My Love Simulation with Them-Chapter 274: A Girl’s Troubles

(TL Music Recommendation, the lyrics kinda hit tho:

"Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo OP「Kimi ga Yume wo Tsuretekita」Full")

...

"I see."

After seeing Ryo off and fiddling with his phone for a bit,

Minami listened to Satou's explanation, then nodded.

"So, basically—your aunt suddenly changed, and you're struggling to accept it?"

"...That's about right."

Satou murmured, taking a sip of tea.

"It's not that I dislike the fact that she changed... it's just when she chose to change that I can't accept."

Just as she had thought before—

Sayuri had never once taken her seriously.

Never once treated her with genuine care.

But now, out of nowhere, she had become a proper guardian.

It made Satou feel like, If she was capable of being like this all along... then why didn't she show me love when I needed it most?

Her voice was quiet, tinged with a trace of lingering sadness.

Minami observed her carefully.

In his dark eyes, a flicker of both surprise and satisfaction appeared.

It seemed his three-step therapy back at Satou's house had worked wonders.

She probably hadn't realized it yet.

But Minami could already see the change.

Because, If it were the old Satou, the one who had never understood emotions at all,

She wouldn't be able to express her frustration toward Sayuri like this.

She wouldn't be showing such a childishly upset expression.

She wouldn't even understand what it meant to argue with someone.

But now, now, she was finally learning how to process and communicate her feelings.

This was huge progress.

Though he felt bad for Sayuri,

Minami couldn't help but think to himself—

Good job, Auntie Sayuri.

Still—

Right now, the priority was to help Satou work through her frustration.

With that in mind, Minami lifted his head.

"Satou."

"...Hm?"

She looked up, her soft pink eyes meeting his.

"I know it might be out of line for me to comment on your situation with your aunt,

But I still want to say this—"

His voice paused for a moment.

"I don't think you have any reason to feel upset or troubled over this."

"...Huh?"

Satou blinked, surprised by his words.

Meeting her gaze, Minami smiled slightly and continued.

"Tell me this, do you really think your aunt's change is a bad thing?"

His voice was calm and reassuring.

And without realizing it,

Satou found herself actually thinking about the question.

Was her aunt's change... really a bad thing?

The answer wasn't hard to find.

After only a few seconds of thought, Matsuzaka Satou replied:

"...No. For me, my aunt's change isn't necessarily a bad thing."

That's right.

She no longer had to watch her aunt bringing strange men home.

No longer had to endure the constant stench that once filled the house.

And more importantly, Sayuri Matsuzaka had finally started acknowledging her existence.

That alone was enough to make this not a bad thing.

"In that case, what else is there to be upset about, Satou?"

A calm voice questioned her.

"But—"

Satou opened her mouth slightly.

"I know what you're about to say."

Minami Shouji waved his hand with a knowing smile.

"You're thinking, if she wanted to be a proper aunt, why did she wait until now? Why didn't she watch over me when I was a child? Why didn't she care for me back then?"

"...."

Satou stared at Minami in surprise.

She hadn't spoken a single word about her feelings—

Yet the young man in front of her had seen right through her.

"Looks like I hit the mark."

Minami relaxed slightly, shifting into a more comfortable position as he continued.

"But have you ever considered this, Satou? The frustration you're feeling, the emotions you want to express, the words you want to say. They're nothing more than a little tantrum."

He chuckled softly.

"And throwing a tantrum... is actually a way of showing that you care about Sayuri."

Because if she truly didn't care, if she had completely given up on her aunt.

She wouldn't be upset.

She wouldn't even feel disappointed.

No, she wouldn't feel anything at all.

She would have simply turned away, cold and indifferent.

"When someone reaches the point of absolute disappointment," Minami murmured, staring at the swirling tea in his cup,

"They don't even have the energy to be angry anymore."

It was precisely because she cared,

Because she wanted something from Sayuri,

That her heart was so affected by every little thing she did.

Satou resented her aunt.

She lashed out at her.

But all of that—

Was proof that Sayuri still mattered to her.

"...Do I... really care about my aunt?"

Satou whispered.

She placed a hand over her chest.

Her heartbeat felt... different.

Minami's words had stirred something inside her.

Though she had been emotionally distant since childhood,

She wasn't an idiot.

Deep down, she had always known, her anger toward Sayuri was irrational.

She had lashed out not because she wanted to push her aunt away,

But because she had bottled up all of her frustration for so long.

"Love can be expressed in many ways."

Minami's voice rang in her ears—

No, it echoed in her heart.

"Satou, how do you feel now?"

His voice was gentle.

"Do you feel satisfied after lashing out at her? Do you feel relieved? Or... does your chest ache?"

He asked.

And the moment he did—

Satou recalled Sayuri reaching out for her.

Only to be met with rejection.

She had seen it, that lonely, sorrowful look on her aunt's face.

The memory made her chest tighten.

A strange sense of regret welled up inside her.

A feeling that made her want to do something.

To make up for what she had done.

But—

She hesitated.

She wanted to fix things.

But how?

"...How am I supposed to express these feelings?"

Her voice was quiet.

Should she buy her aunt a gift?

Should she apologize to her in tears?

What exactly was she supposed to do?

She didn't know.

Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her shirt.

Minami, watching her, reached out and gently placed a hand on her head.

"It's not as complicated as you think, Satou."

He ruffled her soft pink hair.

"If you want to make it up to her, just go home. Don't say anything. Just hug her."

"That's it...?"

Satou blinked.

Such a simple solution felt almost too simple.

Minami smiled.

"If anything, love is supposed to be simple."

He could tell—

Satou had a tendency to overthink things.

Because of her lack of emotional experience,

She was making something straightforward seem far more complex than it actually was.

But in reality—

"When two people truly care about each other, even just sitting together in silence is enough."

"...Really?"

Satou furrowed her brows, still struggling to fully grasp his words.

"Maybe this example is a bit hard for you to understand."

Minami smirked.

"Let me put it another way."

He raised a finger.

"When an average person takes a shower, do you ever feel the urge to peek?"

"...Of course not."

Satou immediately shook her head.

She wasn't some kind of pervert.

Why would she want to peek at someone bathing?

"Well then," Minami continued, "if that's the case—

Why did you and Ryo stand outside the bathroom door when I was in the shower?"

"...Uh—"

Satou was speechless.

Because Minami was right.

She had felt something...

Something she couldn't quite put into words.

But it had been there.

Minami didn't wait for her to answer.

"Even if it's a bit unconventional,

'Wanting to peek at me in the bath' is also a form of love."

He chuckled.

"Does that sound complicated to you?"

Wanting to monopolize someone.

Wanting to know everything about them.

Checking their messages before bed,

Just to feel reassured.

Even the smallest, most trivial gestures.

They were all expressions of love.

"Love has never been complicated."

Minami leaned forward and lightly poked Satou's cheek.

It was such a small, insignificant touch.

And yet—

Her face burned.

"...So this is... an expression of love..."

She murmured.

It felt like Minami's words had opened a door to an entirely new world.

Just thinking along his logic,

She could already sense a completely different perspective forming inside her.

"...I think I understand now."

She took a deep breath,

Then stood up and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Minami-senpai."

Her gratitude was genuine.

Looking up at him,

She realized something.

She had never felt this way about anyone before.

These emotions—

The ones she had never understood, never experienced—

She had only ever felt them toward him.

She was even grateful for the rainy day when they first met.

For the moment she wandered the streets alone.

For the fact that she had collapsed at the perfect time.

Because if none of that had happened,

She never would have met him.

And she never would have changed.

With a newfound clarity in her heart,

Matsuzaka Satou turned and left Minami's apartment.

Back on the streets of Shimokitazawa,

She looked up at the sky.

The weather was perfect.

Not a single cloud in sight.

The sky stretched endlessly,

As if mirroring the newfound freedom in her heart.

But then—

She thought back to earlier.

To the deep-blue-haired girl from Minami's apartment.

That elegant, relaxed girl with eyes like amber.

Satou clenched her fists slightly.

No matter how she looked at it.

That girl was just as beautiful as her.

And girls like her—

There were three more of them in that band.

Just thinking about it, the lightness she had felt earlier suddenly turned heavy.

After Minami Shouji's guidance, Matsuzaka Satou understood her own feelings clearly now.

She wanted to be with him.

She wanted to continue experiencing that "simple love" he spoke of.

But if that were the case—

She would have to compete with the other girls.

And without a doubt—

This was going to be a brutal battle.

Because it wasn't just the Kessoku Band girls—

There were also the two from LycoReco,

And the two from Shuka High...

That was already a large number of rivals.

But...

"For Minami-senpai... I have to come up with a good plan."

Her pink eyes deepened in thought.

Her expression grew silent.

Because in that moment,

She thought of many ways—

Many ways to make her competitors quietly withdraw from this fight.

But—

"...No. That won't work."

Satou let out a long sigh.

That's right.

It wouldn't work.

She had plenty of methods to eliminate her rivals.

But...

"If I do that... Minami-senpai will definitely be sad, won't he?"

She muttered to herself, seated on the train.

She knew him.

On the surface, Minami acted as if he didn't care about anyone.

Always appearing warm and kind to everyone.

But Satou saw through that.

Minami was always paying close attention to those around him.

It was because he put in effort, that he could understand so many girls' worries and emotions so well.

Satou didn't want to make him suffer.

Didn't want to make him sad just because of her own selfish desires.

Because hurting the person she loved—

Wasn't love at all.

It was just selfishness.

Satou began to feel troubled.

And she didn't even realize...

The fact that she was considering someone else's feelings like this—

Was proof that she was growing.