[Game Over!] [Your life was calm and beautiful. You trekked across half the globe, capturing dazzling auroras, radiant stars, Antarctic icebergs, and Arctic snowscapes with your camera. Your photography skills reached perfection, almost otherworldly. Mysterious and little-known, you're revered as a god in small circles.] [With a clear mind and tranquil heart, your spiritual state has reached heights unattainable by most.] [Simulation Evaluation: S (Perfect)] [Given your outstanding performance, you may choose three of the following rewards:] [1. God-Level Photography (Turn the mundane into magic; even casual shots leave people in awe.)] [2. Handmade Girlfriend Scarf (Filled with your girlfriend's love, it can withstand -20°C cold.)] [3. Photo of a White Fox (The pet that accompanied you in your later years.)] [4. 100 Million Yen (The power of wealth.)] [5. Doubled Physical Fitness (The foundation of revolution.)]
"Options 1, 3, and 5."
Toru Kitahara lounges on the sofa, yawning lazily.
This Game Life Simulator is pretty fun.
Beyond text-based simulation, it offers immersive mental experiences. In the latter half of the simulation, he spent a lot of time petting the little fox.
"I chose photographer this time. What should I pick next?" Toru muses, standing up. He retrieves the white fox photo from the simulator's reward tab and smiles at it.
So cute~
Too bad it was just a simulation. He might never see it again.
As for his college girlfriend of two years, Hitomi Goto, Toru remembers her well. Before transmigrating from China, he often read urban web novels, and for a while, socially anxious "hidden gem" girls like her were all the rage.
Hiding her eyes, wearing plain clothes, always slouching… what was her name? Shen-something?
"Tch, so cliché."
Toru likes girls like that, but they're exhausting to be with.
Take Hitomi Goto. She's the type who shines with a bit of sunlight, but in the simulation, he poured his heart into caring for her, and all he got was a scarf after two years. Her social anxiety made it hard for her to even express concern.
Toru understood her struggles and didn't complain, but it was tiring.
He took trains over 200 kilometers every week to see her. Planning dates was a hassle too—he couldn't let her down, could he?
After two years, Hitomi was happy, but he was drained.
In a one-sided relationship, he was exhausted in both the simulation and reality, feeling a headache coming on.
Since it's just a game, he decided to break up and chase his dreams. Long pain is worse than short pain. He even cut off all contact with Hitomi soon after.
The consequences? He doesn't care.
No one's life stops because of one person. Don't think too highly of yourself or others.
"It's late. Time to sleep."
Turning off the living room lights, Toru glances at the spacious, somewhat empty room, lost in thought for a moment before heading to bed.
The next day.
In the early morning, Toru grabs the Sony camera he bought long ago and heads out to capture the morning street scenes.
The rising sun paints a vibrant, lively picture right before his eyes.
Toru focuses his camera on the glimmers in his view—
A newspaper delivery boy zipping by on a bicycle.
An office worker, likely hungover from last night, collapsed in a street corner.
A crow napping on a telephone pole, a glossy stray cat strolling by, probably fed by a kind old lady.
After shooting, he reviews the photos in his camera and nods, satisfied. God-level photography is even more fun than he imagined.
The simulator's skills translate to reality better than expected.
He wonders if future simulations will always achieve perfect results.
Compared to photography, careers like assassin, politician, or inventor would be harder to perfect in one go. But that's the fun of the game, isn't it? If it's too easy, it's boring. Toru craves excitement and challenge, tired of a predictable life.
"Two weeks into the school year, and nothing interesting has happened?" Toru muses, suddenly recalling his simulated online girlfriend, Hitomi Goto…
This girl seems pretty interesting. I should tease her sometime. A boring life needs some fun, after all.
Transitional Scene (Goto Family Home)
"Sis, get up!!"
Futari Goto yanks open the closet door, only to find her no-good sister foaming at the mouth, looking like she's on the verge of death.
"Sis, what's wrong with you?"
"Guhh~" Bocchi-chan hugs her guitar, shaken back to reality after a few nudges from her sister.
"…Sis?"
"Ah… Futari?" Bocchi-chan's eyes well up with tears.
Muttering to herself with a dejected expression, she says, "Futari, Sis's cheat code isn't working anymore. What do I do? My dream of becoming a rock star, my money… I don't want to live in poverty… Waaah, I want to be famous."
Last night, after finishing her first simulation, she'd immediately wanted to run a second one to win back Toru Kitahara's affection.
But the simulator kept notifying her that it was still on cooldown and would alert her when ready.
Bocchi-chan suspects the whole thing might just be her imagination, like those fantasy friends she chats with in her head…
That's why she'd been so upset she couldn't sleep all night.
"Cheat code? What are you talking about, Sis? Daydreaming again?"
Futari Goto isn't seeing this for the first time—her sister's rambling nonsense—and quickly brushes it off. "Come on, breakfast is ready. The miso soup's gonna get cold."
"Ah… Okay."
Bocchi-chan makes a (6д9) face, forced to accept that her cheat code was gone.
She tells herself everything will be fine.
As long as the Kessoku Band girls are around, it'll all work out.
Half an hour later.
Hitomi Goto sits in her classroom, a tidal wave of loneliness making her shiver.
No matter how strong she is in the game, it's all fake.
But how weak she is in reality… waaah, that's all too real! Rock queen? Celebrity boyfriend? All delusions!
Bocchi-chan slumps over her desk, deciding to dive into her fantasies and thoroughly escape reality!
Sleep it off. I'm just a hopeless idiot who always ranks at the bottom anyway.
The sounds around her fade, and Hitomi knows she's about to drift into that baby-like comfortable slumber.
Just as she's on the verge of falling asleep—
"Goto-san, is that… a guitar on your back?"
Hitomi slowly lifts her head.
Is this it?! The first classmate to talk to me!
But upon seeing Toru Kitahara's face up close, the shock hits her hard, and she melts into a puddle, her hopes dashed.