Chapter 176. The Angel of Death’s Real Name (1/5)

It was another average day in the museum. It was now Wednesday, Two days after my first encounter with Ms. Angel of Death inside this small museum. Yesterday, she’d come to pester me again, but it seems she was busy today and didn’t have the time to do so, which I was thankful for.

However, though she didn’t visit me today, I was rather uncomfortable at the moment. As for why…

“Haaaaaaaah.”

Yes, it was that. It was the constant sighs I kept hearing off to my right. A university student was seated on the couch around the corner with their back to the side of the Tyrannosaurus exhibit.

It was a rare occurrence that someone else would visit this place and stay an extended period of time. There was an occasional visitor who might pass by for a few minutes, but they’d typically leave shortly after arriving so it typically didn’t bother me too much. Nobody ever actually stuck around here. Students were too busy with their lectures and studies to spend time in an out-of-the-way place like this. It was at the very edge of the campus after all.

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.”

They would occasionally let out an even more annoying and long sigh. It had really gotten on my nerves. It was like they wanted someone to ask what their problem was.

I’d done my best to ignore them and pray they would leave on their own and never return again, but it felt like that hope was fading away into obscurity the longer they stayed.

“Haaaaaah.”

Enough! You’re driving me crazy! I can’t focus on my writing damn it! You want me to take a hint and ask? Why don’t you take the hint and get out of here!

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.”

“Can you shut up with your incessant sighing? What the hell is your problem?”

“Oh, sorry. Was I bothering you? I didn’t mean to.” I didn’t look at them, but I could tell the university student had turned to look at me when they apologized.

“You didn’t mean to? Like hell you didn’t. With how long your sighs are, I was convinced you wanted the whole world to ask what your problem was.”

“Well, you see-”

“I didn’t ask, don’t go off on your own and start telling me about your problems. I don’t give a shit about them. Can you please just leave this place and never return again in the future?”

“Who do you think you are? This is an area open to the public. Anyone can come and go here as they please.”

“Sure, if you’re quiet maybe. But you’re obviously here to just sigh all day when someone is trying to focus on their work.”

“Well, I can’t help it. I saw my Goddess come in here yesterday and I wanted to get an autograph but I don’t want to bother her when she’s trying to enjoy a peaceful time at university. I thought if I met her here by coincidence and we started to talk I might be able to ask her for an autograph.”

“What the hell? You came here to flirt with a girl and get her autograph? Please leave and never come back here again.”

“No way. Not until I talk to her and get her autograph.”

“Tch. Just who is this girl you want an autograph from so badly?” Of course, I could put two and two together, but I still had to play dumb like I didn’t know.

“Huh? You don’t know who I’m talking about? What other Goddess could I possibly be talking about aside from Angela? Out of nowhere, she announced she was taking a break. Then she coincidentally started attending this university. I was completely shocked when I saw her enter here yesterday, it must have been fate.”

“Angela? Who the hell is Angela?”

“Angela Divara, the famous singer, don’t play dumb. Anyone who’s anyone has heard of her before.”

“Angela… Divara?” Was that her real name? So it had Angel in it after all. Was that why I came up with the name Angel of Death back then? I suppose it was. 

Ah! That had to be it, AD. Yes, it was all coming back to me now. I’d used Angel of Death in the story I wrote specifically for AD, Angela Divara. Ah… Ange Delamort… what the hell? She did the exact same thing with the whole AD thing.

I felt embarrassed as hell when I came to that realization. We were both pretty simple-minded.

“Playing dumb. There’s no way you don’t know her.”

“Sorry, I really don’t know her. Is she that big of a deal?” Of course she was, I knew that without asking.

“Aren’t you here today for the exact same reason I am? Because you saw her come in here yesterday and also planned to get her autograph?”

“No, I was in here yesterday. I don’t remember such a flashy person coming in here. Though… I was quite busy and focused on my work. Someone may have passed by without me noticing.”

“What! Someone so big passed by and you didn’t even acknowledge or greet them? Are you an idiot?”

“Look, I’m often in this museum working, how about I cut a deal with you?”

“A deal? What sort of deal?”

“What you’re really after is an autograph, right? You don’t actually want to be a bother to this person when they’re trying to peacefully enjoy their time in university, right? She’s an idol, a diva, someone you look up to as a Goddess, so you don’t want to be a nuisance to her, am I wrong in my analysis?”

“No, you are correct. I don’t want to trouble her when she’s trying to take some time to herself, study, and get a better education.”

“Then… as I’m always here, instead of you coming here every day and waiting for your Goddess, how about I ask her for that autograph for you if she does ever show up here again? If I can deliver it to you, in exchange, I ask that you never return here again in the future. Also, never tell anyone anything about this place or me. I like being alone and don’t want other people coming here thinking I can get them an autograph from her at any time just because I’m always hanging around here every day.”

“For real? You’d really do that for me?”

“Yes, so long as you agree to my conditions. It would be troublesome if I kept asking her for autographs on behalf of other people after all.”

“I definitely wouldn’t want that to happen either.”

“Is it a deal?”

“Hmmm… sure. I don’t really have anything to lose.”

“Alright, let’s sign a contract then that way you can’t go back on your word.”

“A contract? Do we really need to do something official like that? Is my word not good enough?”

“I’ve been bitten before when it’s just been a verbal agreement.”

“Fine, if you say so.”

I took out a blank piece of paper from a binder in my bag and wrote up the conditions of the contract with a pen. In fine print, I also wrote that he'd sell his soul to me as a hidden condition in the agreement. There was no mention of a condition where he would stop aging as I’d originally put in as an inside joke with Irene’s and Alicia’s contracts. It was simply a little test to see if my body would experience the same sort of reaction as my last two experiences.

Why let slip a rare opportunity to test it out with a third party who I was uninvolved with and had no prior relationship before this?

“Here, just sign on the dotted line. The conditions are exactly as I said before. You will never return here again in the future and never tell anyone anything about this place or me. You may also never interact with me if you see me outside of this place in the future either. I don’t like being around other people and hate talking to others as well if I don’t have to. In exchange, you will receive an autograph from your Goddess. If I cannot deliver this autograph to you, the contents of this contract are null and void.”

“Sure, sure. No problem. As long as I get her autograph, what do I care about a random antisocial person like you?”