How can my simulation be a real love?

Faced with Toyokawa Shoko's courageous demeanor, seemingly ready to speak earnestly to him, Kazami Mei had to listen attentively, whether simply to show her respect or to offer help as a friend. He had to give her a serious response.

However, before that—

"Sure, but I need to put this thing down first."

What are these two cups of coffee?

Toyokawa Shoko stared at the coffee in his hand with some doubt. She remembered that Kazami Mei should prefer cappuccinos with lots of sugar, and since there was no whipped cream on top, which he would usually add, it was clearly not the kind he drank himself.

"This Blue Mountain coffee is something I just brought for Lixi, while this Mocha was ordered by Deng beforehand."

Mocha?

Toyokawa Shoko suddenly recalled the CRYCHIC party, where Takamatsu Akari had indeed ordered the same mocha as her. But in this 'dream' world after the reversal, could the tastes and habits in reality be the same?

A question inexplicably arose in Toyokawa Shoko's mind, and she immediately shook her head. She simply didn't have time to consider these questions right now.

"Let's get the coffee to Lixi as soon as possible!"

"what?"

As she spoke, Toyokawa Shoko took the coffee from Kazami Mei's hand. As if she was worried that this precious time alone would disappear, she handed the double coffee to Shiina Tatsuki, who was still at the counter not far away. Then she hurriedly grabbed Kazami Mei's wrist and headed towards the recording studio.

Her unusual and anxious behavior was naturally seen by Shiina Tatsuki.

"Xiangzi."

Shiina Tatsuki frowned with a hint of confusion in her eyes, then focused her gaze on the two cups of coffee in front of her.

……

For Shoko Toyokawa, this was an opportunity that might be hard to come by even after dozens of attempts.

Anxious and eager, she didn't want to miss this rare opportunity, so she simply grabbed Kazami's hand and led him into the recording studio. This quiet recording studio, which Mygo usually used for training, was perfect for a confession, as no matter how loud the sound was inside, it wouldn't be heard outside.

Come to think of it, she seems to have never been alone face-to-face with Kazami Mei in this kind of environment.

Upon realizing this, Toyokawa Shoko froze. Her amber eyes flickered slightly, and her right hand, which had been gripping the other person's wrist, slowly loosened its grip. An indescribable tension and fear quickly welled up in her heart.

The girl, her face flushed with embarrassment, seemed somewhat unable to lift her head.

"Ming, I...I have something important to tell you."

The blue-haired girl, her eyes darting around, seemed to want to bury her head in her chest; her barely audible words floated weakly in the air.

This caused a strange look to flash in the eyes of Kazami Mei, who was standing opposite her. With his keen observation skills, he could immediately notice Toyokawa Shoko's abnormality. Her tense body and trembling words were all signs of her inner concerns.

Kazami Mei immediately dropped the serious look on his face and smiled casually, saying, "If it's about AveMujica, then you'll have to pay me overtime, okay? A boss wouldn't want to exploit his employees for nothing, would he?"

"No, it's not because of that!"

"Since it's not work-related, it must be a personal matter, right? Then Xiangzi, you don't need to have any reservations—just tell me directly."

A sly smile flashed across Kazami Mei's face, which eased the anxiety and trepidation of the girl who didn't know how to speak.

Toyokawa Shoko was well aware that this world was nothing more than a 'dream' she had imagined, and that no matter what happened before, she would be trapped in a cycle of failure. Theoretically, she shouldn't have any worries.

Even if Kazami Mei rejects his confession, it's just another cycle starting again—

However, she never expected herself to be so weak.

The girl, who always embodied 'elegance and perseverance' in her heart, bit her pale lips hard. Her fingertips, gripping the hem of her skirt, trembled incessantly because Toyokawa Shoko knew that she was not actually as strong as she thought; beneath her sharp exterior lay a fragile heart.

Like glass that shatters easily when dropped, even though the shards are sharp, they are extremely fragile.

Even if it was just a 'dream', Toyokawa Shoko was afraid that he would reject her.

Having gone through 31 consecutive 'cycles,' she was now trembling with anxiety.

She knew that even if she was rejected, she had to say it, because if she couldn't take that step forward, she would lose the opportunity and fall into the cycle again and again.

Shoko Toyokawa, her eyes trembling slightly as she struggled internally, spoke in a weak voice tinged with worry—

"I...I want to know, Ming, what do you think of me...and everyone else?"

What is she doing?

Why didn't he confess his feelings? Why didn't he just say "I love you"?

There should still be a chance to say it again; all I need to do is confess my feelings again now!

Upon hearing this question, Kazami Naruto was visibly stunned for two seconds. He pondered for a moment before just about to say something when the door to the recording studio behind him was suddenly opened.

A petite girl with short gray hair suddenly interrupted their conversation.

Those amber eyes, so similar to Toyokawa Shoko's, were fixed on this side. Asymmetrical gray sideburns adorned her slender, petite shoulders, revealing her delicate, fair left ear, with a matte pearl-like earring hanging gently above it. Yet, the expression on the girl's face was different from what she remembered.

His furrowed brows and sharper eyes conveyed an almost palpable sense of doubt and dissatisfaction.

"……lamp?"

Toyokawa Shoko was stunned, and instinctively took two steps back when faced with her gaze.

However, Toyokawa Shoko's guilty expression made Takamatsu Akari frown. Before she could speak, Shiina Tatsuki followed her in, along with Nagasaki Motoyo, who had an apologetic smile on her face. This made Toyokawa Shoko's mind go blank.

"Ming, I'm so sorry I couldn't stop the light..."

The gentle and kind-hearted Nagasaki Motoyo immediately apologized to Kazami Mei. Her soft eyes revealed genuine worry and grievance, which gave Toyokawa Shoko a strange feeling, as if she was truly feeling very guilty about it.

Strange, Nagasaki Motoyo seems no different from usual?

Before Toyokawa Shoko could fully grasp the unusual nature of Nagasaki Motoyo, Takamatsu Akari, the petite woman standing in the middle, stepped forward and spoke in a voice Toyokawa Shoko had never heard before—

"Why did you come to RiNG, Xiangzi? I just heard from Lixi that... you want to talk to Ming alone about something."

100

Chapter 100: Toyokawa Shoko could not do it.

"What are we talking about..."

Faced with the aggressive, short-haired gray girl who was completely different from what she remembered, Toyokawa Shoko, who was already feeling guilty, was speechless.

She thought she could remain calm and natural no matter how 'reversed' a personality might be, but she didn't expect that Takamatsu Akari's expression would make her instinctively feel guilty. Perhaps it was because she still felt sorry for CRYCHIC, or perhaps it was simply because she was preparing to confess to everyone before anyone else.

Whatever the reason, Toyokawa Shoko gradually became speechless.

"Xiangzi, why aren't you saying anything?"

Originally, Takamatsu Akari's voice only carried a faint hint of coldness, but now, because of Toyokawa Shoko's guilty retreating body movement, a strange sense of doubt and dissatisfaction began to well up in her heart.

Faced with her aggressive questioning, Toyokawa Shoko was even more at a loss for words.

"I...I just..."

How should she answer?

Toyokawa Shoko specifically wanted to talk to Kazami Mei alone because she wanted to 'confess'. But was she really going to confess to him in front of everyone present? You know, even when the two of them were talking face to face just now, she hesitated again and again, let alone now in front of Takamatsu Akari.

Feelings of guilt and remorse took root in her heart, and her slightly trembling lips hinted at the girl's extreme fear.

"I was just... just talking to Ming about some things related to the band's work..."

I can't do it, and I can't bring myself to say it.

"band?"

The girls around him were clearly stunned, and even Kazami Mei looked at Shoko with disbelief. After all, he really didn't expect that Teacher Shoko, who hadn't dared to reveal any information about the band before, would actually speak out about it now.

After Toyokawa Shoko explained it briefly, the Mygo members finally understood what was going on.

The anticipated 'liberation' did not arrive. Takamatsu Akari, initially somewhat taken aback, stared coldly into those strikingly similar beautiful eyes, then spoke in a detached tone—

"So, Xiangzi, you took it upon yourself to pull Ming into forming your own band, but you deliberately didn't let Ming tell us, right?"

"No...that's not it! I've been waiting for the right opportunity to speak up..."

"Stop quibbling!"

The gray-haired girl, burning with anger, clenched her fists and stepped forward, but Kazami Naruto, realizing what was happening, immediately grabbed her hand.

"Light, calm down a bit!"

"Ming, let me go right now! I need to explain this to Xiangzi!"

With her left hand being grabbed, Takamatsu Akari glared angrily at Toyokawa Shoko. Seeing this, Shiina Tatsuki, who had just realized what was happening, immediately rushed over to help stop her, her face full of worry. The sudden outburst of anger startled Toyokawa Shoko, who took several steps back.

She gripped her left arm tightly with her right hand, and lowered her head in fear and helplessness in the face of the reprimand.

Already seething with rage, Takamatsu felt her blood boiling. Grabbed, she coldly rebuked, "Xiangzi, how much harm did you cause Lixi last time?! And you've already forgotten about it so quickly?"

"You abandoned CRYCHIC... and now you're even dissatisfied with Mygo?"

Upon seeing this, Toyokawa Shoko's eyes widened, her pupils trembling as she stared at the other person.

Even Kazami Mei never expected that Takamatsu Akari would be so angry!

He quickly looked towards Nagasaki Motoyo, who was not far away. This immediately snapped the well-behaved and gentle Motoyo out of her daze. She then quickened her pace and approached Takamatsu Akari, comforting her with the gentlest and most soothing words.

"Xiangzi, why don't you go home today?"

"Leave this to me. I'll listen to what you have to say later!"

Kazami Mei's anxious call reached her ears, bringing Toyokawa Shoko, who was so terrified that she couldn't concentrate, back to her senses.

Having already felt guilty and ashamed after being severely reprimanded, the thought of retreating immediately arose in her heart upon hearing these words.

"Sorry……"

Shoko Toyokawa quietly apologized in the direction of Akari Takamatsu, and then immediately fled from the recording studio.

Takamatsu Akari, still upset, seemed to want to say something, but a warm sensation suddenly came from her head, making her feel dizzy. She immediately realized that she had been patted on the head, and her mood calmed down in the shortest time.

A hint of apology immediately appeared in her eyes, as she looked at Kazami Naruto beside her with guilt.

"...Sorry, I got a little too excited just now."

Kazami Mei could only sigh helplessly, then slowly began to comfort the other person—

"It's okay, I know the lights are for all of us."

"You don't need to worry about Xiangzi. I'll have a good talk with her later."

Standing beside her, Nagasaki Motoyo understood that Takamatsu Akari was the one with the most complicated feelings right now. If it weren't for the fact that this matter also involved Kazami Mei, Takamatsu Akari probably wouldn't have been so angry with Shoko. The gentle-natured Motoyo immediately lowered her head in self-reproach.

It was definitely her fault after all. If only she had tried a little harder...

Nagasaki Motoyo gradually suppressed her frustration and disappointment, and with a smile on her face, she handed over the 'mocha coffee'. The mocha, which exuded the aroma of coffee beans, was still steaming with a few wisps of heat, which made Takamatsu Akari's face flash with a hint of apology.

"Deng, hurry up and drink!"

"This coffee is still warm."

Takamatsu stood silently in place, saying thank you as she finished her coffee in one gulp.

the other side.

Shoko Toyokawa, who had escaped from RiNG, walked aimlessly down the street. The angry reprimand from Akari Takamatsu still echoed in her ears, and the pale-faced girl instinctively covered her ears.

It can block out the noise from the street, but it only makes the buzzing tinnitus even clearer.

She kept repeating "I'm sorry" in her heart, and her remorse for everyone at CRYCHIC reached its peak at this moment.

At that moment, Toyokawa Shoko suddenly recalled seeing Nagasaki Motoyo before. At that time, Motoyo was walking on the street looking so lost, desperate, and in pain. But now she could vaguely understand what Motoyo felt at that time, that pain of feeling as if she had been abandoned by the whole world.

Even without looking in a mirror, Toyokawa Shoko was perfectly clear about this—

Her face must look extremely ugly right now.

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

The sudden shout pulled Toyokawa Shoko back to her senses. When she came to her senses, the scene before her and the space she was in had changed. The familiar blonde girl was smiling and talking to her beside her.

The overwhelming sadness and frustration that surged into her heart left her almost hoarse and unable to utter a sound.

So that's how it is. I failed again after all.

“…It doesn’t matter.”

This is just a 'backtracking' process, and I should have gotten used to it by now.

"..."

With a blank expression, Toyokawa Shoko took out a black notebook from her bag, and then, as if by instinct, took out a ballpoint pen and began to write on it.

Next time, I definitely won't make the same mistake again.