Love Comes After Simulation

During dinner, Chitose Kazumi stayed behind, half-willingly, at the insistence of Asano Nao, to help prepare the evening’s dishes.

Although Asano Nao did the actual cooking, Kazumi cut the ingredients.

By rounding up, this meant that she made dinner, and Minami Yuuki was enjoying a meal she had a hand in making!

She was lost in this dream-like post-marriage scenario until the end of dinner. When she reluctantly put down her chopsticks, she realized something.

The color and taste of the dishes on the table were very similar to Minami Yuuki’s lunchbox!

So, it was Nao-nee who made Minami-kun’s lunches!

Last week, when Minami Yuuki, who usually ate bread, took out a lunchbox, she thought he had a new girlfriend and hastily went to confess to him.

Was it a misunderstanding?

Kazumi felt a bit regretful. Would it have been better if she had become friends with him first instead of rushing to confess?

She quickly dismissed the thought.

Without that impulsive confession, she might have always remained silent, hiding in the corner, just watching Minami Yuuki.

Thinking of this, she felt a surge of gratitude towards Asano Nao.

The three of them cleaned up the table and washed the dishes together. By the time they finished, it was already dark. Minami Yuuki walked Kazumi to the subway station.

“This is far enough,” she said, despite her true feelings.

She actually wanted to spend more time with Minami Yuuki, but her commute was over twenty minutes. If Minami Yuuki were to escort her, it would take nearly an hour for a round trip.

“Kazumi is so cute; I can’t let you go home alone,” Minami Yuuki said, swiping his card at the gate. “Don’t worry, I’ll stop at a distance from your house, so your parents won’t misunderstand.”

It’s not about misunderstanding; in fact, a misunderstanding would be better, Kazumi thought to herself.

She hurried to catch up with Minami Yuuki, clutching her bag.

“What do you think of Nao-nee?” Yuuki asked while they waited for the train.

“She’s very pretty,” Kazumi replied.

And her figure is amazing. I consider myself above average, but I feel a bit inferior next to her. She added in her mind.

“I meant her personality and how you felt interacting with her.”

“Sorry,” Kazumi blushed.

Why did I think about her looks? This kind of question is obviously about how the interaction felt!

Does Minami-kun think I’m weird? Although Nao-nee’s appearance and figure did make my heart flutter a bit, this is just pure friendship between girls!

Understanding what Yuuki meant, she answered, “She seems very kind and easy to get along with. I’ll visit often.”

“That helps a lot. She’s quite a loner. I’ve been worried for a while. It’s a relief that you two get along well.”

Loner? Such a beautiful, gentle big sister with a great figure can be friendless too?

Kazumi suddenly felt that not having friends wasn’t such a big deal.

The sound of the approaching train echoed through the tunnel. The brightly lit carriages emerged from the darkness, and the doors opened.

Yuuki and Kazumi boarded the train.

It was early evening, and the train was neither too crowded nor too empty. They stood in a corner, talking about the game Yuuki had played before dinner.

Ten minutes later, they switched to another train. After two more stops, they reached the station near Kazumi’s home.

She lived in a high-rise apartment building. Yuuki watched her walk into the building, waved goodbye, and started his way back.

As he walked, he pondered something strange, something he couldn’t understand.

In the simulated life, Asano Nao, who was very averse to outsiders, had an initial meeting with Chitose Kazumi that didn’t go well at all. Why was this meeting so smooth, so ordinary, so—normal?

Normal to the extent that Kazumi didn’t notice anything unusual, thinking Nao was just an ordinary, pretty otaku.

Minami Yuuki thought back to a week ago, recalling his initial interactions with Asano Nao.

At that time, this well-endowed older sister was a genuine shut-in, taking forever just to open the door. The open curtains and bright windows filled her with dread.

How, in just one week, did she become a normal person in Chitose Kazumi’s eyes? It was as if she had undergone a lifetime of healing in just one week.

Minami Yuuki furrowed his brow, pondering.

This shouldn’t be possible. I haven’t done much this week. If it were so simple to cure Asano Nao, then what did all my efforts in the simulated life amount to?

The train rocked and came to a stop at Tsukimi Station. The announcement pulled Minami Yuuki from his thoughts. He stepped out of the station, still without an answer.

Oh well, no point in overthinking. At least it’s a good thing.

More importantly, it’s time to consider the next simulation target.

Who is this Nakajima Reina who suddenly appeared in my simulation targets?

Is she, like Asano Nao, someone who has a crush on me?

But Nakajima Yohei said his daughter has been hospitalized for a long time. I haven’t been to or passed by a hospital recently, so I shouldn’t have interacted with her.

Or is Nakajima Reina not Nakajima Yohei’s daughter at all? Maybe she just happens to have the same last name?

The moonlight was hazy, the streetlights bright. The recently wilted cherry blossoms cast shadows in the evening breeze, their reflections rippling on the calm water beneath the trees.

Minami Yuuki took out his phone. Yesterday, he had obtained Nakajima Yohei’s LINE contact from a female teacher in the office.

This morning, he successfully added the man who might be his future father-in-law.

Maybe he could ask directly. At least he needed to confirm whether Nakajima Reina was Nakajima Yohei’s daughter.

In addition, there was another important matter to discuss with Nakajima Yohei.

—He needed to marry Ibuki Honoka.

With Chitose Kazumi around, Asano Nao should be able to lead a relatively happy life even in Yuuki’s absence. This didn’t mean Yuuki had decided not to choose Asano Nao; it was just a precaution.

Compared to Asano Nao, Ibuki Yuko’s issues were more significant and required intervention. And the way Minami Yuuki chose to intervene was by helping Ibuki Yuko regain her mother’s love.

Ibuki Yuko’s issues primarily stemmed from Honoka. As long as Honoka found happiness and became gentle again, Yuko could recover somewhat.

Although in the simulated life, Ibuki Yuko had a tantrum because of her mother’s happiness, even causing a tantrum in the doll-like girl was a significant positive progress.

The evening chill couldn’t dispel the warmth accumulated from his brisk walk. Minami Yuuki unzipped his jacket, deciding to stand under the cherry blossom tree for a while, letting the wind cool him down while he sent a message to Nakajima Yohei.

Before he could open LINE, hurried footsteps sounded behind him. He turned to see a small figure rushing towards him under the streetlight.

It was Ibuki Yuko.

The girl collided with Yuuki’s waist, tightly hugging his back.

“Don’t jump,” she said.

“…?”

The tree’s shadow obscured the streetlight. Yuuki glanced at the moon’s dim reflection in the nearby river, understanding the girl’s logic.

I just wanted to enjoy the breeze by the river!

Why would you think that a world-class pianist, Japanese Cabinet Minister, and the world’s number one beautiful boy would contemplate jumping into the river?

No matter how you think about it, you would be the one to jump!

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