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Chapter 75: Your Relationship Progresses Rapidly
🕑 Added 2025-02-06 08:42:49 +0000 UTC[System Settlement: Your musical talent has improved. Current level: LV2.]
"36 points...?"
Staring at the score and the system's evaluation page, Minami remained silent for a long time.
The deep sense of regret still lingered in his mind.
Apart from his first attempt, when he was still figuring out how the simulator worked, Minami had never received such a low score.
But he had expected this result.
Because in this playthrough, aside from becoming friends with Chisato, their relationship had never progressed any further.
They hadn't even become lovers. If anything, Minami felt that the simulator was being generous by giving him 36 points.
And yet, he still couldn't understand.
Everything had been going exactly according to plan.
Like boiling a frog in warm water, everything had been unfolding perfectly.
Given enough time, surely his relationship with Chisato would have deepened naturally, right?
A happy ending should have been within reach.
After all, Chisato had even promised him that she would tell him everything after that day...
Minami was confident that once he knew what she wanted to say, their relationship would have taken a meaningful step forward.
Yet, after that day, she never appeared again.
Lying in bed, Minami couldn't wrap his head around it.
Through the simulation, he had already gained a good understanding of Chisato.
She was cheerful, full of energy, warm and generous, always laughing, with a playful and mischievous air about her. But one thing had remained constant—her gentle and kind attitude toward everyone.
She was so full of life that she could even drag the gloomy Gotoh Hitori (Bocchi) out of her shell.
It was this rare, infectious energy that made everyone in the simulation become her friend without exception.
Which is exactly why—
Minami couldn't think of a single reason why she would break her promise.
By all logic, since she had already said she would tell him, given her personality, she would never have gone back on her word.
"No... the simulation might have already hinted at this long ago."
Minami furrowed his brows.
One particular sentence from the simulation stood out in his memory.
[Only occasionally, after a performance, when talking with Chisato about the future or her dreams, the always mischievous, lively, and sprightly girl would reveal a fleeting expression—one of relief, or perhaps detachment.]
"That must be where the problem lies."
Closing his eyes, Minami muttered to himself.
But even with this clue, he still couldn't fully grasp why Chisato was unable to keep her promise. He could only make a vague guess.
Perhaps—Chisato didn't want to break her promise.
Perhaps—she couldn't keep it.
With this new perspective, Minami reopened the simulation and examined the choices from the beginning once more.
[1. Prepare actively for tomorrow's performance, hoping to attract her once again. With your looks and guitar skills, deepening your relationship with her should be no problem.]
[2. Practicing guitar all the time is exhausting. Maybe it's time to relax and take a break.]
[3. If you like her, you should pursue her. Know your enemy, know yourself—while preparing for the performance, also prepare to follow the blonde girl!]
[4. Personally simulate.]
The fourth option—manual simulation—required four simulation attempts to activate, standing high and mighty as always, seemingly untouchable.
Minami skipped over the fourth option and focused on the first three.
The first option was confirmed as 100% wrong by the version of myself from the first week.
Minami's eyes landed on it.
So... was the answer in the second option?
"Maybe it's time to relax and take a break..."
This option, without a doubt, would lead to the path of becoming a study monster.
The version of me in the simulation would probably end up drowning in the sea of study, ultimately missing the chance to interact with Kinmoku Chitsuka.
So, there's only the third option left, the one Minami considered the most absurd.
3. If you like her, you must have her. Know yourself and your enemy, and you will win every battle. While preparing for tomorrow's performance, also prepare for the task of stalking the blonde girl!
"Could it really be you?"
Minami stared at the line of text, somewhat speechless.
This option, whether in terms of description or subsequent actions, was absolutely ridiculous—so ridiculous it was beyond belief.
Stalking? Isn't that something only a crazy person would do?
But Minami couldn't help but think that this option might actually be the best one.
After all, there's a quote in Sherlock Holmes that says:
'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.'
Applying that here doesn't seem out of place.
Even if this third option is ridiculous, exaggerated, and hard to comprehend, it's most likely the right one.
At this thought, Minami couldn't help but shake his head.
The regretful outcome of 36 points.
He would never see Chisato's sadness again.
Two emotions mixed inside him.
He had started out with such a great opening.
The admiration level—he had originally thought that a happy ending would come easily.
But what he didn't expect was for things to turn out like this.
"Then, let's try again."
Minami briefly looked at his affection points.
Thanks to Miss Gotoh, he still had 1530 affection points left.
With the regretful outcome from last time as a base, Minami didn't believe this time he couldn't reach a happy ending with Chisato.
Without hesitation, Minami spent 300 affection points to redeem another simulation opportunity.
[Current affection points remaining: 1230.]
[Current simulation attempts remaining: 1.]
After the simple system prompt, the system notification appeared again in front of Minami.
[Do you wish to start the simulation?]
[Yes!]
Without hesitation, he selected yes!
[Waking up from your blanket, with an irreplaceable feeling of regret in your mind, you wiped the sweat from your forehead, looked at the not-too-distant time, and recalled the golden-haired girl from your dream, the one you still felt regret about.]
[This time, you are determined to create a better ending with her.]
[To do so, you decide to—]
1. Prepare for tomorrow's performance as in the dream, believing this time will be different from last time.
2. Dreams are just illusions; practicing guitar all the time is too exhausting. How about messaging Yamada Ryo and teasing her a bit? That could be more fun, right? Who knows.. You might get lucky.
3. If you like her, you must get her. Know yourself and your enemy, and you will win every battle. Don't hesitate! While preparing for tomorrow's performance, also begin preparing to follow the blonde girl!
4. Simulate yourself.
Three options, basically the same as before.
But Minami couldn't help but complain—
"Yamada... You..."
Looking at Yamada Ryo's name appearing in the second option, Minami was at a loss for words for a while.
How many times has this been with Yamada?
Does she really treat love simulations like a gacha pool?
Is Yamada a permanent character in this pool?
Minami shook his head in disbelief.
Although still a bit hesitant, this time, he chose the third option.
[Loving a woman undeniably means you have to win her over, but for someone who suddenly stormed into your life like a downpour, you still know nothing about her.]
[You are well aware that beneath this woman's cheerful and enthusiastic exterior, there are other secrets that remain hidden from the world.]
[You decide that while preparing for the performance, you must also make plans to investigate her. Even stalking her, if necessary, wouldn't be a bad decision.]
[But you already knew from the regret-filled dream earlier that the cheerful and passionate Chisato seems to have an uncanny reaction ability that most people can't compare to.]
[If you rashly start following her, there's a high chance she'll catch you in the act.]
[If this matter is exposed, even if she has great affection for you, she may leave you because of it.]
[You, of course, are aware of this. Having given up on the "boiling frog" strategy, your intelligence is far above average.]
(TL Notes: It is also used in business to reinforce that change needs to be gradual to be accepted. The term "boiling frog syndrome" is a metaphor used to describe the failure to act against a problematic situation which will increase in severity until reaching catastrophic proportions.)
[You decide to first use the performance to grab her attention. After improving your relationship with her, you'll look for an opportunity to prepare for stalking.]
[This is your first time doing something like this, yet for some reason, you seem incredibly experienced, as though you've done it many times before, learning without a teacher.]
"Ugh…"
Minami looked at this segment in the simulation, feeling like the simulator was mocking him.
But he quickly regained his composure.
Someone as exceptional as him being envied by the simulator was only natural.
There was no need to get too angry.
[Your narcissistic trait has increased significantly, now at LV3.]
"Eh?"
The sudden system notification left Minami confused.
He opened his panel and noticed that his narcissism, which had previously been at LV2, had now reached LV3.
"???" Minami.
In just three days, his narcissism level had caught up to Yamada Ryo's narcissism level.
Honestly, Minami couldn't accept it.
He felt more that the simulator must have confused narcissism with confidence.
How could he have any issues?
…Forget it.
There was no point in dwelling on these things.
He shook his head, pushing all these random thoughts out of his mind.
Minami refocused on the simulation.
[You finalize your plan, confirm the details, and begin preparing for the outdoor performance—this outdoor performance is your way of attracting her attention, so you can't afford to take it lightly.]
[You secretly resolve that this time, you will avoid previous regrets and aim for a perfect ending.]
[The next day, you once again perform at the outdoor venue in Shimokitazawa.]
[Just like the regretful memory, she stops by again to listen to your music.]
[The outdoor performance you carefully prepared leaves her very satisfied, increasing her admiration for you.]
[After the performance ends, you, now familiar with the process, leave your audience behind and approach her to start a conversation.]
[Your initiative surprises her. She's genuinely happy that you still remember her name.]
[In yesterday's dream, you had already learned about her interests, so you deliberately chose to talk about movies.]
[With your subtle guidance, she didn't realize she had revealed more information to you than she intended.]
[This included her favorite foods, her recent troubles, and her physical measurements.]
[If language had levels, you could be called the devil of conversation.]
[But you're not really interested in these things. What you care about the most is why she disappeared without a word in your dream.]
[Unfortunately, despite your flawless language skills, she, who seemed to be inherently cautious, didn't reveal any information to you.]
[You feel regretful but considering this is only the second day, having come this far is already quite good, so you regain your determination.]
[When you part ways, you make sure to ask for her LINE account.]
[In the evening, while preparing for the next outdoor performance, you don't forget to open LINE and chat with her.]
[She's very talkative, always full of energy, and after some chatting, you realize she seems very interested in learning how to play the guitar.]
[This gives you hope—you think there might be a chance, so you offer to teach her some guitar skills.]
[But as mentioned before, although she seems cheerful and passionate, she possesses an astuteness that others can hardly match.]
[She doesn't share her address with you. Instead, she sends you a picture of a cute cat and thanks you for the offer.]
[You feel regretful but don't let it get you down.]
[Optimism and incredible action are always your strengths. You believe that with your relentless pursuit, even if her heart is locked, you'll eventually break through the cracks enough to get in.]
[Like a patient hunter lurking in the shadows, you wait for the perfect opportunity to strike, unaware to her. The moment an opportunity arises, you'll pounce without hesitation, even if it leaves you bruised.]
[To open her heart, which seems carefree yet is highly cautious, there's no doubt you must first strengthen the bond between the two of you.]
[That evening, not only did you practice guitar, but you also caught up on some movie knowledge.]
[Your guitar and movie knowledge have slightly improved.]
[The next day, after the performance, you sit on a bench with her. She curiously asks about guitar and movie-related topics.]
[This time, with your preparation, the conversation flows more smoothly, and you further stimulate her desire to talk.]
[She's attracted to you, not just because of your musical skill, but also because she finds it interesting that you share similar hobbies.]
[Your relationship with Chisato Nishikigi has deepened.]
[You've caught Chisato Nishikigi's attention.]
[Your relationship is progressing rapidly.]
