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V2 Chapter 34: The First Perfect Simulation
🕑 Added 2025-05-12 01:10:38 +0000 UTC"..."
As the simulation came to its serene conclusion, Kazami Haru returned to reality, pulling himself from the immersive experience.
This simulation had gone on for quite a while. With so many vivid memory fragments flooding into his mind, it felt like he'd truly lived another life through a first-person lens.
Even now, after snapping out of it, he had complicated feelings toward his simulated wife, Chihaya Anon.
Haa...
Taking a deep breath, Haru began to calm himself with steady breathing.
A simulation was just a simulation. Reality was something else entirely.
He could clearly distinguish between virtual and real.
No matter how vivid the memories, in the real world, his relationship with Chihaya Anon was just that of friends. Nothing more.
Still, the outcome of this simulation was surprising.
He had simulated relationships with four different targets, and only with Chihaya Anon had he reached such a satisfying conclusion, his only partner to age with him in health, without regrets.
Choosing Anon this time had been on a whim.
Who would've thought that this pink-haired menace would lead to such a perfect ending?
It looked like this simulation had even earned a higher score than his first one with Miss Yamada Ryo. The reward this time might be something special.
[Simulation Complete]
[Score: 90 (Perfect)]
[Evaluation: "A time will come when you ride the waves and sail through the sea under cloud-filled sails."
Through your own efforts, you lived a warm and fulfilling life. Your bond with her formed naturally, and she became your destined soulmate. With mutual understanding, you created a love story that everyone envied.]
[Your romance bloomed like cherry blossoms, pure and beautiful, just like those found in novels.]
[Your life with her held no real regrets. You became the soul that gave her courage in times of fear and hardship. Even at the end, she chose to walk beside you.]
[You never saw anyone else but her, which made her feel both touched and guilty. But in the end, she turned that guilt into endless love.]
[You achieved a Perfect score! Endurance LV2 upgraded to LV3. You may choose 5 of the following 7 simulation rewards:]
["Master Pianist Kazami Reina" 10-Minute Experience Card](Gain her peak piano technique and musical insight. High chance to raise 'Music Theory' and 'Piano' skills.)
[Chihaya Anon's Hand-Knit Scarf](A lovingly crafted keepsake. Wearing it feels deeply warm.)
[Chihaya Anon's Fender Stratocaster](A cherished gift from you. She used it with care for decades. Its melodies touch the heart.)
[Music Box Gifted by Kazami Reina to Her Father](A Father's Day gift containing her personally performed nocturne. Highly sentimental.)
[Original Song "Sakura"](Written by Kazami Haru before his wedding. A meaningful composition for Anon.)
[Guitar LV2 → LV3]
[Chihaya Anon's Love's Cuisine, Cooking LV2 → LV3]
Seven rewards? That was a first!
Even Kazami Haru was a bit shocked. His high score simulation with Yamada Ryo only offered a 5-out-of-3 selection, but now he could choose 5 out of 7?
Some rewards were especially tempting.
His daughter's musical skills were beyond amazing. Even a 10-minute experience would offer immense value, not to mention the likely skill boost.
Who wouldn't pick that?
"Alright, let's just go with 1 through 5 in order."
Giving up the guitar and cooking upgrades was a small sacrifice. The first five options were just too good to pass up.
He hadn't expected that his first simulation with the pink-haired troublemaker would lead to such a perfect ending.
"Could it be… I'm surprisingly compatible with her?"
"What's that about compatibility?"
A sudden voice at his ear made him flinch.
Kazami Haru turned and saw the cherry-haired girl herself looking up at him in confusion, her big, dewy eyes curiously scanning his face.
The simulation had gone on so long, he didn't realize school had ended.
"What's wrong, Haru?"
"What are you daydreaming about?"
Anon blinked in puzzlement. Haru's silence made her look him over from head to toe.
Nearby, Takamatsu Tomori furrowed her brows with concern.
"Haru, are you feeling okay?"
No way he could continue the simulation now. Haru pushed those thoughts aside and replied, "It's nothing. Just had something on my mind."
"So secretive!" Anon puffed out her cheeks in protest, but didn't press further. Instead, she turned the tables with a cheeky grin, holding out a slender finger.
"Wait! Were you thinking about a girl you like?"
That one offhand comment lit the entire room on fire.
Kita Ikuyo, who'd been casually chatting with friends while using "band practice" as an excuse to avoid shopping, froze the moment she heard that. She quickly turned around, ears perked.
Gotoh Hitori, sitting beside Tomori and about to grab her guitar, stiffened completely. She ducked her head beneath her pink bangs and peeked over with the corner of her eye.
Even the usually sweet and composed Tomori tensed, anxiously watching Haru's face.
"Huh?"
Kazami Haru, highly attuned to attention, immediately noticed the sudden spike in surrounding gazes.
What… was this?
Girls loved gossip, he got that.
But just thinking about someone shouldn't have brought this much attention, right?
Call it a sixth sense, but Haru had a feeling that naming any girl now would bring unimaginable consequences.
And he trusted that instinct.
"No, I was just thinking about what to eat for dinner."
"Lame~"
Anon raised a brow at him, clearly unconvinced. Her teasing made Haru twitch slightly.
You little pink-haired minx... One of these days I'll—
Haru suppressed the urge to run another simulation just to get back at her, and took a slow, calming breath.
Anon didn't know what was going on in his head. She just noticed the way he avoided her gaze and grinned in satisfaction.
Hehe~ I knew it~
Haru's just a tsundere, he must like me!
After all, she was a super-cute JK. With just a little polish, she could debut as an idol. Of course a teenage boy would fall for her.
And tsunderes? Once you figure them out, they're kind of adorable, right?
If he ever seriously confessed… Anon might even consider it~
[New Simulation Target Added: Gotoh Hitori]
The simulator's sudden notification drew Haru's attention.
He turned, just in time to lock eyes with Gotoh Hitori.
She panicked, fumbling with her music sheet and flipping it open—upside down.
Bocchi's kind of cute. I wanna hold her and nibble her cheeks.
So, the simulator unlocked a new route because Anon's arc reached an "ending," huh? Bocchi was the closest, so the next one started with her?
Funny, she was the first girl he met, but only just now became a simulation target.
Kind of sad, in a weird way.
Just then, Tomori spoke up.
"Haru, do you have work today?"
"Not today. I'm meeting with Kita and Bocchi to prep for band stuff, so I won't be at RiNG."
He shook his head. Today was for finalizing plans with the newly completed band. Now that Kita Ikuyo had joined, the band was whole, and Nijika couldn't wait to plan their first live.
A meeting was a must.
"I see..."
Tomori hugged her notebook tightly. She had planned to show Haru her new lyrics. But if he was busy, then it couldn't be helped.
She would wait.
Tomori didn't want Haru to think she was a troublesome girl.
Even though she'd decided to be patient, the sadness still seeped in. She lowered her head slightly, looking downcast.
Of course, Haru noticed.
"You wrote new lyrics, right?"
His sudden question caught her attention.
"You've worked really hard, haven't you? I'll make sure to read them carefully later."
"And after that, I'll give everything I've got to write a song worthy of them."
He gently reached out and stroked her soft, light-gray hair.
It was the kind of affectionate gesture used to calm a small animal. Her cheeks turned pink, and she shyly leaned into his palm, eyes curving like crescent moons.
The natural closeness between the two of them made even Chihaya Anon, standing nearby, feel like she couldn't squeeze in.
It felt like if she didn't say something now, the two of them might end up hugging right there on the spot!
She didn't know why, but a wave of irritation surged in her chest...
Without warning, Anon reached out and pulled the dazed Tomori away from Kazami Haru's hand. The sudden action stunned Takamatsu Tomori, who had just been enjoying the moment, her eyes briefly flickered with disappointment.
"Haru↑~ Haru↓~ You can't just go around patting girls' heads, you know?"
Anon's smiling face carried an unmistakable hint of danger, and Haru instinctively pulled his hand back.
But the moment he did, he suddenly realized—wait, what was he even afraid of?
He and the pink menace weren't in a relationship in real life. Why did it feel like he'd just gotten caught cheating?
"And you too, Tomori! You can't be so casually close with guys. Hasn't Taki lectured you about that?"
"You're way too easy to take advantage of like this!"
She pointed a finger at Tomori as if giving a heartfelt lesson, though her sideways glances at Haru betrayed her true motives.
She was practicing guitar so diligently lately...
So why hadn't he ever patted her head?
...
After school—
Kita Ikuyo, with her off-white guitar case, walked to Haru's left. On his right was Bocchi with her black guitar case. The two flanked him on either side, creating a suffocating aura that made Haru squirm.
At first, he thought it was just the heavy Roland keyboard he was carrying weighing him down. But the longer he walked, the heavier it felt. If someone didn't know better, they might think they were heading into a MyGO showdown.
What was with this battlefield atmosphere.jpg?
Unable to bear the pressure, Haru finally broke the silence.
"Why aren't either of you saying anything?"
"I was just thinking how close you are with Anon-chan and Tomori-chan~ I'm jealous. I wish I could pat Tomori-chan's head too."
A lie.
Kita Ikuyo was just plain jealous.
She had been hoping to strike up a sweet little conversation with Haru after school, maybe even hold hands [delusion] and walk to the station together.
But since Anon was sitting closer, she had swooped in first.
Anon only got close to Haru after she did! She was the one who formed the band with him first! Even Bocchi met him before Anon did!
Ugh, why couldn't she act all naturally close like Tomori?
She was so envious of Tomori! And why were there so many girls around Haru anyway?!
She always knew Haru had a weird magnetic charm, but the number of rivals just kept growing. Tomori alone was trouble enough—now there was also a hidden pink-haired threat!
Compared to Anon, Bocchi was way safer.
Clearly, not all pink-haired girls were the same!
Anon was a bad pink-haired girl. Bocchi was a good pink-haired girl!
"Hm? Want me to pat your head too, Kita?"
"Eh?"
That offhanded remark from Haru completely shattered Kita's composure. Her fingers fidgeted with the strap of her guitar case, her cheeks turning a soft, flustered red. A rush of excitement filled her chest.
C-could he really?
Yes!!
Wait—hold on, Kita Ikuyo! Stay calm!
It's probably just a joke. He couldn't possibly mean it. Taking it seriously would be a disaster!
Play it cool—act normal—
"Please do! Pat it all you want!"
Kita Ikuyo's yellow-green eyes sparkled like stars as she suddenly closed the distance between them, staring at Haru with a look so full of hope it left him speechless.
That line... might've come out a bit wrong.
"Uh..."
Even Gotoh Hitori beside them began to tremble slightly.
Kita was being way too bold! To openly voice such desires... If Ryo-senpai heard that, it'd be terrifying!
Just imagining Ryo's reaction made Bocchi start shaking.
"Whoa!"
Still caught in her inner panic, Bocchi hadn't noticed her shoelace had come undone. The moment her foot caught on it, she lost her balance.
She was about to fall!
Her first instinct was to protect the guitar on her back, even if it meant taking the hit herself.
Smack!
Kazami Haru, reacting instantly, reached out and pulled her in. Thanks to his reflexes and Bocchi's light weight, she fell directly into his arms.
Kita Ikuyo, who had just been waiting for her turn to be patted, was absolutely stunned.
What just happened?
As Bocchi landed in his arms, Haru immediately felt her soft figure and the faint scent of yuzu shampoo.
Despite her plain gym clothes and disheveled look, the moment she looked up at him, Gotoh Hitori's pure, gentle charm was undeniable, and for a moment, even Haru spaced out.
Right. He'd almost forgotten—
Bocchi was actually a super beautiful girl.
Huh? I'm... being held?
Waaaah!
Haru just hugged me, what do I do what do I do what do I do?! We're so close! I've been hiding in closets for so long, I must smell awful! What if he gets grossed out?! I probably reek like a moldy mushroom or something!
How could trash like me, the kind that lives between the cracks of a closet door, ever deserve to be held by Haru?!
No more battles needed.jpg
Bocchi pressed her hands together like she was praying, then passed out dramatically in Haru's arms.
This must be a dream. Please, don't let it end.
Haru...
