It had been several days since Kazami Haru decided to help Hitori Gotoh cram for her exams.
Now that he had accumulated enough "simulation attempts," and held plenty of resurrection tokens, he finally made up his mind to initiate the simulation for his fifth romance route target.
It was July, right before summer break and before the vacation, there would be one last band Live performance.
Haru decided to use this timing to start a simulation and raise his stats one more time.
Of course, there was another urgent issue, he was running low on money. If he didn't do something soon, he'd end up working every day again. Ideally, he needed a simulation reward that gave him a massive cash boost.
Maybe… like, a cool 100 million yen.
"Well, guess it's time to begin…"
Haru took a deep breath and locked eyes with the simulation interface.
[Available Simulation Attempts: 5]
[Available Simulation Targets: Yamada Ryo, Takamatsu Tomori, Togawa Sakiko, Chihaya Anon, Kita Ikuyo, Gotoh Hitori]
[Available Items: 'Random Identity Card', 'Ijichi Nijika IF Route Card']
Six possible simulation targets.
Of those, four had already had one round of simulation, excluding Hitori and Sakiko. While none of the simulations (except Anon's) had been particularly high-scoring, he'd still made solid progress overall.
"This time's all about Nijika's personal route..."
Nijika wasn't a permanent simulation target, this was a one-time-only opportunity.
Luckily, the IF Route Card he obtained via the "Infatuation Card" guaranteed a pure romance route!
That meant no weird love triangle interruptions, just a straight path to capturing the warm, kind-hearted Saint Nijika. Honestly, it felt like easy mode.
"Feels like I can already taste that 95+ score."
Haru was confident.
Nijika was nothing like the others—gentle, cheerful, and incredibly understanding. Surely, this simulation would go off without a hitch. With such a solid setup, Haru couldn't even imagine how he might fail this time.
He was already visualizing his triple Dragon fusion card in hand at the final round.
"But to use Nijika's IF Route Card, I need to select a base simulation target first…"
He glanced over the list of available targets, hesitated only briefly.
In the end, it didn't really matter who he chose as the base, he'd be overriding it with a route card anyway. With no strong preference, he casually selected one of his exes.
[Simulation Target Selected — Kita Ikuyo. Use a Route Card?]
Yes.
[Using 'Ijichi Nijika IF Route Card'. Use any additional item cards?]
The second prompt caught him off guard.
Wait, he could use more than one item card at once?
Come to think of it, he'd picked up that Random Identity Card a while back when he… accidentally brushed hands with Togawa-sensei. Since then, he'd been keeping it unused, just in case.
Ever since discovering that using item cards could boost his simulation score, he'd been cautious.
"Then if using just one item card improves the final score… what if I use two at once? Could they stack?"
Maybe a +20 point bonus?
The more Haru thought about it, the more tempted he became.
"Let's do this!"
No hesitation now.
His body felt light, nothing left to fear.
[Random Identity Card used.]
[Simulation Begin.]
[You are born into a perfectly ordinary single-parent household.]
[Your mother is a top-tier doujinshi artist. She makes a living through drawing and illustration. Despite being a single parent, your living conditions are more than comfortable, and you're raised with great care.]
[Perhaps because of this, you mature faster than most kids your age.]
…Huh?
What?
This opening was nothing like before, leaving Haru momentarily dazed.
Then he remembered, this was the "Random Identity Card" in action.
So it really does mean a completely random life start?
"Well… actually, this doesn't seem like a bad start."
Haru relaxed a little.
"Honestly, as long as I wasn't born in a toilet, I'm good."
[From a young age, you're unusually intelligent. Your first pose was lying face-down with your right index finger pointing skyward. You walked by age one, and spoke with remarkable fluency.]
[At age three, perhaps thanks to exposure to your mother's work, you suddenly showed artistic talent.]
[Despite being a toddler, you secretly observed her drawings and absorbed the basics of illustration. Your mother was completely shocked by your frightening talent.]
[She declares she wants you to inherit her 'Eromanga' artist account, muttering to herself, "Only boys can be the horniest of doujin artists…"]
[From that day forward, she begins slowly training you in art.]
…Okay.
This new "mother" was on another level of abstract.
Training a three-year-old to draw that kind of manga? That's straight out of a weird webcomic plot. No way this would ever happen in real life.
[Regarding your mother's desire for you to become an artist, your response is—]
1. Rock bands are the real deal! How does manga even help you get girls?
2. This is a great opportunity. Let's follow this path!
3. Drawing's nice, but writing novels might be more my thing.
4. Virtual Reality: Simulate it all myself.
"A key life decision right at the start? Looks like this choice will shape the rest of the simulation…"
Haru considered carefully, then picked Option 2.
Music might be his real strength in the real world, but after using the Random Identity Card, this was essentially a full restart.
He didn't know if his simulated self had inherited his musical skillset. No point gambling on it.
And if his mother was a top-tier manga artist, it only made sense to use that advantage to become a great artist himself.
[After much thought, you decide to pursue drawing.]
[By age six, after three years of training under your mother, you can now replicate professional-level illustrations. She is stunned by your progress and begins teaching you advanced techniques.]
[You absorb her lessons like a sponge, sharpening your skills at a rapid pace.]
[Thanks to her manga income, your amazing mother moves you to a cozy standalone house in Shimokitazawa and enrolls you in elementary school there.]
[She hopes you'll make friends and enjoy a happy childhood.]
[On the first day in your new home, you discover your neighbors, the 'Ijichi' family. Since you'll be living here for years, your mother suggests you both go introduce yourselves.]
"Wait, this must be where the IF Route Card kicks in!"
Haru's eyes lit up.
Just a moment ago, he'd been wondering how the IF Route would activate with this brand-new life setup where he hadn't even met Nijika yet.
Turns out, it was all part of the plan.
Who would've thought, even the Nijika IF Route Card wouldn't let itself be outdone, forcing Haru to move in right next door to Nijika herself?
So now… he'd get to know Nijika from early childhood? A perfect setup for a childhood friends route?
[Your mother personally visits the Ijichi household. You take the chance to meet the two Ijichi sisters, Ijichi Seika and Ijichi Nijika. The two are twelve years apart in age.]
[When you first meet, Seika gives you a half-hearted greeting and quickly loses interest. Nijika, meanwhile, hides shyly behind Seika's leg, peeking at you with curiosity and caution.]
[Even though it's just your first meeting, you already find yourself quite fond of Nijika. Deep inside, you make a quiet vow: You're going to get along with this adorable girl.]
[You've officially met Ijichi Nijika and Ijichi Seika.]
[Though it's only a brief introduction, being neighbors doesn't give you many chances to interact. Oddly enough, you end up chatting more with the straightforward, relaxed Seika, making Nijika feel just a little bit jealous.]
Crap. Seika.
Why'd you have to backstab me now of all times?
[You really like Nijika, so you decide to—]
1. Naturally get closer to Nijika and raise her affection.
2. Try to win over Nijika's beautiful mom and get her to promise Nijika's hand in marriage.
3. Get close to Seika and use her as a bridge to Nijika.
4. Virtual Reality. Simulate personally.
A new set of choices.
As expected from a true Nijika-only route, all the options are centered around her. If this were one of the previous simulations, there would've been at least a few temptation traps leading to other routes.
But here? Pure love from the start. No detours. No distractions.
Even cheating requires manual simulation!
"How do I even lose with this setup?"
Haru had never felt a simulation this easy.
It was like playing Monster Hunter in full Defender Armor, slicing through everything with no resistance, finishing with a perfect clear and feeling like a prodigy hunter.
No hesitation—Option 1. Time to speedrun the loli Nijika route!
[You decide to actively get closer to Ijichi Nijika.]
[Though she's a little upset that her sister gets along with you so easily, Nijika's angelic heart doesn't let her push you away. She starts opening up to your friendly approach.]
[Sometimes you two play together in the nearby park, and gradually you become closer.]
[Eventually, you start elementary school.]
[Around this time, you realize you're more drawn to painting clean, beautiful landscapes and oil paintings, rather than "doujin" content. Your mother, supportive of your passions, encourages you to pursue whatever you love.]
[One day on your way home from school, you see a timid classmate being bullied in the park. Concerned this could turn into real harassment, you decide to—]
1. Step in and stop it.
2. Ignore it and go home to draw.
3. Join the bullies and pick on the kid too.
4. Virtual Reality. Simulate personally.
Option 3 was… disturbingly out of pocket.
Haru knew the simulator had to cover every possibility, but joining the bullies? In Nijika's route?
Absolutely not. What if she saw?!
Option 1.
[Even though you love sharing light with the Gatanothor, this is something you can't just ignore.]
[Just as you're about to step in, a little golden-haired angel with a red backpack dashes in. Nijika rushes to the bullied child's side, trying to reason with the troublemakers.]
[Unfortunately, little delinquents at that age don't care about gender.]
[Seeing Nijika about to get caught in the fray, you leap in without a second thought—]
…
"Damn you, just wait!"
A pudgy little kid with a bruised face cursed at Haru as he and his two rat-faced cronies scrambled away, leaving behind a dirt-covered backpack.
Haru loosened his aching fist, now turning purple from the fight.
"Uwaaa!"
Even the bullied kid was terrified—he took off crying, leaving only Haru and a trembling Nijika behind.
"…They just ran off?"
Haru brushed back his messy black hair. His hoodie was covered in dirt, and red welts bloomed across his face. Still, his deep black eyes held a soft concern as he turned to the girl beside him.
"Ijichi, are you—"
"Uwaaaa! Y-You're bleeding so much!!"
Elementary school Nijika burst into tears.
She saw the cut on Haru's forehead, where the edge of a zipper had caught him. Huge teardrops streamed down her smooth cheeks as she hugged him tightly and started dabbing at the wound with her handkerchief.
But the blood wouldn't stop.
Her panic only grew, and the tears came harder, falling like pearls onto the dry gravel path.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry—!"
"Does it hurt a lot? It's all my fault…"
Maybe she thought bleeding meant he was going to die. Full of guilt and fear, Nijika hugged him tightly, as if her tiny arms could absorb the pain for him.
[You reassure her: "It's just a small wound."]
[Thanks to Nijika's healing presence, even the sting of the cut seems to ease.]
[Though you fought bravely and took out all the bullies, you got injured worse in the process, especially your forehead, which took a nasty hit from a metal zipper.]
[Nijika, overwhelmed with guilt, cried nonstop and kept apologizing.]
[The injury wasn't serious. A little bandaging and you were fine.]
[But Nijika felt responsible, so she made it her mission to take care of you, visiting your house every other day, even walking home with you after school.]
[By the time you healed, going home together had become a daily routine.]
[Nijika's affection for you has increased.]
[Your bond with Ijichi Nijika has deepened.]
Damn, I'm good.
Haru beamed at the simulator's message: "Bond Deepened."
His heart was soaring.
In all the past simulations, he kept stepping into traps or taking damage from weird flags. But with Saint Nijika, everything was smooth sailing. At this rate, he was going to win big before high school even started and remember that this time, his role was the childhood friend.
He wasn't just anyone, he was someone she'd known since she was small. Someone closer than almost anyone besides family.
How was he even supposed to lose?
"…But there's still one thing I need to keep in mind."
Haru's expression grew serious.
If he remembered right, when Nijika was around nine years old… her mom passed away in a car accident.
If he wanted to raise this simulation's final score to Excellent or even higher, he'd have to prevent that accident from happening.
[Time continues to pass, and as Nijika's childhood friend, your bond with her grows stronger.]
[Though you're the same age, your maturity outpaces her innocent nature. Like an older brother, you embrace every part of her, earning her deep trust and affection.]
[Ijichi's mother watches your relationship fondly. She often teases, "Nijika's already ready to get married… it's so lonely being her mom," always making the little girl flush bright red.]
[Meanwhile, having been held back twice in school, Seika suddenly becomes obsessed with rock music and live performances.]
[She starts prioritizing her band over her family, often ignoring those around her. When Nijika clings to her sister for attention, Seika begins asking you to help distract her.]
[One day, after Seika breaks a promise again, Nijika, who had been looking forward to spending time with her, bursts into tears at home. You decide to—]
1. Comfort Nijika
2. Let the sisters work it out on their own
3. Kiss her and make her forget she's upset
4. Virtual Reality: experience it directly
"Maybe… just a little kiss wouldn't hurt?"
Kazami Haru had never struggled so much with a simulation choice.
He knew picking Option 3 would be reckless. But he could barely resist the temptation.
After all, he activated this simulation for the sole purpose of getting closer to Nijika! Still, making a move this bold now might trigger all kinds of consequences.
Resist now, reap later.
Once they were married, he could kiss her all he wanted!
Fighting off his twitching hand, he selected Option 1.
[You choose to comfort Ijichi Nijika. Of course, an upset Nijika isn't easily soothed. After a long effort, playing with her, talking, watching TV—you finally calm her down. As a token of cheer, you give her a small bunny plushie.]
[From then on, every time Nijika's upset, you make sure to be there to comfort her.]
[Over time, you begin to feel that Nijika is growing a little too attached to you.]
[At age 8, your painting breaks past its previous limits. Your imagination soars, and your oil painting skills flourish. Your mother finally realizes your talent has surpassed that of any "ordinary" artist.]
[She encourages you to pursue a more formal artistic path. You respond by—]
1. Pursuing traditional fine arts
2. Pursuing ACG/manga art
3. Virtual Reality: experience it directly
A special choice again.
This one felt more impactful than before. The first batch of choices defined Haru's basic career path, this was about long-term direction and future achievements.
Without hesitation, he chose Option 1: Traditional Art.
Even if he had talent enough to rise to the top of Japan's manga world, traditional fine art still held a higher prestige on the world stage.
[You commit to the traditional arts.]
[At age 9, you complete your first oil painting: Twilight in Shimokitazawa.]
[A nine-year-old producing work of this caliber shocks the art world. Your name begins to circulate in the industry. Even the media starts picking up your story, though some people doubt and speculate about your talent.]
[You pay it no mind. Outside of painting, all your focus is on Ijichi Nijika.]
[After years of growing up together, your position in Nijika's heart may be even more important than you realize.]
[Still, Ijichi's mother occasionally teases you for spoiling her too much. Whenever Nijika's upset, she immediately rushes into your arms to sulk, something even you have trouble pushing back on.]
[Your bond with the Ijichi family grows closer. To Nijika's mom, you're like a second son. To your own mother, Nijika is already considered your future bride. Every time she visits, your mom goes all out to host her.]
[Unfortunately, Nijika's relationship with Seika hasn't improved. Obsessed with music, Seika sometimes doesn't even come home.]
[When that happens, Nijika curls up in your arms to vent, saying she wants to become a cushy government worker who drinks tea, plays cards, and gets paid for doing nothing.]
A child who's already seen through the essence of life!
Haru chuckled.
[You remind her that this is actually Seika's dream too. While it's true that Seika neglects her family, you tell Nijika that it takes courage to pursue one's dream. Nijika doesn't quite understand.]
[Now, Seika's band is set to perform at the famous LiveHouse Rainy. To focus on training, she hasn't returned home in over a month, which is putting strain on the family.]
[Concerned, Nijika's mother decides to go visit her daughter. You decide to—]
1. Don't worry about it—focus on keeping Nijika calm
2. Try to convince Seika to come home
3. Take Nijika and go visit Seika yourself
4. Virtual Reality: experience it directly
"So this is it…"
Haru's eyes gleamed.
This must be the point where Nijika's mother dies in the car crash.
Option 1 was out of the question. If she went, she'd die.
Option 2 was also risky. With her tsundere nature, Seika was guaranteed to ignore him.
Which left Option 3: Go with Nijika himself, and keep her mother out of harm's way.
"…Bringing Nijika with me though?" Haru frowned slightly.
If he were the one hit by the car, he might survive, especially with that "Endurance LV3" skill in play. As long as he was cautious, he shouldn't die outright.
And if worst came to worst, he still had resurrection tokens.
The real challenge would be convincing Seika.
After all, in her eyes, he was still just a 9-year-old brat. Add a younger sister tagging along, and it became even tougher.
"…Still, it has to be Option 3."
Haru steeled himself.
[You speak earnestly to Ijichi's mother. Surprised at your sudden resolve, she's moved by your maturity and agrees with a smile.]
[She gives you Seika's current address and contact information. Nijika hesitates at first, but eventually agrees to go with you.]
["When we see Seika, let's try to talk it out properly, okay?"]
[You find Seika's location. She's shocked to see a child and her sister suddenly show up. Her bandmates are confused as well. Flustered, she pulls you both aside.]
[Faced with Ijichi Seika, you decide to—]
1. Threaten to hug her legs onstage during her Live and scream "Mommy!" if she doesn't come home
2. Have a serious talk about how Nijika feels
3. Draw her a picture
4. Virtual reality: experience it directly
"...Okay, that first one's hilarious."
Haru smirked.
Still, he took a moment to consider. Then made his decision.
- - -
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