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Chapter 140: Gold-Digging Like a Gentleman
🕑 Added 2025-02-18 11:31:30 +0000 UTCRegardless of anything else—
Since Options 1 and 2 were wrong choices,
Choosing Option 3 was the only correct move.
Without hesitation, Minami selected Option 3.
The simulation continued, and new text and memories surfaced.
[For you, the Shuka Festival is just another event—nothing more, nothing less. You don't particularly care about it.]
[But for Akane Shinjo, the festival is more than just a yearly high school celebration—it's her first attempt at bringing her dreams and ideals to life.]
[The success or failure of the tokusatsu stage play could very well determine the course of her future.]
[You take this matter seriously. You don't call in Gotoh Hitori, Yamada Ryo, or anyone else to help—because you know that handling the actor casting is a crucial test of Akane's abilities.]
[However, while you don't directly help Akane, you give her a subtle hint.]
[You tell her: with so many "friends," surely some of them must be true friends.]
[Hearing your words, she falls into deep thought.]
[She has never truly treated others with sincerity… but does she really have a few genuine friends?]
[After contemplating for a long time, she finally, hesitantly, reaches out to someone—]
"Minami… do you think she'll actually come?"
Sitting in an empty event classroom, Akane turned her head toward Minami, unable to hold back her question.
For once, she felt uneasy.
Someone who was always so strong-willed around others suddenly seemed insecure and uncertain when it came to real friendships.
"I don't know."
Minami answered bluntly.
"…"
She glared at Minami in disbelief.
Was this guy even human?!
At times like this, wasn't he—as a man—supposed to comfort her and say something reassuring?
She asked him for an opinion, and all he said was "I don't know"?!
And besides, wasn't he the one who told her to reach out to her friends in the first place?!
"Complaining about me in your head won't change anything."
Still flipping through a book, Minami suddenly looked up and said this.
"…"
"Are you psychic or something?"
She muttered under her breath.
But then, she heard Minami speak again.
"Honestly, I think you should have a little more confidence in yourself. From an average person's perspective, you should have at least one or two real friends."
"So… are you saying that I'm not even an average person because I don't have any real friends?"
"I never said that. But if that's how you want to take it, I can't stop you."
Damn it!!!
Akane clenched her teeth in frustration.
This guy was as irritating as ever!
Taking a deep breath, Akane calmed herself down.
Because deep down…
She knew that throwing a tantrum at Minami wouldn't do anything.
More than anything, she probably just wanted his validation.
As much as she hated this guy, his words had a way of calming her down.
Just as Akane was lost in thought—
The classroom door slid open.
At the same time, a slightly lazy-sounding female voice called out from outside.
"Uh… excuse me… is Akane here?"
A girl with neatly-kept black hair.
Deep, ocean-blue eyes.
Holding an orange pair of headphones and a smartphone.
She stood at the doorway, peering inside.
The moment Akane saw her face—
Her eyes widened in shock.
And then—turning her head excitedly, she called out—
"Minami-kun!"
Just one word.
But it conveyed her excitement, surprise, and joy all at once.
So I really do… have friends who are willing to help me when I need them.
Akane turned toward Minami.
But he didn't say anything.
He only gave her a small nod.
And yet, that simple nod—
Made Akane feel a deep sense of recognition and validation.
Her eyes sparkled, and she eagerly waved Rikka Takarada into the classroom.
That day—
As Akane Shinjo looked at Minami and Rikka Takarada together, she felt like she was starting to understand what "friendship" truly meant.
[She never had any hope in her relationships with others. She never believed that anyone would take time out of their busy Shuka Festival preparations just to help her fulfill her small tokusatsu dream.]
[But Rikka Takarada's unexpected arrival touched the softest part of her heart.]
[She never imagined that someone like her—who had never treated others with sincerity—could actually have a friend like Rikka.]
[Or perhaps… Rikka had always considered her a true friend from the very beginning.]
[She had simply never realized it until now, because she had always kept her heart locked away.]
[Your reminder made her aware that she was not alone.]
[She is deeply grateful to you.]
[Though she still maintains her usual attitude of "hating" you, whenever she makes a decision or voices her thoughts, she can't help but glance at you.]
[Whenever she sees your calm expression, her gaze softens.]
[But one more kaiju actor is not enough for the tokusatsu stage play.]
[Both the human cast and the role of Thanasis still needed more performers.]
[To help, Rikka invited a few of her own friends.]
[You were introduced to Rikka Takarada, Yuta Hibiki, and Sho Utsumi.]
[Watching Akane get more people involved in rehearsals, you had no objections. To you, this was also an opportunity for her to improve her social skills.]
[Seeing her excitedly working on props, stage sets, and kaiju suits, you occasionally helped out when you had free time.]
[However, since you had no crafting experience, she would often tease you mercilessly.]
[Yet, after every teasing remark, she would seriously teach you more about prop-making.]
[When you both completed your first set of props together, she openly criticized your work—but that night, her SNS was filled with photos of the props you made together.]
[Your crafting skills significantly improved.]
[Your relationship with Akane deepened.]
[Sometimes, even when rehearsals ended early, she would stay behind to wait for you to finish revising the script—just so you could walk home together.]
[Those brief moments after school became a rare and precious time of peace and happiness for her.]
In the simulation, memories continued to unfold—
"You're so slow, Minami!"
Standing at the school gate, her short, lilac-colored hair swayed slightly as she grumbled at Minami, who had just stepped out of the school building.
"Can't be helped. I was revising the script."
"Ughhh— I already told you it's perfect! Why are you still tweaking it?"
Akane muttered as she glanced at Minami.
In her opinion, the script was already flawless.
Even if he kept revising it, there wasn't much room for improvement at this point.
After all, the story's main framework was already set in stone.
And yet, Minami still made a habit of spending thirty minutes every day reviewing and refining the script.
"That's why I don't get perfectionists like you…"
She grumbled, but before she could finish, Minami cut her off.
"I was the one who suggested the stage play, so it's my responsibility to make sure it's as perfect as possible when it's performed."
As they walked along the road, Minami turned to look at her.
"Besides, Shinjo-san, you're looking forward to the final product too, aren't you? That's why I can't afford to be careless with the script."
"Ohhh—so what you're saying is, you're doing all this because you want my approval?"
She dragged out her words with an exaggerated tone.
"Awww, Minami-kun, do you care that much about my opinion?"
Hearing this, Akane broke into her signature mischievous smirk.
For the first time, she had caught Minami in a verbal slip-up.
After all, this guy was always mocking and teasing her.
Now that she finally had the upper hand, there was no way she was letting this chance slip by.
As she spoke, her eyes playfully darted toward Minami.
She hoped to catch a glimpse of embarrassment on his handsome, refined face.
But—
"Yeah."
Under her gaze, Minami nodded calmly in response.
And just that one simple word…
Made Akane, who had just been smirking mischievously, freeze in place.
Her mouth fell open, and in the next second, her fair-skinned face flushed red.
Minami's straightforward, unwavering admission—
Completely shattered her previous sense of psychological advantage and threw her into chaos.
Looking slightly flustered, she turned her head away and hesitantly asked again,
"Huh? Hmph? R-Really? So, what you're saying is… Minami-kun, you actually care a lot about what I think?"
This time, her tone lacked the teasing edge from before—
Instead, it carried the faintest hint of uncertainty.
Her gaze, filled with subtle emotions, flickered toward him—
Like a timid little hamster, afraid to make eye contact for too long, quickly retreating whenever their eyes met.
But Minami's response remained just as simple.
"If it weren't for your opinion, do you think I'd waste half an hour every day revising the script? You think I have nothing better to do?"
A straightforward, almost rhetorical answer.
Yet, just like water poured into a pan of hot oil—
It struck something deep inside Akane, setting off an unexpected reaction.
A wave of emotion surged through her—
Something called happiness.
It came too suddenly, too intensely.
It made Akane feel both anxious and excited at the same time.
It was like the irresistible urge to sprint around the track when you're overwhelmed with joy.
Right now—
She actually felt that same kind of feeling.
But—
No!
No way!
What the hell is this feeling?
Could it be that she… likes Minami…?
No! Absolutely not!
That guy was Minami!
The clueless, annoying jerk who constantly messed with her!
How could she possibly develop feelings for someone like him?!
Her brain must be completely broken!
She had always said—who in their right mind would ever fall for a guy like Minami?!
She repeatedly denied her emotions in her mind.
At the same time, to avoid letting Minami notice anything strange about her—
She quickly blurted out,
"O-Oh, right! Minami, do you want to grab something to eat? My treat!"
Then, as if afraid that he'd misunderstand, she hastily added in a nervous mumble,
"A-Anyway! You'd just go home and cook for yourself, right? So why not just eat out with me instead?"
"Sure."
Minami didn't object to her offer—he simply nodded and left it at that.
The two fell into a brief silence.
"..."
Akane instinctively glanced at Minami's face.
Until now, she had always thought of him as either annoying or good-looking—nothing more, nothing less.
But under the glow of the setting sun—
His features looked like a frozen oil painting, untouched by time.
The simple act of walking forward…
Carried an unspoken elegance, as if he were a noble wandering through the mortal world.
Had he always looked this good…?
Akane's crimson eyes widened in shock.
His eyes.
His lips.
His gently quivering eyelashes.
At this moment, it all felt like there was some kind of filter over her vision—
An unexplainable charm.
Oh no.
Akane Shinjo hurriedly snapped her gaze away, pressing a hand over her frantically beating heart.
They randomly picked a restaurant and sat down.
It was just Minami!
It was just another meal!
She was always the one paying!
He was always freeloading off of her!
And yet…
When she tried to list his flaws,
She suddenly couldn't name a single one.
She fell silent, realizing—
She might actually be doomed this time.
She might have really fallen for a guy who would bully her for the rest of her life.
And yet…
Akane Shinjo subtly turned her head again.
Watching Minami quietly enjoying his meal.
She wordlessly took out her wallet and thought to herself—
Maybe that… wouldn't be so bad.
[Your relationship with Akane Shinjo has deepened.]
A notification popped up in the simulation.
Even in the real world, Minami fell into silence.
He couldn't help but check his phone.
There was a LINE message from Akane—
An invitation to eat out after school.
She was paying.
To be honest, under normal circumstances, Minami would jump at the chance.
After all, it saved him the hassle of cooking.
But…
After seeing how Akane fell for him in the simulation because of this exact routine…
Minami suddenly felt a little uneasy.
If reality played out just like the simulation…
Would Akane actually fall for him?
A free meal…
Should he take it or not?
For once, Minami actually had to think it over.
