True Education: I Have a Life Simulator

[Achievement Unlocked: "First Clear" — Reward: Talent Refresh Card (Purple)] [Description: Refresh any one talent to a guaranteed purple-tier talent.]

[Achievement Unlocked: "I Want Them All" — Reward: +1 Permanent Talent Slot] [Condition: Trigger 3 or more CG events in a single simulation.]

[Achievement Unlocked: "Double Girlfriends" — Reward: Talent Upgrade Card] [Condition: Obtain affection from two main heroine characters in one simulation.]

[Achievement Unlocked: "Regret" — Reward: Temporary Talent Card] [Condition: Achieve your first Bad End.]

[Chapter 1 Objective: Discover and Correct Ichinose Honami's Life Turning Point — Status: Complete. Final Score: 69/100.]

[Reward: "Blessing of Ichinose Honami" — White-tier talents will never appear when drawing talents.]

[Remaining simulations for Chapter 1: 3. You may replay to improve your score or end now.]

"So... is it over?"

Still dazed from the emotional weight of the second simulation, Kitagawa Ryo tapped absentmindedly on his phone. Even as the game returned to the home screen, his thoughts remained on the girl named Ichinose Honami.

He had assumed the golden-tier talent "Promise Keeper" would make things smoother, and while he did technically clear Chapter 1, the 69-point evaluation made it clear: he hadn't truly won.

Chapter 2 was now unlocked: Karuizawa Kei's Autumn Lie.

Ryo muttered, "So she's the next heroine…" Compared to Honami, Kei seemed darker, more twisted. He didn't know her well yet, but what little he had seen hinted at deeper pain.

Deciding to reset Chapter 1, he chose to replay.

"Then let's relive this summer—one more time."

-------------------------------------

"If I were to keep any talents, the only ones truly worth it from last time were the golden 'Promise Keeper,' the purple 'Tokyo Pretty Boy,' and the blue 'Flower Guardian.' But now that I think about it, both 'Tokyo Pretty Boy' and 'Flower Guardian' were actually hidden reasons behind the second simulation's Bad End."

"Because my personal charm was too high, it ended up attracting Karuizawa Kei. If I didn't have 'Flower Guardian,' maybe I wouldn't have gotten so involved with her. And without getting involved, I might not have been in position to take that knife. Though... if I hadn't blocked it, it probably would've still ended in a Bad End anyway."

"As for 'Promise Keeper,' its value isn't just in being a golden-tier talent. It also boosts Honami's affection right from the start. If I'm going to keep one, this is the obvious choice."

Ryo sat back down at his desk, his thoughts racing as he made a decision.

[You have chosen to retain 'Promise Keeper' (Gold Talent)]

[Promise Keeper (Gold): You're incredibly lucky. You've been childhood friends with the main heroine of this chapter since you were little. Your youth was filled with her, and hers with you. Your lives are entangled, inseparable. No matter what happens, you'll never abandon each other—not even when things get stubborn, shameless, or overly meddlesome. (She's the one who grew up with you—through school days, rumors, and fleeting years.)]

"Kind of feels... slightly ironic now that I read it again."

[Talent has been fixed. Initiate third simulation?]

[Ding—Life Restart Simulator has begun.]

[Please name your character]

[You've chosen the name: Kitagawa Ryo]

[Name confirmed]

[Commencing Chapter One: Third Simulation]

[Chapter Title: Ichinose Honami's Summer Rewind]

[You have drawn six new talents, as follows:]

[Engraved Memory (Gold): You possess a mysterious and profound past. Much of your memory seems to have been erased, as if stolen. (Unlocks hidden endings: 'Oedipus Rex' and 'Salvation')]

[Oedipus Rex: Fate will always catch up to you, leading you to the future it has chosen.]

[Salvation: Then let's promise—to walk a long road together from now on.]

"...I remember this one. It appeared in the first simulation, though it was called 'Etched Scars' back then, and it was purple. It never actually triggered during the run."

He flipped through his old notes and found the entry.

"These two endings... one's probably a happy ending, the other's a bad one."

[Love Expert (Purple): You're highly attuned to women's psychology and can easily gain their affection. (This talent carries potential negative effects.)]

"That warning sounds just like last time's 'Tokyo Pretty Boy.'"

Ryo sighed lightly. Unless something better appeared later, he was ready to swap this out.

[Dreamweaver (Purple): You're skilled at crafting dreams and can lightly observe or influence others' dreams. (Codename: Paprika)]

"Supernatural abilities? What's with the 'Paprika' reference?"

He frowned and looked it up.

"'Paprika,' a film by director Satoshi Kon. Set in a near-future Tokyo, it's about a device that lets therapists enter people's dreams to treat mental illness. The female lead—Paprika—is the dream persona of a psychiatrist."

"Interesting."

[Cat Servant (Blue): You own an intelligent, well-behaved cat. (Just a cat... or maybe you'll name it 'Hotaru'?)]

"...Is it possible the true heroine of Chapter One isn't Honami, but this cat?"

This talent brought back memories of the mischievous white cat from his first simulation—the one that kept him home petting it every day. The same cat named "Hotaru" had also shown up in the second run. And now, here it was again.

[Combat Proficiency (Green): You have basic martial arts skills. (Just basic, mind you.)]

"Better than nothing."

[Close Friend (Green): You have a close male friend of the same age.]

"If it were female, I'd refresh this without hesitation..."

[Fixed Talent: 'Modest Assets']

[Modest Assets (Blue): You own an 80-square-meter apartment and 5 million yen in savings. (The apartment is located in Tokyo.)]

[Fixed Talent: 'Promise Keeper']

[Due to the influence of the talent 'Engraved Memory,' 'Promise Keeper' has evolved into 'Fated Reunion.' Talent tier unchanged.]

[Fated Reunion (Gold): You and the main heroine of this chapter shared a deep childhood bond, only for you to vanish from her life. People tend to romanticize the past—turning intense memories and cherished promises into perfect illusions. To her, you're a saintly figure—her first and only light. She still waits for you. Still honors the promise. (You're the cinnabar mole on her brow, not the mosquito blood on her palm. You're the moonlight in her heart, not the rice grain on her lips.)]

[Would you like to use the Talent Refresh Card (Purple)?]

[Select a talent to refresh]

"A pure love player doesn't need 'Love Expert.'"

[Talent 'Love Expert (Purple)' has been refreshed.]

[New Talent: 'Unyielding Spirit' (Purple): Perseverance. Effort. Never giving up. (The foundation of all success.)]

"Not bad."

Ryo nodded in approval and continued managing his items.

[Would you like to use the Talent Upgrade Card?]

[Select a talent to upgrade]

[Talent 'Dreamweaver (Purple)' has been upgraded to 'Dream Architect (Gold)']

[Dream Architect (Gold): You've long been attuned to the world of dreams. You can observe, craft, and shape multi-layered dreams. (Everyone deserves peace within their dreams.)]

"Now I'm kind of excited."

[Talent Selection Complete]

[Dream Architect (Gold), Fated Reunion (Gold), Engraved Memory (Gold)] [Unyielding Spirit (Purple)] [Cat Servant (Blue)] [Combat Proficiency (Green), Close Friend (Green)]

[Chapter Objective: Identify and resolve Ichinose Honami's life turning point]

"Simulation... begin."

[Simulation Initiated]

-------------------------------------

[Day One: The date is July 9th. Early July in Tokyo is at the peak of summer heat. You are standing at a street intersection, following the GPS on your phone to find your house. The long-lost scenery of the city feels fresh to you. During the summer break, you can see countless high schoolers walking in pairs along the streets, clearly on dates. Gigantic LED screens on buildings display flashing ads. The white cat on your shoulder taps your cheek gently with its paw, indicating that the traffic light has turned green.]

[This cat, named Hotaru, is a stray you rescued last year. Because of her eyes, which shimmer like fireflies, you named her Hotaru.]

[Originally living in the countryside, you received a message two days ago from your friend, Matsuo Eiichiro. He's someone you met two years ago and has taken care of you ever since. Upon hearing that you lost your memories, he eagerly helped search for information. After much effort, he finally discovered your real name and address and sent you all the information he gathered.]

[Kitagawa Ryo—that's your name. Your address is an apartment on the fourth floor in Nakano Ward, Tokyo. The bank also has a savings account registered under your identity, containing a neat sum of five million yen. Perhaps this is a gift your past self left for your present self.]

["Recently, the Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School held a press conference to address concerns about its overuse of public resources. Director Sakayanagi issued a statement on the matter."]

[The news playing on the large screen nearby catches your attention. "Sakayanagi?" You feel an inexplicable familiarity with that surname. It's like the sealed vault of your memory has cracked open just a little.]

[You shake your head, brushing away the jumbled, hazy thoughts. What you need to do now is quickly locate your apartment. If any neighbors still remember you, maybe they can tell you more about your past.]

["Phew, this should be it." After two hours of navigating, you finally arrive at the small apartment building.]

["I remember Eiichiro told me the exact unit is on the fourth floor." Just as you're about to check your phone for confirmation, you suddenly hear the sound of someone coming up the stairs.]

[At that moment, you are standing in the stairwell between the third and fourth floors, carrying your large luggage. Realizing someone is approaching from below, you hurriedly move all your bags up to the fourth-floor hallway. As you're carrying the last small bag back through the stairwell, you spot a girl about fifteen or sixteen years old—likely the same age as you.]

[What strikes you first is her waist-length golden-pink hair. Beneath soft bangs are a pair of aquamarine eyes filled with surprise and disbelief. Though her summer clothes are loose, her chest remains prominently shaped, hinting at her ample figure. Her slim waist forms a striking contrast. The dark skirt she wears reaches just past her knees. A faint scent of green citrus wafts through the air.]

[Noticing how she stares intensely at your face, you tilt your head in confusion. On your shoulder, Hotaru also tilts her head.]

["Um, hello?"]

[Unlocked CG: A Reunion After Years]

[A Reunion After Years: "Farewell" can mean parting, but also reunion. So then, long time no see.]

[Would you like to view this CG scene? (This may be helpful for the upcoming stages of your game.)]