Sometimes, being online alone is genuinely helpless.
The internet is crawling with lewd images that push the limits of human imagination—and ads so sleazy they push the limits of human decency.
But if we're talking about a malicious plugin installed by some scumbag pop-up?
That would be a bit too scumbag, wouldn't it?
The mouse cursor faded out of the dialog box and then vanished in a thoroughly unsettling way. Even pressing the power button wouldn't shut the device down, let alone restart it.
"…Interesting."
A simulation… just like those surreal setups you see in certain web novels. Probably some bizarre gimmick.
With a "might as well go along with it" attitude, Narumi Tōru clicked the icon labeled Start Simulation.
[Name: Narumi Tōru Gender: Male]
Pop-up mini-games can access real personal data now?
That's… kind of terrifying.
[Rolling attributes — Roll complete.]
[Family Background: Unfortunately, your family is neither wealthy nor happy. Just the most unremarkable example among countless emotionally fractured East Asian households.]
[Uneducated and Undisciplined: A dull, high-pressure education system has made you rebellious and disdainful of it—but the resulting lack of depth and knowledge may also become an obstacle.]
[Nonconformist: Common sense? Just shackles restraining one's true self. You disdain following rules.]
[Emotionally Detached: Love and hate, life and death, parting and reunion… you fail to understand what kind of power these human bonds supposedly possess.]
[Silver Tongue: Because your physical stats were hopeless, you dumped all your points into speechcraft.]
Crap. The attribute roll is basically all debuffs—
Narumi swore then and there he'd never touch another gacha game again.
But the moment he clicked Begin Simulation, countless images that did not belong to him suddenly flooded his mind.
Someone stood in a tailored suit by the floor-to-ceiling windows of a financial skyscraper, overlooking the entire city.
Someone locked themselves in their bedroom wearing a VR headset, completely immersed in a virtual world.
Someone stood on an awards stage, humbly accepting a prestigious literary prize.
Someone built a happy, stable family and lived a peaceful life—while someone else drowned nightly in alcohol, money, and excess…
All of these people shared one thing in common.
They all had the exact same face as Narumi Tōru.
And when Narumi looked at them—
Those tens of millions of faces turned toward him at once, meeting his gaze.
What… is going on?
"Ugh…!"
The instant their eyes met, all the scenes vanished abruptly.
In their place came a voice Narumi had never heard before.
[Those people are all you—and yet, none of them are you.]
It was as if a surround-sound system had been installed directly inside his brain. The voice was clear, unavoidable.
[You've played role-playing games before, haven't you? But have you ever heard of a game where you role-play yourself?]
Don't tell me… this voice is that classic simulation-system trope you see all the time in—
[Correct. You may regard me as a "system," if you wish.]
It even reads minds now?!
[You must be curious why I appeared. Enter specific "game scenarios," "play" yourself, and clear situational instances—that is what you must do now, and what I am obligated to explain as the "game rules."]
"So, to put it simply… if it's just a game and there's nothing to lose, I wouldn't say no. However—"
Narumi raised an eyebrow and asked the most critical question in a lazy tone.
"If a game isn't fun, there's no point playing it. So what do I get out of this? Happiness? Entertainment? Immersion? What if none of that matters to me? Or to put it another way—why should I follow your rules at all?"
[You are very intelligent. I enjoy serving users like you.]
"Then can I skip the simulation and just cash in on being smart?"
[There is no such free lunch.]
The system's voice was gentle and calm, yet carried no warmth whatsoever.
[Because what I provide is a harmless, wholesome, sincere, all-ages-appropriate—romance game.]
"...…A romance game?"
[Yes. A romance game. In it, you will meet that person who is yours, experience love that may be innocent or passionate, desperate or fulfilled. You will personally guide the relationship to its destination… though it will inevitably end with your death.]
"Is it still possible to unsubscribe?"
[…Unsubscribing is not possible.]
"Unsubscribe. Unsubscribe. Unsubscribe. Unsubscribe."
No matter how many times Narumi mashed the T key, the pop-up refused to close.
Looks like it's serious.
[Pardon my intrusion, but why are you so resistant to my product? What did romance games ever do to you?]
"Pardon me, but what did being a lifelong solo do to you?"
[Oh my. According to emotional analysis, that was embarrassment-induced anger just now.]
Someone please smash this damn system.
[But are you really willing to give up this game? To give up experiencing the realism of another life—and the possibility of having a girlfriend in that other world.]
That one hit hard.
[Yes. Even you are capable of having a girlfriend.]
"The hell do you mean 'even you'? Explain exactly what the hell that 'even' is supposed to mean. I'm not that interested in romance—can you offer something actually tempting?"
[If you can avoid crises within the game and follow the corresponding rules, then based on your performance, you will obtain a portion of the abilities of the 'you' from this simulation. That is the reward I offer.]
"…That does sound interesting. Go on."
[The more outstanding your performance in-game, the more achievements you unlock, the more those final settlement traits can assist you in the real world.]
"So traits scale with performance? Basically, better performance means higher SSR rates?"
[Correct. Trait rewards are linked to your experiences in the instance. If you achieve superior role-play or standout moments, "hidden rewards" have also been prepared.]
Ah, so it's basically a 100% completion hidden trophy system.
"Honestly, the more you talk, the more tempted I get—but I never agreed to accept your invitation."
Still… it was one hell of an offer.
[You clicked "Start Simulation" of your own volition. I did not force that decision. Therefore, this is not an invitation—it is a notification.]
So now even simulations are doing forced sales, huh.
[Additionally, the attributes you rolled earlier will serve as the base data for this simulation. Let me see… ah. Such terrible luck.]
"Terrible" doesn't even begin to cover it—this is a straight-up cursed opening.
[However, I believe you possess the remarkable ability to turn danger into opportunity. Next… based on your recent desires and impulses, I will initiate your first simulation at the appropriate time. I wish you success.]
"At least tell me when 'appropriate time' is!"
When Narumi jolted upright with a shout, there were no countless faces before his eyes, nor any absurd system voice echoing in his ears.
Only the dark, cramped student apartment remained. Beside the bed, the computer screen spilled harsh, eye-searing white light. There was no virus-like simulation pop-up on it—just the blank document he had opened earlier, glowing eerily.
"…Was that a dream?"
At some point, he had already ended up lying on the bed, only just waking as if from deep sleep.
He checked the digital alarm clock by his bedside.
2:30 a.m.