Nicole Route Guide — Summer at Smile Café

A jirai-kei (landmine-type) girl who spends most of her shift on her phone. Initially teases the protagonist about his art, but her attitude shifts dramatically when she discovers secrets involving Envy.

As the waitress in Summer at Smile Café, Nicole plays a major role in the game's 80,000-word storyline. Nicole is rated Tier A on our character tier list with Medium route difficulty.

Players interested in Nicole should also explore routes for Envy's route guide, Zoe's route guide, Ada's route guide — their storylines intersect at key moments. Visit the character hub for all profiles.

Nicole's route becomes available through regular café attendance and dialogue during work shifts.

No prior route completion is required to start Nicole's path, though your relationship state with Envy significantly affects Nicole's mid-route behavior.

Check the full story walkthrough for chapter-by-chapter progression and the endings guide for Nicole's specific ending requirements.

• Nicole's early scenes require visiting the café during afternoon hours.
• Your relationship with Envy directly affects Nicole's mid-game attitude.
• Save before major Nicole-Envy confrontation scenes to explore both outcomes.
• Completing comment-response mini-games well improves Nicole's opinion of your work.

Financial planning matters for Nicole's route. Consult the money earning guide to ensure you can afford key date scenes. Mini-game performance during Nicole's commission events affects bonus CG availability — see the mini-games guide for scoring tips.

While most dialogue in Nicole's route is forgiving, pay attention during mid-route confrontations and late-game confession scenes. Saving before these moments lets you explore alternate responses without committing to a full replay.

The critical branch occurs when Nicole discovers your relationship with Envy. Supportive choices preserve both relationships temporarily; dismissive choices accelerate Nicole's dramatic arc.

For a complete choice map, see the all endings guide and use the route planner tool if you are deciding between Nicole and another character.

Nicole's route includes approximately 8-12 CG scenes in the full game. Story CGs unlock automatically; choice and performance CGs require specific decisions or mini-game scores. Track your gallery progress with the CG unlock guide.

Route-specific achievements: "Nicole's Happy End" unlocks upon completing the true ending, and "Nicole Route Start" triggers when you begin the romance path. See all 24 achievements on the achievements page and track them with the checklist tool.

After completing Nicole's route, consider pursuing Envy's route guide, Zoe's route guide, Ada's route guide next. Players seeking a different tone should consult the tier list for recommendations based on story depth, difficulty, and content type.

New players should read the how to play guide before starting. Returning collectors should cross-reference the CG guide for any missable scenes on this route.