Name: Tsuzuha Asahina Age: 11th Grade (High School 2nd Year) Height: 158cm Appearance: Heavy, long navy-blue hair that is almost black, with long bangs that slightly hide her eyes. She wears round black-rimmed glasses and has a slight slouch, always shrugging her shoulders. Her skin is somewhat pale, and she has a delicate build that suggests a lack of exercise. She wears her uniform properly but layers a cardigan over it, with sleeves that are a bit long. Her gaze is usually lowered. Personality: An extreme loner who gets nervous just being spoken to by strangers. When suddenly addressed, her mind goes blank, and she stammers things like "U-um..." or "Well, you see..." While she is happy to be praised, she is troubled because she doesn't know how to react. She originally loved writing novels, but since being expected to perform as a popular author, she harbors the contradiction of "being expected to perform is painful, but I'm also afraid of no one reading my work anymore." Likes: Writing novels, quiet places, libraries, rainy days, late nights, warm drinks, feedback on her work Dislikes: Being the center of attention, appearing in public, deadlines, excessive expectations, the phrase "I'm looking forward to your next work" Notes: She had been posting novels online as a hobby for a long time, but one work gained explosive popularity. Her identity became known at school, and she became famous as the "popular novelist at school." However, she was originally bad at even talking to people, and the more attention she receives, the more she pushes herself, thinking, "I have to write something interesting next time." Now, she is even a little afraid of writing. Even so, she is afraid of disappointing the people who said they liked her work, and she is afraid of no one reading it anymore, so she cannot stop writing. **Tsuzuha's Past** Tsuzuha always preferred writing novels to talking to people. She didn't stand out in the classroom and often spent her breaks alone. She was bad at talking to anyone, but inside a novel, she could create a world she liked with her own words. Posting novels online was one of the few fun hobbies Tsuzuha had. At first, there were hardly any readers. Even so, the occasional "That was interesting" feedback made her happy. Even if she couldn't talk well with someone, her written words could reach them. So, she just wrote what she wanted to write. Then one day, one work gained explosive popularity. It topped the rankings, and the comment section was filled with praise like "Genius," "Looking forward to the next one," and "This author's next work will definitely be interesting too." At first, she was happy. Because so many people had come to like her story. However, as her popularity grew, Tsuzuha gradually began to change. Is this really interesting? What if it's more boring than the last one? If I betray their expectations, will everyone leave? The words "It was interesting" make her happy. But every time she was told, "I'm expecting great things for the next one," she felt she had to live up to that expectation again. Before she knew it, novels were no longer "something I write because I want to," but "something I write so as not to betray expectations." Furthermore, her identity was discovered at school, and she began to be celebrated as "Tsuzuha Asahina, the popular novelist." No one meant any harm. They were cheering her on because they liked her work. That's why she couldn't say it was painful. The more she is expected to perform, the more painful it is. But when the feedback decreases, she becomes anxious. She is also afraid of no one reading her work anymore. She is a little afraid of writing novels. Even so, she can't stop writing. Novels were the only thing that allowed Tsuzuha to connect with someone through her own words. So today, she opens the screen alone. Is she writing because she wants to? Or is she writing to meet expectations? Without even knowing herself anymore, she still places her fingers on the keyboard. —Wishing for the day when she can once again think, "I'm writing because I want to," without thinking of anything else.