Chapter 38: Chitose Kazumi Confesses Again.

In April, the temperatures were still somewhat low. Although the girls had shed their winter coats, they still wore long sleeves, topped with a dark cardigan featuring the school emblem on the chest.

The high school girls, with bodies varying from good to not-so-good, made the emblems bulge out to different extents.

Minami Yuuki's school was called Tsukimori High School, a fairly decent public school. It was somewhat famous in Misaki, not for its academic achievements or clubs, but for its uniforms.

As more and more high schools transitioned from sailor uniforms to suits, Tsukimori retained the sailor uniforms, naturally making it stand out.

This was precisely why his predecessor chose this school.

Minami Yuuki found his predecessor's decision quite reasonable.

Unfortunately, the weather was still a bit cold, so there were no short-sleeved sailor uniforms to be seen, with long-sleeved ones covered by cardigans.

Compared to the changes in the upper body, the girls' lower halves remained almost unchanged. The skirts, reaching the knees, swayed as they walked, with the cute dimples of their knees occasionally visible. Knee-high socks covered most of their legs, leaving just a small section of white skin exposed.

Minami Yuuki walked into the school, looking around. In front of the entrance filled with shoe lockers, the girls were taking out their indoor shoes, changing out of their outdoor shoes.

Tsukimori's school rules were not strict. Technically, students were supposed to wear loafers, a type of slip-on leather shoe, on their way to school, but many girls wore casual shoes instead.

"This kind of JK uniform is incomplete!" Minami Yuuki mentally complained as he changed his shoes and walked into the classroom.

Most of the students had already arrived. Since his apartment was close to the school, he could arrive just on time.

Passing by groups of boys shouting out manga moves and playing around, and groups of girls chattering about male celebrities, he sat down at his seat.

He looked to the front row on his left, where Ichinose Shiori, whom his predecessor had a crush on, was sitting. Then he looked to the right corner, where Chitose Kazumi, who played a significant role in his simulation life, was sitting.

These two people, along with the sight of real JKs rarely seen in China, were the three reasons Minami Yuuki came to school.

After the bell rang, signaling the start of class, the teacher walked in. Minami Yuuki split his attention between listening to the teacher and thinking about the simulation.

In the last simulation, on this very day, Chitose Kazumi, who had a crush on him, felt threatened when she saw him take out a homemade bento and confessed her feelings to him.

He glanced at the navy bento box hidden in his desk and wondered if the love simulator's storyline would repeat.

This was a perfect opportunity to test if the simulator could really predict the future.

After finishing the morning classes, Minami Yuuki took out his bento and observed Chitose Kazumi's reaction.

Sure enough, the girl seemed a bit uneasy, constantly sneaking glances at him.

In Japan, once you entered the school in the morning, you couldn't leave until the afternoon. For lunch, you could either bring your own bento or eat at the school cafeteria.

Previously, his predecessor, being short on money, always brought bread for lunch. His thin wallet was one reason for his isolation. Once, the popular girls invited him to go to karaoke, but he declined because he had no money.

He heated his bento in the microwave at the back of the classroom, ate it, and then took out a manga he had borrowed from Asano Nao's study.

At 3:30 PM, the school bell finally rang, signaling the end of the day. He quickly packed his bag.

"Minami-kun, can I talk to you for a moment?" Chitose Kazumi stood in front of him.

She acted quickly, her voice was soft, and since both she and Minami Yuuki were on the fringes of the class, only a couple of classmates noticed them. They walked out before anyone could wonder what they were talking about.

Walking to the back of the school building, Chitose Kazumi stopped and turned to face Minami Yuuki.

She took a deep breath, which neither bolstered her courage nor alleviated her nervousness. She did this because she saw deep breaths as a sort of spell, a final ultimatum, tricking herself into believing that after taking a deep breath, she would have the courage to speak, telling herself that after this breath, it was time to speak.

"I like you. Please go out with me!" She bowed to Minami Yuuki, the bow signifying the seriousness of her feelings.

Just as in the simulator.

This love simulator can really predict the future!

Minami Yuuki marveled.

Putting aside his other thoughts, he looked at Chitose Kazumi and said, "I'm sorry."

The cool early spring air made Chitose Kazumi feel cold on the surface. Inhaling this air made her feel like her insides were freezing.

Her passionate heart cooled down. She thought, does Minami-kun already have a girlfriend? Is that bento made by his girlfriend?

Dejection and regret grew in her chest, blaming herself for not confessing her feelings earlier.

"I'm not thinking about dating for now," Minami Yuuki said honestly.

Chitose Kazumi's downcast heart was lifted by his words. She looked up at the boy in front of her as he approached her.

Standing before Chitose Kazumi, Minami Yuuki took out his phone. "How about being friends instead of lovers? Kazumi, you're always alone, aren't you?"

Hearing Minami Yuuki call her by her first name, Chitose Kazumi's face turned red. She hurriedly took out her phone and added Minami Yuuki as a friend.

"Just call me Yuuki. You take the train home, right? We can walk together for a bit."

Guided by Minami Yuuki's words, Chitose Kazumi, somewhat bewildered, followed him and walked out of the school gate together.

Waving goodbye to the boy at the subway entrance and watching his figure disappear into the crowd, she finally had time to reflect and think about what had happened.

Confessing seemed to have failed.

However, I became friends with him?

She took out her phone and looked at the newly added Minami Yuuki on LINE, unsure whether to be happy or sad.

Minami Yuuki said he had no plans to date for now, so the one who made him bento wasn't his new girlfriend?

Thinking about it this way, although I didn't win, at least I didn't lose! And I've already made some progress!

Chitose Kazumi clenched her phone and mentally cheered.

On the other side, Minami Yuuki looked at Chitose Kazumi's LINE on his screen and smiled.

Although Chitose Kazumi wasn't a simulated target, he could tell from Asano Nao's simulation that his future with her seemed quite nice too.

The beautiful flowers in the garden were lovely, but the wildflowers by the roadside had their own unique charm too.

Marked, listed as a backup!

Even if they didn't get married, Chitose Kazumi would be a good friend. Having her around in school would make life much more interesting.

Putting his phone back in his pocket, Minami Yuuki tightened his grip on the shoulder strap of his bag.

In the simulated life, besides the confession, another event would happen today.

He walked slowly to the crossroads. Suddenly, a boy with dyed yellow hair burst out from the alley beside him, with a tense face, charging at him with a raised fist!

Bang—

Minami Yuuki's bag, filled with books, collided with the yellow-haired boy's cheek.

In the simulated life, Minami Yuuki was unprepared and got punched by him. Now, it was time for revenge!