Chapter 13: You Lived a Happy Life.

[Player Bound: Minami Yuuki]

[Remaining Simulations: 2 (Simulations can be restored over time or actively obtained)]

[Available Simulation Targets: Minami Ruri, Minami Airi, Minami Kotori, Asano Nao]

Minami Yuuki selected Asano Nao.

[Load the previously experienced simulated life?]

Loading the previous simulated life, setting the time point to just before the last choice.

Minami Yuuki didn't choose to start over because he wanted to verify something. He wanted to understand why, in the last simulated life, despite their happy family life, Asano Nao ended up depressed and passed away.

The last option in the simulator must be an important turning point. Maybe by choosing a different option, he could understand Asano Nao's situation better.

[Simulation Start]

[Remaining Simulations: 1]

[Simulation Target: Asano Nao]

[Loading Time Point: End of Dating Period]

[Summary: You used borrowing manga as an excuse to approach Asano Nao, catering to her interests. Your relationship progressed smoothly, and at 22, you married her. However, Asano Nao's social anxiety made your family dislike her. That year, on New Year's Eve, you brought your wife back home, and her efforts finally earned your family's blessing.]

Minami Yuuki looked at the options.

[Your family wants you to stay in Ino County, by their side. You choose...]

[1. Stay in Ino County; 2. Return to Misaki City; 3. Move Abroad; 4. Free Simulation]

Previously, considering Asano Nao's personality, he thought returning to Misaki and continuing their life as a couple was the right choice.

Now, he chose the first option.

[You heeded your family's advice and stayed in Ino County.]

[Your father, mother, and sister were all very happy. Your parents tidied up your grandmother's house for you to live in. They knew to give you space and only invited you for meals on weekends, which made you relieved.]

[Moving into the new house, Asano Nao felt uneasy, and you comforted her. Knowing you were back, your childhood friends came to see you. After discussing with Asano Nao, you hosted them at home.]

Minami Yuuki closed his eyes and looked at the memory scene in his mind.

Outside, it was pitch black. His grandmother's house was on the edge of the city, with fields not far away. The moonlight fell on the fields, unable to illuminate the view but revealing a series of undulating shadows.

Inside the tatami-floored living room, the lights were bright. A long table was placed in the center, and Minami Yuuki sat with five childhood friends.

The room was heated, the atmosphere as warm as the temperature.

Asano Nao brought the last dish to the table and walked to Minami Yuuki's side to sit down.

Minami Yuuki extended his hand, wrapped it around his wife's slender waist, pulled her into his arms, and rested his chin on her shoulder, inhaling the fragrance of her hair.

His friends laughed, praising the delicious food and Asano Nao's beauty.

Asano Nao behaved like an ordinary girl, which made you mistakenly think she had overcome her inner trauma.

[You used your father's connections to find a job at a local furniture store as a salesperson. Your looks and conversational skills quickly made you the top salesperson, earning a substantial salary.]

[You were very disciplined, only attending necessary social events, always coming home on time after work to be with your wife.]

Minami Yuuki looked at the text, feeling the memories in his mind.

The fatigue of coming home from work, the joy of seeing his wife, the warmth mixed with desire when hugging her made him feel content.

[You seldom attended gatherings, and your colleagues had complaints. You decided to host them at home, just like you did with your childhood friends, so you could participate without being apart from your beautiful wife.]

[Asano Nao agreed. In the evening, you both went out to buy ingredients for the gathering.]

[The gathering went smoothly, except the last dish was a bit salty. Your colleagues left satisfied, and you saw them off. Returning home, you didn't see Asano Nao.]

[She wasn't by the messy table, in the still smoky kitchen, by the washbasin, in the bathroom, or the bedroom.]

[You searched the house and found her crying in the bedroom closet.]

[You realized her previous behavior was a façade; she was still the fragile person who got scared and anxious around others.]

The light from the bedroom shone through the closet door Minami Yuuki opened, reflecting on Asano Nao's tearful face.

She looked like a frightened hamster, curling up in a corner, not wanting Minami Yuuki to see her in this state, not wanting him to worry.

"Sorry," Asano Nao said, covering her face.

[You carried her out of the closet and onto the bed, kissing her cheeks, wiping away her tears with your dry lips. You didn't say a word.]

[Amid your parents and sister's objections and your colleagues' attempts to keep you, you quit your job. You didn't tell Asano Nao, only saying the company was renovating and gave you a break.]

[Asano Nao soon discovered the truth. She urged you to return, but you claimed you were too tired from work and wanted her to support you.]

[Asano Nao's smile faded. With no strangers at home and you always by her side, she wasn't stimulated by the outside world. However, she was also plagued by guilt, feeling she was holding you back from a normal life.]

[You realized it wasn't just outsiders that made Asano Nao anxious. Anything that made her feel she was a burden would torment her.]

Pausing the simulation, Minami Yuuki pinched his nose.

So that's how it was. The tragedy in the last simulation could be explained now.

In the simulated life, their child was the product of their love, but also a death sentence for Asano Nao, a mirror. This mirror was too young to know how to hide the reflection. Through the child, Asano Nao saw herself as an inadequate wife and mother every day.

This exhausted her, leading to her depression and death.

In other words, to achieve a happy ending, they couldn't have a child. The simulated version of himself should have known this.

Minami Yuuki continued to look at the panel.

[You left Ino County and returned to Misaki City with her.]

[There were too many friends and relatives in Ino County. It was hard to refuse their visits, and each visit was a wound to Asano Nao.]

[In Misaki City, you could stay on an island of solitude with no third person. Asano Nao's mental state gradually recovered.]

[You secretly used contraception. You forged an infertility report and acted extremely depressed.]

[Your plan worked. To take care of your emotions, Asano Nao never brought up having children again.]

[You grew old together in the Asano household, only leaving for family funerals. Asano Nao never stepped out of the house again.]

[You were happy but with some regrets.]

[In the year you realized you would lose your ability to care for yourself, you chose a day when the cherry blossoms bloomed and ended your life.]

[Simulation End]