Chapter 77: Other Anime Characters and the Eve of the Simulation
Wednesday.
A thoroughly unremarkable day.
Perhaps the only surprise was that Haruka, through the student roster, discovered some anime characters he hadn't noticed before.
For example: Setsuna Ogiso.
She was a member of the Light Music Club and was apparently the favored successor of the Student Council President from two terms ago. Unfortunately, she had gone to another school on an exchange program a long time ago. The duration was indefinite, and no one knew when she would return.
Then there was Megumi Kato. Of course, he wasn't sure if this was from the Saekano series, as the name was quite common. Additionally, she was a second-year student. That's right—she was his senpai.
As for Utaha Kasumigaoka, Eriri Spencer Sawamura, Tomoya Aki, and the rest, he didn't find them on the list. However, he did find the light novel Metronome in Love, which had just been published.
This suggested that these people likely existed, but who knew how their fates had been altered in this world?
'And with this, I can't plagiarize Saekano anymore! Damn it!'
Haruka could only fall silent. His grand plan to copy famous works had just lost a viable project.
Aside from them, there were others: Iroha Isshiki, Saika Totsuka, and so on, mostly in different classes. However, Haruka didn't find Saki Kawasaki or Hachiman Hikigaya, two characters who held significant weight in the original plot.
'The storyline has changed drastically.'
Scanning further, he didn't find any more familiar anime names. But calculating carefully, even the ones not mentioned in the Simulator but found in reality amounted to quite a few.
The old Haruka hadn't cared about these things at all and hadn't noticed them. It was only now, going through the roster, that he paid attention.
Moving forward, he planned to keep a close eye on these people to see how their lives had deviated.
Circling a few names, Haruka took a satisfied sip of his cola.
While he was at it, he graded Shoko's homework.
***
"Emergency announcement. The school-wide mock exam has been moved up to next Thursday. So, the burden on everyone is going to be a bit heavier this week. I'll be watching you all very closely."
On the podium, Shizuka Hiratsuka dropped the bomb.
"..."
Question marks practically materialized over the students' heads.
'What the hell?'
'We haven't even finished the curriculum!'
'Shouldn't it be three weeks from now?'
'Why is it moved up so much?'
'What are we even supposed to be tested on?'
Haruka watched his classmates buzzing with discussion without batting an eye. He could roughly guess why this was happening.
Beside him, Shoko had already opened her textbook, preparing to use every second to study.
Her grades were average. With the exam moved up, she wasn't sure if she could do well. In fact, the probability of her doing poorly was quite high.
But she didn't want to disappoint Haruka, who had been working so hard to tutor her.
Sitting next to her, Haruka glanced at Shoko and naturally patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll teach you the material ahead of schedule during our study sessions. No need to panic."
Shoko nodded, but she still kept her book open.
Behind them, Bocchi watched with envy, chewing on her handkerchief and looking like she was about to cry.
Then, she felt a piercing gaze that made her soul tremble.
She turned her head shakily, only to see Yukino Yukinoshita holding a test paper, staring at her expressionlessly. Yukino said nothing, yet she seemed to be saying everything.
Bocchi turned to glance at Haruka and Shoko being all lovey-dovey right in front of her.
'Sniff... Why... I'm so jealous...'
Bocchi's body went limp like a wet noodle as she slid back into her trash can. Faintly, a gray soul could be seen leaking out of her mouth, weeping as it looked at Yukino.
***
Thanks to Haruka, everyone's academic pressure skyrocketed.
After all, the upgraded Sobu High wasn't one of those trashy schools that fooled people with "happy education." It was extremely strict when it came to academics!
Now that the difficulty was super-charged, many students who had transferred in after the merger and were just getting used to things were already miserable after just one day.
6:00 PM.
Many students walked out of the school gate full of complaints.
Haruka and his group's activities were also temporarily canceled.
Or rather, for the next few days, only the homework study sessions would be retained. The Alliance of Outcasts recruitment plan was put on hold.
Haruka said goodbye to the others one by one and returned home.
After getting home, Haruka ate dinner with Sora, then returned to his room. He began typing away, continuing to edit and upload the Frankenstein's monster of a light novel he had received as a reward: That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime and Re: Zero - Starting Life in Another World
He had already written 360,000 words. Averaging 60,000 words a day—he was basically a writing machine.
'Light novels are actually pretty good. At the very least, the royalties are substantial. The status isn't great, though. Aside from mystery novels or serious literature, the status of light novels is pretty average.'
'But these days, light novels are taking over the mainstream thanks to all the young readers. Their influence is only gonna keep growing. If I jump in now and get established, it could pay off big time down the line.'
'But... what exactly should I do next?'
To be honest, regarding the future, Haruka was actually a bit lost right now.
For someone as disciplined, persistent, and executive-minded as him, this situation was rare.
The goal of academic excellence had effectively been achieved ahead of schedule. So what now?
Becoming an "elite," a "rule exploiter," or a "rule maker"—these were just vague ambitions. What he needed was a detailed, step-by-step ladder, like studying for university, that he could execute to reach the finish line.
So, he still needed to think.
'Never mind. The update is almost done. Let's use the Simulator to scout the path ahead.'
Haruka glanced at the simulation interface.
Big bold words were displayed: [Update Time: 2/3].
Sometimes he found it funny. He clearly felt the Simulator had malicious intent, yet he couldn't refuse to use it. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too.
'Maybe the essence of humanity is simply double standards.'
Haruka finished his daily word count, then burrowed alone into his warm duvet.
He tapped on his phone, entering relaxation time.
While he was at it, he checked to see if a certain socially anxious person had uploaded a new video today.
That's right. He, Haruka Kasugano, had become a fan of a certain someone.
After all, music is music. Good is good, bad is bad. She had talent, and he liked listening to it. It was perfectly normal.
"Tsk. No new video today."
Looking at the scrolling comments below, Haruka casually added one: Update soon or I unfollow! Unfollow!
Just as a little threat.
He wondered how that little creature would react upon seeing these comments. She would probably panic.
As he pictured her all flustered, Haruka couldn't suppress a smirk.
'This might be the "evil" side of humanity.' (Evil Laugh)
Buzz, buzz.
Just then, Haruka's phone vibrated slightly.
On the messaging app, Shoko Nishimiya's profile picture was bouncing.
She had sent a goodnight greeting.
Haruka unconsciously revealed a warm, gentle smile. He opened the message and wished Shoko a good night in return.
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Hand over all of your Power Stones!!
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