THE DEBUT (II) [BONUS CHAPTER]

After hastily tidying himself up, I changed into a comfortable moon-white pajama set. I washed and hung up my dirty clothes, but instead of heading straight to bed like I usually do, I sat down at my desk, taking out a notebook and a pen.

I tapped the pen against my chin, lost in thought.

There were many works targeted or liked by women that could be adapted to this world. After some consideration, I opened my notebook and began writing down several titles on the blank paper.

"Pride and Prejudice," "Descendants of the Sun," "Dreams of the Red Chamber," "Tokyo Love Story," "The Notebook"...

The paper was soon filled with nearly a dozen names of popular dramas from Western, Japan, China, and South Korea.

I paused, looking down at the names I had written, contemplating.

My index finger gently tapped the desk, the sound crisp in the silent night. The desk lamp was on as if accompanying me in my efforts.

Chinese, and Korean dramas could be adapted, but the difficulty is too high! 

It would be better for me to get familiar with the patterns first. For my debut work, it was better to be cautious. Realistically I only have two options. Which are Western or Japanese as they are the most I am familiar with. 

Let's go with the Japanese as they are more culturally similar to the Naruto universe.

 Thinking this, I decisively crossed out the names of Chinese and Korean, western dramas like " Dreams of the Red Chamber ", "Descendants of the Sun", and "the notebook" with a light stroke of my pen, without hesitation.

Now, only four Japanese dramas remained: "Tokyo Love Story," "Love Next Door," "Terms for a Witch," and "Love Generation.". seeing that there were only four options left. The choice seemed much simpler.

I tapped the pen on the words "Tokyo Love Story" twice, as I contemplate the significant task it is going to be and if it is worth the reward, after some thinking I said excitedly, "OK, it's decided!"

When it came to "Tokyo Love Story," I was quite familiar. I had watched the entire series without skipping a single episode.

I remembered a comment I had seen posted under the final episode by ballsdeep69 : "A girl's impulsive heart is bound to lead to disappointment"

However, Rika's imperfect ending deeply tugged at the heartstrings of many be it girls or boys. The brave girl who pursued love, even if she failed, could face life with a gentle smile.

"Tokyo Love Story" was one of the most classic Japanese dramas, a father-level masterpiece of Japanese television, The title of "the ancestor of romance" given to it by netizens was well-deserved for its beautiful story.

The frenzy it caused across Asia was indescribable, and even the other classics "Love Rondo" and "The 101st Proposal," couldn't compare.

Adapted from the manga of the same name by Fumi Saimon, the drama depicted the realistic love stories of men and women in the city.

With a solid fan base from the manga and Saimon herself writing the script, coupled with strong casting, the series resonated deeply with audiences upon its release in Japan, garnering high praise.

The drama was a huge hit in Japan, setting a record for the highest TV ratings at the time. Other dramas and variety shows in the same time slot were left far behind.

Later, the series expanded beyond Japan, becoming a cultural export to the world. Such an outstanding work would be perfect as a debut novel.

Moreover, I was confident it would sell well! The series had a strong topic: Rika. The character of Rika was very likable.

She embodied the ideal image of a wife that men desired: gentle, intelligent, and graceful, yet capable of making sacrifices when necessary.

At the same time, Rika symbolized modern women's freedom, with her bold declaration of "I love you" showing her courage, resilience, and refusal to give in.

Such a "complex" female character, vividly brought to life in front of the public, would likely attract not only the female market but also some male readers.

The thought of my work being the topic of countless women's post-dinner conversations made me slightly excited! I had already imagined the title of my book: simple and straightforward, called "The Love Story of the Leaf Village."

Simple, straightforward, and relatable— I couldn't help but exclaim, "I'm such a genius!"

However, excitement aside, I knew that the real applause would come after the book was published. Thinking it over, I relying on the skill system memory protection, began to outline the plot of "Tokyo Love Story," slowly bringing it to life on paper.

In summary, it was a story of a complicated love polygon, where the female lead, Rika, gracefully exits, and the other characters pair up.

First, the workplaces of the main characters needed to be adjusted. In the original work, several characters worked at a sports equipment company, but in the Naruto universe, war was the main theme, and any peaceful activities were rare. I decisively changed the sports equipment company to a common shinobi tools shop in the village.

As for the male lead, Kanji Nagao, I didn't particularly like or dislike him. Although he abandoned the gentle and lovely Rika, it was for the sake of following his first love. I didn't deliberately "demonize" the character, instead changing him to a simple and honest young man from a rural town in the Land of Fire who came to work at the Leaf Village shinobi tools shop.

When it came to the female lead, Akana Rika, I paused after writing her name, tapping the pen against my forehead. Rika was the essence of the entire work and couldn't be taken lightly.

After thinking for a while, I decided to change Rika's background to that of a merchant family. She had traveled the world with her family since childhood and now settled in the Leaf Village, becoming a gentle and kind employee at the shinobi tools shop.

People who traveled and traded often had a sharp and brave nature, which fit well with Rika's character traits. Satisfied, with my work around for her character I continued to modify the other characters.

Natsuki Kashiwagi, with his mature charm and keen insight, was perfectly suited to be the branch manager of the shinobi tools shop.

As for Satomi Sekiguchi, she was from the same place as Kanji. She had a strong sense of cleanliness, was self-deprecating, passive, and had a strong maternal instinct, fitting the mold of a traditional "family-type" woman. In the original work, she was a kindergarten teacher.

so I decided to set her as a teacher at the Leaf Village kindergarten, from a relatively wealthy family that once ran a brothel.

I couldn't help but pause, shaking my head. No matter how you looked at it, Satomi Sekiguchi was an unlikable character, so selfish. In comparison, Rika truly was a goddess.

Naoko Nagasaki became a well-bred lady from a prominent family in the Leaf Village, working at the Leaf Hospital.

Ken'ichi Mikami, a young man coming to the Leaf Village to study medicine, had a somewhat wild and flirtatious personality.

..........

Relying on my subconscious memory, I not only adapted the characters from "Tokyo Love Story" into "The Love Story of the Leaf Village" but also enriched some of their backgrounds.

In addition, I outlined the plot and wrote the beginning. Seeing that it was getting late, I finally got up and went to bed.