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Chapter 98: Takina-san, Chisato-san, you two…
🕑 Added 2025-02-09 05:58:45 +0000 UTCIf his previous run—unlocking the "STARRY: Kessoku Band Scene" and easing relations with Hitori Gotoh—was considered a god-tier opening,
Then this time, with Chisato, it was an overpowered, heavenly start.
It wasn't just about unlocking the Riko-Riko storyline ahead of schedule.
Even Chisato's description in the simulator had changed—
From "admiration" to "You are the only one".
Her heart condition? Fixed.
Her feelings? A massive leap forward.
Losing this time…
Wouldn't that be practically impossible?
Minami took a shower, keeping his mind sharp, then sat down on his bed and opened the simulator page.
His remaining affection points were:
[Current Affection Points: 810]
After exchanging for the [Universal Healing Pill],
His points had plummeted to 330.
But Chisato was incredibly generous.
In just one day, she had showered him with a whopping 480 affection points.
Minami looked at the long list of:
[You have gained 60 Affection Points from Chisato Nishikigi.]
He shook his head, amused.
Yes, Gotoh Hitori had given him 600 points before, which was more than Chisato.
But that was because Minami had actively reached out to her.
Meanwhile, today with Chisato—
Minami hadn't even tried to get close to her.
He barely said anything nice.
He had even been a little cold to her.
Yet she kept giving him affection points.
And not just a few—
60 per interaction.
If this wasn't generosity, he didn't know what was.
Minami sighed.
And then thought of someone else.
Yamada Ryou.
That woman had never given him even a single affection point.
Just like her personality—
She had invited him to a meal,
Only to ask him for 1,500 yen to "pay her back".
Well, whatever.
Yamada wasn't one of his simulation targets anyway.
If she didn't give points, she didn't give points.
Minami dismissed the thought and activated the simulator.
[Current Affection Points Remaining: 510]
Still decent.
If the simulator somehow messed up again and threw him into another regret ending,
He still had enough points for one more retry.
[Start Simulation?]
[Yes.]
[Remaining Simulation Attempts: 0]
[New Relationship Progress Detected. Now Auto-Loading…]
A window popped up in his vision.
Minami closed his eyes and immersed himself into the simulation.
[Returning home from Riko-Riko, you still carry that unwavering confidence.]
[You recall the details of how you cured Chisato Nishikigi's congenital heart disease.]
[And then, you think about the overwhelming affection she now holds for you—like a river surging toward the sea.]
[You believe that this woman—who already admired you—now belongs to you completely.]
[Yes! You were born perfect!]
[And with your 9/10 beauty score, once someone falls for you, they will never escape.]
[This time, you will have no regrets as you walk towards happiness with her.]
[This time, you are absolutely confident.]
[However, aside from romance, you also understand that there are other matters to handle.]
[Like the financial situation of Riko-Riko.]
[And the operation of the orphanage.]
[For that reason, you decide—]
[1. Devote yourself entirely. With your help, Riko-Riko's income will skyrocket.]
[2. One person's strength is limited. Instead of doing it alone, train either Inoue Takina or Chisato Nishikigi to become a new head chef. Teaching them will be more sustainable.]
[3. Spending your whole life at Riko-Riko sounds exhausting. Maybe Yamada Ryou isn't bad after all? If not, there's always Gotoh Hitori—the sheltered hospital heiress and the socially anxious guitarist. The 'soft life' route is tempting…]
[4. Personally simulate.]
Ignoring the high-level choice of [4. Personally Simulate],
Minami looked at the other three options,
And started to think.
First off, I can immediately eliminate the third option.
There's no other reason—
The content is just too ridiculous.
Living off Yamada Ryou is one thing—
After all, she comes from a wealthy family, is an only child, and her father's private hospital is practically a massive inheritance waiting for her.
Even if she spent her entire life doing nothing but enjoying herself, she'd still be set for life in Tokyo.
But Gotoh Hitori…
This simulator really loves bullying introverts, huh?
Yes, Gotoh Hitori comes from a well-off family—
But that's all it is—well-off.
She even has a younger sister, Gotoh Futari.
And while Hitori has immense potential as a guitarist,
That's all it is—potential.
There's no way Minami could actually rely on Gotoh Hitori to earn money while he just wasted time gambling.
So, the third option was out.
That left him with Option 1 and Option 2.
To be honest…
If this were the second loop, when he knew that Chisato Nishikigi only had one month left to live,
Minami would have definitely chosen:
[1. Pour all your effort into Riko-Riko—if you help out, its revenue will skyrocket.]
He would have devoted every moment to being with her in her final days,
And transformed Riko-Riko into one of Tokyo's top gourmet cafés.
But now… it's different.
Chisato had a future to look forward to.
Choosing Option 1 now would be shortsighted,
And too self-centered.
Even though he had a deep bond with Chisato,
Minami was still an outsider.
The problems of Riko-Riko needed to be solved by its own members.
It was the same mistake he made in Gotoh Hitori's third loop.
Back then, he interfered too much in the band's development,
And as a result, after just one setback, the band fell apart.
A person shouldn't make the same mistake twice.
Minami's gaze moved to the second option.
Teaching someone to fish is better than giving them fish.
If he had to choose, he'd rather teach Chisato Nishikigi and Inoue Takina.
He selected Option 2.
[From past experience, you understand that excessive interference only makes strong people weak and dependent.]
[Rather than struggling alone in Riko-Riko, it's better to let its members grow and face challenges themselves.]
[You decide to help Riko-Riko while also teaching Inoue Takina and Chisato Nishikigi how to cook.]
[Your willingness to help has increased the goodwill of all Riko-Riko members toward you.]
[You have caught the attention of Mizuki Nakahara, Kurumi, and Inoue Takina.]
Good, good.
In reality, Minami wasn't too concerned about these small goodwill increases.
After all, it was just "catching their attention."
As long as he didn't suddenly turn into a playboy who attracted every woman he met,
This opening was stable—
So stable that he didn't even see a way to lose.
He continued reading.
[The selected Inoue Takina and Chisato Nishikigi begin their cooking lessons under your guidance.]
[You never show any frustration during the lessons, and Chisato, who already harbors deep feelings for you, grows even fonder of you.]
[However, compared to the lively and energetic Chisato—who dislikes the dull atmosphere of a kitchen—Inoue Takina takes the lessons much more seriously.]
[She asks you numerous questions.]
[You always respond patiently, explaining in detail, without cutting corners.]
[Your serious and dedicated demeanor moves Inoue Takina, who has a naturally diligent personality.]
[Inoue Takina's affection toward you has increased.]
[Additionally, she is amazed by your deep knowledge of cooking.]
[She begins interacting with you more frequently, often seeking you out even during your breaks, carrying thick cookbooks, tilting her elegant and refined face up to ask for guidance.]
[At this point, it's no longer just about learning—]
[She seems to genuinely enjoy spending time with you.]
[She starts secretly watching you at work.]
[When she sees you tired, she quietly brings you tea, gently urging you to rest.]
[She silently tidies up the kitchen mess left behind, trying to share your burden as much as possible.]
[She isn't good with words, but this is her way of staying by your side.]
[Your relationship with Inoue Takina has deepened.]
"…This is getting weird."
Back in reality, Minami felt the memories of the simulation,
And the image of Inoue Takina—
Hardworking, considerate, acting like the perfect wife—
Made him open his mouth in shock.
Something's off. Something's really off.
All he wanted was to increase Chisato Nishikigi's affection points.
Why the hell was Inoue Takina suddenly making such a strong entrance?
And why was her affection increasing so fast?!
This was seriously…
Minami shook his head.
Yes, he had expected that Inoue Takina's affection might rise.
After all, in the last loop, she ended up marrying him.
But this fast?
That was unexpected.
Still, this also proved how important Riko-Riko was to Inoue Takina.
It seemed like, in her heart,
Riko-Riko was only second to Chisato Nishikigi.
Minami sighed.
Since it already happened…
He might as well see how things played out.
[You quickly realize that the lively and cheerful Chisato Nishikigi is not suited for a chef's job.]
[So, you move her back to the front as a waitress and begin carefully teaching Inoue Takina, who remains by your side.]
[From basic cooking principles to the finer details of seasoning and flavors, you guide her with patience, repeating demonstrations when necessary, teaching her hands-on.]
[Under your instruction, Inoue Takina's cooking skills improve rapidly.]
[As her skills grow, she becomes more convinced by your words, and your bond with her deepens.]
[When you place your hand on her head—something she usually never allows—she only glares at you briefly. Though she mutters her discontent, her face still turns red as she shyly looks away.]
[When you interact with the other Riko-Riko members, she secretly watches you. That usually stoic and emotionless face of hers softens ever so slightly.]
[When customers praise your cooking, she stops for a moment to acknowledge it.]
[As Riko-Riko gains popularity, online reviews begin comparing your culinary skills to those of other renowned chefs. While you simply laugh it off, she, on the other hand, takes it seriously and follows these reviews with great concern.]
[With your help, Riko-Riko's revenue surpasses its previous records, and the orphanage's financial deficit is finally resolved.]
[Seeing this, Inoue Takina—who already admired you—starts paying even closer attention to you.]
[Your status in her heart rises.]
"…Huh?"
At first, Minami had tolerated the steady increase in affection points.
But this last sentence…
That, he couldn't ignore.
Inoue-san… are you serious?
He immediately opened the Love Simulator.
After confirming that this was still Chisato Nishikigi's romance simulation, not Inoue Takina's…
Minami sat up on his bed, feeling extremely conflicted.
This was supposed to be Chisato's moment—
So why was Inoue-san stealing the entire show like she was the main heroine?
He couldn't comprehend it.
It wasn't like Chisato Nishikigi was shy like Gotoh Hitori.
That girl was a full-fledged extrovert—
A social hurricane with LV4 social skills to prove it.
As Minami pondered,
The simulation text continued.
[All this time, Chisato Nishikigi had been silently watching you teach Inoue Takina how to cook.]
[As someone who's practically sisters with Takina, she clearly notices the changes in her friend.]
[Takina frequently murmurs your name when talking to Chisato. And whenever she hears it, she fidgets under Chisato's gaze, unable to sit still.]
[Chisato finds this transformation in her best friend amusing and interesting.]
[She does not interfere with Takina's feelings.]
[After all, Chisato knows that no one has the right to stop someone from falling in love.]
[She respects Takina's emotions.]
[But in the end, you will still be hers.]
[On this, she is utterly confident.]
[In fact, she even thinks—if she and Takina were to marry the same man and become one family—it might actually be fun.]
"…Huh?"
Seeing this new development,
Minami could no longer stay calm.
Wait.
Chisato…
Are you seriously considering this?
