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Chapter 267: System Evaluation—100 Points?
🕑 Added 2025-04-05 09:34:23 +0000 UTCLying on the couch, Minami slowly opened his eyes.
Unlike his previous deep immersion(Direct) simulations,
This time—
Twelve hours had felt too short.
From morning to night,
He had guided Matsuzaka Shio,
Helped her acknowledge him as her father,
And in the end—
Brought her home.
Twelve hours had been barely enough.
But—
"At least… I managed to do it."
He murmured to himself.
Yes.
He had done it.
Even if she still had some reservations in her heart—
In the end, Matsuzaka Shio had lowered her defenses
And chosen to follow him to the Minami household.
But just as Minami had been about to introduce her to the others…
The time limit ran out.
His consciousness was pulled back.
And he returned to the present.
"Tsk."
Minami shook his head.
But—
"It should be fine, right?"
The Minami of the future was still him.
Handling Matsuzaka Shio's integration into the family…
Shouldn't be too difficult for his future self.
"Still… I wonder what happened afterward?"
Lying on the couch, he pondered—
Then turned his gaze toward the floating system screen.
[Future Route Changed: "The Girl From the Future" Path Has Been Altered. View the Updated Timeline?]
"Yes."
There was no need to hesitate.
Minami tapped "Yes."
And immediately—
The updated future records appeared before him.
A Different Future
[As you expected, Matsuzaka Shio's arrival surprised the Minami household.]
[But after your explanation—]
[Neither your wives nor your daughters had any trouble accepting her.]
[In fact, because of her past, they showed her even more care and affection.]
[New clothes. A freshly prepared bedroom. Warm greetings. Daughters who immediately treated her like family…]
[It was all something Matsuzaka Shio could never have imagined.]
[Just the day before, she had been trapped in a tiny, freezing apartment.]
[And now—she had been welcomed into a home that felt like heaven.]
[Everyone was gentle with her.]
[Hitori and Nijika even told her—]
"If you want… we can be your mothers."
[This overwhelming love…]
[Made Matsuzaka Shio feel like she was drowning in happiness.]
[The walls she had built around herself…]
[Began to crumble.
[For the first time in her life—]
[She felt truly loved.]
[And little by little…]
[A smile began to appear on her face.]
[She started clinging to you, just like your other daughters did.]
[She finally allowed herself to embrace your presence as her father.]
[You and your daughter didn't speak of Matsuzaka Satou often.]
[But in small moments—]
[When watching her favorite movie…]
[Or listening to her favorite song…]
[You would both think of her.]
[And you would smile at each other.]
[Because perhaps…]
[This was what it truly meant to remember someone.]
[Later on, you brought Matsuzaka Sayuri to the Shouji household as well.]
[Once a woman who toyed with countless men, she had changed.]
[She had aged. Her once stunning features now bore the marks of years of hard labor.]
[Her once beautiful skin was now wrinkled.]
[Her once delicate hands were now rough and worn.]
[Her once enchanting eyes were now tired and dull.]
[But when you embraced her and apologized for your past harsh words…]
[She only smiled.]
"It was you who taught me… what truly matters."
[She had no resentment. Only gratitude.]
[And when you spoke of Satou's passing—]
[She simply sighed.]
"I miss that pink-haired girl."
"If only I had raised her better… maybe things would have been different."
[And just like that…]
[The once untouchable Sayuri cried in your arms.]
[She sobbed like a lost child.]
[And all you could do—
[Was gently rub her back…
[And let her grieve.]
[In the years that followed, she lived peacefully in the Minami household.]
[She took up gardening, tending to a small patch of flowers.]
[She told you—]
"These flowers remind me of you, your wives, and your daughters."
[You did not stop the elderly woman from pursuing her final hobby. Instead, you joined her in discussing the intricacies of gardening.]
[And it was during this time that, with your support, Matsuzaka Shio returned to school.]
[Perhaps due to inheriting your genes, she was unlike Matsuzaka Satou, who struggled with academics. In just her first year, she secured a university scholarship.]
[You were proud of her and continued to encourage her to chase her dreams.]
[With your unwavering support, Matsuzaka Shio gradually grew more confident. Like your other daughters, she began to shine in her chosen field.]
[Perhaps influenced by the 'Satou' (Sugar) in her mother's name, Matsuzaka Shio developed a deep passion for the snack food industry.]
[With your financial backing, by her junior year, she had already launched her very own snack design studio.]
[Leveraging your connections, she gained valuable experience working with major snack brands and eventually released her first original product: 'Salt & Sugar.']
[The snack's niche yet unique flavor quickly attracted a dedicated following among young consumers.]
[Although it wasn't a mainstream success, you told her—
"As long as you create something unique to you, there will always be people who love it. And that is enough."
[She took those words to heart and continued to work hard.]
[Time continued to flow.]
[By the time Matsuzaka Shio turned twenty-eight, Matsuzaka Sayuri had passed away.]
[Years of physically demanding labor had finally taken their toll on the aging woman.]
[That night, Matsuzaka Shio clung to you, sobbing until her voice became hoarse.]
[Her last remaining family member—besides you—was gone.]
[At that moment, it felt as though she had lost everything.]
[But… was that really true?]
[On the day of Matsuzaka Sayuri's passing, your wives and daughters took it upon themselves to organize a memorial for her.]
[With kindness and warmth, they surrounded the grieving Matsuzaka Shio, offering her comfort and support.]
[They told her—"You are not alone. You still have us."]
[At first, Matsuzaka Shio was stunned by their words. But the weight of her emotions soon overwhelmed her, and she fell into their embrace.]
[Yes…]
[Matsuzaka Sayuri was not her only family.]
[She had so many people who cared for her—so many loved ones to cherish and protect.]
[Following that day, Matsuzaka Shio sought you out.]
[After a long conversation that lasted through the night, she made her decision.]
[She officially changed her name to 'Shouji Shio.']
[This choice was not about abandoning Matsuzaka Satou or Matsuzaka Sayuri.]
[Rather, it was about quietly keeping them in her heart—while treasuring the people standing beside her in the present.]
[With her heart now at peace, Shouji Shio resolved to walk forward into the future with all of you.]
[She had learned to let go, to cherish what she had… and perhaps, with this newfound clarity, she would go even further.]
[That was your thoughts.]
"Haaah…"
Pulling his mind back from the future records, Minami let out a soft sigh.
Matsuzaka Shio had found happiness with them in the end.
Just knowing that—
Those 1200 Heartthrob Points weren't wasted.
But—
"I still couldn't save Matsuzaka Satou, huh…"
He murmured under his breath.
In this "The Girl From the Future" route, Matsuzaka Satou had already died.
Even Minami couldn't change that outcome.
It was one of his few regrets.
But even so, this was probably the best possible future…
Asking for more would be greedy.
With that thought, he let his gaze drift downward.
Beneath the future records, there was another line of text.
["The Girl From the Future" Route – Score: 100 Points]
[System Evaluation: The future is unpredictable, unknowable—but as long as you seize the moment, even the deepest regrets can be overturned.]
[This time, you fulfilled your responsibility as a father. You embraced the rare opportunity that was given to you.]
[Through your guidance, she returned home with you.]
[She was not shunned, nor was she rejected.]
[Instead, she was met with the warmth and acceptance of her family.]
[Happiness slowly melted the ice within her heart.]
[And with your support, she found the courage to chase her dreams once more.]
[The girl who once held nothing but fear and wariness]
[Now found herself trusting, smiling, and finally—moving forward.]
[You taught her kindness. You taught her patience.
[And when she was lost, you became her guiding light.]
[In the end, both of you learned how to let go.]
[Matsuzaka Sayuri's passing was an unbearable loss.
[It meant that, aside from you, she had no one left in the world.]
[But your wives and daughters proved her wrong.]
[By choosing to change her name to 'Shouji Shio']
[She was not abandoning her past.]
[She was making peace with it.]
[And from now on...]
[She would face the world with a new perspective.]
[As time flowed once more, you returned to the present.]
[You knew]
[Even if you couldn't change everything…]
[You had done the best you could.]
That was where the system's message ended.
But it was the 100-point score that truly shocked Minami.
"A perfect score?"
What kind of insane rating was that?
His highest score before this had been 97.
And even that had been from a harem route with the Kessoku Band members.
But now—
The simulator had given his journey with Matsuzaka Shio a full 100 points?!
This meant that, according to the simulator's standards—
He had done everything right.
Every decision, every action—
Flawless.
"I guess… that makes sense."
Minami exhaled, feeling both surprised and relieved.
From the simulator's perspective, this really was the best possible outcome.
Matsuzaka Shio had been freed from her past.
She had experienced love, found happiness, and forged new bonds.
Even during Sayuri's passing, Hitori and Nijika had embraced her—
Ensuring that she never felt alone again.
"I see. So 'family' plays a huge role in the system's scoring."
He rubbed his chin.
Most of his high scores had come from harem routes—
But looking at it now…
It wasn't about the romance itself.
It was about building strong, lasting relationships.
"So 'family' is one of the key factors, huh?"
He lay back on the sofa, deep in thought.
But before he could process things further—
A cold, mechanical chime suddenly echoed in his ears.
[Ding— Due to changes in the future timeline, the effects of the "Random Daughter Summon Card" have been altered.]
[A time fluctuation has occurred.]
[Shouji Mirai will be returning to the future in three hours.]
"What?"
Minami immediately sat up on the couch, eyes widening in shock.
Mirai… was leaving?
In three hours?!
That didn't make sense.
He had spent Heartthrob Points to bring Mirai to the present—
And by his calculations, she should still have two or three days left.
But now—
She had only three hours?!
"No way…"
Minami clenched his fist, unwilling to accept it.
And at that exact moment—
A shocked yelp came from across the room.
"Eh?!" Mirai.
Under his and Shinjo Akane's watchful gazes—
Her hand began to… flicker.
Faint, transparent edges—
Like a reflection on water.
Like she could vanish at any moment.
