It's interesting that all three nonRemus are using models to represent someone in a way that isn't accurate to the real person, while Remu is using Azuki and her models in a way that doesn't validate how Azuki relates to the models.

Ooohh, I love that, good catch..!

Others posted about this earlier with previous chapters, so it's not really my catch. We do learn this chapter that Niji's version of Remu essentially has a different personality, rather than simply being Remu fan fiction. Remu wouldn't act like that even if she did like Niji. Niji seems to distinguish between real and fictional events, but is hazy on Remu's true personality.

The plot thickeeeeens yeees. This is so good every chapter.

this is too great of a template not to have a little fun with

it's interesting that Remu is turning out to be the most psychologically and emotionally stable one of the cast. It also felt like that, thru the gravitational pull that she exerts on Azuki, she could help Azuki overcome the hurt that she experienced from Meguru.

I think the question then just becomes how Niji and Meguru will react to those versions of Remu and Azuki, respectively.

You make a good point with the "She seems to be really into Remu, really, really into" part. The way the story is unfolding, along with the cliffhangers, the author makes it so we can feel unsettled by this realization and view it in a creepy way. But as you mentioned, Niji seems to be genuinely into Remu, and her behavior, especially her crashing towards her, is presented in an obsessive way. However, as you suggested, it might just be Niji's coping mechanism to feel a bit closer to Remu. That's how I interpreted it, and if that's the case, Usui Shio's writing and presentation of the story are really well done. But feel free to correct me if I'm wrong; I sometimes misinterpret things. ^_^

This work of Usui sensei's is the only work I can remember their characters because of their quirky obsessions ヽ(๏∀๏ )ﾉ

Niji got a lot more sympathetic to me this chapter, as we see how her fiction is a coping mechanism for an unpleasant life entirely outside her control. She seems like a pretty normal queer teenager to me tbh, while I wasn't this girl in school I knew a couple just like her. And she's not fully delusional or incapable of separating fiction from reality, she draws the distinction herself in the classroom, reminding herself that Remu's not tired because the events of her story. While she's almost certainly due for a very unpleasant crash due to Remu's private life clashing so badly with Niji's fiction, I didn't see anything the chapter indicating she's dangerous or unhinged or anything like that. I think it's possible for her to adapt and get through it. Maybe she's even the author insert lol, her fate will be to write Remu and Azuki's story.

You're right about her able to distinguish herself from reality. She seems to have an unfortunate family background, being the only daughter to take care of her mom because her mom isn't able to take care of herself..
Thank you for being sympathetic to Niji. When I thought about Niji and think of her as a real person, she might be the quiet one who would just sit on her place and busy with her own stuff, writing her stories. That doesn't sound weird, or wrong to me.
I think the only part people feels Niji's love is 'disgusting' is because she fantasizes herself and Remu a non-existent relationship in the world she writes about.

Remu is at least the character least likely to react badly to someone posting this type of fiction about her online. She is fairly carefree and accepting. She also probably prefers this to someone thinking she's strange or bad.

Hmm.. I don't think that might be the case, but who knows?╮(╯_╰)╭
Knowing Remu might be understanding about Niji's obsession and able to accept who she is since she herself has a lewd obsession about figurine, and might end up telling Niji about her own obsession to her, and said "I don't find you disgusting.."
But still, being the MC of someone's stories without consent, will Remu finds it disgusting? What will happen if she one day finds out about the fictional stories that are posted online and read them by herself, will she feel nauseous about it?
Imagine being the MC of the fictional stories and how Niji wrote about all her inner thoughts and how she wanted to treat Remu in another world...

it's interesting that Remu is turning out to be the most psychologically and emotionally stable one of the cast. It also felt like that, thru the gravitational pull that she exerts on Azuki, she could help Azuki overcome the hurt that she experienced from Meguru.

And yes, I agree with your findings.
Remu seems to be the one who turns out to be the most psychological and emotionally stable out of all the characters appear in this manga.

Oh Usui sensei's works are getting better.
Hope to read more of it soon.

last edited at Feb 21, 2025 12:58PM

Clever girl, made the connection and quickly found a way to confirm her suspicions.

And dammit, Niji... Confirmed full delusional yandere...

I don't expect Remu to -like- that Niji is posting these stories. However, the parallel between Azuki's situation and Nijis should be obvious. She has however many years of trust and connection with Niji. She's not going to want to turn Niji into the next Azuki by being shamed by possibly Niji's first love, nor is Remu going to want Niji to be stigmatized like she was.

If we have problems, I expect the it to start on Niji's end, like the art in the bonus chapter art indicates. Niji and Meguru are really the antagonists of this story, as far as specific characters go. They are very sympathetic in terms of their backstories. They are however willing to act out their trauma on others, compared Azuki and Remu who hide or blame themselves.

last edited at Feb 21, 2025 3:11PM

i also don't think Remu would have issues with somebody writing and publishing fiction closely based on her — or even some cliché twisted version of her.
After all, she's having somebody craft dolls literally based off of her own body.

what i do think she might take issue with — given her family history, and given who her new sister is — is being doxxed.

Well, Remu did consent to being the model. That makes a difference with this kind of thing. The nonconventionality of it isn't the part that would be an issue for her.

The public nature of it is indeed the biggest issue, along with her seeming unwillingness to consider that Remu might not like her that. Both of these could create a lot of problems in a way a private journal or even a story with the names changed wouldn't.

It's not clear how recognizable the stories would be, but they seem to involve real places they have been. It potentially could be pieced together by someone. Given that's the most dramatic and harmful possibility, it seems like an event that will happen at some point. At least, that's one way this could go, but it's hard to predict where this story will end up.

last edited at Feb 21, 2025 7:57PM

Well, Remu did consent to being the model. That makes a difference with this kind of thing. The nonconventionality of it isn't the part that would be an issue for her.

The public nature of it is indeed the biggest issue, along with her seeming unwillingness to consider that Remu might not like her that. Both of these could create a lot of problems in a way a private journal or even a story with the names changed wouldn't.

It's not clear how recognizable the stories would be, but they seem to involve real places they have been. It potentially could be pieced together by someone. Given that's the most dramatic and harmful possibility, it seems like an event that will happen at some point. At least, that's one way this could go, but it's hard to predict where this story will end up.

Not to put words in anyones mouth, I think its the original "model" for the figure also having been a real person that sets the precedent that this wouldn't be AS immediately offensive to her. That Said yeah the fanfiction being posted publicly (by name!) would absolutely make this a bigger deal. Not necessarily DIRECTLY friendship-ruining (Remu feels like she could shrug off a lot) but enough to cause a fairly serious argument at least.

("Directly friendship ruining" inasmuch as like, the fact that RPFF (real person friend-fiction :p) is being written might not necessarily do it, but the presence of the distorted "fictionalized crush" Remu that, while distinguishable, is in perceptual conflict with the actual living person to Niji could rot things if not adequately addressed. Even if the fanfiction itself gets sorted out.)

last edited at Feb 21, 2025 9:33PM

For me, the main in-story conflict of what Niji is doing isn't even the consent or her posting it online*, it's that she has considers her fictional Remu something she only has to interact with real Remu long enough to uncover. Azuki knows she can't force the IRL Meguru into what she wishes had happened, so she settles for sculpting a simulacrum. Niji wants to sculpt the real person.

This plot arc actually just reminded me that when I was in high school one of my weirder friends actually did write RPF about me. It wasn't self insert, she instead wrote me with a guy, which I was unhappy about (none of us were out to reach other yet despite almost the entire friend group being gay), and I could imagine it being friendship ruining for a more normal person? But given that the biggest problem I had with it was something I was keeping a secret from her (the issue of sexuality), I ended up feeling inclined to be sympathetic and accept an apology as long as she took it down from her blog.

...I did still kinda look at her like "damn girl you're much weirder than I thought you were" afterwards though, to be honest.

last edited at Feb 22, 2025 9:16AM

did you ever come out to her?

Clearly they were both gay, with the story having been written about their presumed straight love interest to try to force themselves to move, and then- hang on, we're not supposed to post these online.

@ Gutterslob

Not to put words in anyones mouth, I think its the original "model" for the figure also having been a real person that sets the precedent that this wouldn't be AS immediately offensive to her.

I think this too. It's obviously different when it's about -you- rather than someone you've never met, but I don't think she would in general think less of someone who did this.

did you ever come out to her?

Unfortunately no, for reasons too personal to get into (unrelated to RPF)

last edited at Feb 22, 2025 6:15PM

Yeah, Remu ultimately does seem like the most stable because her trauma mostly relates to rejection, and she isn't obsessed with a specific person or thing. She's still pretty traumatized, but ultimately the trauma results from something that happened to her as the result of her fetish, and isn't the cause of it, nor is her fetish consuming the entirety of her life. In an ideal world for her she'd live her life as a student and periodically when she feels horny she'd go lick a figure.

ch08's pages are in the wrong order

Edit: Also whoa, this one hit close to home. In lieu of safewords, let me default back to snarky yappings: Can confirm, people tourists taking selfies with their plushies is something I definitely observed.

last edited at Mar 23, 2025 5:37AM

oh i hadnt realized it was in the wrong order, but now the drama continues even more. the sister is about to drive in that hook and hard

This shit is fucking depressing

That drunk text will be like a nuke for Azuki

Now this is making things more interesting...

Such a great setup.

I think it's a little sad how Meguru's trauma prevented her from seeing that Azuki's sexual feelings for her were an expression of the deeper love she felt for Meguru as a person. Azuki obviously had deeper feelings for Meguru that extend well beyond surface level attraction, and it's those feelings that seem to have drove her sexual desires (and now fetishization) of Meguru. Sadly, most of Meguru's experiences around sexual desire have been physical in nature and seemingly destructive, and Azuki isn't the best at expressing herself directly and openly, and thus we end up in the situation we're in here.
A little communication could've solved this, and maybe Azuki and Meguru would happily be dating and living together now, but that kind of communication is a lot to expect from a pair of teens, one traumatized and one lacking in social skills (potentially autistic? Azuki feels autism-coded to me)

Tea