How can my simulation be a real love?

She waited obediently and expectantly for Mei to respond to her feelings, but Mei did not agree to her grandmother's request without hesitation.

Kazami Mei felt a strange emotional fluctuation within him, then slowly spoke in a calm but slightly hoarse voice—

"Lenai, I want to apologize to you first."

"Because of my own negligence, I didn't consider your feelings and took the liberty of using the excuse that I wasn't fully sure about my feelings to choose to temporarily avoid responding to you. But when I said that, it didn't mean I was rejecting you. I never disliked Lena in the slightest."

The stray cat, its fingers still plucking the strings, blinked, pursed its cherry lips, lowered its head, and remained silent.

In fact, Kaoru had already decided to stop going to band practice and stop playing guitar starting today, because Naruto had previously said that he couldn't be her "home," and her grandmother who closed the space was a big liar; her own efforts hadn't yielded her own "home."

Yao Lenai no longer has a place to belong.

She could only sit alone in this parking lot, as if she could recall the time she used to play the piano in front of SPACE.

"fraud."

After a long silence, the girl finally spoke, her soft words carrying a hint of sharpness.

"Ming, you've always hated me."

The girl murmured in frustration, unable to exert any more force on the pick she was gripping tightly.

The white wildcat's depressed and irritable mood seemed to have solidified into a tangible form, and her heterochromatic eyes, which were always full of smiles and pride, had dimmed without her noticing.

Upon hearing this, Kazami Mei let out a heavy sigh with indescribable feelings. Then, she slowly reached out and gently rubbed the girl's snow-white, smooth hair as usual. The girl merely turned her head away symbolically as a form of 'resistance'.

Even though she was so angry, she still couldn't help but glance in this direction out of the corner of her eye.

Kazami Mei slowly frowned, explaining in a serious tone—

"I didn't lie, and I had no intention of lying to Le Nai."

“I got to know Lixi and the others before because I was seriously sure of my feelings and carefully considered them before we agreed to be close. But I thought Le Nai was still young at the time, and I thought you really didn’t understand anything back then.”

"Your affection for me may simply stem from my usual doting on you, and your imitation of Li Xi and the others' behavior may be out of curiosity."

Upon hearing this, the cat pursed her lips in dissatisfaction, but before she could express it, Kazami spoke first.

"However, I finally understood from this point on."

“Lanna, you’re no different from Riki, Deng, and Su Shi Aine. You’re just a simple girl, so I’ve decided to treat you as someone I’d consider for the future. I was originally planning to spend more time confirming these feelings…”

Kazami Mei just frowned, somewhat amused and exasperated. Looking at Rakuna's puffed-up, tender cheeks, he reached out his index finger and pinched her face, making her deflated like a pufferfish.

He hadn't expected the cat to be so angry about this, but it was precisely this anger, this unusual behavior, that made Kazami Naruto truly realize how much she cared about it. From the very beginning, she had considered him the person she could entrust her life to, the "home" she had been searching for.

Perhaps it was thanks to Grandma Rana's last few 'talkative' words that Kazami Mei was able to truly understand the pure and beautiful emotions in the cat's heart.

Shisen Tsuzuki's final decision to close the SPACE was truly for her future.

"But it was also thanks to Lena's hard work in 'resisting' that I was able to realize my feelings earlier."

Kazami Mei's lips curled up slightly as she took out a familiar matcha-flavored candy from her pocket.

Every time Rakuna practices guitar diligently, when she receives praise, when Rakuna is well-behaved, or simply when she wants to be fed, Kazami Mei would take out a piece of matcha candy and place it in her palm.

This is also proof of the unique bond between him and Yao Lenai.

"Perhaps Lena's former 'place of refuge' SPACE no longer exists, but now I want to create a 'home' that belongs to Lena myself."

"Lenai, are you coming?"

The black-haired boy knelt on one knee, extending his palm to hold the matcha candies, a gentle smile gradually appearing on his handsome and kind face.

The cat-like girl stared blankly at the scene before her.

Unconsciously, she forced open her beautiful, heterochromatic eyes, which were prone to confusion. The tinkling of summer wind chimes seemed to still echo in her ears, and the words her grandmother earnestly spoke to her that day, which were vague in her memory, gradually flooded into her mind.

A place to call home will eventually be created for you.

But you also have to find it yourself.

The snow-white stray cat gradually narrowed her delicate eyes, her gaze, full of 'interest,' fixed on the boy's deep black eyes, and before she knew it, a beautiful smile appeared on her lips.

The girl slowly opened her small mouth and swallowed the matcha candy in the boy's hand in one gulp.

……

"Yes, Lena is in my hands."

"I didn't open the box, and I don't want the ransom."

Mr. Kazami, holding the phone in his hand, was reporting to Rinko Maji on the other end of the line with a blank expression.

The stray cat, who had just been sulking, now squinted her eyes and snuggled affectionately into his arms, even more so than usual. She pursed her lips and looked at Kazami with a smug expression, waiting for him to keep feeding her with matcha chocolate snails.

Feeling the soft, delicate silver-white hair of the girl tickling his neck, Kazami Mei smiled helplessly.

The cat's clinginess has increased significantly.

[Hoo hoo~ It seems Kazami-kun has the leisure to joke around like this, so he's probably already won Rakuna-chan over, right?]

[He truly lives up to his title of 'Band Girl Killer,' easily winning over any type of girl, big or small. It's definitely the perfect time to ask Kazami-kun for help in a situation like this!]

"Naritaro, did you win?"

Kazami Mei's expressionless comment while holding his phone made Maji Rinko, who was on the other side of the screen, pause slightly in surprise.

【Huh? Who's Narita-ji?】

"I just made that up, Rinrin-nee, don't overthink it."

"In short, I am not the 'band girl killer' you're talking about. That nickname is too malicious to me! I, Kazami Mei, only do three things: pure love, pure love, pure love! I am not someone who would be interested in any band girl."

Except for those who are cute.

On the other end of the phone, Narita… Maji Rinko was silent for a few seconds. As if instinctively ignoring Kazami Mei’s serious rebuttal, she spoke slowly and deliberately with an unnatural smile—

[Um, are you planning to take Rakuna home to stay today, Kazami-kun? It seems a bit late after all.]

"...That's true, I don't think Lena really wants to go home either."

Kazami Mei's gaze swept over the white-haired cat in her arms, and the girl's original feelings of loss and sadness underwent a complete reversal in an instant.

Rakuna, who was in an extremely happy mood, kept rubbing her cheek against his chest. If Kazami Naru reached out to pinch her cheeks, he could hear her purring. It was clear that the cat was showing signs of happiness and comfort.

Invisible cat ears seemed to appear on her head, twitching incessantly, while her snow-white tail swayed gently with joy.

Should I talk to your boss for you?

"Thank you, Rinrin-nee, but I think it's better if I handle this myself."

Upon hearing this, Maji Rinko let out a meaningful laugh, then encouraged him by saying "Good luck" several times before finally hanging up the phone.

Only when the busy tone of the phone being disconnected kept coming from the speaker did Kazami Mei finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Perhaps it was Kazami Naru's slightly weary sigh that caught the cat's attention, prompting Rakuna to gently lift her eyes and look at his profile. The slightly tilted head and the obvious questioning look in her eyes made it clear what she wanted to express, even without saying a word.

Seeing this, Kazemi simply reached out and gently rubbed the girl's hair until her soft, silvery-white hair was a little messy before she smiled and said, "Don't worry, don't worry, I just need to inform Ryuna's grandmother later."

"grandmother?"

Lena blinked, tilting her head as if in some confusion.

"Doesn't Lena want to stay at my house tonight?"

"I want to stay."

A faint glint flashed in the white-haired girl's eyes. She pursed her lips and rubbed her chin against Kazami's chest.

"I want to sleep with Ming too."

"This one is—"

Before he could finish speaking, Kazami Mei immediately noticed that the stray cat in his arms was squinting its eyes in dissatisfaction.

Realizing what was happening, Kazami Mei had no choice but to swallow back the words she was about to say. Then she looked at the cat with a helpless yet doting gaze and said, "I really can't do anything with you. Well then, let's do it the same way as last time during the training camp. As long as you behave a little, Rakuna, it'll be fine."

"why?"

The cat tilted its head in confusion, seemingly quite self-righteous.

There's no particular reason, it's just not possible right now.

Ordinary words, yet they carried considerable power. Kazama, who had been fixated on the 'reason,' simply nodded obediently. Then, she narrowed her uniquely heterochromatic eyes and rubbed her cheek. Seeing that she was willing to listen, Kazama chuckled softly, as if to relax.

Sleeping with the cat is fine, after all, Mr. Kazami is quite confident in his self-control.

He wasn't wary of Rakuna, the cat, because cats really don't have any bad intentions; especially now that Rakuna is an exceptionally well-behaved little cat, if Kazami disagrees with something, she will give up any outrageous ideas without hesitation.

"So……"

Kazami Mei picked up her phone again and dialed Tsuzuki Shisen's number.

……

Perhaps because Rakuna had stayed at his house for one night before, Tsuzuki Shisen didn't seem to have much of an opinion on the matter.

However, after Kazami Mei expressed her intention to shoulder the responsibility of 'destiny', she subtly hinted to Kazami Mei that she was entrusting her granddaughter to him.

It seems that Tsuzuki Shisen is not going to entrust the task to him casually. The old woman has decided to come and watch the next Mygo performance. She hopes to see Kazami Mei, the 'keyboardist,' and Kaname Rakuna perform together and show her a truly wonderful show.

Kazami Mei naturally couldn't refuse this little 'test,' and responded to the other party with the most serious words.

Thinking this through, Kazami Mei let out a long sigh of relief, then took out her key and opened the iron gate of the apartment.

"..."

Yoro Nai seemed quite pleased, pursing her cat-like lips and stepping into the small apartment without hesitation.

"Lena, could you go take a shower first? I'll use this time to prepare dinner."

"Hmm~"

The cat nodded vigorously, then obediently went into the bathroom and began to take off her clothes. In her eyes, there seemed to be no such thing as 'shame' or the basic barriers between men and women.

Fortunately, Kazami Mei was already used to her independent personality and simply closed the bathroom door behind her.

Wait, why does this process seem a little familiar?

Suddenly realizing this, Kazami Mei frowned strangely, recalling the 'drenched cat' she had picked up from outside last time.

"Is Lena going to run out all wet again later?"

Kazami Mei shook his head helplessly, his lips twitching slightly. Just as he was about to turn and walk toward the kitchen, the bathroom door was suddenly opened from the inside by Kaname Rakuna, and a white-haired cat with milky white shoulders quietly peeked out.

Kazami Mei blinked in confusion, then couldn't help but ask—

"Lenai, what's wrong?"

"Hmph~"

A sly smile crept across the cat's lips as she quietly tiptoed while Kazami Naruto looked down.

A delicate, fair hand wrapped around his neck, and the cat-like girl, standing on tiptoe, playfully kissed him with a 'chirp'. Kazami Mei felt the milky aroma wafting towards him and the faint sweetness of matcha in his mouth, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Satisfied~"

The girl narrowed her eyes, licked her lips, and then escaped into the bathroom before Kazami Naruto could scold her.

After a long silence, Mr. Kazami's expression gradually stiffened, and he could only speak in an awkward tone—

"...Now, the process is a little off."

83

Chapter 83 Fiancée.

The next day, early in the morning.

The cool light shone on the cucumber vines in the pot, and the green fruits were tinged with a watery hue due to the damp and cold air of early winter.

A girl dressed in the uniform of 'Moon Forest Girls' Academy' slowly stepped up the rusty stairs. Her two fair hands carried her schoolbag and a cucumber bonsai in front of the door. The girl, who had suddenly appeared, paused for a moment before finally taking out a shiny key from her schoolbag.

Click.

With a crisp click as the door lock was opened, the expressionless doll-like girl slowly pushed the door open and entered.

As the 'fiancée', Wakaba Mutsumi naturally possesses power that an ordinary girlfriend cannot imagine; she can rightfully take out the spare key to Kazami Mei's apartment at will.

"..."

The pretty young girl with delicate features brushed aside a strand of light green hair with a transparent sheen, then blushed slightly and took off her little leather shoes. Her small feet, encased in pure white socks, gently touched the wooden floor of the entryway. With practiced ease, she took out a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet next to her.

"excuse me."