I_LOVE_RICE+

V3 Chapter 25: Hoshino Is Super Cute Today

After confirming that Schale's bomb disposal work would still take some time, I wandered alone around Millennium's autonomous district and found a well-reviewed café to rest for a bit.

I sat there, sipping a cup of coffee that was rich and aromatic. Just the way I liked it, sweet and creamy with only the tiniest hint of bitterness. As I drank, I wondered what to do with the rest of my free time. Should I just chill here by myself, or maybe see if someone wanted to hang out?

It wa...

V3 Chapter 24: It Would Be Strange If Yuuka Didn’t Like Me

The Game Development Department's request for a review of Myth·Legend·Chronicle was now complete.

Momoi enthusiastically invited me to play it again, but I quickly excused myself, saying that I had urgent work at Schale.

The girls looked a little disappointed, but my excuse did the trick. I made my escape and started wandering the paths of Millennium Science School. Everywhere I looked, students were huddled together, deep in debate, the whole place buzzing with that in...

V3 Chapter 23: There’s No More Competent Sensei in Kivotos Than Me

All things considered, Myth·Legend·Chronicle is, without a doubt, an a flawed game.

Leaving aside its awful gameplay, its unfinished state, and the countless traps born of the developers' twisted sense of humor... any one of these issues would be enough to criticize it on their own.

Let's start with the core responsibilities of the three members of the Game Development Department.

First, there's Yuzu, the club president and lead planner.

"The gameplay is pro...

Chapter 77: Five Centimeters Per Second

[You have given up blindly following in his footsteps.]

[What is about to separate you is a distance of ten thousand kilometers, and a time difference of fourteen hours.]

[The final six months.]

[Your attentive boyfriend noticed your loneliness and dedicated a large amount of time to you, even pausing the AI project he was personally developing for this purpose.]

AI?

Kitahara-kun is amazing.

Hitori didn't understand, but the words AI sounded full of science...

V3 Chapter 22: The Girl in the Cabinet

Yuuka left with the same heaviness she arrived with. The heavy steps of Yuuka, the heavy door slam of Yuuka, bidding farewell to the foolish children of the Game Development Club.

Momoi tiptoed to the door, pressing her ear against the wood with a grave expression, listening intently to the sound of fading footsteps until they vanished completely.

"Yes!" she cried, throwing both hands into the air. "We did it! We successfully drove off the Demon Lord Yuuka!"

Wasn't she just ...

V3 Chapter 21: The Arithmetician’s Killing Intent

Even though I couldn't turn my head, the familiar voice alone was enough for me to recognize the newcomer, the one I'd been longing for… or at least, almost longing for, Yuuka.

Momoi's startled cry confirmed it. "She appears! One of the Four Seminar Overlords, the 'Cold Arithmetician' herself, the Student Council Treasurer, Yuuka!"

"Don't just make up weird titles for people!" Yuuka snapped, her tone sharp with urgency. "Momoi! Midori! Don't sit so close to Sensei! You're making...

Chapter 76: Ordinary

[Exit simulation]

"…It doesn't hurt anymore."

Hitori murmured softly, then looked up to find the three girls beside her staring.

"Bocchi, just now…"

Ryo rested her chin on her finger, thoughtful.

"Ah… what is it?"

Hitori froze. She didn't… accidentally reveal her secret about having cheats in the simulation, did she?

"Bocchi-chan, you looked like you were in pain while dozing off. Are you okay?"

Nijika asked with concern...

Chapter 75: Did It

[After the summer festival ended.]

[You and Toru became a couple.]

[Upon hearing this news, your father, who dislikes drinking, had a few extra cups that night, and your mother cooked a pot of red bean rice, symbolizing a happy event.]

[Your parents waited for so long, four whole years from middle school until now. Seeing you suddenly open up, your mother sighed that her shut-in daughter finally had a long-term meal ticket.]

[Gotoh Michiyo was afraid you would become a...

V3 Chapter 20: Killing Momoi Without Regret

Fortunately, Momoi at least had a basic awareness of her own game's quality, and she could more or less guess why I had come to see her.

Though clearly unwilling, she still obediently stepped forward and let me pinch her cheeks to vent my frustration.

To make it up to Midori, who had been caught in the crossfire earlier, I made sure to spend twice as much time kneading Momoi's cheeks as I had spent on hers. Hopefully, seeing the culprit suffer a bit more miserably would soothe Mid...

V3 Chapter 19: Next Time! Momoi’s Death

Today's schale duty at Schale came from Millennium's Engineering Department.

It was scheduled, but the actual turnout was a little more than I expected.

"Sensei, are you hurt?"

Ever since I started wearing the neck brace, it seemed every student greeted me with that line.

"Just a minor injury, almost healed. Also, why are all of you here," I asked, "I thought today's duty was only Hibiki?"

Three of the people from Engineering I had interacted with showed up. Besi...

V3 Chapter 18: Feeding Play

Late at night, I put on my coat, grabbed a small bag, and left Schale.

The streets on the outskirts were empty, the air faintly cool and fresher than usual.

Following the navigation for about ten minutes, I arrived at a secluded park deep in a quiet neighborhood. The girl who had asked to meet me there was already sitting squarely in the middle of a bench, waiting.

When she saw me approach, the shark-toothed girl with dog ears shifted to the side to make space, folded the ne...

V3 Chapter 17: You There? Take a Look

After just one afternoon of patrol, I had gained a deep understanding of Fubuki's lazy personality.

Whenever we came across something suspicious, Kirino would always charge forward recklessly, while Fubuki would stay behind pretending not to notice, or excuse herself by saying that with Kirino there, it was enough. Her attitude was the very picture of reluctant negligence.

Yet when an actual crime occurred, she would grumble about how troublesome it was, but still pull herself tog...

Chapter 74: Confession Beneath the Fireworks

[After the rainy season.]

[The summer break of first year.]

[Toru heard there was going to be a fireworks festival nearby, and invited you to go with him.]

[And why would he do that? Of course, to make you blush and lose the "I love you" game first.]

Seriously, can this "I love you" game end sooner?

Hitori felt that if this kept dragging on, her stomach trouble would evolve from a temporary illness into a chronic one.

She didn't want to end up like Ryo-san,...

Chapter 73:  What Happened to the Pure Love?

[You have become friends with Kita Ikuyo.]

[Your bond with Kita Ikuyo has deepened.]

It seems...

Nothing's wrong?

Hitori had thought that, just like in the last simulation, Kita-chan would end up becoming friends with Toru.

Then, somewhere out of her sight, their feelings would grow closer, and in the end, they would leave her behind, flying off together.

[Since you have become friends, it's only natural that Kita and Toru have also become friends.]

....

V3 Chapter 16: Cuteness Is Justice

"Why are you so sure I've done something bad?!"

I put down the pet collar and scolded Kirino sharply. "And why didn't you knock before coming in?"

If she'd arrived an hour earlier, I might have really been caught red-handed.

"Ahaha, sorry, I was in a bit of a hurry and forgot… As for the first question, well, maybe it's because every time I see you, Sensei, you're always doing something suspicious?"

I decided to be the bigger person and not argue with an idiot.

V3 Chapter 14-15: I Feel Like I’m the One Being Forced

Author: Chapter 14 has been revised over a dozen times and still can't be released. Skipping it won't affect anything. Sorry! 

***

Inside Schale's office.

Sensei and today's Schale on-duty student were each busy in their own way.

I fixed my gaze on the computer screen, one hand on the keyboard, the other on the mouse, occasionally frowning in deep thought. Naturally enough, Ako, who argued "it's easier just to ask when there's a problem" and sat n...

V3 Chapter 13: My Beloved Dog (Part One)

"I finally understand your true objective, Sensei."

Ako smiled sweetly. "As expected, you're trying to use me, an administrator from the Prefect Team, to indirectly carry out some conspiracy, aren't you? Forcing me to handle a massive amount of paperwork here at Schale to drain my energy, all to achieve your unspeakable goal... that's it, isn't it!"

"...Huh?"

"I see!"

Ako suddenly widened her beautiful eyes as if she had realized somet...

V3 Chapter 12: The Wager with Ako

The next morning.

The sky was clear and endless, the air comfortably warm. A perfect day to stay inside and slack off.

My work with Abydos was finally wrapped up, and I hadn't yet accepted any new assignments. For the first time in a while, I could handle paperwork at Schale itself. The living quarters were only a few minutes' walk from the office area, practically the same as working from home.

There wasn't much paperwork left either. A bit of casual effort would get it all...

Chapter 72: It’s Just a Simulation Anyway

"Gotoh-san back in middle school was actually kind of cute."

Toru exited the simulation and rolled over in bed.

He would probably spend the whole day lazing around, but first, he decided to wash up.

After a quick cleanup, Toru lay down on the living room sofa and turned on the air conditioner's cooling mode.

Then he checked the simulator's notifications.

[You have obtained new traits. Please check—]

[Trait: Focus (Comprehension +10%)]

Not bad. Trait...

Chapter 71: A Inch of Light

[You are a little anxious and uncertain.]

[Just because you were placed in a different class, most opportunities to interact with him have been taken away.]

[Think pessimistically for a moment.]

[Even if you dated him, what then?]

[You might go through the same three stages as other couples.]

[Falling in love, graduating, breaking up.]

[You know very well that you cannot stay together forever, what separates you is the boundless reality, and you are powerle...

V3 Chapter 11: The President’s Pride

Following close behind me into the living quarters, Aru glanced at the neck brace around my neck, her voice tinged with concern.

"Sensei, did you get hurt?"

Realizing it was difficult for me to turn my head, Aru stepped forward and matched my pace, walking beside me.

Even this silly girl knows how to worry about her teacher now. Sensei is pleased.

"It's fine, just a minor injury. I'll be perfectly fine in a couple of days."

Then, I smoothly shifted the topic.

V3 Chapter 10: The Fastest Legend in Kivotos

[Trinity - Remedial Knights Club]

After being wounded by temptation, the kindhearted Mari, an angel in both form and spirit, couldn't rest easy despite her busy work schedule. She requested leave from the Sisterhood and insisted on accompanying me to this place, which effectively serves as Trinity's infirmary.

"Is Sensei really going to be okay?"

After finishing a prayer, Mari asked the nurse with clear worry in her voice.

The nurse patted her generous...

Chapter 70: The Two Who Drift Further Apart

[Christmas.]

[Originally just a foreign holiday, yet somehow it had become one of Japan's own.]

[At the end of the year, you, Toru, and your families held a Christmas party at home.]

[Amid the laughter and warmth, you looked at Toru playing with your little sister and thought, if only days like this could last forever…]

[When the snow melted and the new year began, the rhythm of your lives stayed the same.]

[You and he, still young and inexperienced in love, ma...

V3 Chapter 9: A Prayer to Mari, Until Dusk

As the host of the Tea Party, Seia had official duties to attend to. After finishing her cup of tea, she had to return to work.

With a mix of emotions I couldn't quite name, I bid her farewell.

I didn't know what she had foreseen that made her tell me we wouldn't see each other for a long time. But since she didn't wish to speak of it, I could only respect her choice.

To let that make me moody would be shameful.

To clear my head, I thought of a good idea...

After...

V3 Chapter 8: Black History, Get~

"Your outlook on the matter is… rather unique. Truly… in your style."

That was Seia's comment after hearing my thoughts on prophecies. I decided to take it as a compliment.

We were sitting in one of the Tea Party's Trinity garden, at a small round table set with tea and pastries. The parasol above us filtered the warm afternoon light, casting a pleasant shade.

From Seia's almost translucent pale skin, I suspected she might be one of the few students in Kivotos with a fra...

Chapter 69: How Long Will the “I Love You” Game Last?

On the way to school.

The two of them began to talk.

"How did yesterday's game feel?" Toru asked the chief test player for her impressions.

He had decided that during middle school, he would first become an independent game developer. In college, he'd think about starting a company to make mone—cough to create the best games possible, crafting happiness with care.

With a tenfold experience boost, Toru didn't have to worry about time at all. ...

V3 Chapter 7: Ha, She’s Jealous

[Abydos Foreclosure Task Force- Activity Room]

It was early morning. Normally, Hoshino would still be dozing off somewhere, but today she sat properly in her chair. Her eyes were half closed, her posture lazy as ever, yet it was clear she wasn't asleep.

Laughter and footsteps drew closer from down the hall, and the door slid open.

Serika, leading the group, froze in shock the moment she saw inside. "Hoshino-senpai? You're here this early?!"

Nonomi sque...

V3 Chapter 6: Trouble Consulting’s Reputation Is in Ruins

"Well then, Sensei, this is goodbye. I look forward to meeting you again."

Morning light streamed faintly through the entrance of the Schale building.

The moving truck had already arrived. The girls of Problem Solver 68 had finished loading their luggage and were ready to depart.

"Did you make sure everything's packed? Want to check again?"

"Relax! We checked it a bunch of times already!"

As their exchange ended, I couldn't help but feel like a father seeing his ...

Chapter 68: A Life That Wants to Be Happy

[Time flies.]

[It has been nearly half a year since Toru moved in next door.]

[You've gotten close to him, but there's still not the slightest trace of romance. Perhaps his threshold for affection is simply too high; ordinary daily life isn't enough to make him fall for you.]

[During these months, you've been learning how to care for your appearance, and it's had a small effect. At the very least, among your classmates, you've gone from "that gloomy, weird girl" to "that glo...

V3 Chapter 5: Shiroko Still Understands Me Best

[Pic]

"…Sensei."

Hoshino tried to keep her composure, but her eyes were wet with tears, her voice trembling.

"This isn't funny at all."

"I know. That's why I'm not joking."

Her fists clenched tight,...