiling. Was it made out of white chocolate? Hold up, could you technically eat the whole mansion if you wanted to? Should you try? Would the consequences outweigh the— focus [Name].

But honestly, you’re probably exaggerating. I mean, maybe you’re just overthinking this. It wouldn’t be the first time. Reese is way too much of a good person to use her powers on you, right? This is just a big misunderstanding, and maybe you should talk to her about it! Then you can go back to being gal pals!

Your grip around your pillow tightens.

Naw, fuck that.

Deep inside, you know you’re right — and you know what she did was creepy as hell. Who the fuck uses their power to manipulate someone's emotions and force out any personal thoughts and secrets? Sure, her intent was probably not malicious, and she saved you from that TikTok bitch-boy, but despite that, you felt… icky. 

Really icky.

Like there was some disgusting mucus in your throat that you would lose a lung from trying to cough out. 

You were sure anyone in your shoes would’ve thought the same thing. The feeling icky part, maybe not the mucus. 

But like, come on, didn’t Reese technically manipulate you? The thought of that made you so incredibly uncomfortable. For a lack of a better description, you cringed. It made you want to projectile vomit and stain the guest room’s carpet. You felt as you were taken advantage of, as if you fell asleep at some shady college frat party.

Even though you liked your alone time, you weren’t the most independent person in the world. You needed support and people to rely on for the most part. 

For example, when you bombed your Algebra test in 9th grade and thought your mom would eradicate every last of your atoms if she found out, your friend Jessica was there to take you to CVS and raid their clearance candy section.

Or that time your favorite anime character died and left you in a gross pool of snot, mucus, and tears, so your middle school BFF at the time wrote you a fifty-page long alternative ending x reader fanfic where they not only survived, but got together with you as well. 

Though you needed people to talk to, you still wanted to have control over your life as well. Sure, the chances of your mom ever letting that happen were slim, but you craved a sense that you were also holding the hypothetical steering wheel that was determining your life. It was your life that you were living, and no one could ever truly change that. Especially your emotions. Those were yours to decide and yours alone.

So when Reese came in with her hypnosis shit, you were absolutely betrayed. 

You sniff, missing the good ol’ times where you thought your biggest problem was dodging your mom’s slipper attacks. You exhale through your mouth and sit up, squeezing your pillow tight, desperate for some comfort. Although it had no life of its own, you simply imagine it giving you a soft, squishy hug back. If only you had your phone right now. Then you could aimlessly scroll through TikTok like a zombie in an attempt to distract yourself.

But… what should you even do about this? You snuggle your head further into the pillow. Gosh, twenty-seven days was feeling like twenty-seven years now. You didn’t ask to be the indirect savior of some candy world, or get kidnapped, or be manipulated, but life’s funny sometimes.

You could only really think of three options for your current situation.

1) Pretend you never noticed and continue to live life just as you had before. And once the hot chocolate is ready, cure the queen, have her tell you how to get home, and immediately fucking book it. Your acting skills aren’t the greatest, but you did star in one of your HS plays! Your character had no lines though…

2) Confront Reese about her manipulation and powers. Umm, maybe don’t do this. She’s either gonna BS her way out or you’re gonna end up dead in a ditch somewhere.

3) Tell someone. What’s the point of stressing over this by yourself? Having another brain to help think with you will make things a whole lot easier. But who exactly would you tell? Twix? He’s literally Reese’s fiancé. Who’s he going to trust more, his close childhood friend or a funny-looking human he’s known for nine days now? Joy? She’s too busy atm. Min?

You snort. Why did his name even come up…

Sam?

Your eyes widen.

Wait, maybe! 

Sam was your best friend in this world. He would totally take your side, right? Yeah, you’ve only known him for as long as you’ve known Twix, but you two have actually bonded! And you’re pretty certain he doesn’t have any hidden magic shoved up his ass.

Feeling a newfound sense of hope, you smile and squeeze your pillow, conjuring a new plan on the spot.

3a) Alright, let’s say you end up telling Sam everything. And he suggests that you two should totally expose Reese so she doesn’t use her power to manipulate other people. And for some reason, you accept and take on the role of some wannabe anime detective. How would you even gather evidence if Reese’s power is mind-based?

You groan, ruffling your hair in an attempt to let out your frustrations. How annoying. You swear this world was just one giant cockblock in general. Man, fuck this world, you no longer wanted to stay here for any means longer than necessary. Being isekai'd and waking up in the body of a tragic villainess who eventually seduces everyone around her, including the protagonist, would've been so much better.

But… maybe you’re totally making this more complicated than it needs to. You could just cut yourself off from Reese, either by telling her upfront or, well, ghosting her.

You’ve ghosted your fair share of people back on Earth. Mainly because you forgot to respond and you have the memory of a cement brick, but sometimes, they deserved to get ghosted. Like your creepy ex-friend who was obsessed with you. He memorized your schedule, the people you were friends with, and even stole some of your stationary when you weren’t looking just to make you talk to him. He never returned them. The last part pissed you off the most so you blocked him on all socials, took different routes to your classes, and ignored him like he was a shrimp chip crumb on the floor. When you no longer gave him any attention, he eventually stopped. The whole thing still made you annoyed af though.

Without thinking, you angrily take a bite out of your pillow, eyes widening in shock at what you just did. [Name]… you… dumbass!

But when you start to actually chew, a flood of sugar envelops your tongue and leaves your pleasantly surprised. Holy shit, this totally tastes like those Lucky Charms marshmallows! You take another bite before you can stop yourself, blissful sticky marshmallow coating your tastebuds.

Just as you unhinge your jaw like a snake in preparation for another bite, you suddenly freeze. E/c eyes trailing down, you now notice a medium-sized bite on your once perfectly fine pillow. Shit. How are you going to explain this to Joy?

Knock

Knock

Fuck. 

You consider chucking the pillow out the window so no one ever finds out that you took a bite out of it, but ultimately decide not to. Stop overreacting, [Name], just act casual.

        ”My lady! May I come in?” you hear Joy say on the other side of the door.

        ”Uhhh, y-yeah!” you quickly flip the pillow upside down, that way it covers the part you bit. “Come in!”

The doorknob turns with a slight click and Joy enters the room with her usual sweet smile.

        “The mayor has called for you, my lady. I have come to escort you to his office~“

You blink.

        ”H-have I done something wrong? Did I break some sort of hidden candy law? Did he change his mind and now I have to stay inside for even longer?!”

Joy giggles at your rant, shaking her head.

        ”It’s nothing of that sort, my lady. Please, follow me and you’ll find out why!”

You gulped, crawled out of bed, and dejectedly walked out like you were a French citizen being sent to the guillotine. Aw man, why were you so nervous? Maybe the Reese situation put you much more on-edge with everyone.

But in the middle of your thoughts, you missed the chance of turning around and seeing a certain maid stare at your pillow.

---

You knocked on the door twice, nervously playing with your fingers and examining all of the mansion’s fancy vases and paintings. When you heard the mayor’s faint voice of approval, you slowly turned the doorknob and invited yourself in.

        ”Good afternoon Miss [Name], a pleasure to see you.” Twix says, preoccupied with looking over a stack of papers. Jesus, he’s even busier than you were in junior year. Well, now it makes sense why he’s been skipping on having breakfast with you lately. You hope he’s still eating properly though.

        “Please feel free to sit down.” His eyes dart to the chair in front of his desk.

        ”Uh, sure. Thanks.” You reply, seating yourself. “Soooo, Joy said you had some news for me?” your eyes dart to the very fancy black fountain pen in the mayor’s hands. There’s gold decorating it as if it’s some priceless artifact. You quickly snap your attention back up at the sound of his voice.

        “That’s correct.” With one last scribble, he places his papers and pen down, finally making complete eye contact with you. Not gonna lie, this is making you lowkey self-conscious. Which is super strange because you used to never care how you looked in front of these candy people.

        ”What is it?” you scoot the chair closer to the desk by using your bum. “Mayor Twix, y-you didn’t change your mind and take away my outside privileges, did you?”

He stares at you, a soft smile gracing his lips.

        ”Of course not. I am not the type to just easily go back on my words. I promise you that you’re still very much free to leave whenever you want, Miss [Name].”

You let out a relieved sigh.

        ”Phew… but if it’s not that, what is it then?”

The mayor clasps his hands together, setting them on top of the desk. 

        "Have you ever gone to a 'ball', Miss [Name]?" 

        "Uhh, welllll, I've gone to this Halloween party where you had to dress as someone from the Victorian era. I was going to go as Charles Dickins, but my mom refused to let me embarrass our family. Does that count?" 

He chuckles. 

        "Perhaps? I'd have to see it in person to fully understand what you mean."

        "Fair enough. Oh yeah, I already suggested this same idea to Hershe, but I wouldn't mind showing you around Earth for a day or two! Just gotta find out how to get home first, y'know? Sooo, if you could speed up the process Mayor Twix, that'd be much appreciated!"

The light in the mayor's eyes dances around mischievously.

        "...Thank you for the offer, Miss [Name]. Though, I'm afraid I don't possess the ability to control time at my will." You awkwardly grin. 

        "If you ever find out that you do, please tell me!"

        "Gladly." His smile increases. "But back to the topic at hand. In two weeks, Miss [Name], there will be a ball held in your honor." 

You immediately choke on your spit, spurring out coughs like a broken machine gun.

        "W-what?! Hold up, sorry? I think we missed a few steps!" What the hell is he talking about? A ball, basically a super formal get-together that involves dancing, food and drinks, and a bunch of fancy people, was going to be hosted because of you? "Uhhh, isn't this too sudden?" 

        "Not at all. As prince of Candy Land, I'm simply continuing a tradition that happens whenever a human arrives. The past gatherings were held in order to introduce them to those from high society." You nod. Alright, so basically the fanciest and richest candies. "However, for this occasion, it'll be much more special." 

        "Mayor, really, I'm fine! Having a big ass exquisite ball held in my name just isn't my style. I'd rather go to a house party and get full-on blackout drunk." Twix sends you an amused look. 

        "This ball is much more important than you might think, Miss [Name]." 

        "And that's because?" 

        "Along with introducing you properly to the people, we will be informing them that we're in the works of a cure for my mother's, Queen Frost, heart." 

Your mouth forms the shape of an 'o'. 

        "Ah... 'ight, I see. Basically, you'll be showing me off and also declaring that you're bringing back the queen?"

        "Precisely." 

You bite the inside of your cheek. 

        "But still... I have this nagging feeling that the only thing I'll be doing at this ball is severely embarrassing myself. Like, falling face-first into the punch bowl or spilling expensive wine on a rich lady's even more expensive dress. Plus, don't you have to dance at balls? Unless it's TikTok dances, I have absolutely no experience." 

        "Please don't worry about that, Miss [Name]. Starting from tomorrow, Miss Joy will be teaching you proper dance etiquette. It may be difficult to grasp at first, but please keep at it.” Your mouth drops.

        ”Etiquette?! Shit. And Joy's going to be my instructor?!” You awkwardly scratch the back of your head. “Uhhh, Mayor Twix, I’m kind of the least graceful person to ever walk this world so... don't expect too much, haha." 

He gives you a gentle smile.

        ”Don't worry. I’m sure you’ll surprise even yourself, Miss [Name]. I'm looking forward to seeing the results~”

You suddenly feel a sense of dread coming to you, but you quickly shake it off.

        ”Well... if you say so. Btw, don’t mind the question, but is er, Reese going to be there…?” you frown. 

        "At this ball?"

        "Yeah."

        ”Of course, considering she’s one of high society’s most influential, as well as my fiancé.” The last part is like a punch to the stomach. Why did you have to get acquainted with such a powerful person, especially one that seems way too interested in you?

You let out a quiet sigh. You have a very big hunch that you're going to run into her at this stupidly fancy ball, and it's going to be totally awkward and shit. Seeing your now dejected face, the mayor's brows knit together. 

        ”Are you alright, Miss [Name]?”

        “Yeah, sure, definitely.” You straighten your posture and force yourself to sit up. Stop getting all sad and crinkly, [Name]. You’ll survive in this crazy af world. Keep your head up, queen! “Anyways, is that all you wanted to tell me, mayor?”

Twix nods, his eyes slightly curved up.

        ”Indeed. Thank you for listening so patiently. I should be resuming my work about now.”

You stand up, push in your chair, and give him a smile.

        "Don’t overwork yourself though, alright? Honestly, I miss having breakfast with you, Mayor Twix. And I get that being a mayor-prince probably comes with a shit load of work, but don't work too hard — to the point where you pass out! Or else, uhhh, I’ll burn those papers!” you point at the stack in front of him.

You immediately want to smack yourself with a brick for making an out-of-pocket comment, but the mayor's reaction makes your heart flutter. His lips curve up in amusement, and you find yourself almost melting from his honey eyed stare.

        "Haha, that would be quite the problem. I'll try not to overwork myself then. Have a wonderful afternoon, Miss [Name]~”

        "You—you too..."

---

Okay, what is with you totally simping for Mayor Twix back there? Calm your thirsty ass, [Name]. You sigh, brushing a chunk of hair out of your face as you walk down the hallway.

1) He's probably older than you by at least five years and 2) He's already engaged. You smack your face in an attempt to wake up to cold, harsh reality. It doesn't do much except leave a stinging sensation on your cheeks. Man, it's like the longer you stay in this world, the more you start to really like some of these candy people. 

Besides, Twix isn't that great. He's only a mayor-prince, absurdly rich, a gentleman, tall, has a nice voice, patient, handsome...

You sigh, rubbing your temples. 

You need a distraction. In addition, you were really feeling those phone withdrawal symptoms about now, so you really need something to take your mind off the current situation. But what could you do? One option was to go back to the kitchen and bother Sam, but you would probably act all awkward since you need to tell him about Reese but have no idea how to bring it up. How annoying...

If only there were a calm, tranquil place with practically no people but still endless sources of entertainment!

You halt.

Wait.

There is a place like that!

Your eyes begin to sparkle out of control.

You are reading story Candy Land | Various! Yandere x Fem! Reader at novel35.com

A smirk slowly makes its way onto your lips, and you quickly rush back inside the mayor's office.

 "HiagainMayorTwixI'mjustgonnagotothelibraryrealquicksodon'tpanickifyoudon'tfindmeinthemansion! Kay, thanks, bye!" you rapidly fire off like a trashy SoundCloud rapper. After that, you quickly shut the office door again and immediately start booking it to the Candy Land library.

In the meanwhile, Mayor Twix, absolutely baffled, stares at his now closed office door — trying to decipher what you just said.

---

You excitedly push open the glass doors, a wide grin on your face as you expect the whole library to yourself (and maybe one or two other people).

But imagine your surprise when you discover it's packed. Like, full-house packed. In an instant, your smile gets wiped off your face. Calm and tranquil my ass, this was a parallel image of Anime Expo 2022. 

        "What the hell?" you mutter, scanning the crowded tables and people swarming the shelves. "Well... this is new." 

With a frown, you squeeze yourself through and manage to catch glimpse of a familiar librarian sitting at the front counter. 

        "Hershe!" 

At the sound of your voice, the male (who looks absolutely bored out of his mind) widens his eyes and immediately perks up, like a pup being called by it's owner. When he makes eye contact with you, a wide pearly smile spreads alarmingly fast across his face.

        "[Name]! Do my eyes deceive me? To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you?" he looks you up and down. "Are you alright after everything that's happened?"

        "What are you— oh! The kidnapping, right? I heard you helped Joy and Min find me. Thanks for that!" His grin grows wider.

        "Anytime~ now tell me, how are you feeling? I can't imagine being the whole situation was pleasant for you." 

        "Um, well, as you can see, I'm in one piece! Soooo, I guess I'm fine? I may have a little unsolved mental trauma but it'll go away eventually, haha." You glance around. "What's with this place though? It's like half the town's here. Is there some Black Friday sale today?"

        "Nope~" Hershe reaches down to grab something, and then pops back up. In his hand is a... light novel? "Today marks the release of the first book for the new series, Her Ladyship."

        "Oh, cool. Is that all?" He chuckles. 

        "You're underreacting, [Name]. It's written by the same author who wrote: I Fell Off a Balcony and Got Reincarnated as the Protagonist's Best Friend in My Favorite Novel, Becoming a Cupid for my Favorite Characters! But Problem Is, They Only Want Me! After Running Away to A Neighboring Country, I Somehow Caught The Eyes of the Monstrous Crown Prince Himself?! and After Leveling up in the Tower for 8888 Years With Only a Frying Pan, I've Become the Strongest in the World! But I've Always Wanted to Get a Nursing Degree! These two books quickly rose to fame here in Candy Land, not a single bookworm hasn't heard of them. Old, young, everyone loves these works.”

You stare at him with a deadpan look. What the fuck? This world also has cheesy asf books? And even worse, people actually like them? You suddenly have the urge to find these series and light them on fire. 

        "...Is that so? And who's the author for these magnificent masterpieces again?"

        "They've signed their books with the initials 'D.P.', but aside from that, this person has stayed completely anonymous. It's a shame though, they have hundreds of adoring fans who would do anything for a signature or a handshake."

You click your tongue. Rats. There goes your chance of ever meeting this person, sitting them down, and having a long talk about their obscure book titles. Well, Her Ladyship actually sounds like a pretty cool series. On the other hand, those last two Hershe mentioned were... interesting, to say the least.

        "Huh. By the way, what's Her Ladyship about? I'm assuming the library is packed because everyone's reading it?" Hershe grins, opening to one of the pages.

        "I've read up to chapter twenty-two, and it's wonderful so far! The story sets place in a different world, one both similar and different to here. It probably doesn't resemble your world, though. The protagonist is a commoner who retains memories of their past life as a book addict, and their favorite series to read was—"

        "—Let me guess, some cliche romance story mixed with attractive characters, and now they've found themselves stuck in the very same world the book takes place in after dying?"

The librarian stares at you. 

        "That's— why yes! How did you guess that, [Name]?"

You snort. You totally don't have years of reading mangas, webtoons, light novels and watching animes under your belt. After grinding for so long, you now had some sort of sixth sense when it came to the isekai genre.

        "I just got lucky. But Hershe, no offense, but this all sounds way too predictable for me so far. I get that the author who wrote this is super famous and all, but if their work is actually tra-" 

Hershe immediately clamps a hand over your mouth. Your eyes widen in surprise as you're hit with the scent of Hershey's. 

        "[Name]! Be careful with what you say." He whisper-shouts, briefly looking around. "You might become targeted if D.P.'s fans hear your opinion." Hershe retracts his hand from your face and you take in a deep breath. 

        "Ah, rightttt. Of course there are some die-hard fans here willing to attack anyone who shit talks their fave. Thanks for saving me before I willingly threw myself to the hyenas." He winks, sending you a playful smile. 

        "My pleasure, [Name]. Anyways, I'm not just trying to get you to read this because I'm the librarian here, but because Her Ladyship is a truly magnificent story. On the surface, it may seem like any ordinary love story between a commoner and noble woman, but it's actually much more compelling than that." You blink. This reminds you of all those times your friends would recommend shows to you, only for you to forget and never watch them. 

        "Really?"

        "I swear on my job as a librarian." You raise a brow. 

        "Btw, when'd you get enough free time to read twenty-two chapters?" Hershe gives you a sly smirk. You roll your eyes. This was his way of telling you that he slacked off again. 

        "A magician never reveals their secrets~"

        "What secrets? Everyone and their mother knows you don't take your job seriously. But hmm... since you're trying so hard to sell me this book, I might as well give it a try. Where's the nearest copy?"

Hershe grins and points to your left, where one of the library tables is being used to set up all the copies of Her Ladyship. The only problem is that it's being swarmed by a bunch of candy people, and you did not feel like squeezing your way through them. You turn back to the librarian. 

        "Yeah, no. I'm good! I'll just read it in my own time. See ya." As you're about to turn around and leave, he calls out to you. 

        "Wait [Name]! Here, take my copy." Hershe pushes the white book into your hands. You look down, inspecting the cover. Two shadowy feminine silhouettes stare into each other's eyes while red roses decorate the corners, an image of a European-looking town as the background. Your average cliche romance light novel. After admiring the artwork, your eyes trail back up.

        "Wait, for real? Weren't you in the middle of reading this?" 

        "Indeed I was! However, I'm dying to know your reaction to this series! You'll eventually see that I'm right. Now please, go ahead." He sends you a sparkly-white grin. You scratch your head, shrugging your shoulders. I mean, free book! Well, this is a library so of course it's free. 

        "Alright, thanks! See you in like three or four hours? This book looks around 300 pages at most. I think I can speedrun it." You wave to the chocolate-scented librarian. "Have fun dealing with all these customers!"

He blinks.

        "Wait, [Name], what customers—“

Only after you've left, he finally notices the gigantic line of people that was once behind you. With an exasperated chuckle, the librarian rests his forehead against his hand. Then he puts on his best smile and helps the next person.

---

It's a miracle you somehow found a free spot in one of the library's corners after nearly stepping on too-many-to-count feet. Sure, there was a girl to your right, but she was also busy reading. Man, you really missed when this place was totally empty. 

Seating yourself down, you open to the first page to read about the book's dedications. Normally, authors like to dedicate a book to their spouse, child, or even parent, but this book managed to be different.

Her Ladyship is dedicated to my very dearest friend, whom I hope my feelings reach one day. Without her support, I would've never been able to start my career in writing. Thank you for everything.

You stare at the words, wondering who the author's 'dearest friend' and what their feelings were. After theorizing for a good minute, you turn the page again, reaching the table of contents. Eyes trailing down, you noticed there were 35 chapters. Your lips stretched into a smile, and you stretched your arms out, cracking your knuckles. 

        "Alright, let's speedrun this shit." 

---

Surprisingly, Hershe was right. 

At first, you treated the book like a mandatory English reading assignment, one that your teacher throws at you in an attempt to make you read, only for you to hate the book in the end. You were reading it only because of a recommendation from a friend, and that was it. You certainly held no high expectations for this piece of literature, much less even the thought that you would somehow like it. But after finishing chapter 10, you were... shocked. Bamboozled even. 

Originally, you believed that because the author had made two other very cliche-sounding books, Her Ladyship would be incredibly cliche as well. Heck, you were expecting a typical forbidden romance, tea parties with way too many pastries to finish, and characters talking too fancily for your liking. Instead, you got societal lessons on social class and gender, plot twists of the century, and fully-fleshed out characters. No one was entirely too OP, too likeable, or fully evil. Everyone had their good and bad moments, even the seemingly perfect and sophisticated female lead/love interest. For some reason, you always felt a strong sense of familiarity and deja vu whenever she would show up. Probably because she reminded you of those female leads in manhwas. You brushed the thought off as you continued reading.

But as you further immersed yourself into the wonderful world of Her Ladyship, you started losing track of time. Whenever you would grow obsessed with something, you would subconsciously block the world out — ignoring people, voices, everything but the object of your infatuation. 

When you finally noticed this, you came to a startling realization. 

You actually... really liked this book! You, a picky connoisseur when it came to fiction, came to love something you originally thought would be mid. Who would've guessed? 

At least two hours had passed by since you've arrived at the library, and thankfully, a lot of people left since then. You took in a deep breath. Boy, did you have things to tell Hershe. You were only 3/4ths done with Her Ladyship, but you were itching to rant about it to someone. Anyone. That plot twist in chapter twenty?! Immaculate. It poked your brain in all the right spots. And the writing? Breathtaking. 

You stretched your arms high, your body groaning in relief when your limbs that hadn't moved for hours finally got some action. Honestly, you didn't really want to move, but your desire to tell the world about this godly book override that feeling. 

However, before you could stand up, you noticed a pair of eyes staring at you from your right peripheral vision. Frowning, you slowly turned around, only to be met with the view of a woman, sorry, candy.

 had dark brown hair, though the evening light that poured in through the library's windows made it seem like a shiny orange. It was the same for her brown eyes, they sparkled as if they were fine pieces of cut amber. She wore a white turtleneck with a blue spaghetti-strapped dress that stopped mid-thigh, a light blue cardigan draped around her shoulders. The way she was sitting almost prompted her butt on the heels of her feet, knees positioned to the side. White stockings and brown fuzzy boots decorated her legs and feet. All in all, the light made her look ethereal. 

        "...Hi?" you tilt your head slightly. "Can I help you?" 

A look of surprise dashed across her face, like she wasn't expecting for you to actually talk to her. She brushed a bit of hair behind her ear before replying. 

        "H-hello! S-sorry, I, I didn't mean to stare or anything, I just couldn't help but notice you were reading Her Ladyship!" her soft voice spurred out. 

        "Er, yeah. Something wrong?" 

        "N-no!" the girl's cheeks turned cherry red. "Nothing's wrong! I'm... I'm just happy...!" 

Your eyes dart from side to side. Okay, this girl was weird. Are all candy people just naturally weird?

        "What? You're happy? Because I'm reading Her Ladyship?" Suddenly, something clicks in your brain. "Ohhhh, wait, I know. You're one of those die-hard fans of the author, D.P., aren't you?" 

She blinks. 

        "Umm..." after her eyes trail off for a second, they come back to make contact with your e/c ones. "...I-I suppose so!" 

You grin, scooting closer to her, sensing a good opportunity in the making. 

        "So, that means you've read the entire book right? You won't be spoiled or anything?"

        "Um... y-yeah!" Your grin grows wider. 

        "Alright, this may be sudden, but do you mind if I rant to you? Sorry, I kinda just finished reading a brilliant plot twist and I'm dying to express it in words." 

She furrows her brows, twiddling with her fingers.

        "W-wait, what? Rant about...?" You hold up and dangle the book in the air. 

        "Her Ladyship!"

        "Oh... no, I don't mind. G-go ahead!" you grin.

        "Okay thanks! Sooo, omg, I can not believe how good of a story this actually is. Like damn, where has this book been all my life! I've been missing out I swear! People would devour this back at Earth, like actually devour it. Savor the taste of the pages and shit. That's how much they would love it. For starters, the main character, Elise, is relatable, actually uses her brain, and is lowkey pretty charismatic? But at the same time, she has her own awkward moments that show she's painfully human. It's the same thing for Sienna, the female lead! She's presented as this awfully fancy and powerful woman, but she develops a crush on the main character and it's so goddamn cute, holy shit! Like, Sienna goes from being perfect to being a typical school girl who tries to interact with the one she likes. But at the same time, there's this nagging feeling telling her that their love would be forbidden because of social classes and shit. Then again, if they were of the same social class, Sienna probably wouldn't have taken as much of an interest in Elise. And then, in chapter-fucking-twenty, it's revealed that Elise has been playing Sienna this whole time? Because she was isekai'd into her favorite novel, her first thought was to wreck chaos with her favorite characters. So she utilized her knowledge of Sienna and intentionally made her fall in love with her, all for some funsies! But plot plot twist, Elise has also fallen in love! But that's only one pair in this whole book, there are a bunch of different side characters who all have their own Iives and stories and I just love these characters and this book so fucking much." 

After ranting your lungs out, you pant heavily, wiping the sweat off your face. It sure did feel good to rant about your interests. Jessica, your close friend back at Earth, always fell victim to your ranting. It's like you were a ticking bomb that could explode with a whole verbal essay at any second. 

But now that the excitement wore off, you finally realized that instead of ranting to a friend, you ranted to a total-fucking-stranger. One that you met five-fucking-minutes ago. Shit. You probably let your guard down because she looks like she's around your age, and you're kinda desperate for friends in this world where you guys could have a conversation about a piece of literal shit and still have fun. A wave of heat punches you in the face as you slowly lock eyes with the unknown girl, expecting her to be looking at you with an look of pure confusion or disgust. 

Instead of that, you're shocked to find her staring at you with an expression of pure awe mixed with adoration. Her eyes sparkle at a speed you didn't know was possible, mouth drawn slightly open while her cheeks flush with happiness. You sweat at the odd sight, opening your mouth to clear things up.

        "Okay, um, sorry for just vomiting a whole essay on Her Ladyship right then and there. I know you're probably as much of a fan as I am, but to rant my ass off to a stranger, that's just weird of me. Sorry." You rub your neck. Ugh, you felt so embarrassed right now. 

        "N-no! I-I'm...!" she sends you a smile of pure unfiltered joy. "Listening to you rant made me extremely happy! I'm so glad you feel that way about my book!"

Funnily enough, you were the one who gave her look of utter puzzlement. Wait, she actually liked listening to you rant?

And then, you realized what she said.

        "Hold up. Wait a minute. Did you say... your book?"

On instinct, her eyes widen, like a child caught staring at a graffiti'd wall with a spray paint can in hand. 

        "I, um," the girl's already red cheeks managed to turn an even darker shade. She immediately breaks eye contact, looking like she was going to burst into tears from embarrassment any second. "I, well, no! I..." she stammered, obviously on the verge of having a panic attack. You quickly step in. 

        "W-wait, h-hold on, it's alright! You—you can calm down. Just take in some deep breaths and talk to me when you're ready. Don't force yourself to speak if you can't." 

She gives you a grateful look before breaking eye contact once more.

In. Out. In. Out. You examined how with each breath, her body got increasingly more steady, no longer shaking like crazy. Finally, she shyly looks up at you. 

        "Thank you.... S-sorry, I, I get like that sometimes. M-my brain is just... overflood with thoughts and emotions, and it takes a little bit to calm myself down." 

        "Naw, don't worry about it. I can't speak properly 90% of the time. There's... nothing wrong with having to take a breather to calm yourself down." You pause. "Sooo, um, are you the author of this book? Are you D.P.?"

The light glistens in her eyes. 

        "....Y-yes, I am."

Your mouth drops. 

        "Okay, if you're saying the truth, that's crazy! I'm basically meeting a famous celebrity right now. Well, a Candy Land celebrity, but it still counts! Another flex to add onto my list." 

        "C-celebrity? I'm, I'm no celebrity." She stammers out, waving her hands around. "Writing w-was just a hobby of mine, and I... I never thought my books would become popular. It's a miracle that I even have readers." 

        "Dude, are you kidding? Okay, I haven't read your other books, and the titles are... weirdly long, but I bet they're really good as well! Heck, I'll probably give them a try after I finish Her Ladyship. How to describe your writing?" you tap your chin." Oh, I know! It's as if... you're breathing life into the words, into the world itself. I can actually feel the emotions of the characters, what they say, experience, etc, etc. I really like how the first few chapters started off as comical, but the later ones are more serious-toned! It's a refreshing change." 

Her lips curve up in an endearing but shy smile. 

        "T-thank you so much! Umm, can I ask for your name?" 

        "It's [Name]. What about yours? Btw, what does D.P. stand for? Dark pink? Dipper Pines? Delicious potato?" She laughs at your weird guesses.

        "Um, it's... Dove Pham. D.P. stands for Dove Pham, my full name. I, I wanted to come up with a cool or catchy pen name, but I couldn't think of one in the end. My friend was actually the one who suggested that I use my initials... so I-I used that instead!"

You nod. 

        "Hmmm, 'ight, I see. Honestly, it's a good idea to use a pen name, even if it's just your initials. Fame comes with a price, and often times, that price is delusional stalker fans." You pause. "Uhhh, wait, so why exactly were you staring at me? Was it because I was reading your book? But like, there's a bazillion people here reading it. Wait!" you recall seeing a girl sitting here before you. "You're the girl I saw from earlier! I guess it was just a coincidence that I sat next to you..."

        "O-oh, umm, yes. But, t-there's also something else!" Dove's eyes shift to the dark blue library carpet. "I... I knew who you were the moment you sat next to me." You stare at her.

        "...What?" 

        "S-sorry, that sounds weird! Let—let me rephrase." She takes in a deep breath. "My friend... she told me about you! You're..." she quickly looks around, as if checking to make sure no one's listening in. After verifying that no one is, Dove makes eye contact with you again. 

        "...You're human, aren't you, [Name]?"   

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