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Second applicant: YouCanCallMeCorn

Book: The Kingmaker

Amethyst: Before we begin, I would like to congratulate you on winning 2nd place in the award! How are you feeling?

YouCanCallMeCorn: It was nice! I did not expect to win. I was just there for fun. I would like to thank the judge.

Amethyst: I'm glad you had a nice experience

Q: What inspired you to write the story, "The Kingmaker"?

YouCanCallMeCorn: That is an excellent question! I've always enjoyed reading fantasy stories since I was a child. Political schemes and how cruel people can be, even the kindest ones, when given the opportunity to rise through the ranks have always piqued my interest. I enjoy studying history as well. It's fascinating to see how we keep making the same mistakes over and over. That's why I decided to write my story in this manner. In addition, I've always admired the characters from a manga I read as a child. Despite my high praise for the author, I believed he had limited the plots of his characters due to the short length of their stories.

Oh, I forgot one thing! The author originally intended Kuroko to be a mean-spirited person and be more manipulative, but his editor stopped him. So I kept wondering what would have happened had he continued his initial plan

Amethyst: It is quite interesting when some people's personality changes when sitting on a highest rank.

Oh?! Really? I cannot imagine Kuroko as a mean-spirited and manipulative person since i have gotten used to the personality given to him, as someone who mostly has a poker face expression.

And if my memory's correct, it's funny whenever he does something that doesn't match his expression, such as holding Nine (the puppy) and chasing Kagami

YouCanCallMeCorn: Did you mean Nigou (Number 2)? Yeah, he is funny whilst maintaining his poker face!  If you think about it, he's actually quite manipulative in the first season. Kagami even confronted him about him, and said something like "You thought I would not notice?" He wanted to use Kagami to take revenge for Ogiwara. Akashi had also called him out. He said that Kuroko began questioning them when Ogiwara got tangled whereas he had been quiet prior so. But after his talk with Kagami, he has become more honest and open with his emotions

Amethyst: Opps HAHAHHAHAHA. I was thinking of Nigou, and thought... I think that's 9... right? And Kagami would always play the bigger role in Kuroko's character development

Q: Which character is your favourite in Kuroko no Basket and why?

YouCanCallMeCorn: I am a huge Kuroko Tetsuya bias, of course! I just love how hard it is to read him. If the word 'balance' is ever personified, I think that's him.

Amethyst: Samee. I like kuroko at the beginning of the episode. I do regret stopping at season...something tho.

Q: What prompted you to cast Kuroko no Basket characters in The Kingmaker story? Was it because of the characteristics of each character that fits the characters in The Kingmaker, or something else?

YouCanCallMeCorn: Yes! You got it right

Q: What's your favourite place to go when you want alone time?

YouCanCallMeCorn: Aside from my room? There's this beach near us (okay, I always have to drive half an hour to go there, but in the US, we consider that a quick ride lol). It's calm at this specific hour and I love listening to the crashing waves. When I was a kid, I'd dreamt of being a pirate

Amethyst: Oooo. That's quite nice.

Q: In The Kingmaker story, did you use any references when creating different places?

YouCanCallMeCorn: I don't believe so. The majority of them were created in my mind. I believe I simply used the standard geography of East Asian and Southeast Asian countries and continents with a dash of dramatic descriptions, kinda like how Chinese historians back then described their lands. I guess I got inspired when I read the story of China's only female emperor, Wu Zetian. If the setting is bland, make it dramatic!

Amethyst: HAHAHAHHA. Sometimes dramatic is the perfect touch.

Q: Which scenario was your favourite thing to write in this book?

YouCanCallMeCorn: One, when Kuroko had to sneak behind the guards to meet Akashi in the garden, I loved writing how he did it rather than simply saying he passed by the guards. That, I believe, demonstrated his skill at sneaking around. I also enjoyed the Storm and Fog chapters. Those two have the most action scenes, and it took me several attempts to get them just right. It was so difficult that I almost quit, but I'm glad I persevered.

Amethyst: The Storm and Fog chapter was actually...quite impressive. While I was reading it, I was wondering how on earth did you imagine a kind of island that has various eyes on a tree, and many more.

YouCanCallMeCorn: As I have said, I had a wild imagination as a child because I had aspired to be a pirate. I'm grateful I still have it.

Amethyst:

Q: When wielding a weapon and engaging in fights, what emotions does a person possess which will result in defeat and in winning?

YouCanCallMeCorn: What an intriguing question! When I took a self-defense class, our instructor told us that no matter how well trained we are, if we are confronted with someone who has no hesitation, no fear of dying, we will most likely die. So the best thing to do is to always flee when given the chance. Kuroko's fighting style is exactly like that. He throws knives to quickly kill his opponents and distance himself from them. I've also read this disturbing soldier's memoir. While you're killing your targets, don't bother remembering their names. Always consider them to be target practice

Amethyst: Woah.... I imagined a person who's not afraid of dying, and would charge at you with a knife while wearing a poker face expression.

YouCanCallMeCorn: should not be laughing but thinking about it, that's actually funny...somehow

Amethyst: Man, I find it terrifying *shudder*

Q: What's your goal as a writer?

YouCanCallMeCorn: Since I'm new to writing, my current goal is to complete the novel. But given how lengthy the plot will be, I worry that it will soon be a series!

Amethyst: Ohh? I'm excited to see it turn into a series! Wish you the best luck in your writing.

And that concludes the interview! Thank you for your time, and I hope you have a great day!

YouCanCallMeCorn: Thank you so much for having me!