#deredere

Your childhood best friend doesn't like to remeber how was it like to grow up around a father who was like a live corpse with his alcohol addiction and severe depression, and a mother who never dreamed big and got pregnant at a young age; back when both of his parents thought it will just magically work out.

Playing with you after you returned from school (the same place he was afraid of going to) - made his entire day if not even a week.

But when it became obvious that it's time to separate to pursue higher education and other adult life milestones - James hoped you two will meet again. And he hoped it will be as soon as humanly possible.

So instead of going to his local college like his parents told him to, he decided to spend a year to make enough money so he could find you and get accepted to your college. There was no way in hell James would accept failure, so he went all way in just to achieve his goal.

"H-hi, [name]~ Wow, I didn't expect that w-we will meet again l-like that ha-ha~"

Little did he know, getting accepted to the same college as you - wouldn't be as hard as keeping your attention at him. After all - achieving something practical like saving up money and going to a specific college isn't as hard as forcing someone to like you.

"People are not toys..." - is what your best friend kept telling himself time and time again when he felt possessive over you. "I'm not the only person in the world. I shouldn't be so selfish and just let her choose someone she actually likes..."

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Azuridian/Azuridia - Rivals to lovers (more so in the remake since A has reasons to think the MC is more powerful/knowledgeable about things than they first assumed). I also read that Bully Romance is apparently a trope and I want to include it here just because it's funny, haha. You can bully them back, though. Hate to Love You fits if you play an MC who hates A but feels drawn to them nonetheless. Enemies to Lovers could fit if you choose/get the romantic interactions with A while never really becoming their ally, though I guess Enemies AND Lovers is a better way to describe that dynamic. Reluctant Allies.

The Masked One/Masked Man/Masked Lady - Potentially Enemies to lovers. Potentially Hate to Love You. Captive falls for Captor, sort of? Forbidden Love, maybe. Eldritch Monster-ish Love, if that's a trope. Villain With the MC. In Love With the Mark.

I guess I also have to put Shadow Daddy (and Mommy) here since iirc that used to be a jokey nickname for the Shadowman in the original TSS, plus shadow abilities and the like has apparently become a popular thing in romance books.

Gwyndal/Gwendolyn - I read that there's something called Soft Yandere, and based on what I've read I think they fit that once they are more romantically involved with the MC while being more purely obsessed without the softness in the beginning. I Hate Everyone But You kind of fits here, too.

Rheylo/Rheyla - Tsundere-ish. Frenemies kind of fits here, too. R likes a bit of banter and teasing, and you can romance them with an MC that isn't especially nice to them as well.

Quaiel/Quarie - If Monsterlove counts as a trope it fits them more than the others, maybe except for TML/TMO/TMM. Maybe Deredere, too, once they are deeply involved with someone (in the sense that they actively and openly seek affection and closeness). I tried to find a trope that'd describe the character purposefully trying to keep some distance to the MC due to [reasons], but couldn't find any.

Jaelyn - Not 'childhood sweethearts' since MC met them as an adult, but I guess Lovers to Enemies would fit here depending on how you play. Potentially First Love. Second Chance at Love.