[August 8. The sweltering heat makes you hesitate for a moment, but for the boy you like, you're willing to endure the blazing sun and head to his home.]
[Toru lives in Tokyo's Minato Ward, in a rather luxurious high-end apartment.]
[He doesn't keep a dog or a cat, so his home always feels quiet and empty.]
[He once kept a goldfish, but after it died, he gave up on the idea of ever having pets again.]
Ryo read the simulator's message and felt like she had already won half the game. She was almost ready to pop the champagne.
In the previous simulation, Toru had suddenly moved near Hitori's neighborhood and somehow ended up becoming her childhood friend.
Ryo never found a proper chance to act.
But this time?
No need for words.
Ever since that ambiguous exchange at the seaside, Ryo no longer believed she could lose.
After all, the simulator carried over affection levels from real life.
Starting as more than friends but not yet lovers was already half a victory.
[You arrive at the base of the high-end apartment building.]
[After messaging Toru, he quickly comes downstairs to welcome you and invites you up to his home.]
[Inside the elevator, watching the floor numbers climb, Toru smiles and admits it's his first time bringing a girl home. He says he's a little nervous.]
[As he speaks, he covers his chest and takes several deep breaths.]
…Hm?
[You grow a little concerned and ask if he's feeling unwell.]
[Toru smiles and says he's fine.]
"So familiar," Ryo muttered.
After being tormented by this simulator so many times, she had learned its pattern:
Use daily interactions to raise affection.
Show a happy, blissful life after getting together or married.
Then suddenly... Toru drops dead.
A combo like that would destroy anyone new to the game—left stunned, then crying at his funeral, spending a lifetime in regret.
Ryo had even named it the "Lifetime Regret Combo."
Both she and Kita Ikuyo had experienced it.
Only Ijichi Nijika had managed to turn the tables once and reverse the outcome.
[You swipe your card and enter his apartment. The interior is simple. The entryway opens to a spacious living room with a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.]
[There are many rooms. The largest isn't the bedroom, but a soundproof music room.]
[Next to it, Toru built a game room for relaxation.]
[Sitting on the sofa while he makes tea, you notice a book on the coffee table titled "Basics of Sketching."]
Sketching?
Was Toru planning to become an artist now?
[As you wonder why he's studying this, Toru returns with the tea.]
[He explains that he recently got interested in drawing but admits he has no talent for it, and everything he draws turns out awful.]
Something you're bad at? That's rare.
Ryo, recalling past simulations, thought Toru's talent was terrifying. Whatever he touched, he mastered.
Violin - world-class awards in three years.
Bass- the same story.
For his daughter's sake, he even developed medicine in five years. Talent and drive like his were frightening.
For the first time, Ryo thought he felt more human.
He had been too perfect before, like the sun itself—too bright, burning anyone who got too close.
A few flaws made him real.
[After tea, you spend a pleasant time together in the game room.]
[Throughout, you occasionally tease Toru with flirty remarks, making his pure heart race.]
Heh. Easy man to handle.
Ryo was pleased.
The process of conquering Toru was entertaining.
Especially since, in the last simulation, he had been Hitori's husband.
Stealing a married man, there was a twisted thrill to it.
In this simulation, she would flaunt her affection for him right in front of Hitori, as payback for last time.
[And so, you spend the month of summer vacation deepening your relationship with him.]
[The members of Kessoku Band notice you've been slacking off and complain.]
[You don't bother explaining. A bunch of losers aren't worth your attention.]
[You believe that the strong should crush the weak. Likewise, the main girl must utterly defeat the rivals.]
[However, one thing strikes you as odd...]
[Toru resists physical contact. He doesn't even want to hug you.]
"…What?" Ryo tilted her head.
[He stubbornly assumes you're frigid and dislike intimacy.]
Oh really? I'm the frigid one?
Just wait until we're married. Let's see if your back can handle it.
Ryo recalled her first simulation, when her boyfriend had rejected her attempt to kiss him.
Not only that, he had even turned down her invitation to spend the night together.
She'd thought Toru simply wasn't interested in that kind of thing.
But in later simulations, he had a child.
So the truth was, he just didn't want to be close to her.
Upon realizing this, Ryo's stomach twisted in pain, and she popped several antacids in frustration.
[You keep up your cold jade beauty persona and your subtly wicked attitude, so his misunderstanding isn't surprising.]
[And so, the entire summer passes. Aside from holding hands, there's no further intimacy.]
Lying in bed, Ryo pulled down her blanket and looked down at her own flawless, enticing body.
She truly couldn't understand why Toru would refuse her.
Am I not cute enough?
The nerve of that guy... turning down an ultra-adorable girl who was throwing herself at him.
She grumbled to herself, then pulled the blanket back up, yawned, and drifted off while the simulation continued.
She had started this run in the afternoon, and sleepiness was setting in.
[Summer ends. A new semester begins.]
[Since you attend different schools, you no longer see each other every day.]
[Even so, your relationship continues to warm little by little.]
[Perhaps Toru already has feelings for you. You can sense his affection deepening.]
Ryo opened the relationship panel to check.
[Toru]
[Affection: 89]
Right on the border between "lovers" and "spouses." If she confessed now, he wouldn't refuse.
She thought for a few seconds, then tapped the [Confess] button.
[Please select confession location.]
[Winter camping trip, cozy cabin at a ski resort – Hokkaido]
[Christmas at the Eiffel Tower – France]
[Shuka High School Culture Festival, Bonfire Square – Tokyo]
[Note: Confession requires full Immersive mode and cannot be done in text-only mode.]
Ryo's eyes were immediately drawn to the first option.
If she wasn't mistaken, that was the same place Toru had invited her to in their very first simulation.
Then the choice was obvious.
[Invitation in progress…]
Watching the simulator's prompt, Ryo felt her heart race.
Did confessions depend on the other person's response? What if he rejected her?
[Toru has accepted your invitation.]
Perfect.
Time to show him how it's done.