Forum › Love triangle where the 3rd girl/guy is only there to cause trouble for the MC and their relationship

joined Dec 19, 2016

I'm looking for a specific kind of love triangle. The MC has someone they like and/or date, then this third person appears and causes problems in their relationship. Maybe it's misunderstandings or maybe the girl the MC likes starts to develop feelings for the other girl. The person their to cause conflict is always going after the one who the MC likes and never the mc themselves. The mc and the girl they like end up together at the end. It can be as angsty and drama filled as long as the main couple ends up together. The mc can go through depression/anger/the whole nine years, but I want a happy ending.

1st girl (mc) x 2nd girl (love interest) >>>>>> 3rd girl or guy here to cause conflict.

3rd girl or guy likes 2nd girl (love interest). 2nd girl might develop feelings for him/her at first, but in the end...

1st girl (mc) x 2nd girl (love interest) end up together.

I'm probably asking for too specific, but it would be great if something similar to what I'm looking for is found.

Completed works please.

last edited at Jan 17, 2017 11:33AM

Vegitab%20profile%20pic%20smoll%20tumblr
joined Sep 21, 2014

The person their to cause conflict is always going after the one who the MC likes and never the mc themselves.

Uh, so like, a rival to mc's love I guess?
It's so weird cus I feel like, as many criteria you give, I feel like it's a generic enough kind of love triangle, but then a lot of the smaller details start entering in conflict with whatever suggestions I might have, like

  • The MC has someone they like and/or date
  • then this third person appears and causes problems
  • always going after the one who the MC likes and never the mc themselves.

Cus I mean
Sometimes, mc doesn't already have feelings in the beginning
Sometimes, the third person is already there, or that the person the MC likes already likes someone else (that is already there)
Sometimes, rather than a rival, the third person likes the mc (which you listed as a no-no) like a perfect love triangle)
Sometimes, the MC is actually the "third person" LOL, entering the story and getting the girl's interest
Sometimes, MC and the third person fall for each other LOL
Sometimes, everyone is already "there", but MC likes the 'third person' (who likes the other girl of the main "air") and then MC uh gets involved with the other girl
So like, in a way, it felt like a simple challenge, but it wasn't haha, I can't remember anything

23519190_1784036034940610_3865802561690641399_n
joined Oct 4, 2016

Here's some trivia that is kinda sorta related to the topic, which you may find of some amusement.

So you know the traditional Harlequin romance novels, right? Especially the historical ones? Those things are formulaic as fuck.

This isn't a slam or an opinion. You can actually write the publisher of those romances and they will send you a document detailing the criteria which your submissions MUST follow if you want to submit a manuscript for consideration to be published as a romance novel. And they are VERY particular. Stuff like the heroine must be between 18-22 years of age, the hero has to be older but no more than 10 years older, the heroine must be fiesty and free-spirited, etc etc.

Of partial relevance to this thread is the requirement that:

-Any sidekicks of either the hero or the heroine must be unmistakably NOT a rival for the hero's/heroine's affections. That is, if the heroine has a female sidekick, there cannot be ANYTHING in the story which might lead the reader to suspect that she's making a play for the hero, or that the hero might have feelings for the sidekick. Similar remarks apply for any male sidekicks the hero may have.

-Any character who IS an obvious romantic rival for the hero/heroine must very clearly and unambiguously be a bad guy/gal.

Always thought that was interesting.

Nezchan Moderator
Meiling%20bun%20150px
joined Jun 28, 2012

Harlequin is pretty well known for their strict guidelines, and can be pretty demanding about the sex scenes too. In a way that's fine since if you can get a lock on the formula, you've got a pretty good shot at getting published on a regular basis, and the reader knows just what they're getting into when they pick one up. In a sort of McDonalds sort of way, of course.

23519190_1784036034940610_3865802561690641399_n
joined Oct 4, 2016

Yep. Romance novels are far and away the largest selling genre of fiction in the US. It's not even close. And publishers like Harlequin and Zebra (which is probably a Harleqin imprint for all I know) have that shit down to an exact science. They know what their audience wants, and that's what they provide. Month in, month out, like clockwork.

Nezchan Moderator
Meiling%20bun%20150px
joined Jun 28, 2012

Yep. Romance novels are far and away the largest selling genre of fiction in the US. It's not even close. And publishers like Harlequin and Zebra (which is probably a Harleqin imprint for all I know) have that shit down to an exact science. They know what their audience wants, and that's what they provide. Month in, month out, like clockwork.

I dunno if they still do it, but Harlequin used to sell subscriptions to their stuff. It's reliable.

More relevant to this site (and yet still massively off-topic for this discussion) I find myself facepalming at the Romance newsletter from Goodreads, in that it never has lesbian stuff. Loads of gay male in the with the het, but in the time I've been getting it I have yet to see anything featuring girl-girl relationships. Not lesbian, not bi, nuttin'.

joined Dec 19, 2016

Hmmmmm, I didn't think my request would start a debate. XD

Nezchan Moderator
Meiling%20bun%20150px
joined Jun 28, 2012

Not sure I'd call it a debate, since we're not actually disagreeing on anything. But it is interesting, you'll admit.

1461894977557
joined Jun 12, 2015

Citrus.

joined Dec 19, 2016

Citrus.

Yeah, I have that on my list. I need to put completed ones please.

joined Dec 19, 2016

Found one of my own. Sentimental Dust has that.

MC likes her best friend. Best friend starts dating this teacher. You find out the teacher was fucked over by a girl who married some guy. The teacher does the same thing to the best friend. The MC and best friend get together, and for some god knows reason stay friends with the awful teacher.

If anyone has anymore, please post.

last edited at Jan 17, 2017 8:03PM

joined Nov 27, 2016

They end up together?! When, did you find raws?

joined Dec 19, 2016

They end up together?! When, did you find raws?

Yeah awhile back.

Asukaoriii
joined Jul 24, 2015

I can only think of Girl x Girl x Boy for now.

Edit: Fragments of Love (the pairing from the Love & Piece chapters, they have an ambiguous end tho), Himitsu, Hitotsu, Love Vibes (can't really remember much of this), Itoshi wo Tome, Mermaid Line (Megumi and Aoi's chapters, they don't really end up together tho, it's like they end together but as friends lol), Rain and First Love (the guy doesn't even show up in it tho), The Papaya Gang (the yuri pairing is Chieri and Mika, they end up together but one of them basically sleeps around with guys all the time and the other one forgives her).

Sorry I put spoilers it was more like a warning so you can't be disappointed. Also, it's all kinds of different settings since it's really hard to find something that fit your specific scenarios.

last edited at Jan 17, 2017 11:46PM

joined Dec 19, 2016

I can only think of Girl x Girl x Boy for now.

Edit: Fragments of Love (the pairing from the Love & Piece chapters, they have an ambiguous end tho), Himitsu, Hitotsu, Love Vibes (can't really remember much of this), Itoshi wo Tome, Mermaid Line (Megumi and Aoi's chapters, they don't really end up together tho, it's like they end together but as friends lol), Rain and First Love (the guy doesn't even show up in it tho), The Papaya Gang (the yuri pairing is Chieri and Mika, they end up together but one of them basically sleeps around with guys all the time and the other one forgives her).

Sorry I put spoilers it was more like a warning so you can't be disappointed. Also, it's all kinds of different settings since it's really hard to find something that fit your specific scenarios.

I actually didn't like Girl x Girl x Boy because I felt bad for the guy at the end.

Himitsu, Hitotsu - Yeah, I didn't care for that. The ending sucked. She didn't get her friend sadly.

Love Vibes - Yeah, I read that recently. It was okay. They were both kinda fickle, but they were together at the end.

Rain and First Love - I liked that.

I mean, as long as it's a love triangle where the MC gets the girl she wanted from the start, then it doesn't have to be exact.

last edited at Jan 18, 2017 1:00AM

Asukaoriii
joined Jul 24, 2015

Himitsu, Hitotsu - Yeah, I didn't care for that. The ending sucked. She didn't get her friend sadly.

What I got from Himitsu, Hitotsu's end is that Touko would start cheating on her boyfriend with Rina. So yeah, still not a happy ending, sorry for posting that one.

last edited at Jan 18, 2017 3:12PM

joined Dec 19, 2016

Himitsu, Hitotsu - Yeah, I didn't care for that. The ending sucked. She didn't get her friend sadly.

What I got from Himitsu, Hitotsu's end is that Touko would start cheating on her boyfriend with Rina. So yeah, still not a happy ending, sorry for posting that one.

No worries.

I mean I guess you could look at it like that.

If you have any more, let me know.

joined Jan 16, 2017

Kimi Koi Limit

Though... The main girl is the one who ends up with the 3rd girl at first, and then gets a chance with the girl she originally loved.

Nezchan Moderator
Meiling%20bun%20150px
joined Jun 28, 2012

Maybe 20, 21, although the ending is a bit on the open side (but pretty hopeful).

joined Dec 19, 2016

Maybe 20, 21, although the ending is a bit on the open side (but pretty hopeful).

Yeah I've read that. Yeah it seemed like it was going in the direction considering how hard she was blushing at the end.

Sailor%20moon%20crystal%20-%2027.mkv_snapshot_18.10_[2016.04.14_00.25.11]
joined Jul 21, 2015

Somehow the first thing that comes into my mind is Kannazuki no Miko. The manga isn't available on dynasty tho.

joined Dec 19, 2016

Somehow the first thing that comes into my mind is Kannazuki no Miko. The manga isn't available on dynasty tho.

There also seems to be an anime for it. I'll have to check out both. Thanks.

Yuu
joined Mar 28, 2015

Maybe Strange Babies. Though it's the MC who gets almost seduced.

joined Dec 19, 2016

Maybe Strange Babies. Though it's the MC who gets almost seduced.

Well I'll put that on my list, but I'm looking for completed. Thanks though.

Megu
joined Mar 22, 2014

Maybe Strange Babies. Though it's the MC who gets almost seduced.

Well I'll put that on my list, but I'm looking for completed. Thanks though.

Seeing as how you went to look for raws for Sentimental Dust, I feel like it might be worth pointing out that Strange Babies was long finished as well, but not translated.

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