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Chapter 100 – A Route Where They Both Get Married?Â
🕑 Added 2025-02-09 06:00:05 +0000 UTC[This is a decision with long-term consequences.]
[Unknowingly, you had become an irreplaceable part of their world.]
[It was a truly remarkable thing—an experience unlike any other.]
[And even more astonishing was how much they trusted someone who had only recently entered their lives.]
[Trust breeds reliance, and reliance nurtures affection. As they gazed at you, everything was already clear in their eyes.]
[If trust had a numerical score, your trust in them would be 100—but their trust in you would probably be double that.]
[Faced with their unwavering belief in you, you must decide—]
[1] Despite your own limitations, you choose to fully respond to their expectations and trust, actively planning their futures for them.
[2] Your abilities are limited, so you can only take responsibility for one of their futures (Choosing this option will lead to a branch where you must select either Chisato or Takina).
[3] Bearing responsibility for another person's future is an immense burden. As a mere mortal, you cannot shoulder the weight of their lives, nor can you respond to their expectations and trust.
[4] Personally simulate.
Apart from [4] Personally simulate, the three options were laid out neatly before him.
And this time—
none of them were ridiculous.
Minami Shouji studied the options carefully, deep in thought.
Since this was a long-term impact choice, he couldn't afford to be careless.
[1] Despite your own limitations, you choose to fully respond to their expectations and trust, actively planning their futures for them.
Honestly, this option pretty much reflected his actual thoughts.
Even if he was intelligent, even if he had once ranked first in the national academic aptitude tests, it was impossible for him to perfectly plan a flawless future for them.
The future is unpredictable—plans can never keep up with change.
Trying to dictate someone else's future was pure fantasy.
If he chose this option, it might immediately raise Takina and Chisato's affection levels.
But...
"The higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment."
If he failed to fulfill those expectations, it wouldn't just be a small mistake—it would mean ruining Takina and Chisato's futures.
That was deeply irresponsible.
Even if they wouldn't blame him, he would likely blame himself.
So that raises the question—was the second option any better?
Minami looked at Option [2].
[2] Your abilities are limited, so you can only take responsibility for one of their futures (Choosing this option will lead to a branch where you must select either Chisato or Takina).
This time, the second option even had a dedicated branching choice.
If he picked this, he would have to choose between Chisato and Takina.
And that alone was enough for Minami Shouji to shake his head.
His goal this time was a "Happy Ending."
So then—
What was a Happy Ending?
At the very least, for Chisato Nishikigi...
"Happiness isn't just about securing her own future—it's also about ensuring her best friend and family, Takina, finds happiness too."
Choosing one meant abandoning the other.
And Chisato's bond with Takina was closer than siblings.
If he abandoned one of them, the other's heart would never be at ease.
Even if they eventually got married, had kids, and grew old together, looking back at that decision would only bring regret.
Minami let out a quiet sigh and turned to Option [3].
So... was the third option any better?
[Bearing responsibility for someone else's future is an immense burden. As a mere mortal, you cannot shoulder the weight of their lives, nor can you respond to their expectations and trust.]
Hearing this, Minami Shouji shook his head.
This option also had problems.
It was too pessimistic—just because carrying the future of two young women was difficult, should he refuse to respond to their expectations and simply give up?
In other words, all three choices before Minami Shouji had issues.
What he had to do now—
Was to choose the one with the least problems.
He thought carefully.
Again.
And again.
But he couldn't decide.
Because all three options seemed equally flawed.
How could he pick the "right" choice—the one leading to a truly happy ending?
He pondered.
And then—
He stopped this pointless train of thought.
The future itself is full of uncertainty.
The possible outcomes of each option were just as unpredictable.
Since that was the case—
Why not simply follow his heart?
With that thought, Minami Shouji raised his hand—
And chose the third option.
[Bearing responsibility for someone else's future is an immense burden. As a mere mortal, you cannot shoulder the weight of their lives, nor can you respond to their expectations and trust.]
As mentioned before—
Choosing this option was essentially refusing to act—a passive stance that might seem overly negative.
But in reality—
If this choice were placed in Minami Shouji's real hands, he was almost certain he would still pick it.
Because, just as the option described—
Bearing responsibility for someone else's future is an immense burden.
Even he could not carry the weight of an entire life.
And if he recklessly chose Option 1 or Option 2, it would just be irresponsible toward both Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue.
"Their lives... Their futures should be decided by them."
Minami Shouji calmly whispered to himself.
Yes.
He wasn't a god.
He couldn't make choices on behalf of others.
And he certainly couldn't always be right.
What he considered the right choice—
Would it really be right for Chisato and Takina?
Every person is different.
After all...
The road to the future is long.
[The road ahead is long. It is a path they must walk on their own.]
[They may feel lost at times, they may struggle, they may fall and get hurt—but that, too, is part of their lives.]
[Keeping this in mind, for the first time, your usually confident self refrains from giving them a clear answer or making a choice on their behalf.]
[Because their lives belong to them alone—you have neither the right nor the desire to interfere.]
[Hearing your words, they feel a tinge of disappointment.]
[However, you also reassure them—telling them that if they ever feel lost or sad, they can always rely on you.]
[You may not be able to choose for them—but you will always stand by their side.]
[Hearing this, they are still uncertain about the future—but they no longer feel as anxious as before.]
[Since it was already late, the two of them invited you to stay the night.]
[At first, you hesitated. A man staying overnight in a girls' dormitory was hardly appropriate.]
[You got up to leave—but Chisato had already prepared everything, reassuring you that you could take her bed while she stayed with Takina.]
[Their enthusiasm and warmth were difficult to refuse.
And perhaps, after declining to help them make a decision earlier, you felt a slight sense of guilt—your heart softened.]
[So, after a bit of half-hearted resistance, you agreed.]
[After a quick shower, you lay down in Chisato Nishikigi's bed.]
[Before sleeping, Chisato earnestly promised you that she would absolutely NOT sneak into your bed while Takina was asleep.]
[Her tone was serious, her words sounded sincere—and with the ever-serious Takina keeping watch beside her, you chose to believe her.]
[You closed your eyes—and fell into a deep sleep.]
[Perhaps it was the pleasant fragrance in the room, or perhaps you had been working too hard lately—but that night, you slept soundly.]
[The next morning, you woke up feeling completely refreshed—but as soon as you sat up, you noticed something was off.]
[The bed, which should have had plenty of space for one person, suddenly felt quite cramped.]
[You lifted the blanket—only to find two figures in pink and blue pajamas, breathing softly in their sleep.]
[There was no denying it—Chisato Nishikigi had kept her promise.]
[She did NOT sneak into your bed while Takina was asleep.]
[Instead—she simply brought Takina with her and slept beside you.]
The memories of the simulation flooded Minami Shouji's mind—
Bringing the scene vividly before his eyes.
Just after opening his eyes but before getting up, Minami silently observed the two girls lying on either side of him.
He turned his head and looked at the blonde girl beside him.
At this moment, she was resting her head on his chest, golden hair cascading down, all while letting out small, silly "hehe, hehe" chuckles.
But beyond this, what made Minami feel truly uncomfortable was—
Chisato Nishikigi was nothing like the delicate, quiet, sleeping beauties often depicted in anime.
She not only snored loudly but also slept with her mouth wide open, breathing heavily, and—worst of all—
She had drooled a huge wet patch onto his chest!
No wonder…
No wonder he had dreamed about a flood engulfing the rice fields back home in Akita Prefecture.
So this was the reason.
In contrast, Takina Inoue on his other side…
She slept soundly, eyes shut, completely still—except for the fact that her hands were tightly wrapped around his arm, hugging it against her chest.
Aside from that… she was as peaceful as a sleeping kitten.
Thinking this, Minami felt utterly disgusted.
As someone from China, he had none of the excessive politeness or soft-spoken, stammering "kindness"(yasashi) of Japanese Light Novel protagonist.
He was straightforward—
So, without hesitation, he lifted his foot—
—and kicked Chisato Nishikigi off the bed.
THUD!
A loud crash.
"Eh?! What happened? What's going on?"
The blonde girl, who had just been kicked off the bed, was clearly still half-asleep.
She drowsily pushed herself up from the floor, struggling to open her eyes—but in the end, she was too groggy to manage more than a half-lidded squint.
Even Minami had to admire her astonishing ability to sleep through anything.
If it were a normal person getting kicked off the bed, they'd be instantly wide awake.
But Chisato Nishikigi was completely different.
She looked barely aware of what had just happened.
"Nothing. Just an earthquake."
Minami, face calm and expressionless, casually lied.
Chisato didn't respond immediately.
She just sat there, her head bobbing up and down like a nodding-off student in class.
After about a full minute, she finally reacted—as if she had just reconnected to reality.
"Oh, an earthquake? That's all? No big deal… I'm going back to sleep."
Then, without hesitation, she climbed back onto the bed, wrapped herself back up in the blanket—
And flopped right back onto Minami's chest.
Even the spot where she had been drooling remained exactly the same.
"..." Minami.
Minami fell into silence.
At the same time, looking at Takina Inoue, who had slept through everything—
Minami tried to pull his right arm free.
But the next moment—
The still-sleeping Takina made a soft sound, smacked her lips "mmh~", and—
Like a kitten protecting its food—
She tightly wrapped her arms around his hand again.
"..." Minami.
…Forget it. Not worth the effort.
With his only free left hand, Minami grabbed a tissue from the bedside table and wiped off Chisato's drool.
Then, without hesitation, he closed his eyes.
He couldn't do anything about either of them.
Neither of them could be woken up.
Might as well just go back to sleep.
In the gentle glow of morning—
The three of them—
Held each other.
Tightly.
[You slept comfortably. The temperature was perfect between spring and summer, and none of you woke up until noon.]
[Upon waking up, Takina Inoue, realizing her indecent sleeping position, immediately apologized to you—bowing over ten times.]
[You simply waved a hand and smiled, not minding at all.]
[Because compared to Takina, who knew her mistake and took responsibility, you were more concerned about how to deal with Chisato Nishikigi—who not only knew her mistake but deliberately repeated it, even dragging others into it.]
[Faced with your questioning, Chisato immediately admitted she was wrong—but confidently assured you that, since she succeeded this time, she would absolutely do it again next time.]
[Her carefree, audacious attitude made you frown, and without thinking, you reached out—pinching her soft, cute cheeks and stretching them apart.]
[Beside you, Takina Inoue watched as Chisato giggled playfully under your scolding.
Her usually cold, indifferent expression softened.
She leaned against the doorway, resting her cheek in her hand.
She wanted to stay in this simple, happy daily life with you and Chisato.]
[Everything was moving in a beautiful direction.]
Meanwhile—
In reality.
Minami fell into deep thought.
There was…
Something strange about this.
Logically speaking—
When two girls like the same guy, there should be an intense romantic rivalry—a heated battle for love.
But between Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue—
Minami felt none of that.
Instead—
There was only harmony.
Extreme harmony.
It felt as if—
Both of them were mutually accommodating each other—
Mutually yielding—
Neither willing to hurt the other through their own feelings.
But if that were the case…
What would happen going forward?
Could this really be…
The "Harem" route?
Minami checked again—
Yes.
This was Chisato Nishikigi's romantic simulation.
Not Takina's.
Deep breath.
Minami focused back on the simulation.
