My Romance Simulation with Them

Similarly, you haven't disclosed the reason either.

Despite everyone's skepticism, you easily completed all the formalities by leveraging your accumulated wealth and industry connections.

[The 'Nango Shinjo' tokusatsu company has officially begun operations.]

[You and Akane Shinjo diligently researched the market, carefully analyzed currently popular tokusatsu drama genres and hero characters, and ultimately finalized the theme for the next tokusatsu drama.]

[The film "The Stranger Black Sun" tells the story of a new century where heroism has become a profession. In this environment, some eccentric individuals who have never done anything wrong are wiped out by self-proclaimed "righteous" and outwardly glamorous heroes.]

It is against this backdrop that 'Black Sun,' one of the protagonists, steps forward to fight against the heroes of 'justice.'

[To make the protagonist's image more appealing, you adopted a highly dynamic design, resembling a metallic shell, a shark fin-like design, and a highly expressive mutant longsword...]

The other protagonist, acting as an observer and narrator, records everything he sees. He witnesses the shameful deeds of the "righteous" heroes, and he also feels immense guilt and remorse for his investigation and pursuit of the Black Sun.

["I've never considered myself a hero. I just felt I should do something, and standing in front of you and stopping you was what I had to do."]

[By carefully crafting a dual-protagonist format and employing the most popular and mature crime drama tracking tropes, you have used the Black Sun's actions as the main storyline, with the human protagonist's continuous pursuit, to create a unique and exciting dark hero tokusatsu story.]

However, there is only one issue: you haven't yet finalized a choice for the second human protagonist.

[As your company's first tokusatsu drama and also your first script for a 'dark hero' (similar to Chainsaw Man), you took the casting process extremely seriously.]

However, for various reasons, you have been unable to find a suitable candidate.

It was at this time that someone took the initiative to visit you, which brought you a wonderful surprise.

[It turns out that Rikka Takarada, who only got into an ordinary performing arts university after high school, contacted you.]

It's been a year or two since we last met.

She still had that exceptionally beautiful head of black hair and those sapphire blue eyes, and her voice always carried a languid tone.

She has submitted an application to you, hoping to participate in the casting of the other human protagonist in "The Strange Black Sun".

On the day of the audition, Rikka Takarada performed exceptionally well. Her incredible delivery of lines and her masterful control of emotions made everyone feel all the hard work she had put in over the years.

What happened next was entirely predictable.

[The show "The Strange Black Sun" garnered phenomenal ratings upon its initial broadcast, achieving a staggering 14.9% viewership for its very first episode.]

In an era where Japanese tokusatsu dramas are gradually declining and viewership ratings are far lower than before, such terrifyingly high ratings have attracted the attention of countless people.

[Besides the incredibly cool design of the Black Sun suit, the human protagonist, played by Rikka Takarada, with her long hair pulled back and a short, dashing hairstyle, also garnered widespread attention.]

[With solid acting and an exceptionally good script, "The Stranger: Black Sun" has received rave reviews.]

[You have once again demonstrated your strength, proving to all those who were previously skeptical that you have firmly established yourself in the film and television industry.]

Similarly, some manufacturers of merchandise, toys, and figures have approached you afterward, hoping to obtain the production rights for "Monster Black Sun" toys, figures, and other related merchandise.

[Neither you nor Akane Shinjo have expressed any objection to this; every industry needs capital injection.]

However, you and she also stated that you would not change the already established plot of "Monster Black Sun" because of the subsequent bundled sales of toys.

Time continues to move forward.

The show "The Stranger Black Sun" is becoming increasingly captivating, and its ratings are rising day by day.

In the final episode, a freak protagonist and a human protagonist finally face off!

This fateful showdown finally propelled the already soaring viewership ratings to 28.9%—a terrifying figure that countless tokusatsu dramas of the Reiwa era could never achieve, but you did it.

Merchandise related to "The Stranger Black Sun" is now selling like hotcakes!

[Not only in the Japanese tokusatsu (special effects) community, but also in overseas tokusatsu communities, countless people are fascinated by the freak protagonists you design!]

[During the season, "Monster Black Sun" dolls, figures, and official posters were extremely popular, and even with increased production, they couldn't keep up with the orders.]

[You and Akane Shinjo have thus amassed a great deal of wealth.]

Amidst such a frenzy, "The Weird Black Sun" has come to an end.

The protagonists, representing humans and monsters, confront each other. The humans stand in darkness, while the monsters stand in sunlight, symbolizing their opposing stances.

Why attack heroes?

"You should know why."

【silence.】

"But humanity needs heroes."

"We don't need weirdos."

[On one side is the handsome young protagonist, Rikka Takarada, who becomes strikingly attractive after makeup.]

On the other side is the eccentric protagonist, Hei Ri, with a hoarse voice and an extremely eye-catching appearance.

They finally faced off face to face.

[A gripping plot, Black Sun's ever-evolving weapon abilities, and diverse fighting techniques.]

This brought the entire tokusatsu drama's plot to its climax.

After the broadcast of "The Monster Black Sun" ended, everyone who had previously been skeptical, except for the employees of Nango Shinjo Company, fell silent.

With a viewership rating of 30.1%, it can be considered the strongest tokusatsu series of the Reiwa era, a perfect ending!

Chapter 144. Your eyes are filled with each other (4000 words!)

The simulation is still ongoing.

[The series "The Eccentric Black Sun" has come to a perfect end.]

You specially arranged a celebration party for all the members.

At this celebratory party, the greatest credit goes to Rikka Takarada, who played the human male protagonist.

Considering that the other person doesn't like alcohol, you specifically instructed that no one should serve her any alcoholic beverages.

But this time, Rikka Takarada, who never refuses your kindness, asked for a cup of sake.

[She plays a significant role as the human protagonist in "The Stranger Black Sun." If even she, the lead actress, refuses to drink the toasts offered by the other guests, it will undoubtedly create an awkward atmosphere at the party.]

You can only respect her choice and remind her not to force herself on.

You don't drink much normally, only occasionally having a few drinks with Akane Shinjo.

After a few rounds of drinks, you head to the lounge, hoping to temporarily alleviate the dizziness caused by the alcohol.

But to your surprise, there was already someone in the lounge early on.

[It turns out that Rikka Takarada couldn't handle everyone toasting her so much that she secretly ran away here alone.]

Upon seeing that it was you, she snapped back to her relaxed, reclining posture, which had been tense and about to sit up straight—she was still as casual as ever around you.

You sat down at the table, poured her a cup of tea, and started chatting with her about her life.

Over the years, in pursuit of her dreams, she, who has always disliked trouble, has proactively learned many things, putting in a lot of effort in both acting and scriptwriting.

This led to his near-perfect performance in "The Stranger Black Sun".

You started talking to her about the past.

[They talked about how, back in high school, she would always be playing on her phone on the sofa behind you, and she would always bring you various snacks.]

When she spoke of these long-standing yet beautiful stories of youth, her beautiful eyes narrowed into a smile.

She longs to return to those carefree days, to the sound of the wind blowing past her, as she and Akane Shinjo walk ahead of her—

You wholeheartedly agree; memories of youth are always beautiful, and people subconsciously tend to romanticize them.

You continued chatting with her, telling her about interesting things that had happened recently.

[And perhaps due to the alcohol, her face was slightly flushed, a stark contrast to the tranquil night.]

[It seems that under the influence of alcohol, she revealed to you the thoughts she had kept hidden in her heart all along.]

The restaurant where Nango held a victory celebration banquet has a Kyoto garden feel to it.

Red leaves falling in the wind.

A night view where you can enjoy the scenery and drink wine while the door is half-open.

The uniquely shaped rocks and the winding corridors all possess an indescribable charm.

After talking with Nango about their youth, she lay on the table, her long black hair scattered all over the table, looking at the scene before her.

There is no moon in the night sky tonight.

White lanterns hang in the corridor, with orange lights among them, radiating a warm glow.

Rikka Takarada looked at the scenery.

Looking at the red and white walls behind the artificial hill.

Looking again at the red and white walls, the boundless night sky stretched out into the distance.

“I must have liked you before, Nanxiang,” she said.

It's somewhat like asking a question, and somewhat like stating a result.

"Maybe."

Nanxiang sat at the table, propping her chin up with her hand, and followed her gaze to the night sky, which had neither moon nor stars.

No matter how beautifully decorated Tokyo is at night, you can't see the stars.

"I might still like you now."

Rikka Takarada said again.

“...Maybe,” Nango said.

In the quiet of the night, the two remained silent.

Only Rikka Takarada managed to prop her face up from the table.

"If I've never truly loved the moon, why do I feel so lost now?"

She doesn't understand.

"Why do I feel regret when it's something I've never had and could never have?"

Rikka Takarada gazed at the empty night sky, lost in thought.