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Chapter 148: Miss Gotoh Gains Confidence
🕑 Added 2025-02-22 15:39:54 +0000 UTC"To think I could actually pull this off."
Recalling how Akane had handed over her phone and wallet without hesitation, Minami couldn't help but sigh in amazement.
This so-called Love Simulation system seriously needed to be renamed Occult Simulation—these bizarre skills were getting more ridiculous by the day.
Putting aside everything else, the fact that a simple smile was enough to make Akane obediently hand over her wallet and phone… wasn't that a bit too overpowered?
It felt like something straight out of a late-night eroge or an anime featuring a seductive incubus.
However, Minami quickly shook his head.
At first glance, it might seem like the skill [Shinjo Akane's Perfectly Enchanting Smile] was outrageously broken.
But in reality, its effect was simply a temporary +1 to Charm, nothing more.
Which meant that to truly maximize its potential like he just had, you needed to already have a Charm stat of 9, just like him.
If someone with a Charm stat of 7, 8, or even 5 or 6 had used it…
It definitely wouldn't have had the same overwhelming effect.
In other words—
"Guess it really does come down to how exceptional I am."
Minami reaffirmed the undeniable truth of his own excellence.
At the same time, he suddenly remembered something.
"Speaking of which… I was supposed to drop by her place today to pick up some tokusatsu DVDs… And she also said she'd treat me to dinner, didn't she?"
Hmm…
No.
"Yeah, maybe I should pass on that today."
Recalling Akane's face just now, Minami figured it was best to just leave things be for now.
After all, real life and simulations were different—pushing things too hard wouldn't be ideal.
Stuffing the 50,000 yen Shinjo had handed over into his wallet, Minami turned and headed toward the first-year classrooms.
He still hadn't forgotten his promise to tutor Kessoku Band.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Gotoh Hitori(Bocchi) had just woken up from a nap, her face utterly blank.
She was doomed.
She could feel it—her mind had once again been invaded by memories that weren't hers.
And this time, the person involved was someone she actually knew—
"S-Shinjo Akane-san…!"
She stammered, barely able to get the name out.
At that moment, she truly felt like everything was over.
Beneath her long bangs, her pale and delicate face was frozen in a daze.
Shinjo Akane.
That was Shinjo Akane.
The one person in all of Shuka High who could stand on equal footing with Minami. The queen of the social hierarchy, the girl at the very top of the food chain.
Even someone like Bocchi, who existed on the very fringes of school life, was well aware of how exceptional and beloved Shinjo-san was.
And now… she was supposed to be her romantic rival?
"Uuuughhh…"
Gotoh let out a miserable whimper.
Although she had already experienced something like this before…
She was really starting to realize just how out of her league Minami was.
So many different girls—each with their own unique beauty, but all on par with actual idols—
All of them liked Minami.
And she… She was just a gloomy, unattractive girl…
How was she supposed to make Minami fall in love with her?
She spiraled deeper into despair.
Right then, her bandmate Kita Ikuyo, who had been flipping through a music magazine, turned to her curiously.
"What's wrong, Gotoh-san?"
What's wrong?
Gotoh-san's mood had suddenly plummeted again—
And all she had done was take a short nap.
What on earth had happened?
Kita gave her a puzzled look.
"N-nothing much… I just suddenly… really want to die…"
"GOTOH-SAN?!"
Kita stared in shock.
The first half of that sentence had made her sigh in relief.
But then—out of nowhere—Gotoh suddenly dropped a "I want to die" bomb.
That immediately set off alarm bells in Kita's head.
"Gotoh-san, what's wrong?! What happened?!"
"No, um… it's just…"
Gotoh hesitated, stumbling over her words.
How could she possibly explain this?
How could she say, "I just got another batch of random, totally realistic memories, and now I'm existentially panicking over them?"
Even cheerful, easygoing Kita would probably just think she was insane.
She couldn't say it—absolutely not.
So instead, she mumbled quietly:
"It's just… um… I feel like… I don't have the courage to face Minami-senpai anymore…"
"You don't have the courage?"
Kita blinked.
After spending so much time with Gotoh, she had come to understand that her bandmate was someone who constantly fell into these weird funks.
This was probably just another one of those moments.
With that in mind, Kita carefully thought of something encouraging to say—
"Oh! Kita-chan, there you are!"
Before she could speak, a classmate poked their head into the room.
"The language teacher Mori-sensei is looking for you. Something about an assignment."
"Oh, got it! I'll be right there!"
Ugh…
Why did this have to happen now?
Kita sighed and offered Bocchi an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, Hitori-chan! I'll go deal with this first. Wait for me, okay? We'll walk to Starry together!"
"Ah… okay."
Gotoh nodded weakly, watching as Kita left the room.
Then, she immediately buried her face in her hands.
This was a disaster.
Just thinking about competing with someone like Shinjo Akane…
Just imagining her as a rival in love…
Her courage was vanishing at an alarming rate!
And Minami… Minami had way too many admirers!
How was she supposed to win against them—
"Ah, there you are."
A voice called out from the doorway.
One that was all too familiar.
Hitori froze.
She slowly turned her head, her face a mix of shock and panic.
Standing right there in the doorway was—
"M-Minami-senpai?!"
Yes.
The very person she had just been agonizing over had come looking for her.
"Huh? Just you here? Where's Kita?"
Minami glanced around the room.
It was already quite late after school, and most students had either left or gone to club activities.
The classroom felt eerily empty.
"Ah… Kita-san just got called away by a teacher…"
"I see."
Minami casually pulled out a chair and sat down.
Too close, too close, too close!
And he smells so good!
Gotoh's heart pounded furiously in her chest.
Minami didn't have any kind of artificial fragrance on him.
But maybe because of the wind blowing through the room, the scent of his shampoo became incredibly noticeable when he sat next to her.
"What's with that gloomy look?"
Minami tilted his head slightly, studying her expression.
Even from a distance, he had noticed how downcast she seemed.
"Ah… um… it's-nothing-I'm-totally-fine!"
Gotoh frantically waved her hands in front of her chest, trying to play it off.
"Really?"
Minami narrowed his eyes slightly.
Clearly, she was lying.
But instead of pressing her further, he suddenly smiled.
"Hitori, let me show you something interesting."
"Huh?"
Gotoh blinked in confusion.
And then—
She saw Minami smile.
It was a smile so breathtaking that her limited vocabulary failed her completely.
The moment she saw it, she felt as if something deep within her had been struck.
In this moment, her brain came to a halt, and her blue eyes, hidden behind her bangs, fixed intently on Minami Shouji without blinking.
Uh—
Did I go too far?
Seeing Hitori's completely stunned expression.
Minami silently cursed himself.
He had intended to offer her some mental encouragement while also checking the effect of his skill, but it seemed the outcome had the opposite effect?
Minami recalled the last time he had been attacked by Hitori.
That time, it had been when they were alone together, so he could come up with some excuses to brush it off.
But now, they were in school.
Minami thought for a moment and, to avoid being attacked by Bocchi in front of everyone again, he spoke up:
"Sorry, Hitori, I'm suddenly a bit thirsty. I'll go buy some drinks. Wait here for a while, and I'll join you at the 'STARRY' later."
Minami casually found an excuse and left the classroom without hesitation, intending to return once Hitori had calmed down.
It was only about two minutes after he left the classroom that Kita Ikuyo, having finished answering a few questions from the Japanese literature teacher, walked back toward the classroom.
Having been preoccupied with Gotoh Hitori's mental state, she had been somewhat absent-minded since earlier in the office.
"I wonder how Gotoh-san is doing alone."
She felt a bit worried.
Hitori was the type of person who, if left alone, could easily spiral into overthinking.
It really was concerning...
With this thought, Kita Ikuyo quickened her steps and walked into the classroom.
Seeing Gotoh Hitori still sitting in the same spot, she didn't hesitate and walked over to greet her:
"Gotoh-san, I'm back... Huh? ...Who are you?"
Kita Ikuyo opened her mouth, and her expression shifted from concern to confusion, then shock.
It was no wonder she said this instinctively.
The person in front of her truly made her feel unfamiliar.
At this moment, Bocchi had pushed her dark bangs aside, revealing her delicate face, one that hadn't been seen by anyone before.
Her eyes sparkled with brightness, and her entire face seemed to radiate confidence and energy.
Had it not been for Bocchi still wearing her signature pink tracksuit, sport pants, and the ill-advised black pleated skirt combination, Kita Ikuyo wouldn't have recognized the confident girl in front of her as the usually gloomy and reserved Bocchi.
Even so, Kita Ikuyo hesitated before speaking up:
"Gotoh...san? Is it really you?"
"It's me, Kita-chan."
The pink-haired girl nodded, flashing a cheerful smile at Kita Ikuyo.
Su...super Gotoh-san?
This overly bright and cheerful smile made even the ever-sunny Kita Ikuyo feel momentarily self-conscious.
No...
Mainly, she had only been gone for a few minutes, talking to the teacher.
How did Bocchi change this much in such a short time?
It was Bocchi-chan, after all... how could such a drastic change happen so suddenly?
She couldn't understand it at all.
While she didn't want to see Gotoh-san feeling down and gloomy...
This current state... seemed far from normal, right?
Thinking about this, she couldn't help but ask: "Um... Gotoh-san... can I ask, what happened to you?"
"Just now, Ikuyo-san."
With an indescribable radiance and optimism on her face.
Gotoh Hitori's blue eyes held no trace of the usual gloominess or sadness, and her adorable face was filled with seriousness: "I found the goal I'll strive for in this short life of mine."
"Huh...?"
Kita Ikuyo opened her mouth, her cute and bright face filled with confusion: "Is... is that so?"
"Yes! That's exactly it!"
Gotoh Hitori clenched her fist: "I only realized just now how foolish I was. I almost wanted to give up because of a little setback!"
"But now I understand completely."
Gotoh Hitori lifted her head: "What I want, I must fight for with my own hands! Even if it's difficult and the outcome may not be what I expect, the scenery along the way is just as important!"
"This is youth!"
"..." Kita Ikuyo.
Hiss...
She couldn't help but suck in a breath.
That Gotoh-san, who had always shunned anything optimistic, cheerful, or related to youth...
Actually spoke the kind of words that made even her feel uncomfortable, celebrating youth.
This...
Gotoh-san's current state really didn't seem quite normal, did it?
She wanted to say something, but the words stuck in her throat.
Just as she felt trapped in indecision—
"Ikuyo-san, you're here."
A voice reached her ears, and she turned her head, only to realize that Minami Shouji had already walked into the classroom holding three cans of drinks.
"Minami-senpai."
Kita Ikuyo hurriedly greeted him and then glanced at Gotoh Hitori.
She hadn't forgotten her mission as Gotoh Hitori's wingman.
After all, this was a rare opportunity.
Just the three of them.
If she were Bocchi, she would have wasted no time greeting Minami-senpai.
She quickly leaned in and whispered:
"Gotoh-san, quickly greet Minami-senpai and leave a good impression with your cheerful side."
And then—
"Ah, Minami, you're here."
To Kita Ikuyo's stunned expression, Bocchi took three quick steps and, while lifting her long hair with her left hand, boldly and intimately wrapped her right arm around Minami Shouji's.
In this intimate and daring act, and under Kita Ikuyo's frozen gaze, Gotoh Hitori kissed the side of Minami Shouji's face, her face tilting upwards with a perfect smile:
"Let's go, Minami."
