My Romance Simulation with Them

[The band's end is at a crucial time. If Ichiji Nijika and Yamada Ryo fail their exams this time, they'll only be able to take them the year after next. You don't want to hold them back because of this small matter.]

The band members noticed something was wrong with you and were worried about you. They tried to ask you about it several times, but you just laughed and used smooth talk to brush them off. For you, fooling and deceiving these high school girls is easier than drinking water.

You concealed your discomfort and continued tutoring the members who had disbanded the band.

"..."

Did you hide the fact that you weren't feeling well?

In reality, when Nanxiang looked at these words, he sensed that something was wrong.

Is it really too much of a stretch for four people to be together?

I sighed when I was in the south.

Although I am as excellent as ever, I still can't keep up with the demands of four teenage girls who are in their adolescence and have a strong desire to learn.

In the 'Starry Night' performance hall, you guide their learning according to their different personalities. Although this is much more arduous than uniform teaching, you don't mind at all.

Your unwavering commitment and refusal to give up on any of them will touch them, and your relationship with them will improve.

[Goto Ichiri, who avoids direct eye contact and communicates naturally with others, will secretly glance at you when no one is watching.]

[Yamada Ryo, who is usually quiet and reserved, will occasionally utter a few words. She will take the initiative to start a conversation with you about interesting topics. For her, chatting with you, who is witty and humorous, is the only spice in her boring and tedious school life.]

[Always mindful of others' feelings, Ichiji Nijika has been quietly caring about your health. After tutoring, she always brings you a cup of hot coffee, stays by your side softly, and tells you about ways to take care of your health that she found online.]

Kita Ikuyo seems to have already considered you a close friend, often confiding in you and chatting. She seems somewhat concerned about whether you're single.

The band members rely on you even more now that the band is over.

Time continued, and although you often felt physically unwell, you persisted in providing targeted tutoring. The band members trusted you completely, and they always diligently completed the study plans you assigned.

[During this intensive tutoring period, the band members' academic performance improved rapidly. In the latest end-of-term exams, Ichika Iji, Ryo Yamada, Ikuyo Kita, and Ichiri Goto all achieved excellent results.]

They were very happy about this, not only because they achieved excellent academic results, but more importantly, because they didn't let your efforts go to waste.

On this day, having achieved excellent results, they couldn't wait to come to 'Starry Night' to tell you, who had always worked hard for them, about their achievements. Even the usually aloof Yamada Ryo proactively bought a cake to celebrate the day.

That day, they waited a long time, but you, who always arrived at 'Starry Night' on time every day, never came.

Cheap daily meals, terrible living conditions, and long, arduous tutoring assignments leave you physically and mentally exhausted.

You've fallen ill.

So you've finally met your match.

Outside of the simulation, Nanxiang was gloating.

As someone who can sense simulated memories, he naturally knows just how popular he is in the simulation.

Goto Ichiri, who was afraid to make eye contact with others, only had the courage to speak when facing him. The taciturn Yamada Ryo would occasionally find topics to start a conversation.

Nijika Ichi would often come over to check on his health, while Kita Ikuyo would occasionally have a heart-to-heart talk with him.

The days spent with the girls were so pleasant and fulfilling that he completely forgot about fatigue and taking care of his body in the simulation.

As for the terrible living conditions?

Nanxiang glanced around at the rented room where he lived.

The system's evaluation is undoubtedly correct.

The room layout of the one-bedroom apartment is such that the living room is also the bedroom. The ceiling of the toilet always has mold spots, and a strange smell comes out when the weather gets a little hot.

Given the already mediocre food and drink conditions, coupled with the similar living environment, it's understandable that the simulated self would fall ill.

Nanxiang pondered whether he should really try to make some money to improve his living conditions and food.

While he was thinking this, his subordinates didn't stop working and continued the simulation.

[Ichiyoshi conveyed the news of your illness to the members of the End Band.]

The band members were all somewhat incredulous at your sudden illness. They never imagined that you, who always seemed so healthy, would fall ill like this.

Under their concerned questioning, Ichiji Hoshika finally recounted your story in detail.

[It was only then that Ichiji Nijika and the others realized that you, who had never shown any negative emotions in front of them, had actually been living alone in a cold, drafty, cheap rental room, and that you usually ate cheap, nutritionally deficient convenience store bento boxes at home.]

Similarly, it was only at this point that they realized how exhausting it was for one person to provide academic guidance to four students while also tailoring their instruction to each individual.

Balancing your own studies, maintaining your guitar practice progress, and tutoring four others... you're only human, so of course you'll feel exhausted.

[Even in your hospital bed, you were as talkative as ever. Despite the guilty looks in Ichiji Nijika's and the others' eyes, you showed no resentment, only a smile of comfort, telling them not to worry.]

But you've forgotten one thing.

You cherish and care for them, and they will reciprocate in kind.

After discussion, it was decided by Ichiji Nijika that they would take care of your daily life.

This time, even Goto Ichiri, who is usually not good at interacting with others, and Yamada Ryo, who finds taking care of others very troublesome, agreed to the suggestion.

Your relationship with them has progressed further.

hiss...

Nango was taken aback when he saw this line of characters pop up and was waiting to see the results.

What exactly does this route lead to?

It seems everyone has a very high level of goodwill towards him right now...

Chapter Thirty-Five. You Stepped Forward

To help you recover as quickly as possible, Nijika Ichichi, Ryo Yamada, Ichiri Goto, and Ikuyo Kita have decided to take turns caring for you.

You unequivocally refused.

[Because whether it's Nijika Ichichi, Ryo Yamada, Ichiri Goto, or Ikuyo Kita, they all worked incredibly hard to achieve their current success.]

Tell them that whether it's a band just starting to gain momentum or one that has already achieved improved results, it takes a lot of time to solidify their position. Your health is merely weak, and you don't need them to set aside their already limited time to take care of you.

But this time, your excellent rhetoric didn't completely fool them as usual.

The band's continuous progress and its rising achievements are certainly significant to them, but your importance in their hearts has never diminished.

You, who have always insisted on your own opinions, have compromised. You feel that perhaps you really should trust them.

You've decided to accept their care.

In the simulation, memories surge.

He was immersed in the southern countryside.

During the day, it was raining outside the hospital window.

A black curtain of rain enveloped the entire Tokyo metropolis.

As I was turning the pages of the novel, Nanxiang, I suddenly felt a little tired.

He put the book down and looked at both sides of the hospital bed.

A girl with light pink hair and a girl with short blue hair covering her eyes were lying on either side of the hospital bed.

On the other side were Ichiji Nijika and Kita Ikuyo, both looking utterly helpless.

They were supposed to be there to take care of Nanxiang, but a sudden downpour left them temporarily stranded in the hospital.

As always, Yamada Ryo was free-spirited and simply fell asleep leaning against Nango Toki.

Goto Ichiri, perhaps because she had practiced guitar late into the night and was feeling tired, fell asleep on the other side of Nango Toki's bed.

Nijika Ichi and Ikuyo Kita sat down and shared with great interest the interesting things that happened on campus with Toki Nanago.

Nanxiang, sitting on the hospital bed, listened attentively to their conversation, occasionally bringing up two more interesting topics that made them laugh.

Time moves very slowly.

It was raining outside, and the windowpane was fogged with a cold mist.

The cold wind raged outside the window.

Nanxiang glanced out the window, exhaled a puff of white breath, and, reflecting on the past year and the burdens he had placed on others due to his health condition, couldn't help but sigh softly.

Winter is almost here, and the year is almost over.

"No, Nanxiang Sang."

Ichiki Natsumi also saw the scenery outside the window. She took Nango Toki's hand, revealed a bright smile like sunshine, and gently corrected Nango Toki.

"The new year is about to begin."

"Yes."

Kita Ikuyo grasped Nango Toki's other hand, gazing at the scenery outside the window, her voice filled with longing:

"I'm really looking forward to next year, Nango-senpai."

"...yes."

Nanxiang smiled and turned her head to the side: "I'm really looking forward to next year."

He suddenly realized.

The cold wind outside the window didn't seem as biting as it had been before.

They never complained about you, just as you never blamed them.

After a week of care, they seem to understand you better, and you understand them better too.

[During the New Year holiday, in order to catch up on the studies you had fallen behind in, you decided to stay in Tokyo instead of returning to your hometown in Akita Prefecture.]

But you weren't lonely this New Year; the band members often invited you out.

[I don't know if it's just your imagination, but you always feel that they rarely ask you out alone. Whenever they do, it's always a group outing, including Christmas, which you spent with them.]

It's as if they reached some kind of unspoken agreement without your knowledge.

On Valentine's Day in January, besides the pile of chocolates you received at school, you also received four chocolates from the members of the disbanded band.

[What's regrettable is that all four chocolates they made by hand were just favors, not their favorite chocolates—you probably thought that with your current level of goodwill towards them, you'd at least receive one or two of your favorite chocolates.]

[You spent a month eating all the enormous amount of Valentine's Day chocolates you received, and you've gained weight.]

[After Valentine's Day comes White Day. Because of a tight budget, you thought about it and decided, even though it might be a bit perfunctory, to make cookies to give to them.]