After picking out a razor,
Toru made a terrible discovery.
He didn't really have any facial hair.
He had absolutely no use for it.
"A gentleman keeps his blade sheathed until the time is right… maybe it'll come in handy a few years from now?"
Murmuring to himself, Toru placed it into a small cabinet in his room. Inside were all the mementos he had collected from his simulations:
A photo of a little white fox.
Kitahara Shio's doodle sketchbook.
His wife Ijichi Nijika's engagement ring.
Toru had thought about it before.
If this treasure chest of his were ever seen by someone else, would it cause trouble?
But after giving it some thought, he calmed down.
In reality, his relationships with the girls were still stuck at the "friends" stage.
Inviting someone to his home was completely out of the question.
Not to mention being found out by his virtual simulated wives.
Toru closed the cabinet, recalling the affectionate scenes from the simulations, a faint conflict flickering in his mind.
Nijika was sweet, Hitori was tempting, such a hard choice.
Both women he had married so far had their own charm...
Ijichi Nijika, the gentle angel, was the very image of a kind and devoted wife.
Gotoh Hitori, as a lover, could satisfy every desire a man could have.
If he had to weigh them, it was sixty-forty.
In Toru's heart, Ijichi Nijika still held the higher place.
Maybe because her death back then had dealt him such a heavy blow, one he still hadn't fully recovered from.
Perhaps he wouldn't heal from that heartbreak until he unlocked the "Perfect Ending" card.
Forget it…
"Better to think about which girl to pick for the next simulation."
Ryo-san?
He hadn't married her yet; might be worth a try.
Toru planned to experience all the wonderful women around him one by one, and then choose the best among them to date and marry.
After all, it was only a simulation.
It wouldn't affect reality.
As for having a harem?
That could wait for another day.
——
The tail end of July.
Summer vacation.
The weather grew hotter by the day. Inside Live House Starry, the members of Kessoku Band were discussing whether they should find somewhere to escape the summer heat.
This year's summer was unbearably hot. So hot that Hitori was about to melt.
Look at her, sprawled on the floor, already turning into a puddle of pink goo, ready to evaporate.
"Bocchi-chan, wake up!"
Nijika squatted beside her, lightly patting Bocchi's limp cheeks.
"Ah-baba."
Bocchi's mouth twitched as she turned her head and fell into a daze again.
Kita raised her hand. "Commander Ryo! We have an emergency! Requesting popsicle support!"
"Soldier Ikuyo, your plan is approved."
Ryo played along.
"Roger! Commencing popsicle serum injection for Soldier Gotoh!"
Kita Ikuyo saluted smartly, went to the mini-fridge beside the practice room, pulled out a popsicle, unwrapped it, and stuck it into Bocchi's mouth.
Soon, chewing on the cool treat, Hitori came back to life.
She blinked in confusion. "W-what happened to me?"
"Popsicle. Two thousand yen."
Ryo held out her hand.
"Ryo, stop bullying Bocchi-chan."
Nijika gave Ryo a look, then took Hitori's hand and helped her up.
"Senpais, it's really hot today."
"Well, the air conditioner's broken. Don't worry, it'll be fixed in a few days."
"I'm dying. I don't want to practice anymore."
Ryo wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Summer vacation was supposed to be the perfect time to get closer to Toru, yet here she was, sweating through practice in this sauna.
Ryo was not pleased.
"But there's a live next week, Ryo. You're not thinking of skipping, are you?"
Nijika tried to persuade her, recalling the seaside vacation episode from the simulation when she had gotten married.
So the little angel suggested tentatively, "Everyone, how about a training camp at the beach? We could have fun in the water and still practice."
"A beach camp? I'm in!"
Kita raised both hands in agreement.
Ryo quickly understood the look in everyone's eyes and asked,
"Would you like to use my family's seaside villa?"
"Ah… is that okay?"
Hitori revived completely.
It would be her first beach trip with friends.
To say she wasn't excited would be a lie.
"Sure."
Ryo nodded.
Then she noticed something.
For some reason, the practice room fell mysteriously quiet for a few seconds.
The next moment, the girls exchanged glances.
"Um, I think Kitahara-kun's free," Hitori mumbled, looking down.
"Yeah, yeah, I heard he's not busy lately."
Nijika tried to cover her true intent.
Ryo, however, didn't bother hiding it. "If you don't mind, I'll invite him later."
It seemed everyone in Kessoku Band had taken a liking to Toru. That was not good news.
Ryo began to think maybe this trip would be her chance to turn things… physical.
"Ikuyo, what about you?"
"I don't mind. Kitahara-kun helped us study so much before finals, we should reward him properly."
The moment she said that, Hitori blushed.
Reward? That kind of reward? Using her body or something? How embarrassing.
No, no, no.
Kita-chan definitely didn't mean that.
What Hitori didn't know was that Kita actually did mean something like that, just not to that extent.
She was already planning to buy a bikini tomorrow.
——
[Minato Ward, Tokyo]
Inside a certain house.
"Beep beep."
Toru heard the notification sound from his phone. Changing position on the sofa, he picked it up from the table and opened LINE.
Ryo: Toru-kun, we're planning a beach trip the day after tomorrow. Do you want to come?
Over the past few months, Toru and Ryo had gotten quite close.
At least close enough that they now called each other by name rather than surname.
"A beach trip?"
Toru didn't have much of an opinion on it.
Summer vacation had just begun, and he didn't have anything to do anyway.
And since Ryo had invited him personally, it would be rude to decline.
He replied that he would come, and right away, Ryo's response popped up.
Ryo: Are you free tomorrow? Can you come with me to buy a swimsuit?
Buy a swimsuit?
Shouldn't that be something you do with your boyfriend or girlfriends? Why call me?
Toru was not the type to confuse simulation with reality. He and Ryo were just friends.
As he pondered, another message arrived.
Ryo: Can't you? (voice message)
Her voice, tinged with a teasing, almost pleading tone, made Toru admit he was slightly swayed.
In the end,
Ryo had him wrapped around her finger.
——
The next day, during the daytime.
The two of them arrived at the LOFT shopping complex in Ginza 1-chome.
Before they went inside, Toru glanced at Ryo, who was wearing a long-sleeved jacket as if she weren't affected by the heat, and asked, "Ryo, did you bring any money today?"
"The swimsuit that Toru-kun buys for me, I'll treasure and make good use of."
"?"
Toru blinked in confusion.
Seeing this, Ryo tilted her head, a faint smile on her adorable face, as if to say, isn't that enough of an answer?
"…Fine, I'll buy it for you."
Damn it.
This girl was just too cute to say no to.