World After Worlds

"I'm not the first option but I'm not disposed as well?!" Gale uttered, she was dumbfounded, voicing the fact that she was not Spencer's priority.

She gaped at Hansel, Yanarym- she knew Yanarym since they were young. And she knew that no matter how Hansel do good things with Yanarym, Yanarym will choose Spencer. Because she is a very faithful person. She never loved Spencer but was able to stay with him for the past three years for one reason. Yanarym was a fan of fairy tale love stories despite not believing in love- she values the concept of it, respect and devotion, she cherishes Spencer although there was no love in her heart for him. And the only thing that Spencer had an advantage over Hansel- Spencer found Yanarym first.

"You shouldn't let him do that to you. No one deserves to become an option." Hansel said, Gale looked at him… he said that, but he's the second option as well.

"I know."

"Why did he tell you that? Why did he tell you that he hates you? You were fine, didn't you have a date yesterday?- was it because of yesterday? Yanarym found out?" Gale had a pause, why? Why did Spencer blurted that? The yesterday incident didn't cause it. And it was not Yanarym's doing, Yanarym wasn't even there…

Wait, that's right, it's because she told Spencer that Yanarym was replaced by her. That was the reason…

"No, Yanarym was not- she caused this but she didn't tell Spencer- I don't know, Yanarym is missing. She was not there in their bedroom and Spencer suddenly acted all crazy and he blurted the truth."

"I think Spencer was only confused, Gale." Hansel said, Gale looked at him with hopeful eyes, this was the reason why she came to Hansel… Hansel could make impossible- possible. And since they were stuck on the same page, she knew Hansel would help her. After all, if he won over Yanarym, Gale could have won over Spencer.

"What?" She uttered, "Explain it to me."

"Yanarym is like Spencer's precious treasure. But I know for a fact that Spencer genuinely likes you- he was just confused because she was not there, Yanarym was not around. Spencer is used to Yanarym being dependent on him all of the time." Gale understands, it might be a possibility.

Spencer was flabbergasted with Yanarym gone in his radar. Worst of all, Yanarym heard him cheating on her. Gale knew that for Yanarym- that was the greatest form of betrayal. Her best friend and boyfriend got screwed…

Is she the bad guy? What's wrong with being desperate to have an easy life? Gale ignored her thoughts and looked at Hansel with conviction.

"He told me he hates me." She said, "He said it outloud. Isn't that the truth? What if your assumption is nothing but a speculation?"

"It's up to you, I'm just giving you the pointers." Hansel muttered, "Because he wanted to blame someone- we know that Spencer is a selfish man. He's thinking highly of himself. He couldn't afford to blame himself for losing Yanarym that's why he blames you."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Spencer likes you, he was just caught up in the moment and directed his flaws at you. Because think of it Gale, if Spencer is not into you. If Spencer didn't like you- why would he pursue you? Right?" That was what Gale was thinking- she kept overthinking about it- And Hansel had solidified her thought.

"I thought so too…"

"Right? Why would he keep on spending effort on you? If he really was aiming to get you out of their lives, he could simply tell Rym to avoid you, but no, he wanted to have an affair with you." Hansel explained but in reality, the reason why Spencer was so eager to seduce Gale was to eliminate her from their lives, Yanarym and Spencer's life... and the fact that Yanarym would definitely not listen to Spencer if he asked or demanded Yanarym for ending her relationship with Gale.

Like what Hansel mentioned before, Gale was supposed to be the one to hate Yanarym for their bonds to break apart.

And Hansel, he was right, because when he talked with Yanarym early this day, he asked if she was mad at Gale for stealing her boyfriend but Yanarym said no. That she understands why Gale had fallen in love with Spencer and why Gale lied and betrayed her. She understands, and she was willing to forgive.

"But… but he told me, he would never break up with Yanarym." Gale followed-up. Hansel shook his head and smiled at her.

"I just told you, he's just guilty, that's why he said that. He's guilty because Rym ran away upon hearing your sexual activity." Gale believed Hansel, everything Hansel said was correct.

Gale clenched her fist,  "W-what should I do? Should I talk to him?"

"You should, because if he was telling the truth, you should clarify everything. You should have asked every question you had in mind." Gale nodded her head vigorously- she had to talk to Spencer but she wasn't certain how to approach him, they didn't have any serious conversation

"You're right, thank you Hansel." Gale began to amble to the door. Hansel watched her walk out but suddenly realized that he should monitor the situation on Spencer's side, and Gale is a good spy to use.

"Gale, I have a favor," he said and Gale stopped rolling the doorknob open.

"Yes? Whatever it is, Hansel?"

"If you ever found Yanarym or any updates about her, tell me. Spencer is still probably angry with me because of what happened yesterday."

"Okay, I'll do that."

Yanarym was laying on the bathtub, she was holding a book and listening to instrumental rock music. Although her eyes were fixated on the page, she couldn't understand the paragraph she's been reading for how many times already. She couldn't understand not because the sentences were hard to discern but because her mind was not focused on the book.

Guide-sama: "Yanarym, it is confirmed, it is the male lead, Hansel- that is the task pertaining about."

"Oh… yeah."

Guide-sama: "You are not surprised?"

"Surprised? Guide-sama, I am targeting Hansel, aren't I?"

Guide-sama: "So, is the original aware that she is a novel character?" Yanarym laughed and closed the book she's holding. She put it on the side and submerged herself in the water.

"Aren't you supposed to know that?"

Guide-sama: "I told you, I don't know everything."

"I'm glad you are not a human, you can't survive if you don't know anything, Guide-sama."

Guide-sama: "I'm with you, and you know everything."

"I know things, but not everything."

Guide-sama: "For me, you know everything."

"You flattered me, anyway, did Spencer file a missing person at the police station already?"

Guide-sama: "He did- I have a question."

"Shoot."

Guide-sama: "How did you know that it is Hansel? We weren't sure if it was Spencer or Hansel or any man with male lead qualities before, right?"

"Hmm," Yanarym rose up, gasping for air. "Remember that time on the cruise, where I almost died?"

Guide-sama: "Yes, you were bored."

"Well, I know that by then, Spencer was already aware of his love for the original or for me."

Guide-sama: "I understand, because Spencer is in love and the system didn't notify us that the task is completed, it means, Spencer is not the male lead the original pertaining to."

"Bingo."

Guide-sama: "But how do you know it's Hansel?"

"Because of Gale."

Guide-sama: "How?"

"In the plot, Gale might be having a hard time at the beginning, but Hansel came and made her life easy. Gale is the protagonist, for the original, Gale is the female lead. She didn't know she's in the book. But in reality, for the original, Gale is the princess."

Guide-sama: "... Can you explain that?"

"Back in my first life, I'm a book-nerd, right?"

Guide-sama: "Yes, you are."

"My friends and I, back when we were college, we were always at the mall, on the food court where many people were going around."

Guide-sama: "That doesn't explain your point." Yanarym smiled.

"I have this schoolmate, she was popular and pretty, she had this popular suitor too. Their love story was like a fairytale and everyone admired them. My friends saw that popular girl with her suitor in the ice cream stall, they were sweet."

Guide-sama: "..."

"One of my friends suddenly blurted out that she was so done being an extra. That it feels like a movie and she was in the background, while those two famous people were the leads."

Guide-sama: "..."

"On that table, maybe we feel miserable for ourselves, and we envied those who seemed to have a better life than us- we all had the same thoughts, we are extras, the minor character, the background."

Guide-sama: "..."

"Do you get it?"

Guide-sama: "No." Yanarym laughed, she looked at the ceiling and smiled. "I do not understand Yanarym."