My Love Simulation with Them

When looking at Minami, Ichiji Seika found him strange, but she couldn't quite pinpoint why.

Could he be the kind of bad guy who tricks innocent girls like Bocchi with sweet words?

"Nee-san—stop overthinking it."

Having spent years relying on her older sister, Ichiji Nijika could immediately tell what she was thinking.

She shrugged. "Minami-san is a really good person. Once you actually get to know him, you'll see."

"Is that so?"

Seika tilted her head and glanced at Nijika. It was rare for her sister to sincerely praise someone like this.

Nijika was bright and friendly to everyone, but that was just because of her naturally sunny personality.

Gaining her genuine approval was not easy.

That was... unexpected.

Seika instinctively reached into the empty pocket of her trousers and sighed.

She always wanted to drink strawberry milk when she was deep in thought, and she usually carried a carton with her.

But today, since she had taken Yamada Ryo and Nijika to restock supplies, she had forgotten to buy one.

...Oh well.

No point dwelling on it.

Just as she was about to find something else to distract herself, a voice suddenly spoke up beside her.

"Manager, were you looking for this?"

A sealed carton of strawberry milk appeared before her eyes, making Seika unconsciously let out a small "Eh?"

She turned her head—

And saw Minami standing there, offering her the drink.

"...Ah. Thanks."

She automatically expressed her gratitude as she accepted the carton.

Then, she realized something was off.

Wait a second.

How did Minami know she liked strawberry milk?

Before she could ask, Minami smiled and explained in advance.

"I made sure to ask Nijika-san about the manager's preferences before coming."

Nijika told him?

Seika glanced at her sister, silently questioning her.

Nijika simply smiled and nodded.

So it was her.

Even so, something still felt off.

Minami's smooth and natural way of handing her the drink—without feeling forced or awkward—was not something he could have achieved just by asking Nijika.

It felt more like... he had been her close friend for over a decade and knew her habits inside and out.

But... how could that be?

Seika shook her head. She was probably just overthinking things.

They hadn't even known each other for a full day yet.

"Thanks. I'll pay you back later."

She decided not to dwell on it and casually expressed her thanks again.

"No need."

Minami waved a hand dismissively.

His main reason for coming to STARRY was to use the shop's audio system and guitar effects equipment.

A single carton of strawberry milk in exchange for that? That was already a great deal for him.

If he actually asked Seika to pay him back... wouldn't that just be blatant mooching?

Thinking back to his simulated experiences, where Seika seemed determined to "trade a cartload of goods for a single horse," Minami subtly took two steps back.

Better to reduce his presence in front of her.

After all, if the events in the simulation could happen in reality, he absolutely couldn't let the 29-year-old version of Seika cross any legal lines because of him.

A little distance should help. Not enough to seem obvious, but enough to avoid attracting too much attention.

"Hmm?"

Seika, sipping on her strawberry milk, glanced at Minami.

Why did it suddenly feel like he was keeping his distance from her?

Before she could dwell on it, a timid voice came from behind.

"U-uh... Minami-senpai, Kita-san, um... I'm ready. Should we go to the practice room?"

"Then I'll be in your care, Gotoh-san."

Silently thanking Bocchi for her perfectly timed interruption, Minami nodded.

"Please take care of me today as well, Minami-senpai!"

Kita Ikuyo, who was also practicing with Ichika, greeted him cheerfully.

The word bright seemed to be tailor-made for this girl, whose face was practically glowing with enthusiasm.

"I'm the one who should be asking for help. I might have questions for you later, Kita-san."

As the three chatted, they headed toward the practice room.

"Nee-san, do you want to check it out?"

From behind the bar, Nijika—who had just finished sorting the deliveries—looked at her sister with curiosity.

It was rare to see her so invested in someone outside of STARRY.

"...Yeah, I think I'll check out his skills."

Since Minami needed to borrow their sound system and effects equipment, Seika was naturally curious about his guitar-playing level.

"I want to see too," Yamada Ryo added, poking her head out from behind the counter and raising a hand.

As a bassist with a deep love for rock music, she was also interested in the newcomer's skills.

The group quickly decided to head to the practice room.

"Yesterday, Nijika mentioned that Minami wants to do an outdoor performance. That means he shouldn't be bad, right?"

Seika, still drinking her strawberry milk, asked as they walked.

"Well... I'm not sure."

Nijika looked a little sheepish.

She had only just met Minami yesterday, so she had no idea how good he actually was.

However—

"Anyone who has the courage to perform outdoors can't be completely terrible."

Yamada Ryo, who had been silent until now, shared her opinion.

She had done street performances before, casually setting up an amp and playing her bass in public.

If someone lacked solid playing skills, they wouldn't have the guts to perform for a crowd.

In other words, Minami's guitar skills were probably pretty decent.

There was no way he could be terrible and still have the nerve to play outdoors, right?

With that thought, the group arrived at the practice room.

Instead of barging in, they stood by the door and listened.

"Looks like he's about to start."

Inside, Minami picked up the guitar, gripping the pick between his fingers as he pressed down on the strings.

The group leaned in, listening curiously.

They wondered—this guy, who excelled in academics, communication, and even cooking—how skilled was he at guitar?

They were eager to find out.

And then—

"Uh... huh...?"

Three puzzled sounds slipped from Seika's lips.

"This is..."

Nijika blinked, also confused.

"It's... pretty average."

It was Yamada Ryo who delivered the verdict.

Yeah.

That was way too average.

Both his chord transitions and picking technique were just passable.

There was nothing outstanding about it.

Listening to this first performance, the three of them could only admire Minami's confidence.

He seriously wanted to do an outdoor performance with this level of skill?

That took some serious guts.

They exchanged glances, considering stepping in to gently dissuade him from rushing into street performances.

But before they could move—

Minami's guitar started playing again.

And this time—

Seika and Nijika's expressions shifted.

Even Yamada Ryo, who usually remained composed, had a rare look of astonishment in her eyes.

This... what?

The three of them stared in disbelief as Minami's fingers danced across the strings, his movements fluid and precise.

His playing—

Had improved that quickly?!

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