A sharp-tongued, softhearted, initially world-weary young master bottom x an upright-to-a-fault, hot nerd drifter bookworm top (who can fight, though)
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There's always one classic young-master cannon fodder in a noble academy novel.
They're usually in love with the main character top. Jealous of the resilient, sweet little flower bottom who has caught his eye, they bully and torment him at every turn, only to be brutally put in their place by the main character top.
The cannon-fodder bottom *** awakens on the eve of the main character bottom's enrollment at an elite high school.
According to the plot, at the welcome dance after the school year begins, he'll deliberately choose the main character bottom as his dance partner, setting off on the path of a villain.
On the night of the dance, he looks at the main character bottom, pure and innocent as a little white rabbit, and the main character top, whose gaze is glued to him. Bored, the bottom scans the room and stops at the second male lead standing beside the main character bottom.
"I'll dance with him."
*
The second male lead *** (top) is another stock supporting character, built entirely from clichés.
His main purpose is to act as the main character bottom's knight, protecting him until the main character top appears, and then keep protecting him as a backup love interest.
One day, while passing the time, the bottom can't help mocking him. "It's easy being a character on a page. You can watch the person you like fool around with someone else and still stay so calm."
"You talk and act like a block of wood, no wonder the main character bottom doesn't like you."
The top adjusts his black-rimmed glasses and asks, looking confused, "What's the main character bottom?"
"Are you calling me a character on a page?"
The bottom scoffs. "Just pretend I was talking in my sleep."
*
In the original novel, the second male lead learns to fight so he can protect the main character bottom.
At first, the bottom doesn't pay much attention.
Until rumors start spreading around school about a legendary freshman fighter.
He stands up for the wronged and steps in to help, refusing to tolerate any kind of bullying. In a short time, he makes enemies of the school's aristocratic elite, A, B, C, D, and E.
And this freshman is supposedly getting pretty close to the bottom lately.
The bottom hears the news: ...
Why is he doing everything the main character bottom was supposed to do? Is he crazy?
The bottom orders the top again and again to behave himself at school, warning that one day even he won't be able to protect him.
Then a bullying scandal breaks out at school, and the top gets involved without hesitation.
The bottom gets dragged into it, too.
After someone pranks them and leaves him and the top locked in the school shower room under running water for nearly an hour, the bottom finally loses his temper. He pushes away the top, who's trying to dry his face with a towel.
"Are you a machine?! Do you have no feelings at all? Do you enjoy being made a fool of? From now on, do whatever you want. I can't believe I was stupid enough to hang around with someone like you instead of dealing with what's important..."
Before he can finish, someone grabs his wrist.
The top says quietly, "I'm not a machine, and neither are you. We're real people, not side characters in someone else's life. Why are you fighting your true feelings? I know you're not a bad person."
As the bottom's eyes widen in shock, he hears the top add:
"Also, I don't like xxx (the main character bottom)."
*
The top knew he was a supporting character in a novel when he was thirteen.
The first time he saw the bottom, he knew he'd met someone like himself.
Theme: Everyone is the protagonist of their own world.
