Chapter 3: Family Restaurant

Riding the midday tram, Shangguan He returns to his city after four hours. No choice. He brainstormed several plans afterward, but their security was just too tight… Who puts infrared anti-theft systems in a school, like something out of an anime!? And those security guards—way too dedicated! How much are they paid to work that hard? Oh, right, it’s an elite girls’ school. Probably a fat paycheck.

In short, he didn’t catch a glimpse of the mysterious sailor-suited girl. The trip was a total bust. Disappointed? Sure, a bit. But as the old saying goes: If the enemy doesn’t move, I don’t move. If the enemy moves, I move. If they keep moving, I move chaotically. The trip wasn’t a complete loss. At least he confirmed one thing: the girl who killed him can’t just leave her school whenever she wants.

So, he just needs to play it safe and adapt. Specifically, no more repeating his first playthrough’s nonsense. Damn it. Juggling six girls at once? Add a couple more, and he could’ve played Ushiwakamaru! His first-playthrough self was something else. (Not a compliment.)

“Phew, it’s a bit chilly.” Walking the familiar yet unfamiliar city streets, Shangguan He pulls out his flip phone and checks the time. The LCD screen reads: [January 13, 5:23 PM]. Night falls early, and the streetlights are already glowing. Maybe because it’s the last day of spring break, the streets are unusually empty of teens.

Cooking at home means washing dishes. After half a second’s thought, he pushes open the door to a family restaurant he frequented in his first playthrough. These places offer cheap, quality meals, are open 24/7, and keep the AC running year-round. Buy a drink, get a bottomless cup, and you can stay all day—perfect for broke students.

“Hi, I’ll take the kids’ katsu-egg rice, but no ketchup writing or flag. For the drink, just a cup of hot water, thanks. Oh, and could I borrow some paper and a pen?” Such a polite, reasonable request surely won’t be denied by the squirrel-like waitress.

“Thank you so much.” With free notepaper and a ballpoint pen in hand, Shangguan He flashes a grateful smile. While waiting for his food, he spreads the paper on the table, tests the pen with a few strokes, and, finding it smooth, begins organizing his thoughts.

From his first playthrough, it’s clear this is a dating sim world, no doubt about it. And if it’s a game world, there must be a “clear route.” An “ending.” In his experience, most games have four endings: Normal End, Good End, Bad End, and True End. Getting stabbed by the mysterious girl in his first playthrough? Classic Bad End. In some niche games, a protagonist’s death might be labeled a Dead End, but that’s just a subset of Bad End, so no need to dwell on it.

Thinking back, his first-playthrough death wasn’t entirely undeserved. Harem endings where you juggle multiple girls and still get a happy ending exist, but they usually require maxing out every girl’s affection first. Some pure-love games don’t even offer harem endings. Trying for a harem in his first playthrough? Pure suicide, game-logic-wise. He asked for it and got it.

So, what should he do in his second playthrough? Shangguan He pauses his pen, recalling his old gaming habits. For a first playthrough, he’d pick a girl who matched his tastes. If she wasn’t available in the first run, he’d choose another, clear her route, and move on.

Hold on. If chasing a harem got him stabbed, doesn’t that mean the prerequisite for getting knifed was the harem attempt? So, in this second playthrough, should he try a single-girl route? At least that might dodge the Bad End, right? Getting stabbed was not fun.

“Tch…” He sets the pen down, his head aching at the next problem. Focusing on one girl’s route has a big risk. What happens after a Good End? If this world only has Bad End and Good End options, what happens to him and the world once he clears a route? Does he settle down with his chosen girl, raise a family, and die peacefully of old age? That’d be the Good End, right? Not bad, if that’s the case. But what if it’s not?

A fear of the “unknown” creeps in, more unsettling than the sudden stab of death. Damn it. Headache again. Feels like my brain’s growing a brain!

Tap-tap-tap! Crisp footsteps approach from behind. Before she appears, her voice bursts in. “Sir! Sorry for the wait! Here’s your katsu-egg rice and hot water!”

Bang! Bang! Thud! Smack! Smack!

The first two sounds are the plate of katsu-egg rice and a full cup of hot water hitting the table. The third is the overly familiar girl choosing to sit beside him, not across. The last two are the sound of her—well, let’s say—resting her notably heavy chest on the table. Yes, her assets are so prominent they make a smack when they hit the surface.

The uninvited girl slings an arm around Shangguan He’s shoulders with unsettling familiarity. He doesn’t resist, just feels the warmth of her embrace and greets her with a wry smile. “Long time no see, Yamazaki Miki.”