Chapter 157: Daily Life After Marrying Yamada Ryo 

"I guess… it has to be Yamada-san."

Choosing who to simulate was extremely difficult.

But after careful consideration,

Shouji Minami ultimately decided on Yamada Ryo.

The reasons were simple—

And there were three of them.

First—

Yamada Ryo had always been a special case among his simulation targets.

Normally, she couldn't be simulated unless he used a special item or direct simulation.

Now that he finally had this opportunity,

It made sense to prioritize her.

Second—

Yamada Ryo was the only girl who had been present in multiple simulations—

Yet had never won.

She had always been a background character,

A bystander in everyone else's routes.

Every time she appeared—

She was constantly left behind.

Third—

In the previous Yamada Ryo simulation,

He had been so focused on her that he failed to notice her father's worsening lung disease.

Because of that—

Her father passed away before he could get medical help.

Shouji Minami only scored 89 points—

Just one point short of a happy ending.

It was one of the most frustrating outcomes he had ever experienced.

And since Yamada Ryo's simulation opportunities were so rare,

The only thing he could do at the time

Was warn her in reality,

So that her real father could get checked in time.

Because of that unfinished business—

And because of how unfair her situation had been—

Shouji Minami ultimately chose her for Direct Simulation.

Sure, it might not have been the most fair choice

To the top two girls on the Heartthrob Rankings.

But—

"Sorry, you two."

With that thought,

Shouji Minami opened the simulator menu.

"Let's do this."

[Spend 1,200 Heartthrob Points for Direct Simulation?]

[Yes / No]

"Simulator-chan, you better make this worth my 1,200 points."

Shouji Minami chuckled to himself.

For some reason, he had always referred to the simulator as "Miss Simulator."

It wasn't because he assumed its gender—

He just thought it sounded better.

After all—

Calling it "Big Bro Simulator" would be way too weird.

He was a perfectly straight guy with zero interest in that kind of thing.

So that name was absolutely out of the question.

Without any hesitation,

Shouji Minami selected "Yes."

[Remaining Heartthrob Points: 50.]

[Remaining Direct Simulation Attempts: 0.]

[Detected slight changes in the target's future. Would you like to load a new simulation?]

[Yes / No]

"A new simulation?"

Shouji Minami's eyebrows lifted.

His mind worked quickly,

And he immediately realized—

This must have been caused by his real-life interference.

Unlike in the previous simulation,

Where Yamada Ryo's father had passed away—

In reality, Shouji Minami had already warned her to get him checked.

"So the simulation changed because of that?"

Shouji Minami felt a spark of excitement.

If that was the case—

Could he finally see the 90-point happy ending?

Without any hesitation,

He selected "Yes."

The screen flashed,

And a new prompt appeared.

[Select the starting time for Direct Simulation.]

"A time setting…?"

Shouji Minami paused for a moment.

Then—

He made his choice.

[Starting Time: One Day in the Second Year of High School for Shouji Yuna.]

Shouji Yuna.

Shouji Minami hadn't forgotten—

That was the daughter he had with Ryo in the simulation.

Since he had to choose a time anyway—

Why not jump straight to the married life phase?

After confirming his selection,

Shouji Minami closed his eyes.

...

[Direct Simulation Starting.]

Married Life with Yamada Ryo

A gentle breeze brushed through the garden,

Creating a peaceful, lazy atmosphere.

The sky was clear,

And the golden sunlight spilled down,

Illuminating the young girl sitting beneath it.

She was quietly polishing her bass guitar—

A girl with deep blue short hair and amber eyes.

Dressed in a dark blue mid-length skirt and black thigh-high socks,

Her elegant, icy expression made her look like a silent predator.

Her amber gaze fixated on one person.

A handsome young man,

Dressed in a light spring sweater,

Sitting on a bench while reading a book.

His black hair glowed slightly in the sunlight,

His long fingers flipping through pages at an absurd speed.

Shouji Yuna's polishing motions grew faster.

Finally, she set the bass aside,

And quietly approached him from behind.

Her voice, magnetic like her mother's,

Softly whispered—

"Papa… it's too bright."

"Hm?" The man responded lazily.

"It's bad for your eyes."

Shouji Yuna lowered her gaze slightly,

Amber eyes shimmering with a dangerous glint.

She leaned closer—

"Let's go to our room instead."

"Yuna, If you don't want your mother to scold you, stop acting like her."

Setting his book down, the man turned slightly, smiling as he spoke.

"..."

Shouji Yuna's expression stiffened for a moment.

Then, she quietly backed away.

She figured she must have failed at mimicking her mother well enough—

Which was why her father had seen through her disguise so easily.

"Next time… I'll do better."

Yuna made a silent promise to herself.

"It's useless, no matter how hard you try."

A calm, elegant voice came from behind her.

Yuna instinctively turned around—

Only to see her mother, Shouji Ryo, who had just finished hanging up the laundry.

Somehow, without her noticing,

Her mother had already returned—

Resting her chin on her hand, watching her with an amused gaze.

And the moment Yuna met her eyes—

Ryo's cold expression softened slightly.

Then, right in front of her daughter,

She walked around to stand behind Shouji Minami—

And wrapped her arms around him.

Then, with her usual lazy, elegant tone—

"Papa belongs to me."

It was the same smug attitude a child would have—

Bragging about a rare toy to their friends.

Yuna didn't say a word.

She just gritted her teeth,

Glaring at her mother for a brief second.

Then, without hesitation,

She reached into her instrument bag, pulled out her bass sheet music,

And—

bolted out of the house in defeat.

Ryo, watching her daughter flee,

Let a small, satisfied smirk creep onto her usually expressionless face.

Then, lowering her head slightly,

She looked down at her husband,

Who was resting his head comfortably against her chest.

As her fingers gently massaged his scalp,

She let out a low, husky voice—

"Minami, you really need to do something about your daughter."

"What's wrong?"

Minami, still leaning against her, kept his eyes closed,

Enjoying her massage with a content smile.

The soft warmth of her hands.

The gentle tone of her voice.

The familiar scent that lingered on her.

All of this was very novel to Minami, who was experiencing the simulation himself.

It was as if—

Even just last night, they had still been wrapped around each other,

Unwilling to separate even for a moment.

The touch.

The voice.

Even the subtle fragrance on Ryo's skin—

All of it was exactly as it should be.

"Yeah…"

"This is way better than those dry, lifeless memories from the normal simulations."

Minami let out a content sigh,

Fully indulging in the warmth of their moment.

Shouji Minami sighed in satisfaction,

Savoring the moment.

"You're seriously asking what's wrong?"

Hearing the casual tone in his voice,

Ryo's massage pressure subtly increased—

Just enough to make him feel a slight warning.

"Do you think it's normal for your daughter to pretend to be your wife?"

Her eyebrows furrowed,

And for the first time—

Her usually emotionless face showed visible frustration.

And yet—

Somehow, even her furrowed brows looked… cute.

Watching her expression,

Shouji Minami instinctively reached out—

Pressing her head down slightly…

And captured her soft, cherry-pink lips in a deep kiss.

"Mi—"

Shouji Ryo was kissed so deeply that she could barely breathe.

Her usually indifferent face was now dyed in a soft, rosy red—

Like the warm glow of a winter sunrise.

She sneaked a glance around them,

Checking to make sure no one else was nearby.

Only then did she relax,

Placing her hands back onto Minami's shoulders,

Her voice soft, husky, and teasing—

"Aren't you afraid someone might see?"

"It's not like we went any further than that."

Leaning back against the bench,

Shouji Minami reached out,

His fingers brushing toward Ryo's sharp, elegant jawline.

Ryo immediately understood what he was trying to do.

"Daddy, you're not a kid anymore."

She let out a small, playful complaint,

Shaking her head slightly.

But in the end—

She still lowered herself,

Pressing her warm cheek into his palm.

Shouji Minami chuckled,

Watching as her flushed face became even redder.

"I'm not joking, Minami."

Hearing him laugh,

Ryo still insisted—

"You really need to do something about your daughter."

Minami didn't seem too bothered.

To him, it was completely normal.

"It's normal for girls to love their fathers."

Minami didn't think much of it.

"A lot of little girls go through that phase."

Loving their fathers.

Saying they want to marry them when they grow up.

It was a perfectly normal thing.

He didn't see it as a problem at all.

At most—

His daughter's feelings for him were just a little stronger than usual.

"A high school sophomore writing an essay about 'wanting to marry her father when she grows up'—does that sound normal to you?"

Shouji Ryo shot her husband a long, deep look.

Her eyes filled with tender affection—

And undeniable exasperation.

"Minami, you really need to sit her down and talk to her properly."

Resting her head against his shoulder,

Her voice carried a serious weight.

Yuna was getting out of control.

If she was already pretending to be her mother—

Who knew what else she'd try in the future?

Ryo had no idea where this reckless personality even came from.

Shouji Minami simply smiled,

Reaching out to smooth down her slightly messy, deep blue hair.

"Still the same Ryo."

Even when it came to their own daughter,

She could still get so worked up.

Glancing at the Direct Simulation timer,

Shouji Minami calculated—

With 1,200 heart points,

That translated to 12 full hours of simulated time.

There was still plenty of time left.

So, he wasn't too worried.

Talking to Yuna could wait.

For now—

He just held Ryo close,

Chatting, teasing, and soaking in the moment.

As the sun slowly began to set,

Shouji Minami finally got up—

Stretching his arms.

"I'm going to check on Yuna."

"Mm."

Ryo simply nodded,

Watching as he walked away.