In the end, Toru still did nothing to Hitori. He understood one thing clearly. Bocchi-chan was not mentally prepared yet.
This was not something that could be solved just by saying a few words. It was a matter of personality.
What Toru said in response to Gotoh Futari actually conveyed a message.
If Hitori was willing to take the initiative and confess, to change her socially anxious and timid nature, Toru would not refuse to date her.
Unfortunately, Hitori did not dare to confess.
Toru was not in a hurry about this. They had known each other for less than a year, and there was still plenty of time to polish their feelings.
The ambiguous phase was the most beautiful stage of romance. A light touch could bring a fluttering heartbeat, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring gentle ripples. That kind of youthful, tender beauty would no longer exist once they officially started dating.
————
Winter break passed in the blink of an eye.
After the new semester began, Toru continued living his two point one line routine. Occasionally, he had to ask for leave to handle matters related to the agency. The contract he signed back then was about to expire, and the agency asked whether he still wanted to continue developing in the entertainment industry. Toru politely declined his manager.
If, in future simulations, he rolled roles like idol or actor, Toru might chase his entertainment dreams again. But for now, he just wanted to live a calm and peaceful high school life.
February was still a bit cold.
After returning home, Toru set down several light novels he had just bought from the bookstore.
He did not have many hobbies in private. Reading novels and manga counted as one of them.
This world after transmigration was different from his previous life. A large number of novels he had never seen before appeared, making them the perfect way for Toru to pass the time.
"[To the Immortal You]?, a new work by Sensei Ōima… wait, this author's name. Alright, it's probably just my imagination."
Toru originally thought it was one of those classic cases of buying illustrations, and getting toilet paper as a bonus. But after flipping through the first chapter, he found the content surprisingly decent.
Perhaps because the author was a woman, the emotions depicted were extremely delicate. An immortal monster met a boy who was cursed and had a lifespan of only twenty five years.
Playing with lifespan theory, really not treating people as people.
This kind of setting that existed purely to stab the reader made him curious how the author would wrap it up later.
After spending two hours finishing the newly released first volume, Toru wore a strange expression.
Why did this damn plot development feel so familiar?
He cleared his thoughts.
Toru checked the interview content at the end of the book.
[Q: Sensei Ōima, have you encountered anything interesting recently?]
[A: A cat that a friend is temporarily keeping at my house has a lewd mark on its belly. No matter how much I scrub, it won't come off. (Image attached: heart shaped obscene marking)]
[Q: May I ask who this friend actually is?]
[A: The illustrator for this book, Sensei Happo.]
If nothing unexpected happened, this was the little black cat he caught last time when testing the Succubus Eye.
With a blank expression, Toru closed the novel.
Alright. Let's just pretend nothing happened.
————
Eight o'clock at night.
Toru turned on the simulator. Four months had already passed since the last simulation.
He planned to play a round and enjoy himself.
[You have launched Life Simulation Game.]
[Please select your profession for this run.]
[1. TOP Idol (No matter what, move toward the brightest stage. Become a shining star who guides fans forward. Note: This profession has a special worldview. The social influence of idols will be greatly enhanced.)]
[2. Independent Band Manager (Kessoku Band is missing a manager. Don't you think you're a good fit?)]
[3. Magical Girl (Moon Prism Power, Make Up. Note: This profession has a special worldview and is extremely dangerous. Players are advised to choose carefully.)]
[4. Random (An unknown fate. Choosing this option in this simulation will grant an 80 percent evaluation bonus.)]
"This magical girl option. Why does it feel like a script written by a certain warrior of love?"
Toru could not help but shiver.
Enemy and ally sharing the same origin, magical girls, witches, Kyubey.
Just thinking of these words made Toru afraid to choose it.
Who knew how terrifying it would be.
Everyone, let's take a look at the other options instead.
The first profession felt a bit unfamiliar.
Toru entered the entertainment industry as a child actor and followed the actor route.
In Japan's entertainment industry, there was a strange hierarchy of disdain. At the very top were actors and actresses. Next came singers, then comedians, and only after that were idols. Even idols were divided into above ground idols and underground idols. Perhaps lower than idols, there were only gravure stars.
"Idol, huh… I'm a little interested."
Before transmigrating, he had watched Love Live and played Idolmaster mobile games. Toru still held some admiration for idols.
However, in this simulation, there was clearly a better option.
That was the second one.
Toru wanted to open up a big harem. He was prepared to give the girls of Kessoku Band a warm harbor.
To be honest, after simulating so many times, Toru truly did not want to give up even a single wife.
Taking all this into account, Toru planned to rehearse it once in the simulation world, then recreate the plot in reality.
The profession was decided.
There were still some preparations to do afterward.
For example, the breakthrough card obtained from the last simulation.
[Do you wish to use the breakthrough card? Note: Current success rate is 95 percent.]
If it failed with such a high probability, he would really want to die.
[Breaking through…]
[Breakthrough successful.]
Toru felt his body lighten a little. The effect was not very obvious. There was no feeling of breaking free from shackles.
Luckily it did not fail. Otherwise, Toru's mentality might have completely exploded.
Next came the selection of MODs.
[Currently available modules are as follows.]
[1. Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms. In this simulation, you will obtain the bloodline of the Clan of Separation. Lifespan increased to 300 years. After activation, settlement rewards +70 percent.]
[2. Sword Art Online. In this simulation, genius scientist Kayaba Akihiko will bring you a death game called SAO. After activation, settlement rewards +130 percent.]
[3. More Family Members. In this simulation, you will gain several additional relatives. Yay. You will never have to worry about not having enough family members when arguing online. After activation, settlement rewards +400 percent.]
[4. Adolescence Syndrome. In this simulation, phenomena known as Adolescence Syndrome will occur around you. After activation, settlement rewards +300 percent.]
[14 remaining items. Please expand to view.]
After each simulation ended, a variable number of modules would be added.
Staring at the growing list, Toru really did not know how to choose.
Some modules were simply not suitable for use in an ordinary worldview. For example, Maquia. Gaining an extra 300 years of lifespan for no reason would be best paired with research type professions. Wasting it casually would be far too much of a loss, especially since mods could only be used once every ten years.
"More Family Members. Why is the reward multiplier for this option so high?"
Toru pondered for a long time. In the end, he still checked this mod.
[Simulation start.]
[After the winter break of your first year of high school ends, you decide on your life's goal. Independent band manager.]
[Module activated.]
[You have gained several new family members: Ijichi Seika (second cousin once removed)…]
Hm?