How can my simulation be a real love?

Warm water streamed down from above, continuously sprinkling onto the girl's fair cheeks. Her long, pale pink hair, as beautiful and romantic as cherry blossoms, was already soaked with hot water, and water droplets formed from the steam slid down her smooth neck in rounded shapes.

Her favorite bath could offer her no comfort at this moment.

Wow…

Her slender, delicate body sank into the bathtub filled with hot water. Her already delicate skin glowed with a slightly rosy hue as she soaked in the hot water, but Chihaya Aine simply hugged her knees and stared blankly ahead.

Whenever she closes her eyes, she can recall the 'bet' she made with Kita.

hum-

A familiar message notification sound rang in her ears. This special notification sound was all too familiar to her. Almost reflexively, the girl reached out and picked up her phone, letting the water stains on her hands wet the screen.

When she saw the message on Line from "Do you need me to bring fertilizer?", she felt a warmth in her heart.

[Want to be fertilizer?: Beautiful Miss Aine, how was your rest today?]

"Mingming is concerned about me..."

A subtle emotion flickered in Chihaya Aine's eyes as she held the phone in her hands as if it were a precious treasure.

[The Ultimate Guitarist and Vocalist: What's with praising me all of a sudden?! We all lost terribly today because of my mistake!]

[After the performance, I said I felt dizzy, and then I just awkwardly ran away from the venue. Everyone... is probably very angry now, right?]

[Want to be fertilizer? Mygo just lost once; it doesn't matter to your future.]

[Besides, don't you know Li Xi and Su Shi's personalities? Compared to them, I'm actually quite worried that you might secretly shed little pearls in your bed after this failure.]

A mischievous grin (JPG).

Who would drop a little pearl?

Holding her phone, Chihaya Aine couldn't help but puff out her cheeks, looking at the text on the screen as if she could already imagine Kazami Mei's expression.

[Ultimate Guitarist and Vocalist: I've recovered a lot after taking a shower and resting since I got back~ Mingming, you don't need to worry about me anymore]

[Want to be fertilizer?: Really nothing's wrong? I was thinking of asking Aine-san if she wanted to go with me since I suddenly have two extra tickets to the aquarium... Looks like inviting the cute little lantern is the best option, right?]

[The Ultimate Guitarist and Vocalist: Mingming is an Idiot! I'm Going!]

Chihaya Aine was instantly captivated upon seeing this.

Faced with this situation, she didn't even have time to think before tapping her phone screen to reply. But after the message was sent, her fingers froze in mid-air, and her crystal-clear eyes gradually dimmed and drooped.

We must withdraw immediately.

She was no longer qualified to date Kazami Mei. From the moment the performance ended, Chihaya Aine lost her right to be his 'lover' and 'wife'.

From now on, I must keep Miss Kita's bet and leave his side, and then watch helplessly as others are with the people I love.

She didn't want to see that scene.

L……

"Why did this happen...?"

Crystal-clear tears slid down her cheeks like a broken string of pearls. She, who had been able to process these emotions on her own, finally lost control.

As tears streamed down her face and a tearing pain gripped her heart, she hid in the bathtub, sobbing softly.

It was all her fault; she was just too arrogant.

"..."

Chihaya Aine typed "I like you" on her phone screen, pursed her lips tightly, and then deleted the entire message, placing the phone far away as if she couldn't bear to look at it again.

With his head down, he stared at the rippling water with tired and sad eyes, and all he could hear was the crisp sound of water droplets dripping.

She couldn't break her promise to Kita, so she had no choice but to give up the idea of ​​being with him.

"Seeing Ming with other people is something I simply can't bring myself to do..."

Just thinking about the moment in her 'dream' when Kazami Mei married Nagasaki Motoyo caused her unbearable, knife-like pain. The thought of actually experiencing that feeling in real life...

She absolutely cannot stand it.

Not to mention that she can't control her emotions as long as she's by his side. Does that mean she has to leave Mingming's side?

……

The cultural festival, the following day.

Yesterday, with the end of the cultural festival performance, several girls from Mygo encountered various problems. Ms. Suze, who was definitely angry and throwing a tantrum, did not send a single message to the Line group afterward.

Ms. Lixi, who was extremely remorseful for the failed performance, simply said that she was arranging the music, and there was no further news from her after that.

Compared to Su Shi and Li Xi, who were on the verge of exploding under pressure and in their condition, the stray cat who didn't seem to care much about the failed performance and the lamp that was comforted in time were slightly better off.

After Kazami Mei sent a message to his ex-wife, Aine, yesterday, he noticed that Aine was in a slightly better condition than Riki and Suze.

So right now, the most important thing is to get the two of them back first.

Jingle Bell……

The glass door of the café 'Rabbit House' was gently pushed open, and the light, crisp sound of wind chimes drifted into his ears. The female employee who noticed Kazami Naruto's arrival brightened slightly and immediately came over to inquire—

"Manager, is there anything I need to do at the store today?"

"No, I have an appointment here."

Kazami Mei is still a little unaccustomed to being called 'shop manager', but since some time ago, 'RabbitHouse' has become the shop that Kazami Mei runs.

After the playful shop manager handed the shop over to him, he went to settle in London without saying a word.

Now, under his management, the store's revenue is quite good. In addition, Kazami Akira has also signed a contract with AveMujica as a composer, and he can receive a monthly salary equal to that of Shoko.

Unbeknownst to him, his assets had grown to an astonishing level.

It's been quite a while since I've tried to snag a 'discounted bento box', and thinking about it now still brings a touch of nostalgia and wistfulness.

"Huh? Did you make plans with Toyokawa?"

A hint of doubt flashed in the petite shop assistant's eyes, but she quickly realized she might have inadvertently touched on Kazami Naruto's privacy, so she hurriedly waved her hands and changed her story—

"Oh, no, it's nothing! Please make yourself at home, manager... Please feel free to call me if you need anything!"

After saying that, the shop assistant turned and ran away as fast as she could, afraid that she would hear about the 'wage deduction' from Kazami Naruto.

Perhaps he was already used to the gossip of the shop assistants, and Kazami Mei, who only had a slight feeling in his heart, did not care. He turned around and chose to sit down in the corner by the window.

He took out his phone and looked at the Line chat window, which contained a message sent by Nagasaki Motoyo.

[Nagasaki Motoyo: In that case, how about we meet at that 'Rabbit House' later?]

Having finally managed to get this unresponsive Ms. Suze out of the way, Kazami Naruto certainly wouldn't haggle over the 'date' location with her, so he went along with her wishes and chose one of his own coffee shops.

Fortunately, Xiangzi wasn't coming to work today, so he could talk to her without restraint.

"..."

There were about fifteen minutes left before the agreed meeting time with Nagasaki Motoyo.

Kazami Naruto, who was keeping a close eye on the time, turned around and called the clerk to bring two cups of Darjeeling tea. But just as he placed the order, the crisp sound of a wind chime came from the doorway.

A brown-haired girl wearing a gray-white fur-lined coat and a dark blue long skirt slowly walked into the store. She seemed to have dressed up specially before going out today. With the movement of her delicate body, her light gold earrings were revealed, and her smooth, slightly wavy brown hair gently rested on her fragrant shoulders.

Even though her long-sleeved dress covered her up completely, her mature and graceful temperament and figure were still clearly noticeable.

So you're secretly in love, aren't you? You even dressed up so beautifully for a date?

"Hmmmm~"

The moment she stepped into the store, the girl noticed Kazami Naruto in the corner. A slight smile played on her lips, as if she knew perfectly well that he would be hiding there. She walked towards her with a smile, carrying a shoulder bag.

Her light movements seemed unable to conceal the hidden anticipation in her heart.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Ming?"

"It's alright, I've only been here a short time. As for Su Shi... would you like some black tea?"

Upon hearing the word 'black tea,' Nagasaki Motoyo's eyes narrowed slightly, and she smiled as if pleased, saying, 'Anything that Naruto ordered for me is fine, okay?'

No, it's not like they would just block my minion wave right from the start, is it?

Although Kazami Mei is now determined to become a scumbag with a harem, he still needs to be mentally prepared when facing the incredibly powerful Suze.

After all, in his eyes, a pure-love goddess like Miss Su Shi would never agree to such an absurd request as a 'harem'.

In short, we must first seize the initiative from Su Shi.

"The aromatherapy you sent me last time, Su Shi, worked really well! My sleep quality was quite poor at night... After using that, I gradually started to fall asleep quickly. I'm so grateful that you recommended it to me."

"I'm glad you like it~ But aromatherapy... it really does work better when paired with a massage."

As Su Shi gently played with the ends of her hair, she exuded an invisible but powerful pressure. Even the smile on her face made Kazami Mei feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Almost every word she uttered was subtly or overtly hinting at some kind of message, so how could Kazami Mei not notice it?

Miss Suze is clearly deliberately sending out signals of 'favorability' in an attempt to force Kazami Mei to say something to her.

"...In that case, could you please give me a massage next time, Su Shi?"

"I'd be happy to help anytime!"

Upon hearing this, Nagasaki Motoyo immediately clasped her hands together in response, and the somewhat pressured smile on her face became gentle and elegant at this moment.

At this moment, anyone could feel an immense sense of 'joy' emanating from her, and it seemed that the little tantrum she had just thrown earlier had been largely resolved.

Kazami Mei only sighed slightly in his heart.

It wasn't that he was afraid of being alone with Nagasaki Motoyo; having already made up his mind, he naturally wasn't afraid of Motoyo's direct and blitzkrieg 'confession.' It was just that he thought about how amazing Motoyo's charm was when they were alone.

I'm afraid he might not be able to control himself, given his easily seductive nature.

If you trust your second brother's judgment too much, you'll fall completely into Miss Su Shi's love trap.

"Sorry for the wait~ Two cups of Darjeeling tea."

The petite blonde shop assistant cheerfully carried a heavy tray and gently placed two steaming cups of Darjeeling tea in front of the two people.

When she saw Nagasaki Motoyo across from her, a strange look flashed in her eyes, but after being glanced at by Kazami Naruto, she immediately turned and left.

Without a doubt, news of today's events will soon reach Teacher Da Xiang's ears.

"Actually, the reason I called you out this time is to apologize for yesterday's cultural festival live performance."

After calming Nagasaki Motoyo down a bit, Kazami Mei dared to bring up the real issue. The failure of yesterday's cultural festival performance had put everyone on edge, especially Ms. Motoyo, who was clearly dissatisfied with "Forget Me Not".

Nagasaki Motoyo, holding a cup of black tea, took a small sip, tilted her head, and responded with a smile—

"Apologize? Why should Ming apologize?"

"The mistake in this performance had nothing to do with Mei, right? If we really had to say, it was Aine-chan who made the mistake first and ruined the rhythm. I don't think Mei needs to apologize to me in any special way~"

If she truly didn't need to apologize, she wouldn't be smiling like that right now.

Kazami Mei stared into Su Shi's azure eyes, which were curved into crescent moons as she smiled, and after mentally preparing herself, she spoke earnestly—

“Su Shi, when you said that ‘Forget Me Not’ was more suitable for Mygo to play, I actually shared the same thought as you.”

"However, I considered that Mygo members were not stable enough at the time, and it would be difficult for them to master this song in a short period of time. That's why I chose the more stable 'Naruki Nara no Snowflake' as the performance song for the cultural festival live, so that both the light and the voice could be mastered quickly."

The song "Don't Forget Me" is more challenging than ordinary songs, requiring a higher level of skill from the lead singer and guitarist.

Mygo, who was originally in the Susou simulation line, also went through a period of practice and gradually matured before spending nearly a month practicing to play the song perfectly.

Mygo's first performance since the breakout of the band Sussex is still far from the resilience and maturity they displayed in the simulation.

"Ming, actually, I'm the one who should apologize."

The understanding Miss Su Shi was well aware of this, so she never blamed her husband from the very beginning.

However, she would still feel very upset and bitter if other bands said that "Forget Me Not" was their 'original song'.

"Actually, I didn't blame Ming for this piece. I was just feeling a bit upset because I lost to the End Band, so I accidentally snapped at Ming..."

"I hope you won't think I'm a spoiled and willful person because of this."

The girl gently hooked the handle of the teacup with her slender fingers, her words carrying a hint of apology.

No, I didn't think that at all.

Hearing this, Kazami Mei breathed a slight sigh of relief.

As expected of the gentle, virtuous, and understanding Miss Su Shi, this is truly the most understanding episode ever!

"I don't want to leave any bad impression on Ming; I just want you to see my best side."