My Simulation… Why Is It Turning into a Real Romance?!

As time marched on, the cultural festival at Haneoka was finally about to begin.

The past two weeks had given the students plenty of time after school to prepare and decorate, and the day before the festival officially opened was left entirely free for final setup. Kazami Haru's class was no exception; they had already been buzzing with activity.

It took less than half a day of full-scale effort for the class to finish setting up their "Maid and Butler Café."

Ordinarily, someone like Kazami Haru (who barely spoke in class and generally kept to himself) should have been lucky enough to be assigned some menial errand. Once done, he'd be free to wander the school and kill time.

Only...

"Please, Kazami-kun! Since Anon-chan and Kita-chan are both on the festival committee, they don't have time to wear maid outfits and help out. We don't have anyone left who can make a good first impression…"

"If it's someone as handsome as Kazami-kun helping out, it would totally work!"

Saigyoji-san from his class earnestly pleaded with a group of girls behind her, but Haru merely glanced coldly at Gotoh Hitori nearby, who looked as though she might bolt from the room in terror.

If he remembered correctly, Bocchi-san had also been assigned to the maid team by lottery.

Unfortunately, there weren't many boys in the class to begin with.

When it came to wearing a butler outfit, something that relied heavily on appearance and physique, Kazami Haru was the only one left who could possibly pull it off.

Staring blankly at the girls crowding around him, Haru showed no signs of being moved by their teary-eyed requests. He replied in an indifferent tone:

"If you knew this would happen, why didn't you just go with a regular maid café from the start?"

"Th-that's…"

The girls exchanged awkward glances. They couldn't exactly admit they had wanted to see Kazami Haru in a butler outfit from the beginning.

"If you're out of options, just draw lots. Didn't the maid team do that too?"

"If it really comes to it, you could just have some of the girls wear butler outfits. Don't be so stuck on gender."

So stubborn. So difficult!

Usually, when students saw the cold and quiet Gotoh Hitori or the small-animal-like Takamatsu Tomori talking casually with Kazami Haru, they got the false impression that he was easy to approach.

Then the moment they actually tried, his overwhelming presence forced them to retreat.

"Excuse me."

While still tangled up with the girls, Haru noticed Bocchi-san timidly leaving her seat and heading out of the classroom. Casually excusing himself, he followed after her.

"What now…"

The girls looked at one another helplessly, then turned to Takamatsu Tomori, who blinked silently beside them.

With both Kita and Anon (their main "SSR" characters) unavailable, and Tomori not drawn in the lottery either, they were out of aces.

If even their final trump card, Kazami Haru, refused to help, then Class 1-A could kiss the popularity prize goodbye.

Whatever the others were thinking, Kazami Haru had no idea.

He caught up with Bocchi in a few quick steps and tapped her on the shoulder, startling her so badly she practically leapt three meters and clung to the wall.

When she finally realized who it was, she opened her mouth in confusion.

"H-Haru-kun?"

Haru crossed one arm and looked at her with mild disinterest. "You looked pretty down just now, so I figured it was because you got assigned to the maid team?"

Bocchi clearly intended to dodge the question, her eyes shifty. But under Haru's unreadable black gaze, she wilted and lowered her head in defeat.

"Yeah… it's because of that. Being in the maid team is just too much. And I have to take orders, too…"

Haru resisted the urge to joke that it was a blessing she wasn't sent to a remote mountain village to teach.

"Taking orders isn't a big deal. You worked at STARRY before. Didn't you learn how to handle customers?"

"That was only because Nijika and Kita-chan were there! And now I have to wear a maid outfit… if the guests see me, they'll totally make fun of me. Like, 'That short pink gremlin thinks she can wear a maid outfit? Has she even looked in a mirror?' or something…"

"But… if you came too…"

She nervously wiped her sweaty hands on her skirt, her pink bangs brushing against her pale skin. Her blue eyes peeked up at Haru, a faint hope shimmering within them.

Of course Haru knew what she was thinking.

That pink snake probably thought if Haru stood next to her in a butler outfit, she'd feel a little safer. At least she'd have somewhere to hide.

That kind of emotional "escape" wouldn't help her grow, and in the past, Haru might have coldly left her to figure it out on her own. But now, after everything, he couldn't quite bring himself to be so harsh.

The simulated Bocchi had depended entirely on him. Even though they were back in reality, he didn't mind spoiling her into becoming a dumb guitarist who knew nothing else.

"If I go with you, will you stop fussing and just do your job?"

Like hearing the gates of heaven open, Bocchi's eyes sparkled. "Of course I will!"

Hehe… Haru-kun is definitely secretly in love with her, right?

Whether it's in a dream or in real life, he always agrees to help her. That means she must be super charming. No wonder that rich blue-haired girl didn't stand a chance.

Haru's heart had to be entirely hers by now. She'd already overtaken the others in his mind, hadn't she?

He only acted cold to tease her. Haru-kun must be a total tsundere!

Seeing the pink-haired girl get all giddy just from a bit of pampering, Haru couldn't help but sigh and gently flick her on the forehead.

His cool voice drifted over. "Just so you know, if you run off halfway through, pretend you don't know me."

"Eep…"

Snapped out of her fantasy, Bocchi paled instantly, blurting out, "Don't say that! At least… at least wait ten years after I die!"

Ignoring her teary-eyed protest, Haru casually asked, "So how's 'Forget-Me-Not' coming along?"

"If I remember right, your band's performing tomorrow, yeah?"

That brought Bocchi back to her senses. She nervously fidgeted with her fingers, answering in a tiny voice.

"We're doing fine with the coordination. Kita-chan keeps practicing extra at home, though. I think she's overdoing it…"

Haru fell silent, recalling how Kita and Anon had been subtly avoiding him lately.

Kita being busy made sense, but Anon… the girl who couldn't perform without getting a head pat from him… hadn't sought him out at all before the show. Not even her usual meme spams.

It didn't fit her clingy nature.

Had she matured? Haru doubted that. Even if they dated or got married, Anon would still be a hopelessly lovestruck girl.

He already suspected that she and Kita had made some sort of agreement.

"Kita-chan's playing has gotten more intense too and her 'Kita Energy' smile feels like 1.5 times stronger than usual! I think she really, really cares about this performance…"

Bocchi, with her isolation-honed awareness, had clearly noticed, but when she asked, she got no answers. Kita just smiled brightly and told her not to worry.

If Bocchi hadn't realized that Kita wasn't faking it, she probably would've already spilled everything to Haru.

"Just keep your pace. I'll be watching from the audience."

Haru replied calmly, though he was still wondering whether to check on Anon, but doing so would feel unfair to Kita, who was also working hard.

They had both made their decision. He'd let them give it their all.

As the unofficial "ghost member," all he could do was comfort the one who lost afterward.

"Haru-kun…"

Bocchi suddenly said.

"I was just wondering… 'Forget-Me-Not' sounds like a song written for someone. Could it be… for someone in our band?"

She fidgeted slightly, her voice laced with nervous hope.

When they first heard the title, even Ryo and Nijika looked visibly surprised. The song, both in name and melody, felt like a love letter.

If it was for someone in the band, Bocchi thought it had to be her.

"No."

Haru answered without hesitation.

The song had originally been written by MyGO!!!!! as a finale for the Tokyo Music Festival. Its quality was top-tier.

But during that simulation, Haru's feelings for Soyo had turned the song into what the others called a "singable love letter."

Bocchi looked briefly disappointed.

Then she suddenly thought, if it was for her, Haru would never admit it to her face.

That alone made her feel better again. Even the cowlick caught in her hairclip gave a cheerful bounce.

"Stop overthinking. Just focus on the performance."

Rolling his eyes, Haru gently smoothed out her messy bangs and gave her cheek a teasing pinch.

Her face flushed bright red, her brain turning to mush.

"I'll head back. This Live's success is in the hands of everyone's 'Guitar Hero' now."

With that, Haru turned and walked away, leaving Bocchi frozen in place. She squeezed her cheeks with both hands, her heart pounding.

Hehe… I've been entrusted with something important.

But "everyone's Guitar Hero," huh?

"I want to be… Haru's one and only Guitar Hero."

...

The next day, Haneoka High School.

It was the official opening of the cultural festival. The moment the gates opened to welcome guests, every classroom-turned-shop began operating at full steam.

The hallways, usually filled with only students, were now packed tight with colorful costumes and guests, leaving barely any room to move. Even the open campus roads were lined with booths and stalls.

Kazami Haru's class was no exception.

Now dressed in a pure black butler uniform, he casually adjusted his collar. Then, using the hair tie around his wrist, he gathered his shoulder-length black hair into a tidy ponytail. His already streamlined physique looked even more striking beneath the fitted outfit.

His sharp black eyes and finely shaped face gave off a graceful presence, he was effortlessly captivating.

There was no denying it, he truly looked perfect in a butler uniform.

"Hhhnng—"

"He's so handsome… like, it's almost unfair…"

The girls in the class, all wearing maid outfits, froze in place. They had guessed Kazami Haru would look good in a butler suit, but none of them had expected it to be this overwhelming.

He looked exactly like a handsome young butler straight out of a shoujo manga.

As if feeling awkward under the barrage of stares, Haru casually spoke up, "Stop standing around. The guests are already inside."

"Y-Yes!"

His words carried an inexplicable weight that made people instinctively obey. The girls in maid uniforms immediately dashed into the kitchen to prepare desserts and drinks.

Drawn in by Haru's presence, waves of female customers soon flooded into Class 1-A's classroom, eyes sparkling.

These ordinary high school girls had never expected a turnout like this. The moment one of them fumbled, it set off a chain reaction of chaos, and soon the entire class was in disarray.

At that moment, Kazami Haru, the only one who remained calm, took charge.

While flawlessly managing his own tasks, he began directing everyone else. In no time, Haru's commanding presence brought order to the madness.

His impressive leadership and quick-thinking left even Bocchi, dressed in her maid outfit, completely stunned. But there was no time to gawk; Haru quickly assigned her a job too, and she ended up working nonstop without even realizing how much time had passed.

"Huh… the crowd's thinning out. Is it already past lunch?"

Only then did Gotoh Hitori realize that things were finally slowing down.

She'd been so focused on following Haru's instructions and keeping up with her duties that it felt surreal she'd actually managed to complete her role as a waitress. It was like waking up from a dream.

"Good job."

A familiar voice reached her ear. She turned and saw a cup of coffee being handed to her.

Kazami Haru stood before her, ponytail swaying, a faint sheen of sweat on his neck. Still, he looked as composed as ever, placing the coffee in front of her without a word.

Before she could react, he spoke.

"You surprised me today. You did a great job, Bocchi."

"N-No way! I was just doing what you told me to…"

Bocchi's head shook rapidly like a toy rattle. But after blurting that out, she went silent, bowing her head.

Usually, if Haru complimented her like that, she'd be soaring on cloud nine by now.

"…Bocchi? Something wrong?"

His voice turned slightly gentler. Bocchi's ears turned pink, and she glanced at Haru's face from the corner of her eye before answering with quiet sincerity.

"I just think… you're really amazing. You never talk in class, but today, the moment things started, you completely took over."

"You were like… like a knight in the dark. Like Batman."

You really went and said that, huh?

"…You trying to pick a fight, joker?"

Kazami Haru's mouth twitched at the corners. He looked like he didn't even know how to respond.

"Yahoo~ Bocchi-chan, Haru, I brought Ryo over to hang out!"

Just then, a golden, dorito-like hair peeked out from the edge of the doorframe.