How can my simulation be a real love?

"I am truly sorry for slandering you before."

Kazami Mei couldn't help but put her hands together and mutter to herself.

This is his confession.

Thanks to this skill, he survived the incident by sheer luck and was even unharmed. But even knowing its powerful effects, he would never again experience the feeling of being knocked away.

After all, it really does hurt.

"Speaking of which, I wonder how Xiangzi is doing?"

"I need to let the others know I'm safe as soon as possible, otherwise they'll worry."

After a moment's hesitation, Kazami Naru moved his left hand slightly; half of his hand was already tightly bound with bandages.

His chest and legs were wrapped in bandages. Kazami Mei knew that these bandages were only for stopping the bleeding, but there were too many of them. It looked like he was seriously injured and could not be cured.

Click.

The door to the ward was gently pushed open, and a small, light green head peeked out.

Kazami Mei narrowed her eyes, a slight smile on her face as she looked at the girl standing at the door.

Ruoye Mutsu, who rushed over from home in a panic, was still wearing loose loungewear. Her waist-length, light green hair shone with a crystal-clear luster. Her originally cute and delicate face now showed a hint of panic, and even her eyes only tentatively glanced in this direction.

"I'm sorry, did I make you worry?"

"..."

If Ye Mu pursed her lips tightly, her pale golden eyes would gradually become misty.

Under Kazami Mei's astonished gaze, she slowly lowered her head, warm tears overflowing along with her trembling shoulders. She frowned deeply, seemingly trying to suppress her emotions, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hide them at all.

Until now, Ruoye Mu has been forcibly suppressing her inner emotions. In fact, her anxiety is no less than that of others, but she has always maintained 'calm' in order to put everyone at ease. Now that she has seen Fengjianming, she can no longer control herself.

Tick.

Tears fell to the ground like pearls from a broken string, her fragrant shoulders trembling as she forcefully pursed her lips.

Oh no, why is she crying?

Kazami Naruto gasped in shock; he was the type who couldn't stand seeing girls cry.

"Xiao Mu, come here."

The obedient little wooden boy could only nod gently and slowly came to the bedside as he was told.

Seeing Kazami Mei in such a miserable state, Ruo Ye Mu's already overwhelming emotions surged within her. She wanted to rush into his arms, but she could only hold onto her skirt and dared not go any further.

Kazami Mei is still 'injured', and she is afraid that her rash touch will cause his wounds to reopen.

Sensing her thoughts, Mr. Kazami couldn't help but smile, and then quite readily reached out and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm so sorry for being so reckless. I won't make you worry next time."

Kazami gently stroked the girl's light green hair, which resembled a skirt, and patted her back softly to calm her down. Then he let her sob in his arms, occasionally reaching out to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Ruoye Muku's crying was silent, like a silent doll that could not express its emotions.

Seeing the little wooden girl in his arms looking so pitiful made Kazami Naruto feel like half of his heart was being taken away. He could only stroke the girl's head and whisper comforting words until she calmed down, at which point he breathed a sigh of relief.

"The doctor must have told you, Xiaomu, right? My injuries are minor; I could actually go home and rest—"

"No."

The little wooden girl, who had just been so soft and adorable, immediately became more assertive. Her little head shook like a rattle drum, as if she wanted to express her resistance. This unusual change left Kazami Ming somewhat stunned.

"Ming, you have to stay in the hospital."

"...The doctor said that, just to be on the safe side, we can observe for a few more days."

The girl's gaze fell on Kazami's chest and abdomen, which were wrapped in bandages. Her expression turned disappointed at a visible speed. Seeing the girl's resistant reaction, Kazami's expression gradually stiffened, and he could only cough twice in an attempt to explain.

"Xiao Mu, don't let my exaggerated outfit fool you. My wound is almost healed after applying some medicine. If I stay in the hospital... the artwork I'm about to deliver to Miss Lan will have to be delayed, as will the operations of AveMujica and the music composition—"

"No."

The girl's attitude was unusually firm.

Normally, she would be completely obedient to Kazami Mei, never showing any resistance no matter what he did. This was probably the first time that Wakaba Mu had expressed such resistance in front of him. Helpless, Kazami Mei could only twitch his lips a few times.

No, does he really have to stay in the hospital for the next few days?

Seeing Ruoye Mu's serious expression, he couldn't persuade her otherwise. After a sigh, he nodded and decided to compromise.

"I understand. I'll stay in the hospital for a few more days then."

"...I will take care of Ming."

Ruoye Mutsu seemed to enjoy being a player given a quest by an NPC, nodding at him with a resolute yet adorable expression. This reaction amused Kazami Mei, whose lips kept curving upwards, and he gazed at the girl with a rather doting look.

"Then I'll leave everything to you."

However, Kazami Mei seemed to have thought of something, and her gaze immediately turned towards the door.

"Are the others here too? Let's just let everyone in."

Ruo Ye Mu gently furrowed her lovely brows, a hint of worry appearing on her exquisitely sculpted face. She raised her head and cautiously asked, "Is Ming alright? There are too many people... it will disturb Ming's rest."

"It's alright, this injury is nothing."

"Besides, the most important thing right now is for everyone to see my condition in person. Otherwise, if it's just based on what you say, Xiao Mu... who knows, someone might start to have wild thoughts? It's best to put everyone at ease now."

Ruoye Mu nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with his statement.

For many people, Naruto is now a pillar of support. Both Nagasaki Motoyo and Takamatsu Akari are in dangerous mental states, and it is most appropriate for them to see her in person to put their minds at ease.

"I understand, I'll call everyone in."

Less than two minutes after Ye Mu left the ward, a large group of girls rushed in when the door was opened again. Their faces were either crying or filled with fear and anxiety, which made Feng Jianming once again convinced that his choice was absolutely correct.

Anyone who didn't know better would think something had happened to him.

"Waaaaah~ Naruto, are you alright?!"

With her eyes red and swollen, the pink-haired girl excitedly rushed towards the hospital bed, but before she could reach it, she was stopped by Ijichi Nijika and Shiina Tatsuki, who had rushed over, for fear that she would pounce directly into Kazami Naru's arms.

"Are you an idiot?! Ming is still injured. What if you accidentally cause some trouble?!"

"Aine-chan, should we keep our distance from Naru-san for now?"

The combination of her irritable and flustered words with gentle and soothing words made Chihaya Aine realize immediately that her behavior was too extreme, especially for a patient!

"Hug, sorry..."

Seeing his girlfriend looking down apologetically not far away, Kazami Mei simply waved his hand and replied, "Everyone doesn't need to be so nervous. The doctor said I'm not actually injured. I can go home after a few days of observation in the hospital."

"Very good……"

The little gray penguin, who had been clenching her fists and pressing them to her chest, breathed a long sigh of relief. Seeing Kazami Mei chatting and laughing with everyone, her extreme unease and fear instantly receded like a tide.

Ryo, who is usually always joking around, was unusually well-behaved today. She stood expressionless beside Nijigae, staring ahead, her gaze constantly sweeping over Kazami Mei. Only after confirming that everything was alright did she slowly close her eyes.

Fortunately.

This is the voice of everyone present.

They all deeply felt that intense sense of loss. His presence was something they took for granted and was just an ordinary part of their daily lives. The warm figure that was always by their side suddenly became blurry at this moment.

No one wants to experience that kind of excruciating pain again.

It is precisely because I have truly experienced what 'loss' means that I cherish even more the people I take for granted in my daily life.

"...Hmm? Where are Hailin and Kita?"

Kazami Naruto looked up, seemingly noticing something strange.

Let's set aside the cats that are usually elusive and impossible to contact.

It's normal for Hachiman Kairin, who works as a 'mercenary,' to be delayed by something, as Kazami Mei knows her personality very well; but after the band ended, apart from Pochi, who lives in Yokohama and couldn't make it, Kita, who lives near Haneoka, shouldn't be absent, right?

Kazami Mei looked around carefully and realized that even Hatsuka-san didn't seem to be there.

"...I originally thought Kita-chan would come over."

"After I sent her the message, it showed as 'read' but she didn't reply. I just got a call from her home saying that when Kita-chan heard the news, she seemed to faint..."

No, really?

He was a little stunned by Ichiji Nijika's explanation. Fortunately, he immediately asked Xiaomu to call everyone in after he woke up. Otherwise, he didn't know which way things would have gone if the safety of the people was unknown.

He rubbed his temples gently, a slight throbbing in them, then seemed to remember something and spoke—

"Speaking of which, how is Xiangzi doing now?"

Xiangzi?

Everyone who had no idea what was going on was clearly taken aback.

They never expected that Kazami Mei's car accident would be related to Toyokawa Shoko.

The people present all had some connection with Toyokawa Shoko, but they rushed over as soon as they received the news that Kazami Mei had been in a car accident. After that, they were filled with extreme unease and fear, and no one paid any attention to what had actually happened.

The only people present at the time were Ijichi Nikka and Yamada Ryo, while the last person in the know, Nagasaki Motoyo, stood in a corner with his arms crossed.

From the very beginning, Nagasaki Motoyo didn't know what to do. She was in a state of despair, but when she saw that Kazami Naru was safe and sound, her tense nerves relaxed. However, she didn't dare to take the initiative to explain to others.

"She's perfectly fine."

Yamada Ryo's completely indifferent response caused the people present to show strange expressions.

Shiina Tatsuki, who was the first to react, immediately frowned. Having never liked Toyokawa Shoko to begin with, she subtly noticed something amiss. She quickly turned to Yamada Ryo, the 'insider,' and asked with a suspicious tone—

"Why was Xiangzi mentioned? What's the story behind that?"

"Does this have anything to do with Xiangzi? In the end... why was Ming hit by a car out of nowhere? What exactly happened?!"

Yamada Ryo remained expressionless, her gaze fixed solely on Kazami Mei.

Seeing that this hot potato had been passed on to him, Mr. Kazami, leaning against the hospital bed, couldn't help but sigh. He understood that everyone here had the right to know about this matter, and he had no need to hide it from them.

In just a short while, he gave a general account of the whole story.

The faces of the people who heard the whole story were obviously very ugly, especially Shiina Tatsuki, who frowned deeply and guessed what had happened halfway through. She clenched her fists tightly, her face full of disbelief, and her inner emotions were hard to suppress.

Is there such a thing?

"That guy Xiangzi..."

"The mistake in this matter stemmed from me; I failed to handle the problem properly."

As if sensing that Shiina Tatsuki was about to explode, Kazami Mei immediately told her to restrain herself for the time being. Then, worried that this matter would affect everyone's relationship with Shoko, he began to look around with a reassuring gaze.

"Don't blame Xiangzi for this."

"It was indeed my mistake that caused this, so please don't take it too seriously."

Kazami Naruto's lips twitched as he finished explaining. He realized something was off after he finished speaking.

Wait, why do I feel like I'm speaking in a teasing tone?

While internally complaining, he looked up at his surroundings. The girls present seemed to have rather unpleasant expressions, but his explanation had probably worked, as Li Xi, who was in the worst mood, had temporarily calmed down.

This made him breathe a sigh of relief.

In any case, he genuinely didn't want everyone to blame Xiangzi.

The fact that Xiangzi disbanded CRYCHIC already left a grudge among everyone. Now that this accident has been linked to her again, even if Fengjianming chooses to look at the current situation from their perspective, she probably can't help but feel dissatisfied with Teacher Da Xiang.

Now that everyone's relationship has finally started to improve, Kazami Mei certainly doesn't want to see them go back to the way things were.

"Ming, it's about time to rest."

The slightly heavy atmosphere was broken by Wakaba Mutsu's sudden words.

It was only then that everyone suddenly remembered that Kazami Mei was still an injured person who needed to 'rest'. With a group of them surrounding the ward, there was no way for him to get proper rest.

After everyone comforted them one by one, the girls reluctantly left the ward one by one, leaving only Miss Su Shi standing not far away with her arms crossed. She looked up and stood there, seemingly at a loss.

Compared to his other 'girlfriends,' she was like a complete outsider.

"..."

Wakaba Mutsu raised his head to look at Kazami Mei, as if asking for his opinion.

What other opinions could Kazami Mei possibly have?

No one could remain unmoved by Miss Su Shi's sorrowful and apologetic expression. He sighed inwardly and spoke softly in the gentlest tone—