Kazuichi gets some helpful advice before re-entering the simulation.

"Kazuichi... Kazuichi, are you with me? Kazuichi..." A soft voice could be heard, calling without much urgency.

The man in question slowly opened his eyes. They felt incredibly heavy... As the darkness split, he could see Chiaki's pale face above him, as well as the impressive shelf of her chest. That must mean... "Your lap...?" he muttered, finding himself unable to keep his eyes open.

"Shh... This is what the program told me you needed right now. I think it's okay if you rest your head there... Tell me how things are going, would you? After that, I'll speak."

Kazuichi gulped. Chiaki had basically confirmed what he'd expected, that he was lying down with his head in her lap. Like the previous time he'd entered the simulation, he didn't feel as though he could control his body, so he had **** but to enjoy the pleasant softness of her legs and listen to the close pulse of her body and breathing. Another reminder of how lifelike this simulation was...

The mechanic cleared his head, remembering the promise he'd made not to get distracted just before entering the Coffin. If anything, this should be a chance for him to catch up with Chiaki and reassure her that her friends were doing okay in the world outside. So, Kazuichi described to her as best he could how he'd spent his time the night before and this morning, including Hajime's concern for her and Hiyoko's goofy surprise breakfast. He still couldn't open his eyes, but he could imagine Chiaki smiling fondly at the memories of her classmates.

"... I see," she responded flatly.

Kazuichi had forgotten how it was hard to get this girl to register strong reactions, but he was still surprised she wasn't even faking it for the sake of the moment. "Yeah..."

"Yeah. It sounds like it's pretty tough for you out there, huh, Kazuichi?"

"Does it?" The young man hadn't expected that response.

"Well, yeah... I think it probably must be. I mean, to come here and then return to your world should be like... hmm... Games normally thank the player when they're cleared, right? With a big "thank you" note and fanfare noise? I'd have expected something more like that."

Kazuichi couldn't understand the feeling she was talking about, but he acted like he did. "Sure, yeah, that's basically how it was."

"Really? It sounded to me like you're saying Hajime ignored you and only asked about me... Then, Hiyoko bad-mouthed you but offered you a little token to keep your morale up. I still find it kind of funny that Hiyoko is there at all, from what you described... Where is Sonia right now?"

"Funny?" Kazuichi wanted to lean up, open his eyes, and see what expression Chiaki was making, finding it hard to imagine. He still couldn't open his eyes. Instead, he was **** to furrow his brow in a scowl. "Hold up, what's funny about that? And what does it have to do with Sonia?"

"Nevermind."

"Yeah, Sonia Nevermind, what does it have to do with her?"

"No, not the name. I meant 'never mind, forget it.' A deeper discussion on that isn't directed by the therapy program right now. But just... Maybe think about it a little on your own? I think that'd be healthy, probably."

"Uh... Okay. So listen, Chiaki, about this whole 'therapy program,' I was thinkin' it'd probably be better if-"

"Ah, yep. Let's talk about the therapy program some more. It seems like you made some progress in your previous session, but I had some advice for the session today. You're going to be thrown into the thick of it, I think..."

Kazuichi was surprised to feel Chiaki's hand stroking his hair. It was actually relaxing, but he wasn't in the mood to be relaxed. "You're not listenin', I'm sayin' the therapy program seems like a mistake. Like, can't you just teach me what I'm supposed to know without some sketchy Therapy Trigger Game, you know?"

"... Ah. I see, Kazuichi. That's... a bad sign. It seems like you still haven't realized how important it is for you to complete the game. Well, whatever. This isn't the kind of game you have to press a button to start... It starts automatically when you leave here. It'd be best if you listen to what I'm going to tell you so you can be prepared, I think. The first thing for you to understand is that when you leave the simulation, time doesn't stop. It may not proceed at the same rate as in the real world, but it keeps moving, and your body will be guided by the AI's best reconstruction of you. It won't awaken new triggers or use any of them, but it'll keep taking action. So, I think you ought to be prepared for an unexpected situation when you wake up... probably."

"W-what kind of unexpected situation? Wait a sec, when I passed out last time, I was..." Kazuichi subconsciously lowered his voice to a whisper. "I was having sex with Mikan, wasn't I?! What the heck am I about to wake up to?!"

"You'll see... It's all for your therapeutic benefit, anyway, so I wouldn't worry about it. Just take things as they come. Now, the other surprise I wanted you to expect... In this world, you might meet another Chiaki. For this simulation, there's a basic AI recreation of me, the same as all of your classmates. Like the rest of them, though, she's nothing more than a program, so feel free to do whatever you want with her. I'm mature enough to understand that whatever you do with her has nothing to do with me... Probably."

Kazuichi wanted to protest at the almost-spoken assumption that he'd be doing something objectionable to Chiaki's copy without hesitation, but he found his energy to talk fading. He assumed that he was about to wake up in the simulated world, just as he'd done the first time. He tried to get his last words out. "Chiaki... my friends, I... don't need to..."

The young lady stroked his hair again, and he could sense she'd lowered her face to speak to him more directly in a soft whisper. When she spoke, he could feel her breath on his face. "But you do, Kazuichi. This simulation, these copies of your friends, your therapy game... I think all of it can be a great benefit to you. The world was created for you... If you pay attention, I think you'll find plenty of useful lessons in it besides the immediate benefits. I think there are things you can learn from a simulation that might not be clear in the real world, and things you can only accomplish here, too. Have fun with it... Don't forget to check your Pad for even more surprises, okay?"

The mechanic had already passed out again, coaxed into sleep by the strange words of his unseen friend and the long fingers playing across his head.