I_LOVE_RICE+
patreon
V3 Chapter 25: Did I Just Get the Best Luck Ever?
🕑 Added 2025-05-21 09:14:42 +0000 UTC[Simulation Ended]
[Score: 95 [+3] [Perfect]]
[Evaluation: A story shared beneath moonlight and among blooming flowers; even eternal things have an end, yet this love knows no bounds. You met her in the innocence of childhood, and fell in love in the bloom of youth. Your most ordinary days together were miracles in themselves.]
[Even though she once felt inferior to your perfection, she chose to give her all, chasing after your steps with unwavering determination and radiant hope, joining you in achieving a lifelong dream.]
[To you, she is like that everlasting summer. Sunlight and brilliance became the palette of your lives, with a romance burning so fiercely it could ignite every corner of the world.]
[Her existence is the emotional pillar of your soul; your presence is the unwavering belief behind her struggles. Your love formed naturally, and from start to finish, it remained pure and steadfast. To you, perhaps this is what 'art' truly means.]
[You received a rating of [Perfect]!
End-of-simulation reward:
[Stamina LV3 → LV4].
Choose 5 out of the following 7 simulation rewards:]
[Legendary Artist Kazami Haru] Painting LV5
(The culmination of legendary artist Kazami Haru's lifelong pursuit. This unique impressionist technique blends light and shadow into an expressive style, complete with philosophy and emotion.)
Legendary Artwork "Summer"
(Your final piece in this simulation and your first portrait. Hailed as one of the most outstanding works in the Alexander Lucci Painting Awards, it's now exhibited in the Grand Pavilion.)
"Wife's Cooking" by Nijika Ijichi LV3
(Her cooking, infused with love and devotion, has the power to warm hearts and soothe the soul.)
Ruby Necklace Gifted by Kazami Himari
(Your lively daughter bought this with her first earnings after searching long and hard. A slightly quirky yet deeply memorable gift from daughter to father.)
[Popular Drummer Nijika Ijichi] Drumming LV3
(Skills she honed at sixteen through relentless effort and belief. While not yet at her peak, her ability is already noteworthy.)
Oil Paintbrush Set from Nijika Ijichi
(Specially commissioned for your sixteenth birthday, bought with years of saved allowance. Top-quality and filled with meaning.)
Infatuation Card
(Allows for an alternate romantic route and offers random rewards, but at a painful emotional cost.)
[Random Identity Card Activated]
You've received:
[Ultimate High School-Level Voice Actor Kazami Himari] Voice Acting LV2
(She's still a beginner, but her natural talent already outshines many in her age group.)
"Did I seriously just pull my own legendary loot?"
Staring at the massive list of simulation rewards, Kazami Haru looked utterly stunned.
His eyes immediately zeroed in on the first reward:
[Legendary Artist Kazami Haru] Painting LV5.
Up until now, the simulation had only offered him small experience boosts or basic trial cards. Even when he drew cards for his daughter, it never included full skill sets.
But this time? The pure love route with Nijika somehow rewarded him with his own full-blown ultimate painting skill.
With this legendary ability, he could fully replicate the version of himself from the simulation. A self-made, genre-defining master of impressionism. His climb to the top would be near-instant.
Even if he didn't plan to pursue an art career in real life, having a skill like this was pure gain.
Was he… actually blessed by RNG?
"No, wait—was it because of the high score?"
He noticed the score for this simulation was an unprecedented 95. He wasn't sure if 100 was even possible, but judging from the current system, anything higher might not exist.
If a high rating increased the odds of pulling "Legendary Golds," then everything started to make sense.
"But if 95 doesn't even hit the max, then what does a perfect score even look like?"
He frowned, clearly intrigued, and slightly frustrated.
Still, there was no point overthinking it now.
The more pressing task: choosing his rewards.
"Obviously the first one's a must… now for the rest…"
Kazami Haru glanced at the remaining six.
He immediately eliminated the Infatuation Card.
That card could boost simulation scores and reward chances, but the emotional side effects were brutal. The last time he used it, he didn't sleep properly for three days. His mind was flooded with horrifying visions of being hit by a truck.
So that left five.
Among those, the most debatable was the second: Legendary Artwork "Summer."
It was his final creation from this route and one of the most prestigious works… but it was a portrait of Nijika herself.
Unlike songs, which you can attribute to original creation without much suspicion, a hyperrealistic painting is another story.
If someone saw that portrait hanging in his house, someone who knew her?
That could be very bad.
Sure, the risk might be low, but it definitely existed.
"If I plan to marry Nijika for real, then it's more meaningful if I paint her myself."
"Besides, now that I've got the painting skill, one portrait isn't enough."
Kazami Haru tightened his brow, thinking deeply.
Now that he had the LV5 skill, he had fully inherited his simulated self's talent. Even if his arm was a bit rusty, he'd catch up in no time.
One portrait? He could paint hundreds of Nijika in real life.
With that in mind, he chose rewards 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
[Chihaya Anon's Love's Cuisine Cooking LV2 and Nijika Ijichi's Wife's Cooking LV3 have combined into: [Cooking of Love] LV4]
[Detected: Mastery of Guitar, Piano, and Drums. New Skill Unlocked: [Music Prodigy] LV1]
New skills?
[Music Prodigy] LV1
(Extraordinary musical talent. Anything music-related becomes second nature.)
[Cooking of Love] LV4
(Food infused with both flavor and feeling. Dishes crafted with this skill convey warmth and the sweetness of young love.)
The fact that Anon and Nijika's culinary skills merged into something greater proved that similar talents could stack.
Which made Kazami wonder... if he mastered all instruments, would he unlock another advanced music-related skill?
"…Is this system forcing me to become a jack-of-all-trades?"
Maybe it was the overwhelming emotion from the perfect simulation. Maybe it was just sheer fatigue. But Kazami Haru felt his head spinning.
His eyelids drooped. Without even thinking, he dropped onto the bed.
All his simulations were used up, but the results of this run? Beyond satisfying.
It was already past 2 AM. He decided to sleep on it and digest everything tomorrow.
...
"Uwah!!"
A blonde girl suddenly shot up in bed, her frilly polka-dot pajamas half-buried under a pile of plush toys.
Crimson, crystal-clear eyes stared in stunned silence.
The soft blue walls of her room shimmered under early morning light. Her desk was tidy, filled with notebooks and neatly arranged pens and a very familiar red headband.
Two drumsticks crossed each other on the tabletop, a quiet sign of last night's intense practice.
Morning already…?
"…Huh?"
Still drowsy, Nijika Ijichi blinked in confusion.
"Uuh… eh—EEEHHHH?!"
A second later, her adorable face turned bright red as shame and panic surged through her.
She clutched her flushed cheeks and bolted to the bathroom.
After a long hot shower, Nijika emerged, her face still rosy.
Maybe it was the steam, or maybe the heat, but her cheeks were radiant—soft, vibrant, almost too cute to be real.
Only she knew the real reason for that blush.
"What on earth am I doing…?"
Her mind was a tangled mess.
Thank goodness her older sister never did laundry, if she had…
There would've been no explaining that away.
"Nijika? You're up already?"
A voice startled her.
Nijika jolted as her older sister, Seika, wandered in, wearing her usual loose sleepwear. Carefree and laid-back, she often unintentionally showed off too much skin at home.
Rubbing her eyes, Seika gave her reliable younger sister a curious look.
Seeing Nijika up and showering at dawn? Now that was rare.
But… something felt off about Nijika today.
"I-I just woke up a little earlier than usual, that's all! Why are you up so early, sis?"
"Went to bed early last night, that's all. But you... something feels…"
"I'm fine! Really! It's just… the Live's coming up, and I'm a little excited, that's all!"
Afraid her sister might catch on to something, Nijika Ijichi quickly brushed her off with a vague excuse, then dashed off to her room after changing into a clean outfit.
Plop
She dove straight back into her warm blankets, only her little head poking out like a turtle.
"What even was that dream…?!"
Her whole head was spinning as she thought back to it.
In the dream, she and Haru-san were married.
That simple, unadorned statement was enough to sum up everything she'd seen.
They grew up together as childhood friends, he confessed to her, they got married, had kids like it was the most natural thing in the world… they even picked out baby names—
Just replaying the images in her mind made her freeze up again.
Despite the overwhelming embarrassment, she couldn't say she felt bad about it.
"What's wrong with me…?"
Why would she dream of marrying Haru-san? Wasn't she supposed to be helping Ryo instead?
Was she really harboring that kind of feelings?
Could it be… she'd been secretly crushing on Kazami Haru all along—
Nijika's cheeks lit up even more as the realization started to form.
Even the little ahoge atop her head began swirling from the embarrassment, and steam practically rose from her forehead. Her face was redder than a furnace, adorably hot to the touch.
She knew she had a soft spot for him. But she'd never dared to imagine they'd get that far.
What kind of dream was that, seriously!?
"…But I saw Mom too."
That part of the dream warmed her heart.
Her mother had smiled so brightly, staying by her side for what felt like forever. Even now, Nijika could still vaguely picture that gentle, kind smile.
Her mother's voice had been full of warmth and some very specific lines:
"Once you confess, hurry up and have kids! I've been waiting forever~"
"No no no, I want a grandchild, that's final!"
"Why'd you come home, Nijika? Go sleep next door already!"
Seriously, what was her mom saying in that dream?!
"…It was just a dream, that's all," Nijika told herself, taking a deep breath.
She slapped her cheeks a few times to clear her mind. The little sting helped snap her out of the daze.
No time to think about weird dreams now. Their band's very first live show was happening soon!
And as the leader, she couldn't afford to mess things up.
...
Friday — The end-of-term exams had officially begun.
Despite the dozens of students seated in the classroom, it was deathly silent. The only sounds were pens scratching across paper and the soft rustling of turning pages. The air was thick with tension and focus.
Everyone was locked into their tests.
Well, almost everyone.
Kazami Haru had already finished his.
"…Huh?"
Hitori Gotoh raised her head, staring in disbelief at Haru.
He was already done?
She was still stuck on the first half, and this guy had already completed the whole thing?!
And he always claimed he was "just average at school stuff," saying he was a "regular student with slightly better scores."
Was he just trolling her this whole time?!
Still a bundle of nerves, Hitori sneaked a glance at Haru, only to realize he caught her looking.
He misread the glance as a secret message and winked at her.
"Hmph…"
Of course Haru knew exactly what Bocchi was thinking.
Her thoughts were basically written all over her face, he could read her like a book.
He'd been helping her cram like crazy these past few days. He made her redo the mock tests over and over. By now, it was up to her to make it through.
All he could do was hope for the best.
As long as she didn't flunk too many subjects, she wouldn't have to do remedial lessons.
"…"
Without saying a word, Haru handed in his test and walked quickly out the back door.
Between yesterday's simulation marathon and today's exams, he hadn't had a chance to check his phone.
But the moment he opened Line—
[Soyo Nagasaki: Hello, Haru-san~ It's Soyo Nagasaki!]
Kazami Haru: ?
Before he could even react, more messages flooded in.
[Soyo Nagasaki: Are you busy with composing? If you see this, could you reply?]
[Soyo Nagasaki: Ah, sorry… am I bothering you?]
[Soyo Nagasaki: I actually have something I wanted to ask you~ Do you have time for a private chat?]
What the hell…?
Staring at the barrage of messages, Haru was completely stunned.
To make it even weirder, he noticed an unknown number had tried calling him. He didn't give his number out to many people, anyone important would already be labeled in his contacts.
And this unknown caller?
He was pretty sure it was Soyo Nagasaki.
Where the hell did she even get his number?
