CH 233

◆Kotaro Nakayama’s Romantic Comedy

・Theme of Part III: “The Story of Kotaro Nakayama, a Mob Character, Becoming a Harem Protagonist.”

・Overview:

Through an encounter with Shiho Shimotsuki, Kotaro Nakayama gained a character of his own. The inorganic boy who used to be a mob character finally began to write his own romantic comedy. Ryoma Ryuzaki, the former protagonist, fell down to earth to become a mob character, and in his place, Kotaro Nakayama achieved an awakening. As the protagonist, he would become loved by many heroines. In this third part of the story, Kotaro Nakayama would get his second beloved girl.

・New character:

“Kurumizawa Kururi”

Pink hair. Twin tails. Red eyes. First name means “myself”. She is small and thin. She aims to create a similarity between Shiho Shimotsuki and herself by using a body similar to hers and using her first name. Since Shiho Shimotsuki was a “little bit kuudere” in her early days, Kururi Kurumozawa was given the symbolic character of “a little bit tsundere” as well, for ease of understanding.

Her personality is passionate and strong to the core. She is cunning and will choose any means to achieve her goals, and she is ruthless enough to go ahead with her actions even if it hurts others. However, she is not very assertive. She aims to be a “convenient heroine” for Kotaro Nakayama. Toward the end of the story, she successfully wins the heart of Kotaro Nakayama and obtains the position of “second heroine”.

・Story:

“Awakening”

Kotaro Nakayama awakened to become the protagonist after the second part. He was having a peaceful love comedy with the heroine Shiho Shimotsuki, but now that he was the main character, he could not stay in a slow romantic comedy forever. Finally, his romantic comedy with him and Shiho Shimotsuki is put to the test.

“Sequel”

One day, Shiho Shimotsuki got the flu and was absent from school for a week. During that time, Kururi Kurumizawa, a new heroine who transferred to the school, makes an approach toward Kotaro Nakayama. She makes good use of Kotaro Nakayama’s family and past to generate a “tutoring event” that he cannot avoid. By doing so, the connection between Kotaro Nakayama and Kururi Kurumizawa is deepened.

“Turnaround”

After one week, Kotaro Nakayama can no longer dislike Kururi Kurumizawa. He falls right into Kururi’s trap, but he decides, “I’ll make the girl who likes me happy!”

“Conclusion”

Shiho Shimotsuki, who is very possessive, initially shows some difficulty, but he somehow manages to persuade her to get a second lover. He then evolves from a mere “romantic comedy protagonist” to a “harem protagonist”.

“Hereafter”

He further increases the number of harem members. In addition to his stepsister Azusa, his best friend Kirari, and his childhood friend Yuzuki, who he had a relationship with in the past, he also adds Mary to his harem. In this way, he creates a contrasting relationship with Ryoma Ryuzaki, the fallen former protagonist. The happy Kotaro Nakayama ridicules the unhappy Ryoma Tatsuzaki, and the reader is made to feel a sense of “pleasure”. –(End)

◆ Impressions on the plot

The ups and downs of the story are still weak. Kotaro Nakayama, the protagonist of the story, does not have much of a character, so the story seems to be flat. In the first place, Kotaro Nakayama has no “independence”. He is always passive and does not seem to be able to move the story forward on his own. He tends to become an incompetent character that readers are not ‘comfortable’ to read, which makes the plot a little difficult to follow this time.

◆Receiving impressions

Kotaro Nakayama may be unqualified to be the main character. I thought it might be good to make him evolve into a “harem protagonist” in the third part of the story, but if that is also difficult, it might be good to make him “misunderstand that he is the protagonist, but then understand again that he is a mob character” — perhaps such an exchange could take place.

–Maybe there was such an exchange?

The plot created with me as the main axis may have been branded as ‘bad work’ and scrapped …, and I fantasize about such things, like any other person.

Biting my own helplessness, I imagined the author and the editor exchanging plots in my brain.

In this way, it seemed that Kurumizawa-san was suffering for the convenience of the creator.

But her suffering had nothing to do with the story. Therefore, I am sure there will be no redemption.

Frankly, I don’t care about me.

I don’t have the luxury of ‘wanting to be the protagonist’ now. I don’t even feel bitter that I’ve been labeled a “mob character”.

But when I think of Kurumizawa-san, my heart aches.

This is the end of her story.

But even though the story is over, her life is not.

What kind of life will Kurumizawa-san lead in the future?

What should she do to become happy?

… Well, I can’t do anything about it, so there’s no point in thinking about it.

But I still feel frustrated.

My inability to change the narrative was truly disingenuous… I was not worthy of it.

(TLN: Don’t ask me what this chapter is supposed to be… cuz idk)