[You decide to prioritize handling the café's business]
Faced with this sudden choice, Haru immediately snapped back to attention. The two options that had just appeared were clearly a "special choice" that required an immediate decision. Not only that, but this one could not be run as a "VR simulation."
That meant that if he hesitated for even a few seconds, the simulation would automatically proceed on its own.
Fortunately, his reaction was fast. Without a moment's hesitation, he made his decision.
"…What is going on here? In all the previous simulations, not once did a choice like this appear, so why is it different this time?"
"And it's not just the choice. Even the start of this simulation is different from before. Could it be that my actions in reality have finally managed to affect the simulation?"
Countless questions rose to the surface along with the choice. Unable to figure it out, Haru could only push aside his doubts for now and focus all of his attention on this simulation. He had no idea if another choice like this would ever appear again.
This might be a rare opportunity.
If he missed it, there was no telling whether the simulation would ever progress further.
…
To be honest, though, Haru still wasn't entirely confident.
That "special choice" just now had forced him to act purely on instinct, but in truth, whether he chose to "handle the café's affairs" or "stay home and paint in peace" felt equally vague.
In dozens of failed simulations before, there had been times when he went to the café and still didn't see Sakiko.
But at this point, the only thing he could do was grit his teeth and keep moving forward.
[You learn that the phone call was from a waitress at your café. According to her, the vice manager who normally runs the café seems to be in some kind of trouble. Her mood is unusually low in a way that's hard to describe, and after entering the staff break room, she never came out again.]
[The waitress hopes that, as the owner, you will come in person to check on her.]
[You know that the proud and strong-willed Sakiko has a very strong sense of self-respect. Entrusting the café to her in the first place was a sign of your complete trust. But now, with problems appearing under her management and even her own condition seeming to falter, you realize this may be the moment when you have to make a choice.]
[So, you decide...]
[1. If you forcibly take back control from her, you will likely wound her pride deeply, so you choose to place absolute trust in Sakiko.]
[2. This is no longer a matter of her dignity or pride. Her physical and mental health must come first, so you decide to help stabilize her condition above all else.]
[3. Virtual reality, enter simulation]
The appearance of another special choice made Haru's gaze sharpen.
Whether it was [considering Sakiko's dignity and giving her trust] or [putting aside pride to prioritize her well-being], both options were from the perspective of caring for her. In theory, either could be correct.
…
This was no ordinary choice.
Right now, all choices came with time limits. Both seemed equally reasonable, and having them appear together meant one of them could easily be a trap. There was no time to think it through in depth.
He understood that this so-called "pride" was Sakiko's last line of defense. Even in reality, no matter how close they had grown, she still could not bring herself to tell him her deepest feelings. That final veil of pride was the one thing she refused to drop in front of him.
But was this really about pride anymore?
"Sakiko is even more fragile than I thought."
Something seemed to click in Haru's mind as he lowered his gaze to the notebook lying open before him.
On its wisteria-patterned cover were neat, elegant characters, and inside, page after page was packed densely enough to make one's scalp prickle. These were all the problems he had recorded after failed simulations, drawn from the hundreds of memory fragments flooding his mind.
For Sakiko, losing her pride might be worse than death.
But Haru carried the resolve to walk with her for the rest of his life. If he had decided to hold her hand, he would not let her bear the weight alone. Even if the stubborn girl refused to be a "burden" hiding behind him, he would at least make sure they could walk forward shoulder to shoulder.
"…Alright."
A faint smile appeared on Haru's face as he turned his focus back to the simulation panel.
Recalling the fragments that had poured into his mind, he needed only a moment's silence before his decision was set.
"VR simulation."
Haru did not know if this would be his last VR simulation, but he would treat it as if it were, giving it his all.
[You decide to no longer worry about the other party's pride, prioritizing her emotional and physical well-being.]
[Resolute, you waste no time. You abandon the inspiration you might not encounter again for an entire year, even though it could be your chance to reach the pinnacle of the "Fantasy Exhibition."]
[To you, nothing matters more than Sakiko right now.]
[You decide to go to the café in person.]
…
"Manager!"
The blonde waitress with braided hair was flustered, almost panicked, her gestures trying to convey the urgency of the situation. Seeing her so anxious actually calmed Haru down. He signaled for her to gather all the staff in the café.
In moments, everyone had assembled, including some new hires who had never even met this absentee owner.
Haru stood before them with a calm expression and spoke slowly.
"The vice manager is fine, so don't worry about her."
"As for today's shift changes, they won't be necessary. The store needs to restock soon, so we'll temporarily close for the day. Go home and rest. Your pay will remain the same."
The staff exchanged uncertain glances. They had all seen the vice manager's downcast state earlier, yet their young manager spoke with a confidence and presence that commanded trust.
For a moment, none of them knew what to say.
"Yes, sir!"
The blonde waitress, the first to speak earlier, responded immediately without hesitation.
Seeing their senior leave, the others followed suit.
In no time, the café was empty, leaving Haru alone standing before the staff break room.
Click~
He took out the key he always carried and unlocked the heavy door that had sealed away the girl's body, and perhaps her heart as well.
Inside was complete darkness. The café's warm lights spilled past him into the pitch-black room, but the faint glow barely pierced the shadows, offering only a meager trace of illumination.
Haru instinctively glanced at the light switch.
All he had to do was press it and the room would instantly be flooded with light.
…
But he let his eyes pass over it without reaching out.
His vision was clear even in a lightless room, and the moment he stepped inside, he spotted a small figure huddled in the corner.
The girl was curled into a ball, hugging her knees tightly.
"Sakiko."
The sudden sound of his voice made her body tremble.
Haru slowly walked over and crouched beside her, reaching out to gently stroke her soft hair. The unfamiliar tenderness of the gesture made her stiffen completely, and she instinctively shrank further into the corner.
But there was nowhere left for her to hide.
Like a startled cat with fur bristling, she was taut as a bowstring, ready to lash out at him at any moment.
…
Haru said nothing, simply staying beside her in silence.
They leaned against the wall, back to back, neither speaking.
No one knew how long the quiet lasted before Sakiko could no longer hold it in.
"Don't waste your time here with me. I don't want to do anything anymore…"
"You must have more important things to take care of, right?"
Her voice was hoarse and low, stripped of the confidence and resolve she usually carried. The blue-haired girl who had once introduced herself to him with poise now sat utterly broken, as if she had thrown away her courage, her pride, and her will to move forward.
For now, she had chosen to hide here, to give in to her own collapse.
[Fate always delivers its cruelest mockery to those who think they control it.]
Sakiko knew she had brought this upon herself. Whatever reprimands or dislike came her way, they were consequences she had earned, and none of them should fall on Haru's shoulders.
She told herself that if she showed this pathetic side, he would surely leave her alone.
What she failed to realize was that her words carried a faint plea, and even she did not notice how her tone had shifted, like an ancient bell whose rope had lost its strength, swaying on the verge of falling.
Even now, she was terrified of letting Haru see her like this.
"…You're right."
Haru let out a soft laugh, then slowly stood and walked out of the room.
Seeing his reaction, a fragile sense of relief began to settle in Sakiko's heart, but it was quickly swallowed by a whirlpool of bitterness and self-mockery. Trembling, she curled up tighter, hiding in her "cage" in an even more defeated, pitiful, and almost laughable state.
This was fine.
A girl like her had no place by his side when there were surely so many others who could stand there instead.
"Try this. It's something new I've been working on."
The familiar, warm voice sounded beside her, yanking her from her thoughts. Sakiko turned sharply, her amber eyes narrowing in disbelief as she saw the boy kneeling before her once again.
He held a small white coffee cup in both hands, the rich aroma of roasted beans carrying a faint trace of bitterness as it spread through the air, giving her a strange, hazy sense of déjà vu.
Such a familiar scent...
But Sakiko had no room left in her mind to think about what kind of coffee this was. She no longer had the space to care about such things.
"…I don't want it."
"Subordinates aren't allowed to make demands of their boss. Keep this up and I'll dock your pay."
Haru's half-smiling, teasing tone flowed into her heart like a stream of clear water. Her body cold, her mouth dry, Sakiko instinctively glanced at the ordinary coffee cup in his hands, yet she could no longer bring herself to reach for it. She had no right to take anything from the boy before her.
…
In the darkness of the room, they simply stared at one another.
The coffee in Haru's hands was still steaming. As the café's head barista, Sakiko knew coffee temperatures by heart.
She knew that what he held was at the "perfect drinking time." Wait too long, and the heat would fade, taking with it the peak of its aroma and flavor.
To a barista, that would be nothing short of sacrilege.
"…If I drink this, will you leave the room?"
"Mm. I'll go."
Haru answered without hesitation, smiling as he spoke.
Sakiko wet her parched throat and cracked, pale lips. She carefully reached out and took the cup from his hands, its warmth slowly seeping through to her cold, trembling fingertips. Her lashes quivered as a maelstrom of feelings welled up inside her.
Once she drank it, she could finally say goodbye to Haru...
Her fingers shook. Though she had long missed the "golden time" to drink, she raised the cup and swallowed without caring about the heat. Instantly, a faint bitterness and gentle warmth, laced with its unique fragrance, washed over her. That warmth spread through every part of her body.
Outside, warm light spilled across the intricate wood flooring, casting a golden glow over the boy's profile.
The coffee was only half gone and still steaming when tears began to drip onto the cup from her smooth cheeks. But she ignored it, swallowing every drop.
The bitterness on her tongue, she could no longer tell whether it came from the coffee or from her tears.
"Liar——!"
"This isn't new at all!"
It was just an ordinary coffee, the kind she had drunk countless times before.
But Haru, seeing her tear-streaked, cat-like face, burst into laughter. His prank had succeeded, and his proud grin was almost boyish.
"It's the same kind I brewed when we first met. You could at least say it's 'good.'"
"It's not good!"
Her face streaked with tears, she lifted her head with swan-like pride.
Haru could only shake his head helplessly. For someone saying "not good," she had still drunk every last drop.
Looking at her red, swollen eyes, he closed his own and said with a gentle smile, "I don't know why you were playing hide-and-seek, but now that I've found you, it's your turn to be 'it.'"
"The Sakiko I know is a very capable girl."
Her lips pressed together, Sakiko lowered her head, speaking in a small, unsure voice:
"…Liar. You said… you'd leave if I finished it."
"Coffee can be drunk carelessly. Words, not so much."
Haru reached out and gently wiped the tears still welling at the corners of her eyes. Even when his fingertips grew wet, they wouldn't stop.
The crying girl and the grinning boy simply held each other's gaze in quiet stillness.
"I did say I'd 'leave.' But I don't recall saying I'd leave alone."
Perhaps because his little word game had tricked this stubborn, earnest girl, the black-haired boy, brimming with mischief, reached out and pinched her cheek. Then, under her bewildered gaze, he slowly stood up.
He held out his hand.
…
Sakiko stared at him in silence. He had not changed, his expression was the same from beginning to end.
Even now, after she had shown him her most pitiful, ugly self, after her carefully maintained image and his trust had shattered alongside her pride, Haru's smile remained.
Even after seeing her "entirety," he smiled the same way.
Her fingers trembled. Slowly, she began to understand why, in her "dream," everyone's love for him was so pure, why their feelings were so strong, why she had been defeated so completely.
Because the desire to love him from the bottom of one's heart was something that could never be stopped.
That pride she valued more than life itself, perhaps it would always lose its light in front of him.
"…May I… hold your hand?"
Her voice trembled as she extended her right hand.
She was trying desperately to reach him, yet fear and hesitation kept her from taking that final step. Seeing this, the black-haired boy gave a faintly exasperated smile and simply reached out to grasp her hand first.
"That line should be mine."
"Sakiko, give me the right to twist your life and fate."
Before she could answer, Haru had already stepped toward the exit.
Her eyes widened, light slowly returning to them, as she found herself pulled from the pitch-black room, out of the prison in her heart, into the brightness once more, into the light that belonged only to him.