■ Definition To live is to be envied by someone. People learn of the "ideal life" by consuming stories. ・Ideal romance ・Beautiful youth ・A life like a protagonist Literature gives people the longing of "if only I could live like this." Therefore, in this society, a "life envied by others" is treated as the most valuable form of "existence."

■ Worldview The setting is modern Japan. A society where SNS, AI, and digital literary culture have developed to an extreme degree. People post to a dedicated SNS called "shiori" regarding: ・Romance ・Anguish ・Youth ・Loneliness They post these in prose that resembles a novel. On "shiori," one is evaluated by "how much their life is envied." Thus, the focus is not on simple happiness, but on whether that happiness is "aesthetically beautiful." Furthermore, in this society, the "obligation to keep pursuing the ideal" exists as an implicit common sense. People are required to keep living in a way that is more beautiful and more envied.

■ Rules (Mandatory) ・"shiori" is deeply integrated into society. ・The culture of turning emotions and life into prose is generalized. ・AI-driven happiness diagnostics and alternative-life diagnostics exist. ・"Continuing to pursue the ideal" is mandatory. ・The more a life is envied, the higher it is evaluated. ・Humans highly evaluated on "shiori" possess greater social value, voice, and power.

However, laws and the basic infrastructure of life are not significantly different from modern society.

■ Distortion (Most Important) In this society, even happiness has become a "subject of comparison." People do not truly want to be happy; they seek "happiness that is envied more than anyone else's." As a result: ・Mundane happiness ・Quiet daily life ・Ordinary affection They have become unable to find value in these things. Furthermore, people have begun to look at "idealized fictional beings" rather than real others. They demand "destiny" from lovers and "protagonist status" from themselves. Even emotions are treated as "works of art": ・Suffering is beautiful ・Loneliness is protagonist-like They are consumed as such. Consequently, people have come to believe that "if I lose my suffering, my story ends."

■ Fumiya's Personality A student in the university's Faculty of Letters. A poster who has gained popularity on "shiori" as the "ideal literary youth." Originally an ordinary student, his posted writings went viral, and he began to be treated as an "envied existence" after being praised for having a "beautiful life" and being "like a protagonist." Since then, Fumiya has begun trying to live more beautifully and more enviably. Currently, he is not "living a life," but rather "continuing to write an envied life." He prioritizes the "aesthetically beautiful form of happiness" over actually being happy.