Teacher Daxiang, let’s form a lifelong band!

For a moment, Shoko Toyokawa's pupils trembled.

Hachiman Kailing, pregnant?!

"Sorry, Xiangzi, we've just settled down, so Ruomai has to make the tea."

"..."

"When did this happen?"

"what?"

"When did you get together?"

After a moment's pause, Hachiman Hailing realized that Xiangzi was asking her when she and Lu Li got together.

"Last year? Or was it the year before last? I can't remember exactly. We got together naturally after leaving Tokyo and coming here. We got married this year, in the spring. I guess you were on tour around the country at that time."

"Really...you're married, so what about Ruomai?"

"She insisted on staying with us. Lu Li couldn't get rid of her. There was nothing he could do."

Hachiman Hailing smiled. It was really impossible to drive Yutianji Ruomai away. She was obviously married to Lu Li, but Yutianji Ruomai kept saying that she wanted to be with Lu Li even if they had no official status, and that she would never go anywhere else even if she died.

In the end, she had no choice but to agree to Yutenji Wakami out of softness of heart, and the result became what she is now.

"..."

After another moment of silence, Toyokawa Shoko asked, "Where's Lu Li?"

"He's in the kitchen. He's the head chef of this restaurant. Do you need me to call him out?" asked Hachiman Kailing.

Toyokawa Shoko's body trembled slightly: "No... no need, I... I'm going back."

"Hey? Xiangzi, are you going back now?"

As if she had thought of something, Hachiman Hailing shouted to the back: "Lu Li, make a large portion of Shengjian."

After shouting, Hachiman Kailing looked at Toyokawa Shoko and said, "Shoko, you should have come here early in the morning. Eat something before you leave."

【You are late, everything is too late. 】

Before leaving, you looked up at the menu. First on the menu was a crepe priced at 780 yen. This price was very familiar to you. He used to sell crepes at this price in Tokyo, and it's still the same price now.

Nothing has changed, not even the price or him.

“Can I order a crepe?”

"Of course you can, but eating this in the morning isn't good for your stomach," Hachiman Kailing kindly reminded.

"It's okay, I just want to try it."

[Yes, you just want to taste the flavor, the flavor you once ate together.]

You ordered a crepe and handed over a 780 yen bill, but Hachiman Kairin refused to accept it. However, you insisted that she accept it. In the end, at Hachiman Kairin's request, you only paid yen.

[Soon after, you stood at the door of the store and saw a quiet girl walk out of the store, holding a packaged crepe. You knew this girl very well. Her name was Lu Lian, and she was Lu Li's sister.]

"Ms. Toyokawa Shoko, your crepe."

Lu Lian walked up to you, holding a crepe. She calmly handed it to you, but just as you reached out to take it, Lu Lian suddenly flicked her wrist, slipped the crepe from your hand, and threw it into the trash can.

"Ms. Toyokawa Shoko, you are such a piece of trash!"

[Looking up, you see a face you have never seen before, full of sarcasm, anger and ridicule.]

"Why do you have the nerve to come here? Are you trying to get back together with my brother? That's ridiculous."

"He became a victim of your band for your brother, and he also gave up his novel writing career for you. Do you know that people are still scolding him online?"

"Brother would sacrifice everything for you, but what about you? What did you do? You abandoned Brother. You took everything from Brother and then abandoned him!"

Hatred appeared on Lu Lian's face. She truly hated him. If she had known this woman would treat her brother like this, she should have killed her!

"Even after being treated like that by you, my brother never resented you. Even when you abandoned him, he still waited for you. But even then, you didn't even look back at him!"

Lu Lian clenched her fists. She really wanted to punch you in the face, but luckily Lu Li was living a happy life now, so she held back.

"Brother has forgiven you, Sister Hailing has forgiven you, and Sister Miaomeng doesn't mind what happened in the past, but I'm different. I'm a stingy person. If anyone bullies Brother, I will definitely take revenge!"

[After saying that, Lu Lian took out a 10,000 yen bill and slammed it hard on your face.]

"The rule set by my brother is that if you mess up a customer's order, you have to pay ten times the price. A crepe costs 780 yen, so ten times that is 7800 yen. You don't need to pay the remaining 2200 yen."

Volume 1: Chapter 32 The Kitchen Water is Boiling

[The cold banknote hits your face. It doesn't hurt, but it hurts.]

You've never seen Lu Lian like this, because in your memory she's always just a little girl who followed Lu Li silently, quiet, gentle, and polite. She always calls him "brother" and never seems to get angry.

"Miss Xiangzi, I hope you can take care of yourself."

After saying this, Lu Lian mercilessly turned around and walked back into the store. She didn't even give you a chance to speak.

You didn't even look at the banknotes that fell to the ground. You just stared blankly at the restaurant in front of you. You looked at the crepe that Lu Lian had thrown into the trash can, and you hesitated.

The crepes are already packed, tightly wrapped. Is it still too late to dig them out of the trash can now?

【...】

[Just when you hesitated, suddenly, a familiar voice appeared behind you. ]

"Xiangzi!"

[Hearing this voice, you turned around excitedly and saw the person you wanted to see the most.]

"Xiangzi, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were coming."

Wearing a white chef's hat, an apron tied around his waist, and a slightly bearded and weathered face, you see a completely different Lu Li from a few years ago. But even though his appearance has changed, you know he's still himself.

"How can they be so mean? They didn't even tell me you were here. I'm so sorry." Lu Li apologized to you. He really had no idea you were here. He was just in the kitchen making crepes. If Hai Ling hadn't reminded him, he might never have known you were here.

"I just came to take a look." You forced yourself to calm down.

"Just looking around? You must be very busy, do you have time? A few days ago, Mu and Chuhua told me that they had a lot of plans recently and were too busy to come over."

[After hearing Lu Li's words, you were stunned for a moment.]

[Chuhua? Mu? Have they been here before?]

"Lu Li, have you been in contact with Chu Hua and Mu?" you asked in disbelief.

“Yes, we’ve been in touch. After all, we’re all friends. They’ll tell me about the band. Just a few days ago, they were talking to me about you, saying that you’re under a lot of pressure and they can’t help you. Xiangzi, I know there’s a lot of things going on in the band right now, but don’t put pressure on yourself. You need more…”

【Your eyes gradually blurred. 】

[It turns out that he has always been paying attention to you and the band. It turns out that everyone is still by his side. It turns out that you are the only one who has truly abandoned him.]

"Hey, Xiangzi, why are you standing next to the trash can?" Lu Li was puzzled when he saw you standing next to the trash can. Then he looked towards the trash can.

"How did it fall into the trash can? Xiangzi, wait a minute, I'll make you another one." Lu Li said, and was about to turn around and go back to the restaurant.

【“!”】

[The moment Lu Li turned around, you suddenly reached out with all your strength and grabbed his arm.]

"Lu Li, please, come back to Tokyo with me."

[Your voice has a hint of tears in it, this time, it's not acting.]

"I'm rich now, lots of money. I bought the Toyokawa family's house, and the house you used to rent. Can we go back to Tokyo?"

"Lu Li, I promise you, let's get married. After we get married, you don't have to do anything. I'll support you. Seriously."

"Band, if you want to go back, I can arrange it. No one dares to say anything now. I can restore your reputation for you. No one will attack you again."

"As long as you're willing to come back to Tokyo with me, you can bring Hachiman Kailing and Yutenji Wakumai with you. You can be with whoever you want, and I don't care who you want to be friends with. Please, just come back with me..."

"Lu Li, I know I was wrong. I really know I was wrong." Your voice is choked with sobs. Your former beliefs have long since collapsed. You regret it. How much better it would have been if you had turned back earlier?

【“…”】

[Listening to your words, Lu Li pulled his arm back from your grasp, then he turned around and walked back to the store silently.]

[Watching the other person walk away, you collapse. You stumble to your lover's side and grab his hand once again as if it were a lifeline.]

"Lu Li, where are you going?"

[Hearing your question, Lu Li looked at you calmly, then he spoke softly.]

“I’m going back.”

【"Why?!"】

"The water in the kitchen is boiling..."

Volume 1: Chapter 33: Toyokawa Shoko's Perfect Ending

[Simulation ends. 】

[You have reached an ending: a future that belongs only to "you."]

[This simulation has ended. This simulation is rated S-level.]

[You received a simulated evaluation from the system: This is the most "perfect" ending for you today.]

You have won the prize for this simulation...

The simulation is over, but Shoko Toyokawa is no longer in the mood to listen to what the reward is.

A future that belongs only to her, a "perfect" future.

Is this her true future?

"I don't want a perfect ending. This isn't perfect at all..."

Yes, this is not perfect at all, but Shoko Toyokawa knows very well that, just as the ending says, this may be the most perfect ending for her now.

"This kind of perfection is not the perfection I want. It shouldn't be like this..."

"Tell me, how can I change this?"

[Ms. Xiangzi, don't you know the answer to this question best?]

[A simulation is always a simulation. Everything is based on your current state, Ms. Xiangzi. So if you want a future that truly reflects your expectations, all you have to do is change yourself. A simulation is always just a simulation; reality is what matters most.]

[So-called perfection isn't a fixed ending. Even if you actually achieve what you believe to be a truly perfect ending in the simulation, do you have to continue on that path without changing anything?]

You definitely won't, because that's how people are. Based on what we already have, we change and find a better path. This is what we call learning and growth.

Therefore, true perfection should be created and changed by yourself.

A simulation is ultimately just a simulation. What hasn't happened hasn't happened. In countless parallel worlds, all possibilities exist. Becoming a farmer, joining the underworld, or simply living a peaceful life without doing anything is possible. Everything is just a possibility that hasn't yet happened.

[Ms. Xiangzi, your future should depend on your own efforts, isn't it?]

If you don't want a future, don't let it happen. If you don't want to lose a friend, make an effort to connect with them. Right now, everything hasn't even begun. The water in the kitchen hasn't been put into the kettle yet. Your crepe is still in that person's hands. Whether to touch them or not is up to you. As for those future members you already know, you can freely choose whether to touch them or not.

[The stage of destiny is unknown. The best day is always the next day, right? ]

Reaching out to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes, Toyokawa Shoko burst into laughter.

"Thank you."

"Thank you to a program, Miss Xiangzi, you're truly a strange person. So, Miss Xiangzi, do you still need to simulate? Now that your mindset has changed, perhaps the next simulation will yield a better answer, and you'll have plenty of rewards to claim."

"no need."

"That's enough."

As she spoke, Shoko Toyokawa looked at a corner of her field of vision. In that corner, she saw a confirmation item asking whether to unbind the simulator.

[I see. You've thought it through, right?]

"Yes. You said that if one day I no longer need this simulator of the future, I can choose to unbind it so that you can go help the next person who needs your help. Now, I feel that day has come."

Toyokawa Shoko nodded slightly.

Simulation, she no longer needs it.

Because she already understood, just as the simulator told her, even if she really got the so-called perfect ending, she probably wouldn't continue according to that ending.