Chapter 19: A Popular Character Who Won’t Take a Knife to Themselves Is Not a Good Character

Chapter 19: A Popular Character Who Won’t Take a Knife to Themselves Is Not a Good Character

The Substitute Death Bracelet.

A rather peculiar item found in the System’s shop.

As its name suggested, its purpose was simple: it could take a deathblow in his place.

And yet, despite such a powerful effect, its price was laughably cheap—merely one hundred thousand popularity points.

Obviously, this was one of the benefits the System had prepared especially for him.

From the very moment Tendou learned of this item’s existence, he had been pondering how to maximize its value.

The reason he chose to exchange for it now, of all times—was because only during the second major storyline that would unfold after the final assessment, could this precious bracelet truly shine.

Ever since he transmigrated into the world of Stellaris and learned about the Popularity System, Tendou had been thinking deeply.

What was true popularity?

If it were only about being strong, only about being handsome. Then sure, such a character could rake in attention, and quickly skyrocket in popularity.

But that kind of fame was a castle in the sky, doomed to collapse at the slightest shake.

Because the moment someone appeared who was stronger, or more handsome—all those fans who liked you for those shallow reasons would just as easily flock to the next guy.

Thus, for a character to be truly and lastingly popular, beyond strength and appearance, they needed something else:

Charisma.

Only when a character possessed enough charm as a person could they become truly three-dimensional.

That was why Tendou cultivated little quirks—such as always wearing sunglasses and indulging in sweets.

Those gestures weren’t meaningless; they were his way of narrowing the gap between himself and the audience.

But in the end, those small quirks were merely flashes of personality.

They weren’t enough to constitute true charisma.

Real charm required story.

Why did the fans of Stellaris now generally acknowledge Tendou as the strongest?

Was it just because he kept repeating the words “I’m the strongest” day after day?

Of course not.

It was because he didn’t just claim to be strong—he had shown strength worthy of the title.

In Stellaris: Embers, the first three episodes alone provided ample proof of his might.

Flashbacks of his past battles.

His strike in the final assessment that truly wounded the Terravaran.

Moments like these gave weight to his “born strong” persona, turning a hollow label into something vivid, believable, and natural.

On top of that foundation, Tendou layered contrasting traits:

The “sweets addict,” the “pretentious sunglasses guy,” the “sharp-tongued roaster.”

Those contradictions made him feel more real, deepening the audience’s attachment.

But… if he only relied on small quirks and neat little scenes, then sure, he could ride a wave of popularity for a while.

Yet as the story progressed and the stakes rose higher, that alone wouldn’t guarantee his dominance in the popularity charts.

Which meant he needed something more.

He needed, on top of beauty and strength—

Tragedy.

In Tendou’s understanding, “tragedy” meant “knives.”

Everyone knew it: between strength, beauty, and tragedy… it was the knife that was the real key to traffic.

“Strength and beauty are like fireworks in the night sky. Brilliant and dazzling, but fleeting.”

“But if you change the angle… if those fireworks become the backdrop for a couple clinging to each other beneath them, then that fleeting brilliance transforms—”

“—into something that pierces the heart. Into something eternal.”

Tendou’s finger tapped lightly along the rows of items in the Popularity Shop, before finally stopping on the Substitute Death Bracelet.

[You have spent 100,000 Popularity Points to purchase the special item: Substitute Death Bracelet.]

In his hand appeared a plain little trinket—two rough red cords braided together, strung with a single unremarkable crystal bead.

Tendou’s lips curved as he whispered, almost as if to himself:

“...If I want to turn fleeting popularity into eternal devotion, how could I not pay a price?”

“After all, there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.”

This wasn’t some sudden whim of his.

From the very beginning, he had planned to put the knife to himself.

In a sense, even the flashback segments the production team had suddenly inserted into the main storyline earlier had already been a kind of blade. A small one, dull and harmless—but even so, it had managed to sharpen his charm and win over more hearts in just the first three episodes.

If not for that “little knife,” then with Stellaris: Embers’ limited reach on just Crustyroll, Tendou would never have been able to rack up a full hundred thousand points in such a short time.

And once he saw for himself just how much of a boost a knife could bring…

His conviction only deepened.

Not only would he stick to the plan, he would make it even bolder. More extreme.

For example—that Substitute Death Bracelet, which by all rights should have been kept as nothing more than a life-saving trump card?

He would fold it into his “Knife Plan.”

He would stage a real death.

Even if it meant he risked facing a “second death” afterwards, without any safety net.

The risk was enormous, but the payoff—the narrative tension, the surge in popularity—was just as massive.

And to Tendou, that trade was worth it.

“As the saying goes, a popular character who won’t take a knife to themselves… isn’t a good popular character.”

“If I want to keep walking this path—dominating the peak of Stellaris popularity—then risk is inevitable.”

With that thought, he slipped the Substitute Death Bracelet around his right wrist, then stood up and stretched.

It was mealtime.

Time to head to the cafeteria, fill his stomach, and—incidentally—lay the groundwork for his future “knife plot.”

“Yo, Caroline. You’re really thoughtful, huh? You even grabbed dinner for me in advance?”

He strode in just as Caroline was setting down her tray. Before she could react, Tendou plopped himself right into her seat, sliding the tray toward himself without the slightest hesitation.

“Thanks for the meal.”

Caroline froze, her cat-ears shooting straight up, her hands curling into fists beneath her sleeves as she watched her freshly prepared dinner being devoured by this shameless man.

Tendou, of course, acted as if he hadn’t noticed a thing. He chewed noisily, letting out exaggerated praises between bites.

“Wow~ Tonight’s meal is actually pretty good! Guess the organization figured we wore ourselves out during the final assessment, so they gave us an upgrade!”

“Eh? Caroline, what are you doing still standing there? Why haven’t you gone to get another tray? Don’t tell me you’re not hungry?”

Caroline gave him a sharp glare, her patience visibly fraying.

“Tendou… will you ever grow up? Honestly, how old are you? Snatching someone else’s dinner like a child. Are you really so lazy that you can’t even walk a few steps to get your own?”

Faced with Caroline’s scolding, Tendou stuffed another mouthful of food into his cheek, speaking with his mouth half-full like a hamster.

“Caroline, how can you say I’m stealing? You were just being thoughtful and got this for me ahead of time, right?”

“And besides… today you get me dinner, tomorrow I’ll take a bullet for you.”

“If anyone dares to lay a hand on you, then they’ll have to step over my corpse first.”

With his cheeks puffed out, looking so unserious, Caroline clearly didn’t take his words at face value.

To her, this was just another one of Tendou’s ridiculous lines, spoken with that infuriating mock sincerity of his.

Moments later, she sighed, letting the fight drain out of her.

“Fine. I won’t waste my breath on a childish idiot like you. Now you’re even talking about blocking bullets for me… what’s next? Would you swear to stop a falling meteors for me?”

Her tone softened as she added, “Want me to grab you some more desserts? Looks like the cafeteria’s serving a lot of new ones today.”

“Of course I do!” Tendou replied instantly, as though the very idea of dessert were sacred.

Caroline could only shake her head. “Alright, wait here then.”

She turned and headed back toward the cafeteria counter.

What she didn’t notice was that the playful grin on Tendou’s face slowly faded the moment her back was turned.

Behind the dark shades, his azure eyes glimmered with something far more complex—guilt.

As though he were about to do something unforgivable to her.

I’m sorry, Caroline. Some words… even for me… can only ever be spoken as jokes.

Because it’s only when someone turns a careless joke into a vow paid with their life… that it carves itself into the heart forever.

Besides… heroes aren’t allowed to cry.

And since I’ve chosen to play the hero—

—the one who cries can only be you.

Gomen, Caroline.

The brilliant fireworks I’ve prepared… you’ll have to witness them with your own eyes.

<+>

Note:

The Gomen, Caroline comment is a reference to Gomen, Amanai scene

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