My Simulation… Why Is It Turning into a Real Romance?!-Chapter 382 - 173: I Have to Leave Now

"Haru, welcome home~"

She stood at the entryway in a pure white dress that fell below her knees. Her long blue hair, as vivid as the sea, was tied neatly into shoulder-length twin tails. With her hands resting lightly on her stomach, she carried herself with the elegance and grace of a proper young lady.

To Haru's eyes, her smile was radiant and gentle. But to Taki, who stood beside him as another girlfriend, that same smile was nothing short of terrifying. It had been so long since she had seen Sakiko wear such an expression that it almost felt like stepping back into the CRYCHIC days.

"…Hmph. So, Sakiko only has eyes for Haru, huh?"

Ryo's dry remark made Sakiko freeze. She cleared her throat to cover her slip, then, lifting the hem of her dress with impeccable grace, responded softly:

"Of course not! Naturally, I'm happy to welcome everyone."

Not convincing in the slightest.

Seeing this complete break from the Sakiko she had imagined, Taki finally couldn't hold back. "Are you really Sakiko? The contrast from before is just way too much!"

"…Isn't this normal? I'm not the same person I used to be." A faint blush colored Sakiko's flawless features. She coughed once more before continuing. "The foolish me from before is gone! I'm perfectly normal now."

That was a clean cut.

Haru managed to keep a calm expression, though his mind was full of complaints. He had thought Sakiko and Soyo's personalities were complete opposites, and therefore unlikely to get along. But to his surprise, their relationship had become unexpectedly harmonious.

Even their ability to "cut ties" so decisively was identical, like they had been trained by the same teacher.

"Welcome back."

"Haru~"

From the living room, Umiri poked her head out expressionlessly. At the same time, a certain pink-haired girl abandoned her task altogether and threw herself into Haru's arms. Without the benefit of "armor up front" to soften the impact, he nearly staggered.

"Welcome home! The bath is already running, and Mutsumi and Soyo are working on dinner! So, Haru, will it be bath first, or dinner first… or maybe..."

"Or maybe me first?"

"Wait, that's my line!"

Sakiko's beautiful eyes widened in panic, but Anon only winked at her with a triumphant grin. "Whoever says it first gets it~ Watching from the sidelines won't win you anything."

"That's unfair, Anon-chan! I want to try saying it too!"

"Kita-chan, you weren't even in this batch that 'came home'!"

"Ah! But if it's like that, then I want to try too…"

The cheerful chatter of the girls filled the entryway, and before long the wide space was crammed to bursting. Just as Haru braced himself to appease each one of them, a sharp clapping of hands sliced through the sugary atmosphere.

At the kitchen doorway stood Soyo, wearing a blue-and-white checkered apron dusted with flour, strands of hair catching the light like honey. She looked as though she had just stepped out of an English afternoon tea painting.

Her gaze was level, her blue eyes carrying a quiet authority.

"All right, how long do you plan to keep fooling around?"

"There's still plenty of work left undone, isn't there? If this continues, we'll never be ready for tonight's Christmas party. I'm already overwhelmed just preparing food for more than ten people."

Her flat, unshaken words landed like a military order, instantly silencing the room.

Haru looked at her in surprise. He hadn't expected her to command so much authority. Was it her overwhelming "wifely aura" that made people instinctively want to follow her lead?

The thought made him glance at Sakiko, who was just as stunned. She quickly noticed his gaze, biting her lip in flustered embarrassment as if to say, "Why are you looking at me?!"

Fine. Not looking anymore.

"Sorry!"

The girls apologized at once. Anon obediently went back to decorating, while Seika hurriedly slipped out of her snow boots and into her fluffy slippers.

"Soyo, wait a second! I'll come help in the kitchen too!"

Her words were like a signal. Kita's eyes lit up. "Then I'll help Anon with the decorations! I'm actually pretty good at this kind of work~"

"Bocchi, you can help with the tree. As for Ryo-senpai..."

"I'll supervise you all."

"You just don't want to work, do you?!"

Haru smiled as the living room regained its busy rhythm. He grabbed a black hair tie between his teeth and rolled up his sleeves, ready to head into the kitchen—only to be firmly pushed back out by Soyo.

"Seika will be helping, so the kitchen already has enough hands."

Her firm push against his back and her unyielding tone made Haru's scalp prickle. Clearly, she wasn't going to let him have a say in the matter.

What the hell?

It was one thing when they kept him away from trivial tasks, but even the head chef wasn't allowed into the kitchen?

"Don't misunderstand. There's something else you need to do."

Soyo exchanged a look with Sakiko, who gave the faintest nod. Then Sakiko stepped toward Haru, trying to maintain her composure as she raised her eyes to his.

"Soyo's right. Not everyone is here yet."

"Hm? Uika's not back?"

Only then did Haru realize Uika wasn't among them. His question had barely left his lips when Sakiko lifted her head abruptly, feigning nonchalance.

"Even on Christmas, Sumimi still has work. Uika should still be at the office. It's getting late, and it worries me for her to come back alone."

"...So, Haru, you'll go pick her up."

Her eyes darted away, her voice stiff.

Even Taki could tell Sakiko was lying. She was not the type who could fabricate so easily, and Haru, who lived with her, certainly knew it too.

"You're right. I'll go bring her back."

Only after he agreed did Sakiko finally relax, exchanging a subtle glance with Soyo. They probably thought their little plan flawless, not realizing Haru had caught their eye contact.

He chose not to call them out.

Still, he hadn't expected even Sakiko and Soyo to form an alliance. And the fact that all the girlfriends were getting along so well… he did welcome it, but his feelings about it were complicated.

With all of them united, it was like they controlled his very life and death.

And he, a Sigma man, couldn't allow himself to be pushed around by women!

One of these days, he'd have to crush them completely, just to keep them from getting too cocky.

…

Snowflakes as light as feathers spun and danced through the air, glowing silver beneath the bright moonlight. Ikebukuro's shopping streets were still frosted with winter's chill, yet far from quiet.

Warm lamplight stretched his shadow long as Haru walked, white umbrella in hand. People bustled past, moving against his stride.

"The snow's getting heavier lately."

Snowflakes pattered against the pale canopy of his umbrella. Wrapped in a fitted black coat, Haru lengthened his stride through the crowd.

Not far away, a blonde girl stepped out of the office building. With her tan cap pulled low, she tilted her head toward the sky, hesitant only for a second before moving forward with resolve.

But...

"Wait up, wait up, Ui-chan! You're way too fast!"

"We just finished work, and we still had some things left to discuss. I didn't even get the chance to talk to you before you bolted!"

Wrapped tightly against the cold, Sumita Mana caught up to her. Uika gave her a weary look, tugging the brim of her cap lower, her soft gaze meeting Mana's.

"Sorry, Mana-chan. I have something important tonight."

Mana planted her hands on her hips.

"…An idol from Sumimi, on Christmas Eve, saying she has 'something important'? If your fans found out, you'd be roasted alive."

"Don't tell me you already have someone you're spending tonight with?"

Uika's awkward smile only deepened, but she pressed her hands together in a faintly shy gesture. The smile that usually seemed so calm and professional carried a hint of something softer.

"…Something like that."

"Eh?! Really? Wait, don't tell me you mean...."

Mana froze, eyes widening in shock.

Before she could press further, Uika herself froze for just a heartbeat, then broke into a radiant smile so warm it took Mana completely off guard.

"Sorry, Mana."

"I have to leave now!"

With unmistakable joy in her voice, Uika didn't wait for a reply. Her boots crunched against the snow as she hurried forward at a speed Mana had never seen from her.

Staring after her, Mana's mouth fell open.

"No way…"

That boy she'd mentioned before… he had actually come to the office to pick her up?!

Uika's lashes trembled as she clasped her hands behind her back, uncaring of the snowflakes clinging to her golden hair. Her violet eyes lifted toward her lover.

"Haru, you really came all the way to pick me up?"

"What, am I not welcome?"

Haru chuckled, tilting the umbrella toward her.

Uika frantically waved her hands, her blonde head bobbing like a rattle-drum. "N-no, not at all! I'm so, so happy… I can't believe you actually came…"

"With snow this heavy, of course I'd worry about you."

Just a simple line of concern, but to her it was sweeter than honey. Her usual calm smile was gone, replaced by one she couldn't suppress from the bottom of her heart.

"R-really?"

"But still, coming right to the office door… isn't that a bit too flashy? Let's get out of here before anyone notices. By the time we're home, Sakiko and the others should have finished decorating."

Haru offered his free hand. Uika immediately slipped hers into his, her shoulder pressing against his as if to huddle closer under the umbrella.

"Y-yeah! You're right!"

"But honestly, I don't care about that. What matters most to me is that you came for me…"

"If your fans or Mana-san heard that, they'd be heartbroken." Haru laughed softly as he held her chilled fingers, but Uika only raised her head seriously.

"B-but Haru is more important to me!"

And she wasn't lying.

For Uika now, being an idol was just one possible path. Even with her age and popularity promising a future on bigger and bigger stages, she no longer cared about the fleeting illusion of fame.

What if she became a world-class idol?

Compared to that, she'd rather be preparing for a family of her own.

"Alright, alright~"

Haru gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then glanced back at the office door. Spotting the stunned Mana, he gave her a polite wave before turning away with Uika.

Mana, left behind, looked like she might cry.

"I want to be happy for her… but why do I feel so pitiful all of a sudden?! Why do I have to spend Christmas stuck at work, and then go home all alone!"