[Since this is the player's first time achieving the "Extreme" rating, a special detailed score breakdown will be displayed.]
[Life Achievement Score: 94] (You showed the world the true meaning of genius.)
[Life Happiness Score: 89] (You had a girlfriend who loved you deeply, but you could not spend your lives together, which is truly regrettable.)
[Time Factor Rating: 99] (You reached an extraordinary level in just two years, unprecedented in history.)
[Professional Mastery: 98] (Your understanding of the violin has reached perfection.)
[Bonus Event Points: None.]
[Total Score: 95] (EX)
"Four evaluation criteria and one bonus event," Toru murmured.
He finally understood why his earlier simulations had never reached a top rating and always capped at S-rank.
His happiness score had always been too low, dragging down his average, while the other categories could only go so far.
In his first simulation, he spent sixty years becoming a divine-tier photographer, dated his girlfriend for only three years, then lived a lonely life.
In the second, he died young, with no one to care for him, so his happiness remained low.
In the third, he himself survived, but his wife passed away first.
After that, he devoted his life to developing medicine for his daughter's sake. That kind of life was nothing short of tragic, so happiness could hardly be high.
Even the last simulation had a low happiness score.
If not for the perfect "time factor" boosting the total, he would have gotten another S.
Looks like, in future runs, I'll have to balance personal happiness instead of throwing everything into skill grinding, Kitahara thought.
[Because of your outstanding performance, you may choose five rewards from the following eight options.]
[1. Divine-tier Violin Performance (Your music draws the gaze of the stars themselves, and the heavens shine for you.)]
[2. Stress limit increased by 20 points.]
[3. Kita Ikuyo Perfect Ending Card (Use this to amend the regrets of your previous life. Your terminal illness will be cured.)]
[4. Yamada Ryo True Love Card (Use this, and in your next simulation, no woman except Yamada Ryo will fall for you. "Five hundred glances in a past life for one meeting in this one... How many more must I give to live inside your heart?")]
[5. Purikura photo with your girlfriend (A precious memory from your days of passion.)]
[6. Talent Upgrade Card (Raises one talent to the next tier.)]
[7. Three billion yen (Overwhelming financial power.)]
[8. Physical ability doubled (The foundation of all endeavors.)]
What to choose…
This time, Toru really felt troubled.
Because...
"There are only four useful ones. What should I pick for the fifth?"
Not that he was being ungrateful, but some of these were pointless.
A "Perfect Ending Card"?
Kita Ikuyo wasn't terminally ill, so what was the point? That would just waste a slot.
The purikura photo?
Kitahara never confused simulation with reality, so he would never choose that either.
In the end, only one made sense was number 4.
"Ryo-chan, seriously, I'm gonna cry," he muttered, wiping at an eye that wasn't remotely wet. He decided that if he didn't meet anyone he liked more in the next simulation, he'd marry Yamada Ryo.
He selected 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8.
A divine-tier skill with special effects was a must. The stress limit increase would speed up leveling. The talent upgrade card spoke for itself, and doubling his physical stats was non-negotiable.
———
June, the rainy season.
After school, Toru headed for the library to return a book.
He had borrowed [In Search of Lost Time] last week and was bringing it back today. That kind of stream-of-consciousness writing was far too abstract for him; he preferred something more straightforward.
He handed the book to the librarian.
Once the return process was done, he wandered toward the shelves to find something new to read.
A few minutes later, a girl with long red hair entered the library, carrying a book in her hands.
Kita Ikuyo was there to return a book for a friend.
Once she was done, she planned to head to Shimokitazawa to practice guitar with Gotoh Hitori.
In the simulation, she had done whatever she wanted, even betraying her bandmates and best friend Gotoh Hitori.
But in reality, Kita Ikuyo would never do such a thing.
After the simulation ended, she'd had dozens of moments when she wanted to go see Toru, but for Hitori's sake, she stopped herself.
Besides, she knew perfectly well that simulations and real life should never mix.
In reality, she and Kitahara-kun had only exchanged a few words, not enough to be called acquaintances.
Running up to him now and saying, "We knew each other in our past lives, so let's be together this time"? That would sound insane!
What guy would like a girl like that?
"Excuse me, I'm here to return this," she said softly, handing the book to the librarian before glancing around the quiet room.
Two months into her first year of high school, this was her first visit. The place was peaceful and filled with warm light.
Maybe I should borrow one too, she thought, stepping toward the shelves.
One step.
Another.
Then she stopped at the corner.
The late spring breeze drifted through the window. Toru stood quietly by the glass, the white curtain swaying faintly beside him. Sunlight poured down his face as he held a hardcover book, lost in thought.
The sight was beautiful, almost dreamlike.
Kita couldn't help recalling her memories from the simulation...
Kitahara-kun often gazed off into the distance. His eyes were always clear, the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.
Maybe... that was because she liked him.
"Kitahara-kun…"
The name slipped out before she could stop herself, and she immediately regretted it.
They had never spoken privately before.
Nervousness and shyness rose in her chest.
Toru looked up at the sound, closing his book. "What a coincidence, Kita-san. You're here to borrow books too?"
"…Yeah."
She nodded. Honestly, seeing him like that, bathed in sunlight, calm and focused. Made her heart race.
If I end up liking him, how am I supposed to face Gotoh-san later?
"Want me to recommend something?"
"Can I?"
He was still so kind. Such a good person.
Kita felt a soft warmth in her heart, a trace of that feeling she had when spending time with her boyfriend in the simulation.
"Of course."
Kitahara-kun led her along the shelves and handed her a copy of [In Search of Lost Time, Volume 1] the very same book he had just returned. A famously difficult and abstract read.
Some people, when caught in the rain, insist on dragging someone else into it. That was Toru.
"This one?"
"Yeah, it's super fun and super easy to read," he said with a faint smile.
Kita held the book, nodding happily.
———
That night.
"This is awful. Who could even read this?"
Kita sat at her desk, clutching her head. After just a few pages of the so-called "masterpiece," she realized she'd been tricked again by Toru.
She was irritated, helpless, and a little delighted.
No matter what, she had shared an interaction with him, hadn't she?
As the first step toward being a coupl.... cough, friends it was a complete success.