True Education: I Have a Life Simulator

[Day 14: You no longer have to worry about the confession plan that has troubled you for over a year. Persevering through something for days on end takes time and effort, but giving up only needs one bad day. Yesterday, after you pulled Ichinose Honami out of the fire, you realized the birthday card you had written for her was left behind in the room. Without thinking, you instinctively ran back in, but unfortunately, before the choking smoke knocked you unconscious, you never found it.]

[When you woke up, it was already July 21st—Ichinose Honami's birthday had passed. Regrettably, there's no second chance. Your mother now insists on taking you away early. If yesterday hadn't happened, perhaps you could have stayed two more days, but reality can't be undone. By this time tomorrow, you'll be boarding your flight out of Tokyo.]

[You get out of bed and walk to the window. The hospital room your mother arranged is larger than your previous one, but it feels even emptier. A beautifully arranged fruit platter sits on the bedside table. You nibble on a few slices of apple but lose your appetite.]

[Outside, the rain continues to fall lightly. According to the forecast, it will stop by noon, and there is almost no chance of rain until tomorrow evening. This is one reason the fireworks festival was rescheduled for tonight.]

[The window view reveals lush greenery, the closest being vibrant bamboo. You open the window, and a misty breeze dampens your cheeks. Watching the rain weave through the treetops and bamboo leaves, it seems like the water is growing directly from the plants, transforming into green rain.]

[You hear footsteps outside the room, followed by a gentle knock. Closing the window and returning to bed, you realize only two people would visit you at this time—your mother or Izaki. When you say, "Come in," the elderly butler enters. He seems to have just returned from outside, carrying the smell and chill of rainy weather.]

["Young master," he greets respectfully, then shuts the door and teases with a sly grin: "Looks like you're lovesick."]

["...Even Izaki cares about that sort of thing?" You're more relaxed around him than your mother. Rolling in bed for a while, you finally bury your face in the blanket and mumble.]

["It's just that giving up so suddenly doesn't seem like you. A journey of a hundred miles, ninety miles is only halfway. Maybe next time you would have succeeded." You listen quietly. He knows better than anyone how much effort you've put into Ichinose Honami. Just days ago, you were asking him whether the fireworks should spell "I like you" or "Be with me," and now you're abandoning everything.]

["Isn't that how gamblers think? The higher the sunk cost, the harder it is to walk away, so they keep betting until nothing's left." "Feelings aren't sunk costs," he says with a frown, clearly dissatisfied.]

["You knew that already, right?" You roll your eyes, finally understanding why your lifelong bachelor of a butler is still single.]

["I don't think giving up on Ichinose is a pity. Your personalities clash fundamentally. She's not suited for romance—it's about mutual compatibility, and she can't seem to change. There's danger in her nature." "But," he continues.]

["Still, I think you should go through with the confession as planned." "You want me to get rejected again?" you say, baffled. "Exactly," Izaki says with a smile. "I want you to be rejected properly, devastated even. That's what gives it meaning."]

["Wow, since when did you get so ruthless about romance?" "Not ruthless. Love isn't always pure, fresh, or gentle. You should know that by now." He keeps going: "Love is rooted in primitive human desires—filled with deceit, possession, betrayal. It's the most complex and dangerous emotion." "That's why you lied to her over and over, forcing her to make a choice. You two kept hurting each other. But that's what love is—selfish and hopelessly cruel."]

[Still, he comes closer and gently pats your head with the tenderness of a guardian: "Precisely because it's cruel, people chase the light it brings: the feeling of loving and being loved." "Only by enduring the pain can one reach happiness."]

[You already know these truths. To achieve this romance, you've used people and circumstances. Even now, you're unsure of your true feelings for Ichinose Honami. You trace it back to when you gave her a winning popsicle stick as a child. Maybe your promise started then.]

["That's why I can't see her again. Let alone confess." "We're leaving tomorrow morning. I can't afford to see her." You lie on your back, gazing at the white ceiling. "I said before, if I saw her, I wouldn't want to leave. But yesterday, in my old room, I saw dozens of burning paper cranes. She must have prepared them in advance as a farewell." "See? She let go of me first."]

[From your pocket, you pull out a single paper crane—a birthday gift from her when you turned twelve. Now it's the only one left. Of everything she gave you, only this and the prayer bead bracelet on your right wrist remain.]

[What Ichinose Honami never understood was that while a thousand cranes grant one wish, just standing before you lets her make ten, a hundred, a thousand wishes.]

[But summer is ending. Tonight's fireworks? Your date is with Karuizawa Kei.]

[As night falls, you dress in the yukata your mother prepared. The summer breeze is cool and pleasant. The forecast was accurate—no rain in sight. The festival atmosphere begins to stir. Your meeting with Kei is in thirty minutes, but you set off early. Passing food stalls, you realize you never learned her favorite snack. Sweet or savory? Candy apple, cotton candy, or takoyaki?]

[Thinking aloud, you call Kei to ask. Her surroundings are noisy with laughter. She says just an apple candy is fine.]

[Confirming her location, you buy two candy apples and turn off your phone. You don't want to see messages or calls. You don't want to think about Ichinose. Tonight, your only task is to say goodbye to Karuizawa Kei—the girl you used. You head toward your destination.]

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["No way, is Kitagawa-senpai really proposing to Karuizawa tonight?" "I heard he even ordered custom fireworks. My cousin works the logistics for the event. The Kitagawa family bought a section just for their fireworks." "Isn't sixteen too young for marriage? And they've only been dating like ten days." "Rich kids can do whatever they want." "If it's a public fireworks proposal, her name might be in the news tomorrow." "So jealous. Kei even bragged about it to us."]

[Amid the chattering girls, Karuizawa Kei tries to stay composed. She tightly grips her phone. The bullies she once feared are now her shield.]

[She won't accept a breakup—not even if it takes a mountain of lies.]

[Kei takes a deep breath. In her blue yukata, she smells of roses—the perfume you gave her.]

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[Ichinose Honami hears "This number is currently unavailable" for the 13th time. With each try, the veins on her pale wrist bulge more.]

[She is smart. Unlike you, she long ago saw through Karuizawa Kei. She knows Kei would never let go of her lifeline. After you listened to her past and accepted her weakness, she became a parasite.]

[The 14th failed call. Honami tosses her phone into the grass. She stands just 50 meters away, watching Kei surrounded by her circle. This ending, though expected, makes her laugh coldly.]

[As time approaches, Honami's heart grows still. In this forest, she feels a strange peace—free from obligations. Yesterday, she wanted to rewind time. But now, she's accepted reality.]

[She sees you approaching with two candy apples. You visibly hesitate at the sight of Kei. Of course, you didn't expect her to use your kindness one last time to prolong this fake relationship. If you understood feelings, you wouldn't have wasted so much time on her.]

[Honami opens the birthday card. It wasn't burned in the fire—she found it in the hallway.]

["I hope you learn to trust your heart. Value yourself. If it comes down to saving someone by sacrificing yourself, don't do it. You're not an angel, nor a sinner born with original sin."]

[Still... she can't do it.]

[Just like now, she wants to sacrifice herself to solve the Kei problem.]

[Honami hides the knife in her right hand and moves forward.]

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[The moment you see the group of girls around Kei, you understand her pathetic trick. But instead of anger, you feel sadness.]

[Maybe you shouldn't have accepted her confession. Maybe...]

[The air is heavy. Rose scent now smells rotten.]

[You step forward.]

[But someone else moves faster. Her shadow cuts in front of you, a blade in hand.]

[The knife flashes toward Kei's chest.]

[You instinctively jump in. Pain and numbness. Power leaks from your body. Your bones feel shattered. Vision fades.]

[Darkness comes.]

[The last thing you see is fireworks bursting in the sky.]

[Day 14: During the fireworks, you blocked Ichinose Honami's knife. In their grief and shock, you died.]

[Simulation duration: 14 days. You may retain one skill for the next simulation.]

[Congratulations! Ending Achieved: Phantom Dream]

[Phantom Dream: You saved no one. But the good news is—you'll never witness anything crueler. Like a dream. Rest in peace.]