[Simulation End]
As expected, the third simulation had once again reached a failed conclusion.
Sitting at his desk, Haru merely closed his eyes to rest.
Even if the fragments of memory from three consecutive failed simulations weren't overwhelming, they still required some time to process.
When he opened his eyes again, he let out a deep, heavy sigh.
"…Didn't expect that, in the simulation, I ended up choosing Bocchi?"
Recalling the memory fragment of himself being surrounded by the members of Kessoku Band, Haru frowned slightly, a faint shade of melancholy on his face.
In this "Ultimate Romance Simulator," there could only be one exclusive romance route. Which meant, at that moment, he had to make a choice.
Choosing Gotoh Hitori made sense to the real Haru as well.
"Whether it was our first meeting, or our relationship slowly deepening into romance… she was the one who came into my life first."
"And with the influence of reality, I already had feelings for her that I couldn't let go of. At this 'critical point,' just a little more intimacy would immediately push us into a confirmed relationship."
He sighed again, waves of trouble and worry welling up in his mind.
The main problem now was that, in the simulation, everyone was already at that "critical point" with him and with the reversed personalities, some of them became unusually aggressive to the point where he couldn't even interfere with the simulation's course.
Even the smallest accident could immediately push the simulation into someone else's route.
"…Unbelievable. Can't I at least put up a little resistance?"
"Just letting them win me over so easily?"
Though he grumbled, Haru knew this was irreversible.
After all, in reality, if faced with his girlfriends, he would surrender within minutes, never mind that the simulated versions of them were this intense. Even the real him couldn't guarantee he'd stand a chance.
Of course, it wasn't entirely his fault.
"How the hell do I enter Sakiko's route…?"
In the past few simulations, Sakiko had clearly had opportunities, but each time, she inexplicably grew timid and backed away.
In reality, Haru also had strong feelings for Sakiko.
But compared to the other "girlfriends" who had already confirmed their relationships, he and Sakiko were still missing that final, decisive step.
If Lady Sakiko could just push forward a little, the simulation wouldn't be this hard.
His thoughts swirling, Haru picked up his pen and began jotting down the details and oddities from this simulation.
He couldn't use "choices" to interfere directly anymore, so the only way was to make slight changes in reality to exert the smallest possible influence.
Taking a deep breath, Haru refocused his attention on the simulation panel.
"…Alright. Let's keep trying."
…
"Vice Manager, it's about closing time, you know?"
That dreaded voice reached Sakiko 's ears once more.
Her beautiful face looked fragile and pale, and her slender figure standing on the wooden floor seemed as if it could collapse at any moment.
Yet she still relied on muscle memory to glance at the blonde waitress beside her, repeating the same excuse she'd used countless times to send her away.
Even if she felt no physical fatigue, the mental toll of the repeated loops had worn her down to the bone.
The phone in her hand still displayed the same date: December 9th.
"This is already… the thirty-first loop?"
As the eldest daughter of the family, Sakiko had been gifted with a sharp mind since childhood.
Her memory was astonishing by ordinary standards; even now, in the midst of constant "time loops" that left her uncharacteristically anxious, her keen mind could instinctively keep count of how many times she had been sent back to this point.
During this period, Sakiko had tried countless methods.
Whether it was calling Haru out to meet immediately after a "rewind," or finding various excuses to approach him, every time she made even the smallest progress, some other girl would swoop in ahead of her.
This even included other members of Ave Mujica.
"…So far, I've lost to Gotoh Hitori eight times?"
"Lost to Taki four times, then consecutively to Nagasaki Soyo and Ryo a total of twelve times, and to Nijika three times…"
She could recite each "rewind" as if reading from a ledger; every event was etched in perfect clarity. Since the events after each rewind were never the same, she had no pattern to rely on, only the endless trial of seeking a chance to be alone with Haru.
But… it was proving far too difficult.
"I had no idea everyone else was so close to him. I was supposed to be the first one to know him…"
"Why? Why did it turn out like this?"
The thought Should I just confess? had flashed through her mind more than once.
But she didn't know whether Haru felt the same way about her.
Even knowing that failure would simply lead to another "rewind," the act of speaking her feelings aloud made her instinctively hesitant.
What she feared most now wasn't being beaten to the punch... it was being rejected.
She didn't want to see that apologetic smile on his face, nor hear him say "sorry" to her.
If the ending was truly him turning her down, she was certain she would mentally collapse.
"…No. Am I really going to let myself be crushed over something like this?"
"I'm not that fragile!"
She shook her head vigorously, forcing all those impatient, dispirited thoughts out of her mind.
Even if this was only a "dream" of her own making, she still had her pride and stubbornness. She could never accept showing such a pathetic, defeated side of herself over a mere setback.
That, she would never allow.
"…There's no time left to hesitate. This time, I will find a chance to be alone with him!"
With that, Sakiko immediately called Haru on the phone.
When she learned that in this "timeline" he was with the members of RiNG and Mygo for practice, she didn't hesitate for a second before heading straight there.
This time, she carried the absolute conviction that she would succeed.
After locking the café doors, she set off toward RiNG without delay.
She had now endured thirty-one full loops. Even if the events after each rewind were random, she had long since seen through the tricks used by those troublesome "stray cats" who kept stealing him away.
With the resolve to confess, her confidence had grown.
It was the belief that she could break free from the loop that gave strength to each step forward.
Perhaps because of her past experiences, she wasted no time, reaching RiNG as quickly as possible. When she stepped into the café on the second floor in her white socks and rounded leather shoes, she was told by Taki that everyone hadn't arrived yet.
Had she come too early?
Her heart skipped a beat, an inexplicable nervousness creeping in.
She had waited for Haru like this before, only to have him "kidnapped" by another girl on the way. That time, she'd waited in vain until the world abruptly rewound before she could even say a word to him.
"Taki, is Haru still on his way here?"
"…Haru's already arrived. I think he's with Ririko-senpai right now, sorting out the practice room permissions."
Taki frowned slightly as she answered, an odd unease flashing through her mind at the sense Sakiko might be up to something.
But before Taki could ask what she meant, Sakiko was already striding away without a word.
She didn't have the time to thank Taki, the most important thing now was finding Haru.
She absolutely could not let anyone take him away again.
"Sakiko?"
A warm, familiar voice tinged with mild puzzlement reached her ears. The moment she heard it, a surge of energy ran down her spine.
Turning, she saw the black-haired boy holding two cups of coffee.
Her amber eyes softened and lit up in visible delight.
This time, she had finally found him.
Of all thirty-one failed loops so far, nearly every one had ended because she couldn't secure a moment alone with Haru.
No matter how many times, someone always reached him before she did. But now, at last, she had found the perfect opportunity.
The girls from Kessoku Band were still far away in Shimokitazawa, and the most dangerous rivals from Mygo were still en route. If she could seize this solitary moment and act quickly, she was certain they could finally become lovers.
"Haru, can I talk to you alone?"
"There's something I want to tell you. Could you come with me for a moment?"
Sakiko worked hard to suppress her joy and excitement, maintaining her usual poised and elegant demeanor. She could not let him see her looking flustered or unrefined.
Holding the two cups of coffee, Haru blinked thoughtfully, the puzzlement on his face fading to calm in an instant.
Facing Sakiko's expression, gathering her courage as if ready to say something serious, whether out of simple respect or as a friend's support, Haru knew he had to listen carefully and give her a sincere response.
But, before that,
"Sure, we can talk, but I should probably put these down first."
"Those two coffees…?"
Sakiko glanced curiously at the cups in his hands. She distinctly remembered that Haru preferred cappuccinos loaded with sugar, usually topped with a generous swirl of whipped cream. These ones clearly weren't his.
"The Blue Mountain's for Taki, she asked me to grab it for her. And the mocha's for Tomori; she told me in advance to order it."
Mocha?
That triggered a memory. Back during a CRYCHIC get-together, Takamatsu Tomori had ordered the exact same mocha as Sakiko herself. Could it be that in this reversed "dream world," everyone's real-life tastes and habits had carried over unchanged?
The thought flitted through her mind, but Sakiko shook her head sharply. Now wasn't the time to dwell on such things.
"Anyway, hurry and get those to Taki!"
"Huh?"
Before he could react, Sakiko stepped forward, swiftly taking the coffees from his hands. It was almost as if she feared this rare "alone time" would vanish in an instant. Handing the cups to Taki at the counter, she turned right around and, without hesitation, grabbed Haru's wrist, tugging him toward the recording studio.
Her urgent, almost frantic movements did not escape Taki's sharp eyes.
"Sakiko…"
Taki frowned slightly, gaze falling to the two untouched coffees before her.
For Sakiko, this might be the kind of opportunity that dozens of attempts could never guarantee.
She didn't intend to waste it. Without giving herself time to second-guess, she pulled Haru into Mygo's quiet practice studio, a perfectly private place for a confession. No matter how loud things got in here, nothing could be heard from outside.
Come to think of it, she had never been alone with him in such a setting before.
Realizing this, her body stiffened. Her amber eyes flickered, and the hand gripping his wrist slowly loosened. A wave of indescribable tension and fear surged through her.
Her cheeks flushed crimson, and she found herself unable to lift her head.
"Haru, I… I have something important to tell you."
The blue-haired girl's gaze skittered away, her voice barely more than a fragile whisper drifting through the air.
Haru's eyes glinted faintly. His keen perception immediately picked up on her unease, the taut posture, the trembling voice, all of it spoke of an inner struggle.
He softened his expression, pretending not to notice, and teased lightly:
"If this is about Ave Mujica, I'll have to charge overtime, you know. Surely the boss isn't here to exploit her employees for free?"
"N-no! It's not about that at all!"
"Then it's personal, huh? In that case, Sakiko, you've got nothing to be nervous about. Just say it straight to me."
That sly smile of his made the anxious girl relax, if only a little.
Sakiko knew this world was nothing more than her imagined "dream." No matter what happened, failure would simply trigger another loop. In theory, she had nothing to fear.
Even if he rejected her confession, it would only mean another rewind,
And yet… she hadn't expected herself to be this weak.
The girl who prided herself on always being "elegant and steadfast" bit her pale lip hard, her fingers clutching her skirt trembling. Behind the polished exterior, she was fragile, like glass that would shatter at the slightest drop.
Even knowing it was "just a dream," she feared his rejection.
Thirty-one loops had brought her here, and still, her whole body trembled with apprehension.
But if she couldn't take this one step forward, she would lose this chance and be trapped in yet another cycle.
Her amber eyes quivered. Her voice was thin, tinged with worry.
"I… I want to know, Haru, how do you feel about me… about everyone?"
What am I doing?
Why didn't I confess? Why didn't I just say, I love you?
There's still time, I could say it now, just say it,
Haru blinked, clearly caught off guard by the question. He thought for a moment, about to respond,
But the recording studio door swung open.
A petite girl with short, gray hair stepped in.
Her amber eyes, so like Sakiko's, fixed sharply on them. Her asymmetrical bangs revealed a small, fair left ear adorned with a soft matte pearl earring. Yet her expression was nothing like what Sakiko remembered, her brows were furrowed, her gaze sharper, and beneath it all lay a very real mix of suspicion and displeasure.
"…Tomori?"
Sakiko froze, instinctively stepping back two paces.
Her guilty reaction only deepened Tomori's frown. Before she could speak, Taki entered as well followed closely by Soyo, wearing her usual gentle, apologetic smile.
"Haru, I'm sorry… I couldn't stop Tomori."
Soyo's voice was soft, her eyes filled with what looked like genuine worry and remorse, so much so that Sakiko felt strangely unsettled, as if Soyo truly blamed herself.
Odd… Soyo didn't seem any different from usual.
But before Sakiko could piece that together, the smallest girl in the room, Tomori, stepped forward. Her voice was sharper than Sakiko had ever heard:
"Why are you here at RiNG, Sakiko? I just heard from Taki… you wanted to talk to Haru alone?"