Crossover Fan Fiction / Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Reason And Accountability ❯ Home Again ( Chapter 5 )

“Niisan! Wake up. Time for school,” called my sister. Komachi, finally. I was home again. That was a seriously weird dream. I wonder if I caught something? Food poisoning? I went through my morning preparations and ate quickly before exiting our home and cycling to school, dropping off Komachi at hers on the way. A few more minutes ride and I was at Soubu.

The classroom was its usual bustle and Hiratsuka Sensei arrived as usual, taking roll and homeroom stuff before collecting homework for grading and then a lecture on Japanese literature, the subject I excelled in. True, she wasn’t as hot as I portrayed her in the book, but you need to exaggerate in a story to make it work. To make it sell. Your audience, your readers, have certain expectations. And even if it was a wish fulfillment kind of dream brought about by spoiled food, I feel kind of encouraged that at least part of me thinks it will be popular.

There were many differences between my novel and the real world. Kawasaki was named Mai, I’ve never seen her panties, she’s in a different classroom, and while she did wear a pale wig once that was flattering, that was for a costume party on Halloween, which she posted pictures of. Apparently her dad is a US English teacher and stayed because of her mom, so she’s less of a Yankee and more of a half.

Hiratsuka is shorter, rounder, and smokes like a chimney. Her personality is similar but she doesn’t even own a car, takes the bus across town apparently. Readers will be so disappointed.

Yuigahama is named Mutsumi, and she’s pretty similar, only with typical dark hair of all Japanese who aren’t Gyaru. Yukinoshita is the tricky one. She’s not a pair of sisters. She’s an upperclassman. Woman. Girl. Something like that. We’re in literature club together. She’s writing a novel about a normal girl who gets pulled into a games club as the sane one, and the other club members are all kinds of extremes. Its got a similar title to that one really depressing anime about the mecha girl who destroys the world except for her boyfriend. I think she’s probably going to end up publishing that, for real. For money, more importantly. We aren’t dating. She’s read and reviewed some of my novel and encourages me to improve it in various ways. More characters and cuter characters was her idea.

“You gotta sell this to your audience. They’re expecting that, so you have to give it to them. A dumpy boring teacher with no car isn’t going to inspire fantasies for all the NEETs who will be buying this novel. She has to be sexy, vulnerable, interesting, and drive an English car for no apparent reason. And play the guitar. She was the cool kid, and now she’s the teacher and nobody wants her. That will sell, Hachiman.” It was good advice.

Unlike my story, I’m not a fantastic essay writer, though I’ve been polishing some edgelord essays about being a loner for my protagonist. They take a lot of effort and editing to just get the tone right, to nail down the protagonists hatred of the normal life he can never have. It establishes his character, and how others will treat him. Yuki is really sure about this.

I really hope that my novel sells. The essential ending where the protagonist gets none of the above is so crucial to making this epic. I can’t fail on this. I have to hold the line.

Authors Note: The publisher totally offered me so much money I changed the ending. I hope nobody minds. I mean, I put the real ending in the title, after all. Will they notice?