My Romance Simulation with Them

[Those were a group of female students from the same school who harbored feelings for you. They came up with this plan because they were genuinely resentful of Goto Ichiri, who could spend every day with you.]

After seeing you, they, who had initially thought you wouldn't step in for such a trivial matter, were completely flustered.

That was the first time you got angry at someone other than your family.

In reality, Nango Toki immerses himself in his memories.

In front of them were several female students from Ocha High School, their heads hunched over.

Nanxiang sighed softly. He had never imagined that girls could harbor such malice towards another girl.

Marginalized, sullen, hunchbacked, flat-chested, shameless, freak—these kinds of malicious words directed at a girl have unknowingly filled the forum within Yucha High School.

He thought of the pink-haired girl who always shrank back behind him, timid and hesitant.

Although it was a small thing, she was indeed trying, slowly, to change herself.

That insecure and self-destructive person is already trying very hard to step out of the shadows and want to stand in the sunlight.

Why are there always things, people, or events that are so malicious towards her?

“Marginalized people, shady characters, hunchbacks... what you’ve said is indeed true.”

Nanxiang looked up at the female students in front of him, who were so timid they didn't dare to breathe, and his cold gaze swept over all their faces.

"But she has used all her courage to try to change, even though she is still insecure and self-destructive, and still tends to shrink her head and speak softly."

but--

"She mustered all her courage to change herself, and that alone deserves my respect."

Yes.

Even Nanxiang had to admit it.

At first, he approached her with the intention of teasing her, but later he discovered that she was genuinely troubled and disgusted by her social anxiety, hated her own cowardice, and was trying to improve it through various means.

Nanxiang had already been attracted to the other person without realizing it.

Try to put yourself in their shoes.

If you are like Ichiri Goto, someone who is instinctively afraid of contact with others, and who is insecure, weak, and lonely.

Can you come up with various ways to change yourself?

Even if these methods seem childish or even laughable to others.

Goto Ichiri just wanted to find a friend at school to talk to.

That's it.

"I'm saying this not so that you can understand her, but because I don't want to hear rumors like this anymore."

Nanxiang placed his palm heavily on the podium.

It smashed with a loud bang—

You protected Goto Ichiri amidst the storm of rumors.

[But you didn't tell Goto Ichiri about the rumors; you chose to protect her silently. You already considered her a friend and didn't want her to feel indebted to you because of this.]

[But what you don't know is that at school, she, who dared not interact with anyone other than you, was actually secretly watching all of this from outside the classroom.]

She understands that you went to put out the rumors for her sake.

From childhood to adulthood, her sky has never seen the sun; it has always been night. Even now, it remains so. Your light, though not as dazzling as the sun, is enough to save her from the putrid darkness.

She suddenly realized that as long as you were there, she could treat the night as day.

On campus, you were still chatting and laughing with Goto Ichiri, but your keen observation skills made it clear that she was closer to you than before, and her smiles were becoming more frequent.

However, towards everyone else except you, she still acts humble and speaks in a weak voice.

She'll still make all sorts of funny mistakes, big and small, but in your presence, aside from being shy, she doesn't seem to care.

One summer night, as you were walking Goto Ichiri home, she called out to you, trembling and stiff as she followed behind.

Seeing that she was struggling to breathe due to nervousness and hyperventilation, you gently patted her back to help her catch her breath.

Your gentle touch gradually calmed her down; she grabbed your sleeve and looked up at you.

As far as I can remember, this was the first time she had mustered the courage to look at you directly.

Like dark clouds parting to reveal a crescent moon hidden behind them, her face shone brightly in the lamplight.

"Senior Nan-Nanxiang!"

The girl's eyes, hidden beneath her pink-haired bangs, remained timid.

But the way she grabbed Nanxiang's sleeve was so forceful.

She took another deep breath, and from the exertion, her pale face flushed slightly.

His face trembled like a frightened hamster.

But the words that came out were so clear.

"Could you please wait for me for a few years?"

"Wait a few years?"

The meaning behind Goto Ichiri's words was not difficult for Nango Toki, who already had a high emotional intelligence, to understand.

Is this a confession of love?

Nango grabbed Goto Ichiri's hand and deliberately asked a question.

"Huh...? Huh?"

Goto Ichiri panicked a little. She didn't know how to explain, but when she saw the smile on Nango's face, she turned her head away, both amused and embarrassed: "You know perfectly well."

Yes.

How could words spoken under such a beautiful moonlight not be a confession of love?

"I just want to hear what you have to say."

Nango released Goto Ichiri's hand, and in that instant, whether it was an illusion or not, he felt a fleeting hint of regret cross the girl's face.

"Senior Nan, Nanxiang, you just like to tease me."

Goto Ichiri stammered.

But in the end, she still spoke it out slowly in a soft voice.

"I'm not good enough for you right now, but I can work harder in the days to come, as long as you're here. So... senior, could you... wait for me before I change myself?"

These words evoke a familiar sense of loneliness and pleading, tinged with inferiority and timidity.

But she could sense that Nanxiang Shi in front of her did not feel disgusted by her poor and lonely feeling at all.

Under the dim light of the streetlamp, he took Goto Ichiri's hand again and spoke to her in a distant voice about the other side of the sea, about the explanation of the word 'loneliness'.

“In a country across the sea, a gentleman once said that if you break down the word ‘loneliness,’ you’ll find children, fruits, summer puppies, butterflies, and an alleyway that’s enough to fill a summer evening.”

On a midsummer evening, at the alley entrance, a dog chases butterflies, and children climb to pick melons and fruits...

Goto Ichiri's already delicate heart was drawn in by Nango Toki's drawn-out tone, conjuring up a tender and romantic scene in her mind.

“I’ve always felt that ‘loneliness’ is actually a very romantic and gentle word,” he said.

He lifted her fair hand and placed it on his heart.

Actually, she knew his answer better than anyone else.

It was her deep-seated inferiority complex that prevented her from ever having any confidence.

it's fine.

He made up for her lack of self-confidence.

Under the streetlights, two hearts are close together.

Your relationship with Goto Ichiri has deepened.

Chapter Sixteen. Yamada Ryo, what are you doing?

Your relationship with Goto Ichiri has deepened.

You gave her courage at the most crucial moment, giving her the confidence to keep going. She spent more time with the band, but this also reduced the time she spent with you, which she found unbearable.

So, one afternoon, she introduced you to the members of the band 'The End,' hoping that in addition to practicing at the 'Starry Night' indoor concert hall, she could spare some time to tutor you on guitar.

"Performance hall?"

The novel words piqued Nanxiang Shi's interest.

He picked up his phone from the table next to him, entered the keywords, and then understood.

The so-called performance hall offers alcoholic beverages, which looks like a bar, but it is different from a regular bar.

Indoor performance halls are generally equipped with top-of-the-line music equipment and sound systems, making them ideal for enjoying various live music performances up close. For many unknown underground rock bands, performing in indoor performance halls is a primary way to earn a living and gain fame.

[Practicing guitar was initially just a pretext for you to get closer to Ichiri Goto, but after spending a long time with her, and being a self-proclaimed study fanatic dedicated to improving yourself, you genuinely developed a strong interest in the guitar and music.]

Your understanding of music has deepened.

[You got to know Ichichi Nijika, Kita Ikuyo, and Yamada Ryo]

Unlike the second playthrough where you only interact with the band after you become an adult.

In his third playthrough, Nango met these three former bandmates during high school.

The events have indeed completely deviated from the second playthrough period.

only--

"Why does Yamada Ryo look so familiar when he was young?"

Nango, whom I hadn't paid much attention to before, remained in the simulation, constantly resurfacing in my memories.

In his mind's world, there was the image of a quiet, blue-haired girl sitting in a corner, strumming her bass guitar, intently playing her fingers.

Nanxiang stared for a long time, and finally, he thought of something and paused the third simulation, while jumping the simulation time to the first simulation where he only knew how to study and his failed love affair.

In his first playthrough, he completely ignored the existence of the dating simulator due to his high level of self-discipline, neglected to communicate with Goto Ichiri, and missed her entirely. Later, at the Tokyo University reunion, Nango met his wife, whose name was never mentioned in the simulator, who would satisfy his every need and allowed him to live off her.