Serendipity Next Door

This remains one of my fav of the Voltage stories in the app.

You're a hard-working but simple office worker living in a not-amazing older apartment building. But then you meet your neighbours...does love blossom as you sit on the balcony, just a simple screen between you? And who are these paragons? There's a rock/pop star on hiatus, a young veterinarian student, the flirty building manager, an older alpha male photographer, and...weirdly...this super effeminate guy that you're pretty sure is gay and possibly dating the building manager (? -- not pictured above, probably as he's the curve ball). 

Here, have some plum brandy, MC, because even though I'm clueless,
I paid attention and know that you like it.

I tried this one as a standalone app originally and did the Masaomi main route (he's the "cool artist/rock star") and his POV piece as well. I actually really enjoyed this one partly because, even though Masaomi is a "too cool for school" kind of guy that the MC's best friend fangirls over, he's also directionally and cooking challenged. He's also slightly socially awkward and not very talkative or expressive--he barely changes expression, though his blushing face is quite cute. I kinda like deadpan guys though.

He comes to rely on the MC, who is a pretty normal person. She works hard. She's not a brain surgeon, but she's smart enough and tries hard at her job. And she can read a map, unlike Mr. Rock Star. I liked that she treated him like a normal person and that he came to rely on her and thus to develop feelings. For both of them it was a gradual thing and therefore more believable. I was really worried she'd fall for him because he was a star, but that wasn't the case at all. Though Mr. Flirty (Byron aka Keiichi, the effeminate guy) totally fawns all over him.

 Completely don't get that guy -- he's constantly flirting with Masaomi and is possessive over the building manager so I don't get how or why you'd romance him? He comes across as very gay, not bi, so not sure what is up with that. It's a hard route to imagine when you think about Voltage's normal stuff. I might have to try it some day just to see what in the world they did!

I'm not sure if I'll do any of the sequel stories for Masaomi because the description seems to indicate that his brother barges into the picture and there's some kind of possible rivalry/love triangle thing and, meh, that's just not really my thing.

In his POV piece, he's got a bit of a complex about how old he is.

But recently, I decided to try out Jinpachi's route now that it's in Love 365. He's the older (40's) alpha male photographer. In Masaomi's route I really wasn't sure how he'd be because he comes across as very VERY alpha male and possibly a bit skeevy. But someone mentioned him in the reddit forum and I checked out the first couple of chapters of his POV piece and then went back and bought the main route AND the rest of the POV piece and OMG I kinda love him.

A) He's older. Like my age. Woot! B) Even though he says these borderline sexist things (in the beginning), he actually likes the MC from the start and is totally crushing on her the whole time. C) He tries to worm his way into her heart through her stomach by cooking for her and also by D) helping her out at work AND by protecting her (from yet another random Voltage stalker guy--seriously, stalking happens A LOT in these stories) but...I actually found it a rather refreshing take on it because Jinpachi, after chasing after the bad guy, literally runs himself out of breath like the 40's dude he is and falls flat on the ground.

Ha! I did NOT expect him to wind up being so adorably awkward and cute. Plus, he's shirtless a lot. Still with that Ken and Barbie no-nipples weirdness that exists in otome games, but it's cute, as he even does it on purpose once to freak out another one of the neighbours (Izumi, the vet student).

I also still like this MC a lot as she continues to stand up for herself and is refreshingly honest and straightforward and will admit to her mistakes AND learn from them.

Have also bought one of the "Special Stories" and will report back on it after I finish it (it's a Masaomi / Jinpachi dual one).