Chapter 34: Your Bonds Grow Stronger
[You gradually became someone they couldn't imagine their lives without.]
[Though you weren't an official member of Kessoku Band, in their hearts, you had already become just as important.]
[Living on cheap convenience store meals, balancing school, guitar practice, and tutoring four people… your body accumulated fatigue over time. You often felt sharp headaches deep in your skull.]
[With Kessoku Band at a crucial point, if Nijika and Ryo failed their exams, they wouldn't be able to take university entrance exams until the following year. You refused to let that happen.]
[The band members noticed your worsening condition. They were worried about you, but every time they tried to ask, you skillfully changed the subject, tricking them with smooth words. For you, fooling high school girls was easier than drinking water.]
[You hid the fact that you weren't feeling well and continued tutoring them.]
...
Hiding his poor health?
Outside the simulation, Minami frowned.
Was tutoring four people really too much?
Even though he was always excellent at everything he did, even he had limits.
[At Starry, you tailored your teaching approach to each girl's personality. This was much harder than a one-size-fits-all method, but you didn't mind.]
[Your dedication to not leaving anyone behind touched them deeply, and their bond with you grew stronger.]
[Bocchi, who struggled with eye contact and conversations, would secretly glance at you when no one was looking.]
[Ryo, usually silent and detached, started seeking you out for conversation. To her, chatting with you was the only enjoyable part of her otherwise dull school life.]
[Nijika, always attuned to others' emotions, quietly watched over your health. After every tutoring session, she would bring you a warm cup of coffee and softly share tips she had researched about self-care.]
[Kita, who seemed to view you as her closest confidant, frequently sought you out for deep conversations. She seemed… oddly curious about your relationship status.]
[Kessoku Band grew even more dependent on you.]
Time Passed.
Minami frequently felt unwell but still continued tutoring.
The band members deeply trusted him and always took his study plans seriously.
And, through this relentless study schedule, their academic performance rapidly improved.
[In the latest semester exams, Nijika, Ryo, Kita, and Bocchi all achieved excellent scores.]
[They were overjoyed—not just because they did well, but because they hadn't let your efforts go to waste.]
[That day, excited to share their results, they rushed to Starry. Even Ryo, who rarely showed enthusiasm, bought a cake to celebrate.]
[But that day, you—who always arrived on time—never showed up.]
[Your body, weakened by cheap food, poor living conditions, and overwork, had finally given out. You collapsed.]
Well, well, well.
Outside the simulation, Minami smirked.
"Look who's finally down."
So even I have a breaking point, huh?
He wasn't surprised—he could feel how much the simulation version of himself was adored.
And yet, he was starting to wonder…
This path he was heading down—
Where exactly would it lead?
---
**[You've Fallen Ill.]**
The socially anxious Gotoh Hitori, who couldn't meet others' eyes, only found the courage to speak around him. The reticent Yamada Ryō would unexpectedly start conversations. Ijichi Nijika frequently checked on his well-being, while Kita Ikuyo sought him out for heartfelt talks.
Days spent with these girls were so joyously fulfilling that his simulated self had completely neglected his health and fatigue.
As for his dreadful living conditions?
Minami scanned his cramped studio apartment. The system's evaluation was indisputably accurate. A single room doubling as bedroom and living space. Mold speckled the bathroom ceiling, emitting strange odors whenever temperatures rose. Combined with his poor diet of convenience store bentos, it was no wonder his simulated self had collapsed.
Perhaps it really was time to find ways to earn money and improve both his living environment and nutrition.
As he pondered this, his fingers continued advancing the simulation.
---
**[Ijichi Seika Brings News of Your Illness to Kessoku Band.]**
Your sudden collapse stunned the band members. They'd never imagined their seemingly healthy mentor would fall ill.
Under their concerned questioning, Seika revealed the truth:
- You'd been living alone in a drafty, frigid rental
- Surviving on nutritionally deficient convenience store meals
- Balancing university studies with guitar practice while individually tutoring four students
Only then did they understand the toll of tailoring lessons to four personalities while maintaining your own grueling schedule.
---
**[Hospital Bed Scene]**
On the sickbed, you remained characteristically upbeat, reassuring their guilty stares with warm smiles.
But you'd forgotten one thing – while you cherished them, their care for you ran equally deep.
After discussion, Nijika proposed they take shifts caring for you. Even Bocchi (who struggled with human contact) and Yamada Ryō (who found caregiving troublesome) agreed.
*Hiss...*
The text flickered. Minami paused, perplexed. Where was this route leading? Everyone's affection metrics seemed alarmingly high...
---
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