[Your boyfriend has fallen into a state of despair.]
[He has indulged himself even further, spending his days drunk in bars. This situation has continued for four months…]
Ryo looked at the simulator's updates and frowned slightly…
She really hadn't expected Hitori's departure to have such a huge impact on Toru.
She clicked on the bonds button.
Her eyes lingered on the breakup option, wondering if she should press it.
After thinking for a few seconds, she shook her head without pressing the button.
At this point, Toru might go completely insane.
No matter how emotionally detached Ryo was, she didn't want to hurt someone who had sacrificed so much for the bass, to the point of losing his sanity.
"I'll take better care of him from now on."
Suddenly, Ryo felt that her past behavior had been excessive.
The simulator's information kept scrolling.
———
[As soon as he graduated from university, Toru abandoned the idea of continuing his studies. He did not take the graduate school entrance exam, nor did he join any band.]
[After a small farewell party, you and Toru sat in a small park and talked.]
[The night breeze was gentle, and both of you remained silent for several minutes.]
[Suddenly, he broke the silence and said that he wouldn't be able to accompany you in the coming years.]
[You asked him why, and Toru, with a complicated expression, finally reassured you with the words: "When I come back, I'll bring you a gift."]
[A gift? You don't need a gift. You know you haven't taken care of him enough these past few years, and now, you just want to be with him. You say——]
1. Take care. Don't forget to drink hot water when it's cold.
2. Don't go, stay with me, please. I need you.
3. Firmly ask him for details.
4. Simulate it yourself.
I definitely can't choose the first one.
The second option was convincing him to stay.
Or the third....
She chose 3.
———
[Pressured by your insistence, Toru finally reveals that he wants to travel the world and improve his bass-playing skills by learning from other bassists. Knowing this, though you are worried, you have no excuse to stop him. You know this has always been his dream to reach the highest level in the art of bass.]
...There are no other choices?
Turns out, option 3 was pretty much the same as 1, both of them meant accepting his departure.
Ryo only realized it afterward.
Well, fine. Traveling abroad was okay.
And studying bass techniques overseas shouldn't be too dangerous.
———
[After his departure, you continue your daily life, which remains peaceful, though at times, you feel an emptiness inside. Perhaps some things can only be appreciated after they are lost.]
[Toru often sends you photos of the new friends he has met, the inspiration he found today, the music he composed, and some exotic landscapes. His photography skills are excellent. Just seeing Toru's smile in the pictures makes you feel a little better.]
[After graduating, you chose to build your fame on the internet. Kessoku Band, which you left in high school, had disbanded years ago, and Knot, the band you joined later, also completely dissolved due to a lack of members.]
[Your relationship with Nijika remains the same as before. She doesn't resent you for leaving high school without notice. She's still the same adorable angel, though sometimes she wonders...]
[If you and Bocchi-chan had stayed in the band, could Kessoku Band have successfully become a top-tier rock star, performed at Budokan, and even at the New Year's special...? But that possibility only existed in dreams.]
[Nijika couldn't imagine the answer. After all… Kessoku Band's story had already ended.]
[After graduating from university, Nijika inherited STARRY and helped her sister run it. Ikuyo Kita left rock music and became a very typical social media influencer. She has many online fans and often interacts with you to help you grow your audience.]
[And so it was.]
———
[Three years have passed.]
[Toru is still struggling abroad, and your internet fame continues to rise. Your online popularity grows more and more, making you a famous blogger thanks to your mastery of the bass, with millions of followers. But you don't feel happy. You have become the kind of person you once hated the most. Because of your agency, you began adjusting your musical arrangements to fit popular trends, following the mainstream, and your fame reached its peak.]
[In this way, little by little, you lost your personality, and the expectations of your fans exhausted you. At that moment, you wished for someone to lean on, but the person who cared most about you had long since left your life.]
You lost your personality...
Personality.
Looking at those two words, Ryo felt a bitter taste in her heart.
To benefit from Toru...
Hadn't she already discarded her personality long ago?
Memories slowly resurfaced.
Throughout the simulation, she had not only failed Toru's sincere feelings, but she had also pushed him to the edge just to exploit his potential for bass.
She had thought, "This is just a simulation, not the real world."
She had played with a man who loved her, treating him like a digital pet.
That person was not [Ryo] at all!
No!
"I can't let this continue."
Ryo's eyes gradually became determined.
She ended the auto-run mode that had been operating for years and changed her plan.
She continued simulating.
———
[You paid a huge sum in penalties to terminate your contract with the agency. Most of what you had earned over the years had been taken by the company. What remained was only enough to cover your basic needs. Fortunately, your family was wealthy, and as an only child, you had no other burdens.]
[Returning home, you opened an independent account and began pouring out your overflowing desire to compose music. Although you had few fans at first, you felt happier than before.]
Good. That's right.
This is me.
Ryo felt relieved.
———
[Returning to your original intentions, you think about your boyfriend who is far away in a foreign country. He still sends you pictures from time to time. Some time ago, you listened to the new music he sent you.]
[As soon as you heard it, you knew his bass had finally reached the divine level, a level you couldn't even imagine. But now, the thought of benefitting from him had long since disappeared. You could only wish him the best and share in his happiness.]
[Without the burden of work, you communicate more with Nijika. You're just like in high school again, chatting and shopping together like best friends. Ikuyo Kita soon joins in, and aside from Hitori, most of Kessoku Band has been revived in this way.]
———
[Another two years have passed.]
[He still sends you photos, but less frequently now. His smile in the pictures remains the same.]
"…Something doesn't feel right."
Ryo stared at the simulator's messages.
No, no!
I have to call him back!
Ryo quickly pressed the marriage proposal button.
[You proposed marriage to Toru, and he…]