Chapter 2: The Grind! The Hardcore Grind!
Haruka tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep.
Although he was still a bit dissatisfied that this was a Love Simulator and not a Leveling System, he had a second thought.
By utilizing the Simulator's abilities, maybe he could use it to study!
He didn't love studying, but he needed to rely on it.
Having lived two lives, Haruka had a pretty clear understanding of how society worked. For instance, schools taught you ideals—Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. But once you stepped out into the real world, it was all about Reality—Money, Power, and Influence.
The "social elite"—people who stood above everyone else—truly existed.
If he wanted to live a spectacular life, a life without worries, a life where he could do whatever he wanted, then he had to become one of those elites!
And in this damn place called Japan, university really was the only normal ladder for upward mobility. If you missed this window, it would be too late for regrets. It was just like those anime he used to watch—everyone was falling in love, playing around, and acting like they didn't have a care in the world. But in reality? Those good times only lasted for these couple of years.
Once they graduated and hit society, they'd either have to work menial wage jobs or inherit their family's small shops. And honestly, inheriting a small shop wasn't exactly a great outcome; it was more of a helpless resignation.
This was a place where the elite raised more elites, and those born at the bottom stayed stuck at the bottom. So, most people had no choice but to take over the family business. They couldn't afford luxury hotels, they couldn't enjoy extravagance, they couldn't become elites, and they would never see the broader world. They would spend every day calculating pennies just to survive, bowing their heads for a paycheck, unable to afford better medical treatment when they got sick, never moving up a single step their entire lives.
Finally, they would have children who would repeat that same life, without a single change.
Class. That is what social class is.
Because there was truly no other way, Haruka wanted to carve out a path through sheer academic effort. Unfortunately, reality had dealt him a heavy blow. Even with two lives worth of experience, he wasn't a genius. He couldn't compare to those freaks who had been studying high school curriculum since elementary school.
In a moment of clarity, he had been prepared to lower his standards slightly—getting into a "good enough" university would be fine; the future wouldn't be entirely hopeless. But who could have guessed that things would take such a sharp turn?
Study!
I'm going to study!
What?
Romance?
Get the hell out of here!
That will only slow down my progress!
Haruka closed his eyes.
[Love Simulator]
[Current Simulation Targets: Shoko Nishimiya, Sora Kasugano]
[Image : Sora Kasugano]
???
Simulator, you're definitely sick in the head!
Sora is my sister!
Haruka was speechless as he mentally selected Shoko Nishimiya.
That being said, he had lived here for so many years—was the only "high-quality female" he could simulate really the girl he just met today?
Why not his classmate Yukino Yukinoshita, or Yumiko Miura? Or the famous girls from other classes like Fumino Furuhashi or Kazusa Touma? Were they not good enough?
Oh, wait. He had zero contact with them. He had probably spoken more words to Shoko Nishimiya today than he had to any of them in years.
Never mind then.
Shaking his head at his past, socially awkward self, Haruka started the simulation.
[Simulation Target: Shoko Nishimiya]
[Start Simulation?]
Yes!
...
[Simulation Start]
New text began to appear on the panel before his eyes.
[Having awakened your memories, you are determined to study. You strive to become an elite. To this end, you establish a series of study plans.]
[Morning: Study. Noon: Study. Afternoon: Study. Night: Study. Overnight: Study.]
[Crushed by the Tokyo U practice exams, you know deep down that you are not a genius. If you want to succeed, you can only grind. As long as you don't die from the grind, you will grind yourself to death.]
As expected of me. I have self-awareness, yet I can still steel my resolve to focus on learning.
Haruka was very satisfied with this. It perfectly aligned with his goal for using the Simulator.
[Having set your plan, you decide to...]
[1. Execute the study plan.]
[2. Wander around behind the school building.]
[3. Wander outside the school.]
[4. Real Simulation.]
I can understand options one, two, and three, but... Real Simulation?
Oh, the Simulator mentioned this in its intro. A Real Simulation is a special simulation available only once per target.
So, what exactly does it do?
Haruka focused his attention on the fourth option, and a line of annotation popped up.
[Higher returns, more rewards, and additional mysterious effects. Furthermore, the user must complete a Real Simulation for each target to unlock the next target.]
So basically, it's a mystery loot box that also gatekeeps my progress?
I have to do it eventually?
After a moment's consideration, Haruka chose Option 1 without hesitation.
What was there to think about? His goal was crystal clear!
[Choosing to stick to your study plan, you begin your academic career.]
[Study, study, and more study. The reading room and the library are drenched in your diligent sweat.]
[You face secret mockery from your classmates. They think you are biting off more than you can chew. You dismiss them with a sneer. How could a bunch of idiots who can't see the future compare to your magnificent ideals?]
[The next day, Shoko Nishimiya comes to school. She still wears that gentle smile, but the atmosphere in the class is strange, as if something happened yesterday. You pay it no mind. Your reaction is indifferent, yet she is very warm toward you. She seems to always have that smile for you. Starting today, a carton of milk appears on your desk every morning.]
[Time flies. A month passes. Focused entirely on your studies, you care about nothing else. Although your scores on the monthly mock exams have improved, they still do not meet your standards. You are struggling. You realize you need tutoring.]
[However, your family cannot provide much support, and a part-time job would inevitably cut into your study time. With no other choice, you decide to attack this obstacle with even more desperate effort.]
[You cut your sleep down to three hours a night.]
[Your close friend, Hayama, suddenly tells you that something is going on with your seatmate. Since you seem to be her only friend, he felt he should tell you. Looking at the milk on your desk, you decide to ask her about it after class.]
[But you never get the chance. Once class starts, the homeroom teacher announces that Shoko Nishimiya has transferred schools. Cheers erupt from some of the classmates. You don't know exactly who is laughing; you only see a precious few frowning.]
[Shoko Nishimiya vanishes from your life. Although she had very little presence to begin with, the absence of that morning milk leaves you feeling slightly melancholic. Casting aside these distracting thoughts, you throw yourself into your studies with even greater focus.]
[Three months later, due to high-intensity studying, you die of sudden cardiac arrest in the school library.]
[Simulation End]
[Evaluation: A useless grind-obsessed fool who died exactly as he deserved!]
???
Cardiac arrest?
Deserved it?
Haruka looked completely dumbfounded.
[Evaluation is extremely poor. Simulation reward reduced to one item: Partial memories from this simulation.]
With a dark expression, Haruka chose to accept.
Two memory fragments appeared in his mind.
[Fragment One]
Shoko Nishimiya walks into the classroom. The atmosphere among the classmates is bizarre, filled with whispering. She arrives at Haruka's side. Haruka is expressionless—no smile, but no mockery either.
On her lonely face, she forces a smile, but it is far less soft than usual.
She writes on her communication notebook: Thank you.
Haruka doesn't understand the context, but simply nods.
After class, a carton of milk appears on his desk.
[Fragment Two]
An empty desk.
A single piece of paper rests on it. Drawn on it is a simple smiley face, and beneath it, two words: Thank you.
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