Love Comes After Simulation

Ibuki Yuko heard the sound of Minami Yuuki shuffling around in his slippers and the rustle of him putting on his jacket. It seemed like he was really planning to go to Asano Nao’s place.

Wouldn’t that just let Asano Nao take advantage of the situation, making her the ultimate winner?

Ibuki Yuko turned over and sat up “groggily.”

After rubbing her eyes for a moment, she said to Yuuki, “I must’ve fallen asleep. Mom’s probably home now, so I’ll head back.”

Her petite face revealed no emotion, and her soft voice betrayed no fluctuations. She climbed out of bed, put on her shoes at the entrance, and walked out the door.

Once the door closed, the calm expression on her face vanished. Her brows knitted together, her cheeks puffed out, and each step she took was firm and heavy. When she pressed the elevator button, her finger seemed intent on pushing it into the wall.

Arriving home, she opened the door to find her mother, Ibuki Honoka, sprawled on the floor clutching a bottle of wine, fast asleep. Yuko had no idea when she’d returned.

Stepping over her mother’s body, Yuko went into her bedroom to reflect on why her plan had failed this time and to strategize for her next move.

She revised her list of threats, bumping Asano Nao above Chitose Kazumi. Then she began analyzing the two rivals again.

Chitose Kazumi: Slightly lacking in looks, close to Yuuki yet unmotivated, full of desire but lacking the courage—no real threat.

Asano Nao: Attractive but lacking skill, an elder sister in name only, timid and spineless—not worth worrying about.

When it came to being Yuuki’s wife, there was only one candidate: herself.

Having figured this out, Ibuki Yuko felt reassured. A minor setback wasn’t worth fretting over. Looking toward the long road ahead, she was confident she would be the one to laugh last.

“Yuko! Yuko!”

Her mother’s voice called out. Ibuki Yuko got up, walked into the living room, and helped the groggy woman sit up. She wiped her mother’s face and tossed her onto the bed.

Looking down at the woman on the bed, a storm of emotions surged within her.

In her dreams, her mother had eventually married Nakajima Yohei, transforming back into a gentle and virtuous woman who became affectionate toward her again.

But her mother’s change had nothing to do with her. It was all Nakajima Yohei’s doing. Even the affection her mother showed wasn’t for her; it was merely the overflow of love meant for her husband.

Only Yuuki truly loved her, and she truly loved him.

A plan began to form in her mind.

In the dream, Yuuki had been the one to bring together Nakajima-sensei and her mother. If Yuuki could do it, so could she.

Once Nakajima-sensei and her mother were married, not only would she get rid of her mother as a troublesome obstacle, but she’d also gain a closer connection to Yuuki—she’d become the daughter of Yuuki’s teacher.

At that point, she could leverage the favor she’d done for Nakajima Yohei to compel him to help her. As a homeroom teacher, Nakajima-sensei had considerable influence in the class. If he agreed to use his position to her advantage, it would open up countless opportunities to get closer to Yuuki.

The more she thought about it, the more perfect the plan seemed. Sacrificing one mother to gain Yuuki and the help of his homeroom teacher?

Totally worth it!

But how had Yuuki acted in the dream?

She needed to revisit the dream and investigate this detail further. After all, she hadn’t paid much attention to it before. First, though, a quick shower to prepare for bed.

Ibuki Yuko walked into the bathroom. To save time, she didn’t fill the bathtub but sat on a small stool beside it, letting the shower’s delicate streams of water cascade over her petite figure.

…

Water streamed down his head and along his back, rinsing away the white foam of body wash.

Minami Yuuki stood up, picked up the showerhead, rinsed his front, and turned off the water.

Nakajima Reina’s simulation was captivating, tugging at his thoughts. Foregoing a bath for a shower, he rushed to get back to bed as quickly as possible. ʀА

The night wasn’t particularly cold, so he wrapped himself in the bathroom’s lingering warmth as he stepped into the hallway, putting on his pajamas.

As he pulled up his pants, a sudden sense of melancholy washed over him, and he lowered his head with a sigh.

A blade with no battlefield.

Though he had the freedom to simulate, illusion was ultimately just illusion.

No matter how many girls he had married, how many post-marriage lives he had lived, or how many daughters he had raised in the simulations, he was still untouched, a pure and innocent young man.

With a slight restlessness in his heart, he lay down on the bed.

The sheets still carried the faint scent of Ibuki Yuko. Closing his eyes, he reimmersed himself in the simulation with Nakajima Reina.

—

[You both stayed in the small town for another week. It wasn’t the local scenery or culture that held you, but your mutual infatuation with each other.]

[It wasn’t until Nakajima Reina needed to resume her routine checkups that you returned to Misaki.]

[Because her husband was attentive to your activities, Ibuki Honoka quickly took notice of the progression in your relationship. Nakajima Reina’s “tools” had increased, and the Nakajima family only visited her during the day. The nights became exclusively yours.]

—

[September. The second semester began. You attended the opening ceremony, where Chitose Kazumi was delighted to see you.]

[You visited the Asano household once or twice a week to check on Asano Nao. Although she was no longer as socially anxious, she still refused to go out. It was a matter of her personal philosophy—her ambition in life was to stay at home, reading novels and manga and playing games. She had the means to live that way.]

[You often discussed Nakajima Reina with Asano Nao. Last year, a few days before you made the decision for her surgery, you had poured out your inner turmoil and anxiety to Nao, and she had comforted you.]

[You felt she was like a real older sister to you and often considered suggesting that your father adopt her as a foster daughter. But the thought remained shelved—your father was already worried enough about Nakajima Reina, and you didn’t want to add to his burdens.]

—

[In September, you began preparations for a trip to Hokkaido to see the snow and lakes. You spent a considerable sum searching for a specialist in the relevant field to accompany you to Yoshida Town.]

[The ideal candidate was Nakajima Reina’s current attending physician. You had been inviting her for over a year, but she had always declined. She was advanced in age, highly accomplished, and no longer swayed by money. In a capitalist society, money didn’t always equal power. You thought that if you could leverage authority to negotiate with Misaki University Hospital, she might find it hard to refuse.]

[The second-best candidate was Nakajima Reina’s former attending physician, a professor from Chigusa University Hospital. She accepted your invitation and agreed to bring a medical team to Yoshida Town after the first snowfall, planning to stay there for a month.]

[You intended to spend New Year’s in that small town with Nakajima Reina. If your parents, sister, and Nakajima Reina’s family were willing, both families could celebrate the New Year together in Yoshida Town.]

—

[In October, everything was arranged, and you were merely waiting for the first snow in Yoshida Town. Nakajima Reina was full of anticipation, and you took the opportunity to suggest various technical adjustments to her. Blushing, she complied.]

—

[In mid-November, the first snow fell in Yoshida Town, but Nakajima Reina’s condition no longer permitted such a journey.]

[Starting in early November, her health began to deteriorate.]

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