The warmth of the bed couldn't warm Minami Yuuki's heart. He lifted the blanket, and the cool air of the spring morning chased away the warmth from his body.
He took a large bottle of oolong tea from the fridge, and as the dark tea entered his stomach, his spirits lifted, and his mood calmed a bit.
He thought, things probably weren't as bad as he imagined. Maybe he was just worrying needlessly.
In the first simulation, nothing unexpected happened. It showed that Asano Nao was merely a voyeur, not someone who would stalk, threaten, or kidnap.
Placing the teacup on the bedside table, Minami Yuuki lay back in bed to continue the simulation.
[You are 99% sure that the Asano house in front of you is where Asano Nao is hiding. She watches you through the window every day and has fallen in love with you.]
[Standing in front of the Asano house, you choose to…]
[1. Ring the doorbell and meet her; 2. Turn around and leave, seeking another opportunity to meet; 3. Call the police and have her arrested; 4. Free simulation]
What should he choose?
Option three was immediately ruled out. If he had more simulation attempts, he might choose it for fun. But with limited tries, it wasn't practical.
Option one was risky. Approaching directly without knowing Asano Nao's personality could lead to many unpredictable changes. It would be bad if she got scared and ran away or overreacted.
Rather than taking risks to approach someone, Minami Yuuki preferred to disguise himself as prey, waiting for the other party to come to him.
The highest form of hunter often appears as prey.
I choose option two!
Temporarily retreat and look for another opportunity to contact Asano Nao!
[After thinking for a moment, you turn around and leave.]
[For the next week, you lie low and live your normal life. Once you confirm that Asano Nao is behaving normally, you begin your actions.]
[First, you investigate Asano Nao. Using your handsome appearance, you strike up a friendship with Mrs. Tanaka, who loves gossip in the residential area, to inquire about the Asano family.]
Minami Yuuki felt his brain becoming more active. The scene of talking with Mrs. Tanaka floated up from the waters of memory, creating ripples.
He closed his eyes to watch this memory.
The scene was by the roadside outside a park at dusk. Two children played in the sandpit while he stood with a woman who looked just under thirty, with above-average looks.
"Mrs. Tanaka, does anyone live next door to you? I often see the lights on at night but never see anyone from that house," Minami Yuuki feigned curiosity.
The vending machine by the roadside emitted colorful lights. He bought two cans of coffee, handing one to Mrs. Tanaka.
"You don't need to call me Mrs. Tanaka. It makes me feel like an old lady. Call me Mako or sister Mako," Tanaka Mako accepted the coffee, her pinky finger brushing against Minami Yuuki's palm.
With a click, she opened the tab and took a sip of coffee, saying, "Next door? You mean the Asano house? Someone lives there. The Asano family's daughter lives in that house."
"Daughter? Such a young girl living alone?" Minami Yuuki parted his lips slightly, his youthful, moist eyes looking at Tanaka Mako's face with confusion and curiosity.
Being seriously gazed at by such a handsome young man made Tanaka Mako's heart race. She felt her face heating up and quickly took a sip of the cold coffee.
Recalling Minami Yuuki's question, she smiled, "Although she's called a daughter, she's actually quite grown. Hmm... four or five years older than you? She's a shut-in, a NEET, so it's normal you haven't seen her. I rarely see her myself."
"NEET?" Minami Yuuki pretended to be shocked.
[Mrs. Tanaka likes you and enjoys talking with you. With a bit of guidance, she reveals everything about Asano Nao.]
"That girl, her name is Asano Nao, right? Six or seven years ago, she was still a cheerful child and quite good-looking. Now she's completely a social outcast. I saw her a few days ago, wearing dirty sportswear, with thick glasses, and hunched over. She's beyond help."
As Tanaka Mako spoke, she shook her head with a look of compassion, showing her kindness.
"It's hard to imagine, a NEET and a girl at that," Minami Yuuki sighed along.
"There's a reason behind it. Six or seven years ago, when she was in junior high, her parents died in a car accident. Her grandmother came from the countryside to take care of her, but those old country folks don't know much. Instead of raising her properly, she let her become a NEET step by step. Her grandmother's health deteriorated a few years ago and she went back to the countryside, leaving the girl to live alone."
When mentioning Asano Nao's grandmother, Tanaka Mako's tone turned disdainful, blaming the elderly woman. She attributed the fault to the grandmother.
"Such a thing happened," Minami Yuuki lowered his eyes, feigning sadness.
He thought, his guess was more or less right. Asano Nao was a shut-in. Over time, her mind became fragile, and her actions edged on legality.
"Don't be sad for someone like that, Yuuki. In the end, it's her own fault for not being strong. Everyone has sad experiences, but not everyone turns out like her," Tanaka Mako placed her hand on Minami Yuuki's shoulder to comfort him.
"Living without parents must be hard. If my parents didn't send me living expenses, I wouldn't know what to do."
"You're too kind, Yuuki. She's probably living more comfortably than you think!"
The children playing in the sandpit ran home as night fell. Tanaka Mako took Minami Yuuki to a bench in the park and sat down.
After finishing her coffee, she placed the empty can on the bench and continued, "Her parents' compensation must be a huge amount. Her father was a small section chief at a big company! I don't know the exact amount. The house she lives in could be sold for tens of millions of yen."
Tens of millions of yen, roughly a few million yuan.
With the compensation, Asano Nao must be quite wealthy.
"Yuuki, your home is in the countryside, right? Even if you graduate and enter a big company, buying a house in Misaki will take many years of hard work!"
Tanaka Mako turned to look at Minami Yuuki. Her arm, originally resting on the back of the bench, slowly moved up to encircle the boy's shoulders. The touch of his firm muscles made her heart pound.
She leaned closer to Minami Yuuki and said, "Misaki is very prosperous, right? There must be many things you want to buy? Sister can give them to you."
[Through Mrs. Tanaka, you learned about Asano Nao: in her early twenties, a shut-in, orphaned, with a grandmother in the countryside, and seems to have a lot of money.]
[Your feigned closeness these days made Mrs. Tanaka develop extra thoughts. She hinted that she could give you expensive items.]
[Facing her temptation, you choose…]
[1. Gladly accept; 2. Politely decline; 3. Scold her and call the police; 4. Free simulation]
"…"
Minami Yuuki held his forehead and sighed.
I just wanted to find out about Asano Nao. How did I end up in this situation?
What would happen if I chose option one?
In the memory scene, Mrs. Tanaka's legs looked pretty nice, though her face was just average.
He reached out and clicked option two.
[You pretended to be frightened, excuse yourself saying you haven't finished your homework, and flee the park. Mrs. Tanaka feels remorseful, thinking she was too hasty.]