Volume 6 - CH 23

Juumonji Takeru talks Romantic Comedy

In the classroom.

I share the same class as Emi, Takeru, and Sakuya but they are not the only classmates I talk to.

I often banter with the boys in my class as well.

Among them, the group I’m on the most friendly terms with is Yamamoto’s three-man group.

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“Akechi, hear me out!”

“What’s wrong, Yamamoto?”

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There were no typical incidents where we can deepen our friendship like a fistfight on the riverbed or a common enemy we want to defeat but I think I’m on pretty good terms with them.

These guys didn’t show up in the game’s story and if they did exist in the game then they were probably just some background characters.

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“There’s a new love comedy manga that became popular recently right? The one with a transfer student, childhood friend, and a teacher competing with each other. That thing’s crazy.”

“That one was fun, wasn’t it? I didn’t buy the hard-copy but I did read it online before.”

“You just can’t stop reading right.”

“Yeah, it can totally make you forget the time.”

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It’s enjoyable to be able to chat among the boys like this.

I also often have some love talks with these guys like the one I had with them the other day too.

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“The transfer student is gonna win for sure.”

“It’s pretty clear cut isn’t it…… she was on the covers of both the first and second volumes after all. She showed up a lot in the story too.”

“But the childhood friend is definitely cute isn’t she.”

“I get you.”

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Our convo topic today was a famous romantic comedy manga.

Generally, an enjoyer of Galge is also an enjoyer of a romantic comedy.

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“Honestly, I really want them to stop giving us semi-spoiler by giving her so much spotlight though.”

“You’d normally think that the girl on the cover of the first volume would come out as the winner in the end right.”

“Exactly, they always introduce a character like that first on the official site and when it gets an anime, they would announce her voice actor/actress right after the MC too.”

“The spoiler-ish feeling was too much right.”

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Seriously, I want the publisher to fix that attitude.

I sympathize a lot with the people who are cheering for the losing heroines after all.

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“Light novels are the same. In the end, the MC would just end up with the first girl.”

“Guess I’ve never read a novel where the heroine who showed up last won huh?”

“They just can’t make it exciting can’t they.”

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The 4 of us are now getting into a heated discussion of romantic comedy medias.

There’s a famous baseball manga in which the younger twin brother of the MC died. At the end of that story, the MC ends up with the childhood friend who showed up a lot at the beginning, and the idol girl who appeared in the later arc just dropped out. I really don’t like this trend where the love interest who shows up first always wins.

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“Stop mulling over some trivial stuff, boys!”

“Juumonji!?”

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As though he was waiting for his chance to interject, Takeru appeared.

As he approached Yamamoto and Nishiyama, he started making his point.

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“Listen here, Yamamoto! Compared to a younger sister route where you know she won’t have any chance from the start, the fact that other heroines get to participate in the race in the first place is already better right!”

“Th, That’s true…….!”

“Hundreds…….., Hundreds after hundreds of times I’ve been so frustrated by that troupe in a romantic comedy……..”

“C, Calm down, Juumonji-kun. I feel the same way.”

“Hideyori! Don’t you feel it’s just sad that most romantic comedy stories don’t have a younger sister ending!?”

“If her armpits lack charm then she’s not a heroine!”

(TLN: This man…….)

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The five of us got even more heated up.

It also came as a surprise that Takeru would be on board the younger sister route even in fiction.

“Also, it’s a love comedy so you don’t really have to think so much about blood relations in the first place.”

“Haaa……”

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Perhaps he didn’t have enough yet, Takeru was still going on about his philosophy on little sister romance even after we left for our next class.

His words don’t sound like something the protagonist who worried about such a thing so much in Risa’s route would say at all.

Risa’s route AKA the [Forbidden Love] route in [Breaking the Chain of Sadness] pretty much dealt with that topic after all.

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“If I were a Galge protagonist of a romantic comedy manga’s MC then I’m sure I would always go after Risa.”

“…………”

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The heck is this guy saying?

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You’re already one.

You’re the protagonist of a Galge that got adapted into manga, novels, and anime you know.

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Moreover, the only time you went after Risa was only in that one route in the first game.

In most media, you were always paired with the main heroine, Yoru Hiru, right…….

This damn protagonist is full of lies.

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If I recall correctly, the only heroine that got herself an exclusive manga series was Miyamura Towa.

They added an exclusive passionate TakeXTowa love scene, removed the scene where Hideyori touched her, and even changed the ending to have Takeru deliver the finishing blow on Hideyori instead of Yoru but it’s still a must-have for TakeXTowa shippers.

Of course, it pissed the fans off that the manga contradicted the game story by having Takeru kill Hideyori himself when in the game all he was trying to do was to understand Hideyori’s actions and convince him to turn himself in. Still, it’s not that important now.

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“Two men discussing a romantic comedy troupe is lame you know, Hideyori-senpai.”

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The Younger Tsugaru AKA Nodoka called out to us in the corridor.

There’s also another girl beside her who’s lowering her head at us.

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“It’s so embarrassing just to listen to that I almost have to cover my ears you know.”

“You could always just walk by without saying anything though.”

“I was looking for Hideyori-senpai’s weakness to use in my girls’ talk later. This is going to be a good one actually.”

“There’s no way that it’s any good right!”

“…….Oh it is.”

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Nodoka muttered something in a small voice so I couldn’t hear it.

I think she just made fun of me though.

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“Is she your friend, Nodoka-chan?”

“Yes! She is! This is Sei-chan!”

“H, H, H, Hello.”

“You don’t have to be so nervous. Also, hello to you too. Nn…..? Hmm?……judging from the textbook you’re carrying, are you perhaps having a science class next?”

“That’s right! We’ll get to experiment with things today!”

“Ahaha, Nou-chan, you’re too excited about this.”

“……….”

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Nodoka replied to Takeru with a pleasant smile.

This is frustrating.

Yes, I do feel sorry for the best friend characters in the games but when I became said best friend character myself I just don’t know how to feel when any and all affection just goes to Takeru.

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“Then we will be on our way now! Takeru-senpai and that person over there.”

“Will you stop with this unfair treatment? Why is there such a clear difference between your treatments of Takeru and me!”

“Eh? Did you say something?”

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Her Deaf Skill automatically activated and my protest was nullified.

She’s too strong.

Seriously, I think I’m just too incompatible with the Tsugaru sisters.

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“Ahaha…….it’s nice to meet you. Akechi-senpai, Juumonji-senpai.”

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The girl called Sei-chan gave me a wry smile before disappearing into the corridor together with Nodoka.

She came in like a storm and just left.

Is she some kind of typhoon?

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…….Nn?

Did we introduce ourselves to Nodoka’s friend though?

Nodoka did say mine and Takeru’s first names many times but I don’t think she ever mentioned our last names though.

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……..could it be that the two of us are actually famous because he’s the Galge protagonist and I’m his scumbag best friend?

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“Ah, hello Nodoka-chan.”

“Risa-senpai, Hell~o.”

“Hello.”

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Risa walked past Nodoka-chan and the girl called Sei-chan and came over to me and Takeru.

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“What’s wrong, Nii-san? You look like you’re thinking of something.”

“……….”

“Oi, Takeru?”

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Even though Nodoka and her friend have already left, Takeru doesn’t move his feet.

Moreover, even though Risa called out to him, he didn’t respond.

It’s like he’s in deep thought.

Is he also curious about how Nodoka’s friend knows our last names too?

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“Well…….., it’s nothing.”

“What happened to you all of a sudden.”

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Takeru’s being vague.

Still not saying anything concrete, he laughs and tries to change the subject.

What is this? I can’t tell what’s going on in his head at all.

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“Ahh, really, it’s nothing.”

“Haa? Just out with it, man.”

“I mean….., well…..”

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He’s fidgeting.

His mouth repeatedly opens and closes perhaps because he’s too embarrassed to say it or because he still can’t put his thoughts into words.

He then paused still for about 3 seconds.

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“…….you see.”

Takeru started talking with a determined look.

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“The girl that was with Nodoka-chan, I like her face.”

“………Pshgtt!?”

“N, Nii-san is interested in a girl!?”

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This Galge protagonist just experienced love at first sight!?

That Takeru!?

That useless Takeru!?

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……..no, it’s still not clear if he’s in love or not.

He only said that he likes her face.

I jumped the gun…….

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Still, I was only paying attention to Nodoka so I didn’t catch the face of her friend at all……

Come back, Nodoka!

Your friend might be the one for this Galge protagonist you know!

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“……eh?”

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Wait a minute! Wait a friggin minute!

That girl wasn’t even a heroine right?

No way, did the story branch in some weird direction……?

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Because I didn’t get my ears pierced and didn’t become a playboy, Takeru’s preference for women changed?

This is bad, real bad.

If Takeru goes out with a girl since middle school then the game story won’t kick off.

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If Takeru couldn’t save the world of [Breaking the Chain of Sadness] because he’s in love with someone who’s not a heroine then what do I do……?

Am I witnessing the moment where the fate of the world is being decided?

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It’s easy to forget because I’m living a normal school life but the setting of [Breaking the Chain of Sadness] is one that will eventually lead to a dystopian world.

Akechi Hideyori is killed = Happy Ending!……..is not the case here.

On a grand scale of things, Akechi Hideyori is nothing but a small-time villain.

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And Juumonji Takeru, this protagonist in front of me, is someone who can do something about that crazy world.

I may always call him an incompetent protagonist but at the end of the day, he’s still the main character.

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This world holds only futures that are filled with despair, a world that you would never imagine belongs to a dating sim.

That’s why the choices this guy makes are important.

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“It’s not that I want to go out with her nor it was a love at first sight you know.”

“Is, is that so?”

“I mean, we both like Sawamura Yama, right? But it’s not like we want to marry her or something like that. We just like the fact that she can bring a smile to our faces. It’s the same kind of feeling here.”

“I kinda get what you’re saying but…….”

“Please stop mentioning Sawamura Yama!”

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Risa yelled with her face bright red.

It appears that the ero-magazine I showed her back then is still vivid in her mind.

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“There are many types of love right? Of course, I love Risa but I don’t want to marry her you know.”

“There’s no way that I can marry Nii-san right…….”

“………”

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THERE IS!

Yes, the chances that Risa and Takeru get together aren’t high but it’s definitely not zero.

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“Haha! Well, let’s go.”

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Takeru laughed and started walking.

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“………”

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It felt like I just got to know Takeru a lot better.

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Still, the Gift that Risa is still hiding.

The part of Takeru that I can’t understand.

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Such things made me think that I might not know Takeru as well as I’d like to believe.

In fact, the friendship between the original Takeru and Hideyori may have been deeper than what I and Takeru are sharing right now.

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When I think about it that way, it feels a little lonely.

Maybe I’m getting a little jealous of who I was before I remembered my previous life……..

TLN: Hmm, what could it be……?