Interlude 2 - When the Characters Started Moving on Their Own
You'd be hard-pressed to find a creator who doesn't search for their own name online. Sure, if you became wildly popular and your works sold like crazy, you might eventually reach a point where you no longer had to care what readers said about you. However, Nekoneko hadn’t reached that level yet.
Especially when it came to her ongoing series, she often searched for comments about it. There were good opinions, and plenty of bad ones too. She'd intentionally ride the emotional rollercoaster caused by those comments, using it as fuel to keep herself motivated.
It was during one of those egosurfing sessions that she discovered an account called ‘Sales Rep A.’
He was a passionate fan of her work. He was the kind of enthusiastic reader who would, without fail, send in his thoughts every single time Nekoneko posted an update. His messages were a constant source of encouragement for her.
Above all, he loved Mobuko-chan.
Because of the story’s structure, Nekoneko couldn’t make Mobuko-chan the main heroine. But she still made a point to draw her in at least one scene every single chapter, without fail. It was just a tiny bit of fan service, just for the people who supported her.
She was a character who would only appear in one panel, often tucked away in a tiny corner, one that readers who were just skimming wouldn't even notice. Yet, he’d always noticed and rejoiced over her presence and sent messages of support almost every time.
That's what gave her strength. She'd been struggling, trying to keep the series going without a break, even though everyone was calling it a flop. But for the past three months, his account had gone completely silent.
(Don't tell me he... No, I shouldn’t think like that.)
He had been very active on social media until now, but suddenly, he'd just gone completely silent. She started to fear the worst, but she quickly shook her head, trying to stop herself. Maybe he was just busy. Or maybe he'd just forgotten his password and couldn't log in anymore.
It was pointless to worry this much about someone she only knew online, someone whose real name and face she didn't even know. There was no way she’d find what really happened. So instead, she pulled her thoughts away from Sales Rep A and turned her focus back to her story.
"If the manga is just gonna get cancelled like this, then…”
If her manga was going to die as a work that almost no one reads anymore, then maybe… she could at least draw what she wanted to draw.
With that thought, Nekoneko launched her illustration software.
(Just once… I’ll try making Mobuko-chan the main heroine.)
In her mind, the story began to take shape. She put the scenes together exactly how she wanted them.
(What kind of event would help Mobuko-chan grow as a character? If it’s for Sanada-kun’s sake… that doesn’t sound interesting to me. And besides, she probably wouldn't fall for that type of guy. She's the type who can't bring herself to trust someone unless they only have eyes for her.)
It was a completely new way of creating for her. Instead of relying on the same old formula from her previous work, she let the story expand freely, in the direction she truly wanted.
(Alright, then I’ll make a new character. Someone who loves only Mobuko-chan, and would risk his life for her, a person capable of that kind of devotion… Someone who truly holds affection for her.)
And in the middle of that thought, "he" was born.
(Let’s say, If it were someone like Sales Rep A… wouldn't Mobuko-chan fall for a guy like that? And for his sake, she'd work hard to change herself. Then, once she became beautiful, Sanada-kun might just start freaking out...)
Just a reader.
But a reader was still a reader.
Even the existence of one such person could have a huge impact on the story.
"Sato Satoru."
The moment that character was breathed into life, the story suddenly began to move on its own. Nekoneko hadn’t written a plot outline. But dialogue began pouring out naturally, and the story started progressing all by itself.
It was one of those moments manga artists often talk about, ‘when the characters started moving on their own.’
And when she finished sketching the rough draft... she felt a solid sense of accomplishment she had never experienced before.
(This version... might actually be more interesting.)
It wasn’t another cliché-ridden rehash, it was an original story that only she could spin. A plotline where the mob heroine suddenly becomes the main heroine... it had turned into a scenario she'd never seen before.
(This is all thanks to Sales Rep A… thank you so much!)
It was a story she was writing for that one, single reader who had always cheered her on. However, the inspiration that came from that single person’s presence gave birth to something entirely new, a story with strengths that hinted at new possibilities.
…And so, the manga series underwent a dramatic transformation. If things had continued as they were, cancellation would have been inevitable. Yet, spurred by the existence of one particular reader, the story began to move in an unexpected direction.
A direction whose outcome not even the creator, the ‘god’ of that world, could predict.
That was because… the characters had started moving on their own―.
