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Chapter 74: You Feel Regret
🕑 Added 2025-02-05 15:03:45 +0000 UTC[Everything seems to be going smoothly.]
Seeing this sentence, Minami had only one thought.
"I really appreciate it."
This wasn't the first time Minami had encountered this phrase.
And every single time it appeared, what initially seemed like a perfect, dreamlike start would inevitably spiral into complete disaster.
But...
"Where exactly did it go wrong?"
Minami combed through his thoughts.
Was it a poor choice?
But after carefully considering the options, there were only three. The second option was to give up practicing the guitar and focus on studying, and the third was to follow Nishikigi Chisato.
Choosing the first, most logical option should have been completely fine.
Minami frowned, pondering for a long time, yet unable to figure out the right answer.
He had no choice but to temporarily set this matter aside and immerse himself in the simulation once more.
Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly.
However, as time continued to pass, after spending so much time with Chisato, you keenly noticed something.
Beneath the girl's cheerful, carefree face, there seemed to be something else—something hidden, something unknown.
You could feel this emotion, but you couldn't quite guess what it was.
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.
You sensed that she might be hiding something from you, but as just a friend, you felt it wasn't your place to press for answers.
Gradually, for some reason, she started coming to your outdoor performances less and less.
A vague unease began to creep into your heart, but every time you saw her, she was as cheerful as ever, showing no signs of worry.
When talking to you, she was always animated, and whenever she laughed, she would still, as usual, cover her stomach with one hand while playfully patting your back with the other, laughing until tears formed in her eyes.
You felt that something was off, but whenever you tried to bring it up, the words never came out.
After another performance, as usual, you went to meet her.
But this time, you broke away from your usual hesitation and finally voiced what was on your mind.
In the simulation, the river of memories flowed gently.
"Yo! Minami! That was an amazing performance today! How do you do it? Every single time, you manage to put on such an incredible show."
Sitting on the bench, she cheerfully waved at Minami, who had just finished his performance, calling out, "Hurry, hurry! Over here!"
She sat on the bench without a care in the world, swinging her pale, soft legs back and forth as if she were on a swing, looking completely carefree and happy.
Minami placed his guitar between them and fell silent.
"What's wrong?"
Hearing the unusual silence, her swinging legs came to a stop.
"..."
A long silence.
"Nothing."
After the silence, he finally spoke, his eyes fixed on the fountain in Shimokitazawa Square ahead.
The setting sun bathed the square in golden light, the fountain gushing water.
Droplets reflected the light, painting the entire square with an indescribable melancholy beauty.
"Really?"
The ever-cheerful girl seemed to pick up on something and fell silent as well.
The silence stretched between them.
After a while—
"Chisato."
His voice suddenly broke the quiet.
"Hmm?"
She had been idly counting cracks on the ground tiles and instinctively looked up.
"You have something on your mind, don't you? If you don't mind, you can talk to me about it," he said.
"Eh...?"
His sudden words made Chisato open her mouth slightly in surprise.
At first, she was about to brush it off like always, with a casual "What are you talking about?" to avoid the subject.
But when she saw his face—one devoid of hesitation or doubt—she fell silent again.
She looked up.
A white dove flew past her gaze.
After a long pause—
"...There are things I want to say."
Her voice still carried a bit of that usual cheerfulness.
"Then—"
"But I don't want to say them to you in this state."
That response made Minami tilt his head slightly.
In the golden glow of the setting sun, the girl sitting on the bench hugged her knees, resting her pale chin atop them, tilting her head as she gazed at him.
When he turned to look at her, Chisato let out a playful chuckle.
Then, suddenly, she stood up and pointed at his face.
"Because you have such a handsome face, yet you dare to show such a boring expression in front of me! I, Chisato-sama, am very displeased!"
She puffed her cheeks in mock anger, cutely placing her hands on her hips before grabbing something and tossing it toward him.
Minami instinctively caught it, feeling a slight chill against his palm.
Looking down, he saw—
A bottle of orange soda.
"Drink it up, and no more sulking!"
Chisato crossed her arms over her rather generous chest and huffed proudly.
"In front of Chisato-sama, all you need to do is stay happy!"
Minami couldn't help but glance at her, then took a big gulp of the soda, immediately grimacing.
"It's so sweet... and kind of bitter?"
"Hehehe—"
Chisato giggled mischievously, setting the guitar aside.
"This is my favorite drink!"
"Is that so?"
"Of course! I could swear on it!"
She raised a hand, dramatically pretending to take an oath.
"You don't have to go that far."
Thanks to her, the mood gradually brightened.
Just like always, she started chatting and joking with Minami again.
And then—
"Ahh—I'm completely satisfied."
She stretched her arms out wide and let out a comfortable sigh.
And then...
"Let's talk about my thing tomorrow."
Gazing at the beautiful sight of the fountain in Shimokitazawa Square bathed in the glow of the sunset, she murmured softly.
"Why?"
Sitting beside her, he asked.
"The reason... hmm, how should I put it... uh... ah... oh! Right... hehe..."
As if something had suddenly come to mind, she turned her head and flashed him the cutest, most energetic smile in the world.
"Because Chisato-sama doesn't want to ruin such a beautiful view just yet!"
"Is that so?"
[As her friend, you could only respect her decision.]
[And at the same time, you knew—since she had already said so, then tomorrow, you would most likely get an answer from her.]
[This time, to ensure she would be satisfied, you spent the whole night preparing, even putting on your headphones and practicing diligently for hours.]
[You had never looked forward to tomorrow so much before.]
[Time moved forward.]
[One night could feel incredibly long, yet also incredibly short.]
[After a night of resting and refining your skills, you gathered all your equipment and once again headed to Shimokitazawa Square.]
[By now, after several outdoor performances in the square, you had gathered a considerable number of passersby fans.]
[Although the fact that most of them were female often became a target of Chisato's playful teasing, you didn't really mind.]
[For you, the most important thing was making sure today's performance went well.]
[After checking that everything was set up properly, you stood on the steps overlooking Shimokitazawa Square.]
[Normally, at this moment, you would always see that familiar figure.]
[But today was different.]
[She wasn't in her usual spot.]
[A strange feeling crept into your heart, a slight unease surfacing from within.]
[But since you had already prepared everything, the performance still proceeded smoothly.]
[Once the performance was over, instead of interacting with fans as usual, you went straight to the bench where you would often meet her.]
[But she, who had promised to meet you, did not show up this time.]
[The bench had lost its usual warmth.]
[That day, you sat there and waited for a long time.]
[You didn't understand—she had always kept her promises, so why didn't she appear?]
[Her absence became a lingering regret in your heart.]
[But merely thinking without taking action would never give you answers.]
[With this realization, you didn't hesitate—you continued practicing your guitar, continued your outdoor performances, hoping your music would bring her back.]
[During this period, your guitar skills improved by leaps and bounds.]
[With your rapid progress, more and more people began to gather to listen to you play.]
[Gradually, your name spread beyond Shimokitazawa Square. Someone even uploaded your performances online, quickly gaining you a large following among young music fans.]
[But you didn't care about any of that—you just kept playing, waiting for her to return.]
[Since you never performed anywhere else and only played in Shimokitazawa Square, people began calling you 'The Guitar Sage of Shimokitazawa.']
[Day after day, your performances honed your guitar skills to perfection, and your growing fanbase soon attracted the attention of music magazines and TV stations.]
[One day, a host interviewing you curiously asked why you were so devoted to performing in Shimokitazawa Square. With your talent, countless bands would welcome you with open arms—your stage should not be limited to just this place.]
[Facing the camera, you simply smiled without answering. Instead, your gaze drifted toward the familiar bench in the distance.]
[Deep down, you had already begun to accept it—that lively, joyful girl who had once appeared in your life like a fleeting shooting star would probably never come back.]
[You wondered what she was doing now, if she still remembered you, her old friend.]
[But all these thoughts remained trapped in your heart, unable to be spoken, unable to be conveyed, unable to reach her.]
[Eventually, you stopped fixating on Shimokitazawa. Using your growing fame, you helped your friends' bands gain recognition while also exploring new opportunities.]
[The following year, with outstanding grades, you were admitted to the Tokyo University of the Arts, where you continued your studies.]
[At university, you didn't just limit yourself to the guitar—you explored vocal music, opera, percussion, and various other fields of music.]
[Yet what shocked everyone the most was your unmatched talent for composition.]
[During your time at school, you created many songs that became incredibly popular among young people.]
[Now, besides being known as 'The Guitar Sage of Shimokitazawa,' you had also earned another title: 'The Rising Young Composer.']
[But you paid little attention to these things. Immersed in your own world of music, you continued to refine your craft, creating more songs that resonated with people.]
[In the second year after graduation, you became the youngest professor at Tokyo University of the Arts.]
[By this time, the world had already acknowledged you as a master composer of the younger generation.]
[With your help, the progress of the band Kessoku Band went smoothly.]
[Everything was moving toward the best possible future.]
[During gatherings with your bandmates, amidst their laughter and chatter, they would occasionally mention the lively girl they often saw in Shimokitazawa Square—one who seemed as carefree and full of life as a fairy.]
[Her silent disappearance left them feeling somewhat dissatisfied, but at the same time, they sincerely wished her a better life.]
[Whenever you heard them say this, even after achieving so much, you would always show a nostalgic expression.]
[Though you and she had always been good friends, you had never truly stepped into her heart.]
[Her sudden disappearance was a regret from your youth—one that, even now, refused to fade.]
*[Perhaps influenced by these thoughts, that night, inspiration struck you, and you composed a piece titled "Chisato's Spindle Tree" (千束の迥荆)].
[It was your final tribute to the memories of youth—your memories of her.]
[Time continued to move forward, but regrets do not fade with time.]
[Yamada Ryo eventually became your wife, and the two of you shared a deep love. Yet as time passed, you grew older.]
[On your deathbed, you gently caressed your wife's face, reflecting on the journey of your life. The only lingering regret—was that you never saw her, Chisato, again.]
[The Chisato in your memories was always so lively, hands behind her back, her pale legs wrapped in black stockings swinging playfully, her face bright with an energetic smile.]
[And now, even those precious memories... were beginning to fade.]
[Simulation End.]
[System Score: 36 points.]
[System Evaluation: A regret of the heart, a wish unfulfilled. Your meeting with her was purely an accident, but her vibrant presence always shone so brightly.]
[Though you were good friends, you never truly reached her heart. Her sudden disappearance remained a regret from your youth—one that lingered even into old age.]
[She was kind to everyone—never lecturing, never angry, and you were no exception. But your relationship with her never went beyond that.]
[Life is not long, yet in the moment of death, time stretches endlessly. As you stood at the end of your life, you had lived happily, yet regarding her, there was still an unspoken regret.]
[You never understood why she left without a word, just as you never understood why she had burst into your life like a passing storm.]
[You never saw her again.]
