He was deeply captivated by the image of the girl in the white dress standing on the slope in his memory.
But reality mercilessly awakened Tomoya Aki.
Because the way things unfolded that day was completely different from the scenarios he had experienced in his galgames.
This was not a single-player game where he could control the protagonist's actions. The heroine would not simply stand there, obediently waiting for him to trigger an event or collect a beautiful CG scene.
If you did not act, or even if you were just a little slow, countless others would naturally step in and take your place.
The numerous green hats sitting atop Aki's head were all proof of that.
Ever since that incident, Tomoya had been restless all day.
Because, just when he had finally started to recover from the shock, he was hit with an even more astonishing piece of information, the girl was actually his classmate.
"I think her name was Kana Megumi?"
The new semester had already been underway for some time. Tomoya racked his brains, but he could barely recall any impression of this female classmate.
Moreover, when he asked his good friend Takeshi Kamigou, the response was similar. She was clearly quite cute, but somehow had left almost no presence.
Distracted and out of sorts, Tomoya made frequent mistakes at his part-time job after school for several days in a row.
Each time, he would be harshly scolded by the usually amiable store owner and would finally drag his tired and muddled brain back home alone.
The boss was normally easy to talk to because Tomoya Aki was proactive and capable, someone who created value. But once he became a burden who caused losses, the attitude he received naturally flipped.
After several days of careful reflection, Tomoya Aki finally made up his mind.
He wanted to make up for the regret of that day.
And the vague idea he had been harboring gradually solidified into a burning ambition.
He wanted to create his own beautiful girl game.
Tomoya Aki absolutely refused to remain just a consumer pig for the rest of his life. He had the determination to become a creator.
Without even bothering to sleep, he got out of bed and stayed up until after three o'clock in the morning, completing a rough draft of a "game plan."
To make a game, you naturally needed a script and artwork.
Thus, the next day, Tomoya sought out two key people.
One was the popular third-year light novelist, Kasumigaoka Utaha.
The other was his childhood friend, the ace of the art club, Eriri Spencer Sawamura.
Although both of them were extremely pessimistic about his grand plan, they reluctantly agreed out of consideration for his feelings.
"With these two, everything should be foolproof, right?"
An ordinary person might think so.
But for Tomoya Aki, there was still someone missing, someone he vaguely felt was even more crucial than the two of them combined.
Without her, it absolutely would not work.
"Kana-san, please wait a moment."
When school ended that afternoon, Tomoya ran to the back door of the classroom at full speed, blocking the girl's way out.
His sudden action troubled Megumi. Although she did not show it obviously, Katou Megumi was a little annoyed.
That junior of hers had never mispronounced her name before. Nor had he ever ignored her.
"Aki-kun, you are probably calling me, but my surname is actually Katou..."
Katou Megumi gently pointed out her small dissatisfaction, but her protest was decisively ignored.
"That kind of thing does not matter, Katou. I have something important to tell you right now!"
Tomoya Aki raised his voice so loudly that everyone in the class could hear.
He looked extremely serious, carrying an air of someone who would not back down until he succeeded.
"Now? But..."
Katou Megumi hesitated slightly, uncomfortable under the stares of her classmates.
"Please give me some of your time."
Tomoya Aki had a trait that could be seen as either a flaw or a merit, his stubborn persistence.
It gave Katou a slight headache.
"Okay, I understand."
In the end, she had no choice but to agree.
...
The two of them going alone to a cafe after school, that was the plan.
But it was completely derailed.
The furious Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri, who had been stood up despite prior arrangements, caught Tomoya red-handed.
As a result, the four of them ended up going to a cafe together on their way home from school.
Although Katou Megumi's presence was faint as always, the three people surrounding Tomoya Aki were all beautiful girls with outstanding looks.
In anyone else's eyes, Tomoya was living the dream.
However, things were different from what he had originally imagined.
Among the three, the one most important to Tomoya's heart was the one least interested in him.
"That is how it is. I need you to join our club, Katou."
Perhaps because of Kitahara Sousuke's sudden appearance, Tomoya felt a heightened sense of urgency. He was more proactive than ever, almost shameless.
Yet Katou Megumi remained unmoved.
"But it was Kitahara-kun who picked up my hat that day. I do not think I even said a word to Aki-kun the whole time."
Looking down at her phone, Katou Megumi spoke in a flat tone, coldly reminding him of reality.
For Tomoya Aki, it was a devastating blow.
He almost felt like he would turn gray and be blown away by the wind.
"At a time like this, should you not also call over the other party involved, Ethical-kun?"
Sitting across from Katou, Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had been quietly observing the seemingly indifferent girl, suddenly spoke up.
Katou Megumi, who appeared plain and featureless, somehow made Tomoya Aki so persistent.
It was not arrogance, but Utaha had always been confident in herself.
Yet as she looked at Katou Megumi, who continued to gaze down at her phone, an unsettling intuition pricked at her.
If she left things be, she might lose.
After a brief moment of thought, Utaha decided to stir the pot.
"Eh?"
Tomoya Aki subconsciously wanted to reject his senior's suggestion but could not think of a valid reason fast enough.
Kasumigaoka Utaha did not give him a chance to speak.
Under the table, her black-stockinged foot lightly kicked the golden-haired girl.
"That is right, that is right, Tomoya. Let that Kitahara-kun come over too."
Eriri, quick on the uptake, caught the hint and immediately chimed in.
After speaking, she cast a sharp, wary look at Katou Megumi sitting beside her.
Now, two out of the three confirmed members of the team had agreed.
The last one, Katou Megumi, who had not yet agreed to join, kept her stance ambiguous.
"Can we decide now, Ethical-kun?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled sweetly.
Under the table, her slender and beautiful legs swung back and forth with visible satisfaction.
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