My Simulation… Why Is It Turning into a Real Romance?!

Shiina Residence, Living Room 

"This is so lame!"

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

Still reeling from the jump scare of waking up to a pink-haired gremlin in her face, Shiina Taki was panting heavily, visibly shaken. She shot a sharp, hawk-like glare at Kazami Haru, as if she might actually lunge and bite him.

Takamatsu Tomori, seeing how agitated Taki was, thought she was the cause of the trouble. She lowered her head, visibly disappointed, and whispered, "I'm sorry, Taki-chan…"

"…Huh? I wasn't blaming you, Tomori."

Taki-san, who just moments ago looked like she was ready to tear someone apart, softened immediately at Tomori's apology. Her tone melted into something gentler. Haru couldn't help but find her sudden mood swing kind of funny.

Still, someone needed to call her out—she had ditched practice today, after all.

"Taki, didn't you promise me yesterday you'd show up for practice?"

"I—"

Taki's face turned faintly red.

Last night, she'd caught a huge wave of inspiration and, without hesitation, chose to ride it through another all-nighter. After three days of barely any sleep, she'd passed out cold as soon as she lay down.

Her phone's buzzes and ringtones hadn't even stirred her.

If someone hadn't started softly singing Haruhikage near her ear, she might still be asleep.

"…Sorry. This one's on me."

Her finely shaped, beautiful face now showed a rare trace of embarrassment.

Normally, if someone else skipped practice, her short temper would've flared. But today, it was her who'd overslept and missed the group session. Her serious nature wouldn't let her brush it off.

So she didn't even try to make excuses. She just owned it and apologized.

"Pfft! Rikki actually overslept~!"

Chihaya Anon wasted no time teasing her, laughing out loud. The guilt on Taki's face flared into irritation.

Why did just seeing this damn pink-haired gremlin make her blood pressure rise?

Still, she had no room to argue, she had disappeared without notice.

Soyo, ever perceptive, picked up on Taki's mood and stepped in with her trademark gentle tone: "I think Taki-chan must've been really tired. Let's hold off on practice for a bit and focus on resting."

"No," Taki said, shaking her head. "Practice needs to continue as usual."

After all, she'd stayed up composing for the sake of band practice. She wasn't that timid, insecure person anymore. She'd found her groove again, no way was she letting the band stall now.

Otherwise, what was the point of crying in front of Kazami Haru?

Just remembering the way she'd lost it on him—crying on his chest, spilling her heart out—made her want to bury herself in a hole. Her face started to burn all over again.

But Soyo… while clearly worried, might not be entirely committed to this band thing. Taki couldn't help but wonder, was Soyo trying to steer them toward a casual, just-for-fun kind of band?

Was she really serious about rebuilding CRYCHIC?

Frowning, Taki pushed the doubt aside and spoke up: "Let's treat today as a reset. Starting tomorrow, we go all-in on practice."

"But before that, there's still something you need to promise us," Haru said, casually offering a cookie to the cat beside him.

Taki turned her head. "…Promise what?"

"To stop staying up all night. You can't just vanish on us again because you overworked yourself, right?"

Haru sat up straighter, his usual laid-back gaze sharpening slightly.

He knew exactly what kind of horrific schedule Taki had been keeping. It made his late-night FGO grinding look tame by comparison.

When he walked into her room earlier, he almost mistook her for Gaara.

"…Fine. It won't happen again," Taki muttered, glancing away awkwardly.

Classic I know I messed up, but I'll probably do it again face.

Haru, being a fellow repeat offender, recognized it instantly.

With a dramatic sigh, he spread his arms and rolled his eyes. "Wow~ So sincere, right?"

Anon chimed in with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes: "Yeah, suuuper sincere~ Rikki's totally just brushing it off~"

Her timing was so perfect that Haru turned to look at her in shock.

Yo, that was fast. Lightning bolt support?

"Huh? What do you mean, 'not sincere'?"

Taki's face twisted in confusion as the two continued their theatrical sass. And sure, they weren't wrong—she'd mostly just said it to shut them up. A little guilt crept in.

"…I think Haru's right," Tomori said softly, holding her teacup close. "Staying up late really hurts your health… Taki-chan needs proper rest too."

What the heck?! Now even Tomori's hitting with the lightning cyclone dropkick?!

Just a few heartfelt words from Tomori was enough to shut Taki down.

She turned away, flustered and wordless.

Cornered, Taki finally gave Haru a sharp glare and snapped: "Then what do you want me to do to prove I mean it?!"

Jeez, why glare at him?

Yesterday, she was talking to him in bed like they were best friends. Now she's acting all hostile again?

"Well, for starters, you need to actually cut back on the all-nighters. And then…"

Haru paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Suddenly, a mischievous idea popped into his head.

"…You get a penalty for getting caught. For example, today's penalty could be giving me a shoulder massage or something."

"…Haru, you bastard!"

Taki froze, then instantly understood what he was getting at.

He was totally using her guilt and vulnerability to mess with her!

The nerve of this guy taking advantage of her like that!

Though on the outside she looked annoyed and flustered… on the inside, she was weirdly nervous.

After a brief pause, cheeks tinted pink, she muttered, glaring at him—

"F-Fine! I'll do it, okay?!"

Wait… she's actually doing it?!

Haru blinked, startled. He'd been joking—just tossing out a dumb tease.

He didn't think the normally cold and prickly Taki would actually get up and go behind him to start massaging his shoulders.

A faint, delicate scent wafted from her hair as she leaned forward, her sleek black strands brushing past his cheek. Her violet eyes burned with quiet embarrassment. The soft gloss on her lips shimmered up close.

Bro… why do you smell so good?

"Stop staring!"

Taki scowled and shoved his head forward, then placed her pale fingers on his shoulders and began kneading.

Maybe it was from years of drumming, but her hands were surprisingly strong, each press perfectly precise.

…Though she did dig in extra hard every now and then.

Probably on purpose.

"Hssss—"

...

Shiina Residence – Living Room

A sudden, sharp jolt of soreness ran through Kazami Haru's shoulder, making him suck in a breath.

So this is how drummers get their revenge, quiet but brutal.

It hurt a little, but Haru wasn't about to complain. In fact, considering Shiina Taki still owed him a "reasonable favor," if she was willing to go through something this embarrassing, like giving him a shoulder massage, then maybe next time he could ask for… a leg-lock massage?

"Eh—?"

Across the sofa, Nagasaki Soyo was staring in disbelief.

That usually cold-as-ice Taki, who never gave Haru the time of day, was now… massaging him?! All because of a few words?

Wasn't she super frosty toward him just a few days ago?

Did Haru use some kind of hypnosis app?

Even Taki herself was a little confused.

Why had she agreed to this so easily? If someone told her a few weeks ago that she'd be giving Kazami Haru a massage, she'd have laughed in their face.

So why…?

"What about me? What about me?"

"Rikki~ My shoulders are feeling kinda stiff, too!"

Chihaya Anon blinked excitedly as she leaned forward, hopeful.

But Taki just shot her a glare sharp enough to cut glass. Anon shrank back immediately, but a second later puffed her cheeks in protest.

What the hell?! Playing favorites?!

She's massaging my boyfriend! I didn't even flip out, shouldn't she be grateful?!

Huffing in frustration, Anon glared at Haru, who looked far too relaxed for someone being touched by another woman. Seriously?!

"Haru-Haru, you better not be enjoying this too much!"

"By the way, Taki," Haru said, practically melting into the massage, "you've finished that composition, right?"

Taki's fingers stilled.

Her smoke-purple eyes flicked to him, and her mind flashed back to the night before—when he'd looked at her so seriously, when he'd said those words that had felt like real belief.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Trying to play it cool, she replied, "It's done. I finished it all last night."

"Eh?! You really finished it, Taki-chan?!"

Soyo covered her mouth in surprise. Anon and Takamatsu Tomori widened their eyes too, they had all assumed Taki was hiding because she couldn't finish it.

"I want to hear it!"

"Me too."

"I already heard it yesterday~ Taki's composition is seriously impressive."

Haru's lips curved into a soft smile.

His words, so genuinely complimentary, made something flutter in Taki's chest. She pressed her hand a little firmer against his shoulder.

"…Idiot."

A pale blush spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears, and her lips trembled just slightly.

For the first time, the tough and aloof Taki looked… genuinely shy.

"Stop talking…"

Haru: ?

Wait, what's this reaction?

Bro, why are you acting like a blushing heroine?

…You look kinda cute, though. Hold on.

No, no—Taki's my most trustworthy bro!

…But damn, Taki is really pretty.

Haru couldn't deny it—her soft voice, her gorgeous face, and that killer figure made her dangerously charming.

If she said one more thing like that, he was gonna have a "situation."

"..."

Anon stared in silent shock.

She was close enough to see Rikki's entire expression—and what she saw didn't match the cold, no-nonsense girl she knew. What the hell happened in the one day Haru had spent alone with her?

All they talked about was music, huh? Really?

There's no way it was just that!

Her mind—already prone to running wild—spiraled into full-on imagination mode.

Was it Rikki's sexy figure?!

"Oh no…"

Come to think of it, she was the one who had sent Haru over there in the first place.

Wait, was this her fault?!

Anon's soul practically left her body. She sat there, stunned, adorable little fang peeking out as cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

"…That's enough, right? I'll go get the player."

Taki suddenly stood, her face still slightly flushed. She quickly pulled her hands away and turned toward her room, fleeing the scene like her life depended on it.

What the hell was she doing?

This wasn't any different than usual, so why did hearing his praise make her heart flutter like this?

Taki, who was always hypersensitive to her emotions, knew what was happening but she absolutely refused to go there.

Just being near him short-circuited her brain. If she got any closer…

No. She couldn't let herself get more entangled with Kazami Haru.

Back in her room, she stared at the sheet music he had written. Her fingers brushed over his handwriting, gripping tighter until her knuckles turned white.

She couldn't betray Tomori.

—

When Taki returned with the audio player, her face was back to its usual cool indifference.

Anon couldn't help but doubt herself, had she imagined the whole thing?

But… something was definitely up.

She had to keep an eye on Rikki.

There was no way Rikki, the proudest of tsunderes, would ever confess first but if Haru kept getting charmed by that body of hers…

"Anyway, let's have a listen."

Taki handed the player to Tomori. The three girls gathered around eagerly. Haru, meanwhile, stayed seated, sipping his tea like a proud dad.

"You're not going to check it?" Taki asked.

"…Didn't I already say yesterday?"

Haru smirked slightly as he sipped his tea.

Ninety-nine percent complete. A rare treasure.

"By the way, Taki, have you decided on a name for the song?"

"Me?" Taki blinked, surprised. Her expression turned thoughtful.

This song had been a joint effort—her and Haru, together.

She had composed the rest alone, but none of it would've existed without his help. That was a fact.

"Kazami, you bastard..."

She instantly understood his thoughts and couldn't help but stretch out his little fist and gently hit his chest.

Crack of the divine fist?!

Was Taki actually the Obelisk the Tormentor?

"…In that case…"

Her voice brought Haru back to the moment. She looked him in the eyes, serious and sincere.

Then with a faint, gentle smile, she spoke.

"This song's name is—If the Flowers Bloom." ("若见花")

- - -

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