Chapter 112: The Improper Girl.

At the moment he sat down, Nakajima Yohei's face showed confusion as he touched the surface of the chair, feeling its warmth through his palm.

"Has anyone been here?" the man asked.

"Well…" Nakajima Reina felt troubled.

She cast a sidelong glance at the wardrobe, its door firmly shut, with no sign of the boy emerging.

Though she didn't understand why Minami Yuuki was hiding, he clearly didn't want to meet her father.

Should she conceal it from her father?

"Was it the doctor? Did she say anything?" Nakajima Yohei pressed on.

"Nothing specific, just asked some ordinary questions," Nakajima Reina lowered her head.

Though it wasn't the first time she had hidden things from her father, lying to him like this was new.

Her face flushed with embarrassment.

Nakajima Yohei interpreted her reddening face as discomfort with the topic and thought that the doctor must have said something only a girl would discuss.

Believing he understood the situation, he sympathetically shifted the subject.

"This hydrangea is beautiful. Did the doctor give it to you?" he asked.

"Mm."

"That stern-looking woman has such a delicate touch, doesn't she?" Her father's remark deepened Nakajima Reina's shame, causing her to lower her head even further.

The room fell silent.

Nakajima Yohei, thinking his daughter was not in the mood for conversation, skipped other topics and launched into his main point.

"I heard some things about Minami Yuuki from Tanaka-sensei…"

Usually, Nakajima Reina enjoyed such discussions.

Each new detail about Minami Yuuki from her father added another piece to the puzzle of the boy's image in her mind.

But today, she couldn't focus.

The fact that Minami Yuuki was hiding in the wardrobe and the two lies she had told her father left her restless.

She interrupted her father, "I want to read a book. Could you help me borrow one from the library, Dad?"

Nakajima Yohei was delighted by the interruption.

His usually calm daughter had not so directly made a request in a long time!

This wasn't just about a book; it was a rare display of her enthusiasm!

He immediately stood up.

"What book do you want? I'll go buy it directly."

Nakajima Reina hadn't actually thought of a book to read; it was merely a tactic to divert her father.

This tactic, she remembered, was something she'd learned from a TV show whose name she had long forgotten.

As her father agreed, she hurriedly thought of a book title.

"The Boy in the Wardrobe," she said to her father.

"I'll go buy it now and be back in half an hour!" Nakajima Yohei stood up and left the hospital room with large strides.

As soon as his footsteps had completely faded away, the wardrobe door creaked open slightly.

Minami Yuuki, assured of safety, emerged from the wardrobe.

"The book you ordered, 'The Boy in the Wardrobe,' has arrived," he said as he approached Nakajima Reina's bedside, joking with her, "Do you prefer it fried or steamed?"

"Am I a cannibalistic royalty?" Nakajima Reina chuckled, placing the hydrangea she was holding on the bedside table.

The hospital room, which was starkly white and somewhat desolate, felt much warmer with the addition of the sky-blue flower.

"Why are you hiding?" the girl asked Minami Yuuki.

"Actually, I'm a creature that dies when seen by adults."

"Then the receptionist must have killed you many times."

"Alright, that was a lie. Now, let me tell you the harsh truth." Minami Yuuki straightened his face and lowered his voice. "In reality, I don't exist at all; I'm just a figment of your imagination, Princess Reina. If you had introduced me to your father, he would have been astonished to tell you that there's only the two of you in the room—there is no boy here!"

"So, I'm imagining you. Can I summon you when I can't sleep at night?"

"That won't work; I'm solar-powered, so I can only be active in the morning."

"Even though you're just a figment, you have energy constraints?"

"If Princess Reina has any complaints, you should look into your own issues. I'm just a product of your imagination."

"Can you stop calling me 'Princess'? It feels a bit odd," Nakajima Reina said.

"I think the title suits you, Reina-nee," Minami Yuuki replied.

"It's not fitting at all; it's too embarrassing."

Nakajima Reina sat on her hospital bed.

Her clear voice and elegant demeanor made her protest seem weak.

"To prevent your imagination from fading, I need to leave before your father returns. See you tomorrow," he said, waving at Nakajima Reina before leaving the room.

[You asked the girl why she liked the scentless hydrangea, and she replied that, lying in bed, she couldn't smell the flowers in the garden below. You intended to invite her to the garden, but your offer was cut off by the sudden arrival of Nakajima Yohei.]

[You hid in the wardrobe. After Nakajima Reina sent her father away, you quickly said goodbye and left the room.]

[After you left, Nakajima Reina lay back on her bed, turning to gaze at the hydrangea on her bedside table. The image of "Minami Yuuki" in her mind merged with the flower. The boy's shadow seemed to hide beneath the pale blue petals, giving her a shock.]

Minami Yuuki looked at the simulation text and thought, "This Nakajima Reina actually associates the hydrangea I gave her with Minami Yuuki! Is this for real?"

Wait a minute, I am Minami Yuuki.

Never mind.

He reviewed the scene again.

The atmosphere this time seemed much better than the last, progressing more smoothly. But it wasn't enough just to be better.

Comparing the two simulations, the last meeting with Nakajima Reina was very formal, with all procedures followed and Nakajima Yohei as an intermediary.

This time, the meeting was entirely informal—no procedures, no applications, and not even a self-introduction.

Yet, the informal setting made the atmosphere much better.

In other words, the seemingly dignified and elegant girl actually wasn't so proper after all!

I didn't expect Nakajima Reina to be like this!

So the question is, how to approach this seemingly proper girl?

Minami Yuuki had an idea and continued to review the simulation interface.

[After returning home from the hospital, you sit in front of your notebook, browsing medical journals to find out about Nakajima Reina's illness. You also reach out to medical professionals online, hoping for more cutting-edge information.]

[At night, lying in bed, the harsh white light reminds you of the stark white hospital room and the girl lying in the bed.]

[The next morning, after registering at the front desk, you don't rush upstairs.]

[You borrow a wheelchair from the nurse.]

[You push open the door to Nakajima Reina's room on the third floor. The girl is surprised by the wheelchair in your hands.]

[You invite Nakajima Reina to take a stroll in the garden. After a moment's hesitation, she declines your invitation.]

[Faced with the girl's refusal, you choose…]

[1. "Woman, how dare you refuse me!"]

[2. "Since she doesn't want to, I'll just give up."]

[3. "A refusal means a yes, a shake of the head means consent, and resistance means compliance."]

[4. Free simulation]