[Plans have changed. The opening date is undecided, but it will begin after I finish the natural disaster story.]
Blurb:
I'm a once-famous manga artist who made a splash with one book, then flopped with every series after it. Now I'm behind on rent and about to be evicted next week.
Just then, my rival proposed a bet: if my next work flops too, she'll give me 100,000 a month. But if it becomes a hit, I have to give her most of the earnings.
Me: What kind of money is so hard to launder?
Her: ?
Me: Do I really not have to eat shit? I don't feel comfortable taking this money.
·
The first two weeks of writing went smoothly. I flopped spectacularly.
Until I transmigrated into this manga.
It's a world infected by blue butterflies.
The story takes place more than two hundred years after the apocalypse. To survive and reproduce, humanity's survivors have to risk infection by the butterfly virus and go aboveground in search of resources.
During one expedition aboveground, the protagonist, Zai He, is callously abandoned by his teammates, and the energy in his protective shield is nearly depleted.
But the first member of the protagonist's party, who was supposed to make an appearance, is nowhere to be seen.
The protagonist looks up stubbornly. "Who are you?"
I say gloomily, "You can call me Red Scarf."
Then I kick him hard and send him flying to an underground entrance more than ten kilometers away.
I know all too well how fatal it is when a work's opening and later style don't match.
I'd built up a dark, tragic atmosphere, only to suddenly crack jokes at this point. Surely readers would be completely turned off...
Readers: So this is a comedy manga? It does seem kind of weird, but... (That was weird. Let's take another look.)
Readers: Marking my spot. I'll guess the new character is a powerful big shot.
I muddle through.
Readers: Hidden brilliance.
I make trouble everywhere.
Readers: There's a method to the madness.
A character acting out of character is foreshadowing; a scattered plot is an expansive structure; a detour from the main story means the real story is beginning; a chaotic style is a bold subversion.
Readers: That's such an unconventional approach! Is the author crazy?
Me: You can praise this? Are you people crazy?
As you can see, the manga world is probably doomed.
One day, the protagonist died in front of me.
·
After the manga became a huge hit, fans called me a genius, social media praised my bold advances, and haters said I was mentally abnormal, psychologically twisted, and perverted.
Everyone thought it was a new-century performance art piece. No one believed I was simply an idiot who'd been spoiled by all the praise.
·
I should have known from the start. This manga had a mind of its own.
After the protagonist died, passersby began doing things that weren't in the outline. Then the scenery in the new map started to differ from what I'd imagined...
By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late.
The dark version of the old plot I'd rejected resurfaced.
At the same time, the friend who had been discussing travel plans with me just yesterday suddenly disappeared.
Everyone says she's been dead for a long time.
But I know that's not true, because my room is full of blue butterflies.
·
Reader's guide:
1. Please don't spoil anything. Extreme comments are prohibited. Don't mention other authors' works under my story, and don't mention my work under other authors' stories.
2. I want to test an idea by trying a POV narrative. There's a very high chance it won't work. If you don't like it, feel free to stop reading; no need to let me know.
Theme: A friend comes from afar, then gets whipped dozens of times and driven into a separate courtyard.
