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Chapter 278: What Lies Beneath a Girl’s Skirt?
🕑 Added 2025-04-10 07:00:07 +0000 UTC"Wait a minute… Matsuzaka-san, why are you suspicious in the first place?"
Minami couldn't help but facepalm as he read the simulation text.
That's your aunt we're talking about!
Do you even realize how big the age gap is between me and her?
Even if it wasn't 20 years, it was at least a decade!
And that's the person you're keeping an eye on?!
Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself?!
Minami sighed, shaking his head.
Then again,
It wasn't that surprising.
After all, Matsuzaka Sayuri did have a questionable past.
And on top of that,
She had a natural allure that allowed her to effortlessly manipulate men.
It was only natural for Matsuzaka Satou to be on guard.
Thinking this,
Minami refocused his mind on the simulation.
But just as he was about to dive deeper—
"Huh?"
A sudden soft impact brushed against his side.
Startled, he blinked—
Then turned his head.
Lying beside him—
Chisato, who had originally been facing away from him, had unknowingly turned over in her sleep.
Her radiant, golden hair draped over her serene face.
Her lips, soft and slightly parted were dangerously close.
She was completely asleep.
Her body curled up slightly.
And with that movement—
Her oversized pajama top tightened around her chest—
Struggling to contain the mountainous silhouette beneath.
Minami: "..."
This woman… falls asleep way too fast.
But considering everything that had happened today—
The marriage certificate.
The bed-sharing.
It was probably too much of an emotional rollercoaster for her.
He leaned in, lightly tapping her lips. Then pulled the blanket higher over her shoulders.
Still, as he turned back to the simulator screen. Minami couldn't shake the weird feeling in his heart.
Was it really okay…
To be running a simulation about another woman…
While literally lying in bed with Chisato?
On the screen in front of him was the simulation page related to Matsuzaka Satou.
Minami felt a strange sense of contradiction.
Here he was, lying in Chisato's bed—yet at the same time, he was running a simulation involving another woman...
Wasn't this kind of behavior a bit…?
For some reason, Minami felt a twinge of guilt in his conscience.
But he quickly shook his head and shoved his "conscience" aside.
It was just a simulation!
It wasn't like he was actually interacting with anyone in reality.
There was no need to dwell on it too much.
With that bit of self-reassurance, he refocused his attention on the simulation page, fully immersing himself in it.
[Matsuzaka Satou's wariness was not without reason.]
[She knew all too well how irresistible a rare sight like Tokyo's No.1 Pretty Boy would be to Matsuzaka Sayuri. ]
[And just as much, she understood your adolescent curiosity and certain desires toward the female body. ]
[Because of this, she became wary of your relationship with Matsuzaka Sayuri. ]
[Of course, she still trusted you. ]
[She knew that someone like you wouldn't succumb to temptation so easily, let alone develop any kind of intimate relationship with a woman in her thirties or forties. ]
"Not bad."
Minami nodded to himself.
It seemed that his unwavering resistance to temptation, his unyielding purity, and his superior moral character were still qualities that some were willing to believe in.
He continued reading.
[And because she trusted you, she went so far as to hire a private investigator who specialized in extramarital affairs to look into your relationship with Aunt Sayuri.]
[At times, she even personally followed you two in secret.]
"…?" Minami.
Wait—
Matsuzaka-san…? Are you sure this is what trust looks like?
A private investigator?
Tailing—?
Minami rubbed his temples.
If he were to be completely honest, he had always thought of himself as a trustworthy person, someone worth believing in.
And yet, after seeing Matsuzaka-san's actions, even he couldn't help but shake his head.
Hmph. In the end, she's just a woman.
She doesn't understand my level of self-control when faced with temptation.
Minami shrugged, paying no mind to Matsuzaka Satou's investigation in the simulation.
No matter how he looked at it, there was simply no way anything could happen between him and Matsuzaka Sayuri.
There was a whole twenty-year age gap between them.
How could that even be possible?
He had complete confidence in his willpower.
So, since Matsuzaka Satou was wasting her efforts on something pointless—
There was no need to worry about her so-called "investigation."
"In the end, it'll all come to nothing anyway."
That was Minami's optimistic conclusion.
And then—
[Through Matsuzaka Satou's thorough investigation, she indeed discovered that you and Matsuzaka Sayuri had been growing increasingly close. ]
[During your free time, you would accompany her on shopping trips. ]
[At times, you even went to clothing stores together. ]
[According to the private investigator's report, you spent the majority of your outings during that period with Matsuzaka Sayuri. ]
"…Hah?"
Minami blinked, rubbing his eyes.
He wasn't entirely sure if he had just read that correctly.
Him?
And Matsuzaka Sayuri?
Frequent outings?
Wait—
Minami-san, what exactly have you been up to?
Minami sucked in a breath.
That couldn't be right.
From a moral standpoint—
Or just from the fact that they were at least twenty years apart in age—
It should've been impossible for him to get involved with Matsuzaka Sayuri.
Minami wouldn't be so weak-willed, would he?
He couldn't make sense of it.
But something told him there had to be more to this.
So he forced himself to keep reading.
[Faced with the overwhelming amount of evidence, even Matsuzaka Satou was taken aback.]
[She simply couldn't imagine how your relationship with Matsuzaka Sayuri had progressed so quickly.]
[And yet, despite this, she still chose to believe you.]
[She convinced herself that it must have been Matsuzaka Sayuri who invited you out, forcing you to accompany her out of respect for an elder.]
[After all, in her eyes, her aunt was a woman with a history.]
[It was only natural for her to take an interest in someone as young, fair-skinned, and handsome as you.]
[In order to get to the bottom of your relationship with Matsuzaka Sayuri—
[She secretly checked your phone.]
[Since she had been living with you, she had long memorized your gesture password.]
[Unlocking it was hardly a challenge for her.]
[However, what she found completely defied her expectations.]
[The majority of your messages with Matsuzaka Sayuri, were sent by you.]
[You were the one actively inviting her out.]
[This left her stunned.]
[Because in her mind, you should have only been going along with her requests, unable to refuse because of her status as your elder.]
[Yet even with the evidence right in front of her, she still refused to accept the truth. ]
[She told herself those were just chat logs. ]
[They didn't prove anything.]
[In her eyes, you were still the same flawless, charismatic Minami-senpai.]
At this point, Minami couldn't hold it in anymore.
"What kind of love-struck fool…?"
Even after all this, Matsuzaka Satou still hadn't begun to doubt him.
Even Minami, who was just observing from the outside, was taken aback.
To be honest, even he could tell that the simulated version of himself was practically cheating.
Even if he wasn't—
He was one step away from crossing that line.
All that was missing was solid, undeniable evidence to shove in Matsuzaka Satou's face.
And yet, even now, she was still willing to believe in him.
Still willing to defend him in her heart.
This was…
Minami decided to keep reading.
[She had always been dense when it came to matters of love, uncertain of what to do. ]
[But this time, she knew she couldn't just let things continue as they were.]
[She had no idea what to do.]
[But she knew— She had to talk to you about her aunt.]
[And so, during a lunch break when you were both free—
[She called you up to the rooftop, wanting to tell you everything she had seen and learned.]
[She told you, if you simply liked someone else, she wouldn't hold a single grievance. ]
[But her aunt, Matsuzaka Sayuri, was out of the question.]
[Her voice remained as gentle and composed as ever, but if you listened closely, there was the faintest tremor in her tone…]
The simulated scene—
Like a film reel, began to play in his mind.
Shuka High's rooftop was usually off-limits to students.
Officially, it was for their safety.
But in truth, it was to prevent students with suicidal thoughts from jumping and causing the school further trouble.
But aside from that—
Shuka High's rooftop was actually a great place.
There were no benches, but there were tall protective fences.
Beyond the pale green bars, the sky stretched wide and uninterrupted.
The blue was almost blinding.
The air felt fresher, the atmosphere lighter.
Standing in such an open space, it was almost impossible not to feel at ease.
That was exactly how Minami felt at that moment.
He turned his head slightly, glancing at the girl who was staring blankly at the sky.
"So… Matsuzaka-san, why did you call me up here?"
Matsuzaka Satou stood beside him.
Her pink eyes were fixated on the clear sky, reflecting nothing but its purity.
Only when she heard his voice—
Did those pink eyes shift toward him.
"Minami-senpai."
"Hm?"
Minami responded softly, watching as a passing breeze tousled her pink hair.
"I don't want you to be with my aunt."
She spoke calmly, voicing the words she had been holding in.
And Minami—
Showed a strange expression.
"Why would you say that?"
He asked, seemingly confused.
"Because I saw it."
Her voice, carried by the wind, was as clear and light as a wind chime.
"I saw you walking with her through the streets. I saw you entering a clothing store together, talking about something, smiling."
At those words—
The girl lowered her gaze, her voice quiet.
"I know you're not that kind of person, Minami-senpai. You wouldn't get involved with my aunt."
Her voice wavered for a moment.
Then, she continued.
"Even if you were tangled up with her, it would only be my aunt's fault."
She didn't know what this feeling inside her was.
It wasn't bitter.
Nor was it sweet.
This time—
The sourness in her heart was stronger than a freshly plucked lemon.
Matsuzaka Satou lifted her head, her voice soft as she asked,
"Why?"
"Is it for money? Her body? Or did she have something on Minami-senpai, forcing you into this?"
Her words carried an undeniable concern.
To her, these were all reasonable assumptions.
After all, she knew exactly what kind of person her aunt was.
But to Minami, her line of questioning was almost laughable.
Because in this situation—
Shouldn't she be doubting him first?
Wasn't that the logical thing to do?
After all, a fly doesn't buzz around an unbroken egg.
So why was Matsuzaka Satou questioning her aunt instead?
Yet she didn't seem to notice the subtle shift in Minami's expression.
Instead, she reached out—grabbing his hand.
Minami was slightly surprised by the sudden gesture.
After all, Matsuzaka Satou had never been good at expressing her emotions.
She only ever looked at others with that same gentle, composed gaze.
For her to take the initiative like this—
It was rare.
His first instinct was to pull away.
But sensing the strength behind her grip—
He didn't.
"As long as you stay away from my aunt, I'll take care of everything."
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"I've been working part-time outside for a while now, and I've saved up quite a bit—one or two million yen, at least. Even if it's just me, I can support Minami-senpai."
She paused, then continued,
"If she's blackmailing you, I'll talk to her. That should settle things."
She was calculating every possibility, her expression serious.
"And if it's about… your body…"
She leaned in slightly.
Minami could faintly catch the scent of her.
"…compared to her, mine should be just as good."
Her voice was low, almost inaudible.
And at the same time—
She reached for the ribbon of her skirt.
"This is Shuka High's rooftop."
She stated matter-of-factly.
"I borrowed the key from Shouko."
Lifting her gaze—
"In other words, during lunchtime, no one will come here."
She explained calmly.
Dressed in a winter skirt, she slowly lifted the hem.
The pale skin of her thighs peeked from beneath the fabric.
—[You stopped her from going any further.]
"?" Minami blinked.
