Three bullets tore through the air. Speedrunner ducked just in time, hitting the floor hard.
The door creaked open behind him.
Damn that guy… does he really need a gun? Speedrunner thought.
He turned to see who it was—Sugimoto. Her leg landed square on his back.
"Continue playing dead, and you'll be dead for real," she warned coldly.
Damn… what do I do? Speedrunner panicked internally. If someone sees us like this, I'll be called a stalker. No—worse. A rapist. No—he gulped—a PDF!
To make matters worse, she had a gun pointed at his head.
Some motel guests stirred awake. One muttered, "Hey, did you hear something next door?"
Sugimoto quickly hid her gun under her nightdress and turned to the curious neighbors. "Yeah, that's why I came out."
More people gathered. Someone asked, "Who was that man in front of you?"
"Maybe a homeless guy," Sugimoto replied, brushing it off.
She doesn't know it's me, Speedrunner realized. He seized the chance and ran. After a few steps, something darted past him—he tripped and fell.
He scrambled up and yanked open a random door. Inside, standing half-naked with a bull nose ring and pulling on a shirt, was Nanami.
Nanami froze. "What are you looking at?!"
"It's me, Speedrunner!" he blurted.
Nanami blinked. "My brother from another mother!"
Speedrunner groaned. "I would hang myself."
"You already lost in life anyway," Nanami smirked.
"Speak for yourself. You talk like you've got dignity," Speedrunner fired back.
"I don't have time to fight," Nanami said, heading for the door. "My girlfriend's running away. If it's important, wait here."
Nanami disappeared, leaving Speedrunner breathing heavily.
I need to calm down. I'm only here because of that phone… He collapsed onto the couch and passed out.
Flashback: Earlier that day…
Speedrunner was walking beside Nanami and three girls. He tried to stay cool.
One of the girls turned to him. "Wow, you're the first I've met with the name 'Yoru.'"
"That's not my name," Speedrunner replied, flustered.
"Oh," she blinked. "Then why do they call you that?"
"Just easier to say," he mumbled.
I can't fumble this. I only need to talk to one, Speedrunner thought.
"So, what's your real name?" she asked.
"Ladies first," he said.
What kind of line was that?! I should've said something smooth like, 'You know my surname, so you tell me yours'—and then she'd say, 'Yes, Daddy!'
She smiled. "My name's Akira. Akira Mae. My dad's Filipino, so Mae's my surname."
"Sounds like a gender blend," Speedrunner blurted out. Ancestor, forgive me.
Akira squinted. "Gender blend?"
Why did I say that?! "It's when two things mix… badly." His explanation flopped.
"Never mind. My name's Ichigo," he said, holding out his hand.
Why did I lie?! That's just some manga name! 'Speedrunner' sounds cringey. Ancestors, please take back your jewels…
Akira chuckled. "Your name does sound like a gender blend."
He lowered his hand. I want to hang myself…
"I know you're lying," she said sweetly. "Boys are cute when they tell the truth."
Speedrunner gave in. "Fine, the truth is—"
"I would've said you're an exception to that rule," Akira smirked and walked off giggling.
She wore a blue mini dress, boyfriend jeans, and big hoop earrings—brown-skinned, pale-eyed, and impossible to ignore.
Later, Nanami returned. "Ah, you're awake."
Speedrunner yawned. "Weren't you going to wake me?"
"I've got a phone to fix for you?" Nanami asked.
Speedrunner handed it over. "It's not that old."
"Give me a minute. Want something? Water?"
"Fine by me," Speedrunner said, stretching. He drifted back to sleep.
Another Flashback...
Speedrunner was giving Akira a piggyback ride.
"You know you're pretty heavy," he grunted.
"Duh, I'm a woman. I've got assets," she teased.
"Who told you that lie?"
She giggled and punched his back. "What makes you think I'm heavy?"
"Your bones are made of gold. You're hiding treasure for the future."
She blushed. "Well, I don't think you'll find this treasure, Mr. Charming."
"Oh, I'll make sure to lay you down and study it."
"You pervert!" she laughed, tears in her eyes. "You're gonna make me fall!"
They both laughed.
"You don't know me," she teased. "I'll call for help!"
Suddenly, a sharp image cut through his mind: Akira on a bed, crying.
"You monster."
Would you like me to prepare a polished upload-ready version for Webnovel now?
Three bullets tore through the air. Speedrunner ducked just in time, hitting the floor hard.
The door creaked open behind him.
Damn that guy… does he really need a gun? Speedrunner thought.
He turned to see who it was—Sugimoto. Her leg landed square on his back.
"Continue playing dead, and you'll be dead for real," she warned coldly.
Damn… what do I do? Speedrunner panicked internally. If someone sees us like this, I'll be called a stalker. No—worse. A rapist. No—he gulped—a PDF!
To make matters worse, she had a gun pointed at his head.
Some motel guests stirred awake. One muttered, "Hey, did you hear something next door?"
Sugimoto quickly hid her gun under her nightdress and turned to the curious neighbors. "Yeah, that's why I came out."
More people gathered. Someone asked, "Who was that man in front of you?"
"Maybe a homeless guy," Sugimoto replied, brushing it off.
She doesn't know it's me, Speedrunner realized. He seized the chance and ran. After a few steps, something darted past him—he tripped and fell.
He scrambled up and yanked open a random door. Inside, standing half-naked with a bull nose ring and pulling on a shirt, was Nanami.
Nanami froze. "What are you looking at?!"
"It's me, Speedrunner!" he blurted.
Nanami blinked. "My brother from another mother!"
Speedrunner groaned. "I would hang myself."
"You already lost in life anyway," Nanami smirked.
"Speak for yourself. You talk like you've got dignity," Speedrunner fired back.
"I don't have time to fight," Nanami said, heading for the door. "My girlfriend's running away. If it's important, wait here."
Nanami disappeared, leaving Speedrunner breathing heavily.
I need to calm down. I'm only here because of that phone… He collapsed onto the couch and passed out.
Flashback: Earlier that day…
Speedrunner was walking beside Nanami and three girls. He tried to stay cool.
One of the girls turned to him. "Wow, you're the first I've met with the name 'Yoru.'"
"That's not my name," Speedrunner replied, flustered.
"Oh," she blinked. "Then why do they call you that?"
"Just easier to say," he mumbled.
I can't fumble this. I only need to talk to one, Speedrunner thought.
"So, what's your real name?" she asked.
"Ladies first," he said.
What kind of line was that?! I should've said something smooth like, 'You know my surname, so you tell me yours'—and then she'd say, 'Yes, Daddy!'
She smiled. "My name's Akira. Akira Mae. My dad's Filipino, so Mae's my surname."
"Sounds like a gender blend," Speedrunner blurted out. Ancestor, forgive me.
Akira squinted. "Gender blend?"
Why did I say that?! "It's when two things mix… badly." His explanation flopped.
"Never mind. My name's Ichigo," he said, holding out his hand.
Why did I lie?! That's just some manga name! 'Speedrunner' sounds cringey. Ancestors, please take back your jewels…
Akira chuckled. "Your name does sound like a gender blend."
He lowered his hand. I want to hang myself…
"I know you're lying," she said sweetly. "Boys are cute when they tell the truth."
Speedrunner gave in. "Fine, the truth is—"
"I would've said you're an exception to that rule," Akira smirked and walked off giggling.
She wore a blue mini dress, boyfriend jeans, and big hoop earrings—brown-skinned, pale-eyed, and impossible to ignore.
Later, Nanami returned. "Ah, you're awake."
Speedrunner yawned. "Weren't you going to wake me?"
"I've got a phone to fix for you?" Nanami asked.
Speedrunner handed it over. "It's not that old."
"Give me a minute. Want something? Water?"
"Fine by me," Speedrunner said, stretching. He drifted back to sleep.
Another Flashback...
Speedrunner was giving Akira a piggyback ride.
"You know you're pretty heavy," he grunted.
"Duh, I'm a woman. I've got assets," she teased.
"Who told you that lie?"
She giggled and punched his back. "What makes you think I'm heavy?"
"Your bones are made of gold. You're hiding treasure for the future."
She blushed. "Well, I don't think you'll find this treasure, Mr. Charming."
"Oh, I'll make sure to lay you down and study it."
"You pervert!" she laughed, tears in her eyes. "You're gonna make me fall!"
They both laughed.
"You don't know me," she teased. "I'll call for help!"
Suddenly, a sharp image cut through his mind: Akira on a bed, crying.
"You monster."