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Chapter 97: How Do I Even Lose This Simulation?
🕑 Added 2025-02-09 05:58:06 +0000 UTC"What the hell happened?"
"Who am I?"
"WHERE AM I?!"
A question straight from the depths of their souls surged forth.
Inoue Takina and Nakahara Mizuki completely failed to grasp the situation in front of them.
But soon—
They wouldn't even have the time to process these questions.
And the reason was simple—
BUSY.
Too busy.
So busy that they wished they had a third arm to help.
From the moment Riko-Riko first opened until yesterday—
Takina and Mizuki had never experienced this kind of overwhelming chaos.
The moment they delivered a dish, thinking they could catch their breath—
The next second, they were clearing another table.
At the same time—
They had to rush to the front and greet the incoming customers.
Riko-Riko had always maintained a quiet atmosphere, so they never had that many tables.
Yet somehow—
It was this hectic?!
Takina and Mizuki felt like their limbs were going to dislocate.
But—
Despite the insanity, the results were incredibly rewarding.
The wa-style uniforms at Riko-Riko had a large pocket on the right side.
It was specifically designed to make handling payments more convenient for the waitstaff.
At first, both Chisato and Takina had laughed at it—
Saying, "As if we'd ever fill this up!"
But now?
Now—
Takina felt it.
She was suffering—
But also thriving.
That once empty, pitiful pocket was now completely stuffed.
In fact—
It was so full that it was starting to overflow.
Money.
All of it was money.
Takina had never seen this much cash in one place before.
That once cold, composed, and expressionless face—
Now lit up with a radiant, angelic smile.
At this moment—
These customers were no longer just people.
They were—
Walking bundles of cash.
That day—
Riko-Riko kept working non-stop until 8 PM before finally closing.
After escorting the last customers out, they flipped the sign to "Closed."
And then—
Staring at the insane number flashing on the cash register—
Takina and Mizuki couldn't even close their mouths in shock.
If the old Riko-Riko's revenue was like a small trickling stream—
Then today's revenue was like a roaring, unstoppable river, crashing through dams.
They couldn't even compare the two.
In just one day—
They had made more money than they had in an entire month.
Takina and Mizuki turned their heads—
Looking at Minami Shouji, who had now removed his chef's hat and coat.
He sat at the counter, resting his chin in one hand, casually sipping the tea that Chisato had poured for him.
His other hand scrolled through his phone.
His face?
Not a single trace of exhaustion.
Even though they had all worked like dogs for hours—
And even they, as front-line service workers, were completely wiped out—
The man who had cooked the entire day… looked completely fine.
Was this guy even human?!
Takina and Mizuki exchanged silent, bewildered glances.
They wanted to say something—
But in the next second—
Minami downed the last sip of his tea, stood up, and approached them.
Then, in a calm voice, he spoke:
"I'll take 20% of today's revenue. That shouldn't be a problem, right, Inoue-san? Nakahara-san?"
"...20%?"
Takina blinked her wisteria-colored eyes, momentarily startled.
Not because he was asking for too much—
But because he was asking for too little.
After working all afternoon—
It was crystal clear to them that Riko-Riko's insane success today was because of Minami's cooking.
Even from the back kitchen, the aroma alone had been irresistible.
And today's massive crowds were proof.
Customers lined up outside.
Even after they ran out of indoor seating, they had set up extra tables in the courtyard.
But even with such a makeshift setup—
The customers never stopped coming.
Riko-Riko had never seen anything like this before.
Minami's cooking skills—
Were on a completely different level.
If they could somehow keep him here…
"...20% seems too low, doesn't it?"
Takina parted her lips, voicing her honest opinion.
"But…"
She hesitated, before adding:
"Riko-Riko still belongs to Mika-sensei… He's been busy lately, but shouldn't you discuss the profit split with him when he gets back?"
Takina was a serious person—
But she wasn't stupid.
A short-term gain wasn't worth losing a golden goose.
If keeping Minami around meant long-term stability, then why haggle over a temporary percentage?
But—
Minami seemed to have already anticipated this.
He simply smiled and waved his hand.
"No need."
He glanced at Chisato, then back at them.
"I already spoke to Chisato. I'll just take 20% for today."
"Besides—
Don't get your hopes up.
I'm not going to be here forever.
I still have my own coursework to focus on."
"...Coursework?"
Takina tilted her head slightly, surprised.
Inoue Takina couldn't help but glance at Minami Shouji after hearing those words.
"Yeah. I'm around the same age as you and Chisato—seventeen."
"Huh?! Seventeen?!"
Not only was Takina surprised, but even Nakahara Mizuki, the 27-year-old single woman, also turned to stare in disbelief.
It was no wonder.
Minami Shouji spoke with a level of maturity that was hard to describe.
His work ethic was efficient, he never wasted time, and he was keenly perceptive of others.
That sense of calm professionalism made it far too easy to forget his actual age.
"There's nothing shocking about it."
Minami glanced at the time before continuing:
"I'll be taking my leave for today. If I have time next weekend, I'll stop by again—hopefully, I can finally meet Riko-Riko's owner then."
This was his second visit, yet he still hadn't met Mika, Riko-Riko's actual owner.
That was a bit of a shame.
Even outside of the simulations, Minami was genuinely curious about the real-life Mika.
But it was already late, and judging by Takina's words, Mika probably wouldn't arrive until even later.
And waiting that long wasn't really worth it.
So, he decided to let it go for now and head home instead.
Minami picked up his agreed-upon 20% share of Riko-Riko's earnings.
As he felt the thick stack of bills in his hands, satisfaction washed over him.
A quick count revealed a total of 200,000 yen.
And that was only 20% of the profits.
Minami let out a deep breath.
Sure, this amount was partly thanks to his high pricing and LV4 cooking skills—
But the real game-changer was the "Happy Cooking Technique" he had inherited from Gotoh Hitori.
It added a special "happiness" effect to his dishes.
For many big-city residents who lived materially abundant yet emotionally unfulfilled lives—
That happiness was something money couldn't normally buy.
Minami silently thanked Bocchi in his heart.
Then, he walked up to Chisato.
"Hmm?"
Seeing Minami approach her on his own, Chisato tilted her head.
Then, her expression instantly brightened—
"Wait, wait—don't tell me!
Did you finally realize my amazing qualities after working with me all day?!
So now you're here to kneel down and propose?!"
Chisato continued excitedly without waiting for a response:
"No need to kneel, Shouji-kun!
I'll say yes right now!
Of course, we're still too young to actually get married,
So let's just get engaged for now—don't worry, I can be patient…!"
She chattered on enthusiastically, her mood soaring.
Minami could only shake his head and say:
"What are you even talking about?"
"Chisato, I'm just here to remind you of something."
"Huh?"
Chisato's face filled with question marks.
"Yeah."
Minami gave her a side glance and continued:
"Even though I took 20% of Riko-Riko's revenue as my pay—"
"You still owe me 11,000 yen for the taxi fare."
"Uh—"
Chisato froze.
Meanwhile, Takina and Mizuki were also stunned.
"11,000 yen?"
Wait—
Didn't he just make over 200,000 yen?!
Then why was he still chasing after that tiny 11,000-yen debt?!
If he needed money that badly, wouldn't it be easier to just work part-time at Riko-Riko after class?
That would earn him way more!
Takina and Mizuki couldn't understand his logic.
But—
Minami didn't care about what they thought.
A debt was a debt.
Payment is payment.
The two should never be mixed together.
Besides, Minami Shouji still hadn't officially decided to work at Riko-Riko.
This time, he only helped out because the café was too empty, and he happened to be free today.
"I got it! Shouji-kun!"
"But I don't have money right now…"
"Later! I'll definitely pay you back later!"
"It was 11,000 yen, right?"
"I'll work hard and pay you back!"
Chisato clenched her small fists and looked up at him seriously.
But before Minami could respond, Inoue Takina frowned slightly.
Something wasn't right.
Today's profits couldn't be touched, but Takina knew that Chisato had her own personal savings.
A small stash of money that she had barely ever used.
And 11,000 yen wasn't that much for Chisato.
She could pay it back right now if she wanted to.
So why was she stalling?
Takina didn't get it.
She was about to ask, but Minami simply nodded and said:
"Alright, if that's what you say, Chisato, I'll be back next time."
With that, he turned to Takina and Mizuki, gave them a slight nod, and walked out the door.
Watching his figure disappear into the night—
Takina finally turned to Chisato and asked:
"Chisato."
"Hmm?"
"Why are you purposely delaying the payment?"
She finally voiced the question that had been bothering her for a while.
But Chisato simply wagged her finger, clicked her tongue, and said smugly:
"Too naïve, Takina. You really don't know anything, huh?"
"…Huh?"
"If I paid him back now, wouldn't that mean my connection with Shouji-kun ends here?"
Chisato grinned, letting out a small chuckle.
"As long as I still owe him money—
Shouji-kun will keep coming back to Riko-Riko!"
"Now do you get it?"
"..." Takina.
Her logic made sense.
But for some reason, something about it just felt wrong…
She didn't know how to respond and simply fell silent.
But the silence didn't last long.
Mizuki suddenly spoke up:
"Chisato, earlier you said your heart problem… is solved?"
She had been too shocked to ask before—
But now that she had calmed down, she needed to confirm it.
Mizuki paused, locked eyes with Chisato, and asked in a serious tone:
"Is that true?"
Yes.
Chisato's heart condition had always been the biggest issue for everyone at Riko-Riko.
Something they had no choice but to face.
But earlier—
Chisato claimed her condition had been cured.
"It's true."
This time, Chisato didn't joke around.
Her expression turned serious as she pressed a hand over her left chest.
"Today, Shouji-kun took me to the hospital for a check-up."
"The doctor confirmed my congenital heart disease is gone."
"But just to be sure, I still have to do a few more follow-ups."
"…It's really cured?"
Even though Chisato had already said it earlier—
Hearing it again, in such a serious tone, still left Takina and Mizuki completely stunned.
They couldn't help but ask:
"…What was the cause? How did it heal?"
"You both already know, don't you?"
Chisato smiled gently.
Seeing that smile, Takina and Mizuki fell silent.
Yes.
They already knew the answer.
It must have been that blue capsule Minami had given her this morning.
But if that pill really was the reason—
Wouldn't that be too unrealistic?
And yet—
"The facts speak for themselves."
Chisato leaned against the counter, staring at the teacup Minami had used earlier.
She closed her eyes—
As if she could still feel his presence.
"It's unbelievable."
"Even I was shocked."
"But you know… for some reason…"
Her voice was soft—
Yet filled with an unshakable certainty.
"No matter what Shouji-kun does…"
"I feel like I can accept it."
Her words carried a light, carefree tone—
But there was an undeniable firmness behind them.
"Chisato, don't tell me…"
Hearing the emotion in her friend's voice, Takina couldn't help but ask.
But Chisato cut her off with a grin:
"What's wrong with liking someone?"
She winked playfully at Takina and beamed:
"I'm totally into him now."
Under the warm lights of Riko-Riko,
The golden-haired girl declared without hesitation:
"Hopelessly."
"Completely."
"Utterly smitten!"
Meanwhile—
Back at his own home—
Minami Shouji stared at the floating screen of his romance simulator.
"Let's run another simulation."
Having already experienced two regretful endings in previous loops, Minami Shouji was brimming with confidence this time.
He refused to believe that this round of the Romance Simulator could still somehow throw him into another tragic ending.
