Tokyo Soft Rice King.

Tatsuya Nishimura, a hardcore hacker who sits in front of a computer screen all day, is naturally physically useless. He would never walk if he could take a car. He walked towards the school gate first and even turned back to urge the two of them.

"Let's go! Hurry up and go! What are you two waiting for?"

Kuroba Akira shrugged, amused, and followed, muttering to himself.

"Well, Nishimura-senpai is really energetic... he seems to be in a lot of interest."

"Because he's doing what he wants to do, that's why he can maintain the highest level of enthusiasm."

"Yes..."

Anri Hitomi smiled and said to Kuroba Akira.

"I hope that you, wise ruler, can also find what you truly want to do."

"And you, squad leader? Have you found it yet?"

"Yes, I'm already doing what I want to do."

Seeking pure love and forging a relationship stronger than marriage...

And you are my most important target for conquest... Wise ruler.

"I see..."

Kuroba Akira didn't say what he was going to say, but he already felt a sense of envy.

The class monitor's words took root in Kuroba Akira's heart like a seed.

What I really want to do...

What would it mean to me?

Do I really have something I truly want to do?

Kuroba Akira had never seriously considered this question because he used to think there was no need to think about it at all; it was just a waste of time.

Because people live in the present, there's no need to dwell on the past or look forward to the future; living well is the most important thing.

The word "dream" is too much of a luxury for him.

He can give geniuses dreams, but he himself is a boring 'dreamless person'.

He had long forgotten how to dream.

Or perhaps... he still believes he's having a dream of 'turning from white to black'.

Although the world itself was real enough, the unique sense of déjà vu that came with the time travel still lingered in his mind and could not be completely dispelled.

Therefore, the fear in my heart has never disappeared; in fact, it has been growing day by day.

When Mingming first transmigrated, she wasn't afraid of anything at all; she even hoped that she could see her familiar desk the moment she opened her eyes.

But now, he's afraid he might actually wake up in his office.

He began to truly integrate into this world, and he began to feel reluctant to part with the people he had met there.

It is precisely because they are no longer penniless that they are afraid of losing the 'treasure' they have already obtained.

Despite trying to comfort himself and telling himself that "this is reality," Akira Kuroba's instincts still kicked in with fear, lest it all be just a dream he was having before he died.

The brain in a vat is a paradox because it cannot be proven.

This fear will probably persist until the mystery of the time travel is solved... until it is completely forgotten, but not now.

Therefore, until the fear that everything would eventually vanish completely dissipates, Akira Kuroba is unable to seriously consider what he really wants to do.

To be precise, after achieving financial freedom, how should one live the rest of their life, and...

Whom to live with, that is also a question.

Inside the car, Kuroba Akira glanced sideways at the squad leader sitting in front, feeling a little melancholy.

Kuroba Akira isn't an idiot. If the class president is only investing in himself for financial freedom, that would be far too hasty.

She chose me not only because of trust, but also because of personal feelings.

Kuroba Akira could no longer pretend not to know about this feeling that she was willing to risk her life for.

Previously, there was only one option: Ziyin was the woman he most wanted to have, and they had already made a promise to be together once they achieved financial freedom.

But now, new options have appeared before him.

A: Shion's route

B: Hitomi Anri's route

If it's a game, just choose one you like.

But what if you like them both?

Life isn't like a game where you can reload a save and go down a different path...

If it's destined to leave another person with lifelong regrets, what should one choose...?

Can I really make a choice?

In theory, making a choice is actually quite simple, because even if you like them all, there will always be one you like even more.

For example, Kuroba Akira prefers Shion's hair and shin, and prefers the class president's collarbone and fleshy legs... Well, in terms of body parts alone, it's hard to say which one is better.

If you really have to rank them, then Shion is more beautiful, which makes men feel more vain. But now, Kuroba Akira sometimes feels a suffocating sense of urgency when he's with Shion, as Shion has a bit of a yandere tendency.

Being with the class monitor is especially comfortable. I don't feel like she's holding me back, and we can always have pleasant conversations. It's like being bathed in a spring breeze. Plus, her bento boxes are incredibly delicious, making me want to come back for more.

Simply put, Shion primarily satisfied Kuroba Akira's physical needs, while the class president primarily satisfied his emotional needs.

If only we could merge Ziyin and the class president, then we would have the most perfect woman, and we wouldn't have to worry about choosing between them... But there is no earring that can merge them.

So we need to be more careful, because once you make a choice, there's no going back... right?

No, think about it carefully, is it really true that once you make a choice, there's no going back?

Even after marriage, there's still the option of divorce. If it's just dating, breaking up is also very common. In fact, many men and women don't even have a proper relationship; it's just a transaction.

How about... we try them all?

It's like trying on clothes; you try them on to see which one suits you best...

The idea had barely surfaced when it became so despicable that even Kuroba Akira himself found it hard to accept... His conscience and morality were undergoing a severe test.

However, at this moment, the 'sense of unreality' that Kuroba Akira could not ignore was like a 'fourth wall' erected between him and this world, causing his 'sense of reality' to plummet.

Since I've already transmigrated and been reborn, I might as well try being a scumbag... The worst that can happen is that I'll get stabbed to death.

Moreover, as the saying goes, "To die under a peony is to die romantically, even as a ghost." If I was a virgin in my past life, it would be too pitiful to only pursue a breakthrough from zero to one in this life. Perhaps I can accumulate more experience.

A hundred-person kill is too exaggerated, but a ten-person kill might be worth a try... I don't mean spending money to increase the number, but rather achieving legend through emotional connections.

As a man, I guess I haven't lived my second life in vain.

Marriage, responsibility, family, children, morality, conscience... at this moment, all of these were left behind by Kuroba Akira.

Nobody cares about these annoying things when playing a game, but Akira Kuroba has already treated his second life as a game.

The cultural festival starts tomorrow. I'll be shopping with the class president on the first day and with Shion on the second day... I'll just treat it as a mock date.

See who you feel more relaxed and happy with.

Then, even if you can't choose someone to spend your life with, at least you can choose someone you want to date.

At this point, Akira Kuroba had completely disregarded his initial concerns, namely that he did not want to disrupt his peaceful life because of women and emotional issues.

This is because after securing top-tier talents like Hijikata Isamu and Nishimura Tatsuya to help him achieve his grand ambitions, and after confirming that he could obtain the class president's sponsorship, Kuroba Akira was already celebrating prematurely.

Once they were certain they would become millionaires, they became arrogant and complacent.

"When you're well-fed and clothed, you start thinking about money and jade." As a very common man, once he has money, he starts thinking about women.

Then Kuroba Akira is very greedy, wanting more than he has. He already has an overly intimate relationship with Shion, but he still covets the class president who can unconditionally tolerate him.

I want it all, sir.

But Kuroba Akira still had some sense. He knew that it was fine to make two women jealous, but to achieve both and keep all three harmonious... he might as well keep dreaming.

That's why some men have the "try both" mentality.

However, Akira Kuroba always approached the issue from his own perspective.

However, he didn't consider that even if he made a choice, it was still uncertain whether the other party would accept it.

Neither Shion Murasaki nor Hitomi Anri are women who would easily accept defeat and back down, much less be willing to be a woman who is abandoned, let alone be a 'backup plan'.

Therefore, Kuroba Akira actually had no choice at all; he was just a 'prize,' and it wasn't up to him to decide who got it.

The battleground, where victory or defeat is uncertain until the very last moment, will not stop once it begins.

They are determined to fight to the death.

It might even be upgraded to...

It's a matter of life and death.

Chapter 229 The Cultural Festival: The Beginning of the Turmoil (Part 1)

On the first day of the school's cultural festival, Akira Kuroba stood at the door of Kobayashi's house, looking exhausted as he said goodbye to Shion, who was seeing him off.

"Well then... I'm off..."

His listless and haggard appearance made him look like he had been gnawed by some monstrous demon for three days and three nights, leaving not a drop of flesh behind.

"Okay, be careful on your journey."

In contrast, Ziyin appeared energetic and had hydrated skin, as if she had received a rich and nourishing treatment. She was just as beautiful and charming as ever today.

At first glance, it seems as if our Ms. Shion is the culprit who turned Kuroba Akira into this state, but this time she is indeed wronged.

Although Shion did throw a tantrum last night for some reason, in order to soothe her emotions, Kuroba Akira stroked her fur for a while using the same method as petting a cat, which allowed her to vent all her dissatisfaction and fall asleep comfortably. Therefore, Kuroba Akira did not get to eat Shion's meal.

What truly prevented him from resting was the combined attack from Tomokazu Hijikata and Tatsuya Nishimura... both men.

After meeting, the two reached a consensus in just a few rounds of question-and-answer sessions, shook hands on the spot, and addressed each other as comrades, which made Kuroba Akira roll his eyes.

You should know that when he himself reached out to Nishimura Tatsuya, he received a perfunctory response of clicking the mouse, but Hijikata Isamu directly advanced to become his comrade.

Is this the wealth of experience of a veteran programmer? Even the self-righteous Ryu Nishimura acknowledges it.

Incidentally, both Hijikata Isamu and Shion initially mistook Nishimura Ryu for a girl, which is why Shion got upset; she thought Kuroba Akira had brought back a new fox spirit.