How can my simulation be a real love?

"Is this..."

Unable to hold back her words, Misaka Hatsuka's voice revealed a hint of doubt.

The sudden words made Kazami Mei turn around, who was still immersed in his work. Hatsuka, who had just quietly approached, had unknowingly arrived behind him.

The blonde girl seemed completely focused on Kazami Naruto in front of her, oblivious to the several scattered sheet music papers at her feet.

Wow!

The already smooth wooden floor made the thin sheet music paper look as white as silver. The blonde girl lost her balance as soon as she stepped on it, and just as she was about to crash into the corner of the table, she suddenly closed her eyes.

But a sudden pull from her side seemed to send her crashing into a warm chest.

No pain?

"...?"

With some confusion, Miss Chuhua slowly opened her beautiful, violet-like eyes.

Her stunningly beautiful face was now exposed to Kazami Mei at close range. Perhaps due to the recent commotion, a few strands of her golden hair cascaded down her delicate cheeks. Even a slight lift of her eyes revealed her captivating charm, radiating brilliance—

"Are you okay?"

At this moment, the expression on Kazami Mei's face was somewhat subtle.

Speaking so suddenly from behind, is Miss Chu Hua planning to ambush him with a stun gun?

Fortunately, he caught her when she almost fell, but the price was that the two of them were now standing a little too close.

However, after observing her so closely, Kazami Naru was able to appreciate just how charming and graceful Miss Hatsuka truly was as an idol.

Once she realized what was happening, her already stunning face turned as red as a boiled crab, and her delicate skin, which shone like fresh snow, gradually became tinged with a faint blush.

It's true that even a casual glance can be captivating...

Great, absolutely great!

If it weren't for the fact that Kazami Mei had been trained in self-control by the beautiful girls of the Sanbian Band, he probably wouldn't have been able to control himself now that he had such a beautiful woman in his arms.

"..."

Unlike Kazami Naruto in front of him, Hatsuka, who was gently resting her chin on his chest, seemed to be having trouble breathing.

This wasn't due to any kind of pressure causing physical breathing difficulties; it was just that when Misaka Hatsuka hugged him, her consciousness began to drift and become hazy, and even her calm thoughts dissipated into the air like pervasive smoke.

Only the most basic instincts remain—

At this distance, Sanjiao Chuhua could clearly smell the faint scent of sunflowers on him, which made her unconsciously tighten her embrace, trying to feel the warmth seep into her body as much as possible. Even her purple eyes seemed to be tinged with a light mist.

The comforting warmth and scent seemed to have completely captivated her.

"Chuhua? Chuhua?"

"Are you hurt?"

Kazami Naruto's deeply furrowed brows and heartfelt worry left her at a loss.

This pure, warm feeling of happiness made her unwilling to let go. Before this, she had come to Tokyo alone to pursue her childhood sweetheart, and every day she transformed her expectations for Xiangzi into endless motivation.

Even though he has now truly 'caught up' with Xiangzi, he still does not feel satisfied.

The happiness and sense of security I had never experienced before began when I was enjoying a warm meal with the man in front of me.

It seems that only now is Triangle Chuhua realizing this—

What she truly cherishes is perhaps not the exquisite food that far surpasses that of a luxury hotel, but rather the time spent enjoying the food and chatting with him.

"Chuhua?"

Seeing the girl in front of him with her eyes closed, Kazami panicked a little. Just as he was about to take emergency measures to lay Hatsuka on the bed, he suddenly felt the other girl's embrace tighten.

It was in that instant when he looked down to observe that the blonde girl stood on tiptoe...

She kissed him.

Unable to react, Kazami Mei stood frozen in place. He was sitting in a chair when he was suddenly pinned down by the other person. The blonde girl with her pale purple eyes was exchanging breaths with him.

She released her grip after only a few seconds of contact, her breathless state creating a delicate and alluring atmosphere.

"..."

Just as Misaka Hatsuka instinctively wanted to take the next step, she immediately thought of her childhood friend, Toyokawa Shoko. Realizing what she had done, she seemed to notice her alluring eyes trembled slightly.

She should understand, Ming is the person Xiangzi likes! And she, Sanjiao Chuhua, is Xiangzi's 'childhood sweetheart'!

She should have been working hard for her best friend's happiness... but why did things turn out like this?

A jumble of thoughts and guilt towards Toyokawa Shoko caused Chu Hua's expression to change slightly. She was well aware that she had developed genuine feelings for Kazami Mei that she shouldn't have, but even so, she couldn't control her instincts, which led to the current situation.

Did he steal Xiangzi's first kiss?

This faint sense of joy made Misaka Hatsuka tremble all over, followed by a strong feeling of disgust for having such thoughts, which made her furrow her brows tightly. Her thoughts and emotions were completely chaotic as she looked at Kazami Mei in front of her with complicated eyes.

He could only force a calm smile and speak—

"...Naraka, Naruto-kun, I'm sorry."

"I'm a bit confused... so I'll head back now..."

With those trembling words filled with unimaginable terror, Mikasa turned and strode towards the entrance, opening the door and 'escaping,' leaving only Kazami Mei sitting there, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

He could still smell the lingering fragrance of the girl when he took a deep breath, which made it impossible for him to calm down.

But ultimately, 'reason' made him stand up and walk to the living room. Teacher Miaomeng, who had just finished eating, seemed still immersed in the lingering aftertaste of the delicious food. She contentedly wiped her 'M'-shaped mouth, her pale pink eyes filled with surprise as she spoke—

"Naruko, I approve of your cooking sister!"

"Can I still come here for meals in the future?!"

This meal was so delicious; she felt she would never forget Kazami Mei's cooking for the rest of her life.

Feeling completely confused, Kazami Mei rubbed her temples and spoke in the most weary and indifferent tone—

"Chu Hua just ran away, Miao Meng, you need to pay for a meal for two people."

"Why, meow?!"

23

Chapter Twenty-Three: This is really a bit of a mess.

Click.

The door to the upscale apartment clicked open, and a blonde girl in a baseball cap closed her door with a complicated expression.

Her pretty face still betrayed her undisguised panic. The smile and composure she had cultivated as an 'idol' vanished like smoke in the wind.

Misaka Chuka seemed to have completely forgotten what she was supposed to be doing, and even seemed to have no memory of how she got home.

All she could think about was the scene from just now.

Even though a long time had passed, she could still faintly feel that warmth in her chest, and the aura of that black-haired boy seemed to linger at the tip of her nose, completely disrupting her thoughts amidst her already chaotic emotions.

Wow...

The cold water kept washing over the grooves in the tiles from the tap. Trying to calm herself down, Mitsuka kept washing her face with the cold water. Even her long, bright blonde hair was wet and stuck to her cheeks. Clear, glistening water droplets slid slowly down the girl's fair face.

"What am I doing...?"

Misaka Hatsuka took another deep breath; even now, recalling what had just happened still left her utterly confused.

Just being held in Kazami's arms was enough to immerse her in this 'unique' warmth. The fatigue and pressure that she always carried on her 'idol's' shoulders seemed to be released all at that moment.

Even just holding the other person can bring immense peace of mind.

However, at that moment, Kazami Mei seemed to be planning to let go of herself. She simply didn't want to leave his embrace, so before her brain even had time to think, she followed her body's instincts and wanted to ask him for more 'gentleness' and 'care'...

"Could it be that I..."

"Do you like him?"

In the past, Mitsuba Hatsuka would have denied it without hesitation.

At the very beginning, the three of them, Chu Hua, stubbornly believed that they simply wanted to test and observe each other at close range.

However, she was unexpectedly captivated by the other party's heartwarming and delicious cooking, which made her unable to forget that dinner while working, and her thoughts were uncontrollably focused on Kazami Mei.

This time, she truly got to taste the dish she had been longing for.

But this time, the joy and ease she felt were different from the last time. After seeing Kazami Naru leave the table, she immediately felt a sense of emptiness in her heart, even though she had been feeling quite cheerful.

Even the dishes she considered the most delicious seemed to have lost their place in her heart, leaving only fear and grievance that she might accidentally do something wrong.

What I miss most isn't his cooking, but the time we spent enjoying food together.

"Why Naruto of all people..."

"I can't have that thought, absolutely not!"

Kazami Mei is the person her best friend, Toyokawa Shoko, likes!

Misaka Hatsuka initially met Shoko because of him, and her 'purpose' in testing Kazami Mei was merely to prevent Shoko from being deceived by a scumbag!

The moment she realized he was someone she could entrust her life to, as his childhood sweetheart, she should have helped Xiangzi pursue happiness...

Even if Xiangzi has many rivals in love, she shouldn't be one of them.

She couldn't compete with Xiangzi.

"..."

Chu Hua, who has been in the idol industry for several years, never imagined that she would have such a day.

Her reluctance to part with that 'warmth' and her guilt towards her friend left her feeling confused and at a loss. She skillfully pulled out the message that Toyokawa Shoko had given her years ago to encourage her.

Over the years, she has relied on the other party's 'encouragement' to get to where she is today, and every time she sees her, she feels warm from the bottom of her heart.

But now, when she sees these messages again, she doesn't seem to feel the same way as before.

hum...

The vibrating ringtone of the cell phone gradually brought Mikasa back to her senses.

She instinctively picked up her phone to check, and her pupils contracted slightly the moment she saw the caller ID. Mitsuka, with her complicated emotions, seemed unable to maintain her usual elegant smile.

The incessant ringing of the phone made her heart race. Even though she really didn't want to answer the call, she immediately took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

connected.

"Hello? Is this Xiangzi?"

"I'm so sorry to call you at this time, Chuhua. Do you have time right now?"

A familiar, gentle voice came from the other end of the phone, but hearing this voice brought no joy to Misaka Hatsuka. She only felt her heart begin to beat faster, and even her breathing seemed to quicken slightly.

However, as her childhood friend, she was well aware of Toyokawa Shoko's perceptiveness. If she accidentally revealed anything unusual, he would probably notice it immediately.

"It's okay, my agent arranged for me to take a day off today."

The blonde girl's elegant and calm words revealed no flaws, and even Toyokawa Shoko on the other end of the phone raised an eyebrow slightly.

However, when Toyokawa Shoko recalled what she had just witnessed, her childhood friend Mitsumi Hatsuka was with Kazami Mei, and then she thought of the golden hair she had found at Mei's house last time...

The girl began to feel anxious, but she still managed to maintain a calm and gentle tone.

"Oh, I see. So, Chu Hua, you're resting at home today?"

"That's about right~ But I was bored this morning and went out for a stroll, and Xiangzi suddenly asked these questions... Could it be that something's wrong?"

"It's nothing important... but Mujica's debut performance is just around the corner. Naruto recently sent me his new song for review, and if all goes well, we'll all start initial ensemble practice soon. So I'm going to send the sheet music to Hatsuka so you can familiarize yourself with it."

The band's work came out of Xiangzi's mouth as naturally as breathing, but the woman on the other end of the phone seemed to be unable to contain her anxiety. After hesitating for half a second, she tried to ask in a calm tone—

["Chuhua, have you seen Ming recently? I've been busy with band promotions and haven't had time to ask him how he's been. I figured since you're the 'lyricist,' Chuhua, you must have been in contact with him recently."]

Misaka Hatsuka's slender fingers trembled slightly as she held the phone. She had never felt so flustered in the face of Toyokawa Shoko's question. The guilt of secretly interfering as a third party made her feel guilty.

"...We didn't have much contact. I just sent him the completed files of the lyrics."

She lied again.

Even though Mikami Hatsuka knew very well that she shouldn't lie to Toyokawa Shoko, she had just done something that was tantamount to 'betrayal' to the person she liked, and she didn't dare to say anything more now.

She knew that if she didn't handle this situation well, their relationship might break down.

Forcing herself to remain calm, Misaka Hatsuka returned to work mode, using a flat, emotionless laugh to mask her inner turmoil as she spoke: "But you seem to talk to me about Xiaoxiang quite often~ I always feel like you care about him a lot?"