[You quickly paid back the money you used for Akane's gloves and scarf. At the sa ti, you also handed her the spare key to your apartnt—even though Akane had explicitly told you that you didn't need to pay her back.]
[But you disagreed. To you, borrowed money was still borrowed money. It had to be repaid.]
[Likewise, as you continued spending ti with Akane, you keenly noticed that for a regular high school girl, the amount of disposable cash she had was... unusually high.]
[Even soone as well-off as Miss Yamada, who ca from a wealthy and prestigious background, didn't seem to have as much financial freedom as Akane.]
[Every ti you caught a glimpse inside her wallet, you would often see stacks of 10,000 yen bills tucked inside.]
Reading this line in the simulation log, Minami instinctively glanced over at Akane.
The room was now completely dark.
In the faint glow of the city lights outside, he could only make out the outline of her body.
There was sothing he had been wondering about all day.
Why hadn't Akane inford her parents that she was staying out for the night?
She was a high school girl.
She was attractive, her figure was far more mature than most of her peers, and her outward personality was bright and cheerful.
A girl like her would naturally attract plenty of attention.
Shouldn't her parents be worried if she didn't co ho?
It wasn't a trivial matter.
Shuka High was a prestigious school with strict rules.
If the school found out that a female student had stayed overnight at a male student's house, the consequences wouldn't be light.
At minimum, she would face severe disciplinary action.
But since they weren't particularly close and the situation had been unavoidable due to the storm, Minami hadn't asked.
Still—
Just because he hadn't asked didn't an the question didn't exist.
"..."
Minami lay in bed, deep in thought.
Minami looked at Akane, who seed to have fallen asleep, and then turned his gaze back to the simulation.
Hopefully, the answers to these mysteries would reveal themselves in this run.
With that thought, he imrsed his consciousness into the simulation once again.
[Ti continued to move forward.]
[At school, she still chose to keep up her façade. She rarely interacted with you, and on the rare occasions when you crossed paths, she would simply greet you with a smile—a smile that was just a bit brighter than the one she gave others.]
[You had no complaints about this, because you understood—this was simply how she had always presented herself in public.]
[However, you could sense that during gym class, when she was surrounded by her "friends," she had monts where she wanted to talk to you.]
[Even as her so-called friends crowded around her, her gaze would occasionally drift in your direction.]
[The crowd around her was an invisible wall separating the two of you.]
[She stood within the walls, while you remained outside.]
[But she couldn't tear that wall down. As the school's beloved idol, she had no choice but to maintain her flawless, almost too-perfect, smile.]
[Yet at the sa ti, being around these "friends" only made her cherish her private ti with you even more.]
[No matter who she was with, she always had to put on an act. But when she was with you, she could finally relax.]
[Your attitude toward her hadn't changed much, which sotis left her feeling a bit discouraged. But at the sa ti, the fact that you had always treated her with genuine sincerity gave her a sense of comfort.]
[Spending ti with you beca one of the few joys in her life.]
[And the spare key you gave her made things even easier.]
[There were tis when you returned ho late from band practice at "STARRY" or from working at "Riko-Riko" Café, only to find her sitting in front of the TV, watching tokusatsu shows while stifling yawns.]
[There were also tis when you went to bed early, only to wake up the next morning and find her sleeping peacefully on the futon beside you.]
A Scene from the Simulation—Inside the Apartnt
Minami slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the futon laid out on the floor—
And a familiar head of soft, lavender-pink hair.
"..."
Minami glanced at the girl sleeping quietly on her side.
He had no idea what ti she had arrived the night before, but her sleeping face, illuminated by the gentle morning light, looked even more delicate and beautiful.
Minami shook his head, not thinking much of it, and got up to change clothes, preparing to go for his morning run.
"Are you going out?"
A drowsy voice mumbled behind him.
Minami instinctively turned around.
He realized that Akane wasn't actually awake.
She had only half-risen, still half-asleep, and in a gesture that felt eerily natural, she tugged lightly on his sleeve—like a sleepy wife calling out to her husband before he left for work.
"Don't forget... to bring back so ginger... I feel like eating ginger pork today..."
"Got it."
"Mmm...."
Hearing his response, Akane's expression softened into one of relief. She let go of his sleeve, curled back under the blanket, and fell right back asleep.
Minami looked at her for a mont before shaking his head.
He reached out and gently ruffled her hair before putting on his jacket and heading out for his run.
[Her frequent overnight visits led her to start decorating your apartnt.]
[She bought a high-quality LCD TV so the two of you could properly enjoy your tokusatsu marathons. The small fridge in your apartnt was soon replaced with a much larger one that she had purchased herself.]
[If the room weren't so cramped, she would have even considered buying a small bed—so that she wouldn't have to sleep on the futon anymore.]
[She excitedly took charge of rearranging the space, often asking for your opinion while adding decorations that suited your tastes.]
[Likewise, because a beautiful, cheerful girl frequently visited your small apartnt, rumors began circulating among the other tenants.]
[They started referring to Akane as your "zōkon-tsuma"—a term used in Japan to describe a woman who isn't legally married but is already living like a wife.]
[To your surprise, Akane didn't seem to mind the rumors. In fact, she almost looked pleased by them.]
[That night, she even prepared an extravagant dinner.]
[Your tiny apartnt had unknowingly beco her safe haven.]
[Though she had long since mastered the art of keeping up appearances, the strain of constantly pretending was sothing that weighed on her.]
[Even if only a fraction, that ntal burden added up over ti.]
[And with you in her life, she had finally found a place where she could release it all.]
Back in the Real World—Minami Observing the Simulation
"Good... very good!"
Outside the simulation, Minami nodded to himself.
It seed his choice of the first option had been the right one.
At the very least, his relationship with Akane was progressing steadily.
And at the sa ti—
He finally understood why Akane had chosen to end her life in the first tiline.
From high school onward, the ntal strain had been accumulating.
She had never found soone who genuinely cared for her.
Not in high school.
Not in college.
Not in her career.
Her mask grew heavier and heavier with ti—until she could no longer bear the weight of it.
In the end, unable to endure any longer, she chose to end her own life.
Her fate in the first tiline had been nothing short of tragic.
The only person who had truly cared for her—Minami—was soone she had brushed aside.
She had faced all that crushing pressure alone.
Through the relentless stress of work, of life, of maintaining her image—
She eventually collapsed.
But this ti, things were different.
In this tiline, she had Minami's presence beside her, lessening that burden.
This was looking solid.
Satisfied, Minami continued reading the simulation.
[Your relationship with her was progressing steadily.]
[Everything seed to be moving in a positive direction.]
"...?"
Minami frowned.
Sothing about that wording—"seed to be."
Sothing felt off.
He kept reading.
[At the sa ti, she began to realize that she didn't need to pretend in front of you—though, out of habit, she still reflexively put on her flawless smile.]
[Your occasional kindness and unwavering sincerity brought her happiness, but alongside that happiness, she also felt a creeping sense of unease.]
[Your sincerity had earned her trust—but she had never once shown you her true self.]
[It was a completely unbalanced relationship.]
[A mask worn for too long becos impossible to remove.]
[She couldn't imagine how you would react if you ever saw her real self.]
[And so, she began to feel afraid.]
[She didn't dare dwell on it.]
[Because she knew—if her bond with you was built solely on a false persona, then it was bound to be fragile.]
[This growing anxiety pushed her to beco even more accommodating toward you. She unconditionally agreed to whatever you said, afraid that if she didn't, she might lose you.]
[At so point, even lending you money wasn't enough to fill the void in her heart.]
[Not when so many other girls surrounded you, girls just as beautiful and talented as she was.]
[Then, one evening, as she sat at the table watching you eat, she finally confessed her true feelings.]
"Minami."
As Minami ate his al, Akane suddenly called out to him.
Her usual confident, composed smile was gone.
Tonight, she seed restless.
Her crimson eyes flickered with uncertainty as she kept glancing at him.
"What is it, Akane?"
Minami asked without looking up.
"It's just... um... well... you see..."
After hesitating for a long mont, she finally spoke.
"The other tenants... they've started calling your 'zōkon-tsuma.'"
A faint blush appeared on her pale cheeks.
"I see."
Minami nodded.
"Got it. If that bothers you, I'll go clarify things with them later."
"..."
Akane froze.
That's not what I wanted to say!!!
For the first ti, her usually perfect smile cracked.
She bit her lip, hesitated, then mumbled—
"I an... since things are already like this, maybe we should just... try dating?"
She... she actually said it!
She really said it!
New emotions rushed to her face, making Shinjo Akane blush as she looked at Minami, waiting for his answer.
And then—
"Try dating, huh?"
Minami's voice reached her ears.
To Akane, it felt like he was deliberately teasing her as he continued, "If you're really not willing, you don't have to force yourself."
Ugh—
The little devil Shinjo Akane, who always acted strong on the outside but was incredibly fragile inside, finally couldn't hold it together anymore after hearing those words.
She grabbed Minami's hand in frustration, nearly yelling:
"I'm not forcing myself! I'm not forcing myself! Happy now?!"
"People who say things like that are usually—"
"I'm NOT saying the opposite of what I an!" Akane's face turned an even deeper shade of red.
Since she had already embarrassed herself this much, she might as well say it properly!
Taking a deep breath, she squeezed her eyes shut and, in a desperate act of surrender, shouted:
"I LIKE YOU, MINAMI! DATE ! IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU?!"
Damn it...!
Why did this guy have to push her into saying sothing so embarrassing?!
She said it, and yet—
There was no reply for a long while.
That silence made her instinctively open her eyes to look at Minami.
And—
Coincidentally, Minami was also looking at her.
Their eyes t.
Akane's heart pounded louder and louder.
But she had no strength left to run away—she could only watch as Minami slowly leaned in closer.
And then—
She saw Minami raise his index finger, pointing straight at her, his expression serious as he said:
"Say it again, Akane."
"You... YOU CAN GO TO HELL!"
Completely overwheld by embarrassnt and rage, Akane grabbed the pillow beside her and hurled it straight at Minami's face.
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