My Love Simulation with Them

Seated at the Riko-Riko counter, Mizuki explained everything that had just happened.

"EH?! A SPIRITUAL MEDIUM?! There was someone that interesting here?! Why didn't you stop him? I wanted to ask him some fun questions!"

Chisato's bright red eyes sparkled with excitement.

Meanwhile, Inoue Takina furrowed her brows.

A psychic?

Palm reading?

Discovering people's interests through palm reading…?

"Aren't those just the usual scams street con artists pull?"

Takina glanced at Mizuki suspiciously.

She seriously doubted that Mizuki had fallen for some scammer,

Yet here she was, telling them all about it so enthusiastically.

With a skeptical look, Takina got up and continued working,

While speaking without hesitation—

"Miss Nakahara, you're an adult. You shouldn't fall for tricks meant for children."

"Wait, no! That's not it!"

Feeling underestimated, Mizuki coughed twice.

"It's really accurate! Just meet him, and you'll see!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Tilting her head slightly, Inoue Takina glanced at Mizuki Nakahara, her wisteria-colored eyes sharp.

"For example, what exactly was so 'accurate'?"

"That guy precisely stated my birthdate and blood type!"

"That kind of information can be easily found if you ask around. It wouldn't take much effort, right?"

Takina let out a small sigh.

"That's not all! He even knew which izakaya I frequent, and that I always throw up on the manager when I get drunk!"

"You probably let that slip while drinking at the izakaya. Also, Mizuki, you might not realize this, but you have a habit of rambling nonsense when you're drunk."

Leaning her face against her palm, Takina logically broke it down:

"You likely exposed those details yourself. You should cut back on the drinking."

"Yeah, yeah! Be more responsible, Mizuki. You're an adult, after all."

At this point, Chisato grinned mischievously and chimed in.

Hearing their comments, Mizuki's face twisted in disbelief.

"Wait a second—do you two really see me as that unreliable?"

"A single woman in her late twenties, constantly looking for men, frequently getting drunk… Honestly, I'm more curious why you think we'd have a good impression of you."

"Guh—!"

Takina's words struck Mizuki right in the heart.

She clutched her chest dramatically, looking as though she had taken a critical hit.

"Takina, even if what you said is completely true, isn't that a bit too harsh?"

"Uh—"

Before Takina could react, Chisato giggled mischievously, landing another blow.

Mizuki could physically feel the pain at this point.

But…

She had already thought about this thoroughly.

And Chisato's congenital heart disease wasn't a joke.

Taking a deep breath, Mizuki swallowed down her frustration and finally spoke.

"Instead of making fun of me, you two should seriously think about something… especially you, Chisato."

Recalling Minami's words, she turned toward Chisato.

"That guy said… your heart only has one month left."

"Mizuki, even if you say you're joking right now, I'm still going to be mad."

Takina immediately stopped working, her wisteria-colored eyes snapping toward Mizuki.

Her words carried an almost tangible sharpness, laced with barely restrained anger.

Chisato's heart condition was a topic no one at Riko-Riko liked to discuss.

Especially in front of Chisato herself.

It was beyond inappropriate—

It was as cruel as telling a dying person the exact date of their death.

Takina felt her heart ache just thinking about it.

And besides—

Whenever Takina had asked Chisato about it,

Chisato had always smiled confidently and reassured her—

"I've got at least three or four months left, don't worry."

But now…

To suddenly hear that there was only one month left…

It was too cruel.

Too sudden.

Takina gritted her teeth and spoke bluntly.

"Chisato, don't listen to this alcohol-damaged woman. There's no way some fraudster's words—"

She turned her head as she spoke—

But before she could even finish—

Her voice stopped abruptly.

"...Huh?"

A stunned noise escaped Takina's lips.

Because—

The bright, cheerful smile that always lit up Chisato's face…

Had suddenly frozen in place.

It was as if—

Mizuki's words had hit a terrifyingly accurate mark.

"No way…"

The rag Takina had been using to wipe the counter slipped from her fingers.

She stared at Chisato, her mouth slightly open.

"Chisato… don't tell me you actually—"

"Uh… well… how do I put this…"

Chisato finally realized her own reaction had been wrong.

She let out an awkward "hehe", quickly looking away to avoid Takina's gaze.

At the same time,

For the first time in a long while,

The usually carefree Chisato felt a storm brewing inside her heart.

Her heart could only hold on for one last month.

This was something only her primary doctor had told her—in secret.

And for the sake of keeping her Riko-Riko companions from worrying,

Chisato had never told anyone the exact timeline.

To everyone else, she casually claimed she still had three to four months left, that there was still a chance for improvement.

Even Mika, the man who had raised her, had been kept in the dark.

At first, when Mizuki Nakahara brought it up, Chisato thought she was just joking.

So she had casually played along with the conversation.

But the moment she heard the exact deadline spoken aloud—

She could no longer maintain her usual composure.

"Chisato… don't tell me you actually…?"

Inoue Takina was no fool.

On the contrary, after spending so much time with Chisato,

She had come to understand her habits completely.

Now, seeing Chisato's uneasy expression,

She knew for sure.

Mizuki's words were true.

"Uh… ahaha..."

Chisato scratched her head, looking both embarrassed and guilty.

"Didn't expect to get exposed like this…"

Then, she let out a small sigh of amazement—

"Mizuki, that psychic of yours is pretty incredible… I can't believe he even figured that out."

"This is NOT the time for that!!"

Hearing just how dire Chisato's situation actually was,

Takina immediately lost all focus on her work and rushed toward Chisato.

"How's your body?! Are you feeling okay?! Can you still eat properly?! Wait—didn't you say you were tired from staying up watching movies the other day? Was that actually because—"

The more Takina thought about it,

The worse her expression became.

Her usually calm and refined features were now twisted with anxiety.

"Ahhh, you're overreacting! I'm totally healthy! I really was just tired from watching movies that night."

Feeling Takina's genuine concern,

Chisato awkwardly laughed,

Trying to brush it off like she always did.

But this time—

Takina wasn't letting it go.

"We're going to see a doctor."

She said it firmly, gripping Chisato's hand and pulling her toward the door.

"Wha—?! No way! Injections are expensive! And they hurt!"

Chisato protested immediately.

"But—!"

Takina opened her mouth to argue.

And then—

A voice cut in.

"That's enough, Takina."

For the first time,

Chisato's voice wasn't playful.

Her bright red eyes met Takina's gaze,

Her smile unwavering, but her head gently shaking.

"You know as well as I do… that it wouldn't change anything."

"..."

Takina fell silent.

Her lips pressed together tightly,

Her expression pained and conflicted.

Because she knew.

She knew that at this point,

The medication could only ease Chisato's condition.

That was all it could do.

If a simple injection or treatment could solve the problem,

Then the doctors themselves would have already arranged for it.

One month.

That was the final ultimatum given by the doctors.

And the reason Chisato had kept it a secret—

Was because she truly cared about them.

She didn't want them to worry.

Then—

Another voice spoke up.

It was Mizuki Nakahara.

"I think… we should at least try believing in that psychic."

For once, Mizuki wasn't joking around.

She looked serious.

"Even if the chance is small, what if he really has a way?"

"Mizuki, are you seriously still saying that at a time like this…?"

Takina let out a deep breath and shook her head.

She had never believed in things like the supernatural.

She only trusted what she could grasp—things that were logical and rational.

"Didn't he accurately predict the exact timeline?"

"That was just a lucky guess."

Takina's voice was firm—she was stubborn like that.

"No… I don't think so at all."

Mizuki shook her head, dismissing Takina's claim.

She recalled Minami's expression—

How he had spoken with absolute certainty, without the slightest hesitation.

"I could tell—he was completely confident in what he was saying."

"There wasn't even a moment of doubt."

Mizuki's gaze was clear and steady,

Her tone convincing.

"I can see it."

"Mizuki…"

Takina started to speak—

But before she could—

Chisato, who had been listening silently,

Finally broke her silence.

"Umm… Mizuki, you haven't forgotten that you have terrible judgment of people, right?"

"Guh—!"

Mizuki clutched her chest.

"You always get tricked by shady guys."

Chisato's tone was adorably lighthearted.

"Guh—!"

"Last time, you treated a guy to a meal, and when you tried to ask him out again, he completely ghosted you."

"Guh—!"

"So, Mizuki, your ability to judge people is... well…"

Chisato placed her slender, fair fingers against her lips, letting out a playful giggle.

"Hmm… completely hopeless!"

"…You two are seriously the kind of people who can stab someone with words while keeping a kind face."

Mizuki Nakahara crawled out from under the table, her chest aching from the verbal blows.

She was still recovering.

"Ahhh, but there's nothing we can do about it~" Chisato said cheerfully. "Your taste in people is just unbelievably bad, Mizuki."

"I can actually vouch for that."

A new voice suddenly cut in, interrupting Chisato.

From beneath the counter, a small, blonde-haired girl in a Riko-Riko uniform peeked out.

It was Kurumi, another member of Riko-Riko.

Unlike Mizuki, Takina, and Chisato—

Kurumi wasn't the type to work diligently.

She preferred hiding in corners, slacking off—

And thanks to her short stature, she had gotten away with it many times.

Which was why—

She had overheard everything Mizuki and Minami had discussed.

Now, as she closed her mobile game, she yawned, rested her chin on her hand,

And lazily looked at Chisato and Takina before speaking:

"Mizuki isn't wrong. That so-called psychic said Chisato's condition without a moment of hesitation. He didn't even stop to analyze Mizuki's reaction. How should I put it…?"

Kurumi held up her index finger.

"I don't believe in supernatural stuff either, but you guys haven't met him, so you don't know—"

"He spoke with absolute confidence. No hesitation. Like he already knew about Chisato's condition beforehand."

"I think, honestly… our situation can't get any worse than it already is. So, what's the harm in at least trying to believe him?"

Kurumi sat up properly and voiced her opinion.

Her words brought silence.

Even Takina, who had been skeptical just moments ago,

Couldn't find anything to say.

Because Kurumi was right.

If they did nothing,

Then they would just watch as Chisato's condition deteriorated day by day until she was gone.

And yet—

Now, there was a possibility of saving her.

Even if it was unlikely, even if it felt unbelievable—

It was still hope.

A faint glimmer of light in the darkness.

Like a single straw floating on water—

Something a drowning person would cling to with all their might.

It reminded them of an old Japanese saying:

"A drowning man will clutch at straws."

"But the bigger the hope, the greater the disappointment if it fails."

Takina hesitated, then murmured quietly.

"I know you're uncertain, Takina."

Mizuki spoke up.

"But you're too emotionally involved. You care about Chisato so much that you're not thinking clearly."

"Instead of forcing your opinion—shouldn't we ask Chisato herself?"

"After all, it's her life. Isn't her opinion the most important one?"

"..."

Takina fell into silence.

She didn't argue back.

Instead, her wisteria-colored eyes remained locked on Chisato.

Because Mizuki was right.

The person who should make the final decision—

Was Chisato herself.

Under everyone's gaze,

Chisato thought for a moment.

Then she tilted her head playfully,

Her golden hair bouncing as she flashed a bright, energetic smile.

"Well, in that case—meeting this psychic sounds kinda fun! He seems interesting."

"...Interesting?"

Hearing that unexpected response,

Mizuki, Kurumi, and Takina exchanged glances.

Then—

They smiled knowingly.

Yep… that's so Chisato.

If it were anyone else,

They wouldn't be able to make such a life-altering decision with such a cheerful, carefree attitude.