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Chapter 258. Romantic Writing + Regrets of Life: Guitar
🕑 Added 2025-04-02 06:03:24 +0000 UTCMinami was in a great mood.
The reason was simple—
He was finally going to meet Satou Matsuzaka's guardian, Sayuri Matsuzaka.
Just a small trick—a little charm—and he'd gotten Satou Matsuzaka to invite him into her home.
Honestly, even Minami himself felt it was almost too easy.
After all, in the simulation, no matter how long he'd interacted with Satou Matsuzaka, no matter how many chances he had, he'd never managed to meet this woman.
And yet this time, all it took was [Shouji Akane's Perfect Enchanting Smile], and just like that, he'd hit his target.
But none of that mattered now.
Minami exhaled lightly.
He had his chance.
Now it all came down to how he would use it.
That's what Minami thought—and what he was prepared for.
But—
"Hm?"
After stepping inside the apartment and sitting down, Minami froze.
What made him pause wasn't the mess Satou Matsuzaka had mentioned—some overwhelming disaster zone.
Nor was it like in anime, where a single girl's place is littered with underwear and bras.
No, the reason was—
No one was here.
Aside from him and Satou Matsuzaka, there wasn't a third person in sight.
This supposed guardian, Sayuri Matsuzaka, wasn't here at all.
He'd been played.
Minami hadn't expected Satou Matsuzaka to be living alone.
His brow furrowed—he should have seen this coming.
There were signs in the simulation, small details that hinted she lived alone during high school.
So now, what was the move?
Should he directly ask Satou Matsuzaka about Sayuri Matsuzaka?
No—that'd be reckless.
Judging by her earlier hesitation, it was clear she didn't want him getting involved with Sayuri.
Besides, how was he even supposed to explain how he knew about Sayuri Matsuzaka?
He couldn't exactly tell her he'd read her student records—in a simulation.
Minami gently shook his head.
Troublesome…
He'd thought this visit would unlock the mystery behind her emotional detachment.
And yet she'd thrown him another curveball.
Still, that didn't mean this whole trip was a loss.
Minami looked up at Satou Matsuzaka, who was fiddling with the kotatsu's heating switch.
From her earlier reluctance to let him come up, Minami could now be fairly certain—
Sayuri Matsuzaka most likely lived in this apartment building too.
Satou's refusal to let him up likely stemmed from her fear that they might run into Sayuri on the way.
This line of thinking felt solid.
No matter how you looked at it, Sayuri Matsuzaka, as her guardian, wouldn't just let a girl live alone in Tokyo.
With that logic locked in—
Minami calmly surveyed the room, thinking about how he could discover Sayuri Matsuzaka's actual unit number.
Truth be told, there were plenty of ways.
The most direct? Head to the security office near the building's passcode gate.
The security desk—or the building's manager—should have a full list of residents.
The tricky part was how to get that info.
Minami turned it over in his mind—
And just as he did—
"Minami-senpai."
If it were anyone else, being suddenly addressed mid-deep thought would've been startling.
But Minami's expression didn't even flicker.
Not a crack.
As Tokyo's No. 1 Pretty Boy, his ability to manage expressions was top-tier.
Minami simply gave a light "Hmm?" and turned his head calmly. "What is it, Satou-san?"
"Ah… it's nothing serious. I just wanted to ask if you'd sit here for a bit."
After checking the kotatsu's warmth and finding it just right, Satou Matsuzaka stood, giving him a gentle smile. "I'll go change my clothes and bring you some tea, okay?"
"Thanks."
Minami didn't say much—just nodded in response.
Satou Matsuzaka nodded back, said nothing else, and left him in the living room.
She opened the door to her room and slipped inside.
"Hah…"
Minami watched Satou Matsuzaka disappear into her room and gave a slight shake of his head.
As for how to get Sayuri Matsuzaka's exact apartment number—Minami already had a few ideas forming in his mind.
If he followed his plan step by step,
he should be able to meet Sayuri Matsuzaka face-to-face.
"So, next…"
Minami set aside thoughts of Sayuri for now, turning his focus to Satou Matsuzaka.
Her biggest issue was that she couldn't feel love.
And if she couldn't feel love, naturally she couldn't feel sorrow, joy, or any strong emotions.
She had no goals, no dreams, nothing that regular people would strive for.
She was like a blank canvas.
Simple—but excessively pure.
So in that case—
"What if she actually experienced 'joy, sorrow, and love'… firsthand?"
At that moment, an idea suddenly popped into Minami's mind. It was a bold concept he'd considered before but never acted on.
He glanced at the door to Satou Matsuzaka's room, now closed.
A plan quickly began to take shape in his head.
…
Inside her room, Satou Matsuzaka was picking through her wardrobe.
Truthfully, she had no shortage of clothes.
After all, wearing only a high school uniform year-round—anyone would find that unusual.
Even if she rarely understood others' emotions, she didn't want to be seen as weird.
That's why, in front of her friends, she always maintained a calm, elegant, harmless image.
Usually, she had no strong opinions about fashion—just something appropriate for her age, nothing more.
But—
"Hm… ah… mm…"
Staring at the variety of clothes in her wardrobe, Satou Matsuzaka pressed a finger against her pink lips, her delicate brows furrowing.
She didn't know why.
Someone who normally didn't care about outfits was now… completely at a loss.
Just the thought of Minami seeing her clothes—
It made her chest feel tight, a restless anxiety stirring inside.
"..."
Satou Matsuzaka.
She had never felt this way before.
And she didn't know how to deal with it.
But knowing Minami was waiting outside—
She couldn't hesitate any longer.
After some serious thought, she chose a beige knit sweater.
Simple, elegant.
"Minami-senpai probably won't dislike this, right?"
She murmured the words without thinking.
She didn't understand why she cared so much about his opinion…
But something in her heart told her—it was important that Minami thought she looked good.
Satou Matsuzaka shook her head, confused.
Then, she carefully examined herself in the mirror twice, confirming her hair was dry, her face clean—nothing amiss with her appearance.
Only then did she stand and leave her room.
But instead of heading to the living room—
She walked toward the kitchen.
Gathering cups, a teapot, and some snacks, she arranged everything neatly on a tray.
Finally, Satou Matsuzaka returned to the living room with the tray in hand.
"Minami-senp—"
She was about to call out to Minami, who now had his legs tucked into the kotatsu—
But stopped.
The black-haired young man, who had been deep in thought earlier, was now writing something.
"Hm…?"
Watching his focused expression, Satou Matsuzaka instinctively stepped lightly, silently taking a seat across from him.
Curious, she glanced in his direction.
What first caught her eye was the white writing paper with red margins, filling her view.
Minami seemed to be writing on it.
His pale fingers gripped a pencil, wrist moving smoothly with purpose, not a hint of hesitation—his movements confident, fluid, and strangely beautiful.
Just the simple act of writing…
Yet Minami made it seem pleasing to the eye.
Was this some homework? Maybe an essay assigned by a teacher?
Pouring herself a cup of tea, Satou Matsuzaka hesitated, then gently poured a cup for Minami as well.
Setting the cup beside him—She quietly stood up and placed the teacup within easy reach of Minami's hand.
Once she finished, she made no further sound.
Sipping her tea, she tilted her head slightly, pink eyes filled with curiosity as she watched him.
Ordinarily, staring like that might feel tedious.
But Satou Matsuzaka didn't feel bored in the slightest.
Just watching Minami—just observing him—was enough to stir a sense of wonder in her heart.
So, she kept watching.
The white manuscript paper glowed softly under the warm light.
But even brighter than the paper were Minami's pale fingers as he turned the page.
Gazing at those delicate hands—
Satou Matsuzaka couldn't help but take a few extra sips of tea, trying to calm the strange flutter of restlessness within her.
After a while—
Minami's hand paused mid-movement.
"Ah…"
The sudden stop startled Satou Matsuzaka, who had been watching him intently, and she let out a sound without thinking.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
Minami looked over at her, puzzled.
"Ah… it's nothing, Minami-senpai."
Satou Matsuzaka quickly replied in a soft voice.
She had been so absorbed in watching him write that the sound escaped her without realizing it.
She definitely didn't want Minami to know that.
Luckily, Minami didn't press the issue.
He simply replied, "Is that so?" and began gathering the papers beside him.
Watching him, Satou Matsuzaka couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked, "Minami-senpai, what were you writing just now?"
"Oh, that."
Minami took a sip of tea and lifted the manuscript paper. "Just some lyrics I've written for a new song. I'm in a band outside of school."
"Lyrics for a new song? A band outside of school?"
Satou Matsuzaka looked surprised. "Minami-senpai, you're involved in band activities? And writing lyrics for them?"
"Yup."
Minami smiled. "I might not look it, but I'm their supporting member."
"'Their…?"
Satou Matsuzaka instantly picked up on the subtle plural pronoun.
"That's right."
Minami didn't bother hiding anything. "It's a rock band called Kessoku Band. I'm one of their support members—I play guitar."
"Is that so…?"
Satou Matsuzaka's elegant brows knit slightly.
She wanted to ask more about Kessoku Band.
But before she could—
Minami cut in, "No need to worry about that. It's just a normal hobby outside school. Judging from your curious look, you want to see the lyrics, right?"
He lifted the lyric sheet toward her.
"Ah… well…"
To be honest—
Satou Matsuzaka wasn't especially interested in rock music.
But these lyrics were written by Minami.
And something written by someone—often reflects their inner world.
It was a rare chance to understand him more deeply.
Of course she was curious.
So—
Setting aside thoughts of Kessoku Band for now, she nodded. "I am curious. Please, let me read your work, Minami-senpai."
"Sure."
Minami raised an eyebrow and smiled at her response, nodding with satisfaction.
Just as he expected.
Satou Matsuzaka really was deeply curious about what he had written.
She even completely set aside her interest in Kessoku Band.
But this attention—that curiosity—was Satou Matsuzaka's biggest flaw.
Minami watched as she took the lyrics he handed her.
They weren't just ordinary lyrics—they had been written using his "Romantic Writing Technique from Minami's Later Years."
Lyrics with the power to plunge anyone into an irresistible sea of romance and love the moment they read them.
However...
"This alone isn't enough."
Just as Satou Matsuzaka was lowering her head, about to read—
Minami's fingers opened his inventory, selecting the icon for the "Regrets of Life" Guitar.
"Romantic Writing + Regrets of Life…"
He glanced at the emotionally-detached girl, utterly unaware of what was coming.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
And then—
Without hesitation, he tapped the "Regrets of Life" Guitar icon!
You silly girl—unable to feel any emotion, not even able to express love in your heart?
Then today, I'm going to show you how ordinary people express feelings—let's see you experience it for yourself!
