I have a life simulator.

"Hey, when Fanbo was in first grade, he smiled and said he would marry me when he grew up when he received the gift I gave him."

Kitagawa Ryo casually picked at his nails, completely oblivious to anything amiss, and continued his conversation with Ichinose Honami as usual.

"What we said back then doesn't count."

As expected, Honami Ichinose quickly picked up where Kitagawa Ryo left off, lazily resting her delicate chin on her right hand:

My birthday is coming soon!

"Didn't you already say you were past the age of expecting birthday presents?"

What if I suddenly want it again this year?

"..."

Kitagawa Ryo let out a deep sigh, leaned over, and secretly pressed his lips close to Ichinose Honami's ear, whispering something in her ear:

"Okay, okay, I'll prepare a gift for you."

Whether it was because of Kitagawa Ryo's words or the warm breath on her earlobe, Ichinose Honami's face showed a rare look of panic and shyness, and her body trembled slightly as she answered softly:

"Alright, I'm not angry with you anymore."

Karuizawa Kei just stared at the photo. The boy in the photo was bathed in the last rays of the setting sun outside the window. Normally, her social media app, which would never have made a sound, started buzzing incessantly. Below the post, some people were puzzled, some were congratulating her, some were asking questions, and some were explaining.

She was almost completely immersed in this illusory beauty. The photo became a world, another realm, a warm nest for her, as if she really had a real boyfriend, just like in the photo, someone she could always run into. She was a tiny, parasitic existence, and the phrase "couple...cheese" instantly enveloped her completely. In that instant, she suddenly felt that she should be innocent and weak, deserving of pity and love—a thought she hadn't had in a long time.

It wasn't until Karuizawa Kei looked up and saw Kitagawa Ryo leaning close to Ichinose Honami's ear that she saw the joy emanating from Ichinose Honami's heart and her blushing cheeks.

Intense, passionate feelings are not proof of love; they only indicate how lonely and bored those men and women were beforehand.

[Story CG: Nisekoi, Read Complete]

Chapter 8: Branching of the Plot

[Day 5: After a phone call with Honami Ichinose about Karuizawa's current situation, she gave you permission to proceed. As a result, news of your relationship with Karuizawa spread rapidly within your social circles. Although many of Karuizawa's so-called 'friends' scoffed at the authenticity of this story, after you continuously updated your social media with Karuizawa, quite a few people genuinely believed that you and Karuizawa were in a passionate relationship. Those girls who remained skeptical naturally saw their public opinion reverse, and they were labeled as jealous of their friend's boyfriend.]

That night, you received a message from Karuizawa Kei. She was both terrified and overjoyed by the rapid change in the situation. Although women's value no longer needs to depend on men to increase in the modern era, for someone like Karuizawa Kei who had been bullied for a long time, a good boyfriend would be a thick wall. But she knew that this wall was false and vulnerable. If the little match girl could still hold onto her own faint light, then the light that warmed Karuizawa Kei was no longer in her hands. If you gently turned off the switch, she would soon return to a place without light.

You are somewhat surprised by the other person's thinking. Through tonight's conversation, you realize that Karuizawa Kei is a very clear-headed and adaptable girl. She may be temporarily misled by illusions, but every step she takes is actually the result of careful consideration, just like the plea she made tonight.

[You have entered a story branching point; your fate will be determined based on your available talents.]

[Branch 1: Accept Karuizawa Megumi's request. This branch leads to the ending - Dream, and unlocks the story CGs "She and His Cat", "The Actor", and "Fireworks Fade Easily"]

[Branch 2: Reject Karuizawa Megumi's request. This branch leads to the ending—summer is over, unlocking the story CGs "Sisters," "Fireworks," and "I Like You."]

[The player's talent "Tokyo Handsome Guy" has been detected]

[The player's talent "Guardian Angel" has been detected]

The decision result is Branch 1.

"Okay, I promise."

You made the same promise as yesterday, and you readily accepted the other party's parasitism.

Perhaps this is a wrong decision, perhaps this is a right decision.

[Day 6: On the way to pick up Honami Ichinose from her part-time job, you notice that she seems a bit down. She explains that her younger sister has been unhappy these past few days. You remember that Honami mentioned a couple of days ago that Maki Ichinose's cat wasn't feeling well, so you ask her if she's contacted the vet you sent her. Honami says that her cat has already been to the vet and has been gradually recovering.]

After ruling out that Maki Ichinose's bad mood wasn't because of the cat, you roughly guessed some reasons. However, just as you were hesitating whether to speak up, Honami Ichinose took the initiative to ask about your whereabouts over the past two days. You casually replied that you had just gone out with Megumi Karuizawa to take some photos. Upon hearing this, Honami Ichinose was silent for a moment, and then blurted out that her part-time job would end tomorrow, and she had saved enough money to buy her sister a hair clip. She hoped you could spend a day with her the day after tomorrow, and you readily agreed.

[During your stroll with Karuizawa Kei today, you learned that a netizen with the nickname "Ichinose Maki" sent you a friend request yesterday. Karuizawa Kei assumed the person was a relative of Ichinose Honami or something, so she didn't refuse. However, after adding her as a friend yesterday, the person inexplicably sent you a long, strange message and asked you to meet up. Just in case, Karuizawa Kei asked you to go to the meeting place with her.]

After glancing at the other person's phone, you confirmed through their profile picture and activity that it was indeed Ichinose Maki. Having not seen her in a long time and intending to resolve your past issues, you agreed to go to the meeting place with Karuizawa Megumi. Before meeting, you made a point of buying a glass of orange juice.

[The location given by Ichinose Maki is a coffee shop on the third floor of a department store. Upon entering, you find Ichinose Maki sitting by the window. She doesn't seem surprised that Karuizawa Megumi came with you. Her mother and older sister's excellent upbringing set a good example for her; in your memories, Ichinose Maki has always been a child who is somewhat quiet in front of strangers but energetic with her family.]

[You wondered which TV drama or novel inspired the choice of a coffee shop as the location. A quick glance at the almost untouched coffee on the table was enough to make you realize that a child like Ichinose Maki, barely thirteen, couldn't possibly be used to coffee. You placed the orange juice you'd brought in front of her and nodded, gesturing for Karuizawa Megumi to sit down with you.]

After ordering an iced Americano for herself and an iced cocoa for Karuizawa Megumi, Maki Ichinose's words made your face stiffen.

Why didn't my brother date my sister?

[This question, which might seem puzzling or even ethically questionable to outsiders, is actually quite easy to understand within the context of your relationship with the Ichinose family. As Ichinose Honami's childhood friend, you've always considered Ichinose Maki your younger sister. As the person closest to both you and Ichinose Honami, Ichinose Maki is probably the one who knows most clearly about your relationship with Honami. It's precisely for this reason that she chose to suppress her own vague feelings for you.]

Not only her, but other friends around you, including Hirata Yosuke, probably think you and Ichinose Honami are a match made in heaven. There have even been rumors that you two are dating in private. But you know clearly that your relationship with Ichinose Honami is still at the childhood friend stage.

"Answer me."

Just as you were lost in your memories, Ichinose Maki sitting across from you became somewhat agitated. She barely took a couple of sips of her favorite orange juice before setting it aside. Her small body leaned forward in front of you, and her face, so similar to Ichinose Honami's, made you feel a little disoriented.

"Is the cat I gave you still with you?"

"Hmm? You're raising her? And didn't my brother give me a pet hospital's phone number when 'Hotaru' was sick a few days ago?"

"It's all healthy now!" Maki Ichinose exclaimed excitedly as she talked about the cat.

"But does this have anything to do with why my brother and sister don't date?"

You took a sip of your iced Americano, feeling the bitter taste fill your mouth, and began to recall the first time you drank it.

"Perhaps."

[You answered the question in this way.]

[Scene CG triggered: She and his cat]

[She and his cat: Today, I'm still like a satellite, hovering around what I really want to say while responding to his words. I love the cat he gave me, I love cats, I love him.]

[Would you like to watch this cutscene? (This may be helpful for your subsequent gameplay)]

Chapter Nine: She and His Cat (Part 1)

In late spring, rain was falling from the sky. What started as a light drizzle quickly intensified within an hour, turning into a storm. Pedestrians on the road quickened their pace, while those without rain gear could only stomp their feet and rest under the eaves of roadside shops, praying that the rain would subside.

The school uniforms were pulled by the wind, clinging tightly to their bodies. Groups of elementary school students from nearby schools walked with some difficulty in the wind and rain, holding umbrellas, their rubber shoes splashing water in the puddles.

The dust on the road was wet from the rain, and the wind carried the smell of earth.

In the pouring rain, I lay quietly by the roadside, trying my best to hunch my body towards the inside of the wall.

The passersby only glanced at me briefly before hurrying away.

Finally, I didn't even have the strength to lift my head. I just opened one eye and stared at the dark sky.

It was extremely quiet all around, except for the distant rumble of trams.

The tram travels on the viaduct, its sound powerful and rhythmic, like a robust and vibrant heartbeat.

I have always longed for and yearned for this sound.

If my faint heartbeat can give me life, then how much of the world must be shaken by the enormous sound of a tram?

This must be the sound of the world's heartbeat, a powerful, strong, and perfect world—and I have never been a part of it.

The raindrops fell quietly and evenly through the eaves. I could feel the rain lessening, but with the rain came the last bit of strength. I pressed my face tightly against the bottom of the cardboard box, sinking into the soft, cold, and melting mud, fantasizing about rising straight to the other side of the sky, to any place I wanted to go.

I think it won't be long before I suddenly leave this world forever.

I don't remember why I ended up like this, or why I was lying in a cardboard box, exposed to the rain and wind.

We can't store everything in our memories; we can only remember what's truly important. But for me, there's nothing particularly worth cherishing.

The raindrops fell gently on my body, and I no longer felt particularly cold, perhaps because my body was now as cold as the rain.

I seem to be nothing but an empty shell, slowly, slowly rising into the gray sky.

I simply closed my eyes and waited for the moment when I would leave this world forever.

The tram seemed louder than before. I opened my eyes and saw a girl's face. She was holding a large plastic umbrella and looking at me from directly above the box.

When did she first notice me?

She crouched down, resting her chin on her knees, staring intently at me. Her long, golden-pink hair cascaded down her forehead, and in this dim twilight, on this gloomy, rainy day, she seemed like a ray of sunshine piercing through.

She seemed to want to reach out and touch me, so the rain soaked her hair, but I was also completely wet, so it didn't feel comfortable to touch her.

I struggled to lift my head and look directly into her eyes.

Her gaze wandered and she looked away for a moment.

"Meow."

I called out softly, knowing it meant pleading. I loved her eyes, and I felt she would take me away from here.

But in the end, she didn't; she left with her umbrella.

The sound of the tram faded into the distance along with her figure, and I lowered my head once again.

"Hey, little guy."

After what seemed like an eternity, a boy squatted down in front of me. His slightly long hair was plastered to his forehead by the rain, and his dark eyes, peeking out from between, were fixed on me.

My mother once said that my eyes were very beautiful, like the fluorescent color of jewels.

But I no longer had the strength to open my eyes, so I could not show them my beautiful eyes, nor could I demonstrate my worth. This was fatal for an abandoned cat on the verge of death.

But he still picked me up, the earth continued to turn quietly, and our body temperatures both dropped without us realizing it.

Come home with me!

His warm fingertips touched my body, and looking down, the cardboard box I had just been lying in seemed so small. He wrapped me in his jacket, and I could hear his heartbeat—so light, like a caress. Yet so heavy, infused with all his heart, pounding powerfully, beat by beat.

He stroked my cheek with his left hand, which was always in his pocket and not holding an umbrella. In this storm, it felt as fragile as a candle lit in a snow-capped mountain, yet it possessed a definite warmth. The rough, clump-like fur and the slippery feel didn't bother him. The warmth from his palm made every inch of my skin feel as if it were being embraced by parched earth during the rainy season, wanting to greedily absorb everything.

He carried me away, and I closed my eyes in his arms. From that moment on, my whole world began to pulse once again.

That day, he carried me home.

On many nights afterward, I would sit by the window and think of that gray, rainy night when I couldn't see the moon or stars, and how, under the city's neon lights, the eight-year-old boy's beautiful, gentle eyes, like the night sky, were filled with tenderness.

However, I did not become his cat.

-------------------------------------

"I didn't expect you to get sick too?"

Looking at the white liquid that was lying motionless on the floor, pretending to be dead, Kitagawa Ryo was a little annoyed.

"You're a stray cat, yet you surprisingly don't have any congenital diseases, and we've had you for a month. This should be the first time you've been sick, right, 'Ying'?"

"Meow."

Seeing that "Hotaru" wanted to reach her chubby paw towards her ear again, Kitagawa Ryo quickly slapped the cat's paw down.

"If Honami were here, he would be heartbroken."

Staring at "Hotaru's" big, tearful eyes, Kitagawa Ryo patted its head again.

"Alright, alright, I know you're in pain, but you have to bear with it for now. I'll apply the medicine when it's time."

As if it could understand Kitagawa Ryo's words, "Hotaru" very human-like sprawled on the ground, its white belly exposed, looking utterly hopeless.

"I feel like you could become an internet celebrity cat, the kind of cat that can be made into memes."

Amused by his cat's antics, Kitagawa Ryo turned and went to his room to retrieve a medicine bottle.

From the morning onwards, "Hotaru" was no longer as quiet as usual, appearing restless and jumping around everywhere. Since he was alone at home, Kitagawa Ryo took "Hotaru" to the vet after making a phone call to his father.

The examination revealed ear mites, a type of parasite that lives in a cat's ears. Although it's not a serious illness, it's still a nuisance. If left untreated, the cat will suffer and may even scratch its ears raw.

After getting the medicine from the doctor and listening to the doctor's instructions, Kitagawa Ryo carried "Hotaru" home and waited for the time to apply the medicine.

"Ding Dong"

Hearing the doorbell ring, Kitagawa Ryo had no choice but to put down the medicine bottle and go to the door.

Through the peephole, however, he saw a figure that was somewhat unexpected to Kitagawa Ryo.

"Liang, it's me."

After handing Ichinose Honami slippers, Kitagawa Ryo peeked out again and whispered in Ichinose Honami's ear:

Your mother isn't home right now, is she?

"Don't worry, she's not here, and Maki is asleep too."

Honami Ichinose put on her slippers and said with a hint of pride.

For children their age, sneaking out to play without their parents' knowledge seems like a proud experience.

Honami Ichinose really liked the white cat that Ryo Kitagawa had picked up. After bringing Honami to the living room, Ryo Kitagawa quickly explained the condition of "Hotaru".