Chapter 60: Tired, No Longer in Love.

[Ibuki Honoka works at a stationery company. She doesn't have much work but has a lot of social obligations. Using summer tutoring as an excuse, you got her house key from her. She vaguely sensed that your real target was Ibuki Yuko.]

[You found Ibuki Yuko and revealed your plan to her.]

[You told her you were going to monitor her and asked her to cooperate.]

[She refused.]

[However, her attitude of letting everything happen, without showing emotion or resisting, made it impossible for her to effectively reject you.]

[Every morning, you go to the Ibuki house, making her study and learn. She teaches you as usual and talks to you.]

[At night, after Ibuki Yuko falls asleep, you return to your apartment.]

[Occasionally, when Ibuki Yuko wants to go out, you stop her. If she wants to buy something, you make her write a list, and you go out to buy it at night.]

[She never argues with you. As long as you are firm, she complies with your demands.]

[Of course, this compliance only lasts under your watchful eye. She submits to your authority, but if you're not around, this authority has no binding power.]

[The summer vacation passed peacefully.]

[During these forty days, you tried to deepen your emotional connection with Ibuki Yuko and get closer to her, but you failed. You couldn't reach her heart; you lacked a key, a chance.]

Seeing this, Minami Yuuki knew this romance simulation had failed.

It wasn't surprising, but the actions of his character in the simulation exceeded Minami Yuuki's expectations.

He thought that option meant actual physical imprisonment. He didn't expect it to be this flexible use of Ibuki Yuko's personality to create a pseudo-imprisonment.

Putting himself in the simulated situation, yes, if he decided to confine a girl, he would choose this way, minimizing legal risks.

Through this, Minami Yuuki resolved one of his doubts. The choices in the simulation actually determine the way he solves problems. For the simulated version of himself, these options are the plans he considered at the time.

He continued to look at the simulation interface.

[The second semester began. Every morning, you go to the Ibuki house, wait for her, and walk to school together. In the afternoon after school, you go to her class and walk back to the apartment together.]

[To stay close to Ibuki Yuko, you haven't visited the Asano house for a long time, and your relationship with Asano Nao has become distant.]

[You developed a classmate of Ibuki Yuko's as an informant to help you keep an eye on her.]

[Ibuki Honoka laughed and said you two are like a married couple. She gave up pursuing you and wanted you to become her son-in-law.]

[You laughed and agreed, half-jokingly planning the wedding. This way, you could get more freedom from Ibuki Honoka, as you were already her prospective son-in-law.]

[Ibuki Yuko didn't comment on your arrangement. When Ibuki Honoka asked her, she calmly nodded and agreed.]

[You were unhappy with her indifferent attitude. After Ibuki Honoka left, you asked Ibuki Yuko if she would accept any arrangement. Ibuki Yuko didn't answer you.]

[Using your "fiancé" status, you tried to touch Ibuki Yuko's bottom line, making her reject you through actions instead of words. You failed.]

[Timely stopping, you were very disappointed with Ibuki Yuko. You couldn't find self-will, ideals, or emotions in her. She was an elegant shell, a ball-jointed doll made of clay.]

[Leaving Ibuki Yuko, you left the Ibuki house.]

[What you desire is not a beautifully dressed, finely featured doll but a cute, interesting girlfriend with a fascinating soul.]

Lying in bed, Minami Yuuki felt uneasy reading the simulation text.

This development... could it be that he's going to have problems now?

He hurriedly looked at the next line.

[The next day, as usual, you went to the Ibuki house to see her and walked to school together. The whole time, you didn't smile and were unwilling to talk to her.]

As expected!

This time, he is the one with the problem!

Minami Yuuki sighed.

Thinking carefully, such a situation is quite normal. He asked himself if he had a lot of patience for beautiful girls. He didn't get annoyed when Asano Nao ran away, but that patience wasn't infinite.

Asano Nao left based on her own beliefs and personality. Looking back on this simulation, Minami Yuuki still felt a bit angry, but within that anger was also an acknowledgment of Asano Nao's feelings and willpower.

Although Ibuki Yuko was obedient and did whatever she was told, her actions were completely detached from her heart. She treated herself like a puppet, allowing herself to be manipulated.

Minami Yuuki didn't like such girls. Some might prefer such a blank slate, enjoying the thrill of defiling that purity and splashing their paint on the canvas, but he was not one of those people.

So it was within Minami Yuuki's expectations that his simulated self would grow weary.

At the same time, he also understood that unless someone was inherently lacking, no one would be such a blank slate. Ibuki Yuko had just covered the picture in her heart with a white sticker.

At first, Minami Yuuki thought he could peel off the sticker, but he realized he couldn't.

If the sticker on the picture couldn't be removed, then the picture might as well not exist.

He continued to watch the simulation interface. Since his simulated self had already grown to dislike her, what would happen next in the story?

Would he continue to interact with Ibuki Yuko, or... it couldn't be what he thought, right?

[In the classroom, Chitose Kazumi noticed your unease. At noon, she sat next to you with her bento, wanting to show concern. Her hesitant words and evasive eyes, along with her awkward demeanor, lifted your spirits.]

[You told her about the issues with IbukiYuko and apologized to Chitose Kazumi. You had previously mentioned that you weren't planning on dating anytime soon, and now you had broken that promise.]

[Chitose Kazumi accepted your apology. She wasn't angry, just a bit disappointed. She comforted you and encouraged you to reconcile with Ibuki Yuko.]

[She didn't know that you were already contemplating giving up.]

Lying on his bed, Minami Yuuki covered his face.

Of course, it's Chitose Kazumi again!

Is this simulation going to follow the Chitose Kazumi route again?

[You decided to continue a bit longer, not out of stubbornness, but to gather some information.]

[You continued to go to and from school with Ibuki Yuko, inseparable. Your classmates thought you were dating.]

[In October, Ichinose Shiori approached you.]

Why did this character suddenly appear?

Wait, Ichinose Shiori? Could it be the one who sits in front of him, rumored to be 79/56/82, the secret crush of his predecessor, the Ichinose Shiori he failed to contact in the previous simulation?

Why did she suddenly make an appearance?