Chapter 1858: Kazuma Sato's assessment of the "Love Stamping Machine" is inferior to

Chapter 1858: Kazuma Sato's assessment of "Love Metronome" is inferior to that of "White Album".

Touma Kazusa: "Whatever you want."

Touma Kazusa: "Saying 'for a lifetime' is too frivolous."

Touma Kazusa: "I'm not an easy person to get along with, you'd better not regret it."

Touma Kazusa's tone softened considerably, and her last words were merely an awkward warning, as if she were trying to maintain the last vestige of distance between herself and her words.

At the same time, as Ogiso Setsuna looked at these few lines of text, the gentle and tolerant smile on her face instantly melted away like spring snow, blossoming into an even brighter and more heartfelt radiant smile.

She saw the expectation behind Touma Kazusa's words.

"She did not refuse."

This filled Ogiso Setsuna with a warm feeling and a touch of joy.

She immediately replied in a light and sincere tone:
Ogiso Setsuna: "You won't regret it, Kazusa-kun."

Ogiso Setsuna: "I trust my feelings, and isn't it more challenging and meaningful to become friends with someone who seems 'difficult to get along with'?"

Ogiso Setsuna: "Nice to meet you, Kazusa-san. (Smiling.jpg)"

Touma Kazusa: ".Hmph."

Touma Kazusa replied with only a short, ambiguous syllable before her profile picture quickly dimmed again, as if afraid that if she lingered for even a second longer, she would reveal more of her inner turmoil.

But this time, everyone could feel that the "humph" contained less of the previous resistance and more of the embarrassment of being exposed and a hint of indescribable relaxation.

Ogiso Setsuna watched Touma Kazusa "escape" again, but the smile on her face did not fade.

She knew that for someone like Touma Kazusa, to receive such a response was already a remarkable step forward.

"This is a great start."

She said this to herself softly; and the other members in the chat group, seeing the ending of the conversation, all showed knowing smiles.

An ordinary group admin: "However, @Ogiso Setsuna is not just 'Touma Kazusa' from a parallel world in the chat group."

An ordinary group admin: "In your world, there is also a 'Touma Kazusa' who may be alone at this moment, in a music room or some quiet corner, using a cold and aloof exterior to wrap up a heart that also longs for warmth but is afraid of being hurt."

An ordinary group admin said: "She is also waiting, waiting for someone to appear who can see through her disguise, understand her loneliness, and with enough patience and kindness, pull her little by little from the shadow of self-isolation back into the sunlight."

Su Yunqing reminded Ogiso Setsuna.

Although the exact timeline of both is unknown, it is certain that they are both basically before the start of the story; therefore, what awaits Ogiso Setsuna at this moment is not only Touma Kazusa in the chat group, but also Touma Kazusa in her world, who is also waiting for "her".

Su Yunqing's words also reminded Ogiso Setsuna.

Yes, what awaits her is not only "Kazusa-kun" from the parallel world, but also Kazusa-kun from her own world.

Ogiso Setsuna's gaze hardened, and almost without hesitation, she immediately and solemnly responded in the chat group:

Ogiso Setsuna: "Yes! I understand, group owner."

Ogiso Setsuna: "Whether it's Kazusa-san, who showed me another possibility in the chat group, or Kazusa-san in my life."

Setsuna Ogiso: "I want to become friends with all of them!"

Setsuna Ogiso: "It's not the kind of superficial friendship, but a true, lifelong friendship where we can understand and support each other!"

Her tone was filled with an unprecedented determination and strength.

"This may be difficult. Kazusa is so awkward and so good at protecting herself with thorns; but it is precisely because it is difficult that someone needs to try, isn't it?"

"Wait for me, Kazusa-san."

"This time, our story will not end sadly; I will approach you, understand you, and create a brand new future full of sunshine and laughter together in my own way."

Ogiso Setsuna silently made a promise in her heart, a gentle yet incredibly firm smile appearing on her face.

After that, Ogiso Setsuna's avatar dimmed, showing an "offline" status.

Now that she has made up her mind, she must immediately put her promise into action and face and get closer to Touma Kazusa in her world.

As soon as she left, the tension that had been building up in the chat group for the newlyweds' emotions eased.

An ordinary group owner: "Phew, it's finally over."

An ordinary group owner said: "Although we've joined everyday worlds this time, the plot development is no less exciting than those fighting and killing worlds."

An ordinary group admin: "But it's quite interesting."

The ordinary group owner said, "I never expected that among the newcomers who joined the chat group this time would be Touma Kazusa and Ogiso Setsuna."

An ordinary group owner: "Of course, Yukino Yukinoshita was also an exception."

Himouto! Umaru-chan: "Whoa! You're so right!"

Himouto! Umaru-chan: "That 'White Album' memory copy is making my stomach ache!"

Himouto! Umaru-chan: "None of the three were bad people, so why did it end up like that? It's like playing a visual novel where no matter what you choose, you always end up with a bad ending! It's so frustrating!"

Xia Shizi: "This is precisely its 'essence'."

Kasumi Shiko: "The characters are portrayed so realistically that each person's motivations, weaknesses, and helplessness are clearly visible, making it impossible for the audience to simply hate any side."

Kasumi Shiko: "Therefore, all the emotions are transformed into a sense of powerlessness against the capriciousness of 'fate' and 'personality,' as well as anxiety about the characters' repeated missed opportunities, misunderstandings, and wrong choices."

Xia Shizi: "When this anxiety accumulates to a certain extent, it manifests as physical discomfort, which is what is known as 'stomach pain'."

Xia Shizi: "From the perspective of literary creation, this is undoubtedly a great success; but from the perspective of the audience's experience, it is indeed a torment."

Kasumi Shiko: "However, it's hard to say what kind of personality they have in today's market. Whether it's Touma Kazusa, Ogiso Setsuna, or Kitazono Haruki, their personality flaws will be attacked and belittled, which is inevitable."

Kasumi Shiko: "Just like."

Kazuma: "Like your love metronome? But your love metronome wasn't that great to begin with."

Kazuma: "It's not even as good as 'White Album'."

Kazuma: "At least the emotional entanglements in 'White Album' are realistic, making people feel nauseous, and the characters are flesh and blood."

Kazuma and Rentougou: "But 'Love Metronome,' apart from the fact that the text description is quite beautiful and the words are gorgeous, the rest of the content is just following the same old formula!"

Human Head Dog and True: "In the first volume, the male and female protagonists had feelings for each other, but they were so awkward and hesitant to act like that! The male protagonist was like a perfect two-dimensional character, without any sense of realism, and it was impossible to immerse myself in the story."

Kazuma and Rentougou: "Later, in order to create conflict and lengthen the plot, they started to awkwardly introduce new female characters and start the whole political infighting thing. Please, this is such an old trope from so many years ago! There's no originality at all!"

Kazuma: "I really don't understand why Aki Tomoya would give your book such high praise? He's making it sound like a masterpiece."

Kazuma the Headless Dog: "Could it be that he's been watching too many isekai harem movies and suddenly wants to change things up and watch some slice-of-life romance?"

Human Head Dog and True: "Wait a minute, he was praising your earlier book, back when there was no factional strife, just one female lead. Oh, I get it! He wanted to read some light and refreshing romance, but he got tricked by your increasingly formulaic plot later on, right?"

Kazuma Sato recalled his feelings when he watched "Love Metronome".

The female lead's psychological descriptions are fairly delicate, but when it comes to interactions between the male and female leads, it feels awkward, like someone who has never been in a relationship is trying to write a romance. The male lead, on the other hand, seems to have been sculpted from a template, lacking personality and not real.

He did buy the "love metronome" out of curiosity.

After all, there's a popular light novel author in the group, so it's quite interesting to read her works.

And what was the result? The writing style was not bad, but the core of the story and the character development really disappointed him.

He forced himself to watch the entire series, clinging to the hope that "maybe there will be a surprising twist later," only to be met with even deeper clichés and disappointment.

Human Head Dog and Zhen: "In short, your book is only suitable for niche readers who like fancy words and don't care much about the plot; someone like me who pursues plot really doesn't get it at all."

Kazuma: "So, Shiwa-senpai, you shouldn't just criticize others; your own work has its own problems too."

Kazuma Sato's merciless "evaluation" was like a bucket of cold water poured directly onto Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was about to launch into a long speech.

Everyone was amazed when they saw this, never expecting that Kazuma Sato would be so brave.

How dare she say that Kasumigaoka Utaha's book is bad to her face?

Isn't this just asking to be verbally attacked by Kasumigaoka Utaha?
As expected, after seeing Kazuma Sato's comments on her work, Kasumigaoka Utaha gave a cold snort without any mercy.

Xia Shizi: "Heh."

Kasumi Shiko: "I wondered who was spouting nonsense. It turns out to be Sato Kazuma, whose aesthetic sense has been poisoned by those fast-food, template-based 'mass-produced light novels' that only pursue instant gratification, to the point that he can't even appreciate writing that requires a little taste and patience."

Kasumi Shiko: "You're saying the male protagonist lacks personality? Like he was cut from a template?"

Xia Shizi: "That only shows that your reading level is still at the shallow stage where you need characters to use exaggerated words and deeds and deliberately pile up 'attributes' to show their 'personality'."

Kasumi Shiko: "The charm of the male protagonist in 'Love Metronome' lies in his subtle inner changes and growth trajectory, and in the realistic characteristics of teenage boys, which are characterized by their naivety, clumsiness and sincerity."

Kasumi Shiko: "This kind of understated realism that requires quiet contemplation is clearly not something you, who are used to 'invincible in another world' openings and pursue straightforward labels, can understand."

She completely ignored Kazuma Sato's accusation that the "romance descriptions were awkward," instead attributing it to the other party's inability to appreciate the "delicate and realistic" style.

Kasumi Shiko: "As for the so-called 'old tricks' and 'adding female characters to create factional strife,' that's utter nonsense!"

Kasumi Shiko: "The addition of characters is to expand the network of interpersonal relationships and to explore the psychological conflicts and growth dilemmas of the protagonists more deeply."

Xia Shizi: "This is called the construction of 'character arc' and 'dramatic tension,' which is one of the basic techniques of literary creation."

Kasumi Shiko: "In your eyes, any plot development that goes beyond the simple logic of 'invincible from the start and collecting all the concubines' can probably be categorized as 'cliché' and 'boring,' right?"

Kasumi Shiko: "After all, for readers who are only satisfied with sensory stimulation, appreciating the complexity of the characters' inner struggles and emotional entanglements is indeed a luxury."

Kasumi Shiko: "Aki Tomoya's evaluation is based on a profound understanding of the work's core and literary qualities, while your evaluation..."

Kasumi Shiko: "Ha, it's probably only the difference between a gourmet and a palate-deprived person who can only judge a Michelin three-star restaurant as 'delicious' or 'bad'."

Kasumi Shiko: "So, Sato-kun, instead of criticizing my work here, why don't you improve your own level of literary appreciation first?"

Kasumi Shiko: "Or, it's fine to continue indulging in your 'Another World Warriors' and seeking simple pleasures, at least it won't expose your shortcomings in understanding."

Instead of directly defending the plot of her work, Kasumigaoka Utaha adopted a condescending attitude and directly denied Sato Kazuma's "qualification" as a critic.

However, Kazuma Sato didn't seem to care much about it.

Kazuma: "Even if you say that, the flaws in the content won't change."

Kazuma: "Although I've seen a lot of simple and straightforward things like isekai reincarnation, that doesn't mean I haven't seen other things."

Ren Tou Gou and Zhen: "I've watched quite a few works, including campus romance, heartwarming slice-of-life stories, and even some more artistic ones."

Kazuma: "After all, when you're a shut-in in your original world, you have plenty of time."

Kazuma: "That's why I think your 'love metronome' is a big problem."

Kazuma: "You say the male lead is reserved and realistic? But all I saw from beginning to end was an indecisive, slow-witted, and almost unremarkable two-dimensional character except for the label of 'gentle'."

Kazuma: "His 'growth'? Sorry, all I see is him being pushed along by the plot. His so-called inner changes are as pale as background material."

Kazuma: "You said adding female characters is to explore the plot's depth? But I feel like the only reason for these new characters to appear is to give the male protagonist 'choice of choice' and advance the story?"

Ren Tou Gou and Zhen: "The core romance descriptions and the interactions between the male and female protagonists are like two pre-programmed programs following a script. You can't feel any sparks of excitement or natural emotional flow at all."

Human Head Dog and Real: "To put it bluntly, it's 'fake'."

Kazuma and the human-headed dog: "I don't think it's a problem that you've never been in a relationship, and that you're writing romance novels is fine. Maybe you'll even write better ones. But why is the male lead you've imagined so unpredictable?"

(End of this chapter)