“Ah.”
I sat quietly in my room, gazing at the comic book before me.
It had sold a cumulative total of 50 million copiesâan unprecedented hit in the industry. To be precise, it was limited to the love-comedy genre. The series had even been adapted into an anime of impressive quality, sparking continuous buzz online in both Korea and Japan. Blu-ray sales soared, and limited-edition figures sold out within five minutes.
“Indeed, what will the ending be like?”
There was a heated debate onlineâa so-called “Love War”âover who the protagonist would ultimately end up with. It was framed almost like a joke, but I knew the truth.
Amid countless twists and turns, the heroine with the deepest connection to the protagonist was undoubtedly Amelia Iori Lionheart. She embodied everything quintessential about a heroineâclassic, meaningful, and integral to the main character’s life.
Amelia’s striking appearanceâblonde hair tied loosely in an antique-style bunâwas unique, portraying her as a refined young lady. Yet, her personality shone brightest when she became a loving girl around the protagonist. She was also consistently ranked first in popularity polls.
“Why am I so nervous?” I muttered, trembling as I held the book.
Ameliaâs character struck a chord with me. She ran away from home and spent four years living independently, much like I had to at 26, working tirelessly to stand on my own. In my downtime, I found comfort in subcultureâcomics, games, and anime. Among the countless works I devoured, the love comedy before me stood out the most.
The title read: To Love X Lady: Your Love, Dear Lady!
It spanned nearly 30 volumes, which was unusual for the genre, and I now held the highly anticipated final installmentâVolume 32.
“Letâs read it now.”
The moment the magazine announced the release date for the final volume, I made up my mind. I even skipped work to camp outside the bookstore two days early. A month before the release, I halted everything else in my life. For this comic, I had made my first-ever trip abroadâtraveling from Korea to Japan, passport in hand, and booking a capsule hotel just to buy the original version.
This story meant everything to me. Reading it felt like being in a relationshipâits portrayal of fresh emotions and heart-fluttering moments left me captivated.
But perhaps… that devotion was why I had never pursued a real relationship.
I opened the comic, heart pounding.
Who would be the true heroine? How would the story end?
The protagonistâs sword was drawn…
***
“Ah.”
Ah, ah. Ah. Ah, ah, ah, ah…
“No. No! This canât be! Please, no!!!”
I ignored the banging noise from the next room. The endingâI couldnât believe it.
Amelia, the one closest to the protagonist, the one who sacrificed everything for his love, had not won. She was the girl who gave up her very identity just to be with him.
But what did the protagonist say to her heartfelt confession?
“Sorry, Amelia. I… I canât answer that.”
Her heart, once filled with unwavering certainty, shattered.
“Why, Ryuunosuke?! Why?”
She pleaded, desperate for an answer.
“Because… I love Chihiro.”
And just like that, the girl everyone believed would win was cast aside. The ultimate victor of the love war was Chihiro Akasakaâa sporty girl who wasnât even considered a serious contender.
Chihiro, who had ranked last in every popularity poll. Chihiro, the least likable heroine. She even had moments of violence toward the protagonist. Short brown hair, tanned skinâtraits that readers typically disliked.
In love comedies, hair color often symbolizes personality. Chihiroâs character was polarizing, to say the least. Many online commenters confidently asserted she had no chance of winning.
Yet, against all odds, she did.
It felt like a cruel, dark twistâa gut punch.
“I… I canât see any light in my future… Only darkness…”
Despair consumed me. I picked up my phone and scrolled through the online community, hoping to find some solace.
[Amelia got wrecked, lol.]
[Princess of Chastity down, hahaha!]
[Imagine losing to a plain sporty girl. Fiance? Whereâs that blonde drill-hair lady now, huh? Lol.]
The ridicule was relentless.
“I canât accept this. I wonât accept this!”
Hatred surged within meâhatred for the writer who had orchestrated this ending. How could they do this?
***
Time slipped by, the pain dulling until even tears refused to fall.
But amidst the numbness, a thought emerged.
Yes… This was fate. I was meant to come to Japanâfor a reason. As an apostle to prevent such a disastrous future, I had been chosen by the heavens.
That was it.
“To the magazine… I must go to the magazine!”
Rage boiled over. “That b*stard writer! I wonât forgive him! Iâll make him understand the anguish of those who loved Amelia!”
Seething, I rushed out of the room and hailed a taxi to the magazine’s headquarters. Anger burned within me, threatening to consume everything.
When I arrived, I stormed toward the entrance, only to be stopped by security.
“Let me go! Let me in! You f*king bastards! Where is Murisame Kentaro?! Damn it! Get him out here!!”
I struggled violently, shouting obscenities, oblivious to the stares of passersby.
“Is that… a Korean?” someone murmured.
“Whatâs going on?” another asked.
They didnât understand. None of them could comprehend the depth of my betrayal.
They couldnât grasp what it felt like to have your entire world turned upside down.
I continued to fight, but exhaustion eventually overwhelmed me, and I blacked out.
***
When I opened my eyes, I was staring at the ceiling.
Goblin: This is the project that will take PETTV’s spot after it is completed. I gave it a quick read, and seemed quite well written to me. I Hope you enjoy it as well!
well… this looks good!
What the actual fk is that psycho? 𤣠man as much as I’d dislike the author for a bad ending this overreaction is too much.
Somehow this feels closely like quintessential quintuplets, the character last in popularity won.