The Protagonist
Huh? Where am I? The surroundings are pitch-black, and I can't seem to recall how I got here. The last thing I remember is having dinner... Did I doze off on the couch?
As I navigate through the darkness, a familiar face emerges before me – the protagonist of the Doki Doki Literature Club.
"You...!"
He greets me with a smile. "Hello."
"Your character design is the worst!"
He seems taken aback. "Huh, What do you mean?"
"I mean, seriously? Short, dark brown hair, pale skin, and the exact same height as Monika?"
He chuckles. "Well, it's not like I had much say in the matter. Are you from another world?"
"You could say that..."
He nods. "Interesting. So, how did it feel to become the main character?"
"To be honest, it's a mix of feeling awful and intriguing, given the context of this game."
With a snap of his fingers, the dark void around us transforms into a classroom.
"Oh? You can manipulate this too?"
"Sort of. I just utilized a command before you deleted Monika."
Right, toward the end of the game, the protagonist becomes aware of Monika's actions...
This protagonist was designed to embody the typical traits of visual novel protagonists. He's straightforward with Sayori, his childhood friend; teases Natsuki, the tsundere; displays warmth toward Yuri, the shy girl; and stumbles around Monika, the popular girl. According to Dan Salvato, he was intentionally given minimal focus.
He does his best to assist even when he's out of his depth, like his attempts to understand and alleviate Sayori's depression.
The one aspect I appreciate about him is his commitment to keeping promises; he pushes himself harder when others are relying on him.
"Are you some kind of wizard?"
"What? What do you mean?"
"I mean, I've been observing your interactions, and you managed to confront Monika without triggering Sayori's tragic scene."
He's referring to that critical scene I avoided.
"Well, in a way... maybe? But not quite. Even though I'm essentially bending the system."
"I see... Anyway, it's good to finally have a conversation with you."
"Is there something you want to discuss?"
He nods. "Quite a bit, actually. First off, I wanted to express my gratitude for saving Sayori – avoiding that scene and giving her the attention she needs."
"No need to mention it. A fragment of her 'depression' code is still present somewhere in the files."
"Code? Files?"
Oh no, I've revealed too much.
"Um, disregard that! I meant that she's still struggling, but having me here seems to help."
"Understood. Moving on, I want you to be aware that Yuri has a fascination with knives. In the final act, she will attempt to end her life by stabbing herself. You must ensure that doesn't happen."
"I'm well aware of that."
It's rather heartbreaking to think that Monika is the only character who doesn't develop a romantic interest in the protagonist – instead, she falls for the player controlling him.
"Really? That's a relief." He sighs in relief. "By the way, just because you're a 'wizard,' it doesn't mean you won't misuse your power, right?"
"Absolutely not..."
"That's reassuring."
"However, let me be clear: I also want to escape this place and return to my world."
"Ah, of course... you're not originally from this reality." He taps his chin thoughtfully. "How about this: You will help the girls, and I'll help you get out in this world."
"If helping me means you'll aid me in exiting this game, then it's a deal."
"Excellent... I was a bit apprehensive that you might be someone reckless who would exploit their powers without thought, but it seems my worries were unfounded."
"No worries. Leave the girls to me; I'll make sure they're safe."
He smiles and nods. "Thank you, Maki."
"Yeah."
Just then, a notification pinged in my ear. "Who's messaging me now?" I swiped the air, revealing a panel.
"Hm? What are you doing? Why are you swiping the air?" The protagonist looked at me with confusion.
Could he not see these panels?
"N-Nothing, could you turn around for a moment?"
"...S-sure?" He hesitantly turned around.
"Thank you~" I focused on the panel and clicked the ping notification. A new email appeared.
From: Monika
To: Maki
Subject: Where are you?
I can't find you at school. It's already 10 AM in the morning. Aren't you supposed to be in school? Are you still sleeping?
Wait, it's 10 in the morning?! I quickly closed the system panel and patted the protagonist's shoulders.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"I need to get out of this ASAP!"
"Huh? Get out?"
"I'm late for school!"
"Oh... You're late..."
I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Get. Me. Out!"
"O-Okay, okay!" He cleared his throat. "Please clench your teeth."
"Huh? What do you mean?! Are you going to punch me!?"
"Here I go...!" He clenched his fist and then punched me in the face, causing me to wake up back to reality.
I immediately opened my eyes, sitting up in my bed. "Gah! He actually punched me!"
But more importantly, I need to get to school! I quickly prepared myself and rushed out to make it on time.