How can my simulation be a real love?

Her soft, delicate words floated out as the girl, wearing slippers, walked straight toward the bedroom.

In fact, this was the first time she had officially used the 'key' since she received it.

The obedient and sensible little wooden girl in front of Kazami Mei never abused her power as her 'fiancée'. The reason she secretly ran to Kazami Mei's apartment early in the morning was because of the special instructions of her 'strict' mother, Mori Minami.

As Mingjun's fiancée, Mu needs to get closer to him.

[It was just going to his house in the morning to help him make breakfast and wake him up; this is perfectly normal and reasonable for a fiancée.]

"..."

Thinking of this, Wakaba Mutsu blushed again and lowered her head. Her small hands gripped the bedroom doorknob tightly. After a full minute of internal struggle, she finally opened the door.

The handsome, black-haired boy lay on the bedroom bed. His steady breathing made Ruoye Mu nervously purse her lips, but the 'obedient' little wooden boy only mustered his courage to move closer to the bedside, gently nudging his shoulder. The girl spoke softly in a voice as gentle as cotton candy—

"Ming, wake up~"

There was no response for a long time.

Perhaps because he didn't want to disturb the other person's precious sleep time, the understanding Xiao Mutou didn't choose to wake them up again.

However, when Wakaba Mutsu discovered that Kazami Mei was sleeping on the inside of the bed, making the narrow single bed 'just right' enough to accommodate someone, the girl opened her mouth in a daze, and her expressionless face turned blush at a visible speed.

As her 'fiancée', it shouldn't be a problem for her to sleep in Naruto's arms, right?

This absurd yet perfectly reasonable idea suddenly appeared in her mind. Before Ruoye Mu could even consider whether doing this was a bit too cunning, her hand couldn't help but lift a corner of the blanket so that she could quietly lie down in Kazami Mei's warm embrace.

But just as Ruoye Mutsu quietly lifted the blanket, a white cat with water stains on its mouth revealed its true form.

"..."

Ruoye Mu was silent.

Soft sunlight streamed into the room through the gaps in the thin, gauze-like curtains. Kazami Mei, whose eyes trembled slightly, woke up feeling inexplicably uneasy. Naturally sensitive to the gazes around him, he subconsciously looked to his side.

But what came into view was a pair of completely expressionless golden eyes.

And a cucumber that gleams coldly under the light.

"—Wait, it's not what you think, Xiaomu! Please don't be angry!"

Kazami Mei, realizing what was happening instantly, sat up with an extremely stiff expression. Before she could even think straight, she instinctively began to apologize. However, the girl simply stared at Kazami Mei's face with her pale golden eyes, remaining silent and not saying a word.

The doll-like girl, so unlike anything he'd ever seen before, sent a wave of panic through Kazami Mei's heart.

If anyone were to suddenly wake up with a chill in the early morning and find a girl with an expressionless face holding a cucumber, staring intently at them with unwavering eyes, they would probably end up with the same mental state as her.

"I'm not angry."

Ruoye Mu remained expressionless, but her words lacked their usual gentleness.

"Then why don't you put down the cucumber you're holding?!"

……

The faint sizzling sound of oil frying could be heard from inside the kitchen.

Kazami Mei placed the perfectly round fried egg, which looked as if it had been fried with Sharingan eyes, onto a plate, and then gently placed the clean plate in front of Wakaba Mutsu.

He had just spent a lot of effort to calm Ruoye Mu down and take this opportunity to explain the reason for the current 'situation' to her. The well-behaved and sensible little wood naturally wouldn't make a fuss, but she still seemed a little disappointed.

Even a gentle and lovely girl can get jealous, just like any other girl.

Until now, Wakaba Mutsu has never snuggled up in Kazami Mei's arms to fall asleep, but now she sees some wild cat that came out of nowhere taking the lead.

Upon seeing this, Kazami Mei immediately realized the problem and couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. Then, she let out a long sigh and reached out to pull the dejected Wakaba Mutsu into her arms.

"It's okay, Mu can always act cute with me."

"Don't overthink things or limit yourself. If you like someone, just say so. After all, Muko is my fiancée."

His gentle words made Ruoye Mu's body tremble slightly, and he gently and slowly combed her waterfall-like light green hair with his right hand.

Smooth and supple, with a delicate feel, it also exudes a bright, creamy green luster. Even if Kazami's fingertips apply a little force, there will be no resistance or stagnation during the combing process. Coupled with the little wooden face that is as moist and cool as cotton candy, it is simply irresistible.

Not to mention Ruoye Mu's waist, which was so slender it could be easily broken. Of all the girls he had held, only Miss Mu's waist was the thinnest and softest.

"..."

Ruoye Mu nodded gently in his arms, wanting to fully enjoy the tenderness that belonged only to her at this moment.

But just as she looked up, she met the gaze of Kaname Rakuna, who was sitting next to Kazami Naru.

A sly glint of interest flashed in the stray cat's eyes as it curiously looked Wakaba Mutsu, who was nestled in Kazami Naruto's arms, up and down. The taciturn and not very good at communicating, Wakaba Mutsu didn't know how to speak and could only look at the cat with a calm but flustered gaze.

The two stared at each other blankly until Kazami Mei noticed the problem.

"Ahem, speaking of which, Mu, why did you suddenly come to my house this morning?"

"...Mom told me."

Mori Minami?

Upon hearing that it was his expensive mother-in-law's idea, a strange look immediately appeared on Kazami Mei's face.

No wonder the well-behaved little wooden thing would run over so unusually. If it weren't for the fact that the cat happened to stay in his apartment last night, Feng Jianming doubted that he would have been able to resist and just hugged Xiao Mu and slept until night.

Is this an attempt to restrict his movements? What a cunning scheme!

"My mother also wanted me to tell Ming that she wanted to invite him to our house on the day of the FIRST exhibition."

If Ye Mu's words carried a hint of nervousness, she could only find a sense of security by quietly rubbing her cheek against Feng Jianming's shoulder.

"I see... But it's only natural that Auntie wanted to invite me, isn't it?"

"After all, I'm getting engaged to Xiaomu on the day of the FIRST exhibition, so no matter what the reason... I have to go and be a guest!"

Kazami Mei naturally noticed the slight unease and anxiety hidden deep within the little girl's heart. He simply stroked the girl's back, which quickly calmed her down. In addition, when the word 'engagement' was mentioned, Ruo Ye Mu's cheeks became a little hot, and even her pale golden eyes became a little more dreamy.

Seeing this, the cat sitting next to her narrowed its eyes slightly and then gently tugged at the hem of Kazami Naruto's clothes.

"Chirp, kiss."

Upon hearing this, Kazami turned back to look at Kaoruna, who was clinging to his side. After a moment of thought, he could only sigh with a mixture of doting and helplessness. Then, under the cat's smug expression, Kazami lightly kissed the corner of her soft, pudding-like lips.

As soon as Kazami Naru raised her head, before she even had a chance to turn around, she smelled a faint sour smell.

Where is the vinegar smell coming from?

Mr. Kazami, whose mood was complicated, immediately turned around when his clothes were gently tugged from behind.

"..."

The taciturn Wakaba Mutsu stared intently in their direction. When she saw Kazami Mei turn his head, she tugged at his sleeve again with her small hand. Her golden eyes, which held a hint of disappointment yet shone with a faint light, kept darting around. Even though the girl didn't say a word, he immediately understood what she meant.

Seeing this scene, Kazami Mei simply took a deep breath.

Now, there is no turning back.

Come on, both of them! I'll kiss them both!

……

The wheels of time keep turning, and a few days later—

Entering December signifies the intertwining of endings and beginnings.

The upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays are perhaps the most important holidays of the year. Some people may have started preparing a month in advance, whether it's to reunite with family, confess to their crushes, or have a long-awaited battle with their life partners.

However, today is a rather special day for Kazami Naruto.

Today marks the moment when FIRST announced his 'award', and it is also the day that he and Ruoye Mutsu officially 'engaged' and became engaged. Of course, neither Kazami Mei nor Komaki wanted to be too high-profile, so the 'engagement' was not celebrated with a grand banquet.

Of course, very few people know about this.

This is probably what they mean by sneaking into the village quietly, without firing a shot?

"Ming..."

A soft murmur reached her ears, pulling Kazami Mei back from her wandering thoughts.

"What's wrong, my betrothed, Miss?"

Kazami Mei spoke with a teasing smile, causing Wakaba Mutsu, who was sitting next to him, to blush and lower her head.

Even though the Ruoye family didn't announce the young lady's 'engagement' in a grand manner today, Xiao Mutou was still carefully dressed up from head to toe before the meeting.

Her face was as perfect and delicate as a doll's, her skin was as white as fresh snow, and her long, light green hair had a transparent texture. In short, the eldest daughter of the Ye family was breathtakingly beautiful today. Even her casual glance was like a dazzling shooting star streaking across the silent night sky.

The doll lady, who usually doesn't dress up properly, is wearing a luxurious and exquisite satin-trimmed dress today, displaying a dignified yet elegant demeanor that truly embodies the style of a well-bred lady.

Temporarily withdrawing his gaze from the girl, Kazami Mei spoke lightly with a hint of teasing—

"Mu got engaged to me today, are you a little unhappy?"

"no!"

Ruoye Mu's expressionless demeanor immediately changed drastically; she seemed to have tears in her eyes as she reached out her small hand and gently tugged at Kazami Mei's sleeve.

Seeing this, Kazami Mei felt embarrassed to continue teasing her, and instead asked in a softer tone, "So you must be worried about the 'bet'? It seems like Mutsu has been very nervous since the beginning."

Ruoye Mu opened her mouth slightly, but hesitated and couldn't say anything.

Even if Ye Mu absolutely supports and trusts Kazami Mei and "The Cucumber Afternoon", humans will instinctively feel tension and worry when faced with the current 'crisis', especially since this bet will affect themselves, Kazami Mei, and Xiangzi's lives!

She could not afford to look down on him.

“It’s natural for you to be nervous, Xiao Mu. After all, it’s a human instinct… To be honest, even I would feel a little uneasy.”

"But at times like this, just imagine all your opponents are Yamcha! After all, the invincible King Frieza could never possibly lose to Yamcha."

As he spoke, Kazami Naruto's lips curled up slightly, and he held up a finger with a hint of smugness.

As Ruoye Muku merely widened her pale golden eyes slightly, gazing at his confident smile, her previously uneasy heart miraculously began to calm down. It was at this moment that the door to the Ruoye family's reception room was suddenly pushed open, and Mori Minami, with a satisfied smile on her face, stepped in.

Behind her followed a blonde woman with a cool and aloof expression.

"I really didn't expect this~ Mingjun acted so confidently, but in the end he still has to be my son-in-law."

Mori Minami narrowed her eyes and spoke as if hinting at something. Hearing her mother's 'strange' words, Little Wood's eyes widened, and her originally rosy face turned pale at a visible speed.

Only Kazami Mei remained seated, completely unperturbed.

"Indeed, I really have to be your son-in-law."

"An unlovable child."

When Minami Mori's plan to tease Kazami Mei failed, she immediately revealed her usual calm yet powerful businesswoman demeanor.

Under Kazami Mei's ambiguous gaze, a hint of helplessness flashed in the eyes of this powerful woman from both the entertainment and business worlds, who was also the de facto head of the Wakaba family. She slowly raised one hand, took a sip of her red tea, and then spoke unhurriedly—

“Mingjun, you have indeed exceeded my expectations.”

"There were quite a few promising new artists participating in the FIRST exhibition this time, including even Ms. Ichinomiya, a disciple of Rindan-no-Tsun, a pillar of the art world. But the result... Naruto-kun, you've probably seen it too~"

"That so-called 'once-in-a-century genius,' Ms. Ichinomiya, tore up her own painting in a fit of rage at the convention center."

This 'extra' information caused Kazami Mei to slowly raise his eyebrows, and he said in a slightly more subtle tone, "No, I knew absolutely nothing about this."

"Is Miss Ichinomiya alright now?"

"It's alright, even if something happens, you don't need to worry about it."

Mori Minami simply waved her hand nonchalantly. Now that she had completely lost the 'bet,' she had nothing more to say. On the contrary, because she had been utterly defeated by the boy in front of her, her tense nerves relaxed instantly like the receding tide.

"Now, it is Teacher 'Yuuka' who has won the highest gold award at the FIRST exhibition."

"—I lost this bet."

The doll-like girl sitting next to Kazami Mei pursed her cherry blossom-like lips tightly. The sudden 'freedom' made her feel joyful but also somewhat at a loss. Having had her life strictly controlled since childhood, she was now confused after truly gaining freedom.

Ruoye Mu doesn't know what she should do, what she should accomplish, or what she should try to say.

The doll-like girl, whose eyes were slightly moist, suddenly felt a warmth on her hand. She subconsciously turned around and found that it was the boy beside her who always had a smile on his face. He had reached out and grabbed her fingertips without her noticing.

The other person's tenderness seemed to penetrate her skin and spread into her heart through the warmth of their hands.

"..."

She seemed to understand what she needed to do from now on.

Seeing this, Mori Minami nodded inwardly, but still deliberately teased, "But does Naruto really trust a 'despicable' adult like me? You know, in the dirty and realistic world of adults, lies and hypocrisy are endless."

"Even if I did lose the bet, what if I want to go back on my word, Naruto?"

Then I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to ride a will-o'-the-wisp!

While inwardly complaining, Kazami Mei simply shook her head and then calmly replied, "Even if Auntie wants to back out or cheat, what I'm going to do will not change."