The Fall of the Golden Apple

[You selected option c.]

[You decided to learn more types of instruments to improve your musical skills.]

[You decide which instrument to learn?]

[a, guitar]
[b, bass]
[c, erhu]
[d, Chuan Jianguo Brand Accordion]

“Option d? What even is that?! That instrument sounds super weird!”

“Option c… I don’t think the erhu suits a cute girl like me. It doesn’t match my vibe.”

“As for guitar and bass, I don’t have strong feelings either way. But the guitar seems more common. I’ll go with that.”

[You selected option a.]

[Learning guitar isn’t difficult for you, thanks to your childhood vocal training. You easily find a secondhand instrument shop online and place an order.]

[You chose secondhand because your current financial situation can’t support buying a high-end instrument. After all, you’re an orphan surviving on meager savings and part-time job income. You can’t afford to spend big all at once.]

[While waiting for the guitar to arrive, you decide to search for the Golden Apple. Where could it be hidden?]

[a, Train Station Men’s Bathroom (unlikely to contain the Golden Apple, but may have an H-option)]
[b, Lan Yu City Moonflower Observatory]
[c, School’s Abandoned Building]
[d, Haunted Half-Constructed Building]
[e, End This Day]

“What?! Is this some kind of eroge simulator? An H-option?! I won’t pick that! Not even in a simulator! I’m a good kid! No downloading questionable apps!”

“I’ll go with b. That observatory’s name sounds familiar—like from some gut-wrenching anime. Let’s see what it’s like.”

[You selected option b.]

[Moonflower Observatory is located in the heart of Lan Yu City. It’s the largest and most advanced astronomy exhibition hall in the city, featuring panoramic cosmic films. You spend several hundred yuan on a ticket and take a seat.]

[A black-haired girl sits behind you. She seems to recognize you, but the room is dark, so you don’t notice her.]

[The Moonflower program ends quickly. But by the time you leave the observatory, you still haven’t found the Golden Apple.]

[Next, you decide…]

[a, Train Station Men’s Bathroom (unlikely to contain the Golden Apple, but may have an H-option)]
[b, Lan Yu City Moonflower Observatory (unavailable—you’ve already been there)]
[c, School’s Abandoned Building]
[d, Haunted Half-Constructed Building]
[e, End This Day]

“Can I keep choosing? I’ll try a few more times.”

“I’ll pick c.”

[You selected option c.]

[This area is familiar. You often come here to practice singing. It’s the school’s old building, abandoned after the new one was built. The quiet, grassy environment strangely soothes you.]

[Golden sunlight pours into the empty classroom. You sometimes wonder—was this once a lively classroom? The carvings on these old desks were someone else’s youth.]

[You search the area but still find no trace of the Golden Apple.]

“Still nothing? Then I guess I have no choice but to try the haunted half-constructed building.”

[It’s already night. The fact that you’re here at this hour proves you’re brave.] I guess I have no choice but to try the haunted half-constructed building.”

[You selected option d.]

“Huh? Going to a haunted half-built building at night? You didn’t even tell me it was nighttime! Oh no… I’m kinda scared…”

[Lin Yuxuan realized she’d become more timid since turning into a girl.]

[Looks like courage really is affected by hormones…]

[The half-finished building is pitch-black. You walk alone down the dusty hallway in your little leather shoes, your footsteps echoing through the empty space.]

[From somewhere far away, a dripping sound—or something else—makes you shiver. You decide…]

[a, Go home. That’s enough for today.]
[b, Keep going. I’m the queen! Nothing scares me!]

“Ugh… I guess I’ll keep going. I came this far. Besides, it’s just a simulator. I don’t have memory fragments right now.”

[You selected option b.]

[You press forward, imagining the Golden Apple waving at you.]

[But sadly, even after exhausting yourself, you still don’t find the Golden Apple.]

“Can I really find it just by wandering around like this?”

[On your way out, you think you hear a woman’s sorrowful weeping from downstairs?]

“What? What’s going on?”

[But as a modern youth, you don’t believe in supernatural stuff. You continue downstairs.]

[As you descend, a red figure suddenly lunges at your face—it’s a woman’s ghost, her face covered in blood!]

[The moment you see her, you pass out.]

[When you wake up, you’re in a hospital. A janitor from the building found you unconscious and called the police and an ambulance.]

[While unconscious, you had a strange dream. You saw a red-clothed ghost on your bed. Her face was pale, her eyes white and pupil-less. You were terrified, unable to move. But she didn’t hurt you. She only… thoroughly disciplined you.]

“Huh?!?!”

[You were disciplined by a ghost in your dream. You still feel a deep ache in your lower abdomen.]

“No way… I got… taken care of… by a ghost?”

[Later, you learn the building had an accident before. A female accountant from the construction team jumped to her death here. She was a lesbian, but no woman ever gave her a fulfilling romantic life. She developed severe depression and, in her final moments, jumped wearing a red dress, filled with resentment.]

[You resolved her regrets. With your tender body, you comforted her lonely soul. Now she has no regrets. Her grudges are gone. She can reincarnate in peace.]

[Your experience taught you a lesson—respect the unknown.]

“No way… You’ve got ghosts in this world?! And this ghost didn’t attack me—she disciplined me?! This isn’t a vengeful spirit—this is a romantic ghost!”

“And that accountant died over this? No one ‘took care of’ her, so she didn’t want to live? Good grief…”

[The guitar you ordered online arrives. Right after leaving the hospital, you go to the parcel locker to pick it up.]

“Well, my body’s holding up. Got played by a ghost and didn’t even get sick.”

[You return to your usual singing spot—the empty classroom.]

[You strum the guitar strings, but nothing happens. It makes no sound.]

[Furious, you shout, “What kind of shady seller sold me a silent guitar?!” You decide to practice singing instead. Your beautiful voice echoes through the abandoned hallways. (“Singing Lv2” effect activates.)]

[Your singing attracts a purple-haired girl. She opens the classroom door. Afternoon sunlight streams in.]

[She says your voice drew her here. She notices the bass in your hand.]

“Bass? I clearly ordered a guitar!” You’re shocked.

[Your clueless expression makes the girl laugh. She says she’s never met someone who can’t tell bass and guitar apart.]

“I… I can’t even tell them apart?!”

[You blush deeply. The girl introduces herself as Tohyama Rin. She’s also looking for an empty room to practice bass. She loves music and was drawn by the clarity of your voice and the yearning for love in your lyrics.]

[You and Tohyama Rin become friends.]

“This should be solid. I made contact with her so early.”

“Too bad I still haven’t found the Golden Apple. If I could get that too, this run would be perfect.”

[As you grow closer, you two practice together almost daily in the abandoned classroom. Under her guidance, you learn bass. You discover Rin not only plays bass but also guitar. She’s deeply passionate about music.]

[Her dream is to form her own band.]

[You dream of becoming a lead singer. With shared interests and mutual understanding, you become true soulmates.]

[But perhaps rock music has side effects—your grades get worse. You weren’t naturally bright, and now you’ve fully abandoned studying for music. Your scores plummet. But you don’t care.]

[Your homeroom teacher, Mr. Li Tiansuo, is serious and dedicated. He doesn’t want to see you self-destruct. But repeated talks go nowhere. You’re completely disinterested in studying. You even consider dropping out of high school to focus on music. As a solitary orphan, no one can stop you.]

[This puts Mr. Li in a tough spot. After over a decade teaching at Shimokita Elite High, he’s never met a student as hard to manage as you.]

[So he comes up with a plan. He assigns the top student, class monitor Dong Qian, to tutor you. Dong Qian is a beautiful genius. Maybe she can understand your feelings.]

[In class, you always sit in the back by the window—the spot for underperforming students. At Shimokita Elite High, this makes you an outcast. Despite your striking looks, others keep their distance.]

[Dong Qian shares a similar fate. She doesn’t get along with classmates either. Her cute face and top grades make her a target of jealousy among girls.]

[Girls often form cliques to exclude outstanding peers. Both of you are labeled “outsiders.” The teacher hopes you can understand and help each other. As class monitor, Dong Qian also has a duty to improve your grades.]

[You and Dong Qian form a “study group.” Your stagnant, lifeless routine is shaken once more.]