Love Comes After Simulation

Minami Yuuki rubbed his forehead, taking a break from the memory scene.

The scene contained too many emotions, and even his detached heart as an observer was affected, turning melancholic.

Moreover, the hunger in his stomach impacted his state, making it hard to concentrate.

The refrigerator by the bedroom door was empty, except for a large bottle of oolong tea and a piece of pineapple bread. He broke the bread in half, poured himself some tea, and sat on the bed to enjoy it.

Outside the window, the sun was already high. The time on his phone screen showed 9:27; he had already missed an hour of class.

Given the current stage of the plot, it was impossible to abandon the simulation to attend school. He decided to skip school for the day.

After finishing the pineapple bread, his stomach’s protest subsided. He washed his hands and lay back on the bed.

He didn’t rush to continue the experience; instead, he reviewed this simulated life.

In the simulation, he was completely addicted to ACGN, 22 years old, without a formal job, and hikikomori together with Asano Nao. His relationships with his parents and sister were strained.

Was this life a Happy End, a Bad End, or a Normal End? Although Asano Nao was a hikikomori, she was indeed a good woman. If only he could help her overcome her social anxiety.

Minami Yuuki looked at the simulator panel.

[You tell Nao that your meeting was not a matter of fate but a deliberate arrangement on your part.]

Minami Yuuki closed his eyes, and in the darkness under his eyelids, the memory scene unfolded.

In a dimly lit room, the silhouettes of the couple merged. Yuuki’s slightly warm hand moved up his wife’s cold arm, grasping her shoulder.

The force on her shoulder made Nao lose her balance and fall onto the bed.

Their positions reversed, with Yuuki on top, looking at his anxious wife. Her wet, black hair spread out on the bed, seemingly merging with the darkness.

“Soon after I moved in, you started spying on me, didn’t you? That telescope in the study was used to watch me,” he said, reaching out to touch Nao’s face.

The temperature from his fingertip rose as she turned her head away, unable to look at him.

“I noticed your spying long ago and did a little investigation.” His tone became cheerful, with a hint of teasing, “To my surprise, the perverted sister spying on me turned out to be a beauty.”

Nao completely forgot her earlier hesitation, her emotions swayed by Yuuki’s words.

“At that time, I had just arrived in Misaki, made a fool of myself at school, and was laughed at by some bullies. I was in a state of self-isolation with no friends around.”

Yuuki stared at his wife below, her face turned away out of shyness, slowly turning back due to her interest in his words.

“Sister, do you know why I came to Misaki?” He used a term he hadn’t used in a long time to address his wife.

The term made Nao unbearably shy. She covered her face with her arms, her soft, smooth skin showing a hint of redness underneath.

“Why?”

“Because I wanted a rosy youth, a rose-colored romance,” Yuuki revealed. “So, I sought out to my Sister.”

“Stop using that term,” Nao protested softly, her face fully flushed.

She had always thought it was she who seduced the unexpectedly met boy, dragging him into her dark, damp home, and into her gloomy, somber life.

Now, Minami Yuuki told her that it was the boy who had meticulously set a trap, capturing her and breaking into her home.

“Although at our first meeting, Sister were like a sow bug and scared me a bit, everything afterward matched my fantasies. Rosy, pink, white, yellow, every color was present. It was like a model romance, worthy of a manga, don’t you think?”

These near-confessional words made Nao’s face red and her body warm.

But she still had a trace of worry in her heart.

She was used to self-reflection, to belittling herself, to labeling her life as dark and failed, and thus felt guilty toward anyone drawn into her life.

“Anyone but me would be fine for you,” she whispered.

“I don’t think so. When I said I wanted to drop out of school, Sister only slightly tried to dissuade me, right? All these years, you never insisted I get a proper job. If it were any other woman, she would’ve made me go out, work overtime, curry favor, and earn money to spend on her, to maintain her pride.”

“I think you could find a woman who wouldn’t do that.”

Minami Nao’s stubbornness surprised Minami Yuuki. He sat up straight and drew the curtains. The hazy light from the streetlamp outside illuminated their bodies, casting a soft glow on their skin. The light was dim but enough for them to see each other clearly.

He gently pulled away Nao’s arms covering her face, leaned down, and looked into her tearful eyes.

He thought, all these years, during nights he was unaware of, in corners he didn’t see, Nao must have felt guilty and regretful like this, again and again.

He revealed his true feelings: “I’m very happy, I was very happy before, I’m happy now, and when we submitted our marriage application, I was so happy I wanted to jump like a child. I’m certain of my happiness. I think a life with you is fulfilling. If I could choose again, I would still knock on your door and borrow a manga from you.”

[Your sincere words moved Asano Nao, dispelling her doubts. You decide to have a child. Your bond with Asano Nao deepens.]

In the real world, Minami Yuuki, who had been quite touched, was now furious at this sentence.

The memory scene, where was the memory scene of having a child? Why were there only bittersweet memories? Where were the joyful memories of doing something significant afterward?

[The next morning, with your encouragement, Asano Nao accompanied you on the subway to the hospital, where she comforted her grandmother.]

[The old woman apologized to you again. You held her hand, saying you didn’t mind and invited her to spend New Year’s in Ino County, at your parents’ home. The old woman happily agreed.]

[You hadn’t discussed the New Year’s visit with your parents, planning to inform them afterward. Asano Nao decided to start training for that day.]

[With your company and encouragement, Asano Nao ventured outside, first to the quiet park at night, then to sparsely populated streets at noon, and finally to bustling shopping malls. As long as you were by her side, she felt no fear. You were her dreamcatcher, filtering all nightmares.]

[On New Year’s Eve, you held Asano Nao’s hand, bringing her and her grandmother to your parents’ house.]

[Your parents and sister were surprised but delighted. Everything went smoothly. At midnight, fireworks lit up the winter night, and you and your wife, wrapped in coats, stepped into the alley to watch the dazzling display.]

[There were many people in the alley, many familiar faces greeting you and your wife. Asano Nao held your hand tightly and talked to them, smiling.]

[Cold wind sneaked into your collar, and she put a hat on you, leaning on your shoulder. Your parents and sister watched your backs, sighed, and accepted Asano Nao.]

[On New Year’s Day, you planned to take Asano Nao to the shrine. Your mother brought out her treasured kimono, your father offered a splendid obi, and your sister provided a hairpin for Asano Nao. She looked beautiful in them. At the shrine, you met old friends who praised Asano’s Nao’s beauty, and she responded with a smile.]

[After the New Year, your parents expressed their wish for you to stay in Ino County, to stay close to them, and suggested that Asano Nao’s grandmother could also stay.]

[Asano Nao’s grandmother didn’t speak, but her expression clearly showed her hope for you to stay.]

[You choose…]

[1. Stay in Ino County; 2. Return to Misaki City; 3. Go abroad; 4. Free simulation.]

A rare choice appeared.

After hesitating for a moment, Minami Yuuki chose to return to Misaki City with Asano Nao.

Option three could be dismissed immediately; the real question was whether to stay in Ino County or return to Misaki City.

Minami Yuuki believed that returning to Misaki City, away from his parents, was the right choice.

It wasn’t that he was unfilial, but the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had always been a thorny issue, not to mention his parents’ acceptance of Asano Nao was rather reluctant.

[Amid your wife’s apprehension, you refused your parents’ request and boarded the train back with her.]

[Soon after, Asano Nao became pregnant.]

[You and she were very happy, your parents were very happy, and Asano Nao’s grandmother was also very happy. But you failed to notice that your wife’s happiness grew increasingly strained. The Asano Nao who had been teasing you all her life finally deceived you once with a fake smile.]

Minami Yuuki’s heart sank. The text exuded a sense of foreboding.

Returning to Misaki wasn’t the right choice? Clearly, returning should make Asano Nao more relaxed.

Suppressing his unease, he read on.

[As the pregnancy progressed day by day, you began to sense something was wrong. Your wife grew increasingly silent and withdrawn. You suddenly realized that, for your sensitive and fragile wife, the stress of pregnancy, hormonal changes, and both mental and physical pressures were overwhelming burdens.]

[You wanted to give up the child, but your wife insisted on giving birth. You didn’t dare to upset her further and accompanied her with extra care.]

[The day before the due date, your child was born. The baby was named Minami Rikka, a name chosen by your wife. She hoped your child would become a cheerful person. You handed the baby to your parents and stayed by your weakened wife’s side.]

[Childbirth had severely impacted Asano Nao’s health, making her a frequent visitor to the hospital. The doctors said her frailty wasn’t life-threatening as long as she took care of herself.]

[On Rikka’s fifth birthday, your wife passed away. You questioned the doctors, and they said she had died from prolonged depression.]

[You didn’t understand. You had been home with her and the child all the time. What was she depressed about?]

[Looking at your daughter, you finally understood.]

[You entrusted Rikka to your parents and used the savings left by your wife to start a business.]

[Your business thrived, and you established a company named after your wife. You rarely went home to see your daughter because both she and her resemblance to your wife caused you too much pain.]

[On the 16th anniversary of your wife’s death, you sold the company and divided the large sum of money among Asano Nao’s grandmother, your parents, and Rikka. You applied for assisted death by injection in Switzerland. Your ashes were buried with your wife in the basement of Asano’s house. The house had been in disrepair for a long time, and she could not step out. You chose to step into the house, which contained all the memories of you and her, and it became your tombstone.]

[Simulation End]

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