How can my simulation be a real love?

Well, more or less?

"Huh?! Really? Wait... are you talking about that one from before—"

Junda Mana was only slightly taken aback, her bright, beautiful eyes filled with shock.

Before she could even ask any questions, Ms. Hatsuka, who had been maintaining a calm smile, paused for a second. Then, a warm smile suddenly appeared on her face, leaving Junda Mana momentarily stunned.

"Mana-chan, I'm so sorry."

"I have to go now!"

Miss Chuhua's tone was filled with barely suppressed joy. After saying those words, she didn't even wait for Junda Mana's reply before stepping into the snow in her light brown fleece-lined snow boots and walking quickly forward at a speed that was usually hard to see.

Junda Mana looked in the direction she left, and the next second she opened her mouth in surprise.

"No way..."

This is the boy Chu Hua mentioned before; he actually came all the way to the agency to pick her up?!

Triangle Chuhua's eyelashes trembled slightly. She barely suppressed the flutter in her heart and put her hands behind her back, not caring at all about the snowflakes that clung to her bright golden hair. She simply raised her beautiful, deep purple eyes and looked at her lover.

"Ming, did you go to all this trouble to come pick me up?"

"What, aren't you welcome?"

Kazami Mei gave a teasing chuckle and held the white umbrella in her hand towards the girl.

But Misaki Hatsuka frantically waved her little hands, even shaking her golden head like a rattle drum, and answered in a very nervous tone, "No, absolutely not! I'm so, so happy, I never expected Ming to come and pick me up..."

"With such heavy snow, of course I can't help but worry about you."

It was just an ordinary word of concern, but to her it was as sweet as tasting fresh honey. She usually maintained a gentle, professional smile, but now she couldn't suppress the upward curve of her lips from the bottom of her heart.

"Is this... like this?"

"But coming straight to the office to pick you up... isn't that a bit too conspicuous? Let's make a quick getaway while there aren't many people around. I reckon Xiangzi and the others will have finished getting ready by the time we get home."

As Kazami Mei spoke, she extended her free right hand toward the girl. The blonde girl, her emotions rising, gently stroked him without hesitation, and their shoulders pressed tightly together, as if she wanted to lean against him under the pure white umbrella.

"Yes, that's true!"

"However... I don't really care about these things. I still want Ming to come pick me up..."

"If you say that, I guess the fans and Ms. Mana will be sad, right?" Kazami Mei took Ms. Hatsuka's cold fingertips with a mix of amusement and exasperation, but the other girl raised her head seriously.

"But... but I really think Ming is more important!"

She wasn't lying.

For Miss Chuhua now, whether to continue being an 'idol' is just a matter of a single thought. Even though she is now young and popular, and could reach even higher stages in the future, she no longer cares about fleeting fame and fortune.

So what if I become a world-class idol?

Rather than reaching the peak of her career, she would rather start trying to conceive right away.

"Okay, okay~"

Kazami Mei sighed and gently tugged at the girl's hand, glancing towards the entrance of the agency. He then politely waved to the dazed Junta Mana before pulling Hatsuka away.

Only Junda Mana stood there, looking as if she wanted to cry but had no tears.

"I really want to wish Hatsuka-chan well, but why do I suddenly feel so sorry for her?!"

"Why do other people have to spend Christmas working, and even when they get back to their apartments, they're all alone!"

Chapter 174 Who Are You Saying Is Jealous? [5k]

"There don't seem to be any stars tonight~"

With a hint of melancholy in her eyes, Misaka Chuka murmured to herself. She raised her beautiful eyes and gazed at the dark sky that connected the world to the outside world. It was so quiet amidst the falling snowflakes that it seemed as if not even a single star could be seen.

However, something came to her mind.

It seems that the first time I tasted Ming's cooking and he personally escorted me out, it was a scene very similar to today. But back then, I was conflicted and weak, and I never dared to admit the seed of emotion that had been planted in my heart.

Who knew that not long after that incident, their relationship would be completely turned upside down?

Most importantly, the destination they were heading towards this time was not her empty, cold, and unwelcoming apartment, but a warm and cozy place that would bring her genuine joy.

"Thinking about me?"

Mr. Kazami, holding a white umbrella, slowly leaned closer, and a teasing remark made Mikasa Hatsuka blush. She simply nodded honestly, responding shyly—

"Hmm, I'm remembering some things from our past."

"For example, Chu Hua, you said you would investigate me for Xiangzi, but you ended up embezzling from my position?"

"No, that's not the case..."

Misaka Hatsuka just shyly kept shaking her little hand, but before she could continue to explain, Kazami Mei reached out and grabbed her hand, holding her cold fingertips in his palm, the gentle movement like soothing a frightened fawn.

It was as if he were gently scooping up a snowflake and letting it slowly melt in his palm.

A long-awaited hand-holding.

In fact, this was not the first time Kazami Mei, as her 'lover,' had held her hand. In the past, Miss Hatsuka's fingertips always carried a slight, imperceptible coolness, yet one could clearly feel as if warm spring water was flowing between her fingers.

Misaka Hatsuka slowly increased the intensity of her response, her tone tinged with amusement as she said, "I was just thinking, if I had told him I liked Naruto earlier... what would we be like now?"

The girl pursed her cherry lips and quietly moved her shoulder, carefully getting closer to Kazami Mei; although she was also a 'girlfriend', she naturally had the right to act coquettishly, but Miss Hatsuka always maintained a polite demeanor.

"Well?!"

The girl suddenly felt a warmth on her shoulder. Kazami Naruto's long and strong right hand wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her closer to himself without any hesitation. The space under the white umbrella, which would have felt cramped for the two of them, gradually became spacious.

Kazami Mei embraced her, as if a gentle ray of moonlight was nestled beside her.

"Is that even a question? You've probably already been devoured by now."

"Eh……"

Misaki Hatsuka shyly avoided eye contact. Of course, she understood the current state of her other girlfriends. Even the straightforward Hachiman Kairin would occasionally blush and fall silent, not to mention the thin-skinned Toyokawa Shoko, who always needed to maintain her composure.

Seeing her adorable reaction, Kazami Naru smiled smugly, like an elementary school boy trying to get a girl's attention with a prank.

"Chuhua, your hands haven't felt cold at all. How are you feeling now? Are they still a bit cold like before?"

"Is it still a little cold?"

The moment Chu Hua uttered those words, she regretted it a little. Her face flushed and her heart pounded as she raised her alluring purple eyes. Her cheeks were so hot they could boil ice-cold snowflakes, but she still spoke without hesitation.

I was so greedy!

"—Hmm~ I've already hugged you, isn't that enough?"

Kazami Mei's soft, teasing voice rang out. Hatsuka, who had been harboring greedy thoughts, raised her eyelids, only to stammer, "It's okay, it's okay! I was just joking..."

Before she could finish speaking, he blocked her way as he approached.

A clear, soft touch and a sun-like warmth entered her mind, and the girl's heart rate suddenly increased several times; their breaths mingled in the cold air, forming wisps of blurry white mist.

"..."

Pressed against the wall, Misaka Hatsuka didn't feel the cold at all. Only after Kazami Mei separated from her did she feel a little lost. She just stared at her trembling fingertips with a flushed face, her brain unable to think at all.

She raised her two small hands to cover her burning cheeks, her eyes meeting the other person's with a slightly dazed look.

"How about now? If it's really not working out, I can lend you my scarf too?"

Kazami Mei seemed to be admiring Misaki Hatsuka's adorable reaction. His smiling question made the girl in front of him tremble. She gently covered her mouth with her hand, her face as red as a furnace as she looked away.

"No...no problem, I'm not cold at all now."

"No, but if possible, I'd like a little more warmth..."

These words startled Kazami Mei, who looked at her flushed cheeks with some surprise.

"I didn't expect you to be so greedy, Chu Hua?"

This sarcastic remark sent a shiver down Misaka's spine. She could clearly feel her blood surging through her veins, and her delicate and beautiful face was already flushed with a rising crimson. This intense emotion made her lower her head in shame.

"I'm sorry, I'm a greedy bad girl."

"I don't mean to blame you at all. On the contrary, I'm quite happy that you have such a 'greedy' idea." Kazami Naruto reached out and pinched the girl's reddened earlobe with a wry smile. Before the girl could show a smile, he gently raised his dark eyes.

"—However, one thing at a time."

“Before, Miaomeng somehow obtained a lot of information, and when she attacked me, she always aimed for my vitals. I still wonder... where did she get all this ‘private information’?”

How else could she possibly know?

Misaka Hatsuka immediately realized that her identity had been 'exposed'. With her gentle personality, she gave in after being coaxed by Nyanko a little. At that time, she thought that Nyanko also genuinely liked Naruto, so it shouldn't be a problem for her to say a little.

Because of this wishful thinking, she poured out a large amount of information all at once.

"Yes, sorry!"

She looked down at the ends of their tangled scarves, still covered with strands of hair that had fallen as they intertwined.

When Kazami Mei blew that breath into her ear, she immediately went limp to the bone.

Before, Mitsumi Hatsuka was a girl who loved but couldn't have the one she wanted. In order to make Kazami Mei truly fall in love with her, she secretly investigated a lot of things, including quietly changing her appearance to keep pursuing him.

It can be said that she was as cunning as she could have been back then.

"It seems my guess was right. It must have been you, Chu Hua, who secretly leaked the information?"

The girl blushed and nodded.

Has the culprit finally been found?

It was thanks to Miss Hatsuka's sudden idea that Miyako was able to seize upon Kazami Mei's weakness and strike hard. Therefore, Kazami Mei had already decided that no matter what, he had to make Hatsuka, who leaked the secret, get 'punished'.

Thinking of this, Kazami Mei simply raised her eyebrows slightly and said with a hint of a smile, "Ahem! After all, you didn't inform me of this beforehand, so I think a little 'punishment' is still necessary, isn't it?"

"I understand."

Misaka Hatsuka simply nodded with a rosy complexion. It seemed as if wisps of white mist were constantly rising from her head. This adorable expression made Kazami Mei unable to help but chuckle, so he deliberately teased her.

"Aren't you afraid I'll go too far with you?"

"...Please, please punish me as you see fit."

With her wrists pressed tightly together in front of her, Misaka Hatsuka looked like a 'criminal' awaiting handcuffs and shackles. Her delicate and unresisting posture, ready to be picked at will, added a touch of heat to Kazami Mei's heart amidst the frosty snow.

ha?

How dare a mere Sumimi idol be so arrogant?

She was absolutely certain that Kazami wouldn't do anything to her, yet she dared to test his patience with such methods. But the current Kazami is not the same Kazami as before. Thinking of this, the restlessness in his heart intensified.

He casually took out a few black soft hair ties from his pocket and wrapped them around her smooth and delicate wrists, one after another.

……

It took some time.

After all, they were on their way to pick up Hatsuka and throw a Christmas party, so Kazami Mei couldn't afford to be delayed for too long. However, she still used her rules and tactics against the 'arrogant' idol Sumimi, at least making her suffer a bit.

Hatsuka, who was standing beside him, had slightly red eyes, but a bright smile was on her lips. Compared to her previous reserved and polite attitude, she now took the initiative to reach out and hug Kazami's arm.

What happened to the promised punishment?

This unusual similarity between her and Kita Ikuyo made Kazami Mei realize that Hatsuka-san was actually even happier? He had the illusion that he had just awarded a gold medal to the champion guitarist on the awards stage.

"Well……"

Triangle Chuhua tilted her little head slightly, her eyes glowing red, making her look like a soft and cuddly little lamb.

Although she could feel her knees going slightly weak and her steps unsteady on the snow, she was filled with an unprecedented sense of security, which made her subconsciously reach out and hug Kazami's neck, as if seeking some kind of support.

Kazami Mei looked over with a half-smile, and she seemed to notice her boyfriend's subtle gaze as well.

"I'm so sorry... Xiao Xiang and the others must be getting impatient, right?"

Misaka Chuka's tone was tinged with shame, as if she felt utterly disgusted by her own behavior.

Then why don't you stop laughing?!

Seeing Misaki Hatsuka's reaction, Kazami Mei rolled his eyes. Just as he was about to retort, Misaki Hatsuka suddenly stopped and raised her captivating purple eyes to glance in their direction.

"...No, but I still think I made a big mistake."

"I don't think this level of punishment is enough to erase my mistakes. It's too lenient. Should... should it be a bit more cruel to me? So I think... we need to pursue some further punishment?"

"What does Ming think...?"