Yuu 546-550 (Patreon)

Title: A Vow Frozen in Snow, Left Unspoken

The snow fell heavily, adorning the vibrant nightscape of Tokyo.

Although it hadn’t yet reached the level of a silver blanket, and couldn’t be called a White Christmas Eve, if the snow continued like this, by tomorrow morning, upon opening the window, they might just witness a true white Christmas.

The snowflakes drifting from beyond the fence, delicate and soft, gradually piled up on the jacket covering them both.

“If we stand here all night, someone from over there might see a yeti tomorrow morning.”

Speaking with a laugh, Yuu pointed towards the apartment building across the way.

Although the distance was considerable, someone with eyesight not as good as his probably wouldn’t be able to see anything clearly.

“Go be a yeti by yourself. I’m going inside soon. Don’t worry, I’ll remember to brush the snow off for you.”

Shaking her head and sighing, the girl in his arms curled up again, her slender shoulders trembling slightly. Like a kitten fond of acting spoiled, she nestled her warm, soft body deeper into his embrace.

Smelling her scent, enveloped in her warmth, Yukino let out a relieved sigh. She narrowed her eyes. The snowy cityscape before her seemed to flicker with a warm, fireplace-like light, intoxicating and captivating.

Of course, she had to ignore the “sea-quelling staff” pressing against her waist—if she dwelled on that too much, this warm and romantic atmosphere would be utterly ruined.

Meanwhile, Yuu noticed Yukino’s beautifully shaped bottom tense up slightly, seeming a little nervous.

Although she didn’t say anything, as a real man, he felt the need to defend himself: “Holding my girlfriend’s perfect body in my arms, pressed close without a single gap. If that doesn’t cause a reaction, I should go get checked out.”

“I’m not blaming you. Just don’t move recklessly.” Without turning her head, Yukino rolled her eyes helplessly towards the sky. She placed her arm over his on her stomach, “Having a lecherous boyfriend like this is really troublesome.”

“I told you, it’s a normal reaction. All men are lecherous...” Yuu initially muttered discontentedly, then paused for a moment, and for some reason, flashed a mischievous smile, “How dare you say that, I never expected you to voluntarily place my hand on your chest. I didn’t even know—“

“That’s my stomach.”

Yukino’s voice was as cold as the snow just fallen from the clouds.

Yuu immediately fell silent. Sensing the tense atmosphere, he quickly coughed twice to lighten the mood: “...Ahem, the point is, I didn’t use any strength. If I hadn’t squeezed it twice, I wouldn’t have known how soft it felt.”

“Tenkuji-kun...”

Her soft palm gently rested on the back of his hand. Her neatly trimmed nails slowly dug into his flesh.

“If you utter one more useless word, I will throw you from this balcony. This position is perfect for me to use a shoulder throw.”

Yuu possessing highly sharp survival instincts, immediately put on a serious expression: “Yes, your Highness!”

(Although there’s a hard railing blocking the way, you absolutely can’t throw me~)

Of course, he wouldn’t voice the taunt in his heart. Yuu raised his gaze, looking at the night snowscape that wasn’t particularly beautiful. His eyes were calm and indifferent, a stark contrast to his tone.

He simply held the girl tightly. Occasionally, he would exhale to blow away the drifting snowflakes, working hard to protect her soft, beautiful hair from being stained by the dirty snowmelt.

He was afraid Yukino would get cold, but her body temperature was higher than his. She didn’t even seem to mind the winter’s cold wind and snow hitting her face. In the end, he was the only one busy, struggling against the bone-chilling cold of the White Christmas Eve.

As if realizing that he was different from her, unable to calmly enjoy the scenery, Yukino slightly raised her head. However, her forehead was pressed against his chin, so he couldn’t see her expression.

Even so, she still asked softly: “What are you afraid of?”

“Huh?”

“What are you afraid of, that isn’t related to the Mission?”

When Yukino lowered her head, her tone became more convinced, as if she had already guessed the thoughts in his heart. She said with a faint smile: “Tell me. It’s not a secret forbidden by the Gods, but the worries in your heart, the things you can say but don’t want to say.”

“...You already know I don’t want to say it, why are you still asking me to?” Yuu smiled wryly, like a pitiful boyfriend helplessly coaxed by his girlfriend.

“I want to share your pain, even if all I can do is listen.”

Taking the hand he had placed on her stomach, Yukino interlocked her fingers with his, holding tightly onto his much larger hand.

Then, she turned around. She leaned her forehead against his chest and said softly: “...At least let the me of now do more of what a girlfriend should do.”

“……”

Yuu silently lowered his head. He buried his face in the long hair at the nape of her neck and let out a long sigh.

“How cunning. I never thought my Yukino would become like this.”

Speaking like this, wasn’t it making it impossible for him to pretend to be strong anymore?

Yukino wasn’t embarrassed; instead, she seemed proud. She smiled calmly and proudly: “Although I am perfect and flawless, one could say the most perfect human creation from God, from a biological perspective, I’m just an ordinary girl... And ordinary girls, of course, become cunning when in love.”

(Besides, I also have to compete with a boyfriend who strays easily and doesn’t like to tell the truth)—She added this last part silently in her mind.

Yuu kissed her forehead, moved: “My dear, I love this shameless side of your personality.”

Feeling a hard pinch on his waist, he hurriedly steered the conversation back on track.

“What did you ask me before?”

“I asked what you are afraid of.” Yukino said, slightly annoyed. The hand pinching his soft flesh loosened and naturally wrapped around his waist.

“Let me think...”

After pondering for a moment with a serious expression, Yuu slowly raised his gaze, watching the lonely falling snowflakes. He said gently:

“Perhaps, what I fear most is the feelings returning.”

Yukino wasn’t surprised by this answer.

“Nee-san, Yuuki-san, Natsukawa-san...”

Muttering to himself, his tone was calmer than she had imagined: “Tenkuji-kun, are you afraid of falling in love again with the people you once dated, just as you’re afraid they will regain their memories and return to you?”

Yuu nodded. His fingers instinctively played with her long hair.

“If it were just Haruno, it might be okay. But now I owe so many debts of love. If my feelings were to recover someday, with my indecisive and stubborn personality, wouldn’t I have to take responsibility for all of you?”

“I don’t see how honest you are being.” Yukino brushed away his hand as it wandered from her hair to her collarbone.

Honestly returning his hand to her black hair, Yuu laughed with a hint of self-mockery: “Think of it this way, a child going to a candy store naturally wants to bag up all the candies he likes—but if he actually does it, both the shopkeeper and his parents will give him a hard lesson, right, because he’s being naughty?”

“The problem is here... I wouldn’t hand over the candy I’ve set my sights on to anyone. Even if I had to spend all my savings, I would take it all home to enjoy.”

Because his love for them was always a love that wanted to grow old together—the so-called serious relationship with marriage intentions.

So, if his lost feelings were to recover, Yuu would no longer be able to refuse Haruno’s obsession...

He would no longer be able to ignore Asuna’s aloofness keeping her distance...

He would no longer be able to disregard Masuzu’s figure waiting behind for his return...

Yuu would shoulder all those memories and feelings of love, chase after his three ex-girlfriends, and find every way to make them happy—and moreover, now there were Yukino and Yuigahama.

Putting aside whether he, just an ordinary high school student, was capable of dating five people at once, and putting aside how the parents from all sides would feel if they found out, not to mention the System hadn’t left yet, and the final mission’s nature was unknown...

Whether doing this was truly good for them was what Yuu cared about most.

“Being with me, you might not necessarily be happy. It might be better to use the power of the Gods, experience a little pain in a short time, completely leave me behind, forget me, and seek your own happiness that won’t be lost or changed.”

Yuu said calmly: “For me, the best outcome is for you all to never regain your memories. Because that way, I, who no longer love you, won’t have to stubbornly shoulder this responsibility.”

He would be able to bid them farewell normally and become a coward who shirks responsibility with a clear conscience.

As soon as the words fell, Yukino slightly pushed him away, then gently slapped his face.

It didn’t hurt. In fact, it was just a touch accompanied by a sound.

Yet, it seemed to freeze Yuu in place instantly. He couldn’t help but widen his eyes, staring at her teary eyes and complicated expression.

“Yukino...”

“Sorry, although I might have been able to guess your thoughts, after hearing them, I still couldn’t hold back my anger.”

Saying this without a hint of apology, Yukino took a deep breath. Her melodious and soft voice suddenly sharpened, becoming the unyielding, decisive truth she always embodied.

“First, although as your girlfriend, I’m not too keen on saying this... But Tenkuji-kun, you are not a child, and we are not candies—as a knowledgeable young entrepreneur, even if you bought the entire candy store and ate different flavors seven days a week, as long as you demonstrated the corresponding ability, who could give you a hard lesson?”

“Therefore, your analogy is completely unnecessary. Worrying about this is utterly unreasonable!”

Analyzing calmly and rationally, yet her tone was somehow heavy, and she seemed a little reluctant.

It wasn’t that Yuu didn’t understand—Yukino could share her boyfriend with Yuigahama because she felt guilty, and she accepted it without complaint as the one who came later.

But facing others, especially her own sister, how could Yukino possibly be generous enough to share her boyfriend?

After all, in her memory, the one who came first was only Yuigahama. And the opposite sex always by her side was only the two of them. Others, like the transfer student, were outsiders who had entered between the three of them.

Even so, Yukino had no intention of taking back her previous words. She continued to look into Yuu’s eyes, saying what she truly wanted to say from the bottom of her heart.

“Next, on what basis are you deciding our happiness based on your own imagination?”

She suddenly stepped forward, pushing Yuu back.

“What qualifications do you have to arbitrarily assume that a future where you love us, and we love you, is destined to hurt everyone?”

She stepped forward again, pushing Yuu, who didn’t resist, against the floor-to-ceiling window. Then, she reached out and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

“And why can you arbitrarily draw a line between the two of us, and in the end, try to push us away by pitying yourself and being moved by your own actions?”

Yuu lowered his head. His eyes were helpless and serious, as if wanting to convince her with logic: “That’s not imagination, it’s like deriving a formula, things that are bound to happen in the future…”

“Lies!”

Yukino suddenly raised her voice. Her eyebrows arched, her teeth clenched hard. Her pale cheeks flushed like blazing fire.

For the first time since returning home, she was truly angry with Yuu. So angry that her voice involuntarily trembled slightly.

“A reason you don’t even believe in yourself, do you still want to use it to deceive me?!”

“How long do you want to keep running away? How long do you want to pretend to be a rational coward?”

“Lying to your girlfriend, is that what you call taking responsibility?!”

“Answer me, Tenkuji Yuu!”

“……”

The jacket connecting them both fell to the ground. The winter snow continued to pile up like dirty cotton.

The cold wind tousled her long hair. Yet, those azure eyes flickered with an unquenchable flame amidst the snow.

That burning gaze was like snow reflecting the scorching sun. It was so dazzling that Yuu unconsciously turned his face away. Even his answer didn’t sound as confident as before.

“I’m just, making the right choice.”

“Only the lucky ones can turn mistakes into correctness. And I’ve never been that lucky, so I can only strive to walk the right path. Even if I occasionally make mistakes, occasionally stray… As long as I don’t mistakenly choose the wrong goal, at least I won’t make a huge mistake I’ll regret for life. What’s wrong with that?”

“Of course there’s nothing wrong. After all, I used to think that way too.”

Yukino smiled helplessly. She seemed to have calmed down a little.

But before Yuu could breathe a sigh of relief, the girl suddenly turned her face back.

Her eyes widened terrifyingly. Her face was devoid of a smile. She spoke coldly, word by word:

“Don’t joke around childishly with me. Who do you think is the reason the me of now is completely different from the past?”

“You’re the one who told me that being obsessed with correctness isn’t good. Someone who is truly intelligent will choose to hold fast to their own sense of justice, then remain flexible and adapt to the situation—you should understand better than anyone: The right choice for the past and present, in the future!”

As if all her anger had been vented. After she finished speaking those words heavily, the imposing aura and anger slowly faded from her flushed face.

Their eyes met. That knife-sharp gaze flickered. Slowly, ripples of sadness and affection surfaced.

Her fingers slid from his cheek, slowly and reluctantly, to the corner of his mouth, and finally fell to the side as if losing strength.

“……Enough with deceiving yourself. Think about what you truly need, okay?”

Passing by him, Yukino opened the floor-to-ceiling window, letting the warmth melt the snowflakes on her shoulders.

After stepping inside, with the window separating them, and with her back to him, she suddenly spoke again.

“Actually, I also have one thing I’m afraid of.”

“……”

Although he stood still without answering, Yukino continued nonetheless:

“I’m also afraid that you will regain your lost feelings, and then, because you don’t know how to handle these complicated relationships, you will leave all of us.”

Yukino knew, Yuu was the kind of person who would do such a thing—As long as it was for their own good, as long as there was a reason to set them free, this fool would do just that.

So, she turned her head to look back at the side of his face, whose expression was unreadable, and said as if pleading:

“Swear to me, no matter what happens in the future, don’t do that. Okay?”

“……”

The snow continued to fall, as if wanting to drown the whole of Tokyo in a great, pale white wave.

The cold wind blew with greater force, assaulting the young man standing motionless on the balcony.

And he, as if buried by the snow.

The vow, left unspoken, froze into ice beneath the snowfall.

-

Title: Yukino’s Vow

After being isolated from the snowy night, and with both of them having entered the house, the snow on their jackets and hair melted in the warmth of the living room.

Yet, the atmosphere felt like the cold wind from outside the window had blown into the room. A chilly silence spread in the corner. The two sat facing each other on the sofa, heads bowed as if pondering something. Neither dared to look at the other first, and neither had the desire to start a conversation.

Yukino was letting her feelings of anger and sadness settle. Everything that needed to be said had been spoken. She didn’t know what else to say to Yuu at that moment.

Meanwhile, Yuu had no intention of responding to this situation coldly. He wasn’t shocked by the girl’s sincere anger, nor was he afraid to ease the tension out of guilt or any other emotion.

He was genuinely thinking.

He thought about Haruno’s obsession, willing to oppose the little sister she loved most, just to hold onto those memories until now.

He thought about the moment when Asuna, full of anger and joy, transformed her pursuing resolve into a sword and thrust it at him.

He thought about Masuzu, who tried and attacked time and again, and finally smiled at him before the extinguished bonfire, saying she could never leave him.

He thought about the words Yukino spoke when she turned her face away, thought about her resolute gaze when she accepted the ridiculous request he made without hesitation.

He thought about Yuigahama, thought about Sora…

He thought about many people, and many things.

Yukino was right. She accurately guessed his deepest thoughts.

If, after the mission was over, everyone regained their dating memories, and the feelings he asked the System to withdraw also somehow returned.

Then, facing a Shuraba (chaos/conflict) situation where no one could be chosen, before they hurt each other, before they were hurt by him, and before the situation escalated further…

Yuu would immediately take Sora and leave Chiba City, even leave Japan outright. He would find a third-tier city in his homeland from his previous life, settle there, change his name, and start a new life anew—one without the System and without girlfriends, belonging only to him.

He believed that love wasn’t something hard to let go of.

Time could erase all partings and wounds. After all, the longest he had dated any of them was only about two months. It might take about a year to forget them.
By then,there would be no one who liked him, and no one would show disappointed, sad, pained, or confused expressions because they were his girlfriends.

That was the decision of a real man.

If it can’t be handled, discard it all.

Of course Yuu understood, this was the worst, most irresponsible action—but better a short pain than a prolonged one. Better to have no feelings than to have too many, right?

…And then Yukino said, all of that was self-deception.

That wasn’t the future Yuu desired. It was just a True Ending he, thinking himself clever, had concocted on his own for their sake.

In a world like that, even without him, the pain wouldn’t disappear. The only advantage was that he avoided the difficulty of handling emotional problems.

Even if he were more optimistic, and didn’t worry so much—if all his worries didn’t come true, and only Haruno regained her memories; if the fifth mission could be completed smoothly, and he could free himself from the System and achieve a wonderful life…

Could he enter a relationship and marry Yuigahama without any psychological burden?

Could he firmly reject Haruno and the others, and ignore Yukino who now hoped he would take responsibility, just because doing so was the most correct, and forget all that had happened in the past?

…As Yukino said earlier, Yuu had no right to do that.

The same mistake, he had already made it four times.

Four times in a row he fell in love with his mission targets, and he felt confused, suffered because of it, yet deep down he didn’t regret it.

In short, he deserved to be in this dilemma.

He had already been their hero, but now he wanted to retreat using the excuse of a coward, disguising himself as a victim…

Never mind being a real man who could make his little sister proud, someone like him wasn’t even worthy of being called human. Even a primitive person could step on his face and curse him, “Are you even human!”

So, he could only ask his own heart again.

Yuu slowly closed his eyes. He suppressed the frustration and tightness pooling in his chest, forced himself to calm down, and then asked himself.

Just as his mind went blank, words spoken by a grey-haired witch unconsciously surfaced in his thoughts.

(Nothing is absolutely correct! Don’t be afraid of change. Your life belongs only to you, not to others!)

Yukino’s skirt swayed. Her smooth thighs were reflected in his eyes, which had unconsciously opened.

“I’ll make some tea… Once the tea is ready, give me your answer.”

His consciousness returned from his reverie. Yuu listened to her calm voice, from which all anger had vanished, leaving only tenderness for him. He watched her back as she left.

Without a doubt, Yukino was a good girl.

Physically, although her chest armor was a bit flat, their shape, color, and elasticity were flawless.

Not to mention her pleasingly soft, white skin, slender waist, and long legs. Anyone would willingly kiss her until their bones broke.

As for her personality, it went without saying. Cold on the outside, warm on the inside, independent, self-confident, virtuous, and intelligent, yet she hadn’t lost the shyness and vulnerability unique to a girl.

And the minor flaws that were once criticized had also changed a lot during their time together.

The Yukino of now, apart from her habit of being cold towards outsiders, had almost no dislikable shortcomings. Even her arrogant, praise-craving demeanor felt strangely amusing.

Lastly, she could even set aside her possessiveness for her boyfriend’s sake, giving him a hard slap, and making him face his ex-girlfriends.

She even pushed him forward strongly from behind, as if not caring if he was dating multiple people, and rejected his choice to turn and run away, refusing everything.

Of course Yukino would want to be possessive if she could. But most importantly, it’s the person she loves that she can’t let go of!

As long as that person is happy, she doesn’t care about the circumstances—both Yuu and the girl naturally understood that they both had this foolish mentality.

…However, even so.

Even if he had to embrace bad and selfish thoughts, even if he would be scorned by all the women in the world.

Even if it contradicted the loyalty he once prided himself on, and the justice he once upheld.

Yuu could no longer deny—he wanted to be possessive of his current girlfriend, and even of the future Yukino who would forget this moment.

“Yes…” He clenched his fist, the corner of his mouth curving. He chuckled lowly, mocking, yet relieved.

“She agreed to be my girlfriend, to be hugged, kissed, and groped all over by me. So, no matter what she thinks, whether she hates me or likes me, remembers or not, she must belong to me for this lifetime…”

“I am a selfish scoundrel like this.”

Letting go of someone you love, that’s something done by fools who think themselves heroes.

And now, Yuu, who was fundamentally not a hero, didn’t want to be a fool anymore.

He wanted to be a clever scoundrel. He would love the girls who loved him. He would recolor the faded memories with beautiful hues that no one could take away.

Perhaps this decision would become a wrong choice, one he would regret in the future.

But to quote Araki-sensei: So-called preparedness is abandoning the bright path one should take for the sake of an important existence one doesn’t want to let go of, and stepping without hesitation into a thorny wilderness.

At least the Yuu of now, because he loves her, doesn’t want to let her go no matter what.

“The tea is ready… What kind of expression is that?”

Placing two cups of hot black tea on the table, Yukino frowned slightly. She observed the young man’s facial features, which had suddenly become rougher and more masculine, with a hint of confusion.

Yuu looked much more refreshed than his previously gloomy and depressed appearance, but… Yukino still couldn’t guess what the other was thinking.

“An expression of having understood everything.” Yuu cast aside his pretense. He picked up the black tea without fear of the heat. After taking a sip, he smiled at her.

“Yukino, have you ever regretted liking me?”

“Why are you suddenly asking this?”

Yukino blinked in surprise, seeing his hopeful gaze. After shaking her head a little helplessly, she sat back down on the sofa and lifted her teacup with her slender fingers.

With her moist, pink lips slightly puckered, she blew on the tea slowly, while saying with half-lidded eyes and a flat tone: “Of course no girl doesn’t regret liking someone who can’t be faithful only to her, right?”

“Hmm, I knew you’d say that.” Normally, Yuu would smile wryly at this point, feeling a little disappointed.

But now, drinking the fancy black tea made by his girlfriend, he could smile contentedly with a thick skin.

“There’s a ‘but’ after that, right?”

As if not wanting to pay him any mind, Yukino didn’t lift her head.

“Don’t worry, there’s no ‘but’.”

“Yukino Nee-san, I was wrong. Please give me that ‘but’…”

“N-Nee-san?”

The girl pretending to be cold suddenly reacted.

As the deliberately faked, coquettish voice entered her ears, Yukino couldn’t suppress a shudder throughout her body. A tingling sensation, like electricity, ran through her nerves.

Like a sadist whose nature enjoyed tormenting being satisfied, she unconsciously curved the corners of her lips. She put down her teacup and spoke in a cheerful tone.

“Good. Since you’ve begged me like that, then, poor little Yuu, let Nee-san give you the ‘but’~”

This time, it was Yuu’s turn for his expression to become complicated.

“Yukino, don’t tell me you like playing sister-brother play? Don’t mess around with this…”

Yukino always ignored her boyfriend’s joking words.

“But.”

She simply looked into Yuu’s eyes. As if she had truly calmed down, she said in a light tone:

“But meeting you, dating you, even parting and meeting again—as long as it’s a choice I made myself, no matter the past, present, or future, I have no regrets.”

Emotion surged directly into his throat. Yuu took a deep breath and laughed heartily.

“In this regard, our opinions are very much the same.”

“Of course. After all, someone as perfect as me, how could you possibly regret meeting me?”

“You’re beautiful, everything you say is right… But before truly making a decision, there’s still one problem.” Yuu restrained his smile a little. He looked at Yukino seriously.

“When you remember that you’re the one who changed a pure, flawless young man into a shameless harem king, don’t you want to go back to the past, become like a spirit behind him, trying to control him to return to the right path with various threats and temptations?”

Yukino sighed again. She seemed to have no intention of responding to this question of his directly.

“First, your nature was already shameless to begin with, please don’t burden me with this blame… If I could, I’d also want you to only look at me.”

“Sorry.” Yuu lowered his head very honestly, but like a ruffian, he didn’t show much sincerity.

Suppressing the urge to splash the black tea in his face, Yukino took a sip of the now slightly cooled tea. Her voice became a little cold.

“Next, I’m not interested in changing a past that’s already set… Even if I changed it, the future that returns to the right path wouldn’t be mine, so why bother?”

“What the, you’ve really thought about it seriously.” Yuu smiled happily, but was glared back at by Yukino, whose face was reddening, “Then, there’s one last question…”

“Figure it out yourself!”

The teacup was placed heavily on the saucer, producing a clear sound.

“Tagore once said, truth can bear the weight of failure, but falsehood cannot… As long as you believe what you are doing is the truth, then in the end, all problems will be solved.”

After lecturing him with a sharp gaze, Yukino was amused by his miserable and honest appearance, so she couldn’t help but sigh in resignation and rub her temples.

“Besides, having problems that can be overcome is a joyful thing… Enough, you know what I mean.”

Her body relaxed. Her eyes met Yuu’s again.

This time, they were separated by the cold coffee table, but there was none of the tension and suffocation from when they were embracing in the snow.

She slowly showed a relieved smile. Her azure eyes were like the clearest winter sky, reflecting his eyes which had now cleared of mist.

“Then, can you give me your answer?”

“Hmm.”

With utmost seriousness, Yuu slowly exhaled all the air from his lungs. Then, he looked at his girlfriend with firm eyes.

As if wanting to freeze his voice into a physical form, he said, word by word:

“From now on, I will not let you go again!”

This vow, Yuu would carry out from now into the future.

From the heavily snowy winter, to the spring that warmly melts the snow—this is what he wanted to do.

“Hmm~ Although it seems a bit lacking in depth, and there’s still room for improvement… But the determination is palpable, it wasn’t in vain that I spent so many words on you.”

Tucking a strand of hair from her cheek behind her ear, Yukino pursed her thin, soft lips. She smiled contentedly: “Then, tomorrow morning, you know what to do, right?”

“Eh… Of course, I hope you won’t slap me.” Yuu laughed awkwardly twice. He seemed genuinely afraid that such a future would occur.

Shaking her head helplessly, Yukino looked at him, and suddenly leaned closer. She stretched both her hands across the coffee table.

Yuu understood her intention and also leaned his upper body closer. However, she unexpectedly bypassed his lips, and then he felt a moist touch on his earlobe.

Yukino hugged his neck tightly. With an extremely satisfied smile on her face, she whispered in his ear.

“Tenkuji-kun, I love you.”

“I swear, feelings like this, I definitely won’t forget them.”

“Lastly—“

She paused for a moment. She bit his earlobe, leaving a faint bite mark there coquettishly.

Only then did she say with a smile:

“Don’t make me wait too long, my most ideal boyfriend…”

[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for completing the Mission.]

-

Title: Tonight is Still Very Long

[The mission reward can be claimed immediately. If not claimed by 6 AM on December 25th, the System will automatically enter the claim period.]

[Note: The claiming process is irreversible. Once you choose to enter the claim state, you cannot leave the claim space until the world correction is complete.]

The familiar System notification box appeared, reflected in Yuu’s wide eyes, along with the girl’s fragrant black hair.

He stared blankly ahead, feeling his brain was like a Tesla with stuck brakes, unable to turn over.

This… this completed the mission?

Yukino just said three sentences, and the System paid out one hundred eighty thousand for him… no, and he directly completed the strange “ideal boyfriend” mission given by the System?

So, no matter what he said, the target girl’s feelings were the most important indicator for completing the mission… Although that made sense, Yuu still felt a little unwilling.

Was it because the System couldn’t withstand the charm of a beautiful girl, or had Yukino figured out the System’s workings and knew how to open its backdoor…

Wild thoughts filled his mind. Before Yuu could react, the girl in his embrace let go of his hand and sat back down on the sofa calmly and comfortably.

“Although only thirty percent of my intention was to test, my original purpose was just to tell you what’s in my heart…”

Yukino slowly crossed her left leg over her right. The thighs beneath her Christmas mini-skirt were white as if glowing, but also created a mysterious, dimly lit area.

With elbows resting on her knees and hands clasped under her chin, Yukino showed a clever smile like Commander Ikari, as if she knew everything.

“But looking at your expression, the mission is complete, right?”

“You really are…”

If he weren’t so focused on the alluring and seductive leg-crossing gesture and her slender, beautiful figure, Yuu might have been stunned by excessive surprise and unable to regain his senses for several seconds.

But now, he just blinked. After a wry smile full of admiration, he leaned weakly against the back of the chair.

“I think even the Gods wouldn’t have expected my girlfriend to be this intelligent.”

“Ara, this is just basic deduction, My Dear.”

Gracefully flicking the long hair over her shoulder, Yukino lifted her chin with a calm expression. The childish pride on her face couldn’t be hidden.

The snow outside the window was still falling.

The balcony floor was covered with a thin layer of white, but the couple inside didn’t care about things unrelated to them. Even the noise from the warm air blown by the AC was isolated outside their world.

Logically, Yuu should now be saying sweet words to Yukino, like a final message, hoping she could live well without him, or hide his disappointment and pretend to be relaxed, enjoying their last moments alone.

But the problem was…

His girlfriend already knew he completed the mission, and also knew the parting was coming. If he still did that now, wouldn’t it be overly theatrical?

Who knows what to do next? Yuu had never been in this situation before!

Or just smile? Can a smile solve everything?

“Ahem…”

In the awkwardness of his own making, even though he hadn’t thought of what to say, Yuu cleared his throat.

Seeing him like this, Yukino smiled helplessly and started the conversation: “The mission is complete, next is the brief parting. How exactly does that work?”

“That…” Yuu looked at her gratefully and secretly sighed in relief.

To him, Yukino tonight was the gentlest woman on earth.

“Wait, don’t say it yet, let me guess!”

However, before Yuu could answer, Yukino stroked her fair, beautiful chin and began guessing with great interest:

“In the sci-fi works I’ve read, most have scenes like this—after the protagonist completes a request from a Higher Existence, or meets certain strategy conditions, the world suddenly stops. Only the protagonist, meaning Tenkuji-kun, can move. Then, you’ll be sent to a place similar to an admin space…”

“???” His heart pounded. Due to a bad premonition, Yuu hurriedly stopped her: “Wait, wait, wait. If you keep guessing, I’ll suspect you have the all-knowing Eyes of Wisdom! And spoilers are very dangerous!”

“Dangerous? I’m just speculating based on virtual fiction. Would the Gods do something to me just because my guess is correct?”

Yukino tilted her head slightly, blinking innocently, but there was mockery and coldness towards a certain existence in her eyes.

“If there were problems just from mentioning a setting, then those sci-fi authors wouldn’t have survived this long. A God so high above shouldn’t be so petty as to fuss over this, right?”

“That’s hard to say. There’s a way to die called ‘You know too much.’ I suggest you be more careful…” Yuu pressed his temples. His helpless expression resembled Yukino’s usual one.

“Although that being probably isn’t that bored, but what if, just because of these few sentences, it actually does something to your memories?”

Despite the various seemingly intentional bugs and weaknesses, the System was, after all, a Higher Existence capable of stopping time and altering the world—if it really did something to Yukino’s memories secretly, forget stopping it, Yuu might not even notice.

So, he had to speculate with great malicious intent towards the inhuman System, to avoid falling into its trap one day unknowingly.

Yuu hoped Yukino could also understand this concern.

“...Hmm, what you say makes sense.”

Seeing the worry and caution in his eyes, her calm smile gradually faded.

Yukino frowned slightly, lowered her head, and let out a soft sigh: “Before everything is finished, we should indeed be more careful… I should talk less.”

“It’s not that serious, maybe I’m just worrying too much.” Yuu waved his hand casually, trying to dispel the gloomy atmosphere.

He said nonchalantly: “As you said, before 6 AM tomorrow, I can report the mission completion anytime. Then, in the stopped world, I’ll go somewhere to meet that being and end this romantic journey.”

“Everyone’s memories, and the facts that have occurred, will completely change after that… Hmm, that’s about all I can say.”

Perhaps because Yukino had guessed it beforehand, the part he could say was more than he expected.

Yuu drank the black tea in his cup, licking his lips. He gazed at the beautiful girl in front of him who was lost in thought. His eyes swept over her alluring figure in the Christmas mini-skirt. He suddenly felt a warmth slowly rising in his stomach.

Of course, there was no aphrodisiac or rose-colored flower added to the black tea. Even if added, it wouldn’t be much use to him…

He was purely just thinking of other things after understanding some matters… Ahem, like the barriers between humans!

“I see…”

Unaware of what dirty thoughts were swirling in Yuu’s mind, after being silent for a moment, Yukino folded her hands over her chest. She looked at him with calm eyes: “The process is clear. So, are you planning to report the mission now? Unnecessary farewells probably aren’t needed. After all, I believe you will quickly find the current me.”

“Even so, there’s no need to rush.”

Yuu shook his head and suddenly stood up from the sofa.

“Yukino, I used to always fear partings, fear loss. But I forced myself to be a hero who could face everything standing tall, and only dared to cry when alone.”

His voice was low, and his expression gloomy. As if he were a husband divorced by his wife for being too quick, his steps felt somewhat unsteady.

“I experienced it three times. Three times I didn’t dare delay completing the mission until the last moments, afraid the longer I delayed, the more painful the parting would be…”

Circling the coffee table, Yuu walked towards Yukino. His deep, sorrowful black eyes gazed at her, as if she were his only savior, the only star in the night sky.

“But now, because of you, everything is different.”

“Like an exam candidate who has studied for a week without sleep, and confidently faces the final exam, I… am no longer afraid of anything.”

A voice so full of affection and gentleness, as if resonating with her eardrums, conveyed deep affection into her heart.

“You changed me, and made me love you even more.”

“……”

(What kind of sweet talk is this?)

Although it should have been a touching scene, Yukino instead became wary, as if her nerves were being provoked. She secretly shifted her bottom, retreating to the corner of the sofa.

(Perhaps, it wasn’t an illusion…)

She slowly looked from Yuu’s eyes to the desire slowly flowing out, dirty and lecherous.

“Wh-what do you want?”

The little white lamb curled up. Her smooth, soft toes moved on the carpet, but the distance to the grey wolf was less than half a meter.

“Don’t be afraid, I’m not a bad person.”

As if wanting to melt all the snow in Chiba City, Yuu showed a bright smile.

“I just want to cherish every minute and second with you now, before all this ends.”

Then, before Yukino could get up and escape, Yuu pounced and lifted her entire body from the sofa.

“Wait a moment, wait a moment…” Her long eyelashes fluttered in panic. Yukino pushed Yuu’s arm but realized her body was going numb and soft, so she couldn’t use any strength at all.

Her white skin from her collarbone to her ears quickly took on a bright red hue. Her face was hot and red like a cooked shrimp. She looked more like a weak little lamb, bitten in the mouth of a big wolf, struggling in vain.

“It’s not that I don’t allow it, but don’t be so sudden! Gi-give me a little mental preparation. The atmosphere is also very important…”

“I’ll give you one more minute for final mental preparation. As for the atmosphere, we can get it from kissing.”

Yuu became dominant for a moment. He completely ignored her struggles, which weren’t much different from temptation. He held the girl’s hot, softening body tightly in his arms and walked towards the bedroom carrying her.

His steps were firm, as if he were rushing to a battlefield. The pounding of his heart in her ears showed his burning passion and impatience.

He suddenly lowered his head and said sincerely and affectionately: “Yukino… your life, your children, even as time passes and seas turn to mulberry fields, I will take responsibility until the end.”

“That’s something you say after it’s done, right?! And give me protection!”

“I know. I just wanted to tell you my attitude.”

Yuu slowly raised his gaze, as if looking into the distant, boundless future, and said gently:

“Besides, I think I’ll say this sentence to others too… The past feelings of love, and the present feelings of love, are no different.”

So, if he wanted to change everything starting now, he might… no, he would definitely become a scoundrel who attacks many women in the future. He would live a life where he climbs into different women’s beds every day and says sweet, affectionate words to them.

Unless his girlfriends voluntarily leave him, who has turned into a scoundrel, Yuu is prepared to make his family prosper and have many descendants.

Because he has decided to take responsibility until the end, there’s no need for doubt.

Knowing it’s the wrong path, but still choosing to follow his heart’s desires, and stepping forward firmly—doing this required more courage than he imagined.

“……Really, saying something like this now only makes the atmosphere worse.”

Yukino sighed. Her palm gently caressed his face. The slight trembling in her body had vanished at some point.

She suddenly looked up. Her hot, heavy breath wrapped around the man’s skin. A voice as fine as a mosquito emerged from her moist lips, as if kissing his chin:

“Please, let me take a bath first… I don’t want the first time to smell like hot pot.”

Yuu couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows and laughed, lowering his head: “In that case, let’s bathe together… Don’t worry, I won’t grope you.”

Yukino, her face full of shame, was initially startled. Immediately after, her expression changed. Her struggling movements suddenly became more intense.

“Wait a moment, this is too fast! Bathing together… I’m not mentally prepared yet, so it’s not allowed!”

Possessing acupressure skills, Yuu just lightly touched her armpit, and Yukino went limp like mud again. She unconsciously covered her mouth, suppressing an unbearable moan.

“My dear, we’ve already seen each other naked, what preparation is needed just for bathing? Honestly, I should have joined you earlier and taken responsibility for helping you clean what I left on your body. It’s just that at the time, my heart was still a bit awkward…”

Yukino weakly tugged at his collar: “No, you’re too open now… I-I… Anyway, let me go first! Even if we want to bathe together, wait until after we do that thing…”

“No. Bathing together is a pleasure for couples. Besides getting to know each other’s bodies, it’s also essential foreplay before doing important things.”

“But the problem is—Mmmph!”

Yuu sealed Yukino’s lips, which still wanted to say something. As she widened her eyes and glared at him angrily, Yuu easily turned the doorknob with his foot. He carried his beautiful, cute little girlfriend into the bathroom and closed the door with his foot.

The sounds coming through the door were somewhat muffled. Inside were Yuu’s attentive, mischievous laughter and Yukino’s embarrassed, panicked cries.

“So, want me to help you undress?”

“No! I-I… I’ll do it myself!”

“Then, you help me take mine off? Look at these abs and v-line, are they tempting?”

“Enough! Tenkuji Yuu, right now, turn around! I said we’re just bathing, no groping!”

“Alright, alright, the girlfriend is the boss… anyway, you can’t escape (whispering).”

“Guwuu… Why did I have to fall for someone like you…”

When the relationship has stepped into a new chapter, the future ahead will be very open.

As for what happens next, it’s too indecent to listen to carefully. Let it be a little secret between them as a couple!

After all, tonight is still very long.

-

Title: The Fool Who’s an Expert at Complicating Things

At the same time, in the room downstairs.

“From here on, I leave it to you, Giorno. Give my regards to everyone… huhu, no matter how many times I watch it, this line really makes me want to cry… Bucciarati, ARRIVEDERCI (Italian: Goodbye)…”

Having just finished watching the second-to-last episode of JOJO Part 5, Masuzu was wiping tears for Bucciarati ascending to heaven when she suddenly sensed movement beside her.

She turned her head and found her only friend picking up her bag and putting on her jacket, as if about to go out.

“Dango-chan, where are you going?”

Masuzu asked casually while picking up the remote and switching to the final episode.

She didn’t think much of it, unconsciously assuming Yuigahama was just going to the convenience store downstairs to buy something.

Even though there were still plenty of drinks and snacks on the table, it wasn’t strange to buy a few more as backup to accompany watching JOJO.

“I’m going upstairs, I’ll be right back.”

“Oh, be careful on your way… Wait!”

Almost dropping the remote, Masuzu quickly turned and stared at Yuigahama, who had already unlocked the door chain and opened the door. Her eyes widened in disbelief:

“You, you’re going to look for Yuu and Yukinoshita?!”

As if it were nothing unusual, Yuigahama tilted her head slightly and said calmly: “Yes. But I won’t disturb them. I’ll just put the Christmas present in front of the door, I won’t even ring the bell!”

“Putting a Christmas present in front of the door, and not even ringing the bell…?”

Fully turning her body to face her, Masuzu looked puzzled. Sharp words shot from her mouth like a rapid-fire gun.

“Do you want to torture yourself? Think about what time it is now. If they happen to be ‘battling’ on the sofa, the sound might be audible on this floor. Standing outside, wouldn’t you become the most pitiful heroine? Even more pitiful than the female singer whose voice actor husband brought a female staff member home to have sex, at least she was performing a concert outside, while you—“

“I know, I know! But it’s not as scary as you say!”

After struggling to recover from the verbal barrage, Yuigahama hurriedly raised her hands in surrender and said with a wry smile: “First, Yuu-kun is still very considerate about things like that. Yukinon is very easily embarrassed and has a serious personality. Even if the atmosphere is right, she might only kiss him a few times before pushing him away. Yuu-kun also isn’t the type controlled by lust who would force Yukinon. There’s absolutely no need to worry about them losing control.”

“Well, that’s true…” After thinking that what she said made sense, Masuzu’s expression gradually softened.

“Besides, I’ve already prepared myself mentally by giving them their own world on Christmas Eve, you know~ If we’re talking about self-torture, that’s the real self-torture.”

Clenching her fists in front of her chest, Yuigahama laughed casually, “So, just delivering a Christmas present is fine. Thanks for your concern, Masuzu-chan~ Well then, I’ll be off for a bit!”

“W-who’s concerned! I just don’t want to see you do something stupid, that’s all.”

With a slightly reddened face, Masuzu turned her head away, unconsciously showing a classic tsundere reaction.

After hearing the door close, Masuzu finally turned her head back. She glared at the door, then sighed helplessly.

“Whatever, why should I worry about her… I don’t have much leisure time myself anyway.”

Left alone in the room again. She looked around the quiet surroundings and suddenly began to feel a little uncomfortable—or rather, lonely.

Even though she had always been alone before, now she had at least one friend she could bring home. The loneliness she had grown accustomed to for over ten years had betrayed her so easily. It was quite ridiculous to think about now.

There’s a very true saying: Only loneliness is undefeatable. Building relationships with others creates weaknesses.

…But, since she already had her mother and Yuu as weaknesses, having one more Dango-chan shouldn’t matter, right?

After finding an excuse for herself, Masuzu slowly exhaled. She suddenly bent down and pulled out a black-covered notebook from under the table.

Bought at a stationery store, fifty yen per book.

She opened the notebook. The front part was densely filled for dozens of pages. The end connecting to the blank pages was written “December 24th,” but there was no content under this title yet.

“Although this is just a last-ditch effort, even electron flow can create miracles, who can say I can’t do it…”

Muttering to herself like that, Masuzu immediately started writing. She wrote down everything that happened today.

For example, her feelings when following the two of them to the supermarket, and ultimately retreating sadly like a villainous female lead. For example, how she and Yuigahama formed a losers’ alliance and watched JOJO at home…

For example, to preserve the same memories as him after the world changes, she recorded everything that happened so far in diary form, forcing herself to develop a habit of writing a diary every day. Even if one day she remembers nothing, she could use it to tell herself about everything that once happened.

Masuzu didn’t know if this would work, nor did she know if the notebook could remain intact. Moreover, she didn’t know if the memories of this mission would be completely corrected by the Gods as she suspected.

But it’s better than just lying down waiting for death, right?

After working so hard to get closer to him, after struggling to almost remember the forgotten past, she didn’t want to wake up and return to being autistic as if she had lost everything from the beginning.

So, while Yuigahama went upstairs, Masuzu began writing quickly. She wrote line after line in beautiful handwriting in the diary. Every word and sentence was like speaking to her future self.

Suddenly remembering something, her movements halted. A satisfied smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

Shifting her gaze to the night sky outside the window, Masuzu seemed to want to peer from afar at what a certain university student, more miserable than herself, was doing.

“Yukinoshita Haruno must be more worried and scared than I am, right? The advantage she worked so hard to gain, the memories she struggled to recover… If she loses them again because of her own little sister, she’d probably vomit blood from anger if she remembered later~”

But she probably doesn’t know that Yukino plans to end everything today, right?

Maybe she has planned many things, intending to ask Yuu out on a date during Christmas, but is afraid Yuu will refuse because of his two girlfriends.

Masuzu shook her head. Her smile gradually faded, leaving only a slight self-mockery.

This is fine too. Ignorance is bliss.

If she didn’t force herself to forget this problem, her mood would unconsciously become heavy and uncomfortable, every minute and second feeling like torture.

“Well, overall, I hope everything goes smoothly!”

She closed the diary and put it, along with the pen, into the cabinet under the table. Masuzu lay sprawled on the sofa. Her eyes stared at the motionless ceiling and gradually drifted into daydreams.

(What is he doing now?)

(Is Yuu having a healthy interaction with Yukino like Dango-chan said, or has he truly turned into a beast, leaving behind so many women who love him, and is only with her tasting the forbidden fruit…)

Unconsciously, Masuzu began to imagine. Various scenes flashed through her mind, only bringing feelings of frustration and the urge to rush over immediately.

Masuzu realized she had absolutely no right to say those things to Yuigahama.

After all, she and Yuigahama were both fools who are experts at complicating things.

-

Title: Meanwhile, Haruno

Still that same night, at the Yukinoshita family residence.

After saving and closing the increasingly large Word document, Haruno breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back tiredly into her chair.

The high-end ergonomic chair tilted back one hundred twenty degrees, steadily supporting her mature, firm, and beautiful body. Her unsupported white spheres beneath the pajamas swayed gently.

She reached for the tall glass on the table. Haruno swirled the ruby-colored liquid inside, sniffing the intoxicating aroma that spread, trying to calm the restlessness and gloom in her heart.

“It’s already Christmas, huh…”

“If only so many nonsensical things hadn’t happened along the way, I’d definitely be cuddling with Yuu-chan in a hotel right now. From today until tomorrow, from night until morning, I’d be applauding with him for love…”

Sighing like someone unsatisfied, she took a sip of the sweet, smooth red wine. Yet, an indescribable bitterness flowed on the tip of her tongue.

Some things shouldn’t be thought about too deeply. If pondered too much, she’d find that life is full of difficulties, and only the word ‘unhappiness’ could serve as a footnote.

First, her first Christmas after starting to date—and a white Christmas at that—was just missed like that.

Even though she had a boyfriend who had already talked about marriage. They had kissed and held hands, just one step away from the final stage. But now, she could only drink wine alone at home to relieve boredom.

What’s more annoying, her boyfriend was probably celebrating Christmas with her little sister and her sister’s friend right now, enjoying the time and celebration she wasn’t experiencing.

Even her status as his girlfriend was only acknowledged by herself. No place to complain, no place to vent. Haruno could only swallow the bitterness alone—

Tell me, is there any heroine in this world more miserable than her?

“I look like a complaining widow!”

Haruno downed the red wine as if venting anger, and a red flush suddenly appeared on her cheeks.

She exhaled the scent of wine and air from her lungs. Her moist lips parted slightly. Her blurred eyes stared at the ceiling.

Suddenly, she laughed foolishly.

“You’re too naive if you think everything I’m facing is bad~”

That’s right, Haruno still had room to maneuver!

For example, the relationship between those three (Yuu, Yukino, and Yuigahama), which looked mutually supportive, was actually more like mutually restraining.

Family matchmaking didn’t need too much thought, but they were practicing polyamory with a mutually acknowledged love triangle. So, the difficulty of romantic development would naturally increase dramatically.

After all, the problem wasn’t the number, but the inequality. The most important thing in a threesome relationship was who came first and who came later—what did it mean if both liked him? Yuu only had one mouth, and one... thing. He had to distribute affection according to the order of liking, right?

If they couldn’t be in first place simultaneously, the person placed second would naturally feel dissatisfied. This was a problem that a playboy could never solve.

And her little sister’s innocent, serious, and rigid nature—first of all, she definitely wouldn’t agree to sleep in a big bed with three people, doing immoral and outrageous things!

If it really came time for intimacy, Yukino might just choose to give the opportunity to Dango-chan, while she herself stood outside the door, shyly listening through the wall, and inevitably doing that alone.

Although Haruno didn’t know if her sister even knew how to do that...

Back to the main point, with this, isn’t it undoubtedly Dango-chan’s victory?

Actually, no.

Because from her observation, given Dango-chan’s level of gentleness and tolerance towards her sister, she not only wouldn’t mind a threesome, she might even help Yuu conquer the inexperienced and less knowledgeable Yukino, so she gets love and girl-love simultaneously, becoming the most perfect winner in life.

After all, for Dango-chan, rather than letting her best friend listen through the wall alone, it’s better to give up the chance to take Yuu’s virginity, retreat to advance, and show the attitude of a generous wife—but this would conflict with Yukino’s thinking.

And Yukino’s pride wouldn’t allow her friend to give her such charity-like assistance. In the end, the two would push each other, wanting to let the other go first, and as a result, neither would succeed, and the situation would drag on.

With Yuu’s nature—put nicely, he’s a gentleman; put badly, he’s a coward—he probably wouldn’t take the initiative to attack. Therefore, the trio’s relationship would be stuck in the mud for a while and unable to move forward.

Thus, this gave Haruno room to maneuver.

“Hmph, love is a battle of wits. I’ve already read all your information~”

She chuckled calmly, like a strategist confident of victory, very different from her previously miserable and lonely appearance.

Of course, analyzing the love triangle was nothing. What was truly important was what she realized during the recent culture festival.

Haruno remembered, when she brought her mother backstage at the gym to look for him, Yuu took the initiative to greet her, and afterwards showed a concern different from before. The expression in his eyes was clearly different.

It wasn’t fake politeness, or just a casual greeting. With her sharp observation, she, facing her lover, could see every detail and not miss anything worth noting.

Although Yuu tried hard to hide it and acted as if nothing was wrong, Haruno could still make a bold guess—

Perhaps, something was secretly influencing Yuu, making him regain the tenderness and affection he once promised to always have for her, turning that crooked relationship into reality.

But because of her sister and the existing mission, Yuu refused to admit it and forced himself to suppress his feelings to avoid meeting her.

It was precisely because she realized this that Haruno said those words when she left Sobu High with her mother—

<Don’t worry, thanks to me bringing you this time, I already have a plan in mind… But it will take some time before it can be officially implemented. For now, I can only wait for the right moment.>

<Someday, I will bring my boyfriend home to meet you.>

Her confidence came from the results of that observation.

Thinking of this, Haruno couldn’t help but lift the corners of her lips and swirl her glass of red wine happily.

“Right, this is a rare opportunity, I must make good use of it…”

“Although the Mission will affect the process of my reconciliation with Yuu-chan, it’s only minor. No one understands his nature better than I do.”

“As long as his feelings aren’t lost, as long as deep down he still loves me, the rest is about tearing down his pretense and politeness, and forcing him to face the fact that his girlfriend has been waiting for him for a long time.”

“Next, either I’ll interfere in the trio’s relationship and become the leading mistress directing all developments, or I’ll secretly train him into the shape I desire, ensuring he can never leave me again. Once I have a reason to hold him accountable until the end, I’ll find a way to quickly complete Yukino-chan’s mission and return everything that should belong to me to the right track.”

Whatever she wanted to do, Haruno had the confidence and conviction to break open the situation—she was the perfect and elegant Miss Yukinoshita!

Before, she could make Yuu come looking for her in Karuizawa with just one sentence. Now, she could use three sentences to regain their past intimacy!

…Of course, the most important premise was that Yuu’s feelings had truly returned.

That was the only thing she couldn’t control, and also the biggest obstacle she knew she couldn’t force, and even after using all methods, hadn’t made much progress.

Rejected, avoided, ignored…

After regaining her memories, what greeted her wasn’t the warm satisfaction of finding a place to lean on, but the despair and pain of seeing him distance himself from her.

Feelings like that, Haruno didn’t want to experience again.

“So tomorrow, I must ensure my plan succeeds!”

A sharp glint flashed in her eyes. Haruno finished the remaining red wine in one gulp and slammed the glass down on the table.

Then she straightened up, took out the diary locked in the hidden drawer, and began writing quickly.

It started about a week ago.

To preserve her memories for the next mission, she wrote everything related to Yuu, and her various thoughts, in this notebook. She was afraid that one morning she’d wake up and return to touching his hair while crying for no clear reason.

Of course, she wasn’t sure when Yuu would become the Ideal Boyfriend for Yukino—looking at this stalled situation, it might take a few months or weeks, right?

Unless a major emotional turning point suddenly appeared, but the probability was too small, and Haruno was too lazy to guess.

She also wasn’t sure, after the mission was completed, whether the Gods would destroy all things related to the two of them as before, and change everyone’s memories except hers.

However, exceptions existed.

That wooden comb survived from the past until now and became the trigger for her to regain her memories… If so, why couldn’t a diary?

As if facing an unavoidable natural disaster, and knowing the future might be destroyed, she had to use all means to prepare for survival. She had to take out as much insurance as possible.

The diary was just one of them. Various data in the cloud drive, past search history, remnants and defective items left when she made the bracelet for him—all were Haruno’s insurance.

She had to be the first person standing by Yuu’s side after this natural disaster!

After ensuring everything that needed to be written was recorded, Haruno locked the diary back in the drawer. She stood up and stretched, moving her slender waist and beautiful thighs.

“Hmm—Everything is ready, just waiting for the right time. I’ll sleep early tonight! I remember Yuu-chan has a habit of morning runs. Tomorrow morning I’ll intercept him in front of his house. The test will only succeed when the two of them are alone!”

With a hopeful smile like a child’s, Haruno put on a thick jacket over her thin pajamas. Then she picked up her phone, walked to the window, opened it, and let the cold wind and snow blow in.

Looking into the distance, the quiet, deadly Tokyo nightscape was also slowly donning a white snowy coat.

It was dark now, so it wasn’t clear. But she was sure that tomorrow morning, when the curtains were opened, she would see a boundless snowy scene under the hazy sunlight.

If Yuu were in it, even a Christmas with sub-zero temperatures could become warmer than a blooming spring.

With bright eyes gazing into the distance, Haruno smiled calmly in her heart, hoping the sun would still rise tomorrow, and her love would proceed smoothly as usual.

Suddenly inspired, she picked up her phone, made a V-sign with one hand, and took a selfie with the dimly lit snowy night as the background.

After that, she sent it to her sister and Yuu. She closed the window, took off her jacket, turned up the heater, and lay on the bed, closing her eyes to rest.

Ten minutes later, Haruno picked up her phone again. Seeing no ‘read’ notifications in either chat column, she frowned.

“Why hasn’t it been read or replied to…”

Normally, both Yukino and Yuu would read messages within ten minutes… Replying wasn’t guaranteed, as that was just their nature.

But Yuu was understandable; she could comprehend his desire to avoid her.

However, Yukino, even if she hated her, would still read it as a form of politeness, then ignore it, or sneer at it…

Maybe both happened to be busy and didn’t have time to check their phones?

Even so, it didn’t mean Haruno was willing to understand Yukino.

“How dare you ignore a selfie from your big sister! Yukino, your wings have truly hardened.”

She pouted with her soft lips in annoyance. Haruno glared coldly and directly made a call.

However, the busy tone rang for a long time, and no one answered.

Without hesitation, she called Yuu via LINE. Half a minute later, the result remained the same.

“……”

Her expression slowly faded. Haruno put down her phone silently and calmly watched the screen automatically switch to standby.

As if the window wasn’t closed tightly, cold wind mixed with snow swirled beside her. Her amber-brown eyes were like amber sealed under Arctic ice, emitting endless coldness.

“Hopefully, it’s not as I imagine, right…”

On Christmas Eve, a situation where a couple loses contact is never good—the difference is only how bad.

And Haruno always trusted her instincts. Even if there was only a slight clue, she wouldn’t miss it due to carelessness.

When the thought that they must be busy having sex and didn’t have time to answer the phone crossed her mind, she had already jumped out of bed, quickly searched for outerwear, and started taking off her pajamas.

Could she rush to her sister’s apartment now and prevent what had already happened?

Haruno didn’t have the leisure to think about such things. Just because she wanted to do it, she moved without hesitation.

However, just as she took off her pajamas and was about to put on the black lace underwear, there was suddenly a knock at the door.

“Haruno, are you still awake?”

Haruno stopped her movements. A bad premonition rose again.

After hesitating for a moment, she chose to answer: “...Mother? It’s so late, what is it?”

Through the door, her mother’s gentle yet authoritative voice sounded: “There’s an issue at the office that requires you to come immediately to help resolve it. Change out of your pajamas and set off right away. Be as quick as possible.”

“This…”

Hearing those words, Haruno’s expression unconsciously became distorted.

(This is too coincidental! Even fate is blocking me from catching them in the act?!)

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to remain calm. In a lazy, slightly reluctant tone, she replied: “Eh~ I’m already in bed. What about you and Father? You shouldn’t be asleep this early, right?”

Saori sighed helplessly, as if lamenting her husband working hard far away to support the family.

“Haruno, your father has been on a business trip for some time now… If possible, at least pay some attention to your father’s existence.”

“No need to mind him is fine too, Yuu-chan is more important now…” Haruno muttered softly under her breath.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing!”

Rubbing her face and struggling internally for a long time, after a fierce battle and clash between rationality and emotion, Haruno finally lost to her sense of responsibility and her mother’s authority—

She couldn’t possibly abandon her work just to catch an unproven affair.

“I understand, I’ll go now!”

Stamping her foot in annoyance, she threw the luxurious, beautiful underwear aside. She randomly grabbed thermal underwear and dressed at the fastest speed.

However, before she picked up her work bag and left the room, Haruno still couldn’t help biting her lip and glaring sharply at the vast snowy night outside the window, as if warning someone.

“Yuu-chan’s virginity belongs only to me! You’d better not let me find out you two secretly did something like that behind my back, otherwise…”

As for what lies behind that ‘otherwise,’ perhaps only she herself knows.

The lights dimmed, the door closed, followed by the sound of quick footsteps descending the stairs.

Tonight, the snow enveloping all of Tokyo continues to fall.