In the real world.
It is already noon.
After finishing lunch in the kitchen, Nijika notices her older sister sitting at the table, staring into the distance as if lost in thought.
What happened?
She looks exactly like someone who just got dumped by a jerk.
Nijika takes off her apron and sits beside her. "Sis, what are you thinking about?"
"Nothing, just considering tomorrow's performance schedule."
Seika pulls herself back to reality.
The fragment of memory transferred from the simulator still hits too hard.
She hasn't been able to recover from it for a long time.
To get a stomachache because of a game, even she has to admire herself for it.
"You're lying."
Nijika sees through her instantly.
But she doesn't pry. Everyone has their little secrets. It's normal.
Just like how she secretly likes Kitahara Toru. Surely no one knows about that, right?
"The food is getting cold. Let's eat."
Seika changes the subject.
"Okay okay, let's eat."
Nijika lets out a small laugh and drops her teasing for now.
Halfway through the meal.
Nijika suddenly remembers something. "Right, sis, do you still remember Toru kun?"
Seika freezes.
Scenes of her and her younger boyfriend wrapped in each other's arms replay in her mind.
And combined with the knowledge that her sister likes him…
Seika suddenly feels like she is hiding an affair from her family, secretly stealing her sister's future husband.
After a long moment, she forces a calm tone. "I remember."
"Sis, Kessoku Band still needs a keyboardist. Toru kun can play piano. Can I invite him?"
Nijika wants more opportunities to get closer to him.
Then she'll backstab her three best friends and take the crown.
"You girls should discuss that among yourselves. I can't give advice."
As an adult and a senior, Seika has no intention of meddling in Kessoku Band's internal decisions.
She can be their shield and support, but she cannot make their choices for them. Some things have to be decided by the ones involved.
However…
As her older sister…
Seika still adds, "For a rock band, a keyboardist isn't essential. Nijika, you don't need to compromise your dream for romance."
"Romance? That's not it at all!"
Nijika's face turns red as she waves her hands in denial.
"You don't like him? Then I misread?"
"…Is it really that obvious?"
"Pretty much. Last semester, when Toru stayed at the live house to study with you, your eyes never left him."
Nijika: O△O
Oops. Even my romance less, clueless sister saw through me.
"Bro…"
Seika pauses for two seconds.
Close one. She almost called him little brother.
"Toru probably noticed too. But he's popular with girls. He won't think much of someone looking at him with admiration. Don't worry."
Talking about love with her younger sister.
The feeling is strangely complicated.
"Sis… you're not against me dating?"
Nijika bites lightly on her chopsticks, cautious.
She expected Seika to react way more dramatically.
"You're sixteen. It's the perfect age for dating. Why would I oppose?"
Seika knows Toru is a good ending.
In the simulation, she tasted him in her sister's place.
"…Alright."
"The live a few days from now, do your best."
"Sis, you've said that like ten times these past two days."
"…"
Nijika has officially entered her rebellious phase.
Fine.
Time to check that simulation again, everyone.
While eating, Seika shifts part of her attention to the simulated future.
[Your sister and Kitahara Toru's relationship has deepened.]
A direct critical hit.
"Cough...!"
Seika chokes and takes a hurried sip of water.
Even though she expected this day to come, seeing it happen still twists her stomach.
Being stolen from by my sister… Why am I having this kind of nightmare?
Well, not a nightmare.
"Sis, are you okay?"
Nijika hands her a tissue.
After several seconds,
She sneaks a glance at the next lines.
[Your relationship with Kitahara Toru has deepened.]
Finally, I raised Toru kun's affection enough.
Nijika can't help feeling happy.
In the simulation, Toru and Seika are way too close, always hugging and clinging to each other.
She had mentally prepared herself to lose.
But unexpectedly, Toru actually turned around.
All the earlier simulations said that once he fell for someone, he never wavered.
Thinking about it...
In the previous simulation, even Kita-chan became Toru's second wife, which she still doesn't understand.
To Nijika, romance must be pure.
Two women serving one man is far too indecent.
[After winter passes.]
[The following summer.]
[Seika uses her savings to open a live house in Shimokitazawa. She names it STARRY, a place meant to shine.]
[Seika gives up on her dream, yet not entirely. She hopes to contribute to rock music in this way.]
[This year, you are about to graduate from university.]
[Everything goes smoothly.]
[You never learned drums. You never chased vague dreams. You have a warm and happy family. Your parents are alive and well.]
[In the future, you will meet a perfect husband and have a lovely daughter.]
[With time.]
[Your bond with Kitahara Toru deepens again.]
[Finally, in the autumn of this year.]
[Toru confesses to you.]
[You have no reason to hesitate, so you accept.]
[After hearing this news, your parents are delighted. They predicted this years ago.]
[Your father even jokes that Toru is basically your foster fiancé, raised for so many years, so the two families should finally become one.]
[Your sister Seika reacts strongly. That night, she drinks a lot of beer.]
[You don't know if she is happy for you, or sad.]
[Probably both.]
...…
[On a winter night more than a decade ago.]
[Your sister saved Kitahara Toru and never imagined it would lead to this ending.]
[Seika feels some regret.]
[She had countless chances to hold onto Toru, but never insisted.]
[A year ago, when she broke up with Toru, it may have been the greatest regret of her life.]
Huh?
Since when did sis and Toru kun have a thing?
[Only now does Seika realize she had long loved him to a point where no one else would do. The age difference never mattered. Sadly, it is too late.]
Wait...
Let me sort this out.
Sis secretly dated Toru.
Sis dumped him.
The heartbroken Toru then dated me…
So what am I?
A replacement?
A few seconds later,
Nijika accepts defeat.
The real world is just too messy.