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Chapter 17: Ladies, What Are You Doing?
🕑 Added 2025-02-03 12:40:43 +0000 UTCYamada Ryo, what are you doing?
Minami really wanted to ask this question.
In the first timeline, he worked tirelessly to master the bass just to barely win over Yamada Ryo, the elegant high-class young lady with an androgynous, refined beauty.
So why was Yamada Ryo the one approaching him in this timeline?
Frowning, Minami tapped his fingers on the table. After pondering for a moment, he had a general answer.
Everything in this third timeline had been going incredibly smoothly so far.
Gotoh Hitori, who already had a favorable impression of him, must have talked about him to her Kessoku Band members more than once when inviting him to Starry.
As a result, the band members already had a good impression of him before even meeting him.
A good first impression meant a decent starting level of goodwill.
Meanwhile, in the first timeline, he had to fight for everything on his own.
By then, Yamada Ryo had already entered a university and, without the burden of striving for Todai, had focused entirely on perfecting her bass skills. Naturally, she had no reason to approach him.
But now, she needed his help, while in the first timeline, he was the one pursuing her. The difference was clear.
At the end of the day—
"I guess I'm just too outstanding."
Minami frowned, a little troubled by the situation. After all, even he couldn't suppress his own excellence.
Like the saying goes: good wine needs no bush, and gold will shine wherever it is.
Since there was no immediate way to deal with Yamada Ryo's rising affection, Minami decided to set it aside and continue the simulation.
[While occasionally tutoring Yamada Ryo, you didn't neglect your own guitar practice. With the help of the romance simulator and your extraordinary learning abilities, you soon displayed astonishing talent in guitar, surpassing Kita Ikuyo in technique.]
[Ijichi Nijika has been watching your hard work closely. She invites you to join Kessoku Band.]
[How will you respond to Ijichi Nijika's invitation?]
[1. Politely decline.]
[2. Accept the invitation—your presence might make Kessoku Band even better.]
[3. "Miss Ijichi, I'm more interested in your big-breasted blonde older sister. I want to be part of Starry instead."]
[4. Simulate the situation personally.]
The moment the choices appeared, Minami immediately noticed one that was utterly inappropriate.
Based on the memories he acquired from the simulator, Ijichi Nijika's older sister, Ijichi Seika, was already twenty-nine, almost thirty.
Sure, she was wealthy enough to open Starry in Tokyo, and the idea of being pampered by a rich, big-breasted blonde older sister was appealing, but she was almost thirty, and he was still in his second year of high school—not even an adult yet.
That would be illegal—Minami meant on Ijichi Seika's part.
So the real decision came down to the first and second choices.
Minami looked at both options and pondered for a long time.
In the end, he chose the first one.
The reason was simple.
Kessoku Band had always followed the traditional rock band structure—lead guitar, rhythm guitar, drummer, and bassist.
If they lacked anything, it would be a skilled keyboardist to support them from the background, not another guitarist.
Forcing him into the band would only make Kessoku Band feel redundant.
And most importantly—
I only play guitar as a hobby.
But for these girls, playing music was their dream.
Accepting their invitation would make it easier to gain their affection, but it would be irresponsible to their band.
Even in a simulation, Minami didn't want to be someone who dragged others down.
So, this choice should be fine.
[You politely declined Ijichi Nijika's invitation. Since you were only learning guitar as a hobby, you had no intention of joining the "Kessoku Band". You knew that the band followed a traditional structure, and adding another guitarist would do more harm than good.]
[Ijichi Nijika was a little disappointed by your refusal, but she was deeply moved by your respect for their dreams.]
[Ijichi Nijika paid more attention to you.]
[Ijichi Nijika developed slight feelings for you. There were things she would now only say to you.]
Miss Ijichi, what are you doing?
The sudden increase in affection caught Minami completely off guard.
Can you treat me a little colder? Please don't be so nice to the simulated version of me. Seriously.
Since it's not the real him anyway, Minami was more than happy to just sit back and enjoy the fun of watching his simulated self.
[Although you refused Ijichi Nijika's invitation, the Starry Club often gets too busy to handle everything. After all, Gotoh Hitori and the others still need time to practice their performance pieces. In these moments of distress, you always step up and help take care of things.]
[The tasks at Starry aren't complicated, and handling guests and responsibilities is easy for you. Continuously helping the "Kessoku" band solve problems without a single complaint has drawn the attention of Kita Ikuyo.]
[Kita Ikuyo now trusts you more.]
[Kita Ikuyo has developed a slight fondness for you. When she encounters difficulties with guitar practice, she'll come to you for help.]
Miss Kita, what are you doing?
[Moreover, since you've been helping without expecting anything in return, the work at Starry Club has been running smoothly. A rumor has even begun circulating among a small group of people about a particularly handsome guy working part-time at the venue.]
[The seasonal revenue of Starry Club has increased, and your willingness to help has caught the attention of people who previously didn't pay much mind to you—Ijichi Seika and the venue's PA (sound engineer).]
Picture here:
[Ijichi Seika and the PA now have a slightly higher opinion of you.]
[Ijichi Seika and the PA now trust you more.]
Ijichi Seika, Miss PA… You two…
Now isn't the time to be talking about this.
Minami rubbed his chin, tugging at the strands of hair on his forehead, slowly twisting them between his fingers.
This was a subconscious habit of his when he was deep in thought.
Things had developed to a point that was completely beyond his expectations.
He had simultaneously gained the attention of Yamada Ryo, Ijichi Nijika, Kita Ikuyo, Ijichi Seika, and even the behind-the-scenes PA.
What kind of male succubus have I become in this third playthrough?
The continuous blows from the simulation made Minami exhale heavily.
On the surface, everything seemed to be going great, something to be excited about.
But his only real concern now was whether these unexpected developments would affect his progress with Gotoh Hitori.
That insecure, self-deprecating fool of a woman…
Where is she now?
What is she thinking?
