DEUTERAGONIST

Chapter 4: The Strange Book

Since the book is damaged, you can keep it as a reminder of the trouble that you have caused. It's yours now." I couldn't believe my luck. I sighed with relief. But then she added, “How about giving us some money for the inconvenience?". At first, I hesitated because I didn't have much money, but I also didn't want any trouble. I took a deep breath and agreed, "Okay, I understand. Let me give you what I have.” I reached into my backpack and handed them the small amount of money I had saved for my school lunch. The girls smirked as they took the money. "Good choice, sweetie," the girl said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Now, make sure to watch where you're going next time." Feeling humiliated but eager to avoid further confrontation, I walked away, my heart heavy with the unfairness of the situation.

When I arrived home, I couldn't hold back my tears any longer while feeling defeated. I locked myself in my bedroom and couldn't hold back the tears any longer. My reflection in the mirror showed a young girl with teary eyes and a broken spirit. I couldn't help but wish I looked like the popular girls in school, believing that if I were more beautiful and skinnier, people would treat me differently. I whispered to myself, "I wish I was beautiful. Maybe then, they wouldn't be so cruel." I think my mother, who had been dealing with her own share of hardships, noticed a change in my demeanor. She knocked on my bedroom door and softly called out, "Layla, is everything okay, sweetheart?" I quickly wiped away my tears, not wanting to burden my mother with my own problems. I replied with a forced smile, "I'm fine, Mom. Just tired from school." My mother, though concerned, trusted me and decided not to push me further. "Alright, sweetheart. Remember, I'm here if you ever want to talk." To ease the pain, I opened the drawer and began to indulge in my favorite snacks. It was a collection of chips and other sweet treats except for chocolates. Whenever life became too overwhelming, I would retreat to my room and turn to these snacks as my source of comfort. The sweet and salty flavors offered me a temporary escape from my stress and worries. As the night wore on, I continued to eat, my emotions driving me to consume more than I intended. I knew that this binge-eating was neither healthy nor a long-term solution to my problems, but at that moment, it provided me with a sense of solace.

While eating, I remembered something. I unzipped my bag and carefully retrieved something. With the box of cookies in my hand, I couldn't contain my excitement. I hurriedly opened it, revealing a batch of beautifully decorated cookies that looked almost too good to eat. The sweet aroma wafted through the air, making my mouth water. However, I knew I couldn't indulge in the delicious treats. I had a severe chocolate allergy that prevented me from enjoying most baked goods. As much as I longed to taste Alex’s cookies, I should value my health more. Instead of eating the cookies, I decided to find a special way to display them in my room. I carefully arranged them on a decorative plate and placed them on my desk, where I could see them every day while writing on my tablet. I couldn’t help but smile while staring at the cookies.

Wait a second, instead of dwelling on my inability to indulge in cookies, I should channel my passion into my webtoon. With enthusiasm, I started sketching and writing the scene. Stella and Xander’s love story had always been a central theme in my webtoon, and this sweet moment would add a new layer of depth to their relationship. In the story, as Stella and Xander strolled through a picturesque park, Xander suddenly stopped and smiled at Stella. "I have a surprise for you," he said, handing her a beautifully wrapped box. Stella’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she opened the box to reveal a batch of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Her face lit up with delight, and she hugged Xander tightly, feeling grateful for his thoughtful gesture. As I continued to craft the scene, I couldn't help but feel a warm sense of happiness myself. The idea of sharing my love for chocolate chip cookies through Stella and Xander’s story brought a genuine smile to my face. Once I finished the episode and published it, I received an outpouring of positive feedback from my readers. They loved the sweet and heartwarming moment between Stella and Xander and many shared their own stories of enjoying chocolate chip cookies with loved ones.

I sat on my window seat and gazed out at the world beyond. My thoughts drifted to Alex, and a soft sigh escaped my lips. "What if, someday," I wondered aloud, "Alex might confess his feelings for me too? What if we could create our own sweet love story?" As I imagined those romantic scenarios, a shadow of doubt crept into my mind. I couldn't help but think, "But how could someone like me ever capture the heart of someone as kind and handsome as Xander? I'm not beautiful like the girls he's definitely noticed before." I couldn't help but wish I could be as beautiful and popular as Stella. A gentle breeze rustled the curtains, bringing with it the scent of blooming flowers from the garden below. I continued to ponder my thoughts; my heart heavy with insecurity. But then, something extraordinary happened. A radiant smile spread across my face as I realized something profound. It doesn’t matter, seeing him every day is more than enough.

I turned to my bag; it was open, revealing the book from the girls a while ago. I knew for certain that I hadn't published any physical copies of my webtoon. So, how did this book come into existence? Determined to unravel the mystery, my heart raced as I approached the book. Could there be an explanation hiding within? With trembling hands, I picked it up and examined it closely. The cover bore the title "Queen of the Silver Monarch" in elegant, swirling letters. Baffled and intrigued, I flipped open the book. To my astonishment, the pages were filled with my webtoon's art and dialogue. Every panel, every character, every intricate detail—everything was as I had drawn it in my digital comics. I couldn't believe my eyes. How could a hard copy of my webtoon exist when I hadn't published one? It was a mystery that left me both puzzled and fascinated. I carefully traced her fingers over the pages, marveling at the quality of the printing and the vividness of my illustrations. It was as if my webtoon had come to life in the form of a beautifully bound book. But wait, I was expecting to find this book in even worse condition. However, to my surprise, the book felt perfectly fine. There were no scratches, no tears, and no signs of damage. It was as if it had been magically restored. My heart raced with more confusion and excitement. Once again, I examined it from cover to cover, but there was no explanation for its sudden restoration. It was like a miracle. With trembling hands, I opened the book to a random page, but what I found inside left me utterly speechless. The pages at the end were filled with drawings and the words were unmistakably the same as the stories of the most recent episode that I had just written on my tablet. I blinked in disbelief, convinced that I was dreaming. How could my tablet's stories appear in the book as if by magic? I closed the book and tried to make sense of the inexplicable phenomenon. Could it be a coincidence? A trick of the mind? Or was there something truly magical about the book?