"..."
In the living room, Chisato finally felt relieved after listening to Iroha explain all the details.
He once again gained a fresh understanding of evil simulators, realizing that they could devise new tricks every time.
Fortunately, nothing had gone wrong to cause him particularly difficult trouble.
With Iroha's current situation, it could only be said that everything was still under control.
"...I'm sorry for ruining your life."
She apologized sincerely, her voice filled with extreme guilt. She was truly an innocent and kind-hearted child.
Chisato's emotions were too complicated, but he had to maintain a calm demeanor on the surface to comfort others.
"That was just something that happened in your dream, and it has nothing to do with us in reality, so there's no need to apologize."
"Besides, the final outcome is good, and that's what matters."
This statement aligned with Iroha's earlier thoughts of self-comfort, making her feel quickly at ease.
The distance between them also diminished due to Iroha's small opening of her heart.
Now that Iroha had clearly explained everything on her side, it was Chisato's turn.
He didn't reveal the real situation but chose the same words she had used when facing Eriri and Utaha.
He lied, claiming he had an unclear dream from a first-person perspective. He had forgotten many of the specific details of the dream, only recalling a few impressive elements.
This also explained why he knew Iroha.
When Iroha asked if he had any clues about this strange occurrence, Chisato naturally pretended to be oblivious and asked questions.
Iroha didn't give up, asking many questions one after another but not receiving any particularly effective answers.
In the end, she reluctantly agreed with Chisato's conjecture that there might indeed be a parallel world.
It was best not to dwell on things they encountered that could not be explained by science and instead focus on living their current lives well.
Later, they took advantage of the relatively good atmosphere to briefly introduce themselves and share what they could reveal.
For example, they discussed the school they were currently attending, their ages, and other non-secretive topics.
When Iroha heard that Chisato had recently moved here, she happily marveled at the wonder of fate.
If I hadn't had that dream, I wouldn't have been enlightened by Ms. Hiratsuka, nor would I have been entrusted to Yukinoshita-senpai when she fell behind in her studies, or been invited by her to catch up.
I met Chisato Nii-san again in this vast sea of people.
Reflecting on her recent experiences, Iroha felt that everything was full of drama.
It was just like... the plot of a romantic drama; it couldn't be more coincidental.
In fact, the chat was nearly over.
More than an hour had passed, and it was past twelve o'clock.
Chisato frequently glanced at the clock on the wall of the living room, but it was unclear whether Iroha didn't notice his subtle gestures or saw them but chose to ignore them.
After hesitating for a moment, she finally made up her mind to take out her phone from her pocket.
"Um... Suzumiya Nii-sa... Senpai, can we exchange contact information?"
"You're the only one around me who has experienced something similar to what I have. I don't know how to talk to others about this."
"If we encounter such a situation again in the future, I think we can discuss it in a timely manner."
Chisato looked into Iroha's big, watery eyes.
After her worries and anxieties were alleviated, Iroha's confidence seemed unexpectedly high.
Her skirt fell just above her knees, and she had a youthful, beautiful face without any makeup.
The cuffs of her pure white shirt slightly covered her wrists, and a red ribbon threaded through her neckline was tied in a loose bow, making the clavicle of her neck vaguely visible.
She truly embodied the ideal image of a soft-spoken schoolgirl and must be quite popular among the boys at school.
However, at the same time, her seemingly pretentious look likely garnered some dislike from other girls.
Chisato, being male and feeling guilty for the trouble he had caused Iroha, of course couldn't refuse her request.
After they exchanged phone numbers and LINE IDs, Iroha appeared quite happy and finally stood up from the sofa.
She bowed slightly toward Chisato and said goodbye without hesitation.
However, her goodbye was simply a matter of changing her shoes and walking out the door, only to enter another door just a few steps away.
It was Yukino who opened that door. As she welcomed Iroha in, her eyes accidentally met Chisato's.
Her expression remained unchanged; she naturally retracted her gaze. After Iroha looked back and waved her hand, she closed the door.
[Yukino, a girl who believes in absolute justice, is impeccable in every aspect except for her breasts and physical strength. She has been identified as a high-quality woman.]
The familiar and nostalgic prompt interface appeared before him.
After a long absence, the Pure Love System had finally identified another high-quality woman.
That face was indeed cute to the point of being unfair.
He is actually neighbors with her...
However, at that moment, Chisato had no time to worry about such matters.
After closing the door and returning to the living room, he looked at the two people walking out of the room and realized that his conversation with Iroha was only the first half of what was to come.
Before he could catch his breath, the second half was about to begin again nonstop.
Utaha approached him, placing her slender hand on his shoulder.
"How about it? Do I need to give you more time to think about what I said?"
Her tone was sarcastic, fitting her character perfectly, and it was clear that she was genuinely angry about the situation.
"Don't be like this. Chisato hasn't said what's going on yet, so don't speak in that tone."
Eriri stepped forward, pushing Utaha's hand away, looking like a caring little cotton-padded jacket.
Chisato took her hand, slowly hugged her waist, and rested his head on her shoulder.
Indeed, Eriri is his best comfort at this moment.
This action instantly made Eriri blush and made Utaha's already grim expression even more so.
After just a moment, he released his hold.
"Come sit here on the sofa and talk; I'm afraid you'll be scared."
The two followed him to the sofa and sat down.
Utaha crossed her arms, having already envisioned the worst-case scenario.
She didn't believe that what Chisato had to say could frighten her; at most, it would only make her angrier.
But she soon realized she was mistaken.
"... Regarding the girl just now, her name is Iroha. She and I share something in common... we met in a dream."
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