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Chapter 103: Shouji Takina and Shouji Chisato
🕑 Added 2025-02-09 06:01:44 +0000 UTC[Everything seemed to be spiraling toward disaster.]
Upon reading this line, Minami furrowed his brows.
What the hell?
He had done everything in his power in this simulation.
And yet, things were still "seemingly" heading toward disaster?
Minami couldn't understand.
But as he continued reading, focusing his mental energy on comprehending the situation, he suddenly had a moment of realization.
"Seemed'... huh?"
Upon noticing the word "seemed" in the phrase "Everything seemed to be spiraling toward disaster," the tension in his chest instantly eased by half.
This damned simulator loved playing tricks with wording.
After so many simulation runs, Minami was practically used to it by now.
Before, it always used "Everything seemed to be heading in a wonderful direction."
Now that he had grown immune to that, it switched tactics—saying "seemed to be spiraling toward disaster" instead.
Unable to resist, Minami slapped the simulation interface hard, causing the faint blue screen to tremble, its text even flickering slightly. Only then did he withdraw his hand in satisfaction.
Then, he once again immersed himself in the simulation.
Although this could very well be another trick, he couldn't rule out the possibility that something truly was amiss.
He needed to keep reading to find out how things would develop.
[Everything seemed to be heading in a terrible direction.]
[Yet, you paid no mind to the rumors—so much so that you didn't even bother explaining yourself.]
[To you, as long as Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue could be happy, petty criticisms and accusations were meaningless.]
[You were indifferent. As for Chisato Nishikigi? That was even more out of the question. The lively and mischievous girl didn't just ignore the backlash—she actually found it amusing.]
[Eventually, she even created a personal blog where she regularly posted affectionate photos and tweets about you and Takina.]
[Mocking internet trolls became her new favorite pastime.]
[Takina Inoue, on the other hand, remained as serious as ever. She formally issued a public apology, explaining the nature of her relationship with Chisato.]
[Growing up together in an orphanage, they had been each other's pillar of support. Their bond was far deeper than that of ordinary sisters.]
[Now, falling in love with the same person? To them, it was simply a path to greater happiness.]
[In her public statement, Takina expressed her regret that their marriage had caused such a stir, but even so, she made one thing clear—she had no intention of backing down.]
[A girl as steadfast as her would never let outside opinions dictate her decisions.]
[Both girls voiced their thoughts in their own ways.]
[And you were no exception.]
[As you prepared for the wedding, you also made time to write a short romance novel collection titled The World and I.]
[With simple, delicate, and unembellished prose, you laid bare your inner thoughts.]
[There were no exaggerated emotions, no dramatic flourishes—the entire book was as soothing as a cup of lightly brewed tea, bringing a sense of tranquility to its readers.]
[True to the words on the book's dedication page—The world's opinions have nothing to do with me.]
[Upon publication, The World and I was an instant sellout.]
[Readers were enthralled by its serene, refreshing style.]
[And at last, they understood.]
[Your mindset was exactly as described in the book—calm, unshaken, and at peace.]
[Seeing this for themselves, many critics finally ceased their debates.]
[After all, "Chisato Takina" was a rare, fresh force in modern Japanese literature.]
[Someone capable of crafting literary masterpieces like Waiting for You Beyond the Horizon and Snow in the Distance should not have their creative spirit hindered by baseless controversies.]
[And in Japan, society's tolerance for literary geniuses was extraordinarily high.]
[Thus, what had once been a fiery public outcry gradually faded away.]
[Café No. 3, Snow in the Distance, and Waiting for You Beyond the Horizon became known as the "Romantic Trilogy of the 21st Century."]
[But to you, Chisato Nishikigi, and Takina Inoue, such recognition no longer mattered.]
[You informed your parents and your two elder sisters about your decision to marry both girls.]
[Being simple country folk, they initially had their doubts.]
[But in the end, they relented, accepting your choice.]
[That day, you brought Chisato and Takina to your hometown.]
[Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, your rural home in Akita Prefecture brought them a sense of comfort and relaxation.]
[Your parents and sisters were stunned by the sheer beauty of the two girls.]
[Yet, after witnessing the deep, inseparable bond between them and their responsible, diligent nature, any lingering objections they had quickly vanished.]
[Later that evening, your parents pulled you aside.]
[Their only request was this—"Take good care of Chisato and Takina. Make sure they are happy."]
[Without hesitation, you gave them your word.]
[As for Mika, the café owner? He had known about your relationship for quite some time.]
[He had simply chosen to turn a blind eye, even going so far as to support you in subtle ways.]
[When you finally informed him of your impending marriage, he responded with nothing but a calm nod.]
[To him, Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue were like his own daughters.]
[And he knew—without a shred of doubt—that the only person who could truly bring them happiness was you.]
[He didn't dwell on it, he simply said one thing—"I'm entrusting them to you."]
[Yet, in that single sentence, you felt a weight as heavy as a mountain.]
[In the study, you solemnly promised him.]
[At the same time, the wedding you had been preparing for finally took place as scheduled.]
[The ceremony was small; you only invited a few close friends, your family, and a handful of members from Riko-Riko.]
[At the wedding banquet, the two brides in white wedding dresses radiated two completely different kinds of beauty.]
[Chisato Nishikigi remained as lively as ever. Even in the cumbersome wedding gown that restricted her movements, she was still laughing and chatting with guests, pulling at your hand with a million things she wanted to tell you alone.]
[Takina Inoue, in contrast, spoke little. Clad in her pure white wedding dress, she quietly held onto your arm, her wisteria-colored eyes frequently glancing at you, while a gentle blush bloomed on her fair cheeks, like a serene water lily in full bloom.]
[Happiness rippled through your shared gazes.]
[A simple smile was enough to convey everything between you.]
[You were now married to them both.]
[Your relationship with them had deepened further.]
"...So it really was a 'two brides' route?"
As the simulated memories replayed in his mind, Minami rubbed his temples, feeling a hint of surprise.
Looking at it this way, his decision in the "This choice will have far-reaching consequences" moment must have been the correct one.
Had he chosen Option 1, making future plans for both of them, it might have led to a tragic ending where neither of them found fulfillment.
Had he chosen Option 2, picking one of them, it likely would have resulted in a bittersweet ending—one person's happiness coming at the cost of lifelong regret for the other.
Option 3, however, had been the hidden choice that led to the best outcome.
And judging by how things were developing...
It seemed like he had already secured a happy ending.
But—
Minami made a strange face. "Getting married to two people at the same time counts as a happy ending?"
After pondering for a moment, he came up with an explanation that at least made sense.
To the simulator, happiness was defined by his and Chisato's marital life.
If he had abandoned Takina to choose only Chisato, there was a high probability that Chisato would have felt regret even after marriage.
For someone as lively yet gentle to everyone as Chisato, Takina's unhappiness would have been equivalent to her own.
Now it all made sense.
At the same time, Minami continued reading.
[On the night of the wedding, they both came to your room.]
[That night, you experienced the fiery passion of a dancing flame and the gentle serenity of an orchid.]
[That night, they willingly embraced you, and together, you all discovered the beauty of thirty-six different positions.]
[You lost yourselves in one another.]
[Your happiness increased.]
[Chisato Nishikigi's happiness increased.]
[Takina Inoue's happiness increased.]
Minami silently pulled up the simulation menu.
Seeing that he had only 510 points of Affection Value left, he reluctantly gave up on the "Personal Simulation" option.
It wasn't because he was particularly interested in the "man and woman as one" business.
Minami mainly wanted to perfect the final outcome.
With the "Personal Simulation" feature, he was certain he could achieve a flawless, 100-point simulation ending.
Everything he did was solely for a perfect ending.
That's all.
To reiterate, Minami was absolutely not interested in "that" kind of thing.
[Time continued to flow forward.]
[After declining Tokyo University's offer for a literature professorship, you remained a full-time freelance writer.]
[With the massive fortune quietly sitting in your bank account, and the ongoing royalties still flowing in from your publishers, you all could live luxuriously without ever having to work again.]
[You continued writing, while Takina Shouji and Chisato Shouji pursued their own aspirations.]
[Days passed, one after another.]
[Until one day—]
[A piece of news arrived that would change everything for all of you.]
[Chisato Shouji was pregnant.]
[Upon receiving the news, all the members of Riko-Riko gathered together to celebrate.]
[You also put your writing career on hold, staying by your wife's side.]
[Chisato Shouji, once so lively and energetic, gradually became more composed during pregnancy.]
[In front of you, she was still the same Chisato—smiling playfully, clinging to you, planting long, affectionate kisses on your face.]
[But in the eyes of others, she had already shed her past immaturity.]
[Her delicate, beautiful face now bore the unmistakable glow of a woman deeply content in her marriage, looking toward the future with hope.]
[Meanwhile, compared to her best friend Chisato Shouji's smooth and joyful journey—]
[Up until now, Takina Shouji's belly had yet to show any signs of change, making her visibly anxious.]
[Although she still maintained her usual gentle and composed demeanor, on many nights, she was far more proactive than before.]
[You noticed her concern—you saw it, and you remembered it.]
[At the same time, you didn't forget that in the regretful dream before, Takina Shouji's pregnancy reaction was extremely severe—so severe that it might have cost her life.]
[A mistake once made, you would never make again.]
[You began carefully preparing meals to help stabilize her pregnancy and improve her constitution.]
[Days continued to pass.]
[And finally, one day, Takina Shouji got the result she had been hoping for.]
[That day, Chisato Nishikigi was overjoyed for her and even took it upon herself to name the child.]
[From that moment on, you began paying extra attention to Takina Shouji's health.]
[Another month went by.]
[Compared to Takina Shouji, whose pregnancy had only just progressed, Chisato Shouji was the first to give birth—to a baby girl.]
[You and Chisato Shouji named her "Shouji Nashiro."]
[Adorable Nashiro quickly became the cherished treasure of all the Riko-Riko members and your family.]
[The "leftover woman" Mizuki Nakahara bought her countless children's outfits.]
[The perpetually slacking-off Kurumi meticulously ordered high-quality formula milk online.]
[Mika, the café owner, adored this little girl as if she were his own granddaughter—so much so that even when she occasionally peed on him, he would simply laugh it off, completely unfazed.]
[Whenever you, Chisato Shouji, and Takina Shouji saw this, happiness would shine on your faces.]
[A river of joy flowed among you.]
[At the same time, you never forgot to keep an eye on Takina Shouji's condition.]
[At night, when she confided in you about her anxieties, you would always use your signature humor to dissolve all her nervousness.]
[Simply by having you and Chisato Shouji by her side, her once tense and worried state began to ease significantly.]
[Meanwhile, you continued to cook carefully curated meals to support a smooth pregnancy, doing everything in your power to prevent the tragic outcome of your past dream from happening again.]
[You and Chisato Shouji massaged her when she was fatigued.]
[On nights when nightmares disturbed her, you and Takina Shouji would comfort and soothe her unease.]
[Under your combined care, time quietly moved forward.]
[And finally, Takina Shouji's delivery began.]
[In response, you steeled yourself.]
[This time—there would be no regrets.]
