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Chapter 209: Girls Who Love Using LINE
🕑 Added 2025-03-20 09:18:30 +0000 UTCUnder the cover of night, he escorted Rio Futaba home.
Minami Shouji was in an excellent mood.
It had started out as just an experiment.
But to his surprise, he'd completely bet on the right horse.
Not only had his relationship with Rio Futaba progressed, but thanks to the troublesome help of Chisato Nishikigi, Rio's emotional burden had been lifted.
With these two achievements combined…
For the upcoming simulation, Minami Shouji honestly couldn't imagine how he'd possibly lose.
After all, Rio Futaba already had a considerable level of affection for him, and with her inner turmoil resolved…
Logically speaking, the next simulation should go smoothly.
Buoyant with optimism, Minami Shouji quickened his pace toward the train station.
He needed to move a bit faster.
Any more delays, and he'd miss the last train.
Minami Shouji had no desire to spend a night in a Japanese net café or, worse, shell out a fortune for one of Japan's outrageously expensive taxis.
He shook his head.
But clearly, even the heavens didn't intend to let him return home so easily.
He hadn't taken more than a few steps when the once-pleasant night sky began to shift.
A sudden, inexplicable wind rose around him.
Then he caught the earthy scent of rain, and the silvery moon overhead was quickly swallowed by dark clouds.
Moments later, thick raindrops came pelting down from above, carrying with them the fury of a storm seemingly determined to wash the entire world clean.
"Damn it!"
Minami broke into a run, dashing straight toward the station.
So much for Japan's reliable weather forecasts.
In a country surrounded by sea, where typhoons could land at any time, a forecast of clear skies in the morning often turned into a downpour by afternoon, halting train services. It was practically routine.
Now, with autumn drawing to a close, the downpour brought with it a biting chill.
Worse still, Minami Shouji was only wearing a long-sleeved shirt—no jacket, no protection.
The moment the rain struck his body, he felt the cold sink into his bones.
"So cold…"
Shivering, soaked halfway through, he hurried into the station.
Focused on the road ahead, he failed to notice—
At some point, a girl had followed behind him.
Wearing glasses, holding an umbrella, her shoulders damp from the rain—Rio Futaba had arrived.
Not long after Minami had dropped her off at home, she'd seen the rain start pouring.
Worried about him, she didn't hesitate—grabbed an umbrella and set out to find him.
But before she could hand over the umbrella…
She caught sight of Minami entering the station, just his back disappearing inside.
"Is Minami… okay?"
The chill of the late autumn rain bit at her skin.
She'd rushed out in her house clothes, without even grabbing her train pass, wallet, or phone.
So, all she could do was watch him go, unable to follow.
"I'll message him to keep warm after I get home."
Exhaling a puff of white breath, Rio turned her head to the rain-swept street.
Autumn was at its end.
Winter was just around the corner...
...
"So cold—!"
From the moment he got off the train to the time he reached home, Minami Shouji had been soaked all over again.
Rubbing his hands together, he stepped into his cheap rental room.
By the time he made it inside, his clothes were drenched.
The cold seeped straight into his skull, sending an uncontrollable shiver down his spine.
No wonder.
Late autumn rain was lethal in its chill. Add to that the cold wind carrying the rain, and it was like having a bucket of ice water dumped straight on his heart.
Even with his daily exercise, Minami couldn't take it—his limbs were going numb.
He grabbed a towel from the bathroom, shivering as he dried himself off and changed into fresh clothes. Only then did he start to feel somewhat human again.
"But this place…"
Setting down the wet towel, Minami looked around his dingy rental room, frowning.
Spring and summer were manageable.
He always found a way to get by.
But with autumn nearly over, and winter approaching fast…
He could feel the cold wind sneaking into his room from every tiny crevice.
Even indoors, he couldn't feel the slightest warmth.
To make matters worse, the room's heater was broken.
When winter came…
Minami honestly didn't know how he was going to survive.
"I need to move out."
Setting the towel aside, he muttered to himself.
After working part-time at "LycoReco" for a while, he'd saved up a bit.
He hadn't moved out earlier because this place was dirt cheap—70,000 yen a month—and didn't have any glaring flaws.
Sure, sometimes he heard enthusiastic moaning from next door (Yamada-san and . Nishikigi-san often eavesdropped), and in the humid spring and summer, mold could pop up.
But for Minami Shouji, those weren't deal-breakers.
Still, freezing through winter in a drafty room? That was life-threatening.
After a moment's thought, he decided to contact some landlords and check out new places.
"Dear Miss Cheap Rental, we've been together almost a year, but I'm sorry—it's time I seek a love more worthy of me."
He gave the yellowed wall a light pat, sighing wistfully, filled with mock reluctance.
It lasted all of two seconds.
"Alright! Let's check listings on my phone!"
Lowering his hand, all previous sentiment vanished.
Minami perked up instantly, excited to see what housing options Tokyo had to offer.
But just as he raised his finger—
He noticed a flood of LINE messages piling up on his phone.
"Hm?"
The number of messages was overwhelming—even Minami Shouji couldn't ignore them.
It struck him as odd.
Why did all these girls suddenly have time to message him today?
They usually weren't this enthusiastic.
Shaking his head, he reached out and tapped the LINE notifications.
[Probably Dead: Are you there, Nami?]
When Minami didn't reply for a while, Hitori Gotoh sent another message.
[Probably Dead: Um… The weather's getting colder, so stay warm… I'll stop bothering you now. Take care.]
"..."
Minami sighed.
Gotoh-san was as consistent as ever.
Honestly, if the simulator hadn't notified him that her social anxiety and low self-esteem had improved, he would've thought she hadn't changed at all.
He shook his head, exasperated, but quickly replied.
[Tokyo's No.1 Pretty Boy: Just got home, I'm staying warm. You too, don't catch a cold.]
After replying, he opened the next message.
[Lone Bass Freak: Cold. Minami, warm bed. (Attached: photo of Yamada's soft, luxurious single bed)]
Staring at the overly simplistic message, Minami rubbed his forehead and then responded.
[Tokyo's No.1 Pretty Boy: Chill. Cold, hot water bottle, put it on your bed, hug it and sleep.]
He replied offhandedly and scrolled again.
[Hello~ Be Happy, Okay!: Minami-kun! I did great today, didn't I? Praise me, quick!]
This was from Chisato Nishikigi.
She was probably referring to the favor Minami had asked her—to help resolve Rio Futaba's emotional block.
And to be fair, even Minami had to admit her capability.
She might seem unreliable at first glance, but today she had really come through.
So he responded honestly.
[Tokyo's No.1 Pretty Boy: Thanks, Chisato. I'll be counting on you again.]
After replying to Chisato Nishikigi, Minami's finger scrolled further.
Just as he expected.
Chisato, Hitori, and Ryo Yamada had already messaged him.
Naturally, next up was Shinjo-san.
Her message was simple—blunt, even.
[The World's Shinjo: 'Transfer 100,000 yen'] (via LINE transfer)
[The World's Shinjo: That cheap rental must be freezing, huh? You're hopeless. Go buy something to keep warm.]
"..."
As expected from the world's Shinjo Akane!
Lavish and direct.
A cool hundred thousand yen, just like that.
Completely different from a certain spoiled Yamada heiress flaunting her luxury bed while her family runs a hospital.
Minami put his palms together in gratitude. This time, he didn't reject Miss Shinjo's financial strike.
No choice.
He'd soon be searching for a better apartment to rent, and his savings would be drained quickly.
Thanks to Shinjo Akane, at least he wouldn't have to survive on fumes.
[Tokyo's No.1 Pretty Boy: 'Payment confirmed']
[Tokyo's No.1 Pretty Boy: Let's call it a loan, Akane. I'll pay you back.]
[The World's Shinjo: Hmph. (Attached: an image of her slapping Minami's avatar with a fat wad of cash)]
Finishing the exchange with Akane Shinjo, Minami's gaze moved further down.
The next sender was predictable.
Rio Futaba, whom he'd just seen home.
Two consecutive messages:
[Schrödinger's Cat Box: I rushed to the station with an umbrella for you, but saw you'd already gone in.]
[Schrödinger's Cat Box: Take a hot shower, okay? Getting caught in this weather, you'll catch a cold.]
"Hmm…"
Simple and straightforward concern.
While Minami felt his sturdy, well-trained body wouldn't fall to something like a cold, he reconsidered. Colds were common during seasonal transitions.
No need to act tough.
He'd take a hot shower later.
Decision made, he replied.
[Tokyo's No.1 Pretty Boy: Since you rushed out to bring me an umbrella, that means you got wet too, right? You should take a shower as well. Take care of yourself, okay?]
After replying, Minami stretched and scrolled down.
The rest of the messages were simpler.
Nijika Ijichi, Ikuyo Kita, and Takina Inoue had all messaged him too.
The gist was the same.
It's cold during seasonal changes—take care of yourself.
Maybe it was psychological…
But reading those messages, Minami—who had thought he was fine—suddenly shivered. A strange chill ran through him.
It wasn't external.
It was an internal coldness.
"No way…"
He blew his nose and mumbled, "Am I actually catching a cold?"
Frowning, he still politely replied to each of the girls.
Once done, he stood and headed to the bathroom for a warm shower.
Afterward, he felt significantly better—his body had warmed up.
Pulling his phone closer, he glanced at the screen.
It was past ten.
Normally by now, he'd have finished drafting tomorrow's quiz for Kessoku Band.
But since he'd gone to "LycoReco" today, he hadn't even started.
Yawning, Minami rubbed his eyes.
He'd worked half the day at "LycoReco"…
Got soaked in the rain…
Even he wasn't made of steel—fatigue was setting in.
He had planned to just lie down and begin Rio Futaba's simulation, then go straight to sleep.
But thinking it over…
He couldn't skip the band's quiz.
Hitori Gotoh and Ryo Yamada had finally begun improving their grades.
It was crucial to maintain momentum.
If he slacked now, it'd crush their drive.
"Better write the questions."
Pushing himself, Minami dragged over the outline, scanning it quickly before leaning over to draft.
With his [Teacher Lv2] skill…
His question-writing process had become sharper.
Combined with his solid knowledge base…
What usually took an hour, he finished in just thirty minutes today.
"Amazing. I really am something."
Looking at the neatly arranged quizzes, Minami gave a weary but satisfied smile.
He could either ace Tokyo University…
Or fall back on a career as a stellar teacher.
A perfect, well-rounded youth—he was rare indeed.
"Alright, perfect."
He set aside the papers and slipped into bed.
Pushing through his fatigue to finish the quiz had worn him out.
Today, he felt heavier than usual.
But he didn't mind.
Yawning, he reached out, swiping open the simulation screen.
With the quiz ready…
His next task was simple.
Staring at Rio Futaba's name on the simulation list, Minami was certain—
This time, he would succeed.
