Love Comes After Simulation

When Minami Yuuki woke up, the sky was already dark.

He reached for his phone by the bed, lighting up the screen to check the time—1 AM.

There was a single unread message on LINE. It was from Asano Nao, sent at 7 PM the previous evening.

“Why haven’t you come over for dinner yet?”

He quickly typed a reply:

“Accidentally fell asleep. Just woke up.”

He hadn’t expected to sleep straight through until the early morning.

Setting his phone down, he rubbed his empty stomach, thinking about where to get something to eat.

It was already May, and his monthly allowance had been deposited into his account. He had money now.

But where should he go? An izakaya? A convenience store?

At this hour, the options were limited.

His face wasn’t mature enough to get into an izakaya, so that was out. That left the convenience store, where he’d probably end up eating oden, a cold rice ball, or a refrigerated bento.

His gaze drifted toward the window. The curtains were open, and the night sky spread across the glass like an ink wash painting. Distant specks of light dotted the darkness, scattered like fragments, making the night feel even more desolate.

He clicked his tongue.

In Life Simulation, he had a warm home, a loving wife, and a child. But in reality? He couldn’t even figure out what to eat when he woke up. The contrast was almost laughable.

Just as he finished dressing, still fretting over where to eat, his phone screen lit up again with a message notification.

It was from Asano Nao.

“Hungry?”

The message was short, but it hit like a bullet.

A rush of emotion surged through him as he quickly typed a response.

“Starving!”

“Noodles?”

“I’m coming over right now! Nao-nee, you’re the best!”

Grabbing his keys and access card from the counter, Minami Yuuki rushed out of his apartment, making his way quickly to the Asano household.

—

Nao’s somen was ready in no time. By the time he sat at the dining table, the noodles were already placed in front of him.

Simple as they were, the seasoning vinegar drizzled on top gave them a deep flavor. A few small side dishes sat beside the bowl, making the meal feel anything but plain. ṝ𝙖Ｎꝋ𝔟Ë𝐬

If she had served it on a bamboo rack with flowing water, it could have been a dish worth a long drive just to taste.

After finishing his meal, Minami Yuuki felt much better.

He looked out the window at the pitch-black night, feeling as though the view was shyly hiding its beauty.

“You haven’t gone to bed yet, Nao-nee?” he asked, glancing at Asano Nao across the table.

“I was playing a game.”

“Did I interrupt you?”

“It’s fine. I just put the game on pause.”

Minami Yuuki wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth.

That she was a gamer was a fact. That she often played late into the night wasn’t unusual either. But tonight, was she really playing until the early morning just because she wanted to?

It was like a leaf falling from a tree. The leaf could claim that it simply wanted to drop, but the real reason it fell at that exact moment was because the wind had passed by.

“It’s really quiet outside,” he said.

“Yeah,” Nao murmured, glancing out the window.

The night had none of the noise of the daytime. Even if she were to run into someone out there, the darkness would obscure them, making the world feel strangely peaceful.

She thought about the dream—about strolling through the city at night with Minami Yuuki. But the worldline had already changed.

Lowering her head, she stared at the edge of the dining table.

Minami Yuuki could guess what she was feeling.

He stood up and said, “Wanna go for a walk?”

Nao’s head shot up, her eyes wide with surprise and delight.

“Yes!” She nodded enthusiastically, and even the little Nao inside her seemed to nod along.

“But before we go,” Minami Yuuki smirked, “I have one condition.”

He glanced at Nao’s loungewear—a simple tracksuit. Though even in casual clothes, her figure was undeniable, he remembered that in his memories, when she wore regular outfits, she looked even more stunning.

Under Asano Nao’s anxious gaze, Minami Yuuki continued, “Nao-nee, you need to change into something more presentable, and at least switch to a more ordinary style of glasses.”

“I think this is fine,” Asano Nao mumbled quietly.

“Half your face is covered! How is that ordinary?” Minami Yuuki took her black square-frame glasses off her face and inspected them in his hands. “Where did you even get this antique?”

Nao instinctively shrank back when her glasses were taken, feeling her face suddenly exposed. She quickly covered her forehead with her hand.

Her cheeks turned slightly red. Without her glasses, she felt as though she were bare, like not wearing any clothes at all in front of Yuuki.

Since her myopia wasn’t severe, she could still see the road clearly without her glasses. She hurried to her parents’ bedroom to calm down, changed into contact lenses, and picked out a white cardigan and black skirt from her mother’s wardrobe.

The door to the hallway opened, and the faint glow of the streetlight spilled in. Asano Nao hesitated for a moment.

“Let’s go,” Minami Yuuki extended his hand.

“Mm!” She smiled brightly and took his hand.

It was already early morning, and except for the 24-hour stores, all others were closed.

The weather had warmed up since earlier, and Minami Yuuki unbuttoned his coat, letting the wind pass through his waist.

They walked in silence, the world around them still and serene, as they both savored the peacefulness of the night.

They passed by the riverside lined with cherry trees, then walked past the subway entrance, making a detour around the school before heading back to Asano’s house. At the door, they waved goodbye.

Back home, Asano Nao didn’t turn on the lights. She lay on the sofa in the dark living room, holding her left hand—the one that had just been clasped by Minami Yuuki—gazing at it. She was reminiscing about their small, peaceful trip.

Minami Yuuki returned to his apartment. Finding nothing to do, he picked up the manga he borrowed from Asano Nao and read until dawn.

After having breakfast at her house, he headed to school.

The bell rang for class. He put some focus into listening to the lecture, but most of his attention wandered toward Ichinose Shiori.

He found his gaze drawn to the black knee-high socks she wore under her skirt. The cotton material had a different texture from stockings—warmer, softer, and more casual. Her slender calves were wrapped in this cozy, everyday feeling, beneath a deep blue pleated skirt, and Minami Yuuki couldn’t look away.

He thought to himself that legs and socks were like a mechanical keyboard and keycaps. The feel of the keyboard itself was important, but the colorful keycaps added extra charm. The brand of the keyboard became an imprint of cultural temptation in one’s mind.

Ichinose Shiori’s calves, too, held a cultural allure—an immense one.

Because—these were the legs of the prime minister! A prime minister who had been in office for at least a decade! And not just any prime minister—she was the first female prime minister! In history, this wasn’t entirely unique, but certainly among the top ranks! In the simulated life memories, Ichinose Shiori always wore a suit and trousers. If he didn’t look now, he might never see this again! This was a limited-edition image of a beautiful prime minister wearing cotton knee-high socks!

Was it because his gaze was too intense that Ichinose Shiori seemed to feel it? She turned her head and glanced back. Minami Yuuki quickly shifted his eyes away and pretended to be focused on the class.

That was close—he almost got caught peeping at the prime minister.

The morning classes passed, and Minami Yuuki took out the bento that Asano Nao had made for him.

The midnight stroll seemed to have had quite an effect on this homebody, as the bento was packed with a lot of meat. He realized he had forgotten to ask her about the paper crane. Well, no rush.

As the temperature rose, cold bento didn’t feel as unbearable. Minami Yuuki was too lazy to wait in line for the microwave, so he carried his desk and squeezed it next to Chitose Kazumi’s.

The classroom was filled with chatter as various small groups took advantage of the lunch break to gossip.

Suddenly, the noise level dropped. The students, who had been taught to read the atmosphere from a young age, quickly quieted down. It was like a domino effect—at first, it was just one group that fell silent due to a lull in conversation or an external interruption. Then, the silence spread rapidly through the entire classroom like an infectious disease.

Minami Yuuki glanced around, trying to identify the source of the sudden quiet.

He saw Ibuki Yūko.

Without caring for the attention of others, the girl walked over to Minami Yuuki’s side and pulled out a chair to sit down.

“I want to eat with you,” she said, placing the bento box on the table, glancing at Chitose Kazumi and then at Minami Yuuki.

Minami Yuuki thought back to the dream movie that had troubled him so much the day before. Yūko’s dream movie had appeared because of him.

He felt a little guilty and apologetic, which made it difficult for him to refuse. He looked at Chitose Kazumi, leaving the decision to her.

Chitose Kazumi, with her indecisive nature, hesitated for a moment before seeing that Ibuki Yūko had already opened her bento. She reluctantly agreed.