Intensive Training

[You have activated the Extreme Pressure Training Method.]

[This method requires you to maintain pressure within the range of 100~200 to gain experience.]

[Tip: Your skill has reached the upper limit of improvement: Bass Playing LV.5 (0/10,000).]

Ten thousand.

Kitahara Toru looked at the experience bar displayed in the skill column—this was how difficult it was for a mortal to reach the world of geniuses.

In the simulator, he had entered university, was now 19 years old, and had 16 years left to live.

That meant he needed to improve his skills to master level within those 16 years—a challenge so difficult and complicated that words couldn't describe it.

But he was highly motivated.

Time to train hard!

He activated full realistic mode.

[You have activated full realistic mode. Be careful, extreme pressure mode will rapidly deplete your mental energy and may even affect reality. Do not overuse it. ]

Kitahara Toru's consciousness quickly left reality.

———

[Your boyfriend, Kitahara Toru, has recently started training hard on the bass.]

After showering, Yamada Ryo lay on her bed, checking messages in the simulator.

"Even though he reached a professional level in the simulator, it's useless."

Yamada Ryo looked at her skill bar and felt that the simulator was truly too limited—no matter how hard she tried, she could only experience things inside the simulation.

In the simulation, she could play at any level and perform professionally on the bass.

But to prevent players from cheating…

Once they returned to reality, all those skills were forgotten.

At this point, all she could do was hope that Kitahara Toru trained hard and reached a higher level on his own.

"Go for it, Toru-kun."

Yamada Ryo truly meant those words from the bottom of her heart.

———

[Your boyfriend Kitahara Toru has been training intensively for several months. Seeing him, he seems a bit out of it. You decide…]

No pain, no gain—push him to train even harder!Hold him in your arms, do what a girlfriend should do, and tell him he doesn't have to work so hard anymore—it's enough.Ignore it.Do it yourself in the simulator.

Yamada Ryo looked at the choices displayed in the simulator and began to think.

She chose option 1.

Since this was a virtual world, there was no need to worry too much.

After all, it was just bass training—it wasn't like he was going to die.

———

[With the support of his girlfriend, Kitahara Toru trained even harder. During his first two years of university, he maintained high-intensity training. Even the time he spent on dates with you was drastically reduced. He felt guilty toward you.]

Guilty?

For what?

Yamada Ryo didn't quite understand.

The harder he worked on bass, the happier she felt!

At that moment, she was so happy she almost laughed.

———

[At the start of his third year, you noticed that his mental state was deteriorating. He started drinking. He went crazy every day while playing bass, claiming that "freedom is the true meaning of a bassist." He spent very little time awake each day.]

[Kitahara Toru's Skills - Bass Playing LV.5 → Professional Bass Playing.]

Not bad.

———

[Seeing his increasingly worn-out appearance, you couldn't bear it and tried to stop him, but he simply smiled and said he aspired to become a bassist whose skills were at the absolute limit. Facing him, you decide…]

Geniuses to the left, madmen to the right. He has become a genius—keep pushing him to work harder!Cry and beg him—it's enough, don't ruin your body any further… Really, it's enough.Ignore it.Simulate it yourself.

This time, Yamada Ryo chose option 1 without even thinking.

———

[Kitahara Toru is very happy to have a devilish girlfriend like you. Recently, he had thought about giving up, but as soon as you pushed him, he became determined to keep going. He wanted to continue understanding the true meaning of the bass. However, this time, instead of practicing excessively, he traveled all over Japan, playing on the streets in his free time at university.]

[He made many bad friends, smokes, drinks, and plays pachinko. Aside from not playing around with women and only loving you, he already reeks as a man.]

[Your parents have recently expressed dissatisfaction with him and urged you to cut contact with him—even telling you to find a new boyfriend—but you love him too much and refused.]

[Kitahara Toru's Skills - Professional Bass Playing → Master Bass Playing.]

Seems like she made the right decision.

Yamada Ryo thought this simulator was really simple.

Just make a few choices, and she could control everything.

The burden on Kitahara Toru had stacked up extremely fast, and in an instant, several years had passed.

At this rate, maybe she could finish the first simulation before going to bed…

Maybe?

———

[Attention! Unexpected event!]

[One day, when you visited Kitahara Toru at his university, you found him alone with a girl…]

[Would you like to enter a special event?]

Is he about to betray me?

Yamada Ryo felt a bit worried.

She still hadn't reached the 100 favorability points needed for a value reward…

If she couldn't exchange her skills when the time came, wouldn't that mean all her efforts were wasted?

Let's go in!

Yamada Ryo wanted to see who this woman was.

———

In the silent hallway.

Yamada Ryo heard the sound of a bass and immediately recognized it as Kitahara Toru practicing.

A moment later, she heard the sound of a guitar.

The two were playing in perfect harmony, like mandarin ducks flying together or birds singing in unison.

Following the sound, Yamada Ryo arrived at a music room.

She didn't open the door right away—instead, she prepared to eavesdrop.

The ensemble quickly faded.

"Thanks for practicing with me all these years."

"No, it's fine. We're friends."

The familiar voice immediately made Yamada Ryo realize—

What?

Kitahara Toru knows Bocchi?

"Yeah, we're just friends. But you're about to graduate from university, and I haven't seen you dating anyone. Don't you want to fall in love?"

Kitahara Toru joked: "You're obviously very beautiful, but you also worked hard to get into university. You even abandoned your guitar for two years. I thought you changed your image to find a good boyfriend."

"Ah… I wasn't thinking about that. I just wanted to be with you." Bocchi-chan replied softly.

It sounded like a normal conversation.

Yamada Ryo sighed in relief.

If her simulator boyfriend was stolen by a good friend, that would be really embarrassing.

Wait.

Bocchi stopped playing guitar for two years to get into university?

Yamada Ryo: "?"

This really is a simulation—it's Rock 'n' Roll.

The conversation inside continued:

"Do you still have activities with the band you joined in high school?"

"Well… we broke up early because the bassist left."

"Bassist?"

"Yeah, she's your girlfriend. Ryo-san was our bassist back then."

Yamada Ryo: "..."

She had never really paid attention to the simulator's band-related information.

After all, it was just a game—too much hassle to care about.

But… did Kessoku Band really break up because of her?

And now…

"Kitahara-san… can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"...These years we've spent together—have they made you fall in love with me?"

An unexpected question.

Yamada Ryo was stunned—

Had she just misheard?

Bocchi… what did you just say?