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Chapter 286: Direct Simulation
🕑 Added 2025-04-14 09:44:07 +0000 UTC(TL Music Recommendation: My-Nonfiction Kaguya-sama)
...
Fortunately, the simulation didn't turn into a full-blown party at the study base.
It was just that Hitori and Akane would come over and engage in things that went beyond simple friendship with him.
This allowed Minami to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
But at the same time, he couldn't help but stare at the simulation, wondering—
Why are Hitori and Akane so bold in the simulation?
In reality, whether it was Akane or Hitori, whenever things became... indescribable with him, they wouldn't even dare to meet his gaze.
Yet in the simulation, these two dared to take the initiative.
"This is ridiculous."
Minami sighed and continued reading.
[Time quietly flowed on through the passing days.]
[In the Minami Study Room you established, you took care of every girl who gathered there, ensuring none were left out.]
[At times, you would discuss the future of the band with Ijichi Nijika .]
[Other times, you would accompany a tired Yamada Ryo to second-hand music shops, hunting for instruments that could be resold.]
[You also shared your diet habits with the ever-curious Ikuyo Kita, and when the "LycoReco" duo stopped by, you exchanged cooking tips while chatting about their next marketing strategy.]
[You acquired the "Time Management" trait, greatly improving your ability to manage your schedule.]
[Of course, amidst all this, you never forgot about Matsuzaka Satou.]
[You often went sightseeing with her, frequently visiting Yamanashi Prefecture, just 120 kilometers from Tokyo.]
[Each time she gazed upon the blue sky mirrored in the ashen slopes of Mount Fuji, she was captivated, unable to tear herself away from the view.]
[You promised her that once she got into university, you would gather everyone and climb Mount Fuji together to witness the view from its peak.]
[You spoke these words while standing at a well-known scenic spot near Yamanashi, where mist tangled itself around the deep forests below.]
[Focused on the landscape, you failed to notice the slight shift in Satou's expression.]
[Your invitation made her genuinely happy.]
[Yet, the word "everyone" in your promise sent an inexplicable pang through her heart.]
[If possible, she wanted it to be just the two of you—alone on the mountain path, looking down together, not with the others.]
[That unsettling feeling made her realize something: her emotions toward you had started to change.]
[It was a feeling she couldn't quite put into words.]
[Whenever she saw you with other girls, something inside her twisted—like a balloon inflated to its limit, pressing tightly against her chest, making it hard to breathe. She had no idea how to deal with it.]
[This dark emotion was nothing like the sweet, honey-like "love" she had envisioned.]
[Love should be like the sun—bright, pure, and effortless.]
[But now, something was festering within her heart. She found herself struggling to face both you and the other girls who had warmly accepted her.]
[Overcome by guilt, she arrived early every day at your Minami Study Room, carefully preparing tea and snacks for everyone. Her patience and dedication impressed the others, who often remarked that she would make the best wife among them.]
[But she didn't think so. She knew that her emotions were not as pure as they should be.]
[And yet, suppressing one feeling required another to take its place.]
[But she was not like you.]
[You had many girls by your side—she had only you.]
[This bitter realization made her feel unworthy whenever she stood among them.]
[No one noticed, but she constantly blamed herself.]
[She lamented how ugly she had become, wanting to keep you all to herself. Even just standing next to you filled her with self-doubt, making her hesitant to reach out.]
"So, with her awakening emotions, she's starting to understand jealousy too."
Minami observed the simulation, reading the text and piecing together Satou's thoughts.
In the last timeline, she didn't understand her emotions—she couldn't even make sense of what she truly wanted.
Back then, she never felt jealous of the other girls.
At most, she was frustrated by her own inability to express emotions or understand the feelings of others.
But in this timeline, she had started developing emotions like any ordinary person.
Like a tree growing denser with leaves and branches, it was only natural that a flower named "jealousy" would bloom among them.
In a way, it was simply human nature.
But Satou was the type of girl who easily got caught in spirals of thought.
Once something weighed on her mind, she would obsess over it, thinking about it over and over, until she inevitably reached an extreme conclusion.
For example, just because she had fallen for someone...
She had, in a past simulation, gone so far as to follow Minami in secret. Even consider locking him away.
[You sensed something was off with Satou.]
[On a clear day, you took her to the base of Mount Fuji.]
[The sun bathed the landscape in golden light. White clouds drifted lazily across the vast blue sky, where the silhouette of Mount Fuji lay like a sleeping beast. You held her close, tilting your head back to take in the view she had always longed to see.]
[Under such a clear sky, surely no one would tell a lie.]
[Thinking this, you turned to the pink-haired girl and asked, "Are you holding something inside?"]
[Your voice was serious yet warm, carrying the gentle breeze of early spring.]
[She simply shook her head, smiling as she assured you that there was nothing wrong. Instead, she told you that you should focus on your upcoming entrance exams rather than worrying about her too much.]
[Then, she turned back to the mountain before her, her voice soft yet firm. "I really want to climb Mount Fuji with you. Just the two of us."]
[Her words carried an unmistakable longing—sincere, yet filled with an ambiguity that made it difficult to tell truth from illusion.]
[You agreed and told her that if possible, you would even get a motorcycle license.]
[Then one day, you would ride together through spring's gentle breezes, past summer's fireworks festivals, beneath autumn's crimson leaves, and under winter's starry skies. And when you both grew old, you'd watch the sunset together in the golden glow of dusk.]
"Minami-senpai riding a motorcycle... he'd look so cool."
Satou found herself imagining it.
Minami in the front, and her in the back—the wind pushing them gently forward as she pressed her face against his back.
"One day, I'll see it for myself."
At the foot of Mount Fuji, Minami held the pink-haired girl close, kissing her forehead with a soft smile.
"Even if you complain about being tired or say 'no,' I'll still take you with me."
"Mm."
His words made her smile.
Then, she gazed up at the pure blue sky—the pristine, sugar-white peak of Mount Fuji.
[She knew that mere words weren't enough to put your doubts to rest.]
[So three nights later, she secretly snuck into your room.]
[That night, you and Satou crossed a line.]
[Lying in bed afterward, she hesitantly confessed that she had originally planned to wait until after university to offer herself to you—her way of repaying your kindness. But now, because of your concern, that plan had been pushed forward.]
[You only chuckled and reassured her. "It was going to happen sooner or later anyway."]
[As you drifted into sleep, she silently watched your face, only allowing herself to relax when she was sure that your doubts had truly been eased.]
[After that, your mother and sisters often asked about your studies, but you simply handed them near-perfect test results with a smile.]
[It truly seemed as if you were focusing on your entrance exams. Your previous concerns about Satou—your questions, your worries—seemed to have completely faded away.]
[She felt relieved. Grateful that her hidden thoughts hadn't been exposed.]
[But was that really the case?]
[To you, the entrance exams were important—but the girls in your life were even more so.]
[Your test results, ranking first in national mock exams, were merely the result of half-hearted effort.]
[What truly mattered to you was Satou's state of mind.]
[So, in secret, you messaged the other girls, asking about her behavior.]
[One by one, they all told you the same thing—nothing seemed unusual.]
[Until you asked Ryo Yamada.]
[After a long pause, she finally responded.]
[She told you that lately, Satou had been zoning out a lot during study sessions, lost in thought about something.]
[Not only that, but she had also been attending study sessions less frequently. No one knew where she was going, but she would always show up late—only arriving after everyone else had already gathered.]
[At this point, Yamada-san's voice note carried a hint of smugness as she admitted that if she hadn't been zoning out herself, she wouldn't have even noticed anything off about Satou.]
[You were speechless. With a serious tone, you warned Yamada-san that if she spaced out during study sessions again, you'd have no choice but to give her a hard smack on the butt.]
[Your words left Ryo Yamada genuinely surprised—she had no idea why she was being rewarded.]
"Yamada-san, you really..."
Minami rubbed his temples.
There were so many things he wanted to say, but he couldn't find the right words. Instead, he continued analyzing the simulation.
[Setting aside Yamada Ryo's situation for now, you confirmed that the pink-haired yandere girl was definitely hiding something from you.]
[You recalled a dream you had before—in that dream, Satou had secretly run away while pregnant, disappearing for many years.]
[By the time you saw her again, she had already turned into a black-and-white photo on a memorial tablet. Unmoving. Expressionless. The only thing she left behind was a daughter named Shio Matsuzaka.]
[The dream had felt so real that just thinking about it now sent a searing pain through your chest, as if a pair of invisible hands were ripping it open.]
The next choice will have severe consequences.
1. Force the truth out of Satou, no matter what it takes.
2. Put your entire exam preparation on hold and order the girls to monitor her closely—don't let your guard down.
3. Wait until the entrance exam season is completely over, then ask Sayuri Matsuzaka for more details.
4. Direct Simulation.
"Here we go."
Minami snapped to attention.
Choices with severe consequences were nothing new to him.
But making the wrong move here could mean losing everything.
He took a deep breath and began analyzing Options 1 through 3 based on what he already knew.
Option 1: Forcing Satou to talk.
That wasn't going to work.
Despite her fragile, obedient appearance, Satou was surprisingly stubborn once she had made up her mind about something.
Even from the previous simulations, it was clear—
If she had already decided on a course of action, it was almost impossible to make her change her mind.
So forcing an answer out of her was practically a dead end.
Option 2: Putting exam prep on hold and asking the other girls to monitor her.
Also not a reliable plan.
Minami frowned.
Even leaving aside the question of whether he could afford to delay his studies—
Expecting the other girls to notice something was wrong just by watching Satou's behavior…
That was highly unrealistic.
Even he had only picked up on subtle oddities—
There was no way the others, whose perception was lower than his, would be able to detect anything meaningful.
Another dead end.
Option 3: Waiting until after exam season to ask Sayuri.
This…
This seemed like the most practical choice.
Because no matter what Satou was planning, if she wanted to act on it, she would almost certainly need an adult's help.
After all, she was still a minor—
Even if she had an idea in mind, she would inevitably be limited by her status as a high school student.
No matter what, finding an adult to assist… That would undoubtedly be the best option.
But—
"Waiting until the entrance exam season ends, huh…"
Minami frowned slightly as he stared at the third option: "After graduation."
The end of exam season.
That meant Tokyo University's entrance exams—held from February 25th to 27th—would have to be over before his exam season officially ended.
But in the simulation, it was only early January.
That's over a month away.
Even just thinking about it made it clear—that was way too long.
With that much time, Satou would have already put her plan into motion, disappearing to some unknown place.
So, considering everything, the third option wasn't reliable either.
Even if he chose it, he would likely end up with just a "normal ending."
This was probably the biggest drawback of taking the harem route.
If he had chosen the "True Love Warrior" path earlier—abandoning all other girls and running away with Satou—maybe he could have reached a happy ending.
But…
"There's no way I would ever choose that."
Minami shook his head.
To put it bluntly—
The simulation was just a way for him to experiment and test different outcomes.
It had no impact on reality.
If he hesitated even in a simulation, how could he accomplish anything at all?
His whole purpose in running these simulations was to find a way for Satou and the other girls to coexist.
If he abandoned everyone else and ran away with just Satou…
That would completely defeat the purpose.
"Which means... it's finally time to use this."
Muttering to himself, Minami turned his gaze to the final option at the bottom of the list.
[4. Direct Simulation.]
Yes.
Until now, due to his low Heartthrob Points, he had never chosen the "Direct Simulation" option.
After all, a standard simulation required 300 Heartthrob Points, and a Direct Simulation required an additional 1,200—
That meant a total of 1,500 Heartthrob Points.
A fortune.
Something that completely crushed his savings.
Every time he saw that option, he could only sigh, say "Too poor, can't afford it," and move on to analyzing the other choices.
If he had tens of thousands of Heartthrob Points…
Would he even need to strategize?
He could just spam "Direct Simulation" and brute-force his way to the perfect ending.
Even for a simulation with a barely passing score of 60, he was confident he could push it past 90 using this option.
But reality was cruel.
There was only one disease in this world that had no cure—
Being broke.
And Minami just so happened to suffer from that disease.
An incurable case.
"But that was in the past."
He glanced sideways at his Heartthrob Points balance.
Right now, he had around 1,200 saved up.
That meant, in this simulation, he could definitely afford to do a Direct Simulation.
Minami lifted his head and looked at the options again.
In the past, he had used Direct Simulation twice—to simulate a happy married life.
He had even met his future children, Yuna Shouji and Miyuki Shouji.
But this time was different.
This time, he wasn't simulating a future after marriage—
He was using Direct Simulation to correct the entire course of the simulation, preventing normal endings or, worse, bad endings.
These were two entirely different things.
"I wonder… how long 1,200 points will let me stay in the simulation this time?"
Minami stared at the simulation screen, deep in thought.
If he only got the same 12-hour time limit as before, he wouldn't have enough time to carry out everything he needed to do.
But—
"No matter what, I should at least give it a try."
With that, he adjusted himself into a comfortable sleeping position, then reached out and pressed his finger against the simulation screen.
'Do you want to spend 1,200 Heartthrob Points to enter the simulation? Yes/No?'
'Yes!'
His finger pressed down.
At the same time, he felt a strange energy pulling his consciousness out of his body—directly projecting him into the simulated world.
Yet, this separation was completely different from his previous direct simulations of married life.
Even as he entered the simulation, he could still sense his real body outside in the real world.
It was an indescribable feeling.
As if his perspective had split into two, hovering above both realities.
With just a thought, he could switch his viewpoint between his simulated self and his real-world self.
And unlike before, where he could freely choose between the 'High School,' 'Adulthood,' and 'Married' stages—
This time, there were no choices.
Minami could feel that he was locked into the time period just before exam season.
"So this is what it feels like."
Curious, Minami switched perspectives twice, then nodded slightly.
If this was how it worked... then it wasn't so bad.
He slowly closed his eyes, allowing his entire consciousness to sink into the simulation.
—
Satou POV:
The sky was pure, a crisp white reflecting the fresh snowfall, like an icy mirror stretching endlessly.
Her clothes were clean, freshly washed in the machine, and the squared collar carried an inexplicable fragrance.
The room was silent, the floor gleaming... Everything felt so clean, so peaceful.
And yet—
"But I'm not like that at all..."
Satou murmured, staring intently at her reflection in the mirror.
Soft pink hair cascaded over her shoulders.
Her pink eyes were large and filled with light.
Her slender eyebrows were slightly furrowed, carrying an unspoken sorrow.
Delicate nose, gentle ears, and lips—
Anyone who saw her would surely praise the beauty of the pink-haired girl in the mirror.
But Satou didn't see it that way.
To her, outer beauty was nothing compared to inner purity.
And she was no longer pure.
The 'love' she had chased her entire life had been tainted.
When she saw the black-haired young man smiling and interacting with other girls—
A sharp, dull ache twisted in her chest, something bitter, something suffocating, swelling in her throat.
Jealousy.
A feeling she should never have toward Minami or the other girls.
She had no right to feel this way.
Because Minami was the one who had stayed by her side, helping her slowly reclaim her emotions.
Without Minami, she wouldn't even be able to perceive feelings, to recognize the shifts in her heart.
And those girls around Minami—whether it was Yamada Ryo or Gotoh Hitori—
They had been nothing but warm, welcoming, and kind to her.
Instead of rejecting her, these girls, the ones who had been by Minami's side from the start, had opened their circle to her, inviting her in with laughter and genuine kindness.
She was the one who had arrived late, trying to steal and divide Minami's love.
And yet, they never pushed her away.
In the time she had spent with them, they had all become her closest, most genuine friends.
For someone like Satou, who had only ever had Shoko Hida as a friend growing up, such friendships were rare and precious.
That alone—
That alone was enough to make her feel unworthy.
She had no right to be jealous of them.
She understood this perfectly.
And yet, no matter how hard she tried to uproot the weeds in her heart, they always grew back.
They took root in the darkest, most humid corners of her soul, spreading relentlessly, threatening to consume her whole.
She was deeply grateful to these girls.
She didn't want her own emotions to ruin the sincerity of their friendship.
Slowly, she stood up and walked to the balcony, gazing outside.
It had just snowed.
A soft, powdery layer covered the ground, turning Tokyo's steel-and-concrete cityscape into a world of pristine white.
The snow was fluffy, like countless granules of sugar piled together.
And beneath that pure white sugar, the dark, gray-black pavement lurked.
Satou felt that it was time to go.
For days now, she had been carefully observing her own emotions.
The possessiveness and jealousy in her heart were spreading, as if they were trying to stain everything she had ever known.
But—
Her 'love' was never meant to be like this.
Just like in the anime, where Satou took drastic measures to protect her pure love—eliminating anyone who sought to take it away—
She now found herself standing at a crossroads.
To prevent her love from being tainted by the impurities within her heart.
To stop herself from doing something irreversible—something that would hurt Minami-senpai and her friends...
Satou had already made her decision long ago.
She would leave.
She would choose a fitting day to disappear.
Just like that rainy day when she first met Minami—
This time, she would quietly vanish into the falling snow.
Satou lowered her gaze to check the time.
According to her arrangements,
The car she had reserved should already be waiting downstairs.
With that thought,
She gripped the handle of her suitcase and slowly made her way down.
The suitcase wasn't big.
It only held a few simple sets of clothes.
The rest—she had planned to have her aunt, Matsuzaka Sayuri, secretly send them to her later.
After all, a silent departure wouldn't be so silent if she brought too much with her.
That sharp-eyed young man would notice immediately.
Standing inside the elevator, she thought about this as she watched the numbers descend, one floor at a time.
The floor numbers dropping felt like a reflection of her heart—
Sinking.
Falling straight to the bottom.
A heaviness settled over her.
And when she thought about the possibility of never seeing Minami again—
Never seeing those girls who had cared for her—
A dull, indescribable ache spread through her chest.
But what else could she do?
Let jealousy and possessiveness continue to fester inside her?
Until she eventually did something unforgivable—
To the one she loved.
To her friends.
Choosing one at the cost of the other wasn't an option.
Satou was the type of girl who thought things through to the extreme.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be struggling this much.
Before she knew it—
Ding!
The elevator chimed.
The clear sound broke her thoughts and pulled her back to reality.
She stepped out of the apartment building, suitcase in hand, and glanced around.
According to the time and her last message with the driver—
The car should be here, waiting.
But as she looked out—
All she saw was white.
Snow upon snow, blanketing the ground.
Stretching endlessly forward...
There was no car.
No waiting driver.
Just as Satou reached into her pocket to take out her phone and call,
A sudden screech of tires pierced the quiet.
The sharp sound of a motorcycle braking.
Her instincts made her lift her head.
And there, in front of her—
A sleek black motorcycle had come to a stop.
A young man reached up and pulled off his helmet, dark hair ruffling slightly as he exhaled into the cold air.
His eyes—clean, clear—met hers without hesitation.
Satou froze slightly.
The boy's disheveled black hair framed his sharp yet refined features, and the corners of his lips curved into a faint smile.
Wrapped in a windproof jacket, his lean, well-proportioned figure stood out even more.
It was enough to make a few passing girls steal glances, quickly pulling out their phones to snap pictures.
"What's the matter, Miss Pink-Haired Lady?"
Holding his helmet in one hand, he rubbed his fingers together against the cold and smirked playfully.
"Got somewhere to be? Need a ride?"
Satou's chest trembled.
She remembered.
She remembered the promise she had made with Minami.
She thought about the promise Minami had made—how he would take her on his motorcycle to admire the scenery together.
The boy's smile, like the chill of winter wind, slipped through the cracks of her unguarded heart.
