Love Comes After Simulation

Minami Yuuki was focused on the simulation text when suddenly a shadow fell over him, leaning against his chest. It was Asano Nao approaching the sofa.

It had already gotten dark, and the temperature had dropped a bit. Asano Nao, wearing a sports jacket, stood at Minami Yuuki’s feet.

Minami Yuuki’s sudden gaze startled her, and she took a step back, her long hair swaying like a raven’s wings in the wind.

“Is there something wrong, Nao-nee?” Minami Yuuki sat up.

“Are you worried about something, Yuuki-kun?” Asano Nao voiced her concern.

Minami Yuuki then realized that he had been lying motionless on the sofa, staring ahead, which might have seemed odd to others.

Previously, when he was at the Asano house in the simulation, Asano Nao felt pressured by the curtains being pulled and his presence, causing her to retreat upstairs to her bedroom after a while. Now, with her social anxiety eased, she could stay on the first floor.

Seeing the worry on Asano Nao’s face, he said, “I’m troubled about how to propose to you.”

“Eh?”

“Actually, I’m troubled about the future.” Minami Yuuki explained; the simulation life was his future, and saying he was troubled about it was not wrong.

“Are you thinking of studying music?” Asano Nao’s face showed surprise.

“No.”

“Oh.” Asano Nao’s mood dropped.

“However, if you would give me a lap pillow, I might consider it,” Minami Yuuki teased, hoping to make her blush and run upstairs.

In the simulation life, they were already married, and even as her husband, Minami Yuuki’s request would make Asano Nao hesitate for a long time, at most blushing and somewhat reluctant.

Minami Yuuki believed that even with the dream movie’s memories, Asano Nao wouldn’t be more proactive than after marriage and would certainly not agree to such a request.

So, when Asano Nao walked to the front of the sofa and sat behind him, he was genuinely surprised.

He underestimated Asano Nao’s resolve.

Even a reclusive, socially anxious girl like her could have assertive thoughts.

This determination made his heart flutter.

Asano Nao lowered her head, her face flushed deeply.

She stared at the pants of her sports jacket, not daring to look at Minami Yuuki beside her.

When the back of the boy’s head rested on her lap, and his youthful eyes glanced up at her face, she quickly looked away and turned her head.

She covered her face, not wanting Minami Yuuki to see her burning cheeks and… her blissful smile.

Her worries were unwarranted.

The moment Minami Yuuki lay down, his attention was drawn to other sensations.

With his eyes closed, he focused on his sense of touch and smell, feeling the softness against his head and savoring the pleasant fragrance around him.

Asano Nao’s long hair brushed against his ears, causing a slight tickling sensation.

Even with his eyes closed, the simulation interface was still visible to Minami Yuuki.

This interface was not projected into the physical world but into his mind.

Minami Yuuki glanced at the simulation options.

He felt a bit guilty, lying on Nao’s lap while looking at the simulation life with Reina, feeling a slight sense of moral conflict.

Maybe he should get up and simulate after going home instead?

His conscience was pointing him in the right direction, but his body did not heed the moral guidance.

Physical sensations often outweigh moral considerations, guiding one’s actions more than ethical thoughts.

Pretending to be asleep, Minami Yuuki took a moment to clear Asano Nao’s image from his mind and focused on the simulation interface.

What should he choose?

First, he eliminated “How dare you refuse me!”

This wasn’t a “CEO falls in love with me” scenario, so that line wasn’t needed.

The remaining two options were to either give up on taking the girl to the garden or to persist stubbornly.

Minami Yuuki chose to persist stubbornly.

From previous deductions, it was clear that although Nakajima Reina seemed proper, she actually preferred less conventional behavior.

Given the options, giving up was the conventional choice, while persisting stubbornly was not.

The choice was obvious.

[You did not follow Nakajima Reina’s advice and used persuasion to convince her. Under your continuous persuasion, the girl agreed.]

A short dialogue appeared in Minami Yuuki’s mind.

“Eh? Why not go? It’s still early, it’s not hot outside, and there aren’t many people.” Minami Yuuki leaned forward, resting on the back of the wheelchair, his words carrying a hint of pleading and reproach.

“The doctor said it’s best to stay in bed,” Nakajima Reina said, gazing out at the garden with hesitation.

“But she didn’t say you couldn’t go out. The use of ‘best’ rather than ‘absolute’ means it’s permissible to go out. Besides, with a wheelchair, it’s not much different from sitting in bed.”

“But…”

“Come on, come on. I even borrowed a wheelchair. Reina-san, you wouldn’t be avoiding going out with me, would you?”

“It’s not that…”

“Then let’s go. Just wear this and head out. It’s much warmer outside than it is in here.”

Nakajima Reina hesitated for a long time.

Yes, the attending physician hadn’t insisted that she stay in the hospital room. So why did she instinctively resist the idea of going out?

Her gaze swept over the hydrangeas at the head of her bed. Among the tightly packed blue petals, she found her true feelings.

“I haven’t been outside since I was admitted,” she murmured.

She looked at the black wheelchair.

Her refusal came from habit. She had grown accustomed to staying in the hospital room, sitting by the bed and looking out at the garden.

She had never considered wandering around the garden.

“Then isn’t that even more reason to go out and have a look!” Minami Yuuki positioned the wheelchair by the bed and waited for Nakajima Reina to get out.

Nakajima Reina was still hesitating when Minami Yuuki lifted her blanket. “Just think of it as accompanying me. If I return the wheelchair right away, it would be so embarrassing. I just borrowed it and would have to return it immediately—it clearly means the date failed, and the nurse will laugh at me.”

“Aunt Kawauchi isn’t like that.”

“Come on, we’ll just take a quick stroll by the garden and come back.” Minami Yuuki reached out to support Nakajima Reina’s arm.

“Just a quick stroll?” Nakajima Reina let her feet dangle off the side of the bed.

“Of course. If I lie to you, then I’m a puppy.”

[Nakajima Reina sat in the wheelchair. She was familiar with this mode of transportation; every time she had a physical checkup, she would sit in the wheelchair, pushed around by her father.]

[What was unfamiliar to her was the person pushing the wheelchair. This unfamiliarity brought both unease and curiosity.]

[You took the elevator down to the first floor, crossed the lobby, went down the ramp, and turned into the garden behind the building.]

[The garden was one of the features of Chikusa University Hospital. It was a small garden that could be crossed in a minute, filled with many seasonal flowers and plants.]

[You didn’t adhere to the promise of just a quick trip, and Nakajima Reina didn’t mention it either. The girl looked at the surroundings, so different from the hospital room, and forgot everything else in her mind.]

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