3rd chapter has a flashback. I think they were friends. So this situation really doesn't feel right.
From first impressions, manager-kun is not that great at his job but tries his best (he's the manager, he should be communicating with and managing the talent he's working with, not be a slave)... he's also punishing himself by seeing things that aren't there. Like literally, this guy gets stressed when she just stares at him for being late, it would be more understandable if she actually does scold him and he's not in it for that bs.
Meanwhile idol-chan is an unknowing slave driver that's clinging to a connection she had in the past and can't see that she's driving her friend into a pit of despair. She's basically pushing her ambitions into her manager, all those "adult stuff" she says they should deal with? Manager deals with it.
Both could've switched who they worked with but they didn't.
Also, why the fuck is the manager doing the video editing??? Are they poor? Can't they hire anyone?
That phone call moment feels like she actually just wants to talk to her friend... feeling isolated late into the night does that to an mfer. Awful timing cuz she really doesn't seem to know that he's been getting no sleep.
There's a bunch of things wrong with this. But also some clear set up pieces.
I already know how they're going to develop this misunderstanding rollercoaster... but it made me curious at how the author can actually deliver. They already fumbled it by having this weird unreliable narrator format where the author is obviously setting it up but leaving out vital info (like is she actually driving him insane or is he just doing it to himself), creating characters that are utterly clueless even though they've been working with each other for a long time.
Like bro, just communicate.
If chapter 4 (no snippet yet, chap 3 is girl's pov ending in the same cliff) starts with the guy clamming up, then that's just obvious bait.
It's already been set up for a confrontation scene. Girl wants answers, guy is drunk. If they don't actually talk and later reconcile and teamup then this story would go nowhere.
