After finishing dinner at Asano’s house, Minami Yuuki didn’t rush back to simulate. Instead, he leaned his chin on his hands, elbows resting on the table, and gazed at Asano Nao across from him.
Asano Nao tilted to the left, so he leaned his head to the right, and when Asano Nao leaned to the right, he shifted his head to the left. Eventually, Asano Nao lowered her head, and he withdrew his arms from the table, resting his chin on the tabletop, looking up at the face of the introverted otaku girl in front of him.
Unable to withstand this blatant stare, Asano Nao used her arm holding the bowl to shield her face.
“This won’t do, Sister. What will you do when you have children in the future?” Minami Yuuki said with emotion, “Will you be able to get along with them?”
Children? Minami Yuuki’s sudden words made Asano Nao blush. Why would he bring up children? Was this some new form of linguistic bullying?
Carefully lowering her arm, like a soldier peeking from behind a trench, she quickly glanced at her target and then retreated back behind cover.
On Minami Yuuki’s face, she saw casualness and a hint of melancholy. It seemed like he wasn’t teasing.
Can she get along with children? Asano Nao tried to imagine, attempting to envision the future.
But…
She couldn’t imagine it at all!Forget about children, she wouldn’t even have a husband!
Friends don’t even exist for her!
And… she quickly glanced at Minami Yuuki again.
If it’s not him, then it’s better not to.
With that thought, her brain started to overload. It wasn’t just her cheeks; her whole head felt hot.
She couldn’t help but ponder the feasibility of this future. With her savings, could she really impress Yuuki-kun? Maybe just for a few days!
Minami Yuuki didn’t expect Asano Nao to answer his question. Seeing her silent, he didn’t press, instead moving on to the next topic.
“Is Sister’s gift ready?” he asked.
Awakening from her thoughts, Asano Nao looked at Minami Yuuki, unsure how to respond. She had been troubled all day and couldn’t think of a suitable gift.
If she told the truth, she feared Minami Yuuki would think she’s lazy. If she didn’t, she feared he’d dislike dishonesty.
Caught in this dilemma, her mind spiraled into self-attack, self-depletion, and self-harm.
Her high spirits from Minami Yuuki’s visit turned into a low ebb due to this futile expenditure of mental energy.
This decline in mental well-being due to love made Asano Nao feel exhausted. Weariness bred disdain, and disdain for tired things made her want to leave everything behind and retreat to the darkness of her bedroom, where she could find peace of mind.
“If you haven’t decided yet, could you fold some origami cranes for me? I’ve been really into them lately,” Minami Yuuki said.
This statement solved Asano Nao’s dilemma perfectly. Her spirits lifted, and she nodded enthusiastically. “Okay!”
“Then I’ll leave it to you, Sister. You can fold them however you like, ordinary paper will do if there’s no special paper.”
Minami Yuuki hadn’t been sure if folding origami cranes was feasible, but now, with Airi’s successful experience, he decided to have Asano Nao do it too.
“I have special paper,” Asano Nao said softly.
“That’s even better.”
Minami Yuuki played the guitar on the sofa for a while before leaving Asano’s house.
He planned to take a shower and then lie in bed to enjoy the simulation.
This time, he would surely achieve a perfect ending and enjoy a good simulation life of freedom.
It was already dark, and on the asphalt road, streetlights cast circles of light. Passing through them, he walked to the entrance of the apartment building.
The bright lights in the lobby of the apartment’s ground floor illuminated the steps clearly through the glass door.
On the steps stood a woman, rummaging through her handbag.
It was Ibuki Yuko’s mother. She looked like she had drunk quite a bit, and you could smell alcohol even a few meters away. Every time she stood still, her body lost balance, staggering a bit before regaining equilibrium.
Minami Yuuki took two steps forward and stood in front of the woman. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes unfocused, and she wasn’t wearing a mask. Minami Yuuki finally got a clear look at her face.
Although time had made her face look a bit worn, it couldn’t hide her outstanding beauty. She had a baby face, and if it weren’t for the wrinkles on her forehead due to drunkenness, Minami Yuuki would have thought she was in her twenties.
Minami Yuuki didn’t have a good impression of this woman who had verbally abused and even physically harmed her daughter. He observed her appearance out of curiosity about Ibuki Yuko’s appearance, hoping to make an inference through her mother.
The inference now had a result—there was a high probability that Ibuki Yuko could be a simulated object.
Thus, the probability of the woman in front of him being his future mother-in-law increased.
Considering his relationship with her, it seemed he couldn’t not help. The woman was probably looking for her access card; at night, residents needed to swipe their cards to enter and exit the building.
He walked to the door, swiped his card, opened it, and turned to look at the woman.
She understood Minami Yuuki’s hint and stumbled into the building.
“Thank you.”
Even when she was drunk, she maintained politeness towards Minami Yuuki. But when sober, she couldn’t treat her daughter kindly.
Oh well, considering she might be his future mother-in-law.
Minami Yuuki grabbed her arm. “The elevator is on the other side.”
“Eh? Is that so?” The woman rubbed her head. “I feel really dizzy.”
“Come with me. What’s your apartment number?” Minami Yuuki led her towards the elevator.
There were many bachelors in the building, and lively teenagers too. Minami Yuuki didn’t want her to be taken advantage of by anyone, affecting his and Ibuki Yuko’s reputation.
“1103.” The woman murmured the number, without any hesitation.
Minami Yuuki’s mind wandered, unsure if it was a good time to ask for the bank card password. With that thought, he felt an added burden to protect his family’s assets.
As the elevator ascended, the woman became increasingly intoxicated, transitioning rapidly from standing to leaning against the wall, then finally slumping to the floor.
When the elevator doors opened, Minami Yuuki found himself supporting her by placing her arm around his shoulder to help her exit.
Arriving at apartment 1103, he pressed the doorbell.
The door opened slowly, but compared to Asano Nao, it was considered swift.
Behind the door, Ibuki Yuko stood to the side, not wearing a mask, her features clearly visible to Minami Yuuki.
Seeing her face uncovered was normal, yet because the girl had worn a mask during their previous encounters, seeing her unmasked gave Minami Yuuki an unexpected sensation, akin to seeing someone who had previously been clothed suddenly disrobed.
She, too, had a doll-like face, even more striking than her mother’s, but her expression was cold, her gaze towards people seemingly tinged with disdain.
She glanced at Minami Yuuki, then at her mother being supported by him.
Moving to the other side of her mother, she seemed to want to emulate Minami Yuuki, placing her mother’s arm over her shoulder to help her to the bedroom.
However, her height fell short, so she could only lift her mother’s arm and proceed forward.
This apartment was slightly larger than the one Minami Yuuki rented, with an additional living room adorned with many plush toys on the sofa.
Minami Yuuki took off his shoes, crossed the living room, and helped Ibuki Yuko’s mother onto the bed in the bedroom.
The woman closed her eyes, skillfully removing her coat and slipping under the covers.
Minami Yuuki glanced at Ibuki Yuko, about to explain the situation, but he saw the girl draw the bedroom curtains, turn off the main light, switch on a dim night light, then walk out of the bedroom and close the door.
Minami Yuuki looked at the drawn curtains, the closed bedroom door, the woman lying in bed, and himself still in the room.
Ibuki Yuko, come back!
You’ve definitely misunderstood something!
I was just bringing your mom home!
And how are you so proficient at this?!
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