[The letter abruptly ended, followed by the hospital's address and contact number.]
[You touch the two crumpled spots in the center of the white letter paper, which are traces of dried tears. Shocked by the contents of the letter, you fold it up, trembling, and carefully place it back into the envelope.]
[The sun climbed higher, a few snowflakes fell from the branches of the trees, and the wind lifted them, hurling them against the fence.]
[You went to see Yumemi Miu, the daughter of Asano Nao. She was even more fragile than you had imagined. You used your connections to transfer her to Misaki University Hospital for further diagnosis and invited renowned Western doctors to discuss her condition. You could only slightly alleviate her pain.]
[Asano Nao's body was found at her home in Yori Village, Yuhibi Prefecture. You and Chitose Kazumi held a funeral for her, attended by just the two of you.]
[Regarding Yumemi Miu, Asano Nao thought she had kept it a secret from Chitose Kazumi. In fact, Chitose Kazumi had long suspected it. Chitose Kazumi didn't expect that her intentional neglect would lead to such a result. She apologized to you, but you were unwilling to mention the past anymore.]
[Chitose Kazumi transferred her guilt to Yumemi Miu, visiting Miu whenever she had free time, sometimes even bringing her daughter, Touka. You visited the hospital room once a week. Yumemi Miu's body could no longer play wind instruments, so you taught her to play the electronic keyboard and the guitar.]
[You and Kazumi didn't tell the two children about the contents of the letter. Yumemi Miu's fragile heart couldn't withstand too much shock. To prevent Miu from doubting your feelings for her, you claimed that Asano Nao was a friend of yours.]
[You lived to ninety years old, nine years beyond the average male lifespan. Yumemi Miu died at sixty-one, twenty-six years short of the average female lifespan.]
[Before you died, you had two regrets: one was Asano Nao, and the other was music. Your achievements in music were astonishing, and you taught many famous musicians, but you were never able to stand among the masters of history. Your music was too technical, lacking emotion and a distinctive style.]
[Chitose Kazumi died a year after you.]
[Simulation ends.]
Lying on the sofa, Minami Yuuki didn't get up for a long time after seeing the end message.
The reason why the simulation continued after he and Asano Nao parted was found: their story hadn't ended yet.
He rather wished the story had ended there. The complex emotions from the memory scene still lingered in his mind, causing a knot in his heart.
This melancholy gradually turned into resentment, making him seethe with anger.
He got up from the sofa, looked toward the kitchen, and saw that Asano Nao was no longer there. A plate of cookies was on the dining table. He walked through the living room, climbed the stairs, and stood at Asano Nao's door, pressing down the door handle.
Light from the hallway shone into Asano Nao's dim bedroom, where she lay sound asleep.
Minami Yuuki stood by her bed, looking at her.
I'm nearly depressed, and you can actually sleep? How can you sleep!
He pinched Asano Nao's sleeping face and pulled it to both sides.
Running away with the ball, are you!
Only thought to contact me after you died, huh?
Today, I'm going to teach you a good lesson!
Asano Nao woke up from her dream, bewildered as she endured punishment for a possible future crime, watching helplessly as Minami Yuuki satisfiedly turned and left after "assaulting" her face.
She sat up, holding her face, her mind racing, trying to figure out what had happened.
This time, besides in her dreams, she really didn't do anything! Could it be that she had to be punished for dreaming?
Or maybe, does Yuuki-kun have violent tendencies?
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. The boy often suddenly put on a stern face and bullied her.
What should she do?
She touched her cheeks, which had been kneaded by Minami Yuuki, feeling extremely distressed.
How can I make Yuuki-kun more intense?
The stairs in the Asano house, long overdue for repair, creaked as a wooden board sounded when Minami Yuuki stepped on it, reaching the first floor.
He sat back on the sofa, still feeling resentful toward Asano Nao.
In the previous simulated life, I was by your side, and you died in sorrow because of your daughter. Now that I'm not around, you can properly raise your daughter. Do you have some grudge against me?
The reason is not hard to imagine. After separating from Minami Yuuki, Asano Nao viewed her daughter as a substitute for Yuuki. For this person she loved, she naturally developed a strong tolerance, and besides, if the daughter left her, no one else would take care of her. She obviously couldn't be willful.
Wait a minute.
Minami Yuuki rubbed his chin, feeling enlightened.
Thinking carefully, in this simulated life, a significant problem was solved!
Asano Nao can coexist peacefully with her daughter!
He looked up the simulation text, finding the place where Asano Nao was hiding—Yori Village in Yuhibi Prefecture.
What if he starts over, waits until Asano Nao gets used to her daughter's presence, then suddenly goes to Yori Village to take them back? Wouldn't he then have a happy family!
Brilliant!
Let Asano Nao be on her own for a while, let her grow well in the countryside, and then he'll go and reap the benefits!
The more Minami Yuuki thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
However, he was out of simulation attempts.
To get more simulation attempts, he either had to wait for them to slowly recover or receive a heartfelt gift.
His sister's folded paper cranes were already on the way, arriving on Monday or Tuesday. Additionally, he could get Asano Nao to send him a heartfelt gift.
All of these would take time. Just as well, these simulations were exhausting. It's time for a good rest for a few days.
Rubbing his temples, Minami Yuuki opened the simulator.
He hadn't yet reviewed the summary of this simulation.
[Summary of this session]
[Stages experienced: Pursuit, Love, Change]
[Rating: 79]
[Comment: Your brilliance caused her anguish, leading to her eventual departure. Her daughter was a love letter she wrote for you, and the best gift you gave her.]
[Settlement: You gained a small amount of musical experience]
The simulator's comments matched Minami Yuuki's expectations, corroborating his judgment—Asano Nao could now get along with her daughter.
Next, he would wait for the simulation attempts to recover.
The settlement this time wasn't great. Minami Yuuki originally planned to use the skill extraction opportunity he was rewarded with before to extract the musical ability he had honed in this life, and now it seemed redundant with the small amount of musical experience he was awarded.
He decided to claim it first and save the skill extraction opportunity for later. Perhaps in the next simulation, he could achieve even greater musical accomplishments.
Clicking on the small amount of musical knowledge, Minami Yuuki closed his eyes as techniques for playing wind instruments, plucking strings, and other skills entered his mind, along with knowledge of music theory, scores, and critiques, all crystallizing in his brain.
This small amount of musical experience encompassed the knowledge and performance experience of all the instruments he had learned in his simulated life.
He felt that just this small amount was enough for him to join the school's music club and easily win awards in school competitions.
It truly deserves to be the accumulation of my lifetime!
All this was earned and practiced through my hard work, through braving the cold in winter and the heat in summer!
I've really worked hard for myself!