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[But even when you were mired in the mud, someone with a sun-like smile reached out a hand to you.
Just by being by his side, you felt your breathing become easier, and even the world's dark clouds were dispelled.
However, the seed of your true feelings, hidden deep within, withered before it could even bask in the sun.
You accomplished nothing.]
[Score: C]
[Achievement: Successfully serialized three volumes of a light novel]
[Number of CGs unlocked: 1]
[Comment: If you continue like this, you will soon face your second defeat. Pay more attention!]
"H-how mean!?"
Komari abruptly grabbed her blanket, her lips twitching.
This—she couldn't be blamed for this, right? After all, she had been in love with the club president before! By the time she came to her senses, the simulation was almost over!
There were indeed many things she didn't get to do in this simulation.
Fortunately, these regrets could all be remedied in reality.
"I-I have a huge advantage now…"
The gloomy girl picked up her phone, glanced at the date on the screen, and chuckled twice. Although she was timid in the simulation, real life would be her main stage!
—Because only she had the simulator and the memory of this future! And she could connect with Kiyono through light novels!
As long as she went to the restaurant in advance to meet Kiyono, everything else would fall into place!
Komari's lips curved slightly, as if she could already see that future.
As she was thinking, she suddenly let out a soft "oof," clutching her head. A sharp pain shot through it, almost making her faint.
[Friendly reminder: Due to the large memory capacity of this simulation, please rest well before choosing to accept all memories. The process will take approximately twelve hours.]
That was fine. The stinging pain in her head made Komari wisely choose to lie down. Anyway, it was only one day… going to the restaurant to find Kiyono tomorrow would be the same!
Just one sleep, and it wouldn't be too late for anything!
Lemon jumped out of bed full of energy, bright-eyed as she looked at the simulation prompt in front of her.
[Simulation Summary: You were always running.]
"That short?"
The athletic girl scratched her head, a hint of helplessness on her face.
She had been running in the simulation, and now, she still had to run.
Run straight toward you—you who smiled at me under the setting sun, you who thought of me, you who ignited my passion, you who were strong, you who were wise, you who were knowledgeable… run forward without hesitation.
This time, whether it was Yanami or Komari, she would be Kiyono's first priority.
"First day—let's just get a perfect start!"
Lemon clenched her fists, a bright smile on her face.
At that moment, the system's voice rang out again.
[Do you choose to merge memories and physique?]
[The process will take three hours.]
The athletic girl checked the time on her phone. Hmm, plenty of time.
Lemon silently said yes, then lay back down on her bed, closing her eyes with a smile.
Three hours later, I will launch myself at a hundred-meter sprint speed!
Early morning was like a beach covered with shells, each shell filled with beautiful dreams.
Yanami woke up.
Still sleepy, the girl looked out the window at a gently falling cherry-blossom petal.
…Cherry blossoms? Isn't it snowing right now? I just handed in my exam…
The boundary between reality and illusion blurred at that moment.
She blinked hard, and the snowy scenery and colorful particles slowly faded; the view of her bedroom reappeared in her vision. But that vivid time still lingered in her heart like a series of brightly colored photographs.
[Simulation settled]
[Congratulations! You received the Female Lead MVP!]
Huh? Me?
[Simulation Summary: You simultaneously played his sister, comrade, pet, companion, and confidante.
Your initiative was astonishing, your cunning was amazing, and your execution was admirable.
No one can stop your legendary path anymore!]
[You have achieved the following: You made the male lead fall for you the most times, unlocked the most CGs, and spent the most time with him]
[Score: S+]
[As the female lead with the highest score in this simulation, you will receive a hidden reward—]
There's a reward!?
Yanami raised an eyebrow in anticipation.
[Your simulator has unlocked a new function. From now on, you can consume simulation points to actively enter the male lead's next simulation, but with certain restrictions.]
[At the same time, you can continue to earn points in the simulation. After reaching a certain amount, you can unlock an exclusive "Wedding Dress Simulation CG."]
[Do you want to merge memories? The process requires…]
"Wed, wed-wed-wedding dress!?"
This dreamlike word made Yanami's entire pretty face flush red, and she stammered out the exclamation.
Her three years of experience had already shown her the reality and power of the simulation, which meant she could completely experience a real post-marriage world!
She had won too much!
For a moment, the girl was completely immersed in a blissful fantasy, and pink heart bubbles seemed to float around her.
However… a simulation was still a simulation.
What mattered now was the reality in front of her!
Yanami suddenly sobered up, and the bubbles shattered with her.
She wanted to see him.
The moment this thought emerged, an endless stream of longing surged forth.
She seemed to hear a violent heartbeat.
Her hand unconsciously touched her cheek; her palm was burning hot, and her heart was also accelerating.
What simulation… what reward… what other girls… none of that mattered.
She wanted to confirm that he was still in this world.
To say—
Hey, I'm here.
Hey, long time no see.
Waking up, the world became incredibly clear and bright.
In this spring, a new life began.
Kiyono stretched lazily.
"What should I do now?" he murmured to himself.
He didn't need to worry too much about the light novel; he could just replicate his experiences from the simulation. In fact, with the previous experience, this time he could revise the light novel to be even more perfect and stunning.
"As for a part-time job… should I go?"
A certain smiling blue figure appeared in his mind. If he hadn't gone to work, they probably wouldn't have met.
Besides that, there was finding a place to live, reading, writing, and stepping onto the path of literature… In the simulation, he had already clarified the path he wanted to take in the future.
"Simulation, huh…"
Kiyono pinched his chin, lost in thought. Normally, he no longer urgently needed the simulation to escape his predicament, but he wasn't content to stop there. To make his life unimaginably perfect, he could only rely on experiencing life again and again through simulation.
Of course, he didn't plan to simulate right now; it was too tiring. Moreover, he couldn't simulate at the moment either.
Thinking of this, he opened the simulator's panel.
[Simulation cooldown: Fifty days]
He could rest well during this time, and the other female leads would also move in their predetermined directions.
He pondered repeatedly—even if they were now in the same city, under the same sky, he didn't know if the other person was still the same, or if they could continue to write the same story.
Next, Kiyono retraced his steps through the second playthrough.
Stepping out of the hotel, the first thing he did was find a nearby restaurant he had once visited with Yanami and enjoy a meal.
Then, he casually found an internet café and sent the first volume of his light novel to his editor's document—there was no rush to revise it, as the novel's publication was still three months away, and this interim period was for him to refine it.
"This time, I can finally be a protagonist of the urban proud-heaven genre," he smiled.
Alright.
Having completed the main quest, Kiyono walked out of the internet café, aimlessly wandering the streets.
Slowly, he reached an overpass. The air was warm, carrying the fragrance of spring.
The streetcar made a clattering sound. At that moment, the setting sun gradually sank below the horizon, and a dazzling orange glow bathed the bridge. The cherry-blossom trees ahead were rendered with a hazy, dreamlike quality, their branches gently swaying as light, delicate petals sighed and fell softly onto the road.
Cherry blossoms at different times conveyed completely different feelings. Morning cherry blossoms were like the embodiment of all spring's beauty, warm and touching. Night cherry blossoms carried a faint sadness, reminding one of fleeting snow and impermanence. And cherry blossoms under the setting sun carried a sense of fleetingness—a brilliant pride that bloomed only in the present.
It's the same scenery I saw in the simulation, he thought.
In that world, which felt so real, he had scattered and disappeared like the cherry blossoms before him. So, had he left behind beauty, pain, or unforgettable memories in others' hearts, or were all his actions like reflections in a mirror, utterly meaningless?
He reached out to catch a petal, looking at the distant scenery. At some point, his gaze seemed to meet someone's. That person looked to be searching for something, their steps anxious. He didn't pay attention, turning and leaving.
Dengeki Bunko.
Today, the editorial department was as bustling as usual, with phones constantly ringing and people coming and going in the not-so-tidy office area.
A new editor stood like a minion, respectfully addressing the person on the phone as "Teacher" again and again, a wry smile occasionally appearing on her face. She was probably being delayed by veteran authors with various excuses, but the new editor didn't dare offend the "Teacher" for fear they might quit if displeased.
Meanwhile, the veteran editors, who had long since witnessed authors' lazy nature, had directly transformed into ruthless Demon Kings of the Sixth Heaven—their eyes sharp, voices menacing, and their phones like chains. Without a word, it was a triple threat of "interrogation," "home visit," and "black room." Presumably, the pleas for mercy from the other end of the phone were similar to those heard by the editor beside them.
However, in this accustomed scene, there was a subtle, unusual deviation.
Eri, a new editor who had been on the job for half a year, hung up the phone and sat at her desk, wearily rubbing the bridge of her nose to relieve fatigue—she was the punching-bag type abused by authors. In addition to difficult authors, she also had to act as a mediator between various companies, which was truly exhausting.
During her break, her gaze uncontrollably drifted toward the partition next to her, curiosity in her eyes—there sat Yasuda, a senior editor in the department known by the nickname "Demon." He was an ultimate powerhouse capable of chasing authors a thousand miles by plane.
But Yasuda-senpai was in a very strange state now. Since early morning, he had been sitting upright in front of his computer, intently flipping through one manuscript after another at a rapid pace, as if… he was searching for something.
This peculiar state had continued until now.
"Um, Yasuda-senpai, what are you looking for?" Eri went to the corner to make a cup of coffee for her senior and casually leaned over to his computer, unable to contain her curiosity any longer.
"…A book."