Chapter 97: Free Simulation Start.

[Successfully Claimed]

[Mystery Reward Has Been Issued]

[Mystery Reward Has Been Issued]

Two notifications again?

When Minami Yuuki first received a mystery reward with Asano Nao, he was puzzled by the double notification. He thought it meant two rewards, but the actual reward was just one dream movie, with no second part.

Could it be that the simulator uses repeated text for emphasis? But this had never appeared in other notifications.

Unable to figure it out, Minami Yuuki decided to stop thinking about it. He wasn't one to dig to the root of things, finding it silly to dwell on questions he couldn't answer and to make hypotheses without practical significance.

After a simple wash, he changed into his pajamas and lay on the bed. Sleep came faster than he expected, and his mind quickly sank into darkness.

When he regained consciousness, he found himself standing in the hallway of a dream cinema. This time, he wasn't in the movie viewing room but in a dimly lit hallway.

There were two doors to viewing rooms on either side of the hallway. Each door had a glowing sign with a number: 1 and 2.

Minami Yuuki entered Viewing Room 1, where the screen displayed the title "Yuuki and Nao." Next to the central seat was a VR headset.

Viewing Room 1 was the same as before.

Leaving Viewing Room 1, Minami Yuuki stepped into the door of Viewing Room 2. He sat in the central seat and looked at the large screen.

[Yuuki and Yuko]

[Directors: Minami Yuuki, Ibuki Yuko]

[Starring: Minami Yuuki, Ibuki Yuko, Minami Mayuri]

[Rating: 93]

The screen suddenly went black, then his familiar apartment appeared on the screen.

Watching his story from a third-person perspective was refreshing, allowing him to notice details he hadn't seen before. As the scenes changed, the emotions and sensations from the movie flowed into Minami Yuuki. He closed his eyes; there was no need to watch the screen as everything played out in his mind.

The disappointment and monotony of being ignored by Yuko, the joy and surprise of accidentally gaining the girl's concern, the ease and excitement of spending time with her, the headache and happiness of dealing with their mother-daughter relationship...

The emotions from the simulated life flowed through Minami Yuuki's heart, rushing forward like a river formed by the screen's images. This was the river of his life.

Reluctantly, the final scene ended abruptly.

The screen went black, and his consciousness followed into darkness.

When he opened his eyes, the faint light of dawn filtered through the thinly lit sky. The sparrows' chirping and the cool morning breeze blew through a partially open window.

He reached for the cup on his bedside table, gulping down a big mouthful. The cool water made him feel a few degrees cooler, clearing his mind. The sorrow and melancholy from the end of the dream movie, the separation from Yuko and Mayuri, swept away like dust.

But as the coolness faded, the melancholy returned.

Maybe he should just go with Ibuki Yuko. The doll-like mother and tsundere daughter were both adorable.

Such thoughts flashed through Minami Yuuki's mind.

Before acting on them, he snapped back to reality.

Minami Yuuki, how could you think that? Is Nao's figure not good enough? Is Miu not obedient enough? How could you deny Nao and Miu's charm just because of a fleeting emotion from a movie?

And there are many more like Nao and Miu waiting for you to discover!

Patting his face, stiff from sleep, Minami Yuuki opened the simulator interface.

[You have acquired the dream movie "Yuuki and Yuko"]

[You can rewatch it in your dreams, once per day.]

Swipe away this screen to return to the initial interface, Minami Yuuki.

The dream movie "Yuki and Yuko" leaves you wanting more. It's time to use the free simulation and personally experience the cuteness of Yuko and Mayuri!

[Love Simulator]

[Bound Player: Minami Yuuki]

[Remaining Simulation Attempts: 1.5]

[Available Simulation Targets: Minami Ruri, Minami Airi, Minami Kotori, Asano Nao, Ibuki Yuko, Nakajima Reina]

Selecting Ibuki Yuko, loading the previous simulated life!

Wait a minute, something seems off.

Minami Yuuki moves the simulation interface aside and looks back at the initial screen.

The list of available simulation targets seems longer. Who is this name after Ibuki Yuko? Nakajima Reina? Who is that?

Minami Yuuki scratches his head, trying hard to recall any information about this name.

First, he performs a precise search for "Nakajima Reina," but finds nothing, so he switches to a vague search for "Nakajima" and "Reina." When searching for "Nakajima," he associates it with Nakajima Yohei.

Could it be that this Nakajima Reina is Nakajima Yohei's daughter?

Last night, he was thinking about approaching her, and today she just appears as an available simulation target?

What did I do? Isn't it supposed to require a connection before someone becomes a simulation target?

If he didn't know for sure that he doesn't have a habit of sleepwalking, Minami Yuuki would suspect he snuck out last night and met Nakajima Reina in his sleep.

What he can be sure of now is that the problem is not on his end, so it must be an issue on Nakajima Reina's side.

I'll ask Nakajima Yohei about it at school.

Setting this issue aside, Minami Yuuki continues with his plan.

Select the previous simulated life and load it!

[Simulation Start]

[Remaining Simulation Attempts: 0.5]

[Simulation Target: Ibuki Yuko]

[Loading Time Point: Emotional Midpoint]

[Due to the vague nature of the node, a random day within this period will be selected as the scene]

[Summary: Ibuki Yuko's lack of will in life displeases you. You follow her, trying to find proof of her remaining emotions in the moment of life and death as a truck approaches her.]

[By a twist of fate, Ibuki Yuko mistakes you for a fellow suicidal person and saves you. In your apparent attempt at suicide, she sees a reflection of herself and pulls you away from death, thus also pulling herself back.]

[You keenly grasp the girl's inner world, realizing she cannot ignore your death. You then pretend to be suicidal, repeatedly appearing around Ibuki Yuko, forcing her to stop you.]

[You guided Ibuki Yuko's actions, and in these actions driven by her own will, she gradually regained some of her emotions. She fell in love with you.]

[However, this abruptly revived emotion inevitably grew distorted, magnified by Ibuki Yuko's childhood experiences. The girl, fearing you might suddenly leave, wanted to possess you completely.]

[After the birth of your daughter Mayuri, Ibuki Yuko's psychological issues became more pronounced. She started to reject her daughter because the daughter would take away part of your love.]