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3: The Protagonist Who Arrived Late
🕑 Added 2025-09-23 00:59:25 +0000 UTC[Game Over!]
[Your life has been peaceful and beautiful. You have walked across much of the world, capturing with your camera bright auroras, dazzling constellations, icebergs in Antarctica, and snowy landscapes in the Arctic. Your photography skills have reached exceptional, almost magical levels. You are mysterious, and no one knows much about you, only a small circle of people worships you like a god.]
[Serenity has allowed you to reach a mental state that most could not even imagine.]
[Simulator Final Evaluation: S (Perfect)]
[Given your excellent performance, you may choose three rewards from the following five options:]
[1. Divine-level photography (you transform the ordinary into the extraordinary; any photo you take will amaze everyone)]
[2. Bride's scarf made by Hitori Gotoh (filled with love from your girlfriend, it can withstand temperatures as low as -20°C)]
[3. Photo of the little white fox you once photographed (your little pet that accompanied you in the second half of your life)]
[4. 410 million yen (powerful financial capability)]
[5. Enhancement of your physical abilities (a revolutionary asset)]
"I choose 1, 3, and 5."
Toru sat on the sofa and lazily yawned.
This life simulator game is quite interesting.
Besides text-based simulation, it also provides a spiritual immersion experience. In the second half of the simulation, he had spent a lot of time petting the little fox.
"I chose to be a photographer this time. What should I choose next?" Toru murmured as he stood up and took the fox photo from the reward panel, smiling slightly as he looked at the image.
The little fox is so adorable!
Too bad it was all just a simulation. Maybe I'll never see her again.
As for his girlfriend Hitori Gotoh, whom he had dated for two years in college, Toru remembered her, of course. Before arriving in this world, he had read many urban novels, and there was a time when socially anxious girls were all the rage, those rare treasures.
Covering her eyes, wearing simple clothes, always hunched over and looking at the ground, called something... what was her name?
"Tsk, too cliché."
Toru really likes this type of girl, but it's a shame that getting along with her is too troublesome.
Besides, Hitori Gotoh is the kind of person who shines as soon as she's in the spotlight. During the life simulation, he had put in a lot of effort, taking great care of her, but after two years, all he received from her was a scarf. With her social anxiety, she couldn't even properly express her affection.
Toru understood her struggles and didn't say anything about it, but during that time, he truly felt exhausted.
Every week, he had to take the train and travel over 200 kilometers to see her.
On top of the challenges of a long-distance relationship, planning dates was also complicated. He couldn't let his girlfriend feel disappointed, right?
After two years, Hitori Gotoh was happy, but he was worn out.
A one-sided relationship had continued, and not only had his mind suffered in the game, but in real life, he also felt a headache.
After all, it was just a game. It was better to leave his girlfriend and pursue his dreams.
With this in mind, Toru broke up with her, thinking that long-term pain would be worse than short-term pain, and he even quickly cut off all contact with Hitori Gotoh.
As for the consequences? He didn't care.
People don't die from missing someone. There's no need to overvalue oneself or make others more important than they really are.
"It's late, time to sleep."
Turning off the living room lights, Toru glanced at the spacious and somewhat empty room, feeling a little lost in thought, and quickly walked to the bedroom.
————
The next day
Early in the morning, Toru took out the Sony camera he had bought a long time ago and went out to capture the morning scenery.
The sun rose, bringing a lively scene as the world began its day.
Toru focused his camera, aiming at the glimpses he saw through his lens——
A young newspaper delivery boy pedaling through the streets.
An office worker who seemed to have drunk too much last night, lying in a corner.
A crow resting on an electric pole, and a stray cat walking along the sidewalk, its fur shiny, probably fed by some kind elderly person.
He took the photos.
He looked at the photos on the camera and nodded in satisfaction: divine-level photography is truly fascinating.
When the game's skills were incorporated into reality, the results were even better than he had imagined.
He didn't know if in future simulations he could always achieve such perfect results.
Professions like assassin, politician, or inventor would surely be much harder to master at a perfect level, but that was also the charm of the game, right? If the difficulty level is too low, it becomes boring. Toru liked challenges and adrenaline; he was already bored with a life without difficulties.
"It's been two weeks since classes started. Isn't there anything interesting to do?" Toru thought about this and suddenly remembered his in-game girlfriend, Hitori Gotoh...
This girl seems quite interesting. Maybe I should distract myself with her a bit.
A boring life needs some fun, right?
————
Gotoh's house
"Sister, wake up!!"
Futari Gotoh opened the closet door and found her useless sister foaming at the mouth, looking like she was about to die.
"Sister, what's wrong with you?"
"Woooo~" Bocchi-chan hugged her guitar, and her sister shook her several times before she regained consciousness.
"...Big sister?"
"Ah... Futari?" Tears were still dripping from the corners of Bocchi-chan's eyes.
She said to herself, with a disappointed expression: "Futari, I can't use the plugin anymore. What should I do? My dream of being a rock star, my money... I don't want to live in poverty... sniff sniff, I want to be famous."
After using the first simulation last night, she quickly wanted to use the second simulation to regain Toru's love for her.
But the simulator kept reminding her that the reuse time for the simulation hadn't arrived yet and would notify her when it was ready.
Bocchi-chan assumed that this simulator might be her illusion, just like the imaginary friend she often had in her head...
That's why she was so sad that she couldn't sleep all night.
"Plugin? Sister, what are you talking about? Are you daydreaming again?"
This wasn't the first time Futari Gotoh had found her sister talking nonsense, so she quickly moved on: "Come and eat quickly, or the miso soup will get cold."
"Ah... okay."
Bocchi-chan showed a '6д9' expression and was forced to accept the reality that her plugin couldn't be used.
She was convinced that everything would be fine.
As long as all the members of Kessoku Band are still there, everything will be fine.
Half an hour later
Hitori Gotoh was sitting in the classroom, feeling a wave of loneliness that made her whole body tremble.
No matter how powerful you are in the game, it's still fake.
In reality, she was so weak... sniff sniff, it's all fake! What rock queen, what artist boyfriend! It's all a fantasy!
Bocchi-chan slumped on the desk, deciding to immerse herself in her fantasy, fiercely escaping reality.
'I'm going to sleep. After all, I'm a fool who always gets the lowest grades in school.'
The surrounding sounds gradually became quieter, and Hitori Gotoh knew she could soon sleep as comfortably as a baby.
Just as she was about to fall asleep...
"Gotoh-san, what's that on your back... a guitar?"
Hitori Gotoh slowly raised her head.
Is it about to appear? The first classmate who talks to me!
But after seeing Toru's face so close, the shock was so strong that she soon melted, crumbling like a puddle of water.
