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

"I saw Tomori standing by the door with Ryo, so we just brought her in~"

Nijika bounced in with the grace of a jiggling pudding, clutching a stack of flyers and maps. Flashing her small white teeth in a bright smile, she waved the flyers in greeting. That's when Kazami Haru noticed Takamatsu Tomori standing just behind her, clutching Nijika's hand.

The little penguin peeked out from behind her shyly. When she realized Haru had seen her, she looked down and muttered softly, "I-I just saw how busy it looked inside… so I was going to come in later…"

Crap. That was a critical hit of cuteness.

Wait a minute. Isn't this Tomori's class too?

"…"

Maybe Haru's gaze had been too direct, because the short-haired blue beauty behind Tomori raised her eyes instinctively, stepping into view. His focus shifted immediately, like a sniper re-aiming his scope.

Their eyes met, hers sharp and striking, her expression unreadable.

Today, Yamada Ryo was dressed in a black knit cardigan over a crisp white shirt. Her pale hands were tucked halfway into the sleeves. A dark blue pleated skirt and sheer black tights completed the look, giving off a faint, subtle allure.

Even without makeup or effort, she was undeniably stunning.

"Anyway, everyone come in and have a seat. I'll grab the menus."

If Haru were alone with this succubus, he might've shamelessly stared at her black tights. But with Nijika Mama's catlike eyes blinking at his side, he knew even the slightest glance would get caught.

"Hm?"

Ryo, standing at the back, noticed it right away. Haru's gaze lingered on her for just a second.

Before she could even lower her eyes to respond, his attention had already shifted to Nijika and Tomori. Her golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly, expression calm, yet with a strange light flickering beneath the surface.

She raised her chin and puffed out her chest, sitting arrogantly on the customer seat with one leg crossed.

"Haru, hurry up and serve me."

"This isn't that kind of place. We only take food orders."

His reply was calm and blunt.

Shot down cold, Ryo didn't even flinch. She rested her chin lazily on her hand, half-covered by the knit sleeves, and spoke with a teasing smile, "Aren't customers supposed to be treated like royalty? A few extra requests shouldn't be a problem."

"Nope."

If she wasn't pulling this crap in front of an audience, Haru would've pinned her down by now.

After all, he and this blue-haired menace had long since dropped the act. They both knew exactly how the other felt. There was no need to keep playing nice, and no hesitation in crossing the line anymore.

Ryo raised an eyebrow at his flat rejection and whispered just loud enough for only him to hear, "Tch. Just a second-rate MC loser."

Of course Haru heard that. His black eyes narrowed into a professional smile that barely masked the unspoken threat: "Say that again, and I'll drag you into the back for 'meat prep.'"

Ryo's smirk only grew more provocative.

She glanced at the menu lazily and rested her chin on her hand. "Hmph. Then I'll start with a champagne tower."

"You think this is a host club?! Don't make trouble for Haru and Bocchi!"

Nijika, who had been holding back this whole time, finally snapped like a puffed-up golden cat, swatting Ryo on the forehead.

Even the blue-haired gremlin had to behave when the tiny golden dorito was around. Their antics made Takamatsu Tomori blink her big round eyes in amazement.

Just then, her gaze happened to meet Bocchi's.

"Guuh—"

Caught in those beautiful amber eyes, Bocchi could only let out a nonsensical sound, panic rising in her chest.

Why is she looking at me all of a sudden?!

Then Tomori gave her a firm nod, tiny fists clenched in encouragement. That look of absolute trust sent beads of cold sweat trickling down Bocchi's forehead.

Oh no. She'd promised Tomori she'd help her and now she was doing nothing but trying to figure out how to confess to Haru…

She was the worst. She'd been possessed by a ghost or something when she said that!

No, no. They were comrades. She and Tomori were definitely on the same team!

"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen the other MyGO members around," Nijika said curiously. "Anon-chan and Kita-chan are on the festival committee, but what about Shiina-san and Kaname-san? Aren't they with you, Tomori? Or do they have their own stuff to do?"

Her golden ponytail swayed side to side as she tilted her head and looked across the table.

Caught off guard, the little penguin flailed her hands and quickly lowered her head. "N-No, it's not that…"

"I already saw them earlier… but Raana-chan started running around the moment she got to school, so Taki-chan followed to keep an eye on her in case we lost track before the performance…"

"As for Soyo-chan, she said she doesn't like the festival vibe, so she'll meet us right before the Live…"

Nijika blinked and scratched her cheek awkwardly. "It… sounds like things are a little chaotic over there in MyGO…"

"Hmph. Guess we don't even register as a threat."

"Ryo!"

Crossing her arms, Ryo dropped the comment with her usual deadpan tone, prompting Nijika to spin around and clap a hand over her mouth in a panic.

Everyone expected Tomori to look flustered, but instead, she raised her head earnestly.

"That's not true."

Her eyes held no confusion, only unwavering courage.

"We're all taking this performance with you very seriously. Everyone's been working so hard, practicing in the studio every single day. We're going to give it everything we've got."

"We absolutely won't… let the members of Kessoku Band get ahead of us!"

Shock!

The surprise was practically written across Nijika's face.

She glanced toward Kazami Haru, only to find him smiling, arms spread like a proud dad showing off his kid at a recital.

His smug look sparked something in her too. She turned back with a gleam in her eye and flashed a toothy grin.

"Well then, Tomori-chan, we're not losing either!"

In every sense of the word, this was a battle they couldn't afford to lose.

This wasn't just about musical talent or passion. For Nijika, it felt like everyone (Kita, Anon, and more) were also fighting over something outside the band.

Like who Haru should really be the keyboardist for.

...

By two o'clock in the afternoon, it was time for the main stage performance in the auditorium.

For both Kessoku Band and MyGO, this was the true highlight of the festival. Kessoku Band, who were scheduled to perform first, had already changed into their black performance outfits and were preparing backstage.

Naturally, Kazami Haru stopped by to check in on them before they went on. But the moment he stepped into the practice room, he found the girls casually chatting with each other.

"No worries at all~ We're Kessoku Band, remember? We've already played big stages like the Summer Fest! And everyone's practiced like crazy for this performance…"

"As long as we stay calm and perform the way we trained, we'll be fine!"

As the band leader and its emotional anchor, Nijika was, as always, doing her best to keep everyone grounded. Without Haru there, the responsibility naturally fell to her.

But unlike usual, her attempt to share her energy with everyone didn't quite land. The others seemed… different.

Yamada Ryo, expressionless, flicked at the earring on her lobe and remarked dryly, "Nijika, everyone's surprisingly calm this time."

"Eh…?"

Nijika blinked in surprise.

Only then did she realize: neither Kita Ikuyo nor Hitori Gotoh (normally the most anxious of the group) showed their usual pre-performance tension. They looked oddly composed.

"Well, like you said, Nijika-senpai, we've already performed at Summer Fest~"

Kita adjusted the mini hat on her head and spoke cheerfully.

Of all of them, she looked the most carefree. But in truth, she was the one who had taken this performance most seriously.

Maybe her radar went off, because suddenly, her glowing smile paused. She blinked, then slowly turned toward the doorway.

The moment she spotted Haru, her yellow-green eyes lit up like fireworks.

"Haru-kun! You're here?!"

"I thought you might be nervous, so I came to help ease the tension… but it looks like that was completely unnecessary."

Haru shrugged with a grin.

He hadn't expected them to be this mentally strong without him around. Now he felt like a clown showing up in full makeup, completely unneeded.

"I'll be watching from the audience, so..."

Thump, thump, thump…

What the hell was that? The King Engine starting up?

Haru turned toward the sound, only to find that the source was none other than Bocchi, frozen stiff in place. That pounding was clearly coming from her.

She'd been calm just a moment ago, now she looked like her soul had left her body.

Seriously? Did I make it worse by showing up?

"Haru-kun…"

Before Haru could say anything, he heard Kita whisper something under her breath.

She stood with her head slightly bowed, a rare seriousness replacing her usual sunny expression. Her ears were tinged red as she lifted her eyes to him, and something about her gaze made Haru's heart skip a beat.

"What's wrong, Ikuyo?"

After a brief pause, the red-haired girl clenched her tiny fists.

"This song… 'Forget-Me-Not'... I will sing it perfectly!"

Because it felt… almost like it had been written for her.

"So after the performance, I hope you'll…"

Her cheeks blazed scarlet. Her fiery red ponytail swayed gently as she raised her gaze, the emotion behind her eyes strong enough to incinerate the barely-recovered Bocchi standing nearby.

And Haru, being right in front of her, was completely defenseless against the sudden surge of youthful, blushing energy.

Just when Haru started to panic from the emotional blow, Kita didn't finish her sentence. She slowly opened her clenched hands and smiled. A radiant, beautiful smile laced with playful charm.

"I'll tell you the rest later, okay?"

Now's not the time.

"Alright! Time to go!"

With eyes full of resolve, Kita Ikuyo hugged her guitar tightly.

This time, she couldn't afford to lose.

She turned and practically dashed toward the stage, leaving Nijika and Ryo exchanging quick glances before grabbing Bocchi and following after.

Haru watched them go with a helpless smile.

He hadn't expected Kita to level up this much.

Yamada Ryo, bass in hand, looked down at Kita from behind the curtain, her voice slightly amused. "Ikuyo, that was dangerously close to setting up a death flag."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

Kita blinked.

"You've seen Dragon Quest, right? It's always the guys who say 'when I get back from this, I'm going home to get married' who end up dying."

"Ryo, seriously?! Now of all times?! That's totally bad luck!"

Nijika, drumsticks in hand, glared at Ryo with narrowed cat eyes. Kita, flustered by Ryo's teasing, couldn't help but laugh a little.

Then, she took a deep breath and faced the mic in front of her.

Every part of her was brimming with strength.

"Haru's watching… I can't let him down!"

At that moment, as Nijika declared the final countdown, Bocchi gave a determined nod.

As the red curtain slowly lifted, it felt like particles of white light and electric dust were already dancing in the air. The rumble of the guitar pierced the auditorium like a surge of static energy.

"Haru, over here!"

Just as Haru emerged from backstage, a familiar voice called to him.

Turning his head, he spotted a beautiful figure with twin blue pigtails standing in the corner of the auditorium. Without hesitation, he squeezed through the crowd toward her. No easy task, though his "bento war" reflexes helped him dodge elbows instinctively.

"Sakiko, didn't expect to see you at the show."

The twin-tailed girl looked a bit flustered but tried to play it off with a casual tone. "I just heard Kessoku Band was performing here. And since you composed their songs, I figured I'd drop by."

So… not here to see MyGO, huh?

Of course Haru knew better than to believe that. But he just smiled and didn't call her out.

"You went backstage?"

"Just checked in on them. I'll head over to see Tomori and the others in a bit."

Honestly, he was more concerned about MyGO.

Tomori always needed his presence to stay relaxed, and he wasn't sure if Anon (who was constantly on edge) could hold herself together. He figured it was best to check on them personally.

"…I see."

Sakiko nodded slightly, thoughtful but saying no more.

Soon, the red-and-gold curtain on stage rose.

Kessoku Band, already a minor sensation on social media, received an eruption of cheers the moment they appeared. Kita Ikuyo took a deep breath, swept up in the rush of standing onstage again.

Her eyes scanned the crowd until they found Haru, and something like quiet determination flickered in her gaze. Her fingers trembled lightly as they gripped the mic.

Then, the red-haired girl smiled with confidence.

"Hello, everyone! We're Kessoku Band, performing out of Shimokitazawa!"

"I want this stage to become a memory we all share!"

With that bold declaration, she turned her gaze toward a certain figure in the crowd.

Chihaya Anon, with her long pink hair, instinctively flinched under the spotlight of Kita's eyes. But something in her expression shifted; she clenched her teeth and, instead of shrinking away, met Kita's gaze head-on.

There was no malice between them—only emotion, and a fierce, silent resolve.

"Please enjoy our original song: 'Forget-Me-Not!'"