Chapter 166: New Simulatable Target Found【Gotoh Futari】 

Although it was his two older sisters who had requested it, before leaving, Shouji Minami still turned to Shinjo Akane and asked,

"Akane, you don't have to answer anything you don't want to.

Don't feel obligated to respond just because of me."

His gaze flickered meaningfully toward Naomi.

"Especially since my second sister loves watching trashy korean dramas.

She might say something completely inappropriate,

So don't take anything she says to heart."

"Hey! You little brat! I can hear you!"

"Exactly.

That's why I'm saying it right in front of you."

Minami's tone was indifferent.

"Ugh! I'm your sister, you know!"

Naomi nearly blew a fuse.

She was about to argue back—

But ultimately,

She had no comeback.

There was nothing she could say.

Within the Shouji family hierarchy,

Their parents ranked the highest.

Then came Minami and Yuko.

And finally—

At the absolute bottom of the chain—

Was Naomi.

From every angle imaginable,

She was at the very bottom of the food chain.

"Yeah, yeah."

Hearing Naomi's frustrated protest,

Minami half-heartedly responded,

Before flashing a charming smile and saying,

"Alright, Naomi-nee.

Promise me you won't say anything reckless later, okay?"

"Ugh—!"

Minami's clear, strikingly handsome features

Curved into a smile.

It was a deadly attack.

And just like that—

The food chain's lowest-ranking sister

Blushed instantly.

Watching Minami turn away and leave,

Naomi's face was still red as she muttered,

"Stupid brat!

He disappears for a few months and suddenly acts all smug?!"

"Hasn't Minami always been like this?"

Yuko, standing beside her,

Was also slightly red in the face.

"And I don't know why,

But in just a few months…

It feels like he's more masculine than before.

Tokyo sure is something…

Really knows how to refine people."

She pressed a cool hand to her warm cheeks and sighed softly.

No…

I don't think this has anything to do with Tokyo.

Your brother is just one of those absurdly attractive ikemen

That are rare even in a city as big as Tokyo.

Akane silently thought to herself,

But didn't voice it out loud.

After all—

Seeing that even Minami's own sisters couldn't resist his irresistible smile…

It made her feel a lot better about her own previous flustered reaction.

So it really wasn't her fault last time.

Even his own family can't handle it!

With that realization,

Akane quickly pulled herself together,

Returning to her usual collected and composed self.

"Ahem…"

She cleared her throat,

Then lifted her cute, delicate face,

Taking the initiative.

"So, what did you two want to talk to me about?"

Yes.

She had to take control of the conversation.

Only by attacking first—

Could she win.

After all,

She was Shouji Minami's future wife.

Wasn't this the perfect chance to get on good terms with his sisters?

If she handled this well—

She'd be able to establish a good relationship with them early on.

As long as she was careful with her words,

And didn't make a fool of herself like earlier—

What seemed like a crisis

Could very well turn into a golden opportunity!

When it came to social skills,

Akane had absolute confidence.

She was sure she could win over Minami's sisters,

And get them to recognize her as their future sister-in-law.

So—

She made the first move.

Hearing her question,

Naomi and Yuko exchanged glances.

After a brief moment,

Yuko—being the more composed one—took the lead.

"Actually, what we're most curious about is…"

She hesitated for a moment before continuing,

"Earlier, Shinjo-san,

You said you like Minami.

And that you're his girlfriend.

Is that… really true?"

Yes.

That was the biggest question on their minds.

After all,

Naomi had only managed to get that statement out of her

By half-tricking her.

But was that actually how she really felt?

Or had she simply slipped up?

This was an important distinction.

Which was why they were closely watching Akane's reaction.

Under their scrutiny,

Akane simply gave a relaxed smile.

Then,

Without any hesitation—

She nodded.

"Yes.

I really do like Minami."

She didn't use any of her usual social masks.

Her expression was genuine.

Her words carried no deception.

However—

"That part was true,

But I'm actually not his girlfriend yet.

I'm sorry, Naomi-nee, Yuko-nee.

I lied earlier."

Akane lowered her head slightly,

Her mind rapidly calculating the best course of action.

She decided—

It was better to retreat now than to cling to a lie.

After all,

There was no point in holding onto a fake title.

If Minami's own sisters asked him about it,

The truth would come out immediately.

There was no need to dig her own grave.

Instead,

It was better to come clean herself—

That way,

She could improve their impression of her.

"So, you like Minami…

But you're not in a relationship yet?"

Yuko murmured,

Seeming to understand Akane's stance.

"So basically,

You have feelings for him,

But you haven't confessed yet?"

"That's right."

Akane nodded.

And that simple confirmation—

Made Naomi's head ache.

She quickly grabbed her sister,

Dragging her to the side,

Lowering her voice to a whisper.

"Nee-san,

It looks like her feelings for Minami are real…

But what about the pink-haired girl(Bocchi)?"

Oh, right.

While Akane was undeniably a well-mannered and elegant girl—

Naomi hadn't forgotten about the pink-haired girl they had seen earlier.

That girl's shy, hesitant actions,

The way she nervously clung to Minami's sleeve—

Those were all clear signs of romantic interest.

And now,

Here was another girl—

Confidently declaring her feelings for Minami.

This was getting messy.

Naomi, who had once proudly called herself a romance expert,

Was now realizing—

She had zero real-life experience.

At best—

She was a fraudulent strategist.

Faced with this unexpected battlefield,

Even she had no idea what to do.

"You're asking me?"

Yuko frowned.

She turned toward her younger sister,

Who—despite talking big—

Was completely useless in a real crisis.

This brat always bragged about being charming,

Saying she was a natural romantic.

But the moment something serious happened—

She was absolutely hopeless.

Moreover, at least her second sister had seen a few melodramatic romance dramas.

But she, on the other hand, was someone who barely watched romance films at all.

The two of them whispered back and forth, occasionally stealing glances at Shinjo Akane.

This only made the smile on Akane's face appear even sweeter and more charming.

Compared to the chaotic thoughts running through Shouji Naomi and Shouji Yuko's minds, Akane's own considerations were much simpler—

Leave a good impression on them.

Proceed step by step.

And eventually—

Marry Minami Shouji into her family.

Thus, an unspoken standoff formed between the two sides.

After a while—

Naomi and Yuko finally reached a silent agreement—

Since they didn't fully understand the situation, it was best to hold back for now.

It wouldn't do to cause unnecessary trouble for either Akane or Minami.

After all—

Both of them, whether physically or emotionally, were completely inexperienced when it came to relationships.

Faced with this kind of situation, it was natural to feel utterly clueless.

"Shinjo-san, I think we more or less understand the situation now."

Yuko carefully chose her words and said,

"But when it comes to romance... um… Naomi and I don't really have much experience.

So all we can say is—

We'll be cheering you on."

"Just call me Akane, Yuko-nee,"

Akane blinked and let out a soft sigh.

On the surface, she seemed slightly disappointed—

But deep down—

She was screaming with joy.

They're supporting me!

Minami's sisters said they're supporting me!

Even if it was just a polite remark,

Just having their verbal approval meant that she could do so much with this.

For example—

She could openly spend more time with Minami.

She could ask them for information about him.

She could learn more about his interests and preferences,

And tailor her approach accordingly.

Simply put,

That one sentence alone meant that Naomi and Yuko already saw her in a positive light.

Perfect!

In a spot where they couldn't see her,

Akane clenched her fist in excitement.

Then, with her usual flawless smile, she spoke again,

"By the way, you two must have come for the school festival, right?

If you don't mind, I can be your guide—"

Meanwhile—

While Akane was busy improving her standing with Naomi and Yuko—

Shouji Minami was standing there, rubbing his chin,

Gazing thoughtfully at the time displayed on his phone.

8:16 AM.

He let out a small sigh.

It was still early in the morning,

He had just woken up not long ago—

So why did he already feel so exhausted?

Gotoh Hitori,

Shinjo Akane…

And now, his two older sisters.

Minami rubbed his temples and glanced around at the various booths and activities already set up and running.

Haunted house,

Target shooting,

Cafés…

It was clear that the students had put quite a lot of effort into this festival.

As for the food?

That was debatable.

But at the very least—

Everything looked well-prepared.

"I get the feeling today is going to be a very, very long day."

Letting out another sigh,

Minami took a few steps forward,

Planning to find a quiet spot to take a short break.

But just as he started moving—

He suddenly froze in place.

The reason?

A high-pitched, childish voice suddenly rang out from nearby.

"Ah! It's the super handsome big brother from Onee-chan's phone!"

Immediately afterward,

A small, soft, and warm sensation latched onto his leg.

"Huh?"

Minami looked down.

There—

Clinging to his leg like a koala—

Was a little pink-haired girl.

She had wrapped her tiny arms around his thigh,

Clinging tightly as if she had just found her long-lost treasure.

Minami's expression flickered with confusion.

But within moments—

He pieced together the situation.

A lost child, huh?

She had probably come to visit the festival with her parents—

Only to get separated from them.

Minami gently pried her off and crouched down to meet her gaze.

His eyes carefully observed the little girl in front of him.

Short, silky pink hair that shimmered under the morning light.

Big, round blue eyes, sparkling with innocence.

Delicate limbs, small and frail, with a little fabric purse slung over her shoulder.

And yet—

She gave Minami an oddly familiar feeling…

Wait a minute—

Why did she look so familiar?

Minami narrowed his eyes.

Pink hair.

Blue eyes.

And those distinctive little strands of hair that curled at the sides of her bob-cut…

If you combined all of these features together—

"You…"

Just as Minami was about to say something—

The little girl suddenly lifted her head and beamed at him,

"You're really the super handsome big brother from Onee-chan's phone!"

"..."

Minami fell silent.

He rubbed his forehead and sighed.

Then, he looked at the little girl and asked,

"What's your name, little one?"

The pink-haired child straightened up,

Puffing out her tiny chest with pride.

"Futari! Gotoh Futari! Nice to meet you, super handsome big brother from Onee-chan's phone!"

Minami blinked.

And then,

It all clicked into place.

Gotoh Hitori's little sister.

So that's why she looked so familiar.

Minami's memories from the simulator had included glimpses of Futari.

But back then—

She was already a middle schooler.

Cheerful, lively, full of energy—

Completely different from the tiny, innocent little girl standing before him now.

"Hug! Super handsome big brother, hug!"

Futari raised her little arms expectantly.

Her bright blue eyes sparkled,

Filled with childlike excitement.

"…What do you mean, 'super handsome big brother from Onee-chan's phone'?"

"Hug!"

"…Alright, alright."

Minami chuckled and scooped her up in his arms.

As soon as he did,

Futari wrapped her small arms around his neck,

Holding on tightly.

Then, with the most serious expression on her tiny face,

She declared,

"It means exactly what it sounds like!

I always see your pictures on Onee-chan's phone!"

Minami raised an eyebrow.

"…You always see my pictures?"

"Uh-huh! Onee-chan looks at your photos for like, half an hour every day before she practices guitar!

At home, I always see her staring at your pictures and smiling!"

"…"

Minami fell silent once again.

He had no idea what to say.

But one thing was clear—

Gotoh Hitori was about to have a very hard time explaining this.

At home, Futari had often wandered into her older sister's room,

And every time,

She would see her sister staring at a certain someone's picture on her phone.

From Futari's perspective—

It made no sense.

Her sister never had any friends in school.

So why was she sitting there, grinning at some picture of a mysterious guy?

And now—

She had finally met him in person.

So naturally,

Futari was extremely excited.

"Super handsome big brother, do you know my Onee-chan?"

She asked eagerly,

Still clinging onto him.

"Of course.

Your sister and I are good friends."

Minami smiled and gently ruffled her hair.

"Also, you can just call me Minami, Futari."

Little kids always came up with the strangest nicknames.

'Super handsome big brother'?

Even if it was true,

He still had to correct it.

But just as Minami was about to explain—

A familiar notification suddenly rang in his ears.

[New Simulatable Target Found: Gotoh Futari]

"…?"

Minami froze.