Ren was just as shocked by the situation as Aoi. He was still trapped in puppet form, but he felt he could interact in some way—especially when Aoi was manipulating him. The words seemed to flow through his mind, and while he couldn't speak directly, somehow his thoughts were taking shape and manifesting through his movements.
Aoi, upon hearing what sounded like a whisper or a reaction from Ren again, froze. "How is it even possible for you to talk? You're a puppet!" she exclaimed, staring at Ren in disbelief. Her expression shifted from confusion to slight concern, as though she was confronting something completely unnatural.
Ren, on the inside, felt just as confused. How can I move? How are these words coming from my mind? he thought, trying to understand the bizarre phenomenon he was experiencing.
For a moment, Aoi simply held Ren in her hands, staring at him in silence as she tried to process what had just happened. She had been so sure that puppets couldn't do anything on their own—much less speak—and now she was holding one that apparently had a life of its own. Maybe... there's something more to this puppet.
Ren, though still unsure of what was happening, felt like he couldn't just stay still. He tried moving his "hands" again—something he couldn't normally do without Aoi's help. With a gentle tug on the strings, he raised a hand, hoping Aoi would understand. It looked almost like he was asking for a response or trying to say something else.
Aoi, her eyes still wide, sighed quietly and spoke more to herself than to the puppet. "Are you... really more than just a puppet?" Her voice was filled with uncertainty, disbelief—and a hint of fascination.
If I can move, if I can interact… maybe I can figure this out, Ren thought, both anxious and curious.
Determined to understand what was going on, Aoi put the puppet back on her hand. "I don't know what you're doing, but if you're going to talk, it better be something interesting," she muttered, slipping her hand inside him once more with a quick motion, as if expecting something to happen again.
Now back in her hands, Ren could feel his movements becoming more fluid. It was as though the strings holding him up had come to life, guided by Aoi's touch. Here goes nothing, he thought, trying to focus. With effort, his puppet "voice" began to take shape in actual words.
"I... I come from a different place," Ren said, his voice soft and slightly distorted from speaking through the puppet, but still clear enough for Aoi to hear. "I'm not just a puppet. Something... something strange happened. I don't know how, but I ended up here... in this world... with you."
Aoi raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. Her voice was firm despite her confusion. "Do you really expect me to believe that? You come from another world, like that's even possible? You're just a puppet! A plushie! Maybe even a cursed one."
Ren, still trapped in his plush body, tried moving his hands more expressively—almost like he was pleading. "I know it sounds crazy... but I swear. I can't explain it, but I'm stuck like this. I can think. I can feel something... even if I don't understand why."
Aoi stared at him, still wearing her typical tsundere scowl, but something in her eyes suggested she was beginning to doubt her own judgment. "And what exactly am I supposed to do with this? Let you talk through me and just believe you're some kind of magical being who ended up trapped in a puppet?" Her voice had a mocking tone, but beneath it, there was hesitation. "You're lucky I found you—but don't think I'm gonna help some random talking plushie!"
Ren felt his "body" tense, as if his growing frustration might somehow push him to move more. Of course, it didn't. But once again, he did his best to express his desperation. "Aoi... please. Believe me. I'm not just a toy. If you help me, maybe we can find a way for me to be normal again—or at least figure out what's going on."
Aoi, who had been so convinced this was all nonsense, went quiet for a moment. She stared at the puppet. Despite her tsundere nature, something about the way Ren was acting seemed to stir something inside her.
"You're insane, you know that?" Aoi huffed, but her voice wasn't as sharp as before. "This is ridiculous. I don't totally believe you, but... maybe… maybe there is something weird going on."
She sighed, clearly confused and a little annoyed with herself for being so invested in what Ren was saying. What the heck is happening here? she thought, a mix of discomfort and bizarre curiosity swirling in her chest.
Ren, hearing her response, did the only thing he could—he relaxed, just a bit. At least she's starting to doubt. That's something.
"Thank you for listening," Ren said, though the words came out through Aoi's voice, as if they were hers. "I may not know how to explain it all, but... I think we're starting to understand each other. At least a little."
Aoi turned her gaze away with a slight blush on her cheeks, her typical tsundere attitude surfacing again. "Tch, don't get all soft on me," she muttered, eyes narrowing. "But fine... don't think I like you or anything."
Ren, slightly baffled by her words, still felt a little comforted. At least she wasn't tossing him aside. "I don't want to be a burden, but... can you help me? I need to know more about this place—and how I ended up here."
Aoi sighed and crossed her arms. "I told you not to waste my time. But fine, if you're that desperate... let's see what kind of mess this is. Not like I've got anything better to do anyway."
Ren would've smiled—if he had a real face. Instead, he settled for a tiny movement of his plush arms. At least I've taken one small step. Maybe… this won't be so hopeless after all.
End of Chapter 5.