My Romance Simulation with Them

And ultimately, it was you who asked me to contact my friends, wasn't it?

"It's no use complaining about me in your heart."

While flipping through a book about Nango, he suddenly looked up and said something.

“......” Shinjo Akane.

"A superpowered person? You bastard?"

Akane Shinjo couldn't help but mutter to herself.

But then, Nanxiang Shi spoke again:

"Actually, I think you should have more confidence in yourself. From the perspective of an ordinary human being, you should still have one or two true friends."

"Can I take this to mean... you're mocking me for not having any true friends, and therefore not being a normal human being?"

“I didn’t say that, but if that’s how you think, there’s nothing I can do.”

hateful!!!

Shinjo Akane clenched her teeth as she watched Nango lower his head and continue turning the pages of his book.

This guy is as infuriating as ever!

Akane Shinjo took a deep breath.

But she actually understood.

Throwing your tantrums in Chongnan Township had no effect whatsoever.

Perhaps more than anything, she wanted to gain Nanxiang Shi's approval of her.

Although I dislike this man, his words always have a reassuring quality.

While Akane Shinjo was still thinking.

The sliding door to the activity room was opened.

At the same time, a somewhat languid high school girl's voice came from outside the door: "Um... excuse me... is Shinjo-san here?"

A head of clean black hair.

Deep blue eyes.

A black-haired girl, holding orange earphones and a phone, stood outside the door and asked someone inside.

Upon merely seeing the other person's face, Akane Shinjo instinctively showed a look of surprise, while at the same time, she turned her head with some excitement:

"South Township!"

A short name or title.

However, it also revealed her inner excitement, joy, and delight.

It turns out I really do have some friends who are willing to lend a helping hand when I'm in trouble.

As for Akane Shinjo's gaze.

Nanxiang did not give a direct response, but simply nodded at her.

And it was this simple nodding gesture.

But it gave Akane Shinjo a feeling of being 'approved' from the bottom of her heart.

Her eyes sparkled as she turned to him, excitedly beckoning Rikka, who was standing hesitantly at the door, to come in—

this day.

Looking at Nango Toki and Takarada Rikka, she felt that she might have finally understood what friendship meant.

She never held any hope for her interpersonal relationships, nor did she ever think that anyone would take time out of their already busy tea ceremony schedule to help her realize her small dream of a tokusatsu stage play.

However, Rikka Takarada's proactive appearance touched the softest spot in her heart.

She never imagined that someone like herself, who didn't treat others with sincerity, could have a friend like Rikka Takarada.

No... perhaps Rikka Takarada considered her a true friend a long time ago.

[She had simply kept her heart locked away and had never realized this.]

Your prompting reminded her that she wasn't alone.

She is especially grateful to you.

Although she outwardly maintains an attitude of utter dislike towards you, she subconsciously glances in your direction whenever she makes a decision or expresses her thoughts.

Looking at your calm face, her gaze always softens.

However, simply adding Rikka Takarada to the cast of the special stage play is far from enough.

Both the human side and Thanasis as a monster require human actors to portray them.

[Therefore, Rikka Takarada proactively invited several of her friends over.]

You met Rikka Takarada, Yuuta Hibiki, and Sho Utsumi.

[You did not express any opposition to Rikka Takarada recruiting people for stage play rehearsals.]

[In your opinion, this also reflects Akane Shinjo's interpersonal relationships; having more friends is undoubtedly a good thing for her.]

Watching her excitedly making props, sets, and monster costumes, you'd often volunteer to help her when you had free time.

[But because you lack knowledge about handicrafts, you're often pointed at and laughed at by her with a smile.]

But after each round of teasing, she would earnestly teach you about handicrafts.

Looking at the first batch of finished props you and she made together, she was full of disdain.

But that very night, her social media feeds were flooded with photos of props you and she had created together.

Your understanding of handicrafts has greatly improved.

Your relationship with Akane Shinjo has deepened.

Sometimes, even if the rehearsals for a stage play ended early, she, who usually went home early, would stay behind to wait for you to revise the script and perfect it before going home with you.

This short time after school is a precious moment of free time and happiness for her and you.

In the simulation, memories keep churning—

"So slow—Nango!"

Standing at the school gate, she, with her short pinkish-purple hair, grumbled as usual to Nanxiang, who had just walked out of the school gate.

"There's no other way, we're revising the script."

"Sigh—I already said it's perfect, why do we need to make changes?"

Shinjo Akane muttered to herself as she glanced at Nango Toki.

In her opinion, the script for Nanxiang Shi was actually already perfect.

Even if we were to make further revisions, we couldn't create a better storyline.

After all, the basic framework of the story has already been set.

However, Nanxiang still sets aside half an hour every day to review the script.

That's why I said I really don't understand the thinking of a perfectionist like you...

She was grumbling, but before she could finish speaking, Nango interrupted her.

"The idea of ​​performing in a stage play was something I proposed myself, so I feel it's necessary for me to present it to everyone in the best possible way."

As they walked along the road, Nango looked at Shinjo Akane and said, "And Shinjo, aren't you also looking forward to the final product of the stage play? Then we can't be careless with the script."

"Hey—so you're saying that Nango, you're revising the script so diligently because you want my approval? Oh dear, Nango, do you care that much about my opinion?"

Upon hearing this, Akane Shinjo revealed her signature mischievous grin.

This was the first time she had caught a linguistic flaw in Nanxiang's words.

You should know that Nanxiang Shi was someone who had been constantly mocking and ridiculing her.

Now that she had finally seized the opportunity, she certainly wasn't going to let it slip by.

As Akane Shinjo spoke, she glanced at Toki Nanago.

I hope to find a hint of embarrassment on that handsome face.

but--

"Yes."

Under her gaze, Nango Toki calmly nodded in response.

And it was just this one sentence.

This caused Shinjo Akane, whose face had just been full of a mischievous grin, to freeze in shock.

Then she opened her mouth wide, and her fair face instantly turned bright red in the next second.

Nanxiang's appearance showed that he readily and decisively admitted it.

It instantly shattered her previously calm and psychologically advantageous state of mind.

She turned her head to the side, looking somewhat flustered, and tentatively asked again, "Hmm? Hmm? Is that so? So, Nanxiang, you actually care a lot about what other people think?"

This time, there was no mischievous teasing as before; only the girl's subtle, concerned gaze drifted over.

That look is like that of a easily startled hamster.

Whenever he felt eye contact with Nango, he would immediately shrink back timidly.

When faced with her question, Nango Toki's answer remained as simple as ever:

"If it weren't for what you said, why do you think I would spend half an hour every day revising the script? Don't I have anything better to do?"

A very simple answer with a rhetorical question.

But like water poured into boiling oil, it made Akane Shinjo feel as if something had struck her heart.

A feeling called joy suddenly surged within me.

This emotion came on so suddenly and so intensely.

Akane Shinjo felt inexplicably worried, yet also excited.