How can my simulation be a real love?

"wrong……"

The thought of Kazami Mei caused her mind to become chaotic.

She immediately shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off the extraneous thoughts. Just as she was about to make up her mind, she felt a little hesitant again. This inexplicable emotion that welled up in her heart made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Nagasaki Motoyo suddenly felt a little lost.

……

The next day, RiNG—

"What's going on with Rikki? Why hasn't she arrived yet?"

Chihaya Aine's entire face was slumped on the table, her soft, fair face slightly deformed from the constant pressure.

Her tone carried a clear hint of resentment. It was already time for training, but she still couldn't see Shiina Tatsuki, which made her increasingly dissatisfied.

What's wrong with that woman?!

She even had to reluctantly send her boyfriend to help her yesterday, but today it's almost time to meet up and she still hasn't seen him. Isn't that a complete lack of protection?!

Even Takamatsu, who was sitting next to her, lowered his head slightly and placed his hands nervously on his chest, looking worried.

"Mingming, what's the situation with Rikki?"

Feeling utterly bewildered, Aine turned to look at Kazami Naruto beside her.

He was still nonchalantly playing with the cat while holding a matcha dumpling, his handsome face showing no sign of panic at all because of Shiina Ritsuki's 'disappearance'.

After all, Kazami Mei had a good talk with Shiina Tatsuki just yesterday, and Tatsuki, who had been immersed in feelings of inferiority, had almost come out of it. She was no longer trying to 'escape' like before.

"If all else fails, we'll just storm into her house..."

Meow!

The moment Kazami turned to reply, the matcha dumpling in her hand was snatched away by the quick-thinking Rakuna.

The stray cat with short, silver-white hair swiftly stuffed the entire ball into its mouth. The rapid chewing caused the sticky ball to stick to its throat, and its cute little face immediately turned a little red.

It was only after Kazami Mei, with a dark expression, patted her back that she calmed down.

After Lena swallowed the matcha dumpling whole, she licked her lips, which were covered in matcha powder, with a satisfied and adorable expression that showed no trace of her earlier embarrassment.

"good to eat."

The cat seemed to still be enjoying herself, and Yoru Nai turned her gaze to Kazami Mei's fingers, which still had matcha powder on them, her beautiful heterochromatic eyes sparkling with a faint luster.

Seeing her extremely aggressive, carnivorous eyes, Kazami Mei could immediately guess what the cat was thinking.

Let's wait until he applies matcha powder to another spot first!

"Seriously! I'm definitely going to have a good talk with Rikki when I see her later, don't you think, Su Shi?"

"..."

Chihaya Aine puffed out her cheeks in a slightly annoyed tone, as if seeking a companion, and asked Nagasaki Motoyo.

This time, however, Ms. Suze, who always responded to everyone with a gentle tone, frowned slightly as she looked at the 'missed call' screen on her phone and did not give Chihaya Aine any reply.

Lixi is still not answering the phone.

Although Shiina Tatsuki had already sent a message in the group yesterday, the fact that she was out of contact again today made Nagasaki Motoyo's gloom even deeper, and the bright light in her azure eyes gradually dimmed.

Lixi, who stood up for the band, must have been working very hard.

Originally, Xiangzi's responsibilities were taken on by Fengjianming, which must have made Lixi feel resentful. That's probably why she's pushing herself too hard now...

So, it really is impossible to do without 'everyone'?

"Shiina probably stayed up too late yesterday and slept too soundly to get up today, right?"

Kazami Mei nodded thoughtfully and casually made a comment.

Based on his understanding of Shiina Tatsuki's personality, he finally found her own rhythm for composing yesterday with her help. The strong-willed Tatsuki will definitely take this opportunity to keep composing and complete the rest of the work.

Given her style, it's very likely she'll finish writing the entire piece that very night.

Add to that the two nights of staying up late or even all night, and no matter how strong Li Xi's body is, it definitely can't withstand it.

"...Last night? All that commotion?"

Chihaya Aine noticed something was wrong.

"Mingming, you went to Rikki's house yesterday, right?"

"what?"

Kazami Mei suddenly felt the pink-haired stinky guy next to her gradually sharpen his gaze.

Chihaya Aine's eyes, filled with suspicion and wariness, were a stark contrast to her usual cute and cheerful demeanor, even giving off a subtle sense of pressure.

"Did you do anything with Rikki yesterday?"

Miss Aine only needs to ask, while Kazami Mei needs to consider many things in order to explain.

"Nothing special, just discussed composition with Shiina."

He wasn't lying.

Kazami Mei simply entered Shiina Riki's small room naturally. Due to her emotional state, she had a minor physical altercation with her. During this time, she got a slight feel for Riki's perfect body curves and took a few extra glances at Riki's beautiful long legs when she wasn't paying attention.

This level of contact is within the acceptable range for a brotherly relationship.

Unlike Kazami Mei's matter-of-fact expression, Aine's cute face clearly showed a hint of suspicion.

Noticing the obvious doubt in her expression, Kazami Mei slowly shifted her gaze.

He said in a calm tone, "Since Shiina hasn't replied yet, she probably fell asleep because she was too focused on composing... How about we all go find her together today?"

"Eh?"

As soon as Kazami Mei uttered those words, Chihaya Aine immediately showed a hint of surprise.

"I think it's okay~ because everyone is worried about Lixi-chan."

Nagasaki Motoyo, who had been in a somewhat gloomy mood, suddenly spoke up in agreement, gently rubbing her fingers without any change in expression.

Even Takamatsu Akari, who hadn't spoken until now, nodded slightly and said in a somewhat firm tone, "I... also want to go find Riki-chan."

Chihaya Aine opened her small mouth in surprise, revealing her sharp yet adorable little tiger teeth.

Why are we suddenly going to attack Lixi's headquarters?

But Shiina Ritsuki has paid money to rent the practice room, and hasn't used it properly even for a single day!

……

Just as Kazami Mei had predicted.

Shiina Tatsuki stayed up too late last night and is still sleeping in her room.

"I'm so sorry! My little Lixi has caused you trouble!"

As the older sister, Shiina Maki apologized to the group in front of her with a look of remorse, and also brought out a lot of snacks from home as an apology. However, along the way, her eyes kept sneaking glances in the direction of Kazami Naruto.

Those eyes, similar to Li Xi's, seemed to carry a meaningful glint.

What do you mean?

Kazami Mei was always sensitive to other people's gazes, and when Shiina Maki suddenly stared at him with that kind of look, he immediately felt a little uncomfortable.

"So you guys really are band members after all~"

"Huh? What do you mean..."

Chihaya Aine was stunned by Shiina Maki's meaningful question, but just as she was about to ask, the other party showed a gentle smile and easily brushed her off with a random excuse.

Only the confused, pink-haired girl was left standing there, somewhat at a loss.

Only Kazami Mei understood what the other person was thinking.

Shiina Maki previously believed that he was lying about being a 'band member' and that Kazami Mei's hidden identity was actually Shiina Tatsuki's boyfriend, and that the two were just having a falling out as a couple.

Yesterday, Kazami Mei, acting as her 'boyfriend,' made a special trip over to appease his proud and aloof girlfriend, Ritsuki. After a fight, they successfully made up, and then their passion ignited in the room—

Although Shiina Maki didn't say it directly, Kazami Mei could vaguely guess what she was thinking.

"Kazami-kun, aren't you going up to check on Ritsuki-chan?"

The smile that Shiina Maki revealed while covering her mouth added a subtle twist to Kazami Mei's expression.

Now that things have come to this, any further explanation from him would only seem like self-deception.

“That makes sense. I’ll go up and check on Shiina first.”

Worried about the safety of his most reliable friend, Kazami Mei simply said something to everyone in the living room and prepared to go upstairs.

But just then, Takamatsu Akari, who was standing next to him, suddenly tugged at the corner of his clothes. A hint of unease appeared in the girl's amber eyes, but even so, she mustered her courage and spoke—

"Ming, I want to go with you..."

"Xiao Deng is right. Li Xi-chan probably needs our comfort and help right now. Let's all go visit her?"

Nagasaki Motoyo gently clasped her hands together, softly echoing her words beside her.

"In that case, I'll go take a look too!"

Chihaya Aine was also somewhat worried about Shiina Tatsuki's current mental state.

Although she had complained about the other person before, after learning from Shiina Tatsuki's sister that she had been staying up all night composing, she also felt that the burden entrusted to the other person seemed a bit too heavy.

Only Kazami Mei's expression was somewhat indescribable.

No.

Why does everyone look like Li Xi is suffering a heavy blow because of his failed composition? Actually, Li Xi is just staying up too late and is simply not getting enough sleep.

However, thinking that Ritsuki's expression might be quite interesting later, Kazami Mei didn't rush to offer any explanation.

Anyway, he won't be the one who's embarrassed later.

Aside from the cat whose attention was drawn to the various delicious snacks, Kazami Mei led three girls to quietly open Riki's door. The moment they entered the room, two little heads peeked out from behind Kazami Mei, one on the left and one on the right.

"Shh, Riki-chan is asleep..."

As soon as the group entered, they saw Shiina Riki fast asleep. She was lying quietly on the table, her delicate face adorned with incredibly natural and beautiful curves. Her relaxed brows added to her overall beauty.

There were also a lot of empty energy drink cans and sheet music on the side, which showed that she probably didn't get much sleep last night.

"Rikki, who's usually so fierce, is surprisingly cute when she's asleep?"

Chihaya Aine curiously moved closer to Shiina Tatsuki, and several times she couldn't resist taking out her phone to take a picture with her.

"But he just fell asleep right there on the table. Li Xi must be really tired."

Nagasaki Motoyo gently furrowed her delicate, long, willow-leaf eyebrows, her expression both incredibly gentle and tinged with worry.

"What should we do then? Should we just wake Rikki up?"

Miss Aine asked quietly in a soft voice.

"Isn't it a bit inappropriate to wake up Riki-chan directly? Should we be gentler?"

"Light, sing the gentle spring shadow to awaken Shiina."

"I know... 悴んだ心ふるえる灈瀗..."

"No, you're singing live?"

The whispers around her gradually woke Shiina Ritsuki from her sleep. Feeling a little confused, she looked up and saw a large pink face close to her.

The sudden shock startled her so much that her eyes widened instantly, and she almost sprang off the chair.

The next instant, the girl's piercing scream still echoed throughout the entire house.

"ha!!!???"

13

Chapter Thirteen: Brother, You Smell Good.

Shiina's house, living room —

"That's terrible!"

"What on earth are you thinking?!"