Love Comes After Simulation

[Reina’s recovery was going smoothly. Two years had passed, and her heart was getting healthier.]

[You looked at the medical report in your hands and thought: with Reina’s current condition, maybe she could handle the burden of pregnancy.]

[But then, you worried about Mako. If you and Reina had a child, you would no longer have a reason to adopt Mako.]

[Would you abandon the girl who, in the previous simulation, devoted her entire life to helping you find a way to save Reina?]

[Or should you have a child with Reina first and then find a way to adopt Mako? But that wouldn’t be fair to Reina. Adoption had to be a mutual decision between you and Reina—that was the only right path.]

[Reina had reached the age where her maternal instincts were overflowing. Your nighttime role-playing could no longer satisfy her. She hadn’t voiced it out loud, but the way she looked at other people’s children revealed her deep longing.]

“…?”

Minami Yuuki took a sharp breath, shocked.

What does ‘nighttime role-playing’ mean? Damn it, Nakajima Reina, you pervert!

After mentally condemning the sickly girl, Minami Yuuki skipped over that issue and refocused on the developments in this simulated life.

Once again, he had chosen the path of medicine in this life simulation.

That was within his expectations.

If he only had one skill extraction opportunity, he would use it to extract artificial valve technology and surgical expertise. After that, he would have to seek help from Ichinose Shiori to implement the technology, meaning he wouldn’t need to keep exploring the field of medicine himself.

However, in the previous simulation, he had obtained another skill extraction opportunity.

With this chance, of course, he had to keep pushing forward. He had to reach the point where he could save Nakajima Reina without relying on Ichinose Shiori!

After all, asking for Ichinose Shiori’s help would inevitably expose some supernatural elements. Although she had solid character—she hadn’t dissected him or dragged him off for breeding—if he could avoid revealing anything, he absolutely should.

It was like those special books hidden in his phone. Even if a girlfriend finding them wouldn’t be a big deal, most people would still prefer to keep them hidden if possible.

Speaking of which, where had Ichinose Shiori had gone? Minami Yuuki scrolled up in the simulation log. It had been a while since she last appeared.

Such a mysterious person.

He continued reading the simulation. Unexpectedly, just a few lines later, he was presented with a choice.

[Reina’s thoughts were soon noticed by Honoka. Before long, both your families became aware of it. Your mother started hinting at you to either have a child or adopt one. Nakajima Yohei also frequently dropped subtle remarks.] ℞á𝐍Ổ𝐁Ёs̈

[Yuko secretly left a manga on your desk. The plot was about a married older sister unwilling to have children for the sake of her career, so her unmarried younger sister had to step in and bear a child for her.]

[Airi tried to instill feng shui beliefs in you, attempting to convince you that if you stayed in your hometown, a child would come more quickly.]

[You threw away Yuko’s manga and dismissed Airi’s feng shui talk, feeling a headache coming on.]

[You thought: finding Mako comes first. But after searching all the orphanages around Misaki, you couldn’t find the girl. Based on your age gap, Mako should only be about three years old now—she likely hadn’t been sent to an orphanage yet.]

[Faced with this dilemma, you choose…]

[1. “Yuko, Nao, and Kazumi don’t have children.”]

[2. “That manga’s plot is actually pretty interesting.”]

[3. “Help me, Ichinose!”]

[4. Free Simulation]

Minami Yuuki analyzed the three given choices.

Option 1 suggested entrusting Mako to Yuko, Nao, or Kazumi for adoption.

Option 2 was immediately ruled out—no further analysis needed.

Option 3 meant seeking help from Ichinose Shiori to continue searching for Mako.

Which should he choose?

Giving Mako to Nao or Kazumi wasn’t a bad idea. Both were gentle people who would take good care of her. That way, he could focus on raising his own child with Reina.

After all, Reina—who was now able to bear children—would never consider adoption. He couldn’t just ignore her feelings and adopt Mako anyway. That would be too cruel to Reina.

And he wouldn’t allow anything to taint their relationship.

Should he choose option one?

Minami Yuuki hesitated.

He thought of that girl who always took excessive care of him, who always considered his feelings too much.

He looked back at option three. Option three meant searching for Mako, but it didn’t specify what would happen after finding her.

Was option three really about adopting Mako? Minami Yuuki couldn’t be sure.

If he saw these three options as three different futures, then option three would indeed lead to a future where he adopts Mako. But if these were merely three different processes?

A path that seemed to lead straight ahead could suddenly twist in an unexpected direction.

A suspicion crept into his mind.

In the end, he chose option three.

—

[You sought out Ichinose Shiori for help.]

[You and Ichinose Shiori had always kept in touch. When both of you had time, you would go out for drinks and chat. Of course, you always brought Reina along.]

[The year you earned your doctorate, Ichinose Shiori ran for office and became a member of the House of Representatives, stepping into the political world. Now, she holds the position of Deputy Minister for Public Works.]

[This time, you met with her alone, without Reina.]

A brief memory scene appears.

In the study, a much more mature Ichinose Shiori sat on the sofa, dressed in a sharp suit. Her hair was now cut short, her gaze sharp and full of confidence. The change in her appearance was a necessary part of her election campaign—she had crafted the image of a successful woman.

“Didn’t bring your little lover this time?” Ichinose Shiori teased, looking at Minami Yuuki.

“She’s actually a year older than you,” Minami Yuuki replied as he sat on the sofa.

“Oh? So, are you finally abandoning your ‘old’ lover to throw yourself into my arms?”

Ichinose Shiori joked casually. The two of them had become close friends, comfortable enough to say things that might sound outrageous to others.

“I came here to find a little girl.”

Minami Yuuki was too preoccupied to joke around. He got straight to the point, handing her a photograph of Mako.

Ichinose Shiori took the photo. The girl in the black sailor uniform was adorable, but her overly intimate pose in the picture made one wonder about their relationship.

“Who is she?”

“I don’t know what her name is right now. This photo was taken when she was eleven. Right now, she should be around two or three years old.”

“You actually managed to bring something back from the future?”

“This is the only one.”

“You want me to find a three-year-old child using an eleven-year-old’s photo? Police departments have specialists who predict what criminals will look like as adults based on childhood photos, but you’re asking me to do the reverse?”

“She’s very important to me.”

“And how exactly is she important?”

Ichinose Shiori pressed further. Various scenarios flashed through her mind.

Was this girl the creator of a time machine? A revolutionary figure who would one day throw the world into chaos?

No, Minami Yuuki had said she was important to him. That suggested a more personal connection.

A lover from the future? A long-lost illegitimate daughter?

“She’s the daughter I adopted when I was forty-one.”

“Tch.”

“…I’ve already told you, I’m not the protagonist of some sci-fi novel. Stop imagining world-ending apocalypses and humanity’s downfall.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll do my best to help you find her. Do you have any other clues?”

“All I remember is that I adopted her from an orphanage near Misaki when she was eleven.”

—

[You gave Mako’s photo to Ichinose Shiori and asked for her help in finding her. You didn’t hold much hope—Misaki was a big place, and tracking down a three-year-old child was nearly impossible.]

[What you didn’t expect was that Ichinose Shiori quickly sent good news.]

[That evening, when you came home from work, you found a letter waiting for you on the table. It was from Ichinose Shiori.]

[Inside was a medical record belonging to a female patient with kidney disease. You frowned, confused as to why Ichinose Shiori would send this to you. But when you saw the patient’s photo, your confusion disappeared.]

[The woman looked just like Mako.]