Simulated Ending: Backstabbed by the Passerby Heroine

[Simulation Ended]

[Simulation Ending: Backstabbed by the Background Heroine]

[Simulation Critique: You were too immersed in emotional constraints, causing the boy's promise to another girl to waver. Ultimately, you were expelled by the person you thought was your teammate.]

[Simulation Rating: D]

[Talent Points Awarded: 5]

Ichinose Honami bolted upright in bed, staring at the cold text floating in her field of vision, her entire being plunged into an unprecedented state of bewilderment.

How is Kiyoha involved in this too?! Although Kiyoha had previously displayed formidable methods, was it possible that Ayanokoji Kiyoha wasn't just Wu Qiao's partner, but someone bound to him by a significant promise?

Ichinose Honami lay back down, staring blankly at the ceiling as her mind uncontrollably replayed the suffocating plot of the simulation she had just experienced.

In that simulation, she had followed the advice of her classmates, avoiding any deliberate attempts to farm affection and instead maintaining a friendly, comrade-in-arms relationship.

All it took was chatting during the day, handing him a drink while he read, or offering an encouraging look when he was exhausted, and he would reveal a completely unguarded smile toward her.

The two of them stumbled their way into their second year, and everything had been progressing smoothly until the White Room sent their assassins—a troublesome group of juniors led by Nanase Tsubasa—who began to close in step by step.

In the simulation, Ichinose Honami had held firm to her moral bottom line, strictly forbidding Wu Qiao from using extreme force to suppress them, nor would she allow him to use those unsavory "underhanded tactics."

She had naively believed that as long as both sides worked together, with the help of their respective allies, they could always find a solution that satisfied everyone.

However, this constraint of hers became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Because of her restrictions, Wu Qiao could not resolve the trouble using the most efficient methods, causing the sanctuary he had built for Ayanokoji Kiyoha to teeter on the brink of collapse. That girl, who always hid in the shadows and only wanted to live a peaceful life, felt threatened for the first time.

Ayanokoji Kiyoha keenly sensed that the presence of Ichinose Honami was causing the scales in Wu Qiao's heart to tilt.

She could be indifferent to anything else, but she absolutely would not allow Wu Qiao to stop perfectly executing the promise between them or to cease clearing obstacles for her without reservation just for the sake of Ichinose Honami.

Thus, during a crucial special exam, the seemingly invisible Ayanokoji Kiyoha quietly pulled the strings from the shadows.

When the expulsion notice was delivered, Ichinose Honami looked at Wu Qiao in utter shock, and his eyes were equally filled with astonishment and pain.

She never imagined that the "background heroine" he protected behind his back would, in order to reclaim her own peaceful life, strike a fatal blow to her rival without a moment's hesitation.

"So... this is how I can get expelled?"

Ichinose Honami covered her face, a sense of immense absurdity and helplessness surging in her heart. She had been too immersed in using emotions to maintain her relationship with Wu Qiao, completely ignoring the girl who had always stood behind him.

It was clear that in previous simulations, the other girl only erupted after Wu Qiao was expelled; she had thought it was an awakening or growth, but was that not the case?

She had thought she was the heroine of a dating sim, but she hadn't realized that in Ayanokoji Kiyoha's eyes, she was merely an obstacle disrupting their peaceful life—one that had to be cleared away.

"Wu-kun... Kiyoha-chan..." Ichinose Honami murmured to herself. This simulation had taught her an incredibly cruel lesson.

To clear the game perfectly, relying on being good to Wu Qiao was far from enough; she had to face the existence of Ayanokoji Kiyoha, understand the special bond between them, and even... learn how to coexist with that unfathomable girl.

Otherwise, the next person to be ambushed and expelled would be her again.

Braving the morning alarm, Ichinose Honami climbed out of bed with some difficulty. The "backstabbed by the background heroine" simulation from last night had been too jarring, leaving her with lingering fears even now.

She washed up briefly, preparing to attend morning practice with Wu Qiao and Ayanokoji Kiyoha. She remembered the school doctor saying Wu Qiao's injuries would heal in a few days; counting the time, he should be fully recovered by now, though she wasn't sure if he would be able to make it to practice today.

Thinking of Ayanokoji Kiyoha—a girl who had little interaction with Wu Qiao in previous simulations and didn't even have an ambiguous relationship with him—actually harboring such deep and possessive concern for him in secret, Ichinose Honami truly didn't know what expression to wear. That girl, who was always expressionless and seemed indifferent to everything, would actually strike down a "rival" without hesitation just for a promise made to Wu Qiao.

"Honestly... what kind of person has that idiot Wu-kun provoked?"

Ichinose Honami grumbled to herself while pushing open her bedroom door. However, as she went to close it, her footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

A delicate plastic bag was hanging quietly on the door handle. She blinked, bending down to pick it up in confusion. Inside the bag was a beautifully packaged small cake box with a sticky note attached to it.

Ichinose Honami's heart skipped a beat as she quickly picked up the note to read it.

Neat, powerful handwriting came into view:

[I don't know if I'm right, but it seems like your mood is never very good whenever Tuesday comes around. Don't push yourself too hard. —Wu Qiao]

Looking at these words, astonishment and shock instantly appeared on Ichinose Honami's face.

She subconsciously covered her mouth, her fingertips trembling slightly. Because every simulation took place on Monday night, and the ending of every simulation was a blow to her psyche, she would indeed fall into an inexplicable state of depression and exhaustion when she woke up on Tuesdays.

She had never told anyone about this; not even Kanzaki or Chihiro had noticed.

But Wu Qiao... he had actually noticed!

And not only had he noticed, but he had remembered this pattern and used this clumsy method to try and soothe her emotions.

Ichinose Honami clutched the note, feeling the warmth that seemed to still linger on it, and her eyes grew slightly hot.

After experiencing so many simulations filled with schemes, betrayals, and regrets, this sudden, pure concern in reality was like a ray of warm sunlight, instantly dispelling the gloom that had long been piling up in her heart.

"Thank you..." she whispered softly, an uncontrollable, brilliant smile spreading across her lips. "Even though you were just injured yourself, you still have the heart to worry about others."

She carefully folded the note, tucked it into her pocket, and then placed the cake—filled with his thoughtfulness—into her bedroom refrigerator before walking out of the room with a light step.

Today's morning practice might be a brand-new beginning. She was going to see the boy who could see through her moods, as well as that unfathomable "background heroine."

Next time, she would absolutely not repeat the same mistakes.