"Here, use this."
A set of amplifiers and electric guitar output devices were placed at Minami's feet.
Sitting cross-legged with an air of effortless authority, Nijika's older sister,
Seika Ijichi,
clapped her hands. "Since you're Bocchi's friend, I'll let you borrow them for now. But if you break anything, you'll be paying in full. I won't go easy on you."
"If I damage them, I'll compensate accordingly. Thanks for helping out, Seika-san."
Minami nodded, responding with a polite smile.
Of course, he already knew what Seika's personality was like.
She might be acting all serious, as if she were ready to scold him the moment something went wrong—
But in reality, even if he
did
accidentally break the equipment, she'd probably just grumble for a bit before waving it off like it was nothing.
That's just the kind of person she was.
From his simulations, Minami had learned that
Seika Ijichi was the very definition of "sharp tongue, soft heart."
If this were an anime, she'd definitely fall under the
"tsundere, but in a very mature and jaded way"
archetype.
"No need to thank me."
Seika yawned, flipping through a
ROCK IN JAPAN
magazine resting on the counter.
Then, as if casually slipping it into conversation, she added, "I kinda feel like eating tamagoyaki and hamburg steak tomorrow..."
Minami, who was in the middle of securing the amplifier onto a small trolley, couldn't help but chuckle at the indirect (but incredibly obvious) request.
Yep. Just like in the simulation.
Even at
twenty-nine years old
, Seika still preferred to be roundabout when asking for favors.
"Then I'll make some and have Bocchi bring it tomorrow. Though honestly, hamburg steak is best when eaten fresh."
"You don't have to worry about that."
Before Seika could respond,
Nijika
suddenly popped her head out from behind the bar counter.
"Even though STARRY looks like this, we actually had to register as a proper food service business to get our license. There's a fully equipped kitchen on the first floor above us—though we barely use it."
Having already tasted Minami's cooking once, she was
very
much looking forward to it again.
"Alright. I'll bring the ingredients tomorrow."
STARRY
had both a basement and a ground floor.
And Minami, having gone through
four different simulation loops
, knew this fact well.
This venue was where
Kessoku Band
first took off, after all—he had long since committed every detail to memory.
Of course,
he couldn't just say that out loud
, so he deliberately asked questions about the place to make his knowledge seem more natural.
After securing all the equipment, Minami thanked Seika one more time before heading home.
And on the way back...
He realized something
very, very important.
He was almost broke.
Wait... Where Did All My Money Go?
Yes.
The allowance he received from his family every month wasn't particularly generous.
After paying for rent, utilities, transportation, and other daily expenses, he barely had any disposable income left.
For the past few months, he had been
living frugally
, saving up just enough to buy some
English practice novels and science books
for self-study.
But then he made a
huge
mistake—
He used
all of it
to buy a
mini-fridge
and some groceries.
And just like that—
Gone.
And considering
Ochanomizu High School
was a bit far from
Shimokitazawa
, that meant additional train fare costs.
All these little expenses added up.
Now, standing in the middle of the street,
Minami finally grasped the cruel reality—
He was completely broke.
Even with a
cheat-like dating simulator
as his golden finger, somehow, his life was getting
harder
, not easier.
Minami sighed.
"Whatever."
If he looked at all this as an
investment for the future
, then it was still somewhat acceptable.
Today was
June 8th.
If he
stretched his remaining funds
, he could probably survive until mid-month.
But before then—
He needed to figure out a way to make some money.
Otherwise, his only option would be to
sell his body
in
Ginza, Shibuya, or Shinjuku
...For
entertainment jobs, of course.
Shaking his head to clear out those ridiculous thoughts, Minami returned home, properly stored his equipment, and focused on studying for the night.
Study Time.
[Your Academics has slightly improved. Current Academics: 8]
After finishing his study session, Minami stretched and put down his pen.
Now, it was time to plan his next steps.
Laundry?
Done yesterday. No need for today.
Dinner?
Already had a filling meal before heading to STARRY. Not hungry.
Guitar practice?
Already did a session with Bocchi earlier.
So the next thing to do...
"Guess I'll run a simulation."
Pulling up the
Love Simulator
, Minami's gaze settled on a specific
item.
["Love of Three Lifetimes, Forever Unattainable" – Ryo Yamada IF Route Card]
"The aloof and elegant girl turns to look back. This time, will you stop for her?"
This was a
system reward
—it didn't consume any simulation attempts.
However, it also meant that he only had
one
chance to use it.
If he activated
Ryo Yamada's IF Route Card
, the item would disappear forever.
"One shot, huh... Can I actually get a good ending?"
Recalling the
cool yet graceful
face of Ryo in past simulations, Minami hesitated for a moment—
Then
clicked the card.
[Would you like to use "Ryo Yamada IF Route Card"?]
▶ YES
The moment he confirmed, the text on the screen began to change.
[Simulation Start.]
[In this timeline, you have rewound time by one year and, through sheer determination, quickly established a connection with the members of STARRY via Hitori Gotoh.]
[And in doing so, you also met—her.]
[The girl with deep blue, chin-length hair, her slender fingers gently pressing against the bass strings. Under the dim stage lights, she already shined brilliantly. Unlike the others, who warmly welcomed you, the bassist seemed entirely absorbed in her own world.]
[Through Nijika's introduction, you learned her name—Ryo Yamada.]
[When she noticed your gaze, she simply set her bass down, gave you a curt nod, and then returned to practicing, completely unbothered by your presence.]
[It was as if you hadn't even registered in her world.]
"...???"
Minami blinked.
What the hell?
In past
simulation loops
—and even in real life—Ryo had never acted this cold toward him.
Was she
seriously
playing the
"unreachable queen"
card
now
, of all times?!
But just as he was about to be frustrated—
The next lines appeared.
[As planned, you began learning the guitar from Hitori Gotoh. And in the process, your unnatural rate of improvement did not go unnoticed.]
[You have now caught Ryo Yamada's attention.]
For Advanced Chapters, 16+ ahead on my /Loverice929
Thanks to @Charlie Dalfall, @Ethan Farias, and @Insert Name.
I'll upload more chaps later