Inside the simulated world
Since only one year of high school remained, Toru devoted most of his energy to loafing around and waiting for time to pass.
He had great talent for studying, and before crossing over he had endured the hellish college entrance exams. Now that he was in high school again, the pressure felt rather ordinary.
Of course, that wasn't to say getting into a prestigious school like Tokyo University was easy. The main reason was that in his previous simulation, he had passed the exam without much effort, though not into the most difficult track, the medical department of the science division.
In short, with no pressure, Toru sank into a long period of aimless slacking.
"The weather's really nice today."
Inside the Light Music Club's activity room, Toru held a teacup, took a sip of black tea, and gazed at the scenery outside the window.
To better experience the feeling of an ordinary life, he had started full simulation right from high school this time. In his earlier runs, he would wait until graduation, leveling his skills to LV.5 before entering this stage.
But ordinary people had no need to climb to the peaks of skill.
He was already at the bottom, so no matter which way he walked, it was upward.
That was life: rise and fall, and fall, and fall, and fall, and fall, and fall, and fall...
"Kitahara-kun, this is supposed to be the Light Music Association, right?"
In the corner of the clubroom, Nijika looked at him helplessly.
Because there weren't enough members, they could only form an association. According to Shimokitazawa High's rules, a club required at least four people.
"Ijichi-san, the tea you brew is really, really delicious~"
Toru answered lazily and at leisure. Half-leaning on the desk, he basked in the spring sunshine streaming through the window, like a plump, comfortable orange tabby cat.
[Happiness Points +100pt]
Nijika wanted to scold him to work harder, but the happiness points he gave were simply too much…
She was forced to surrender.
I hate this! I hate this weak self who bows down to personal gain!
The little angel Nijika clenched her small pink fists.
But he really gave a lot.
One time was equal to a hundred big sisters…
Uuu, sis, forgive me. I'm already becoming a useless person who can't live without Kitahara-kun.
Now, Nijika too had entered the full simulation mode like Toru. She discovered that full simulation allowed her to earn more happiness points. If she used text mode, small events like making tea for Kitahara-kun after school probably wouldn't even be reported by the simulator, nor would they award points.
So, did that mean the Ultimate Mom Simulator encouraged direct contact, nurturing affection with one's husband?
Pah pah pah, what husband. (Slapping her cheeks mentally)
Nijika scolded herself inside, their relationship wasn't even close to that yet.
Still, Kitahara-kun's conditions were truly excellent: gentle, kind, good-looking, and with extraordinary factors to boot.
But dating purely for profit, a woman like that was bound to be punished!
Even in a simulator, Angel Nijika believed love should be pursued sincerely. To date and marry someone who truly matched one's heart would surely bring more happiness than binding oneself to a partner for mere gain.
"Speaking of which, midterms are coming up, aren't they?"
Toru propped his face with one hand, yawned, and said to her, "Ijichi-san, want me to teach you?"
"Can I?"
Nijika, holding the teapot, walked over to his side and refilled his cup.
Kitahara-kun was ranked first in the entire school. Just last year he had been a first-year, but after transferring from Bocchi-chan's school as a second-year, he hadn't fallen behind at all, even surpassing the entire student body. People couldn't help but wonder how his brain was structured.
Could Kitahara-kun's true form be an octopus, with nine brains…? Haha, no, that couldn't be, right?
"I was actually planning to teach Yamada-san too, but she said that studying hard for a few months before exams was enough to get into Todai. Honestly, even narcissism should have limits." Toru knew from a previous simulation that Yamada Ryo never actually got into Todai. In contrast, Gotoh Hitori had worked hard for two years and finally succeeded in turning things around.
That was the lesson of the tortoise and the hare. The clever rabbit slacked off halfway through the race, and in the end, lost it all.
"Kitahara-kun, you and Ryo are really close, huh."
"…Don't ask. It's in the past." Toru lifted his teacup with a wistful expression.
As her former husband, he had loved her enough. In this simulation, he would not make the first move toward Yamada Ryo.
In my previous life, I loved her until the very last moment. Was that still not enough?
"Eh?"
P…past?
Seeing her blank, dazed expression, Toru chuckled and said, "Just kidding. We're just ordinary friends. Sometimes we talk about bass."
"Kitahara-kun, you're so good at bass. Why bother practicing guitar too?"
"How should I put it… bass is too easy? In fact, in my last life, my friends called me the God of Bass." Kitahara spoke with no hesitation. To anyone listening, it sounded like a lie. God of Bass? Why don't you ascend to heaven while you're at it?
But unfortunately, when it came to bass, he really did seem to know… a little more than just the basics.
Nijika could only think, as expected, anyone who could hang around Ryo was just another narcissist.
"Will Kessoku Band be practicing today?"
"Yeah, at the live house."
"Do your best for next month's performance." Toru offered a word of encouragement.
In the last simulation, the Kessoku Band had disbanded because of him. This time, they were thriving.
"We will."
Nijika nodded.
Rehearsing in the simulator first, she would definitely perform better in reality.
But there was still one thing that worried her.
Among the band members, her skill was the weakest. Once they stood on a bigger stage, Nijika might become the weak link, the one dragging everyone down.
As for Kita-chan, as rhythm guitarist and vocalist, her role in harmony and connection was far less critical than the drummer, who served as the band's road sign. If the drummer faltered, the others couldn't follow, and the whole piece would collapse.
Luckily, she could train her skills with the simulator.
Raising her current LV.3 drumming to a higher level… But was practicing in the virtual world really effective?
As Nijika wondered, the simulator gave an answer:
[In full simulation mode, skill proficiency gained will be carried over to reality at 100%.]
Alright, so it really worked.
[Estimate: With your current talent level, the highest you can reach is LV.4.]
Only LV.4? Wasn't the average person's limit LV.5?
[Correct. But your current talent is classified as "very common." Out of tens of millions of human samples collected, only 1,129 individuals reached the skill cap. It is recommended that you obtain a Talent Factor from Toru: Musical Genius (4-star). Then, your talent will automatically rise to "one in a hundred." Using the Talent Hint Card from the system shop, you could raise it again to "once in a thousand years."]
So talent was restricted this harshly?
For the first time, Nijika felt this world was almost too real.
Then what about the others in Kessoku Band?
[Gotoh Hitori - Admired by All]
[Yamada Ryo - Once in a Thousand Years]
[Kita Ikuyo - Once in a Thousand Years]
So even the weakest among them was two levels above her? Bocchi-chan was three levels higher?
The gap between genius and ordinary people was truly that vast.
Even the ever-optimistic and cheerful Angel Nijika felt a little disheartened.