How can my simulation be a real love?

Even after Kazami Mei left home, Goto Ichiri still felt dizzy and weak all over, unable to walk.

But she couldn't help but look forward to the other person visiting her home again.

……

It was late afternoon, nearing winter.

After leaving the Goto residence, Kazami Naru headed straight for the station.

He strolled along the sidewalk of Yokohama Ward. A few withered leaves were scattered on the cement and asphalt street, and the thin tree trunks along the roadside were gradually becoming sparse, outlining a sense of loneliness on this street where frost was approaching.

A cold, frosty wind brushed against the base of my neck, and the only sound I could hear was the whooshing of passing vehicles.

The slight restlessness that had been simmering deep inside me has inexplicably subsided.

"I need to be more calm from now on, otherwise we could lose our composure."

Kazami Mei let out a long, steady breath, the warm air from her mouth leaving wisps of white mist in the cold air.

Judging from the current progress, I'm bound to break down sooner or later.

He might be somewhat confident if he forced himself to remain rational, but if the pressure he had been under for a long time suddenly found an outlet, it would easily become uncontrollable. Kazami Naruto was currently in this limbo.

We must be vigilant!

"...If all else fails, I'll have to find a way to improve my value and abilities as quickly as possible."

Kazami Mei sighed helplessly as she muttered to herself, then suddenly remembered that she still had a 'simulation' subject she hadn't simulated yet.

Since acquiring the [Royal Romance Simulator], Kazami Naru has conducted seven formal simulations with different partners. Before this, almost every simulation ended with the addition of a new partner, but even after the seventh simulation, there has been no sign of this 'upper limit' loosening.

This likely means that he is no longer able to add any new simulation objects.

"It's better if we can't keep increasing the number of simulation objects. If the number of simulation objects keeps increasing... sooner or later we'll start to feel the strain."

As the simulation progresses, the difficulty increases. If any problems arise during the simulation, Kazami Naruto will not hesitate to rely on [Personal Simulation] to solve them, even if it requires consuming three simulation attempts, it is still very useful.

However, each time he uses the simulation himself, it puts a considerable burden on his mind, and may even make him unable to distinguish between reality and virtuality. This is why Kazami Naruto is now trying his best to avoid simulation.

However, there is only one simulation object left.

Toyokawa Shoko.

Kazami Mei pondered whether he should find an opportunity to try out Professor Daisho's simulation.

Because he's been incredibly busy lately, his simulation counts have been steadily increasing, and now they've unknowingly reached an astonishing three digits. He could probably easily win even just by relying on "personal simulation" and brute force, right?

Most importantly, he wanted to know if anything would change after Xiangzi's simulation ended.

"..."

Lost in thought, Kazami Mei unknowingly arrived at the familiar park entrance.

This park holds significant meaning for him; it was the place where Kazami Mei first met Wakaba Mutsumi, and also the meeting place for their dates.

Perhaps it was just a casual glance inwards, but Kazami Mei abruptly stopped in her tracks.

"Xiangzi?"

72

Chapter 72 I have never targeted any particular person.

Sitting on the swing was a petite girl.

Her azure hair, shimmering with a faint silver glow under the moonlight, was divided into two long, flowing pigtails by a thin black ribbon, and a knitted shirt tied with a jet-black bow accentuated the girl's slender waist.

Even sitting on a swing with rusty iron chains, her innate nobility and elegance could not be concealed.

Kazami Mei blinked, somewhat surprised.

I was just considering whether to start simulating Xiangzi right away, but who knew that I would run into her directly at the corner.

After thinking for a moment, Kazami Mei didn't go over to talk to him directly. Instead, he looked thoughtfully at a vending machine not far away.

"..."

With a calm gaze, Toyokawa Shoko sat on the swing, her slender right hand gently gripping the rusty iron chain, her head lowered as she looked down at the hem of her light gray plaid skirt.

Because of the many things that have happened recently, her thoughts have become complicated and chaotic. When she is unable to calm down, Toyokawa Shoko will come to this park alone.

Just like now, sitting on the swing, letting the cool breeze blow, allows myself to slowly calm down.

A frosty wind gently tore across her neck, and a chill instantly spread up her spine throughout her body. Instinctively, she shrank back, her eyes filled with complex emotions. Feeling the sudden drop in temperature, she murmured to herself—

Winter is almost here!

Summer vacation feels like it was just yesterday; time seems to be passing by faster and faster.

Because of her habitual frugality, she couldn't even afford a thick winter coat.

The knitted cardigan she had been wearing since the beginning had faded from washing. Since there was no washing machine at home, she had to wash it by hand in this kind of weather, which caused her once smooth and delicate hands to become sore from the cold.

"Hey……"

Shoko Toyokawa sighed softly, just as she was about to get up and leave the park.

In that instant, a warm current suddenly pressed against her cheek. The sudden 'attack' startled the girl, who quickly turned around to look. What came into view was a can of red bean soup that was almost touching her face.

Kazami Mei grabbed a can of red bean soup with his left hand and half-forcefully shoved it into Toyokawa Shoko's hand. To avoid the young lady refusing, he shook another bottle in his hand and added with a smug tone, "I just won a prize from the vending machine. This is a free second bottle."

"Ming? You... why are you here?"

Toyokawa Shoko stared blankly at the warm red bean soup in her hand, the warmth gradually spreading from the aluminum can into her palm.

Ignoring the girl's surprised gaze, Kazami Naru casually opened a soda can and sat down on the swing next to her, quite naturally. The park's interior lights emitted a faint, cold white light, gently scattering across their backs along the path of the air.

“I often stroll around the shopping streets in Yokohama. I was originally planning to go straight home along this road... but when I passed by the park, I saw you sitting here alone, so I couldn’t help but run over to check on you.”

"Xiangzi, what are you doing sitting here all by yourself?"

Shoko Toyokawa paused slightly, then, holding the red bean soup in both hands, she tried to speak in a gentle tone: "I just finished my practice at Ave Mujica today, and I came here to clear my head a bit."

It's not just about changing my mood, but also about keeping myself calm at all times.

As time goes by, Ave Mujica is getting on track, and having perfectly concluded her first live performance, she will debut with unimaginable momentum.

In order to maintain Ave Mujica's 'strength' and 'perfection' at all times, the band members need to practice even more than the average band.

Kazami Mei immediately noticed how much pressure Mr. Daisho was under, so she casually said, "It seems like the band's practice sessions have been increasing lately, haven't they? Before the next live performance, you should really take some time to rest and adjust, okay?"

"...No, Mujica is at a very critical moment!"

After a moment of inner struggle, Toyokawa Shoko raised her eyes, but ultimately shook her head with a complicated expression.

As the girl's heavy words faded into the air, the sudden drop in temperature made her, dressed in thin clothes, shiver uncontrollably.

But because Kazami Mei was beside her, she, who cared about her reputation, could only stubbornly raise her head, her delicate neck, like that of a white swan, stretching out as if unafraid of the cold.

Seeing this, Kazami shook his head helplessly, then immediately took off his coat and draped it over the girl's shoulders.

"Ming? What...what are you doing all of a sudden?"

As the chill on her body instantly subsided, the blue-haired girl with a flushed face suddenly panicked.

"Miss Xiangzi is my 'boss' after all. This is just me, as an 'employee,' currying favor."

"Besides, I don't need to participate in practice at Mujica. At most, I'm responsible for composing and doing some operational work, so of course I can't just take that much salary for nothing."

To prevent the girl from breaking free, Kazami Naru gently pressed down on her shoulder. This caused Toyokawa Shoko, who was initially flustered, to only struggle symbolically for a moment. In the end, under his 'persuasion,' she finally accepted it half-heartedly.

"...Seriously, what do you mean you're only responsible for composing and a little bit of operations! Ming is clearly in charge of the training plan and most of the operations... At most, I just integrate your work and add the finishing touches to put the content into practice."

"And now that you've suddenly become the manager of Rabbit House, in a way I'm your 'employee,' right? So should I do what you said... curry favor with the powerful?"

The girl unceremoniously used Kazami's coat as a blanket to wrap her delicate body, even tucking half of her face into the coat's 'protective layer,' revealing only her smooth twin ponytails and light blue braided sideburns, making her look as exquisite and cute as a blue rice dumpling.

"Can we be compared? I signed a proper contract."

Kazami Mei simply rolled her eyes and retorted in a matter-of-fact tone.

"In short, Naruto also worked very hard for me... no, for Mujica as well!"

She was like a sulking little girl, pouting and saying some rather willful things.

Shoko Toyokawa carries an unimaginable burden of pressure and responsibility. For her, what Mei Kazami does is not just about sharing her workload.

When Toyokawa Shoko was at her most vulnerable and helpless, this guy took it upon himself to meddle and offered her a lot of help; even though this 'help' might not seem like much to ordinary people, it provided spiritual support to Shoko, who was extremely fragile and sharp-tongued at the time.

If it weren't for Kazami Mei helping her gradually open up and share the pressure, Toyokawa Shoko, whose mind was constantly under high tension, would probably have collapsed sooner or later.

Kazami Mei smiled meaningfully at Toyokawa Shoko's 'acquiescing' attitude, then skillfully changed the subject: "By the way, Shoko, I told you about the Meow Dream training content before, how are you handling it?"

"...As you said before, I have appropriately reduced her training volume."

Toyokawa Shoko's tone carried an inexplicable sourness, causing Mr. Kazami's lips to twitch slightly beside him.

When Yutenji Wakana talked to him, she complained a lot. Kazami Mei seriously considered it before deciding to plead for her and Shoko. The high-pressure training was indeed not easy for a drummer who does physical labor.

However, Kazami Mei didn't expect that Shoko would be so jealous.

Noticing this, he coughed lightly and quickly added, "Actually, I'm not specifically referring to Yutenji. After all, you should always be in the best condition for going on stage, so if Xiaoxiang has any pressure or burden, you can tell me anytime."

"Anything is possible if it's within my power."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Toyokawa Shoko's eyes flashed with a strange light. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but then hesitated, and in the end, she swallowed her thoughts back down.

"Ming, you shouldn't spoil her too much."

"She's not a simple-minded person. If she gets a taste of success, she'll definitely take advantage of it."

Toyokawa Shoko's eyes flashed with a coldness that only appeared on 'Oblivionis's' face. Clearly, she was only speaking from the band's perspective. Realizing she wasn't joking, Kazami Mei nodded meaningfully and responded seriously.

"I understand, I'll pay more attention to her from now on."

"...And another thing! This isn't something I'm specifically targeting Yutenji. I've never intended to target any particular person!"

Toyokawa Shoko seemed to care a lot about what Kazami Mei thought of her. As an ordinary girl, she naturally had to maintain her image, especially in front of the boy she liked. She didn't want Mei to think of her as a petty, narrow-minded, and vicious woman!

Perhaps to prove she wasn't lying, she hesitated for a moment before explaining in a low voice—

“Right after the last band practice, Yutenji suddenly asked me when everyone would finally get to show their faces.”

"Ming also knows that now is definitely not the right time. If Ave Mujica wants to make an appearance, it must be at the most suitable time and place. Only by maintaining enough mystery can the effect be maximized!"

"If I hadn't firmly rejected her, I know that Yutenji would have definitely made a scene."

With a heavy and serious expression, Toyokawa Shoko rubbed her temples, her head aching. Even Kazami Mei, who was just listening to her complain, could feel how much pressure she was under. She definitely wouldn't have said these things if Kazami Mei hadn't been there with her.

Toyokawa Shoko will bear it all on her own fragile shoulders.

The girl seemed a little relieved after saying all this, and couldn't help but raise her eyes to look at Kazami Naru, who was only wearing a thin long robe.

A handsome, black-haired boy sat beside her, his deep, dark eyes gleaming faintly in the moonlight.

No matter how many times she looked at him, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart how handsome he was. Most importantly, she was now uncontrollably developing feelings for him like an ordinary girl.

She should be focusing all her energy on the band, but she can't help but think about him.

"...Ming, is it really okay for you to lend me your coat?"

"For example, if all else fails, the two of us could also..."

Shoko Toyokawa's voice trembled slightly, her eyes darting around uncertainly, and she couldn't help but look at him beside her with a slightly expectant gaze.

But how can a man say he can't do it?!

When it came to the 'man's principle', Kazami Mei frowned immediately, crossed his arms and replied with considerable confidence: "This level has absolutely no impact on me. In fact, if I wasn't worried about making you shy, I wouldn't even need to wear this shirt."

"Idiot! How could that be? Where did you come from, you little kid!"

The girl couldn't help but sway her delicate body slightly, her sky-blue hair shimmering with a faint silver light under the moonlight.

Her stunningly beautiful face blossomed like a flower bud as she smiled gently. She covered her mouth with her thick coat and let out a silvery laugh. At this moment, she seemed to have temporarily shed her sharp shell and pressure, and once again became the carefree, innocent, and idealistic girl she once was.

"How dare Xiangzi question the shop manager? Do you believe I'm hotter than you are?"

"At this point, Ming is already calling himself the 'shop manager'? Well, I'm still Ming's boss then~"

The girl gently bantered with Feng Jianming, and even the frosty wind seemed to soften.

Seeing her gradually regain her spirits, Kazami Mei couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth and replied in a deliberately teasing tone, "I haven't been to RabbitHouse for a while now. I really don't know if my 'assistant manager' has been managing the store properly. Looks like I'll have to find some time to go to the store and nitpick."

"Come on then, if you're so capable, find fault with me!"