To live freely is the rarest thing in the world.
Ideals are called ideals precisely because a cruel reality exists. In reality, life is filled with things we don't want to do but must. These things are given a noble-sounding name—
Responsibility.
Countless responsibilities, whether taken on willingly or forced upon us, are like heavy iron chains, binding us within the prison called reality, preventing us from moving forward toward an unknown future without a care.
To put it in simpler terms:
I'm not an idle man. I have work to do.
After discovering my "golden finger," my cheat ability, I was so filled with hope for the future that I had a good night's sleep without nightmares for the first time.
Then, around eight in the morning, just as I was about to enjoy a heated ham and egg sandwich, a new week's worth of documents for Schale to process arrived from the General Student Council.
It wasn't a huge amount. Even without Yuuka, Arona and I could probably finish it in about ten hours.
This was Schale's workload for one week. In other words, if I didn't actively take on optional tasks and just slacked off for a fixed salary, on average, I would only need to work for two hours a day.
As for the workload from the first three days, which required overtime even with Yuuka's help, that was the entire backlog accumulated after the General Student Council President went missing.
Okay, looking at it this way, I'm actually quite free.
In any case, I decided to dedicate the entire morning to work, using it to calm my excited heart so I could formulate a plan in a more rational state of mind.
This was the first day without Yuuka. I kept thinking of her during work, which slightly affected my efficiency.
At one point, I even had the pathetic thought, 'If only Yuuka were here.' But I'm someone she dislikes. I shouldn't be shamelessly bothering her anymore; I should be consciously keeping my distance.
I worked until lunchtime, then went downstairs to the "Angel 24" convenience store for a grilled meat bento. After filling my stomach, I began formulating my plan.
I created a new .txt file on my office computer. After a long period of thought, I typed out the first line:
'First, let's define what "conquest" means.'
Staring at that line, my hand hovering over the keyboard, I fell silent, unable to continue.
Then I grabbed the mouse, clicked the 'X' in the top-right corner of the document with lightning speed, chose not to save, and shut down the computer, all in one smooth motion.
"I have absolutely no idea how to do this!"
The me who had just yesterday been so confidently saying, "I will make it happen," was now slumped over the desk, clutching my head in despair.
Romantic theories, relationship experience—these aren't things that a guy with amnesia who only remembers common knowledge would possess! I can't even pretend to be an expert based on extensive reading, okay?
I'm not some natural-born Casanova who can make people fall for me just by acting on instinct.
Thinking about it carefully, my only advantages are this decent-looking face and my status as Schale's Sensei. It's nothing worth mentioning.
At this point, there's only one viable option.
I picked up my tablet and recited the password. With the sound of a successful connection, my consciousness was transported inside the Shittim Chest in a blur—
Into a classroom with a floor submerged in seawater and a half-collapsed ceiling and walls. Looking out from the gaps, I could see abandoned desks piled on a pale yellow beach that stretched to the endless azure ocean on the horizon.
Inside the classroom, a blue-and-white girl was fast asleep on a desk. She seemed to be having a wonderful dream, a goofy smile on her face, with drool about to leak from her mouth as she mumbled in her sleep.
Seeing her silly... adorable appearance, a smile naturally formed on my face.
This was the main operating system of the Shittim Chest, Arona.
Her reassuring level of intelligence, her ability to sleep twenty hours a day, her innocent and pure personality... all these things made me place a great deal of trust in her.
Therefore, she was the most suitable person I could find to help me with the prerequisites of my plan.
My idea was this: since I lack experience, I'll accumulate it. For example, by running simulation exercises with a high-performance A.I. that stores an immeasurable amount of data.
Once I become an expert at dating simulation games, I'll surely be able to apply it to reality and easily capture the hearts of countless young women!
However, as I approached to wake Arona up, I overheard her sleep-talking, and my expression instantly twisted.
"Sensei... don't... I can't eat anymore... so much... it's going to overflow... ehehe..."
What the hell are you dreaming about, Arona!
I took a few deep breaths and silently shook Arona's small body.
"Mreow! The strawberry milk is getting away!"
Arona shot up, startled. She looked around nervously, rubbed her eyes, and muttered to herself, "Oh, it was a dream," before flashing me a completely unguarded, brilliant smile.
"Sensei~ Good afternoon! Are we deciding on the schedule, or are you planning to choose some work?"
"Neither. Arona, I have a favor to ask you. This is very important to me, and I can only ask you, the one I trust the most."
"Eh? Eh? Is that so! I understand, Arona will give it her all!"
Watching Arona grip her umbrella-gun, her little round face set in a serious, ready-for-battle expression, my own expression became solemn.
In this serious atmosphere, I took a deep breath, and with a hint of nervousness and the most sincere tone I could manage, I said:
"Arona, may I ask you to be the target of my confession?"
The world suddenly went quiet.
Until a sea breeze blew past, rustling our clothes and her skirt.
Arona's beautiful eyes widened, her small mouth fell open, and a blush quickly spread across her astonished face.
I understood. Faced with such a request, a pure-hearted girl like Arona would naturally be shy and conflicted. It wouldn't even be surprising if she refused.
Then again, I thought, is starting with a confession simulation a bit too rushed?
Not realizing I had misspoken, I quietly watched Arona, waiting for her decision.
Arona first froze as if her program had crashed, made a few clumsy, strange movements, then tried to hide her face with the fabric of her hair scrunchie, making little "mmuu, mmuu" sounds like a small animal.
Finally, Arona lowered her head, clutching her umbrella-gun tightly behind her back. She would occasionally steal a glance at me before replying in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz:
"Please, do as you wish..."
"That's great! Thank you, Arona."
I said happily, "Then I'll have to trouble you to first play the role of an ordinary student from Trinity. I'll leave the preceding plot to you as well."
Crack.
Was it my imagination, or did I just hear something break?
Arona lifted her head, the light in her eyes seemingly gone.
"Sensei. Excuse me. What did you just say?"
"Hm? It's exactly what it sounds like." Her stare was making my hair stand on end, but I braced myself and explained, "I want to ask you to do a confession simulation practice with me."
Crack.
A clearer, sharper breaking sound than before.
"What you said at the very beginning... wasn't it that you wanted me to be the target of your confession?"
"...Was it? Uh, sorry, I might have been a bit nervous and misspoke..."
Hearing this, Arona's face turned red again—this time with anger.
Arona rushed in front of me, clenched her fists, and started pounding on my chest, not hurting me at all.
"Idiot! Playboy! Delinquent teacher! Love-struck fool! You just started working here and you're already targeting someone else! Waaah..."
After a great deal of effort calming the angry Arona down and coaxing her until she was no longer upset, I asked her for her help again and finally got her consent.
Arona would write scripts based on her stored data and play the roles of different students to receive my confessions:
For example, a newcomer to the General Student Council, a GSC administrator, the GSC President herself...
However, because my mind would go completely blank at every critical moment, the several simulations all ended in failure, and we had to temporarily stop.
Perhaps because she was gloating over me getting her angry earlier, Arona's mood actually improved after witnessing my repeated failures.
In contrast, I felt a bit depressed.
I could only console myself: in the end, no matter how much you play dating sims, you can't really learn how to love, can you?
Virtual and reality are completely different things!
Besides, matters of the heart should be about exchanging sincerity for sincerity. Scheming is inferior to letting things develop naturally!
So, I'll abandon useless calculations and just charge ahead recklessly!
Translation: I'm giving up on this!
Casting aside yesterday's grand ambitions, I suddenly felt the world open up. I had Arona arrange a suitable outing for me, preparing to naturally create the right bonds through my work.
But before that, there was one more thing to do...
Half an hour later, at the General Student Council.
"Rin-chan! Please assign a bodyguard to me!"
"Who are you calling Rin-chan?!"
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