[You decided to live with the couple who ran the ramen shop.]
[The orphanage director nodded, informing you that you would soon leave the orphanage to live in your new home.]
[However, there was no need to worry; after you settled in for a while, staff from a welfare organization would come to check on your living conditions.]
[If the couple treated you poorly, you could tell them directly, and they would help you. You nodded in agreement.]
[At age 9: After celebrating your last New at the orphanage, the director completed the necessary procedures.]
[A week later, the couple arrived on schedule to pick you up.]
[As you prepared to leave,many friends gathered around, encouraging you to behave well in your new home. After saying your goodbyes, you got into your new parents' car.]
[During your time at your new home, you finally had your own undisturbed room again, complete with a bed. Your new parents you kindly and didn't rush you to call them "Mom" and "Dad."]
[You met a new friend named Isshiki Iroha, who was one year younger and lived next door.]
[She was an adorably shy girl who often tucked her hands into her sleeves like a little animal.]
[You felt a rush of affection for her. giving her candies and telling her stories, you successfully got her closer to you, and she began to call you "Chisato Oni-chan."]
The heroine made her entrance in a perfectly reasonable way.
Chisato stroked his chin.
As expected of me
I've already managed to coax the young Iroha into affectionately calling me 'Onii-chan'.
Meeting her at the age of nine, it wouldn't be a stretch to say they could grow into childhood friends.
[You've settled comfortably into your new home, so when the welfare agency's staff came by to ask about your thoughts on the new environment and your new parents, you shared your feelings honestly.]
[But soon after the welfare staff left that day, things took a drastic turn. Your younger self quickly realized just how cruel human nature can be.]
The ominous tone of the description made Chisato uneasy. This was clearly a sign that things were about to go wrong.
[The afternoon after the welfare staff left, your new parents changed as if they were actors on a stage. In the blink of an eye, they were completely different people.]
[They no longer made breakfast for you, and their tone became harsh.]
[If you ate a bit more than usual, they would verbally abuse you. If you spoke too much or did anything to displease them, they would immediately beat you.]
[Not only that, but they also stripped away most of your free time outside of school.]
[They forced you to do laundry and clean the house, and they made you work in the back kitchen of their ramen shop, washing vegetables, cutting ingredients, and scrubbing dishes late into the night.]
[The only reason they chose you was to find free labor—cheap and unable to make a sound in society.]
[Among the children at the welfare home, you were the most well-developed and looked the strongest.]
[Most importantly, you were at an age where you were old enough to understand but still too immature to resist. You were easy to control, making you their first choice.]
Chisato clicked his tongue and felt a surge of anger. Not making breakfast was one thing, but beating him for the slightest infraction was crossing the line—let alone the forced labor.
"I'm just a kid! You two are complete scum!"
[Faced with this situation, you chose to...]
[1. Seek help from a teacher at school.]
[2. Call the police.]
[3. Seek help from the welfare center director.]
[4. Endure in silence.]
Four options appeared, and while three seemed like the right choices, Chisato knew, based on the simulator's usual trickery, that things might not be as straightforward as they seemed.
He reread the text and put himself in the shoes of a teacher, a Japanese police officer, and the welfare center director to see the situation from their perspectives.
"If I were a teacher and a student came to me saying they were being abused at home, would I unconditionally believe them?"
"Or, as an adult, would I be more cautious and investigate the situation before drawing conclusions?"
Undoubtedly, it would be the latter.
But the ramen shop couple could easily put on a convincing act. If they played their roles well, they could likely brush it off.
And once the teacher left, the child would probably suffer a severe beating.
The same logic applied to the police. They wouldn't take a child's word alone and immediately take action, so the first two seemingly correct options were ruled out.
Chisato continued to think.
If it were him, he would secretly gather evidence of the two scumbags abusing him and then seek external help.
But in the simulator, he was still just a child. It wouldn't be fair to expect so much from him.
He turned to the remaining two choices.
Seeking help from the welfare center director seemed like the best option.
Due to their position, the director would likely have more experience with such issues and might take a child's words more seriously, potentially rescuing him from the situation.
However, Chisato suddenly realized something.
If he were rescued, what would happen afterward?
Logically, he'd probably be sent back to the welfare home, but that would lead to a significant problem.
His relationship with Iroha would become distant. In a child's world, even the closest friendships could fade with distance.
If he were truly taken back to the welfare center, wouldn't that mean losing contact with Iroha and potentially ending the simulation?
Chisato seriously considered this possibility.
Could it be that the fourth option, which seemed the most passive and pessimistic, was actually the correct one?
But enduring constant exploitation—is that really the right choice?
Wait, could it be...
A lightbulb went off in Chisato's mind. He decided to trust his judgment and take a gamble.
[That night, you lay on your small bed, tossing and turning as you pondered. You decided to endure for a while longer, hoping the situation might change.]
[Three months later, just as you anticipated, things did change—though in a horrifying way.]
[The ramen shop couple went shopping one day, and as they were crossing the street on their electric bike, the brakes failed.]
[Unable to swerve in time, they were hit by a speeding vehicle.]
[The man died on the spot, his body shattered into unspeakable pieces scattered across the street. The woman, though still alive, wasn't much better off.]
[Her legs were crushed beyond repair and had to be amputated. A severe head injury left her in a vegetative state. For the rest of her life, she'd remain bedridden.]
Chisato raised an eyebrow and quietly clapped his hands.
"Serves them right."