Chapter 198 — CGs, Achievements, and Endings

Nijika’s words still echoed faintly in Aoki’s mind.

He drew in a deep breath, then shook his head firmly.

He truly didn’t want to keep wavering anymore—but being decisive was something that still felt far beyond him.

Forcing himself to clear away the restless thoughts, Aoki let out a quiet sigh and sat down to the side.

He’d been planning to take a short break before practicing the keyboard again, but the moment he sat down, something unexpected happened.

A crisp, long-forgotten electronic chime suddenly rang inside his head.

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[Ding! Congratulations, Host.]

[You have unlocked the heroine ‘Ijichi Nijika’s’ second CG: “A Little Bit of Selfishness, and a Selfless Kind of Love.”]

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The clear sound shattered his thoughts of practice.

Aoki froze for a moment, then immediately realized what it meant.

It had been so long—too long—since that “Love Simulation Game” had made its presence known.

And just as he had once guessed, it only resurfaced when his relationship with one of the heroines reached a certain stage.

But… what about the choice options?

Aoki remembered it clearly.

That feature hadn’t shown up in over two months, not since the last event.

What exactly were the conditions to trigger it?

He thought about it for a while but couldn’t figure it out.

Finally, he just gave up on overthinking and shifted his attention, mentally calling up the system panel.

Unlocking CGs always came with rewards.

The “rewards” usually turned out to be some fragment of a strange, seemingly useless item, but truthfully—Aoki cared more about the CGs themselves.

They were always breathtakingly beautiful.

A faint, blue-tinged panel appeared in front of him.

Nijika’s portrait was glowing softly, standing out from the rest.

Aoki’s eyes lingered on it for a moment, then he willed his consciousness to tap her icon.

The light flickered, and in the next instant, a Galgame-style interface materialized before his eyes.

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[Current Heroine: Ijichi Nijika]

[CGs Unlocked: 2 (Reward Available)]

[Achievements Reached: (1)]

[Ending: Approaching Completion]

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Aoki blinked, surprise flashing in his eyes.

Compared to the last time he’d seen this screen, the changes were massive.

Not only were the CGs selectable now—there were entirely new tabs for Achievements and Endings.

Suppressing his curiosity, he hesitated only a moment before choosing the most familiar option first: CGs.

The blue screen shimmered, and the CG collection page unfolded before him, row after row—some unlocked, some still dim.

The first CG: “The Dream a Drummer Girl Wants to Carry.”

The second CG: “A Little Bit of Selfishness, and a Selfless Kind of Love.”

Almost instinctively, Aoki tapped the new one.

The image expanded, filling his vision with flawless detail.

A girl with tears sparkling at the corners of her eyes stood on tiptoe, closing them as she leaned forward, clutching her senpai tightly as she kissed him.

The studio lights above caught the droplets, making them glisten like tiny stars.

As always, the CG quality was staggering—almost too beautiful to be real. Aoki couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

For all the times this game felt absurd, it never failed when it cam e to crafting these moments.

Just then, the reward notification chimed.

[Reward Granted: Nijika’s Four-Leaf Clover Charm Fragment (2/3)]

Another fragment. It couldn’t be used yet, and its purpose remained a mystery.

Aoki frowned slightly, but rather than dwell on it again, he brushed the thought aside.

Closing the CG tab, he returned to the heroine screen.

His gaze hovered between the Achievements and Ending options before he finally decided to check Achievements first.

This was his first time opening it.

The format was much like the CG gallery: a neat lineup of slots.

Most were still dimmed out, unreadable—but the very first was lit brightly, marked as unlocked.

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[Achievement Unlocked: Nijika’s First Kiss]

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Aoki’s lips twitched. So straightforward. No poetic dressing, just… blunt honesty.

For some reason, an absurd thought popped into his head: If first kiss counts as an achievement, then what about… first time playing “poker”? Would that show up too?

He shook his head hard, trying to banish the stray, ridiculous image. Refocusing on the panel, he noticed the glowing achievement was tagged with a note:

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[You have one unclaimed reward.]

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So, just like CGs, achievements also came with prizes.

Aoki couldn’t help but wonder, though—why did a kiss count, but not a hug?

Was it because hugging wasn’t exclusive to lovers?

He didn’t think too deeply about it.

Curiosity won out, and he tapped the claim button.

The glow faded, and a crisp notification followed:

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[Ding! Achievement Complete.]

[Reward Granted: 500 Points, 200 Achievement Coins.]

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Aoki’s eyes brightened. Five hundred points. That was actually valuable.

With choice events so rare lately, he’d been worried about running low.

Now, with this boost, he could afford to exchange more for music without worrying.

But the second reward… Achievement Coins.

That was new.

Frowning in curiosity, Aoki tapped the entry.

Instantly, the panel shifted again, transforming into something that resembled the familiar Points Shop—yet its contents were entirely different.