How can my simulation be a real love?

Goto Ichiri felt the warmth on her forehead, then quietly raised her eyes to meet Kazami Naru's gaze as she leaned closer. She suddenly felt the temperature on her cheeks rise at a visible speed, and in the blink of an eye, the bright pink blush carrying the heat spread to her entire head.

Kazami Mei was slightly taken aback when she suddenly felt the temperature rise, and looked at the girl with a strange expression.

No, where did you come from, a Devil Fruit user?

"I...I...I'm really okay!"

The girl's timid gaze was utterly unconvincing.

Kazami-sensei stared subtly at the pink Tsuchigumo in front of him. At this moment, he could probably guess that Pochi's strange appearance was probably related to him. Most likely, it was because he secretly liked him but dared not speak. When he got a little closer to him, he would be too shy to listen to anything.

He certainly had deep feelings for his "useless" wife, but problems in love couldn't be solved by him taking the initiative alone.

Most importantly, Kazami Naru wanted Pochi to grow, or at least to take the initiative to take the first step forward.

"Pochi, why don't you sit down and rest for a bit?"

"Huh? No, no, no need... I was just feeling a little sleepy, but I feel much better now! There's no need for me to rest—"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Kazami Mei sneered and then slowly raised his right hand.

Wild Tsuchigumo's Burial Hand Chop!

"it hurts……"

Goto Ichiri, who was struck directly on the forehead with a chop to the head, instinctively shrank back.

This seemingly powerful blow actually had no strength at all, yet she remained as timid as a lamb, unable to resist, and obediently sat down in front of Kazami Mei without daring to fight back.

"Actually, I wanted to be lazy, so from now on, Pochi, you're my accomplice."

"There aren't many customers at this time, so even if we're caught, the store manager probably won't say anything."

Seemingly to reassure the girl, Kazami Mei gave a nonchalant explanation.

Since it was 'lazy', it was only natural that it needed 'props' to go with it. With that in mind, Kazami Mei casually took two bottles of 'Good Baby Juice' from the counter, tossed one of them to Pochi, and then sat down next to her without hesitation.

"Ming-sang, is it really okay for me to...take whatever I want?"

Goto Ichiri stared in shock. She didn't even dare to slack off during work hours, but Kazami Mei was still eating and taking things away.

Kazami Mei simply smiled and raised an eyebrow before slowly explaining, "Look, the shop manager hasn't said anything yet, so her silence means she's tacitly agreeing that we took it."

Didn't they say? If they didn't say, then you can take it!

He not only had to take it, but he also had to take the drinks that Xingge liked!

Convinced by this reasoning, Goto Ichiri nodded blankly. She carefully held the glass of Good Boy juice in both hands, occasionally glancing at the black-haired boy beside her out of the corner of her eye.

This is the perfect opportunity for the two of them to be alone!

But Pochi's mind went completely blank, and he had no idea how to start the conversation.

"Well……"

Because Kazami Mei was sitting right next to her, the familiar and pleasant faint floral scent emanating from him kept wafting over. Why did a boy have such a comforting scent?

This suddenly reminded her of the time when she accidentally fainted and was held in Kazami Mei's arms while sleeping.

The sense of security and comfort that comes from the depths of one's heart is indescribable. Even if it's your first time on stage or you're so nervous you're about to faint, just being able to lean on the other person for a little while will immediately put you at ease.

Yet this aura seemed to possess a magical power, drawing her in uncontrollably...

"..."

Miss Goto suddenly recalled certain blush-inducing and heart-pounding moments from her dream, and her thoughts, following those rosy ideas, gradually began to drift towards a distant horizon—

69

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Miss Pochi wanted to speak.

"Poch, you've been doing very well lately."

Kazami Mei's sudden words forcibly pulled her back to reality.

"Eh? Me...me?"

"Perhaps it's because you've been performing on the streets and making public appearances lately? I feel like you're becoming more and more natural interacting with strangers. Just now, when you were working here, you were able to calmly hand drinks to customers."

"You have indeed grown a lot compared to when you first started out."

There was one more thing that Kazami Mei didn't mention: Pochi's performance on stage was getting better and better.

As a 'guitar hero', she possesses a professional level far exceeding that of an amateur band. However, due to social anxiety, she is unable to cooperate with her teammates and thus cannot unleash her full potential. But in her recent live performances, her performances have become increasingly amazing, especially her solo guitar performances, which can attract the attention of the entire audience.

"As a 'guitar hero,' his follower count has now risen to around 70,000 or 80,000, right?"

"Ming, how did Ming-san know?"

"Nonsense, shouldn't I know?"

Kazami rolled her eyes and responded somewhat irritably to the utterly shocked Tsuchiya.

Since he decided to step back and become the "manager," it was only natural for Kazami Mei to fulfill his responsibilities. He would keep track of the band's Twitter and online followers, as well as the band members' personal accounts. He was also in charge of all the band's merchandise and operations.

"At this rate, you'll soon reach the level of a professional band."

Since they started performing regularly on the streets to build their popularity, End of the Band's follower count on Twitter and the internet has been steadily increasing.

Occasionally, entertainment companies would come to inquire about related matters, but Kazami Mei, as the manager, would always send them away.

After all, the members who left the band are still high school students. Even with Kazami Mei as their manager, entering the professional band path too early would have a significant impact on their daily lives and studies.

Of course, if all four of them dropped out of school at the same time, the situation would be completely different.

As Kazami Mei praised her repeatedly, Goto Ichiri's eyes shone brightly, an uncontrollable joy overflowing from the bottom of her heart. Bright red flowers seemed to be popping out of her head. Only when she was recognized and praised by him could she feel genuine joy.

However, she quickly realized what was happening.

"...No, not 'you guys,' Ming-san is with us too...!"

“Without Ming-sang, I would never have... I would never have gotten to where I am today! I am truly, truly grateful to Ming-sang…”

A sudden, loud noise, characteristic of social anxiety!

Ms. Goto seemed to suddenly realize that she had shouted a bit too loudly. The next second, white smoke burst out of her head like steam. Her head got stuck like a rusty gear that had been in operation for many years. Then she started to hold her head and let out a series of mournful cries.

Kazami Mei stared at the Tsuchigumo in front of him with some surprise, then let out a thoughtful sigh.

"Since you're so grateful to me, Pochi, is there anything you can give back?"

"Eh?"

Goto Ichiri was stunned.

The dark-haired young man in front of her smiled and gazed at her face. She was observing his face closely at such a close distance, and finally her gaze was drawn to his gentle black eyes that shone with a faint luster.

At that moment, the girl seemed to vaguely sense that he was about to express something.

Boom, boom, boom...

Her heart pounded, and Ms. Goto, her face flushed and her mind blank, knew this was a golden opportunity. All she had to do was follow the rhythm and say what was on her mind.

Even she could do something this simple.

Speak up, tell me already!

Gazing at the girl whose face was flushed red as if she might faint at any moment, Kazami Mei sighed inwardly. After a moment of silence, he gave a helpless smile.

The next second, Kazami Mei reached out and gently pressed her hand on the girl's smooth forehead, seemingly complaining, "At least treat me to a good meal, or buy me a bottle of orange juice, right?"

"By the way, the juice has to be 100% pure juice, otherwise I won't drink it."

After casually tossing out those words, Kazami Mei waved lightly at Miss Pochi and walked back to her work post by the door, leaving Goto Ichiri still standing there in a daze, unable to come to her senses.

a long time.

Goto Ichiri covered his head, tears welling in his eyes, and banged his head against the bar. His self-reproach and dissatisfaction had reached their peak.

It was just a simple confession, so why... why couldn't she say it?!

"Ah... My life has turned completely dark. My future is probably over from this moment on, isn't it?"

"I do the same old job every day, and after get off work I just drink beer and lie in bed. Every time I close my eyes I think about how cowardly I was that day, and I feel remorseful and weak as I lie on my pillow and cry..."

"Oh right... after Mei-san and Kita-chan get married, will I have to give them money as a wedding gift? There are so many people getting married to Mei... I might end up spending all the dowry money Mom left me. Oh right... anyway, I'll never get married, so the dowry money is basically meaningless~"

Miss Pochi slumped over the bar table, muttering to herself as her eyes gradually lost their color.

Unbeknownst to her, her delicate body began to melt rapidly, like ice after a fire. In the blink of an eye, the pink wild hammer snake turned into a pool of brightly colored liquid, leaving only a yellow and blue square hair tie headdress in the center.

"That, Xiao Yili?"

A familiar, sweet voice called out in his ear, and Pochi looked up to meet the gaze of Kita Ikuyo, who was dressed in a maid outfit.

"I already heard what Ming said, right? Little Boqi, are you feeling a little unwell?"

"No, that's not the case."

Goto Ichiri shook her head, her face pale, and offered an explanation in a very unconvincing tone.

Originally, she was just feeling sleepy because she was anxious from staying up late, but now she really felt uncomfortable all over her body. In particular, she felt stomach pain just by looking at Kita Yuyo, because seeing her would immediately remind her of her miserable future.

If I'm not careful, I might just burst into tears in front of her.

I vaguely remember those days, my tears still flowing.

Kita Ikuyo wasn't entirely sure what was wrong with Goto Ichiri, but she could roughly guess what was going on from the other's expression, so she couldn't help but tentatively ask—

"...Xiao Yili, could it be because of something related to Naruto?"

Miss Pochi suddenly raised her head and asked in an incredulous tone, "W-why does Kita-chan know?!"

"Eh? That's because it's obvious~ After all, you like Naruto too, right, Ichiri?"

Kita Ikuyo narrowed her eyes and revealed a sweet and sunny smile, using the most ordinary tone to expose her thoughts without hesitation.

Ms. Goto never expected that her hidden thoughts would be suddenly exposed.

Her mind went blank, like an aging computer CPU crashing. Stared at by Kita, she stood there helplessly, her azure eyes trembling visibly.

Seeing Goto Ichiri standing still, Kita Ikuyo, somewhat puzzled, couldn't help but frown and say, "Eh? Isn't that right?"

Miss Pochi opened her mouth as if to say something but hesitated, seemingly wanting to say "no".

But in the end, she gave up, responding with tears in her eyes—

“…Yes, yes.”

Upon hearing Goto Ichiri finally open up and honestly admit it, Kita Ikuyo blinked and gave a knowing smile.

Before she could say anything more, Shimokitazawa Tsuchiya suddenly did a dogeza (a deep, prostrate position) and lay trembling on the ground, not daring to lift his head.

"I...I still have a younger sister and a dog to take care of..."

"Please spare me!"

Kita Ikuyo:?

Miss Kita blinked, completely stunned, and stood there for several seconds before suddenly realizing what was happening and asking, "What are you doing, Ichiri?! I had no intention of doing anything to you!"

"...Eh, but isn't Kita-chan Naruto's girlfriend? Shouldn't she be extremely angry to suddenly find out that a despicable Tsuchiguchi like me is trying to stand on the same level as you?"

Goto Ichiri shakily raised her little head, causing Kita-san in front of her to break out in a cold sweat.

Is her image in Poch's eyes a little too strange?

"I'm not angry at all! It's not that Ichiri-chan thinks the same way as me... I'm actually happier!"

Kita Ikuyo squatted down with some distress and gently pulled up Goto Ichiri, who was lying on the ground.

"Anyway! Xiao Yi, you should tell me everything that just happened first!"

……

After a while.

"I see. Naruto already hinted at it to you... but you backed down at the crucial moment?"

Kita Ikuyo nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Ms. Pochi beside her with a rather helpless expression.

Kazami Naruto's words just now weren't even a 'hint,' they were practically an 'explicit statement.' He was just waiting for Goto Ichiri to take the first step himself, but Pochi couldn't even take that first step decisively.

The trembling Miss Goto sat stiffly in the chair, her small hands awkwardly clasped together, her eyes darting away as she replied, "Because...because I was afraid of Mei...that's not what I really meant. It's just that I was too presumptuous, so I didn't dare..."