Chapter 47: University, Medical School, and Effort...
[Graduation came.]
[Your high school life ended.]
[Your situations were all different now—at least, quite different from those damn memories filled with nothing but tragedy.]
[Hitori Gotoh's band became more and more popular. Even without you, with the help of her partners, she was changing step by step. Although it was slow, somewhat insecure, and full of risks, at least she seemed to have a bright future now.]
[However, before leaving, the ice-cold beauty of the band, Ryo Yamada, looked at you with an inexplicably sorrowful gaze. She also seemed to have strengthened her LINE contact with Shoko and Yukino.]
[Kazusa Touma flew away. She went to Northern Europe, following in the footsteps of her mother whom she claimed to hate. But before leaving, she exchanged numbers with everyone. And when she said goodbye to you, she hugged you and gave you a kiss on the cheek.]
[You were stunned. You had absolutely no idea what Kazusa meant by that.]
[You frantically tried to explain to Shoko, but Shoko seemed completely unbothered, which made you a little dumbfounded.]
[Fumino Furuhashi and Rizu Ogata barely managed to reach an upper-middle level in their weak subjects. They fulfilled their wishes and successfully applied to the universities they wanted.]
[But you weren't sure if their futures would truly be good.]
[Yukino Yukinoshita. This was the woman who helped you the most with ordinary matters, but your relationship wasn't good—it was even slightly hostile. She maintained her disgust toward you, yet she never refused your requests. And you held a pessimistic view of her naive ideals.]
[She got into the University of Tokyo. Because of this, her family seemed to have temporarily let go of their control over her.]
[It had to be said that mutual learning was a great method. Even for an academic achiever like Yukino, through long-term tutoring of others and mutual exchange, her grades improved significantly, allowing her to successfully test into Tokyo U.]
[And then there was Shoko. The current Shoko had been accepted into a first-tier university. Although she didn't get into the top few prestigious schools like you, it was still quite good. Most importantly, this university was very close to Meiji University, where you applied. That was the main reason Shoko applied there.]
[In fact, Shoko didn't want to go to university; she wanted to stay with you. But considering her independence and emotional bonds, you persuaded her.]
[She never refuted your words, nor did she ask why. She simply trusted you unconditionally.]
[So she applied for university.]
[By now, she had fulfilled her dream of music. She could proficiently play the piano and violin, performing some pieces of lower difficulty. She often played for you alone, a harmony of zither and lute.]
[Finally, there was you.]
[You easily got into Meiji University without using the guaranteed admission quota. Furthermore, your light novel career was booming.]
[Three of your works had already been adapted into anime. You had become a big shot in the light novel world, earning massive royalties.]
[With this money, aside from buying a high-end apartment in Tokyo, you also bought a car.]
[The remaining money, apart from investments, was basically all poured into purchasing medical books, musical equipment, and Shoko's physical examinations and care.]
[You had achieved financial freedom, but you were not satisfied, because your goal had changed.]
[Physically, you suffered torture over these years. Those damn tragic memories would always jump out to attack you.]
[These memories were all tragedies: sudden death, high fever, regret, breakdown, being shot, suicide, dying alone...]
[As time passed, you gradually got used to them.]
[Moreover, you could feel that these chaotic memories, seemingly split into several possible directions, were coming to an end.]
[You secretly set up a trust fund for your parents, Sora, and Shoko. Only when you died would the existence of this fund be revealed to them. It was your final gift.]
[In the end, everyone graduated, and the Alliance of Outcasts announced its dissolution.]
[But, it didn't really dissolve.]
[Because unlike those scenes in the tragic memories, you maintained good relationships with everyone, even Yukino.]
[So, everyone kept each other's contact information and even met up from time to time.]
[It was just that, scattered in different places, contact was ultimately inconvenient.]
[Relationships might gradually fade over time in the future.]
[During the summer vacation, you and Shoko traveled to many places, met many people, and saw many things.]
[In a romantic cherry blossom forest, you once thought about proposing.]
[But in the end, you gave up.]
[After the summer vacation passed.]
[You each entered university.]
[You entered the Medical Department.]
[The environment here at the university was indeed different from high school.]
[But you still quickly distinguished yourself, becoming a shining star.]
[You took first place in exams multiple times, but you also felt the challenge. In such a prestigious school, geniuses and monsters emerged one after another.]
[You had to spend a bit more energy on your studies.]
[In your spare time, you often went to help your mentor as an assistant in medical experiments.]
[Gradually, you were allowed to observe and try your hand.]
[You displayed talent.]
[You began to receive your mentor's attention.]
[You were taught by your mentor.]
[Your progress was rapid.]
[Two years of university passed.]
[You became another legend at Meiji University because you obtained the qualification to assist in experiments. You were the youngest official assistant, and your mentor gave you an inexplicable quota for a reserve member.]
[You began to deeply, detailedly, and privately learn from your mentor about diseases related to auditory nerve deafness.]
[Another two years passed.]
[You achieved great success. Your mentor believed your level was already high enough to independently perform some relatively difficult operations.]
[You were formally introduced to the academic clique by your mentor.]
[There were several academic cliques at Meiji University, and the one you joined was one of them.]
[Formed by seniors in industries such as hospitals, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, health food, beauty, dentistry, etc.—the Purple Star Clique.]
[Approaching graduation, your development began to advance by leaps and bounds.]
[You poured all your heart and soul into medicine.]
[Your fanatical drive was something even workaholics would have to admire.]
[You had no choice, because time was running short.]
[According to those memories, the tragic fate lay in the near future.]
[Even though you had already changed a lot, you were still anxious. Those tragedies tortured you constantly.]
[It was like failed versions of you were imposing their obsessions onto your body.]
[This was naturally unfair, but what could you do?]
[Amidst endless regret and hope, you could only let that intense obsession drive you to work hard constantly.]
[Effort, effort, effort...]
[Until your flesh and blood burned out.]
[Talent: Willpower Breakthrough, Activated. Gradually taking effect.]
------
A/n: Alright guys, the story is picking up some serious momentum, and I promise there's some REALLY good stuff coming your way in the next chapters.
Also, I've been reading through all your comments and complaints. Feel free to speak your mind about the parts that bug you or things you just aren't vibing with. I know I said before that I'd delete comments from "whiny bitches" but I was specifically talking about people just directly insulting me personally, not fic.
So, as long as you aren't attacking me personally, feel free to criticize, comment, or vent about whatever you hate about Haruka. Tbh, it's actually pretty fun reading your comments on the differences between "Sim" Haruka and the real Haruka, and seeing how much the real one gets on your nerves 😂😂
So yeah, keep them coming...
Oh, and I dropped a review regarding Haruka, so go check that out. It'll help clear some things up.
Since we're on the subject, let me address another thing. Yeah, I know, the sims are dragging on and it's starting to get under your skin a bit.
I've taken your feedback to heart and gave it some thought, and I think I get why it's frustrating.
Most of you probably see these simulations as just some "AU" (well, they kind of are) like in other fics, and you're craving more "real" interaction between the characters. When you don't get that, it's naturally annoying.
I get it now. At first, I thought the pushback was a bit much, but then it clicked. The readers usually don't see what the author sees; you can only judge based on what you read, and rn, it definitely looks that way.
So, to put your minds at ease (without spoilers, cuz I hate spoilers), let me just say this: Take the sims seriously. They aren't just meaningless side stories. You'll see what I mean later on.
In short, don't read them thinking "this isn't real, so it doesn't matter." They're gonna have a massive impact on the plot. Hopefully, knowing that helps with the "sims are too long" or "it's not even real" feeling.
Now that we've cleared the air, I'd be hyped if you guys could leave a review of the fic and share the experience with other readers.
My motto has always been this: Everyone deserves to have a good time, and reading is one of the best ways to do that. Both the reader and the author should enjoy the ride, everyone has a right to that, no exceptions.
Hope this clears things up a bit. See you in the next chapter, stay safe!