LRAB Page 35
Page 35
“It’s time.” Mai Sakurajima said this and turned to walk back to the guest room—the empty room next to Yuto Itsuka’s, which she had temporarily used as her bedroom.
Yuto Itsuka sat in the darkness, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
It turns out that some people really do things like cutting off the power...
He could only obediently go back to his room to sleep.
As he lay in bed, his thoughts wandering, he realized that Mai Sakurajima was unconsciously taking over his life, from his eating and sleeping habits to his sleep schedule.
This feeling is amazing.
His original intention was to make her get used to him and unable to leave him, so that he could subtly uncover her feelings.
But now, he seems to be slowly getting used to having her by his side.
Every day when he returns home, he is no longer greeted by an empty room, but by bright lights and the aroma of food.
The things he carelessly tossed aside would always be quietly picked up by someone.
While he stays up all night playing games, someone will force him to rest in an unquestionable manner.
Is this what motherly love is?
He became somewhat addicted to the feeling of being cared for and looked after...
He quickly shook his head to banish these dangerous thoughts.
'Wake up! This is a simulation! This is a simulation, this is a simulation, this is a simulation…'
He reminded himself of this.
……
[P.S.: I thought this month had a 31... So let's open the bounty tomorrow, Tuesday night. The sooner it's over, the better...]
Book 1: Chapter 44: You must always remember that you are just playing a role.
On Friday afternoon, the bell rang to signal the end of the last class.
"Senior, I'm not going straight back today." Under the ginkgo tree at the school gate, Itsuka Yuto said to Sakurajima Mai beside him.
"Where to go?"
"Ah, I made plans with Hirota from my class to attend a study session at his house. I'll head home by myself later," he said casually.
That's not actually the case; he doesn't have any friends in this simulated world at all.
Mai Sakurajima looked at him and remained silent for a moment.
"What time will you be back?"
"It's hard to say, probably around eight or nine o'clock," Yuto Itsuka deliberately gave a vague time.
"Ah."
She simply responded softly and didn't ask any further questions.
"I'll be going now, senior."
"Be careful on the road," Mai Sakurajima's voice came from behind.
Yuto Itsuka said goodbye to her, and after leaving the school gate, he went around to a nearby coffee shop and chose a seat by the window.
He planned to kill time here.
He stayed until the coffee shop was about to close before slowly getting up and leaving.
At 9:30 p.m., he stood in front of his rented room, took out his key and opened the door.
"I'm back," he called out habitually into the dark room.
no respond.
The room was pitch black and silent, just like when he first came into this world.
A sudden feeling of emptiness welled up inside him.
This has never happened before; habit is a terrible thing.
In just two weeks, he had gotten used to the light left on for him, to the busy figure in the kitchen, and to the steaming hot dinner.
When all of this suddenly disappeared, he realized that he seemed to have developed a kind of dependence.
This is not good.
Yuto Itsuka didn't turn on the lights. Using the faint moonlight coming in through the window, he groped his way to the living room.
He casually tossed his backpack onto the sofa, then sank into it.
He stared at the ceiling, his mind blank.
'You have to remember that you're just playing a role.' He recalled this quote, which he had seen somewhere, and it perfectly described his current situation.
He has always believed that simulation is simulation and reality is reality, and one should not immerse oneself in the simulated world; the two should not be confused.
It's like playing a live-action visual novel.
During the first simulation, he felt that since it was a simulated world, he could do whatever he wanted.
He played the role of an older brother who doted on the hearing-impaired little girl next door.
He punched Ishida Shoya and kicked Ueno Naoka, taking strong action against bullying. In the end, he added a significant chapter to the little girl's life with his own life.
I completed the visual novel and received the simulation rewards.
Whether the reward is a B in sign language or a B in hand seals makes no difference to him; he never intended to use this dating simulation system to become a superior person.
For him, the entire simulation process was just a role-playing game, and he didn't get overly immersed in it.
He always remembered his purpose: to experience the feeling of being in love in a simulation.
The purpose of falling in love is to write, and the purpose of writing is to make money; the goal is very clear.
However, the feelings that Mai Sakurajima evoked in him during this simulation broke down the walls of his heart.
This gave him the idea that "this is not a simulation, this is reality".
Although he knew that once the simulation ended, everything would disappear, Mai Sakurajima would return to normal and continue living in the simulated world, while he would leave and return to the real world.
'Am I doing the right thing, playing the role the way I'm doing?'
'Right? Wrong. Right? Wrong. Right? Wrong…'
Just as he was lost in thought, a calm voice suddenly rang out from the darkness.
"came back?"
Yuto Itsuka shuddered and sprang up from the sofa!
He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a blurry silhouette sitting on a chair in the living room.
The person didn't turn on the light; she just sat quietly in the darkness, blending into the shadows. If she hadn't spoken up, he wouldn't have noticed her at all.
"S-senpai?" Itsuka Yuto's voice trembled slightly, half from shock, and the other half... he couldn't quite explain what emotion it was.
"Clap."
The lights in the living room came on.
Mai Sakurajima sat in a chair, still wearing her school uniform, and looked like she had been sitting there for a long time.
"Why...didn't you turn on the lights?" Itsuka Yuto's heart was still pounding.
"Saves electricity."
This reason is so compelling that it's impossible to refute.
Mai Sakurajima stood up, walked to the dining table, poured him a glass of warm water, and said, "Have some water."
Yuto Itsuka took the cup; it was warm, and the water inside was at the perfect temperature, clearly prepared in advance.
He lowered his head and took a sip. The warm liquid slid down his throat, dispelling the chill of the night and calming the inexplicable anxiety in his heart.
"Senior, have you been waiting for me here all this time?" he couldn't help but ask.
"Ah."
"Since when?"
"Six o'clock."
Six o'clock... and now it's 9:30, a full three and a half hours.
She sat there alone without turning on the lights, quietly waiting for him to come back.
During those three and a half hours, would she worry that he would try something dangerous again? Would she rehearse countless possible accidents that might happen to him in her mind?
He didn't know, because he couldn't read anything from her face.
But just now, she got up to pour water in a rather hurried manner.
"Thank you, senior sister."
He wanted to say something, to explain, to apologize, but the words stuck in his throat.
He didn't want to ruin his public image.
He held the water glass, and as he drank, his fingers inadvertently touched her hand, which hadn't completely retracted yet.
Her hands were cold, and her fingertips trembled slightly.
In the past, she would probably have pulled her hand back immediately, but this time, she only froze for a moment and did not move.
Yuto Itsuka's heart stirred, and he grew bolder. He put down his water glass and took her hand in his.
He could clearly feel her fingertips trembling slightly in his palm.
But he didn't let go; he wrapped each of her fingers in his palm.
Mai Sakurajima lowered her head, looking at the two clasped hands, her long eyelashes drooping down, obscuring the expression in her eyes.
The only sound in the living room was the ticking of the wall clock.
One second, two seconds, one minute...
She remained still, letting him hold her hand.
"Senior," Yuto Itsuka broke the silence first, "I'm hungry."
Mai Sakurajima finally snapped out of her daze. She raised her head, gave a soft "hmm," and then tried to pull her hand back.
Yuto Itsuka gripped his hand even tighter.
"What delicious food did you make today, senior?" he asked with a grin, as if that ambiguous moment from just now had never happened.
Mai Sakurajima's gaze shifted from their tightly clasped hands to the dining table, where several plates were covered with dust covers.
“Your favorite, hamburger patty,” she said softly.
"..."
'I'm just playing a role, I'm just playing a role, I'm just playing a role!'
Book 1: Chapter 45: Massage, Massage
If you put a bullfrog directly into a pot of boiling water, it will immediately jump out.
However, if you put it in cold water and slowly cook it with scallions, ginger, and garlic, it will gradually adapt to the temperature because of its gluttony, and eventually turn into a pot of bullfrog stew.
This teaches us a lesson—don't be greedy.
Yuto Itsuka feels like he's a frog right now, with Mai Sakurajima using her meticulous care to create a pot of cold water and slowly boil him in it.
Who knows, he might turn into bullfrog stew someday.
Therefore, he must be vigilant enough to realize that he is only playing a role.
……
"Senior, press over there, yes, that's it~"
"Ah~ that feels so good..."