Let's begin.
As if adorning the pages of life, she slowly lowered her pen.
When she came to her senses, all the test papers had already been collected.
Were the questions difficult? How did I do? Did I make any mistakes? Can I pass?
She didn't entertain any of the thoughts a normal test-taker would have. Only one thought remained:
To tell him the result with a smile.
And the moment that thought emerged, she froze.
Yanami instinctively turned her head. Through the classroom window, an astonishing scene was reflected in the girl's cerulean eyes—countless star-like motes drifted upward into the sky, while rainbow-like pillars of light radiated a warm glow.
The world was coming to an end.
Ah.
Ah—
It's over.
At that instant, everyone inside the simulation had the same thought.
In another examination room, far from hers—
Yakishio Lemon leaned out the window, gasped, and instinctively reached toward the radiant light, murmuring, "How beautiful."
This was the end of a world.
Yet what surged in her heart was exhilarating excitement.
She wanted to run.
Run, jump, fly.
In another world, she would surely grasp her future with her own hands.
Komari Chika also gazed up at the starlight, a gentle expression on her face.
In this world, she had gained many precious things. That boy had opened her tightly sealed heart and given her the courage to move forward. Perhaps she still couldn't say she liked herself now—but she no longer hated herself as she once did.
What a strange person… Even for someone as hopeless as me, he reached out. Most people wouldn't bother, would they?
She wanted to speak the words in her heart.
If—
If she could speak them—
Then let a brand-new "us" set off again.
Kiyono stood on the vast expanse of white snow, extending a hand as if to catch the last flakes, his expression calm and nostalgic.
One year, two years, three years.
The difficult yet fulfilling first year, the steadily progressing second, and the somewhat regretful third.
They had lived a different life here.
Now, from the bottom of his heart, he only wanted to say:
"What a brief yet wonderful life."
At the very end, he picked up his phone and, with a smile, sent a message to someone—
"Are you Yukino?"
Yanami stretched slowly, her smile bright.
Past scenes inexplicably flashed through her mind, page by page:
Their awkward first meeting at the restaurant;
Their conversation while riding bicycles under the night sky;
The joy of unexpectedly receiving her favorite food at sunset;
The flutter in her heart when she heard his true feelings after he fell asleep at her house.
Every scene seemed to carry a soft filter and yet remained incredibly clear.
After the stars and clouds fall, a brand-new world will arrive.
We will definitely meet again.
[Simulation Ended—]
[Entering Reward Settlement—]
[First Simulation Statistics Completed—]
[Congratulations on achieving the following accomplishments: Part-Time Warrior, Light Novel Master, Moonlight, NTR Chief]
[Part-Time Warrior: You rode your bike through countless streets, and your legend is told in family restaurants.]
[Light Novel Master: You left a legendary reputation in the industry, and countless people were moved to tears by your novels. You could have achieved the even more dazzling accomplishment of Great Literary Master, but your life was too difficult, so you were forced to choose a quicker shortcut.]
[Moonlight: At first, you only yearned for the moon in the night sky that one evening. With this strong desire, you acted in this world by your own will.
And your words, thoughts, and passion also illuminated the path forward for others, giving them a push.
To them, you are also a hero—a light in their hearts.]
[NTR Chief: You have always adhered to your inner belief in pure love, and every action you took was righteous, yet unknowingly you twisted the hearts of the "defeated dog" girls away from their crushes.
Such a masterful act of NTR is truly powerful! Even the system is greatly impressed!]
"???"
"Who are you calling an NTR Chief?!" Kiyono exclaimed. "Who are you calling an NTR Chief?!"
For a pure love warrior, such an achievement was simply an insult! This had to be the system's mischievous sense of humor!
"It's understandable that Yanami's and Lemon's childhood-friend routes failed," Kiyono mused. "However, I didn't expect that even the seemingly upright Komari would secretly betray the 'defeated dog' organization…"
Kiyono continued to check the simulator.
[Simulation Summary: These were three years you lived without regret—three years that, even ten years from now, you will look back on with pride, having given your all.
You proved with your actions that being passionate and working tirelessly is by no means useless.
Your sunshine reached the heart of a certain important person.]
[At the same time, in this simulated life, Yanami Anna was the person closest to you.]
[You unlocked multiple CGs. These CGs are: Girl Under the Moon; Apron Back; Swimsuit Girl at Sunset; Twin-Tailed Pajamas…]
[Final Evaluation of This Simulation: S+]
[Generating rewards… Drip… Drip…]
[In this simulation, you received a total of six rewards. Based on the score achieved in this round, you may freely choose five of them as rewards, which will be immediately distributed to reality.]
At last, the exciting moment arrived!
Kiyono let out a soft breath. What was the purpose of his simulation, if not to change his life?
[1. Entry: Brilliant Writing]
[2. The complete light novel you wrote in the simulated life—recorded as a document on a USB drive]
[3. All the money you earned—withdrawn to a bank card at a 10:1 ratio]
[4. A regular identification document]
[5. A well-maintained old mobile phone]
[6. Master's Reputation—Editors will have significantly more trust in you]
The system thoughtfully provided specific details for each reward, emphasizing its reliability.
Kiyono's gaze skimmed the list, thoughtful.
"First, the Entry must be kept—it's the most important. Next are the money and identification. Although some money is deducted, it can solve the current crisis and save the time I'd spend working…"
As for the last choice… his gaze fell, inexplicably, on the phone. Compared to the other generous rewards, the phone Yanami gave him seemed insignificant.
Yet he still missed it deeply.
He decided quickly—there wasn't much to agonize over, really. His extremely high score allowed him to claim most of the results. The phone would serve as a memento.
After all, it was a special item from another world, representing the countless small moments they had shared.
Perhaps their lives would be two parallel lines from now on, but he still wanted to keep this memory.
"I choose the first five items."
[Reward selection complete. Beginning distribution—]
When he opened his eyes, a warm ray of morning light pierced through a gap in the curtains, and dust motes floated in the air.
"An unfamiliar ceiling…"
A buzzing echoed in his mind; as Kiyono's consciousness cleared, he realized he had returned to the real world.
He sat up slowly, catching the sunlight in his palm—warm and comforting.
"I remember the simulation started at night. I spent three years in another world, but only one night passed in the real world…" Kiyono murmured, awed.
He turned his head and saw several items on the table in front of him—a bank card, a household registration certificate, and a familiar mobile phone.
The phone was an older model from two years ago, but it showed almost no wear. Its casing was a girlish sky blue.
"I wonder… can this phone still receive messages?"
Kiyono walked to the table and picked it up. The touch was as cold and hard as ever, as if it still carried a faint fragrance. At this juncture between yesterday and today, he looked at the phone and confirmed he was the only one left in the world.
He fell silent for two seconds, put the phone down, then checked the other two items—they were exactly the same as in his simulated world. With the system's guarantee, there was nothing to worry about.
"It feels like I suddenly have everything," the boy said softly. His mood was complicated—joy and excitement mingled with a strange calm. Perhaps the other world had been too real, and he had lived there for too long; even now, with everything in hand, his heart didn't soar.
He lay back heavily on the bed, staring at the ceiling, savoring the unique aftertaste of that world.
"Since it's come to this, I'll sleep first."
He really was exhausted.
Although the system had eliminated most of the side effects, suddenly receiving all the memories of another world had left his head a little muddled.
He pulled the small blanket over himself.
His expression was peaceful.
Meanwhile, in a room not far from this hotel, Komari slowly opened her eyes. Propping herself up on the bed with one hand and pressing the other to her forehead, she sat in a daze, as if countless fragments flickered in her mind—each one reflecting that beautiful time.
As her consciousness cleared, she heard the honking of cars outside, and the voice that called itself the "Beautiful Life Simulator."
[Simulation Summary: You are insecure, sensitive, gloomy—always comparing yourself to those around you, and then falling into self-loathing.]