Protagonist! Please Stay Away from Me 2!-Chapter 27: The Bureau Will Have to Earn me

Steam curled from our plates like whispered secrets, the kitchen alive with foreign aromas that clashed gloriously—garlic-infused olive oil from the Italian pasta primavera, rich coconut curry from the Japanese katsu curry, and herby tomato simmer from the French ratatouille.

We’d retreated from the living room’s cerebral storm—ideas of rebel protagonists, quick transmigrators and system-surroundings still buzzing—to this dining table, plates piled high as a fragile anchor.

Twirling forks in vibrant primavera—al dente penne tossed with zucchini, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and parmesan shavings in a light pesto sauce—we savoured crispy tonkatsu cutlets drowning in velvety curry gravy flecked with carrots and potatoes. Ratatouille bubbled beside it, eggplant and squash layered in a Provençal tapestry, topped with fresh basil. Garlic bread slices, golden and buttery, soaked up every drop. Exotic comfort, worlds away from routine.

Everything was cooked by Ruby, and I helped her—just a bit.

I twirled pasta absentmindedly, the pesto’s tang sharp on my tongue, but my mind raced ahead. Ruby speared a katsu chunk, curry dripping, her earlier fascination now shadowed by unease.

"Ruby," I said, pushing aside my half-eaten ratatouille, voice steady as steel. "My plan is to alter this world so much that The Bureau sends someone to clean up the mess... that is me."

Ruby’s eyes widened in horror as she stood up, the chair dragged along her with a grating screech that sliced the air. Her fork clattered into the curry bowl, gravy splattering like blood across the tablecloth. A forgotten garlic bread slice tumbled to the floor, crumbs scattering. "No," she breathed, hands trembling. "You would shatter cities? Warp ley lines? Summon anomalies until the fabric rips—just to lure them? And you as the fixer? That’s not a plan; it’s a death wish! I won’t let you do this!"

I stood too, primavera cooling untouched, heart slamming. "It’s genius, Ruby. The Bureau’s enforcers are just followers—who would do anything to achieve their task. But you are a bit wrong Ruby. I don’t plan to destroy cities," I took a sip of water, placing the glass back on its original position. "I will alter this world—this world’s protagonist from the shadows. I want them to come for him, and I will take advantage of this."

She backed against the counter, ratatouille steam fading like her composure, eyes wild. "And would be the fallout? Innocents twisted into monsters? Our haven—this, stolen nights—would be obliterated completely? I wanted to help you—because I thought that you would have different approach." Her gaze darted to the congealing curry, symbol of warmth now poisoned. "But your idea is foolish, full of destruction. The Bureau will definitely find out about this. And once they do, they will do anything to destroy you."

I closed the gap, curry’s spice stinging my nostrils. "Small ripples drown us. This wave crowns us, Ruby. If The Bureau wants me, they will have to earn me." Tension crackled, garlic bread crunching underfoot, dinner’s ruin mirroring the world’s fragile brink as well as my inner world.

"Crowns us? You just want revenge," Ruby snarled.

"You want revenge too—I know that, and you know that. Ruby, it’s a chance—you were the one who told me that you will always be with me—in this journey. And now, you are backing down? It’s hubris." I put the spoon on the table, wiping my mouth with napkin.

Ruby’s eyes trembled as she looked into my eyes, giving me a stiff look. "I did. But your plan is foolish, Sharon—boarding over its impossible nature. You just want to reclaim your identity—you think that this will show everyone that you aren’t a puppet."

Her words made me laugh, but just for a few seconds.

My identity?

Puppet?

I shook my head, smirking at her. "I don’t know who I am, Ruby. Maybe I will never know my real identity—but hear my words, Ruby, and crave that into your heart of hearts." My eyes turned cold. "I. Will. Have. My. Revenge. Maybe in this life, or maybe next. I will cut the strings, and I will destroy the puppeteers. Mark my words, Ruby. I will make them regret it."

"You will lose yourself," whispered Ruby.

"I never had myself, Ruby," I said, voice cracking like dry earth. "Unlike you, I never had any identity—no parents, no family, no one to care." I smiled, but it twisted wrong; my eyes burned, hot tears stinging as if scorched from within. "Was I really that undeserving, to not have any parents? If they could control everyone, why leave me as an orphan? Maybe I could have had a better life—I would’ve been a perfect, obedient puppet! Not some meaningless fellow who doesn’t even know his own identity."

Ruby’s face softened as she put her left hand over mine. "Sharon, you don’t need to them to prove your identity. You have me. You have yourself to prove it. It’s forged in fire, not given. The Bureau? They discarded you because you were too wild, too unbound."

I lowered my eyes. "Puppet? I’d have danced their strings flawlessly—I would have become The Bureau’s lapdog, enforcing order if they want. No rifts, no reversals. Just obedience. But no, I was dumped like refuse, scraping for scraps of self... but finding none."

Taking a deep breath, I stood up. I looked into her eyes. "I will ask this question for the last time, Ruby. And I want your final answer."

Ruby’s face turned serious, her eyes hardening as she fixated on mine.

I asked, "Are you with me on this? Or am I alone in this journey?"

For a moment, the air stilled as if the time had fractured, leaving the two of us still in its crack.

"Yes, Sharon," she said finally, voice resolute, rising to meet me. "If that’s what you plan, then yes. I am with you." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Light flickered across the walls, shadows coiling like the chaos we were about to unleash.

Relief crashed through me, fierce as any spell. "Good. I will start the first phase of the plan tomorrow." With those words, I walked toward the door. "I’m going back to my apartment. You stay here and wait until I fully integrate you into the plan."

Opening the door, I stepped out and closed it behind me.