Love Comes After Simulation

Opening his eyes, Minami Yuuki saw the familiar ceiling. He reached out to his side, but the warm, soft body of his wife was gone.

The spacious double bed had become a narrow single bed. His hand extended beyond the blanket, and the wind from the balcony brushed through his fingers.

The free simulation had ended. A pop-up window appeared in front of him:

[Free Simulation Ended]

He swiped away the window, revealing the simulation text interface. The ongoing simulation was not much different from the previous ones, and it quickly came to an end.

[Simulation Ended]

[No summary provided due to the emotional progress being too similar]

Outside, the sun had fully risen, and the chirping sparrows had flown off to somewhere unknown. Minami Yuuki glanced at his phone; it was just seven o’clock, still early.

He placed a pillow behind his back and lay down at the head of the bed, reminiscing about the day with Yuko and Mayuri.

An unusually proactive petite wife, a daughter who loved playing games, and their noisy, lively mother-daughter relationship.

It was a completely different experience from the last free simulation.

In Asano Nao’s simulated life, there was an exceptionally shy, well-endowed wife, a diligent and motivated daughter, and a harmonious, loving mother-daughter relationship.

Minami Yuuki couldn’t help but compare the experiences of the two simulations. Which wife, which daughter was better?

The answer was neither. Their styles were so different that it was impossible to compare.

He recalled the various attempts in his multiple simulated lives. Compared to Asano Nao, Ibuki Yuko’s simulation went much smoother, which was also related to the girl’s personality. Unlike Nao, who silently endured pressure, Yuko was extremely proactive.

Asano Nao suffered a lot because of her daughter, while Ibuki Yuko… chose to push her daughter aside, unwilling to wrong herself even if it meant wronging her daughter.

The main difficulty in Asano Nao’s simulated life was after falling in love, while in Ibuki Yuko’s life, it was before falling in love. There were significant differences in every aspect.

Thinking this, he couldn’t help but think of the real Ibuki Yuko. He looked at the ceiling, towards the direction of Ibuki’s apartment on the 11th floor.

What was Ibuki Yuko doing now?

…

Ibuki Yuko had just woken up from a dream.

The Ibuki family’s apartment had only one more living room than Minami Yuuki’s. The girl and her mother slept in the same bedroom, with Ibuki Yuko on a folding bed and Honoka on a double bed.

The girl suddenly sat up from the folding bed. She opened her mouth, wanting to shout, but stopped when she realized she was back in the apartment.

She recalled the scenes from her dream: the movie theater in the dream, the movie in the dream, the VR glasses, and the experience after putting them on.

Everything was vivid and unfaded, even though dreams should quickly fade upon waking.

Was it really just a dream? Ibuki Yuko keenly sensed that the moment she thought this, it proved that it was more than just a dream.

Normally, she wouldn’t be so fixated on a dream.

In that emotionally communicative dream movie, Ibuki Yuko experienced long-forgotten joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. She felt the budding of her own romantic feelings and the growth of her love.

It was too sneaky. Forcing emotions into her body like this.

The girl covered her chest, feeling her heart pounding. The wind leaking through the window was cool on her cheeks, and she realized her face was flushed and burning.

Thinking of the scenes in the VR glasses made her whole body heat up.

Minami Yuuki… my future husband? My lover?

Like Asano Nao, Ibuki Yuko took the dream as a sign of her future.

She repeated the name of the man she was about to fall in love with in her heart, and immediately, she found his image in her memory.

It was the boy who had recently started talking to her out of the blue. Just thinking about Minami Yuuki made her heart race.

The dream movie affected her even more than Asano Nao, not only because Asano Nao had already liked Minami Yuuki, but also because Yuko experienced the emotions in the movie with an empty heart, feeling the warmth in the VR world.

Her heart was like a glass of clear water, and the emotions conveyed by the dream movie were like dye dropped into it, coloring her entire being.

Her mind was now filled with the image of the boy. She recalled the last time she saw Minami Yuuki to ease her inner longing.

The most recent encounter was last night, in front of the elevator, where Minami Yuuki spoke to her.

What did they say again? Their conversation replayed in Ibuki Yuko’s ears.

“Good evening, senpai.”

“Hmm.”

“Don’t just say ‘hmm’, say ‘good evening’.”

“Hmm.”

“As expected of Ibuki-senpai!”

“…”

What did I say!

Ibuki Yuko held her head in her hands.

How could I be so cold to my love!

Various ways to apologize flashed through her mind quickly.

Maid outfit? School swimsuit? White stockings? Bunny girl? No, her relationship with Yuuki was still quite ordinary, no need for an apology.

Ibuki Yuko lowered her head in disappointment. She quickly perked up again. From the dream and recent encounters, it was clear that Yuuki cared about her and was actively approaching her.

As long as she cooperated a bit, their relationship would progress rapidly. Then, she could apologize to Yuuki in various ways!

Getting out of bed, she couldn’t help but smile softly. She quietly left the bedroom, and in the living room, the bright sunlight streamed in through the windows. Even her movements while preparing ingredients and cooking were filled with joy.

When packing the lunch box, she took some food from Honoka’s lunch box and put it into her own. If Minami Yuuki came to her at noon, she could use this to treat the boy.

After getting everything ready, she ate her breakfast, took her lunch box, and left the room. She didn’t need to wake Honoka; the woman would get up on her own.

Entering the elevator, Ibuki Yuko pressed the button for the first floor while her gaze lingered on the sixth floor for a moment.

Is Yuuki still at home?

The last time she saw him in the morning, he didn’t seem to be coming from the apartment.

Uncertain of Minami Yuuki’s whereabouts, Ibuki Yuko stood at the school gate, waiting.

She had come out early, so Yuuki should be behind her.

Sure enough, after waiting for ten minutes, she saw Minami Yuuki.

Quickly straightening her clothes, Ibuki Yuko stood still, her heart pounding harder and harder as the boy approached.

She wondered, after Minami Yuuki greeted her, how intimately should she respond?

Should she just say good morning? Confess her love outright? Or take action and hold his arm? First, she ruled out simply responding with “hmm”.

Minami Yuuki had now walked up to her. She was ready, waiting for the boy to talk to her, so she could naturally follow him.

However, Minami Yuuki walked right past her.

The boy didn’t pause at all, his steps steady and determined.

“…?”

It seemed there was a small problem.

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