Chapter 24: I Prefer a Wife-like Greeting.

Minami Yuuki opened the door, and the dazzling sunlight poured down from above. He shielded his eyes with his hand, giving them time to adjust.

Walking from the corridor to the elevator lobby, everything looked just as it had a few hours ago, yet Minami Yuuki felt a tinge of nostalgia. He had spent a long time in the simulation.

The elevator doors opened, revealing a mother and daughter inside. The mother stood while the daughter sat in a wheelchair. Both wore white dresses and white masks, obscuring their faces.

Hearing the ding of the doors, the daughter looked up at Minami Yuuki.

"Hello," the mother greeted Minami Yuuki.

"Good afternoon," Minami Yuuki nodded in response.

They didn't know each other; the greeting was just a courteous gesture between neighbors.

The elevator stopped on the first floor, and Minami Yuuki stepped aside to let them exit first. The mother thanked him and pushed the wheelchair out. They paused by the door as the mother opened an umbrella for her daughter. Minami Yuuki walked past them, leaving the apartment ahead and heading quickly towards the Asano residence.

Even though it was just a few hundred meters, Minami Yuuki felt a bit irritable walking this short distance.

He hadn't fully recovered from the mental immersion of the simulation. At this moment, influenced by the simulated memories, he couldn't help but feel more affection towards Asano Nao.

By the time he reached the Asano residence and rang the doorbell, he had mostly regained his composure.

Asano Nao opened the door just a crack, her eyes cautious, careful, and timid, as if there was a beast outside that would break in if the door opened too wide.

Minami Yuuki entered and changed into indoor slippers.

"The meal is ready. If there's anything that doesn't suit your taste, please let me know," Asano Nao led Minami Yuuki to the dining table, pulling out a chair for him.

Her overly polite words and actions made Minami Yuuki find it amusing. From the stiff tone, he could tell Asano Nao had probably practiced this line many times.

Her courteous actions likely had another motive: to get Minami Yuuki to sit down quickly, leaving no time to draw back the curtains in the living room.

There was no way Minami Yuuki would comply. He immediately turned to draw open the curtains and push the windows wide, letting in fresh sunlight and air along with the view.

Sitting down, Minami Yuuki looked at Asano Nao. "Sister, are you training to be a hostess?"

"No, no." Asano Nao stood upright, nervous.

Before Minami Yuuki arrived, she had rehearsed the conversation, but the boy's first sentence had already thrown her off script.

"Rather than a hostess, I'd prefer a wife's greeting when I come in!" Minami Yuuki teased her.

Wife!

The word made Asano Nao's heart skip. What does he mean by wife? Is he hinting at something?

Before she could make sense of it, Minami Yuuki picked up his chopsticks. "I'm starting. Sister, sit down quickly."

Asano Nao, thrown off by Minami Yuuki, held her bowl, sneaking glances at the boy.

He ate quickly, and before long, half the bowl of rice was gone.

Is this the speed of a boy? Asano Nao quickened her eating pace, swallowing large mouthfuls of rice, wanting to finish eating at the same time as Minami Yuuki.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

She choked, covering her mouth and coughing violently. Finishing at the same time was a form of etiquette, but loud coughing was certainly rude.

Perhaps from coughing too hard, her eyes were slightly moist. She always seemed to mess up at critical moments.

Just then, a hand touched her back, gently patting her.

"There's no need to match my pace. I just want to finish quickly." Minami Yuuki initially intended to tease her, but seeing her pained expression, he felt a surge of compassion.

He wondered if their story in this simulation would go smoothly.

His hand continued to pat Asano Nao's back, rising and falling, then hitting empty space.

The chair was empty. Asano Nao had already fled.

Minami Yuuki saw her bent over, still coughing, as she quickly walked to the living room and crouched behind the sofa.

She peeked her head out from behind the sofa, cautiously looking at Minami Yuuki, then pulled back again.

Had he not known her personality and seen the blush on her face, Minami Yuuki might have thought Asano Nao was scared of his closeness.

He had simulated so many times that he forgot, in reality, they had only known each other for less than a day.

His act of closeness had frightened this timid rabbit.

The fact that Asano Nao hadn't run upstairs to hide in her room showed her affection for Minami Yuuki.

"Even though sister does such intimate things with my photo, she's especially distant from me in person," Minami Yuuki sighed, teasing her. Even though it was his fault, he shifted the blame onto Asano Nao.

Behind the sofa, Asano Nao accepted the blame, holding her head in guilt.

How does Yuuki-kun know about that!

No, the important thing is the latter half! The first part doesn't matter compared to the second!

Oh no, Yuuki-kun thinks I'm distant from him. What should I do? How do I fix this?

Asano Nao's mind was in turmoil.

What if Yuuki-kun gets upset? What if he leaves her after getting upset?

She felt she had committed an enormous crime.

At the dining table, Minami Yuuki sat down again and resumed eating.

He intended to let time ease the atmosphere, but then he saw Asano Nao get up from behind the sofa, walk to the table, and sit down. She hunched over, coughed a few times, glanced at Minami Yuuki, and then coughed again.

The coughs were all for show, without any real feeling.

Minami Yuuki understood her intention, admiring her clumsiness and earnestness. To prove she wasn't distant, she wanted to recreate the previous scene.

He went along with her, moving behind her and gently patting her back.

Spring clothes were thin, and through her tracksuit, Minami Yuuki could feel Asano Nao's smooth skin.

At first, she tensed her muscles but gradually relaxed.

What have I done!

She thought, recalling her actions and wanting to crawl into the kitchen trash can.

Minami Yuuki's hand continued to pat. Asano Nao's shyness slowly faded. Through her clothes, she felt the boy's broad, strong hand.

The palm's warmth was higher than the fingers, whose light touch on her back sent a tickling sensation through her clothes.

When Minami Yuuki stopped, she felt a great regret.

Was it over so quickly? Hit harder!

The boy sat back down, picking up his chopsticks. "Any more and I'll have to charge, ten thousand yen an hour."

Asano Nao calculated her savings. She could afford to keep him for years!

But this was probably a joke.

She decided this would be her fantasy setup before bed tonight!

After lunch, Minami Yuuki put down his bowl and chopsticks. "Sister, your cooking is delicious."

This compliment made Asano Nao's heart swell. She carefully pondered her words, hoping to give Minami Yuuki an elegant response that expressed her feelings.

But while she was still choosing her words, Minami Yuuki had already started the next topic.

"I'm going to lie down on the sofa for a bit. I suggest you spy with your eyes. If you use a camera and I find it, there will be punishment."

With that, he lay down on the Asano family's sofa.

Full and content, he was too lazy to get up and decided to continue the simulation at Asano Nao's house.

It was a good time to correct Asano Nao's behavior. If she wanted to spy without being punished, she'd have to stay in the living room with the curtains and windows open.