Chapter 110: Closer… A Little Closer…
Leaving Shuka High and heading to the restaurant where Yamada Ryo had arranged to meet, Minami Shouji didn't actually spend much time on the journey.
After all, to make his commute (to school) more convenient, walking from Shuka High to the nearby station only took seven or eight minutes.
A quick ride for a stop or two, and he got off right at the restaurant Yamada Ryo had sent him the address for via LINE.
It appeared to be a newly opened, well-decorated restaurant—tastefully designed, though not exactly luxurious.
It seemed like while Yamada-san wanted a free meal, she wasn't trying to completely drain his wallet.
He pushed the door open.
Before he even had time to look around, Yamada Ryo's cool, indifferent voice greeted him.
"Minami, over here."
"..."
Minami turned his head.
There she was, sitting in the corner—Yamada Ryo.
"You're here alone? Ijichi-san didn't come?"
Dropping his school bag beside Yamada Ryo, Minami took the seat across from her.
"I didn't tell Nijika. Also, call me Ryo."
Yamada Ryo, still chewing her food, spoke with a blank expression.
"...So you just ran off on your own? Without telling Ijichi-san?"
Watching her scoop up a bite of curry rice with her spoon, Minami couldn't help but ask.
"Mm."
Uh…
Though he was well aware of Yamada Ryo's carefree and unrestrained personality,
Hearing it in action still made Minami instinctively press his palms together in an apology—for Kessoku Band, who were probably struggling through practice right now, missing their bassist.
"Also, call me Ryo."
Swallowing a mouthful of curry rice, Yamada Ryo spoke again.
"Is it really that important for me to stop calling you Yamada-san?"
"Yes."
Seeing that Minami still refused to call her by name, Yamada Ryo expressionlessly stood up.
"Looks like I should leave now. Guess we won't be having that conversation—"
"Is that so?"
Minami, however, remained completely unfazed by her attempt to leave.
He didn't even try to stop her.
He simply took a slow sip of water and then casually called out—
"Excuse me, boss? This table's bill—put it on the blue-haired lady's tab."
"..."
The moment she heard those words—
The once standing Yamada Ryo expressionlessly sat back down.
"On second thought, I suppose I could hear Minami out. So, about that bill..."
"What should I call you?"
Minami Shouji set his glass of water down, resting his chin on his palm as he countered,
"…Yamada-san, Yamada, Ryo… whatever."
Broke and expressionless, Yamada Ryo clutched her chest as if physically wounded.
She had never hated her own reckless spending habits more than at this moment…
But…
Wait a minute.
Think this through.
There was no way Minami Shouji would actually let her be stuck washing dishes just because she couldn't pay, right?
Thinking this, the expressionless Yamada Ryo suddenly felt a renewed sense of confidence.
But then—
"I would very much leave Yamada-san here to wash dishes."
Minami, as if reading her thoughts, smiled meaningfully as he spoke.
Gulp.
Yamada Ryo downed the rest of her water in one go, decisively ignoring Minami's words and choosing to move on to the main topic:
"Minami, what do you need my help with?"
"..." Minami Shouji.
He had to admit—sometimes, he really respected Yamada Ryo.
This woman… just completely ignored what he said.
Oh well.
Minami shook his head, deciding to stop teasing her. Instead, he carefully chose his words and spoke sincerely:
"Ryo, are you familiar with orphanages and similar care institutions?"
"Yeah."
Minami's sudden shift to calling her by name clearly pleased Yamada Ryo. She tilted her head slightly, glancing at him as she nodded.
Tokyo didn't have too many orphanages, but it certainly didn't have too few either.
After all, it was a metropolitan city—
A financial hub supported by the entire Japanese economy.
And with the Yamada family running a private hospital, they had frequent dealings with the Red Cross and other charitable organizations, making her very familiar with orphanages and elder care facilities.
"Since you already know, then this will be easier to explain."
Minami adjusted his wording slightly:
"I have a friend whose orphanage has already completed all the necessary paperwork to request financial aid from the Red Cross. But for some reason, they keep delaying the funding. She and the others are getting really desperate."
He paused before continuing:
"So I wanted to ask your father for help."
"Got it."
Hearing this, Yamada Ryo—who was far more mature than most girls her age—quickly understood the situation.
The Red Cross refusing to allocate funds wasn't uncommon.
Especially for privately run orphanages like Minami's friend's.
Since investing in these facilities didn't boost the Red Cross's public reputation in any way, they had little incentive to help.
Situations like this were far from rare.
But…
Finishing the last few bites of her curry rice, Yamada Ryo rested her chin on her hand, hesitating slightly as she responded:
"Even if I bring this up to my father…"
She didn't finish her sentence—
But the implication was clear: This might not work.
However—
"Please, Ryo. You're the only one who can help with this."
Minami suddenly reached out, gently holding Yamada Ryo's hands as he lifted his gaze to meet hers, his tone carrying a faint trace of earnest pleading.
Yamada Ryo's soft pink lips parted slightly.
Minami Shouji was already very good-looking—
His fair skin, delicate features, and a naturally bright, clean aura all made him stand out.
Now, with his intense gaze locked onto hers, practically burning with determination—
Ugh—
"You're really… impossible, Minami..."
For the first time ever, a faint red blush colored Yamada Ryo's usually expressionless face.
Even though she still only thought of Minami as an interesting guy and had no romantic feelings for him—
For some reason, simply looking into his eyes made it impossible for her to refuse.
How should she put it?
Yamada Ryo had a suspicion that this was just one of Minami Shouji's natural abilities.
If he really set his mind to persuading someone—
There probably weren't many girls who could say no to him.
Still maintaining her lazy, elegant demeanor, but feeling her heartbeat pound faster than ever, she turned her face slightly away in discomfort.
"I'll try asking my father."
Yamada Ryo's voice remained calm and steady as always.
Nice!
Hearing Yamada Ryo finally agree, Minami Shouji released her hands and let out a deep breath of relief.
Thanks to his simulations, Minami had already known that as long as he could convince Yamada Ryo to speak up, her father would definitely agree to his request.
In other words—
Convincing her father was never the real challenge. Convincing Yamada Ryo was all that mattered.
It might seem like he was taking advantage of her goodwill,
But at the very least, he had done everything he could.
Minami could finally relax.
Now, all that was left was waiting for the Red Cross aid to come through, solving the orphanage's financial struggles and helping Riko-Riko Café.
Just as Minami was thinking about how to transition the conversation—
Yamada Ryo suddenly put her spoon down.
Her plate of curry rice was still half-full.
"Not hungry, Ryo?"
Since he had already switched to calling her by name, Minami figured he might as well keep it up.
"I'm done."
Yamada Ryo shook her head. "It's not good."
After saying this, she rested her chin on the back of her hand and stared at Minami.
"Minami, whose fault do you think it is that I can't eat?"
"Hm?"
Feeling the pointed look in Yamada Ryo's eyes, Minami glanced at her plate.
[1.7/10: A home-cooked-style curry rice with a faint trace of a beautiful girl's saliva. Mediocre seasoning.]
From a 1.7/10 perspective, this curry was actually above-average for homemade cooking.
If this had been the old Yamada Ryo, she would have eaten it without hesitation.
But ever since she had been eating Minami's homemade meals at STARRY every afternoon,
She had unknowingly become spoiled.
Now, everything she ate outside felt disappointing.
Even restaurants she used to like—their miso soup tasted grainy, like unprocessed soybean dregs.
So—
"Minami, cook for me."
"That's… quite a jump in conversation, Ryo."
Hearing Yamada Ryo's completely natural request,
For once, Minami didn't refuse.
After all, she had helped him a lot today.
She had solved one of his biggest problems.
Cooking one meal for her? No problem.
Of course—
As they left the restaurant and paid the bill, Minami carefully observed Yamada Ryo's expression.
After confirming that her face remained as emotionless as ever, he finally felt relieved.
The reason he always kept some distance from Yamada Ryo was simple—
He was afraid that his damn natural charm might accidentally make her fall for him again—
Just like in the simulations, where she had spent multiple loops waiting for him.
But so far…
Minami stole another glance at Yamada Ryo.
Hmm.
It looked like there was no problem.
It seemed like he could continue interacting with her without any issues.
As expected—the real-life Yamada Ryo was much colder.
There was no way she would act like her simulation counterpart and desperately chase after him.
Feeling satisfied, Minami let out a small sigh and checked his Data Scanner's remaining uses.
He had used it once on Yamada Ryo, twice on Gotoh Hitori, and once on Chisato Nishikigi.
That meant he had six uses left.
"Gotta use them sparingly."
After all, they were earned through affection points.
Looking at his remaining 610 affection points (which he had gained from texting Gotoh Hitori on LINE), Minami shook his head.
610 points.
That was only enough for two more simulation attempts.
Not much at all.
If he ever encountered another terminally ill simulation subject like Chisato Nishikigi,
He might not even have enough points to save them.
Yeah. Better to save them up.
Both his items and his affection points.
With this thought in mind, Minami abandoned the idea of using the scanner on Yamada Ryo.
Instead, he turned to her, smiling as he started a casual conversation.
Minami really is an interesting person.
Yamada Ryo listened to Minami's lighthearted jokes,
And while she didn't respond much,
She found herself blinking slightly as she gazed at him,
That thought lingering in her mind.
And when she recalled how he had suddenly grabbed her hands earlier—
Her usually calm, quiet heart felt a strange, unfamiliar stirring.
Was this what they called—
A girl's heart being shaken?
Yamada Ryo tilted her head slightly.
She didn't understand.
In the brief span of her teenage years,
This was the first time Yamada Ryo had ever experienced such a feeling.
Maybe… that's just how it is sometimes.
Caring about someone—
Simply because they accidentally brushed against your hand.
Or because, on a sunny afternoon,
They happened to wear a clean, crisp white shirt.
Expressionless, Yamada Ryo stared at Minami Shouji's back ahead of her, deep in thought.
"By the way."
Under the night sky, Minami Shouji's clear eyes reflected the neon lights, glowing with a brilliance so mesmerizing—
Yet at the same time, it made one worry whether that light might one day fade away.
He spoke softly, but his voice was steady as he asked,
"Ryo, is there anything specific you'd like to eat?"
"I..."
Yamada Ryo quickly thought of a long list of dishes she wanted to eat.
But when she actually opened her mouth, the words that came out were—
"What do you usually eat?"
The moment she said it,
She regretted it.
This had been the perfect chance to shamelessly take advantage of Minami and demand whatever she wanted—
And she let it slip away.
"I'll just make something simple. Maybe a hamburger steak… I was thinking of adding an egg tonight."
"Then I'll have that."
Even though she was still a little frustrated,
Since she had already said it, there was no point in changing her mind.
However—
After taking a few small steps forward, she added one more thing.
"I want two eggs."
"Alright."
"Mhm."
Hearing Minami agree, Yamada Ryo relaxed,
Feeling genuinely excited for the meal ahead.
But—
Completely focused on food,
Yamada Ryo failed to notice—
As she followed behind Minami Shouji…
It seemed like…
She was walking just a little closer than before.
…
By the time Minami had fed Yamada Ryo,
And personally sent her off on her train,
It was already 7:30 PM.
Minami stretched comfortably as he finally returned home.
"It's finally taken care of."
Feeling the weight on his shoulders lift, Minami let out a deep breath.
With the orphanage's funding issue resolved,
Chisato Nishikigi, Takina Inoue, and Riko-Riko Café could finally stop worrying about money.
Now—
What was next?
"Guess it's time to study."
After taking a quick shower, Minami sat cross-legged at his small round table and flipped open his textbook.
Simulations were important.
Solving Riko-Riko's financial struggles was important.
But above all else—
Minami genuinely loved studying.
Compared to dealing with the complicated, unreadable emotions of girls—
Academics were way easier.
With his book open, Minami was just about to dive into the ocean of knowledge—
When suddenly—
His phone rang sharply.
"Hm?"
Minami paused, his hand hovering over the pages.
Without hesitation, he picked up the call.
"Hello, this is Minami. Who's calling?"
No delay.
A voice from the other end immediately responded—
"This is Okano Ryoko."
"Principal Okano?"
Minami's brows lifted slightly as he stood up in surprise.
What could the principal of Shuka High—
Okano Ryoko—
Possibly want with him so late at night?