In this crossover anime, I've been bound to two systems.

"I don't care about any of that. I don't want to break up with Suzumiya. Why do we have to end our friendship like this? Have you forgotten that we promised to participate in the art competition together this year?"

"The situation is different now..."

"What's different! It's exactly the same as before. Just forget about the unhappy things, Haruhi Suzumiya, are you even a man?!"

"Even now, you still want to say those kinds of things..."

Seeing Eriri suddenly become agitated, Suzumiya Senri stood up and walked step by step to her, meeting her gaze with unwavering defiance.

"Being favored really makes you fearless. You can forget about unhappy things. The reason you can say such things so easily is that you understand that being liked by me gives you the right to be arrogant and willful at any time. To you, I am just a source of amusement to keep you from being lonely and sad. That's all, right?"

"No...that's not it, I never thought that way."

Eriri Sawamura had finally mustered the courage and determination to salvage the situation, but in the face of Chisato Suzumiya's cold expression, it vanished in an instant.

The rift between the two is widening.

This cannot continue.

We need to do something to change the situation.

I knew I had to do it, but my body was ice cold, my brain had completely stopped thinking, and I couldn't do anything.

Looking at myself like this, all dazed and confused, I must look incredibly stupid, right?

Ugh, how annoying...

I couldn't hold back my tears again...

woo woo woo woo……

"I told you... don't cry..."

"Waaah, who do you think... I'm doing this for..."

The words that were originally meant to save face and were spoken forcefully gradually lost their power and became smaller and smaller.

Chisato Suzumiya wiped away Eriri Sawamura's tears with her thumb, her fingertip feeling her delicate skin, and finally, at this moment, her heart softened.

"I understand."

"Eh?"

Eriri Sawamura was somewhat incredulous.

What he just said meant...

"Let's make up."

Without feigning hesitation, Chisato Suzumiya spoke directly.

He looked at Eriri Sawamura's eyes, which were slowly brightening, and repeated it.

"Anyway, I'm just a pathetic wretch who's hopelessly in love with you. If this makes you happy, then let's make up."

"Summer Palace, you...you're not just saying that to comfort me?"

Please, please don't!

Eriri Sawamura prayed silently in her heart.

Suzumiya Chisato shook her head.

"But there's just one thing... Whether it's pity or charity, when I'm feeling down or can't bear it anymore, I want to be able to hold Eriri's hand in private, just like today. That's my only request."

Without anyone else knowing...

If it's just holding hands...

Eriri Sawamura blushed and nodded shyly.

Suzumiya Chisato smiled, and the next moment she spread her arms and pulled the petite girl into her embrace.

Hey, didn't you say it was just holding hands...?

Fine, let's just consider this an exception to celebrate our reconciliation, and only this once...

The tension that had been building up for so long instantly dissipated, and Eriri Sawamura slowly placed her hands on the other person's waist.

I hadn't noticed before, but Haruhi has a really nice fragrance about him.

…………

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Boiling a Frog in Slow Water

[Through your meticulous planning, a moment of impatience and miscalculation became the clarion call for your premature departure into battle.]

[Eri Sawamura wasn't angry at your forceful kiss that day; instead, she was extremely worried about your deteriorating relationship.]

You timed your move perfectly and, "reluctantly," succumbed to her tearful onslaught. You pitifully offered to remain friends, but with an additional request.

[When your feelings for her become overwhelming, you hope to hold her hand and create the illusion that "you two are a couple" to alleviate the pressure.]

Eriri Sawamura was overjoyed. Your expression was too innocent and didn't arouse her suspicion. Although she was still a little shy about pretending to be a couple and holding hands, they had already kissed before, so this was nothing to worry about.

[In the second week of the Cold War, you and Eriri Sawamura reconciled.]

Silly girl, he's a bad guy, he's trying to trick you!

In real life, Chisato Suzumiya looked at her actions in The Sims and involuntarily shook her head, clicking her tongue in admiration.

All I can say is that in The Sims, when the mistake was already irreversible, I did everything I could to the fullest extent possible.

Of course, Eriri Sawamura's naivety and kindness are probably the reason why this script was implemented so smoothly. If it were another girl with a slightly more malicious heart, the story would probably have a different ending.

However, there are no "what ifs" in life. Success is everything, and the fact is that I have already overcome what appears to be the biggest crisis so far.

Not only that, her Sims self also reached a small agreement with Eriri Sawamura that she considered quite insignificant.

But those involved are often blinded by their own perspective, while bystanders see things clearly. Suzumiya Chisato knew perfectly well that this seemingly insignificant request to hold hands was the very trigger that led Sawamura Eriri step by step into a dangerous situation.

With the pot and firewood ready, and the enemy successfully lured into the trap, the next step is naturally to slowly boil the frog in water.

On the night you reconciled, after being repeatedly prompted by the Dark Wings, you took Sawamura Eriri's notebook from the drawer and burned it. It was no longer of any use; keeping it would only pose a threat.

[Over the next week, you didn't do anything out of line. You understand how hard-won this favorable situation is. Sawamura Eriri is simply kind and innocent, but not stupid. If you do anything out of line that makes her uneasy, all your previous efforts will be in vain. You are not a god; even with the help of the Dark Wings, you can't always escape danger.]

[Half a month has passed, and you've been very active in the game community. As the concept artist, you've privately spoken with Aki Tomoya, telling him that you're very optimistic about the game's future development and that the quality in all aspects must be top-notch. You don't want the final product to feel cheap as soon as you open it.]

[Aki Tomoya already had a passionate passion for the games he created. He agreed with your point of view almost without thinking. Under your deliberate or unintentional persuasion, he further increased the already high and almost unaffordable game production budget. He borrowed a year's allowance from his family in advance and added three more part-time jobs on top of his five existing ones.]

[You've successfully made Aki Tomoya, who already had very little time to interact with Sawamura Eriri, even less so now, barely exchanging two words with her a day at school. He's too tired; he has to work at night and can't help feeling sleepy during the day at school. Because of this, his grades have inevitably dropped.]

[You've been spending more and more time with Eriri Sawamura, and you haven't made her feel that this time is unnatural. Every time, you have a good reason, whether it's asking her about drawing techniques, helping her with her homework, or discussing new anime series. On one hand, she resents Tomoya Aki for being too busy to take care of her every day, but on the other hand, she feels increasingly familiar and comfortable with you as they spend more and more time together.]

That night, you worked on game concept art with Eriri Sawamura at her house until late. As you parted ways at the entrance, you took advantage of her noticing and suddenly grabbed her hand.

Eriri Sawamura was startled by your sudden movement, and a blush instantly crept onto her cheeks. She instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but then suddenly remembered her promise to you, and stood there shyly, unsure what to do.

You didn't trouble her for long; you quickly let go of her hand, said goodbye crisply, and turned to leave.

The next day, Eriri Sawamura anxiously asked if you were angry. You smiled slightly and said it was nothing, realizing you had been too sudden, so you told her not to overthink it.

Eriri Sawamura breathed a sigh of relief. She pulled you aside to a quieter spot and whispered in your ear that if you ever wanted to do that again, it would be best to let her know beforehand so she could be mentally prepared. You smiled and agreed.

[During today's class meeting, the homeroom teacher announced that there would be a ten-day training camp trip in a week. Unlike the cheers and excitement of the students around you, you sat steadily in your seat, lost in thought. You felt that this training camp trip might be an opportunity for you and Eriri Sawamura to take your relationship to the next level.]

Therefore, you decide...

[1. Before departure, put laxatives in Aki Tomoya's water cup so he couldn't go on the training camp trip.]

[2. Before departure, put laxatives in your and Eriri Sawamura's water bottles so that neither of you can go on the training camp trip.]

[3. Upon further consideration, drugging is not the only method that can be used.]

Finally, there are options! I almost thought I was reading a novel instead of playing The Sims.

Looking at the first two options, Suzumiya Chisato instinctively sensed something was amiss.

You might not care about yourself, but putting laxatives in someone else's water glass is not something you can simply dismiss as a prank. If it is discovered later and the matter is seriously investigated, such behavior could even be defined as poisoning.

If things really turn out like that, the consequences could be severe.

Having finally reached this point, Suzumiya Chisato doesn't want to experience the feeling of losing everything at the slightest mistake.

Although I don't know what the third option will lead to, at this point I can only trust my other self in The Sims.

You frowned in thought, then quickly shook your head, rejecting the laxative plan. You'd finally achieved this delicate relationship with Eriri Sawamura, and you didn't want to take any risks.

That evening, you returned home and casually mentioned the group trip to your mother...

…………

Chapter Thirty: Let him jump in himself

[That evening, you returned home to find your mother folding clothes in the living room. You casually mentioned the idea of ​​staying overnight together with her.]

Upon hearing this, she smiled and said that during your ten-day training camp, she could go home and help her father with the work; the family ranch was having a hard time finding workers.

[Upon hearing these words, you suddenly realize that there's a perfect opportunity for Aki Tomoya to voluntarily skip an event, isn't there?]

[You know Aki Tomoya. The reason he chose to go on this training camp trip wasn't because he's not short of money, but because he felt that the money he earned from his part-time job wasn't worth the ten days of youth training camp. If you could convince your mother to give Aki Tomoya an extremely high salary, he would definitely succumb to the lure of money.]

After mentally reviewing the plan and confirming it was in order, you told your mother about the story of a young man with dreams and a proactive attitude.

[Your mother knew Aki Tomoya from next door, but she never knew he worked so hard, taking on so many part-time jobs to create the game he loved. Before she could compare you to him, you interrupted her.]

You expressed your desire to help him, but didn't want to be too obvious and risk his strong sense of pride causing him to refuse. You hoped to help him discreetly. After stating your thoughts, your mother agreed without hesitation.

You felt a pang of guilt looking at your mother; this was the first time you'd ever hidden anything from her. But you quickly let it go. You realized that after marrying Eriri Sawamura, having a few more adorable children to make her happy was more important than anything else.

How cunning! They even thought of this far.

A few days later, you invited Aki Tomoya and Sawamura Eriri to your house to discuss the game's development progress. At the dinner table, your mother's acting was incredibly natural, worthy of an Oscar. While on the phone, she deliberately raised her voice so that everyone present could hear that the family ranch was short-term help.

After finishing the phone call, she picked up her rice bowl and sat back down at the table, displaying the simple, talkative side typical of middle-aged women. She rambled on about how difficult it is to find workers in the countryside these days, and how there's a significant brain drain of young laborers—topics that affect people's livelihoods.

[Finally, as dinner was drawing to a close, she casually remarked that no one would take a job paying 40,000 yen a day; she really didn't know what was wrong with Japan these days.]

All I can say is, they truly are mother and son.

Suzumiya Chisato thought the current situation might be interesting, so she adopted a first-person perspective.

at home.