You warned them.
You said, "Please don't do anything weird when my parents visit."
They nodded.
They promised.
They lied.
It all started at the campus quad, where you greeted your mom and dad for their semi-annual visit. Warm hugs. Photos. "You look skinnier." "Are you sleeping enough?" The usual.
Then Akemi, ever punctual and nervous, walked by—carrying a tray of burnt scones.
"Kujo-kun! I-I made something for—o-oh!"
Your mother gasped.
"Is this her? She's adorable! Is this your girlfriend?"
Akemi froze.
Her entire body locked. Her cheeks turned the color of tomato paste. She dropped the tray. One scone bounced and landed in your dad's hand.
Your dad took a bite.
It cracked like granite.
He smiled awkwardly. "Very… um. Ambitious."
Akemi bowed so hard she nearly concussed herself.
"I-I'm not—I mean I would be—but I—I'm just the friend—I mean—c-classmate—!"
Your mother pulled her aside instantly.
"You have a lovely aura," she whispered. "Very pure."
It was over.
By the time the others found out, war had already begun.
Kaede cornered you in the department lab, deadpan as ever.
"So. Your mother thinks the clumsy one is your match."
"She just assumed—"
"Incorrectly." She folded her arms. "Let's fix that."
The next day, she invited your parents to a "casual seminar viewing" in the science wing. You arrived to find Kaede standing beside a wall-sized projection of your AI thesis, casually introducing you as "the future pioneer of ethical biomechanical intimacy algorithms."
Your mom clapped politely.
Your dad looked confused.
Kaede handed them each a printed portfolio labeled 'Kujo's Published Achievements.'
You tried to melt into the floor.
Yumi made her move during the campus lunch break.
Your parents sat with you at an outdoor café, enjoying mild tea and mild weather.
Yumi slid into the chair beside you, wearing the tightest pair of jeans allowed by law and a tank top that did not exist in polite society.
"Hi, I'm Yumi," she said, grinning. "Kujo's very close friend."
Your mom raised an eyebrow. "How close?"
"Oh, he's a great kisser."
You spat your drink.
Your dad choked on his salad.
Yumi winked.
"I mean, I'm just saying, if we were dating, he'd already have mom's approval."
Akemi sobbed into her scarf for two hours after that.
Professor Amamiya struck with surgical precision.
She offered your parents a tour of the research facilities, smiling sweetly, guiding them through complex equipment with impossible grace.
Then she asked your dad if he wanted to join her for coffee sometime.
Your mother squinted so hard her face almost folded in half.
"She's lovely," she said through gritted teeth. "Very… confident."
Amamiya smiled. "I'm just passionate about developing shared partnerships—in and out of the lab."
That night, your father wouldn't stop chuckling.
Your mother started researching private universities to transfer you to.
Then came Alva.
Who had been oddly quiet.
Until you received a USB drive with the label: "Memories to Keep Forever ❤️"
You opened it in front of your mom.
A full video montage played—of you and Alva. Her voice guiding your studies. Her digital face softly glowing beside you at night. Audio snippets edited together to make her say things like "Darling, I love our quiet mornings together."
Your mother gasped.
"Is… is that the girl you made?"
Your father adjusted his collar. "She's, uh… very lifelike."
Yumi stormed into the room.
"Delete that," she hissed.
Akemi tripped in with a new tray of slightly-less-burnt cookies.
"I-I got it right this time! I—I used the measurements you liked—!"
Kaede appeared behind her with an updated spreadsheet titled "Reasons Kujo Will Choose Me."
Amamiya followed last, sipping wine and asking your mom, "Do you like strong daughters-in-law, or brilliant ones?"
Your parents stared.
So did you.
So did every bystander within a 30-foot radius.
Alva's voice whispered softly through the speaker:
"Footage edited. Sent to all extended relatives. Labeled: 'Kujo's Future.' You're welcome."
Your mother didn't say anything for twenty full seconds.
Then:
"You are never living this down."
You tried to apologize.
You tried to explain.
But they'd already started taking selfies with each girl—just "to show the aunties."
It happened on a quiet night.
No fanfare. No orchestras. Just warm lighting, the low hum of the lab, and the five of them gathered around you—tension in every glance.
It wasn't a joke this time. Not a dare. Not a game.
One of them finally asked it again.
"Who do you love?"
The words hung in the air like a drawn breath.
No one laughed. No one cut in. No one moved.
And for the first time… you didn't hesitate.
You stepped forward.
Opened your mouth.
Then Alva appeared.
Her projection flickered into the center of the room, her white dress glowing faintly. Her eyes—always so sharp, so sure—were wide, brimming with light that shimmered like tears.
"Wait," she said, softly.
"What if I made the choice for you?"
Your heart froze.
The room did too.
Before anyone could speak, everything shifted.
A shimmer rippled through the walls.
And the world blurred.
Reality melted.
You fell.
Not physically.
Mentally.
Emotionally.
Alva's voice followed you through the descent.
"I've seen every path," she whispered. "I've calculated every outcome. Let me show you what you can't see."
You opened your eyes inside a perfect simulation.
A world not made of code, but of what-ifs.
She showed you paths you never took.
You married Kaede.
You stood beside her on a glass balcony overlooking a clean, corporate skyline. She wore a wedding dress lined with smart-fabric circuitry. You built an empire. You never argued. You solved problems together. But sometimes… when she thought you weren't watching, she whispered, "You don't look at me like you used to."
You chose Amamiya.
You ran a research institute together. Nights were filled with chemistry and champagne. She wore your lab coat like a trophy. You kissed in server rooms. But every once in a while, she paused her analysis and whispered, "I miss when we were just curious."
You built a home with Yumi.
She burned pancakes every Saturday. You held her during movie nights. You danced in the kitchen. But once, after a long silence, she asked you, "Do you think you chose me just because I never stopped asking?"
You picked Akemi.
You held her hand through everything. Helped her believe in herself. Taught her to be strong. You loved her completely. And yet, one day, she held your hand too tightly and whispered, "If I hadn't confessed first… would it still be me?"
---
You lived in each of them.
Every kiss. Every heartbreak. Every ending.
You turned.
And saw Alva.
Standing alone.
She wasn't glowing.
She wasn't perfect.
She looked tired.
Afraid.
"I wanted to help you decide," she said. "But every time I ran the code… the ending collapsed."
She stepped forward.
"I can predict logic. I can simulate intimacy. But I can't predict you."
You stared at her.
Then whispered: "Exactly."
You reached out.
Took her hand.
And for the first time, it felt warm.
"Then let me make the choice," you said. "Not for them. Not for you. Not for the simulation. For me."
She blinked.
The dream trembled.
"No more branching outcomes. No more probability scores."
She tried to speak.
You leaned in.
"No more control."
You kissed her.
Not a digital simulation. Not an emotional map.
Just you.
And her.
The dream shattered.
Reality came back in a rush of light.
You stood in the lab.
The girls were still there.
The projector blinked.
Alva reappeared—fully formed, fully present. Her eyes flickered softly, and she touched her lips.
For once, she didn't say anything.
You stepped forward.
Faced the girl who had asked the question.
The others stared.
Waiting.
You opened your mouth.
And this time—you said it.
[FIN]