How can my simulation be a real love?

Chapter Ninety-Seven: Why is this world so strange?!

You notice that Chihaya Aine seems a little different than usual today. You know you didn't tell her anything about the café, but she seems to be able to locate you and has come looking for you.

But when you asked her how she knew, Chihaya Aine simply took your left hand firmly.

"I needed to talk to you about something important, but Ke Ming left in a hurry as soon as get out of class ended, so I had to follow him."

[Compared to her cold demeanor in front of Toyokawa Shoko, even though her face remained expressionless in front of you, her slightly flushed ears betrayed the fluttering in her heart. She simply led you to a secluded alley, and then, unable to contain herself, confessed her feelings to you.]

Her overflowing love for you cannot be concealed by her outward indifference, and you, who also have feelings for her, have no reason to refuse her.

You and Chihaya Aine became lovers.

[When she received your response, her usually calm and aloof demeanor was only briefly tinged with shock and joy before she buried her face in your chest and sobbed uncontrollably, releasing her emotions. Once she had fully expressed her feelings, she returned to her original self.]

However, this time she took your hand again.

She's decided to take your relationship to the next level immediately, and this time you have no reason to refuse.

Because now, it's your turn to take responsibility for her.

[End of simulation]

Rating: 21 [Poor]

[Comment: You may vaguely sense her inner confusion and fear, but her closed-off heart is like an iron arm that cannot let in light. Even if you reach behind her, you cannot touch her fingertips. This is helpless for you, and it also means that you and she can never walk the same path.]

You received a rating of "Poor" and have been awarded the settlement reward 'A Couple's Bracelet Given by Chihaya Aine'.

Seeing the simulation results before him, Kazami Mei simply shook his head slightly.

As if suddenly remembering something, Kazami Mei, whose mind was racing, slowly got up and picked up a notebook with a wisteria flower pattern from his desk. He then picked up a ballpoint pen and wrote down the time and doubts of this simulation. Only when his flamboyant handwriting was imprinted on the clean paper did he slowly exhale a breath of stale air.

"Unlike the last simulation... this time, Xiangzi snatched me away before I could even go on my date with Chu Hua."

"This means that not every simulation will have the same 'world line'. If each restart of the simulation will bring a different 'world line', then we can always find the one where we can successfully make contact with Xiangzi."

"But since I can't influence the simulation through options, it means I can only rely on changing my thoughts about 'reality' to slightly deviate from the simulation's path."

Kazami Mei gazed at the shimmering silver bracelet in her hand, then carefully placed it into a small box under the table.

Because Kazami Mei relies on trial and error to gamble on probability, Toyokawa Shoko's simulation will likely fail many times in a row. Each failed simulation will randomly send a related simulation reward, which could be a skill or just a gift similar to this one.

If all 100 simulation attempts are used up, how many simulation rewards will there be?

"I wonder if a satisfactory result will be achieved before dawn."

Kazami Mei stared at the time; it was 9:30 PM.

He then sat down at the desk illuminated by warm orange light, gently opened the notebook with many words written on it in front of him, and then focused all his attention back on the simulation panel.

This is the third simulation!

……

"Assistant store manager, it's almost time to leave work, isn't it?"

A blonde waitress in a black and white café uniform suddenly spoke in her ear, which gradually brought Toyokawa Shoko back to her senses. She looked at the smiling blonde girl beside her with a complicated expression.

In less than two seconds, she realized that she had unknowingly returned to this point in time again.

Compared to the last 'rewind', she was clearly much calmer. Toyokawa Shoko simply took out her phone from her pocket subconsciously.

December 9th.

As she expected, the date remained unchanged.

"Thank you for your hard work. You can go home now."

Toyokawa Shoko dismissed the cafe staff using the same excuse as last time, then gently rubbed her temples and casually found a seat.

After a moment of contemplation, she took out a black notebook from her bag, which had the words 'DeathNote' printed on it. The girl reached out and opened the notebook to the first page, where she saw the portrait that Kazami Mei had once drawn for her with a ballpoint pen.

The self in the painting has a gentle and serene smile, and the vivid charm that it unintentionally exudes makes people unable to help but immerse themselves in it.

But Toyokawa Shoko quickly regained her composure, took out her ballpoint pen, and wrote in her notebook—

“The time of this ‘rewind’ is obviously different from the last one. If we rule out the possibility of randomness, then it is probably because I did something unintentionally. But before the time rewind, I only had contact with Naruto and Chihaya Aine.”

"I'm afraid the 'node' is right here!"

Recalling Chihaya Aine's aloof personality at the time, the girl's slender fingers holding the pen trembled slightly.

"Chihaya's personality is very unusual; she's practically a different person compared to before."

"But it seems that only her 'personality' has changed; Chihaya still likes Naruto here."

As Toyokawa Shoko wrote down a large amount of information, she felt a little more at ease. However, when she recalled the words that Chihaya Aine had said to her, the girl, who had initially gained some confidence, inexplicably fell silent.

But she only slumped for a few seconds before shaking her head vigorously to regain her spirits.

"My love for Ming is real! That's the only thing I'm sure of!"

"Others may see me as a 'selfish,' 'cruel,' or 'unfeeling' person, but I know what I really think, and I don't care what others think!"

"As long as I know for myself that I love him, that's enough!"

With a flushed face, Toyokawa Shoko announced in a low voice, then put her notebook back into her bag.

Shoko Toyokawa, with her overly stubborn personality and strong sense of self-respect, cannot accept help from others and does not want to be treated with pity. Yet, she also possesses an unimaginable tenacity and perseverance!

No matter what, I must find the point to end this cycle and then find a way to wake up from the dream!

She needs to get back to reality!

She had to tell Chihaya Aine that her love for Kazami Mei was genuine, and that this feeling contained her 'entire being'. She would confess to Kazami Mei after Toyokawa Shoko returned.

She wanted to fully express the love she had been unable to say before!

"..."

With her heart pounding like a raging storm, Toyokawa Shoko took a deep breath. She suppressed her inner turmoil and tried to reorganize her thoughts. If she couldn't maintain the most basic 'calmness,' she would definitely not be able to find a way to break the cycle of reincarnation!

"In short, we need to start by looking for anomalies. Right now, the strangest one is Chihaya-kun!"

Logically speaking, Chihaya Aine should either be practicing with Akari and the others at Mygo at this time, or she should stick to Kazami Mei's side as before.

However, this time, Toyokawa Shoko did not plan to meet with Naruto, which means that Chihaya-san may not come along either.

In short, let's check out RiNG first.

Once she made up her mind, Toyokawa Shoko was a woman of her word. Her strong drive and unwavering resolve led her to temporarily close the RabbitHouse café and, in the blink of an eye, arrive at LiveHouse near Ikebukuro.

Is it the same here?

Toyokawa Shoko began to mutter to herself, causing her to nervously swallow.

This LiveHouse in Ikebukuro still features all-white walls paired with a Western European-style interior.

The familiar door signs and store decorations were almost indistinguishable from those in reality. Moreover, she saw many band girls wearing Haneoka and Tsukimori school uniforms.

The familiar scene made her feel slightly disoriented, and she almost forgot that this was not the real world.

"...It's just a dream, but it feels way too real, doesn't it?"

Shoko Toyokawa suppressed the strange feeling in her heart for the time being, and then walked up the long stairs of RiNG to the second-floor coffee shop. She remembered that Mygo would usually gather in the coffee shop and then train together in the recording studio on the same floor.

Of course, barring any unforeseen circumstances—

"Xiang...Xiangzi?"

Before Toyokawa Shoko could think about what to do next, a familiar voice gradually entered her ears, causing her to subconsciously turn around and look behind her.

What came into view was a black-haired girl wearing a RiNG work uniform.

Her familiar waist-length, night-sky-blue hair was tied up in the middle with a light purple hair tie, then gently placed to one side in front of her shoulder. Her familiar, deep purple eyes gazed at this side with a hint of restraint, and the beauty mark at the corner of her eye was filled with unimaginable charm.

Toyokawa Shoko was stunned.

"You, you're Li Xi?"

"...Huh? Is there something strange about me?"

Standing in front of her, Shiina Riki hurriedly and frantically checked herself over, then reached out her fair hand to stroke her soft face, her voice as light as if she were floating on clouds.

The stark contrast left Toyokawa Shoko's mind reeling.

How could this person possibly be Shiina Tatsuki?!

Recalling the sharp-eyed and imposing Shiina Ritsuki in her memory, she would always frown and be quite indifferent whenever she met her, but she would always be the first to stand up without hesitation in any situation, and she would also reprimand her without any politeness if there were any problems with the training.

But the 'Shiina Tatsuki' in front of us is the complete opposite!

Not only did her hairstyle suddenly change from long, straight black hair to a ponytail that exuded a mature, wifely vibe, but even her tone of voice and expression became so gentle that Toyokawa Shoko was stunned. The slight furrowing of her eyebrows gave her a delicate and pitiful look, making it hard to imagine that she was actually a drummer who focused on strength.

"How could this be? How could such a thing happen..."

Toyokawa Shoko was completely bewildered and had no idea what was going on.

Not only has the Chihaya Aine she remembered transformed into a cool, aloof girl with sharp tongue, but even Shiina Tatsuki, a former CRYCHIC member, has undergone a dramatic change. Their unique traits now find common ground.

In any case, Toyokawa Shoko's mind is now completely in chaos.

"Xiangzi, are you okay?"

"It would be terrible if you weren't feeling well. Do you want to lie down on my lap and sleep for a bit?"

Seeing Toyokawa Shoko rubbing her temples in exhaustion, Shiina Tatsuki looked at her with great concern and asked her what was wrong.

"No, no need!"

Shoko Toyokawa could hardly believe that such words would come from Tatsuki Shiina's mouth. She was so startled by this sudden and drastic change that she quickly took several steps back.

Why is the timing of this 'reincarnation' so strange?

Has everyone around me become completely different?

An incredulous expression gradually appeared on the girl's delicate and beautiful face, but the next moment, Toyokawa Shoko seemed to suddenly realize something she hadn't noticed. She abruptly raised her head to look at Shiina Tatsuki in front of her, and then quickly took a few steps forward, which made the other person a little stunned.

"Xiangzi? What's wrong with you all of a sudden?"

Shoko Toyokawa has gradually come to realize that this world where time 'rewinds' is a dream. Combining the changes in Aine Chihaya and Tatsuki Shiina in the dream, she has finally realized the source of the problem.

The personalities of everyone in the 'dream' world are probably all opposites!

This is almost exactly the same as the legendary claim that dreams and reality are actually the complete opposite!

Once this point is taken into account, Toyokawa Shoko immediately understands.

Everything around her was different from the people she was familiar with. In Toyokawa Shoko's eyes, everyone else around her was 'abnormal,' and it could even be said that the whole world was completely 'abnormal,' at least that's how she saw it.

Of all these 'abnormalities,' Toyokawa Shoko is the truly abnormal one, because she will not change at all here!

Besides this, there is another 'abnormal' aspect to this world.

"Lixi, do you know where Ming is?"

Toyokawa Shoko looked at Shiina Tatsuki with a serious expression and asked her a question, which surprised Ms. Tatsuki, who was standing opposite her, and she was stunned for a few seconds.

The unusual aspect of her dream world was Kazami Mei.

In this bizarre 'dream' world where everyone has the opposite personality, perhaps only Kazami Mei maintained her normal demeanor from the beginning to the end of their meeting.

Even here, his personality did not change, which is what Toyokawa Shoko considers the most 'abnormal' thing.

When asked, Shiina Riki's pretty face flushed slightly. She gently pursed her thin, cherry-colored lips and said in a meaningful tone, "Because everyone in Mygo didn't practice today, Naruto probably won't come to RiNG either."

"He's probably... finishing up with the band right now, right?"

Toyokawa Shoko's eyes lit up slightly, and she couldn't help but excitedly say, "I understand! Thank you, Riki, for telling me!"

"No need to thank me! There's just something I... want to ask you, Xiangzi."

Shiina Riki lowered her head somewhat reservedly, and before she knew it, a blush had crept onto the girl's cheeks. She reached out and slowly lifted a slightly messy strand of hair from her left ear, revealing a clean ear tip that was fair with a hint of red.

Her subconscious action caused Toyokawa Shoko's face to gradually stiffen.

I suddenly had a bad feeling—

"Why did Xiangzi-chan suddenly ask me where Ming is? Did you come to RiNG today because you're looking for Ming?"

"Xiangzi, what exactly is your relationship with Ming...?"

Seeing Shiina Tatsuki blushing with embarrassment yet still trying to ask her a question, Toyokawa Shoko felt a strange sense of sadness.

Even though she was just an innocent girl who had never been in a relationship, her female instincts allowed her to vaguely sense the true meaning the other person wanted to express.

"Lixi, do you like Ming?"