My Simulation… Why Is It Turning into a Real Romance?!-Chapter 381 - 172: Wouldn’t That Make Her Part of the “maskot” Group?

Eating alone?

Ryo's words carried no particular weight, spoken in her cool, elegant tone that blended into the low hum of the heater, yet they struck the air like shards of ice shattering on the floor, sharp and clear.

"Eh?"

Kita Ikuyo

froze mid-movement, yogurt still in hand. Her long lashes trembled lightly in the steam rising around them.

Tilting her head, her hair brushed against Taki's flushed ear. With a faint look of puzzlement in her lovely eyes, she said, "But we haven't even started eating yet."

At that, Taki's cheeks flushed bright red. She locked eyes with Ryo's golden gaze, so deep with meaning, and in the next instant, she dropped her head in flustered panic, as though her true thoughts had just been laid bare. She had no idea how to respond.

How, how did she figure that out?

Taki glanced nervously at her neat and spotless collar. She had swallowed everything quickly to avoid leaving any trace, and logically, there should have been no evidence left on her. Yet somehow Ryo saw right through her in an instant.

Thankfully, no one else besides the two of them seemed to notice what Ryo had said.

Caught between nerves and a strange, tingling excitement, the girl simply chose silence, cheeks flushed, her violet eyes lifting like autumn water as she shot a quick glare at Haru.

As if to dump all the blame on him.

"..."

Haru was at a loss for words.

How was this his fault?

No one else noticed the little interlude at the corner. Acting as host for the evening, Nijika cleared her throat. Wearing a Santa hat and lace-trimmed white socks, she stepped onto the tatami, her voice brimming with energy.

"Ehem! Attention everyone, today is my sister's thirtieth birthday! Before the party starts, there's something very important we need to do!"

"Happy birthday, Sis!"

In that instant, ribbons of every color burst into the air like a rainbow, accompanied by loud pops. Hitori peeked her little head out from where she had been hiding, strands of pink hair tangled with failed party streamers.

"T-thank you…?"

The spectacle left Ijichi Seika, seated among them, a little overwhelmed.

After all, in past years her birthday had always been celebrated quietly with just Nijika. She never imagined that this year the number of people would suddenly swell, or that all of STARRY would be decorated for the occasion. They had even pooled their money to buy such a large birthday cake.

If nothing else, she was already touched enough to cry.

"Tada~! To thank you for this whole year, I prepared a birthday gift in advance!"

Beaming, Nijika handed her a gift box. But when Seika opened it, her expression froze. Inside was a brand-new "neck massager," the pink gift box and gold ribbon in sharp contrast to its plain practicality.

She was happy, but at the same time her heart felt strangely complicated.

Until last year, her little sister's gifts had always been cute stuffed animals. Even now, she still needed to hug one every night to sleep. But suddenly, the gifts once dismissed as childish had been replaced by health gadgets, receipts from the pharmacy still attached.

Was it because she turned thirty?

Was that really the reason?

Still, no matter how complicated her emotions, Seika quickly accepted her sister's gift. Seeing Nijika take the lead, the others exchanged a glance, and then Kita was next to step forward with her gift.

"Now it's my turn!"

With a bright, sunny smile, Kita Ikuyo

presented a small box containing a fashionable flower vase and a popular lipstick. Then, with her usual blank expression, Ryo slowly stepped forward. Normally she did nothing for such occasions, but thanks to Haru's reminder, she had come prepared with a gift.

"Just a little something, please accept it."

She revealed a pair of silver earrings. Under the warm light, they gleamed with a cold luster.

"Th-this was all I could manage, I'm really, really sorry!!!"

Last was poor Bocchi, trembling as she held out a lopsided felt ornament. The stitches were crooked, cotton poked out of one twisted rabbit ear, and the button eyes stared unevenly ahead.

It looked more like something to ward off evil.

"…Anyway, thank you, all of you."

Seika accepted each gift sincerely. Whatever the case, it meant a lot to her to have her birthday celebrated. But as a mature adult, she had to keep some composure, not showing the childish joy bubbling up inside.

"Don't thank us yet, you haven't opened mine."

Haru rolled his eyes at the blonde older sister and handed her a medium-sized gift box.

Seika blinked, momentarily forgetting to open it.

None of them could imagine what he might give.

Even Ryo leaned in curiously. Under their expectant gazes, Seika carefully unwrapped the box.

"Noise-canceling headphones… Wait, is this CD…?"

Her eyes locked on the disc inside. It had the look of age, the cover faded, the band's name nearly rubbed away, yet it had been kept in perfect condition.

Even Kikuri sobered up, bottle still in hand, and stepped closer in surprise. "Eh? Isn't that the commemorative CD your old band released? I can't believe anyone could still find this~"

"…Where did you find this?"

Seika's eyes widened. She clearly hadn't expected such a gift. But Haru only waved it off casually, saying he had picked it up at an old record shop in Shimokitazawa.

Of course, they all knew it wasn't so simple.

Even the usually stern-faced manager seemed unsure what to say. After a long silence, she took a deep breath and spoke softly, voice a little uneven.

"…Thank you. I really like it."

"Ahaha~ Looks like this is your favorite gift tonight, huh?"

Kikuri tore away her facade without hesitation. Seika's forehead pulsed with a vein of irritation, her crimson eyes flashing like her sister's as she clamped a hand around Kikuri's neck.

"You didn't even bring a gift. You're just here freeloading for food, so shut up and eat!"

Watching them, Haru shook his head helplessly. Just as he was about to snatch food from Ryo, Nijika leaned closer to his side without him noticing, her shoulder brushing his.

Her golden hair framed a faint, gentle smile. Her eyes were as soft as the tide, and her voice just as tender. "That must have been hard to find, wasn't it? Don't let her calm face fool you, my sister's a huge tsun-tsun. She must be so happy inside. I really want to thank you, Haru. For her… this is a rare memory."

For a moment, a shadow crossed her eyes. But Haru's words the next second scattered it away.

"No need to thank me. Isn't Seika my sister too?"

He grinned and gave her a playful wink. Nijika couldn't help but let out a shy, mildly wry smile. Then Ryo slipped over, voice tinged with mischief as she added:

"Nijika's right, Haru deserves plenty of thanks."

"You're not even interested in the thanking part, are you?"

...

The neon sign outside STARRY glowed with a warm orange haze as the long-awaited birthday party for the manager, combined with the Christmas gathering, slowly drew to a close.

The girls, light as butterflies in flight, stepped one after another up the stairs with bright, lively energy. Ijichi Seika, expressionless, escorted them to the door before finally stopping.

"Manager, are you really not coming with us to tonight's Christmas party?"

The red-haired beauty, her scarf as bright as flame, furrowed her brows as she turned back to Seika. But Seika only waved a hand dismissively, her crimson eyes narrowing with indifference.

"I still need to keep watch over STARRY. You all go and enjoy yourselves."

Her firm stance didn't match her true thoughts.

In truth, she wanted to tag along for the Kazami family's Christmas party. But when she thought about it… it would be nothing but that brat's girlfriends. No doubt her sister might even spend the night there, and things could easily turn into embarrassing, overly intimate scenes.

If that really happened, wouldn't she, thirty years old and still single, just end up the awkward third wheel?

No matter how she looked at it, it wasn't right.

"Hic~ Another round? I'm going, I'm going~"

Hiroi Kikuri, leaning against Seika, let out a sloppy hiccup. Though it wasn't even evening yet, she was already drunk and staggering, barely able to stand without support. Seika quickly grabbed her before she stumbled forward.

"You're drunk out of your mind. Don't go causing trouble for everyone else. And look at this mess, the shop's still a wreck! You came empty-handed just to drink and eat, so you're helping me clean up!"

"Why me?!"

Seika ignored Kikuri's wail and turned back to the group with calm detachment. "Anyway, it's Christmas. Do whatever you want, you don't need to call if you don't come back tonight."

"Haru, I'm leaving Nijika in your care."

"Big sis!"

The blunt remark stripped away Nijika's defenses, and her cheeks flared pink with shame, like the glow of sunset across a lake. But her protests didn't change a thing.

Haru's brows arched in amusement. Fixing his gaze forward, he replied crisply, "Got it. In that case, Seika, I won't be coming back tonight either. Don't bother leaving the door unlocked."

"You little brat…"

Seika rolled her eyes at him, but unlike usual, she didn't follow with a sharp retort. Instead, she waved him off as though brushing away something filthy, then dragged the drunkard back inside.

"Hmph~"

"Looks like only the girlfriends are joining tonight's Christmas party. Who knows how it'll turn out. Somehow, I feel like it might get interesting… I'm almost looking forward to it~"

Ryo's voice was low and cool, like waves at night. Her pale golden eyes glimmered with a strange light.

She slid her frost-reddened fingers into Haru's pocket and leaned her sculpted face against his shoulder. Seika had barely gone inside, yet Ryo's quick, intimate move left the others staring in disbelief.

Kita Ikuyo

was the first to react. After two seconds of stunned silence, she broke into a radiant smile, raising a finger as she declared, "Ah! That's just like last time, right?"

"Kita-chan, it was just the end-of-year party!"

Nijika darted a glance toward Taki before hurriedly clamping a hand over Kita's mouth. Normally she looked every bit the pure, sunny girl, but every so often her words betrayed a more dangerous side.

Kita was simply too straightforward. With an innocent smile, she sometimes said things that were… far too revealing.

"Last time? What do you mean by that?"

The only one not in on the secret, Taki was full of question marks. But no matter how hard she studied their faces, she couldn't read anything. Just as confusion took hold, Shimokitazawa's tsuchinoko(Bocchi) leaned close and whispered in her ear.

What?!

The icy beauty's cheeks bloomed pink like cherry petals caught in a spring breeze. Taki looked in disbelief toward Hitori, who ducked her head with burning cheeks. After all, such things weren't really hidden among the girlfriends, and as one herself, Taki had every right to know.

Still, the revelation shook her deeply.

"..."

Haru's mouth twitched as he caught Taki's furious glare, her eyes sharp as thorns, as though she were shouting her thoughts at him without words.

Wait, why am I the one under pressure here?

He could shoulder a few misplaced blames, sure. But that time? That one wasn't on him!

...

The year's final snow fell like the dust of time, slowly covering the edges of the world.

The winter sky had begun to darken, while outside the window snowflakes drifted endlessly down, blanketing the garden path. The silent, tranquil world seemed to have lost all sound, leaving only a hushed white landscape.

But inside the house, the scene was completely different.

"Nyamu, the left side needs to be a little higher."

The calm, dignified voice suddenly came from behind, making Yuutenji Nyamu almost drop the porcelain reindeer in her hands. Turning around, she saw a certain blue-haired twin-tailed young lady standing there, watching her work with steady seriousness.

"You scared me! Can you not sneak up behind me like that?"

"…Isn't this normal? Everyone else is talking too."

Sakiko gave her a strange look, then lifted her chin slightly toward the others. Chihaya Anon was chattering away while working with the expressionless Yahata Umiri to decorate the walls. In the kitchen, Nagasaki Soyo and Wakaba Mutsumi busied themselves.

The clumsy little penguin had been sent off with folded paper cats. With the Christmas tree in front of Nyamu as well, the once spacious living room now felt a bit crowded.

"I meant you calling me 'Nyamu'! Anyone would jump if they suddenly heard that!"

"…Don't you always call me Sakiko? At this point we should be addressing each other by name." Sakiko folded her arms over her chest, speaking with faint dissatisfaction. "Besides, this doesn't matter. There's still plenty of work left. If we don't finish soon, Haru will be back."

"If you're in such a rush, why don't you hang the decorations yourself, milady?"

Nyamu rolled her eyes, her jab making Sakiko's cheeks flush. Holding a box of ornaments, her ears turned red as she rubbed at a loose strand of her pale blue hair, her voice weaker than before.

"Th-that can't be helped!"

"I wanted to help in the kitchen, but Soyo and Mutsumi chased me out for being clumsy. Umiri and Anon are much better at wall decorations, so I had no place there either…"

"And I can't exactly sit with Tomori and Raana folding origami, can I?"

Wouldn't that make her part of the "maskot" group?!

So in the end...

That was why she had no choice but to stand by the Christmas tree.

Since there was only one ladder, she couldn't climb up to hang the ornaments. Still, even if Sakiko only stood below, holding the ladder steady while Nyamu worked from above, and passed her the little decorations in her free moments, it gave the impression that she was actually helping.

"Ahem, so now you understand, don't you?"

Sakiko finished her explanation and folded her arms again, trying with all her might to preserve what little authority she had left.

"You know…"

Nyamu had fully grasped Sakiko's uselessness. In the band, she was capable of everything like arranging music, drafting plans, writing scripts, commanding with absolute authority as their leader.

But in moments like this, she revealed herself for what she truly was: a pampered young lady out of her depth.

Ding-dong~

The doorbell suddenly rang.

"Coming~"

Sakiko's ears perked up. The stern expression she had been forcing melted at once into a smile as warm as spring sunlight. The contrast from the image Nyamu held of her was so stark it was almost laughable. In her fuzzy octopus slippers, she hurried eagerly toward the door.

So she can make that kind of face?

Nyamu twitched the corner of her mouth, then simply turned back to her work.