Koichi Komuro.
The protagonist of the original work, a kid with all the makings of a total "ladies' man," yet somehow managed to bungle it all up and earn himself the unflattering title of "cuckold king." Let's break it down:
Rei Miyamoto: His childhood sweetheart, who once pinky-promised, "When we grow up, I'll be Takashi's bride."
Saeko Busujima: An upperclassman, a year older than him. While the original author's... untimely departure left her feelings without explicit closure, her actions throughout the story screamed unrequited love for Takashi.
Saya Takagi: They've known each other since kindergarten. She's liked him forever but never knew how to say it. After Takashi and Rei broke up, she quietly watched over him, caring in her own way.
Yet, with this stacked deck, Takashi, the terminal case of "Nice Guy Syndrome" and emotional obtuseness, fumbled it all. First, his inability to read the room let his best friend, Hisashi Igo, swoop in and steal Rei. Then, again because he was blind to the obvious, Saya, who'd long carried a torch for him, started to shift her affections to the chubby otaku, Hirano. If he hadn't, for once, managed to pull his head out of his you-know-what and be there for Saeko during her most vulnerable moment, the original story might've veered hard into yuri territory.
Rei Miyamoto.
The official female lead. Hailing from a police family, she's a member of Fujimi Academy's spearfighting club. From the final volume before the author's... ascension, where Rei's mother is seen standing at their doorway wielding a naginata (a traditional Japanese halberd), we can infer Rei's spearfighting skills are family-taught. If Rei herself wasn't lacking in natural talent, her spearfighting might well be on par with Saeko Busujima's "Busujima Style Swordsmanship."
However, early in the story, this spear-wielding beauty with the antenna-like ahoge (that little hair tuft) was more often than not reduced to crying, screaming, and generally being a liability. She showed no real combat prowess to speak of. At one point, while separated from Takashi, she was cornered and molested by a thug at a gas station. If Takashi hadn't reacted quickly and blown the guy's shoulder off with a shotgun, she might've suffered an unmentionable fate. (Note: For those who don't get it, try connecting the first letters.)
As for the label "green tea bitch" (a term implying a manipulative, two-faced woman) that many original fans hurl at her, Luo Jie thinks it's a bit unfair.
In the opening, during Takashi's flashback, Rei tells him through a door the reason she started dating Hisashi: "I did have feelings for you, Takashi, but you never seemed to notice." So their relationship was always stuck at "childhood friends," never progressing further.
The other incident often cited as "proof" of her being a "green tea bitch" is her quick shift back to Takashi after Hisashi's death. But that's also understandable. In a zombie apocalypse where her parents were missing, and the love of her life, Hisashi, had turned into one of the walking dead, her childhood friend Takashi naturally became her only emotional anchor, the one thing keeping her going in this new world.
Frankly, the reason Rei is so divisive is that a bunch of overly-sensitive otaku fans got way too invested in the story, projecting their own insecurities onto her character.
Speaking of the official couple, we can't not mention Hisashi Igo.
In the original setup, Rei's official boyfriend, Hisashi, was the whole package: good-looking, top grades, friendly, perceptive, and a total sweetheart. Plus, he was a skilled karate practitioner. He had everything a protagonist needs—except for the actual protagonist halo (plot armor). In many ways, he was a better fit for the hero role than Takashi, who was so hung up on petty romantic slights.
Tragically, such a perfect character didn't even survive the first episode, and to add insult to injury, it was our protagonist who put him down with a well-placed blow to the head. Luo Jie would bet his bottom dollar that Takashi felt at least a tiny, twisted thrill of "finally, it's my turn" when he swung that fatal blow.
These three characters have a relatively independent and crucial role in the original plot, so as of yet, no players have directly interacted with them. It's not that the players are particularly well-behaved; rather, during the mission briefings before arrival, both the Chinese and Japanese sides had emphasized repeatedly—after all, the first failed clear of this illusion was precisely because of meddling with these three.
On that occasion, some player made early contact with Takashi, causing the trio to flee not to the school's observatory, the highest point, as in the original, and Hisashi, who was supposed to die, survived. The result? In subsequent escapes, the more outstanding Hisashi naturally took over the leadership role that should have been Takashi's, and Rei's affection for him deepened.
Things came to a head when they reached the apartment of Marikawa's police friend, Nanri Kaori. Rei gave herself completely to Hisashi.
Takashi, outside the door, listening to the girl he liked being with his former best friend... he snapped. He rushed out, crazily slaughtering every zombie in sight until he was overwhelmed and died, exhausted, in a sea of the undead. The player team assigned to protect Takashi and Rei was then hunted down by a "bossified" Takashi, barely escaping with one survivor.
After multiple simulations by the joint Chinese and Japanese staff, it was determined that Hisashi's survival had a greater than 90% chance of causing unpredictable and catastrophic deviations in the storyline. Hence, players are strongly advised against making contact with this trio before the virus outbreak, to avoid a butterfly effect that might lead to Hisashi surviving again.
Hirano Kota.
The second male lead, a chubby military otaku. He's timid and cowardly by nature, but give him a gun, and suddenly he transforms into a sharpshooting badass with the courage of Rambo.
In the original story, this chubby guy acts as Saya's protector. While initially cowardly, after the incident at the Higashi Town Mall—specifically, after he was forced to shoot Megumi Nakaoka, the young policewoman who'd confessed her feelings to him—he truly comprehended the cruelty of the apocalypse. This triggered rapid mental growth, and his potential even surpasses that of the protagonist, Takashi.
Don't let his point coefficient being similar to Rei's fool you. As a long-range combatant, he's far easier to protect. And crucially, despite his unassuming appearance, his marksmanship is incredibly reliable. Give him a decent gun, and he's worth a full player on any team—absolutely the best bang for your buck among the mission targets.
Because of his gentle, easygoing nature, Hirano has attracted quite a few players. The "Evil Eye Otaku King Team" seems to have hit it off especially well with him; within just a morning, they were slinging arms around each other like old pals. Luo Jie can only sigh that the compatibility among otaku is truly something that transcends dimensions.