Prologue
[I like you, Tetsuya-kun.]
[Miyuki...]
[What do you think of me, Tetsuya-kun?]
A gorgeous woman gazed upwards, her eyes brimming with anticipation.
She looked at the man with her bright brown eyes that were innocent, yet somehow sensual.
Her stare was intense yet inviting, as if pleading him to quickly reveal his feelings.
Blushing, the man, named Tetsuya, only managed to respond after a palpable pause.
[... I’m sorry, Miyuki. I still don’t fully understand my feelings...]
Upon reading these lines, I abruptly stood up from my computer chair.
‘Is this guy for real?’
Unbelievable. Here was the world’s most beautiful woman confessing her feelings, and the protagonist, Tetsuya, who clearly held the most affection for Miyuki out of all the heroines and had shared a childhood bond with her... was still deliberating about his feelings at the game’s climax.
Ridiculous! I would give anything to know what the writer was thinking.
Skeptically, I clicked the mouse, hoping this was just a playful misdirection before he confessed. But then,
[Thank you for playing Doki Doki Academy.]
The next screen displayed these unexpected words in large, bold letters, replacing the last scene. With my eyes widening in shock, I blurted out,
“Are you kidding me?”
Hold on. “Thanks for playing?” Does that mean it’s the end? This isn’t a game that tenderly melts the player’s heart before ending; instead, it boils it over with fury?
If this is how it ends, what about Miyuki? Is she left heartbroken, grieving alone? And what of the other heroines, Renka and Hiyori? Were they simply being cast aside?
I was promised a delightful rom-com. A genre where, despite some conflicts, the protagonist and the heroine ultimately discover love. But this absurd ending? Even the most frustrating rom-com wouldn’t end this way...
Was this designed just to annoy the players? Is the author some kind of sadist?
No sane person would endorse such a distasteful final DLC*.
“This is madness.”
If they desired an open ending, they should have at least shut Tetsuya up. I could have found solace in shaping my own positive conclusions, but now... nothing but negative thoughts clouded my mind. Did I really endure this agonizingly obtuse protagonist, far more infuriating than any other visual novel, just for this...?
Although it was not a popular game, I was mesmerized by its captivating art and suspenseful romance.
I wholeheartedly invested myself in it, empathizing with Tetsuya, projecting my feelings onto him, and eagerly counting the days till the release of various DLCs. I even purchased a poster of a game for the first time. And then, this betrayal? Don’t they have any remorse?
If they planned on delivering such a tragic conclusion for the heroines, they might as well have transformed it into an adult game, generously sprinkling it with fan-service scenes. Then, I could have at least abandoned empathy and indulged in the erotic elements. But this…
In stunned disbelief, I quit ‘Doki Doki Academy’, or ‘Dokiaca’ for short. I then drafted a fiery review on the developer’s site.
Never had I been this infuriated or written such a critique. This game meant so much to me, and this ending felt like a slap in the face. Rom-coms are supposed to be sweet, but this left a sour note. It felt like the worst gaming experience.
Finishing up, I noticed it was already dark outside.
Excited about the release of the DLC with the ending, I guess I didn’t even notice the time passing as I immersed myself in each sentence and graphic art.
Annoyed, I drew the curtains and sank into my bed.
‘Ugh.’
Playing this game was probably the biggest regret of my life.
But what could I have done differently? I never saw this coming.
‘Still, it had its moments...’
Had they made a decent ending, it would have been a guaranteed hit... Those damn fools... As I tried to forcefully calm my agitated heart, my gaze fell on the posters of the three heroines displayed on the wall.
Miyuki, Renka, and Hiyori. Truly beautiful heroines. If they hadn’t fallen for an imbecile like Tetsuya... they could have found happiness...
One ending had reduced my beloved game to garbage. The betrayal was beyond comprehension. Now I understand why this game never gained popularity. It was the developers’ oversight.
With a heavy sigh, I settled in for the night.
I was so enraged I thought sleep would elude me, but surprisingly, I slipped into a deep slumber. My mind, it seemed, was utterly exhausted from the emotional turmoil.
Well, that’s better. Let’s forget this crappy game as soon as possible.
And with that, I drifted into a deep sleep—
‘Miyuki... Renka... Hiyori... I feel so sorry for you…’
—While anxiously muttering the names of the three heroines who met an undeserved fate.
︵‿︵‿୨ * ୧‿︵‿︵
{ Devil: DLC: "DLC" stands for "Downloadable Content." It refers to additional content that can be downloaded for a video game, often after the game's initial release.}