Chapter 65: I’ll Die If I Don’t Become Handsome!
Translator: imperfectluck Editor: vb24
After an entire night.
"Eh… Why is it light outside?"
Seiji finally returned to his senses after he’d spent all night in a writing frenzy. The bright sunlight which streamed through his window roused him from his unnatural state.
He hurriedly checked the time.
What the hell—he pulled an all-nighter while writing!?
He blankly looked at the thick notebook in front of him. Previously, its pages were largely blank. Now, it had only three or four empty pages remaining.
He had lost himself in the process of writing his story…
While it was a fact that choosing an option like [write a story] would cause an irresistible urge to well up within him, Seiji had also been addicted to the enjoyment he derived from creating his own story, so he simply wasn’t able to stop himself.
‘Might as well stop here.’ He put down his pen and stretched.
Then, he picked up his book and speed-read through his creation that he had spent the entire night on.
‘…Wow.’
Seiji’s eyebrows gradually rose upwards as he continued reading.
‘Just… wow."
He flipped through the pages at a rapid pace.
‘Incredible… wow."
His eyeballs flicked from one line to the next as he finally finished.
*Smack!* Seiji forcefully closed his notebook.
‘Did I… truly write all this?’
He tried his best to restrain the excitement within him.
If he didn’t, he felt that he would begin shouting loudly with excitement right then and there.
That’s because his own story… was so engrossing!!
Seiji put down his notebook before he suddenly jumped up and backflipped, landing and finishing with a victory pose!
‘Yeah!!’
He was shouting as loudly as he could within his heart.
This would be the first story that the author Seiji ever wrote—a short story by the name of "I’ll die if I don’t become handsome!"
The main character was a formerly hot-blooded young man who fell into the clutches of depravity and became a NEET after life dealt him a cruel blow. One day, a mysterious spirit possessed him and forced him to become a handsome boy; if he didn’t comply, the spirit threatened to curse him to death.
Just from the story’s synopsis, one would think that this story was related to the supernatural genre as well as being a motivational novel. Instead, it was actually a huge battle between good and evil.
At first, the main character had to engage in activities he didn’t enjoy purely due to the mysterious spirit’s threats. He left his home, worked hard to lose weight, and made an effort in his studies, all in order to reach his target of becoming a handsome boy.
The comedy in this story came from the contrast between the protagonist’s inner comments and his actions: his depraved heart was furious at being coerced into doing all these things which were actually for his personal benefit, but the spirit forced him into behaving like a proactive, bright, even heroic person, thus helping him obtain the love of several beautiful girls.
Then, after receiving the female characters’ affection and care, the protagonist was moved by their feelings and finally began to live life seriously again. However, at this point, the story took a steep downturn.
A mysterious antagonist suddenly appeared and injured his childhood friend who had always cared for him right before his eyes. Only when the spirit which possessed him bequeathed a strange power unto him was he able to force the antagonist into retreating.
After that, the spirit explained its identity and meaning for existence to the protagonist. It stated why it was fighting against the antagonist and so on.
It needed the aid of the main character and required him to become truly handsome on the outside as well as heroic on the inside in order to defeat the evil forces that were invading and protect their land.
Under huge pressure and fearing the risk of death, the protagonist chose to escape from reality. He hid in his room, not wanting to do anything, and in the end, the disappointed spirit was forced to abandon him and face the evil head-on without even a corporeal body.
At the last moment, thanks to a gift from his childhood friend, the main character finally recalled his hot-blooded former self who resolutely believed in justice.
"So what if I die!? Rather than living on as someone worthless, I’d prefer to die as a true handsome boy!!"
The main character rushed to the battlefield filled with newfound resolution.
He combined with the spirit and transformed on the battlefield. After a fierce battle, he finally defeated the antagonist and saved the life of his childhood friend.
When his childhood friend regained consciousness, he had already returned to his human form which had sustained terrible injuries. He cried and apologized in front of her in an undignified manner, his face stricken with snot and tears.
Although the girl had been unconscious during the battle, she could still feel that something had happened, prompting her to gently stroke the protagonist’s face.
"The current you looks so awful… You’re even uglier than when you were hiding in your home. Nevertheless, I still feel like the current you—just like this—you’re… the handsomest boy I’ve ever seen!"
The story ended at that sentence.
Under Seiji’s newfound writing ability, this somewhat cliché story filled with various otaku references and a hot-blooded story of justice turned into a top-level bestseller potential story.
The beginning of the story had the main character’s depravity and unwillingness coming into conflict with the spirit’s arrogance and silliness, thus creating a comedic contrast. Each girl had her own unique character and personality that seemed almost life-like; they were all filled with humor and had their individual cute points.
In the latter part, the strange and evil antagonist’s cruel actions caused the main character to feel fear and inferiority, causing him to lose motivation and become depraved again. Then, his memories with his childhood friend instilled him with courage once more as he recalled his former hot-blooded self. This, the final climactic battle, and the moving feelings of relief and regret after victory… Every scene was described in considerable detail to the fullest extent of Seiji’s ability!
This was an excellent story.
At least in Seiji’s opinion, it was a story that he could finish in one sitting. It contained humor, tension, and even a moving scene at the end. It was a fun light novel that would leave him with no negative feelings after he finished reading it!
The only part was that it was so short… but that was why it was a short story.
At any rate, the story was so good that he could hardly believe it was something that he had written with his own hand.
Plus, it only took him the timeframe of one night!
Seiji slowly forced himself to calm down.
He wanted to get it published immediately… but first he had to type it again on his computer, save it in a document, and print it.
Or should he publish it on the internet instead?
‘Hmm, it seems like even getting it published requires some thought.’
Seiji glanced at the clock and noticed that it was time for him to go to work.
‘That’s right, work…’ He recalled the store’s owner, Rika Amami, and her cousin, Mayuzumi Amami, who was the author known as Peach-sensei.
Even though Peach-sensei was a mangaka, it was a field closely related to light novels, so it could be said that they were connected fields. Perhaps she’d be able to give him some advice?
She was probably quite busy… If so, then he should ask his boss Rika first, as she may know a few things as well.
After consideration, Seiji decided to bring his notebook to the confectionery store… Of course, he ripped out the portion containing his diary first.
It would be nice if Peach-sensei could read his story as well, even if she has androphobia. A story should be no problem at least, right?
Seiji didn’t expect her to have the free time, though, as he knew being a popular mangaka was bound to consume the majority of her time.
…
At the Divine Taste confectionery store.
Seiji walked directly to the store manager/owner’s office after arriving at the shop.
"Good morning, Haruta… er, Harano-kun. So… what brings you to my office today?" Rika Amami blinked in surprise upon seeing Seiji enter her office.
"Good morning, Store Manager." Seiji smiled in greeting. "Actually, I just wrote a short story in light novel format, and I want to get it published…"
He explained the situation and showed the notebook to her.
‘Light novel?’
Rika Amami was rather curious.
She knew that Seiji was an otaku, but being a consumer and a creator were two completely different things. Even if you read many otaku novels, you wouldn’t necessarily possess the creative ability required to write one.
Of course, after seeing and reading so many others, it was only natural to desire creating your own. In fact, most authors started like this.
However, a hobby or an impulsive action didn’t equal talent; it was only a part of what was required. It was naïve to think that you could enter the professional world with only this much.
Rika Amami didn’t feel that Seiji Haruta was the naïve type.
If he seriously wanted to get this published, it probably wasn’t a rough draft written on impulse, or else he wouldn’t even be able to get her approval.
A sense of curiosity welled up within her… What could he have written to make him act so seriously?
"Even though I’m not in that business, I know some basics thanks to my association with Mayuzumi. If you would like, I can introduce an excellent editor to you. But, before that, may I read your story?" Rika Amami smiled as she spoke.