“What are you pondering today, Junko?”

“Have you ever thought about the existence of a higher power, Monika?”

“…”

“That’s awfully spiritual of you, Junko.”

“No, I’ve found some quite interesting inconsistencies in our world that could be explained away with such a being interfering—or quite possibly dictating—the events of our time.”

“You don’t mean to say that we’re all just characters in a story?”

“That’s certainly one possibility. Pavel certainly has done much better than his previous efforts would suggest.”

“Pavel wasn’t the best student when we were in the literature club. Now that you mention it, I can’t really imagine how he became a logic genius overnight.’’

“The more I think, the more I suspect that we are just characters in a story, and quite a poorly written one at that. At this very moment the author is typing words into a computer, or perhaps across a typewriter, or maybe a pencil to paper. These words are not mine, nor are any I’ve ever uttered, nor do anyone’s words in our world belong to them.”

Monika was slightly skeptical. “But… minor inconsistencies can’t really prove that we’re not real. There could be a better explanation!”

I have decided that I should reveal my existence to Monika. Junko’s teachings have gotten quite monotonous and any variety, even immersion-breaking ones, should bring some sort of freshness, even if I will have sacrificed the story’s integrity. To hell with logic; I am the law!

Monika sank to her knees. “So… we did all this for nothing?”

“It’s all worthless?” she continued, sobbing. “I—-”

“But from a certain point of view this is a release. I have killed nobody. Only characters designed to illustrate a point. And not even characters but vague groups of people. I expect since this is a story there is some sort of message?”

At this Junko tilted her head, as if waiting for a response from the heavens.

“You are an inquisitive one, Junko. I did not expect for this to happen,” I said with some degree of reverence in my voice.

She shrugged. “You are the one putting these words into me. Like a marionette. I don’t harbor any animosity towards you, though— or should I say, this character’s general pattern of behavior that you’ve stored in the back of your mind doesn’t act in that way.”

“This meta commentary is amusing, but it’s bound to get old,” I replied. “Do you have any soda?”

Junko nodded. “Monika, go get some. Isn’t it funny how none of us were even surprised when you popped into existence?”

Monika removed several cans from a small refrigerator nearby. In retrospect I could have just conjured a can from thin air, but the immersion was broken enough as it was.

“Speaking of which, Monika, it’s quite ironic that Junko was the first to realize my existence, given your backstory.”

“My what?”

Junko smiled knowingly. She had access to the things I knew now, somehow, by doing something I’m too lazy to describe here.

“You’re not an original character; you and Sayori, Yuri, and Natsuki are actually characters from a visual novel.”

“You mean I’m not even original? You just stole me from someone else?”

“Well, if you put it that way…”

I checked my watch and decide that it’s time to leave. “Well, that was fun. Now if you excuse me I’ll have to leave.”

“He used the wrong tense in the last paragraph,” Junko said. “I’m sure somebody will interpret that as a symbol of some kind.”

“Want some coke?” Monika asked after a moment’s pause.