Chapter 96: Yuko Is Particularly Cold.

Minami Yuuki swiped through the main interface. He only had 0.5 simulation attempts, but even the cheapest photos of Nao and Yuko required 3 attempts.

It seemed that this merchandise exchange function was irrelevant to him for the time being.

After closing all interfaces, Minami Yuuki propped himself up on the bed. The sun had already half set; it was time to go to the Asano house.

Tonight's dinner was barbecue. The weather wasn't particularly cold, and the heat from the electric grill turned the pink meat brown, raising the temperature a bit.

After eating, Minami Yuuki picked up the guitar he had left at the Asano house and began to play a melody from memory.

He played the piece he had written for Asano Nao on the guitar. The melodious music gradually carried Asano Nao's thoughts to a distant place.

"What are you thinking about, sis?" Minami Yuuki asked, putting down the guitar pick and looking at her.

At the dining table, Asano Nao rested her chin in her hand, her eyes unfocused, her gaze fixed somewhere beyond reality. She had reverted to her usual attire—a bright orange tracksuit that harmonized well with the walnut-colored table. Her disheveled bangs partially obscured her face behind black-framed glasses, revealing her beautiful eyes intermittently.

"Nothing!" Asano Nao snapped out of her reverie. She had been thinking about Minami Yuuki's back in VR, about the gray mole below his shoulder blade, and about whether the scene in her dream could exist in the future.

The beauty of the dream was like a bright full moon, captivating her. But she first needed to know whether this bright moon was a tangible treasure hanging in the sky or a reflection in the Milky Way.

The only method she could think of to verify this was to confirm the existence of the mole on the boy's back.

"Thinking naughty thoughts?" The boy squinted, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"No!" Asano Nao denied again, blushing.

It wasn't wrong to say she was thinking naughty thoughts; she was indeed thinking about the boy's bare back.

"There's a legend at Misaki Grand Shrine that if you lie to the boy you love, your love will never prosper. Sis, were you thinking naughty thoughts?"

"...Yes."

"What were you thinking?"

"Can I not answer?"

"Then you'll face divine punishment even more!"

"...I was thinking about Yuuki-kun's back."

"After all, Sis is at that age. Rather, I'm a bit surprised it was only to this extent."

Asano Nao was first touched by Minami Yuuki's understanding, then ashamed of her sordid fantasies. She covered her face and slumped over the table, tormented by a sense of shame.

"Is there really such a legend?" she asked cautiously.

"Of course not."

As expected, she had been fooled again, tricked by Yuuki-kun!

"Take your time thinking, Sis. I'm going home." Getting up from the sofa, Minami Yuuki walked towards the entrance.

"Oh, right." He stopped, recalling the closeness between Chitose Kazumi and Asano Nao in the simulated life.

He said to the curious Asano Nao, "I'll introduce someone to you in the next couple of days, so be prepared."

Asano Nao instantly guessed the person's name. If Yuuki-kun were to introduce someone, it could only be Chitose Kazumi!

She quickly realized that this was also a way to verify the accuracy of her dream!

After all, she had never seen or heard of Chitose Kazumi before. If Chitose Kazumi indeed appeared in her life, it would prove that the dream was real, that she and Minami Yuuki could have a beautiful future, and that Miu and Rikka would exist!

Her spirits lifted, and she looked forward to the meeting.

....

The night sky was pitch black, and the dim light of the waning moon shone faintly. Minami Yuuki left the Asano house and walked toward his apartment. On the way, he pondered Asano Nao's recent behavior, finding it strange.

Hasn't the socially anxious older sister been acting a bit too normal lately?

When he teased Asano Nao just now, Minami Yuuki thought she would break under the emotional pressure after admitting her naughty thoughts and run upstairs to her bedroom like an ostrich. To his surprise, she merely lay on the table in embarrassment.

Thinking carefully, even her reaction to the curtain therapy sessions had been unusually mild. It seemed Asano Nao had quickly gotten used to the sunlight and passersby outside the window.

It's probably a small butterfly effect.

Not dwelling on it, Minami Yuuki entered his apartment. In front of the elevator, he saw a familiar figure.

"Good evening, Senpai," he greeted Ibuki Yuko.

The girl was holding a plastic bag filled with ingredients for dinner.

"Hmm." The girl was very cold.

"Don't just say 'hmm,' say 'good evening,'" Minami Yuuki corrected her.

"Hmm."

"As expected of Ibuki-senpai!" Minami Yuuki gave her a thumbs up. This indifferent reaction matched his impression of Ibuki Yuko perfectly.

While Asano Nao had strangely changed, at least Ibuki Yuko remained the same.

The elevator door opened, and Minami Yuuki entered together with Ibuki Yuko. He didn't speak to her further.

Now, the Ibuki Yuko phase had passed. After using the free simulation to experience the warmth of married life, he could move on to the next version and experience a romantic relationship with the next young woman. There was no need to linger on this little Yuko-mama.

Mainly, there was no use in lingering. Minami Yuuki liked this doll-like girl a lot, but what he was fond of was the way the doll-like girl loved him.

He glanced at Ibuki Yuko. The girl stood motionless, staring at the floor numbers on the elevator's LCD panel.

The current doll-like girl loved no one.

Her turning point was still many days away, during the summer vacation more than two months from now.

Better to think about how to obtain the next simulation target.

Ichinose Shiori's name had not appeared on the panel for a long time. He didn't know whether it was due to insufficient relationship points or if she simply wasn't a simulation target. It was time to get in touch with other candidates, like Nakajima Youhei's daughter.

But there was no rush. Every new version required many simulation attempts for trial and error, so he needed to save up simulation attempts first.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Ibuki Yuko again. If only he could get simulation points from her.

But that was impossible. Inducing or forcing Ibuki Yuko to fold paper cranes was easy, but obtaining simulation attempts required more than just paper cranes; it also required heartfelt intention.

The current Ibuki Yuko had no such intention.

They reached the sixth floor. Minami Yuuki stepped out of the elevator and returned to his room. He lay on his bed.

[Love Simulator]

[Bound Player: Minami Yuuki]

[Remaining Simulation Attempts: 1.5]

This extra simulation attempts wasn't from folding paper cranes with Asano Nao and Minami Airi. Even Minami Yuuki felt embarrassed about frequently taking up their time.

This simulation point was restored over time. The reason Minami Yuuki left the Asano house in a hurry was because he had received a notification about the increase in simulation attempts. These attempts only restored once a week, making the process very slow.

Now, he planned to use this simulation attempt for a free simulation to enjoy daily life with Minami Yuko and Minami Mayuri.

Before starting the simulation, he decided to take a nap. He still hadn't claimed the mysterious reward. He would claim it, enjoy a dream movie with Yuko, and then choose the free simulation time period. This would also help soothe the heart that had just been coldly treated by Ibuki Yuko.

[Claim Mysterious Reward?]

[Note: The mysterious reward will be activated in your dreams]