Confession Failure

[Before the school trip, you gathered the courage to send a love letter to Kitahara Toru.]

[On the first day of the school trip, you couldn't sleep well all night due to excitement, and the dark circles under your eyes were more intense than usual.]

[The next night, before your confession, with the help of Kita Ikuyo, you put on fashionable clothes and applied light makeup. After a bit of makeup, your charm is extraordinary. After half a year of effort, you're no longer as shy. You're convinced that, no matter the outcome, you'll face this confession bravely. Charm +2!]

Go for it, me from six months ago!

Next is the confession scene, right? Hitori Gotoh was excited because, after all, this was Kitahara Toru, the person she had secretly loved for so long.

Even if it's a simulator, if it succeeds, she'll be happy for a long time.

[The lights are bright, and the ancient streets are painted with beautiful colors.]

[Kyoto Arashiyama is the destination of this school trip.]

[In the whispers of the Sagano Bamboo Forest, under the dim light, you gathered all your courage—you want to confess! Start your own youthful story!]

[But after seeing the boy in front of you, you kept all these words in your heart.]

[The noble one should only be seen in paintings, and only I know what it means; when the water reaches the horizon and the sky touches the end, it's definitely not of this world. Facing this beautiful white moonlight, you, who are as shy as a big mouse, panicked.]

Big... big mouse? A fat, big mouse?

Hitori Gotoh, who had just immersed herself in the confession, was immediately pulled out of her fantasy by the simulator.

Who are you calling a rat?

You, you're the rat! Hitori Gotoh complained about the simulator in her heart.

[I, I, I, I... you're so scared that you can't even say the word "I like you." You stayed silent, and only the bamboo forest around you continued to emit crisp sounds. The natural sound of the Sagano Bamboo Forest is known as one of Japan's 100 most memorable sounds, but you couldn't hear it clearly due to your nervousness.]

Speak, my other self, don't be so shy. On the other side of the screen, Hitori Gotoh didn't like her simulated self.

[Isn't the music in the bamboo forest nice? I've heard your guitar playing, and it's interesting. Kitahara Toru's voice brought you back to reality. You knew he didn't want to embarrass you because he was gentle. But the more gently he spoke, the harder it became for you to confess.]

[More than ten seconds passed. The wind gradually stopped, the "music" in his mouth ceased, and the atmosphere became awkward.]

[What color do you like? He asked again and then added: White? Red? Blue? Or green?]

[You like pink, but it's not among his options, so you choose the closest answer: red. Red symbolizes passion and vitality, and it seems to suit Ikuyo Kita better than you. You've concluded that this confession is unlikely to succeed.]

[That's right. An optimistic youth isn't for someone with social anxiety like you. Maybe energy-saving mode is more suitable for you?]

What to do? What to do?

Hitori Gotoh looked at the description in the simulator and covered her head. Her messy pink hair suddenly became even messier.

Is this the first simulation, and it's already going to fail?

[Faced with a relationship that seems doomed to fail, you make a decision and gather the last bit of courage you have left, saying——]

[1. I like you! Kitahara-san! Please go out with me!]

[2. Kitahara-san, I'm your fan!! Please give me your autograph!]

[3. Lie on the ground and pretend to be dead, close your eyes, and wait for the end of the world.]

"What should I choose?" Hitori Gotoh stared at the three options in front of her.

The first one, definitely not. In this situation, confessing is like giving up.

The second one is a delaying tactic, treating the symptoms but not the root cause.

The third one, that's just a disaster.

'Choose option two!'

[Kitahara-san, I'm your fan!! Please give me your autograph!]

[After you said it, you could clearly see a hint of surprise on Kitahara Toru's face. He had read your confession letter and knew the purpose of your trip. Because of this, he seemed so puzzled. Kitahara Toru's favorability +5.]

[You got an autograph and thought that if you sold it to Kitahara Toru's fans, you could probably get at least tens of thousands of yen. You were very happy... This is a lie.]

[At the end of the school trip, on the way home, you couldn't help but cry all day, hiding in the closet.]

[The pain of a broken heart made you even shyer, but with the comfort of your bandmates, you spent a month recovering. Courage +2, Charm +1.]

[You set aside your love and focused on perfecting your skills. You're convinced that, with no men in your heart, the guitar will be your goddess. The result is what you expected: under your leadership, Kessoku Band has become a famous band in Shimokitazawa, with hundreds of fans attending every concert.]

Hitori Gotoh looked at the text in the simulator and couldn't tell for a moment if it was a bad or happy ending.

Kessoku Band became famous, but she wasn't happy at all.

What about the love simulator she had been looking forward to so much?

It hurts, it hurts so much. Hitori Gotoh felt the same and felt a small pain in her stomach.

[Time passes slowly, and soon, your three years of high school are over. During those three years of youth and freshness, you had no success in love. As the saying goes, "those who lose in love, win in work," and so, your romantic failure transformed into unprecedented success in your studies and career. Attractiveness +1, Courage +1, Knowledge +2.]

[After graduation, you decided to bid farewell to your youth without regrets and, with that in mind, you confessed your love to Kitahara Toru once more.]

[Spring brings the cherry blossoms again. Near Shuka High School, there's a popular park for flower viewing, where the legend says that those who confess here will live together until the end.]

[This time, you openly expressed your feelings for him, but in the face of your sincere emotions, Kitahara Toru seemed to hesitate a little...]

What happened next?

Hurry up.

Hitori Gotoh was anxious but also scared.

More than ten seconds passed.

[Kitahara Toru agreed.]

[You and Kitahara Toru became a couple.]

Yes, yes, yes!!! Success!

Gotou happily stood up in the closet and then hit her head hard. She felt pain and sat down, covering her head, and continued to check the information in the simulator with tears in her eyes.

Finally, she had fallen in love with the person she liked. How happy she was!

[Because your universities are different, you started a long-distance relationship. Kessoku Band hasn't disbanded, but each member has gone their separate ways, and the time for activities is slowly decreasing.]

[Kitahara Toru often visits you at your university.]

[In the Christmas of your first year of university, you said goodbye to your innocence. Kindness +5, Agility +2, Knowledge +2.]

"It's normal for college couples to do this kind of thing..." Bocchi-chan turned her head, not daring to read the words in front of her.

There were no images, just words, but she still felt shy.

[Two years of deep love passed.]

[In the spring of your third year, he suddenly told you he had decided to study abroad. You asked why, and he only said he wanted to follow his dream. A dream? It felt strange to you. But no matter how many times you asked, he never gave details, only smiled.]

[Suddenly, you realized you knew very little about him. He was tender and considerate, always revolving around you, treating you like his sun. He knew about your social anxiety, so he never let you plan the dates; he always arranged them secretly.]

[He knew you feared being scolded, so he never reprimanded you. When he got angry, he just patted your head and smiled with a resigned laugh. But you took all of that for granted, not noticing his own thoughts.]

[You regretted it. During the two years of your relationship, you had only given him one gift: a red scarf.]

[Realizing the truth, you felt devastated, but you still couldn't make him change his mind.]

[Soon after, he gradually cut off all contact with you.]

The sudden shift in the situation made Goto Ichiri feel a knot in her heart.

No way?

Did they break up?

[He left and never returned.]

[Ten years later, you're still single and come to the park where you confessed your love. In the past ten years, you've made many new friends and had a successful career, but you've never seen him again. You wondered if things would have been different if you had paid more attention to his feelings.]

[You don't know.]

[Sitting on a bench, with the spring breeze caressing your mature face, under the warm sun, you close your eyes. In a trance, you vaguely hear footsteps.]

Hitori Gotoh looked at the final panel of the simulator and remained silent for a long time.

[Game Over!]

[Your life has been successful. You broke free from romantic ties and fulfilled your dream of becoming a rock star. You earned a fortune, overcame your social anxiety, and became a confident person on any stage, but for one man, you'll live with a void and never see him again.]

[You won, but it seemed like you completely lost.]

[Simulator Evaluation: C]

[As your first simulation, you can choose two of the following three options as rewards——]

[1. Perfect Pitch (You can identify any pitch emitted by instruments or the environment without reference. It's said that Ludwig van Beethoven had this ability.)]

[2. Solar Angle Strength (You can always liven up the atmosphere and prevent conversations from going cold.)]

[3. Kitahara Toru's Favorability +10]

Is this still a choice?

I choose 1 and 3.

Although Hitori Gotoh wished to be more outgoing, after reading the simulator's plot, her sensitive heart couldn't ignore it.

"Kitahara-kun, I won't let you be sad again."