Yuu 551-555 (Patreon)

Title: Asuna Tries to Remember

The Yuuki family residence.

“It’s snowing…”

Reaching her hand out the window, Asuna watched as the cotton-like snowflakes slowly melted in her palm. The cold seeped into her skin, then vanished as if it had never been.

Only a few drops of water remained in her palm, proving the traces of its existence.

“Even small snowflakes can become thick snow that covers the entire city.”

—Everything that accumulates will not disappear. Someday, it will make everyone unable to ignore it.

The various thoughts crossing her mind were hidden within the heavy snowy winter night as the window closed.

Wiping the water from her palm, she glanced at the virtual reality helmet beside her bed—Sword Art World was holding a special Christmas event today. Only by defeating the randomly appearing BOSS, 〈Santa Claus. Nicholas〉, could players obtain various rare items and materials, and a massive amount of experience, allowing the assault team to immediately distance themselves from ordinary players.

A leveling maniac like Asuna shouldn’t miss this event.

Asuna averted her gaze and fell back onto the bed, feeling somewhat weak.

“The me now isn’t Asuna (in-game), but Asuna (real name)…”

Her arm covered her forehead, creating a shadow. She stared blankly at the ceiling. Her eyes were filled with bright but not dazzling neon lights, yet those lights couldn’t illuminate the deepest confusion in her heart.

“After that, what actually happened?”

Since the day of the Sobu High Culture Festival, Asuna had been constantly thinking about this problem.

She vaguely remembered that to find her missing gaming partner, and also to pierce through the illusory fog that made her whole life feel like a game, she forcibly convinced her mother to transfer her to Sobu High. At the game booth during the Culture Festival, she successfully met the overwhelmingly strong, one-handed swordsman she missed so much.

That’s right! That guy, only him! The person she was looking for was him!

The joy at that moment, the happiness that nearly brought her to tears, Asuna would never forget it for the rest of her life.

That feeling couldn’t be described merely as satisfaction and excitement; it was as if a missing puzzle piece of her body was finally returning.

The truth she discovered in the fog also made her vaguely remember things that weren’t in her past memories.

She saw the door but didn’t know where the key was, and couldn’t see the scenery that should belong to her behind it.

…Perhaps, she had once obtained the key and successfully opened that door.

Asuna certainly hadn’t forgotten that at that time, in her excitement, she seemed to draw upon a mysterious power hidden within the game.

A white light lit up following her strong intent, and ‘Asuna’ directly overwrote the guest account, then attacked Yuu across from her with speed and strength exceeding the character’s statistical limits.

And after that, Asuna couldn’t remember anything.

The last scene stopped when she stabbed his chest with her sword, her original character also overwriting the guest’s virtual body, a pair of crystal rings appeared on both their hands, and Yuu looked at her with a shocked face, unable to resist in time.

“Of course, Yuu-kun is the person I’m looking for… But, besides the fact that he already has a girlfriend, if I can’t remember anything, I have no reason to approach him and find out more…”

Asuna pulled the stuffed animal beside her, burying her face deep into it, and a bitter complaint emerged from within.

“Like solidified light of intent, a miracle that pierced system limitations, rings that disappeared again… And, the pain and joy when I saw him in person…”

She thought this action would make everything clear and bring relief. However, more mysteries emerged afterward, entangling her like a tangled thread, making her increasingly unable to move.

Yuu definitely knew something, and she really only needed to ask him…

But Asuna restrained herself; she wanted to emerge from that fog on her own.

Even though she didn’t remember clearly, she knew she had made a promise with someone, that she would remember everything by her own strength.

That person was probably Yuu, right?

So, she could ask anyone except him.

It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but the reason she didn’t dare approach him and intentionally kept her distance actually had another reason…

Asuna clearly liked him, but this baseless feeling of affection wasn’t enough reason for her to interfere between him and Yuigahama—not to mention becoming a third party and stealing someone else’s boyfriend. Even if she wanted to confess her feelings, she had to wait until all that was lost was recovered.

But if she were by his side, Asuna was afraid she couldn’t restrain herself from doing something, and she also didn’t want to become the ‘lamp’ witnessing the scenes of togetherness between Yuu and Yuigahama.

So, she could only keep her distance. Better not to see him than to see him every day and torture herself with ‘soft knives.’ Now she had just returned to her school days at Kuroyuri Academy. Asuna wasn’t someone who couldn’t restrain herself.

“But I still want to get along well with him…”

Muttering to herself, Asuna picked up the phone by her pillow. She first opened the message sent by her older brother.

The gist was, the helmet had been checked, no abnormalities were found, and no traces of data alteration. As for the white light originating from intent, the character overwriting situation, that was more like his nonsense. From a scientific perspective, there was no convincing evidence.

The only strange thing was probably the strong white light in the arena match recording that nearly blinded all spectators, which lasted for two or three seconds.

However, even so, the answer given by the technical department was only one: they couldn’t find the reason. It was as if a mysterious force prevented them from investigating the truth. The entire RECT programming team could only resign themselves to it.

“Completely useless. Nii-san is really useless…”

Shaking her head and sighing, she dragged Yuuki Kouichirou’s icon to the bottom and opened Yuu’s icon pinned at the top position.

Inside were only a few unimportant small talk conversations. The latest message was last week, when Yuu asked if she had time to go out for afternoon tea with the three of them. Asuna refused with the excuse that her brother’s photos in maid outfits were discovered by their mother, and she had to help contain the situation.

Since then, Yuu never sent her any more messages.

“Such a cruel man… No, here I should say he’s principled.”

Smiling wryly and shaking her head, Asuna opened the chat box. Although she wasn’t thinking of anything, her fingers uncontrollably typed a few words.

(Suddenly want to see you, can you come out for a bit?)

Then, she stared blankly at the message for a few seconds, then quickly deleted it with a red face. She threw her phone aside and hid her head under the blanket like a turtle retracting into its shell.

“Stupid me, what am I doing…”

Her breathing became rapid in the dark, stuffy space. A dizzy feeling like oxygen deprivation made her hit her head a few times. Her small feet kicked the bed as if venting frustration.

This commotion seemed to be noticed by her mother who happened to be passing by the door. Soon after, a knocking sound was heard.

“Asuna, are you playing games again? What time is it already? Even though it’s winter vacation, you can’t slack off. Quickly prepare your assignments for the winter vacation tutoring!”

“I know—don’t worry, I’m going to sleep right now!” Asuna threw off the hot blanket and answered loudly, then snorted softly.

“How many times have you nagged about the same thing, I can get first place, you know…”

“I just spoke once, and you’re saying I’m nagging?! It seems I’ve really been too lenient with you lately…”

“Oh no!”

Sticking out her tongue, before her angry mother went downstairs to get the keys and unlock the door, Asuna quickly turned off the lights, pretending to be asleep. Her mother wouldn’t go so far as to wake her up just to scold her.

Because at that time, she could use lack of sleep as an excuse to act up.

However, secretly lifting a corner of the blanket, looking at the snowy scene outside the window, Asuna still couldn’t help but swear in her heart:

“I can’t delay any longer, I must remember soon… For the sake of being able to approach the person I like openly and honestly!”

The faint moonlight seemed to reflect in her pupils. The girl’s determination was tenacious, shining beneath the night.

CLICK!

This time, the sound heard outside the door was the sound of a key unlocking.

“I know you’re pretending to sleep, wake up!”

“Zzzzzzzzzz…”

-

Title: Yuigahama Wants to Protect

*DING-DONG!*

Separated by just one floor, in less than half a minute, Yuigahama arrived on the eleventh floor where Yukino lived.

This luxury apartment had only one resident per floor, ensuring no unrelated people loitered near the apartment doors.

Coupled with the presence of surveillance cameras, Yuigahama could calmly place the Christmas presents in front of the door without worrying about them being stolen by others.

Hmm, except by God… She could only pray that after the mission was completed, God wouldn’t confiscate her Christmas presents.

“It’s really quiet.”

The elevator door closed behind her. Stepping on the luxurious red carpet, Yuigahama walked towards the door with the Yukinoshita nameplate while looking around.

All of this was because of the words Masuzu said before she left, so now she unconsciously concentrated, as if wanting to hear the sound of them talking, or any sounds they might be making.

But whether it was due to excellent sound insulation, or because they weren’t doing anything, the entire eleventh floor was extremely quiet, quiet to the point of being slightly eerie.

Yuigahama felt relieved because of it, but at the same time sighed with an indescribable pity—she herself didn’t know why this complicated feeling emerged.

“Then, I’ll just put down the presents and leave quickly!”

Walking lightly, she arrived in front of the cold, hard door. She took out two carefully wrapped brown paper bags from her bag.

One contained a scarf, and the other contained gloves.

Both were knitted by Yuigahama herself. Each was embroidered with their names, in colors and patterns they liked.

For herself, she knitted a wool hat that could perfectly cover her dango hairstyle, with her own color and pattern.

For these three items, Yuigahama was forced to reduce her study time to one hour each day. She danced with wool yarn until bedtime at eleven.

She asked her mother for guidance, watched various tutorial videos, spent money to buy many materials and samples, kept trying, kept striving. Even so, it took nearly half a month to produce these three most perfect works.

All were infused with her sincerity towards them and her hopes for the future.

“Although I also want to monopolize Yuu-kun… but I don’t hate a future where the three of us are happy together either.”

Whispering softly, Yuigahama placed the two brown paper bags in front of the door. She herself wore her pink wool hat and smiled at the closed door.

“Yuu-kun, Yukinon, what are you doing right now?”

“To be honest, right now, I really want to break your world for two.”

Even though no one could hear her, she still expressed her feelings in a soft, cheerful tone: “I want you to know that I’m very close to you, I want you to know that I actually don’t want to be left out… I really want to face all difficulties together with Yukinon and Yuu-kun.”

(But, I can’t do that.)

She didn’t even look at the doorbell beside her. She just exhaled warm breath onto her fingertips that were starting to get cold and rubbed her hands together.

“I really want to ignore everything and be selfish, like Sora who makes Yuu-kun prioritize everything just for me… But I can’t, even Sora is trying to change her hikikomori nature for him. What right do I have to sulk?”

“So, I agreed to Yukinon’s request. No crying and no whining, let alone trying hard to monopolize Yuu-kun before today, doing everything possible first, then handing Yuu-kun over to Yukinon…”

“This is the most mature and correct way, right? I hope Yuu-kun will pat my head and praise me after he finds out.”

Somehow, the breath exhaled from her mouth could no longer warm her fingertips. The cold wind and snow outside the apartment seemed to blow into the eleventh-floor corridor, slowly draining her body temperature.

Yuigahama rubbed her nose, red from the cold, and pulled her wool hat down a little.

However, as her fingers left the wool hat, she became like a marionette with cut strings, falling limp beside her body.

“I really, I really… have been working hard…”

“I know, I’m not worthy of Yuu-kun, so I keep trying hard to become stronger… Even though my final exam rank was only fifteenth in the class, even though right now I can only make bento with average taste and the same old menu, even though I know everyone who likes Yuu-kun is far superior to me…”

The soft voice she spoke with gradually turned into fragile sobs.

“I’m also trying, wanting to become a good woman who can support Yuu-kun from behind.”

“Even sharing Yuu-kun with others is fine, even if Yuu-kun doesn’t have time to date me is fine, even if Yuu-kun leaves me to meet other women is fine… As long as it’s Yuu-kun’s wish, I want to fulfill it.”

“But why, even though I’ve made the right choice, I still have to bear this pain…”

Even while sobbing, Yuigahama quickly pulled herself together, not letting her emotions completely fall apart.

“Maybe I love you too much… Hmm! It’s okay, I’m starting to get used to it.”

“As long as you can see my efforts, this little suffering won’t defeat me!”

Tears fell to the floor. She immediately wiped her face, her eyes glistening, but she could show a bright and very cheerful smile.

“I hate this, I didn’t plan to cry at all… Anyway, I know, you always see my efforts, and you’ve also sacrificed so much for me, making many difficult choices for my sake.”

“I’m really glad I could become your girlfriend!”

“It’s just, not being able to be with you on Christmas Eve, not being able to talk to you, is indeed a little painful.”

The trembling voice gradually stabilized, like a sea no longer wavy, deep and calm.

“So Yukinon, you must succeed! You must change Yuu-kun!”

“You must… be happy with him!”

Her palm gently touched the cold door. Yuigahama bowed her head and prayed earnestly:

“God, please don’t give Yuu-kun any more unnecessary trials.”

“Please give him, and the girls who love him, a perfect ending!”

After whispering, Yuigahama straightened up. On her face were only the traces of tears not yet dried. A relaxed smile reappeared.

“Then, I’ll be going now!”

“Merry Christmas, Yuu-kun, Yukinon!”

Her eyes gazed deeply at the door, as if she could see two figures behind it, doing who knows what right now.

One was the man she loved deeply, and the other was the friend she treasured greatly.

After that, Yuigahama waved gracefully, turned around without hesitation, and pressed the elevator button.

She didn’t think she was pitiful, because she had obtained enough happiness.

She didn’t think she was amazing, because the one more amazing was the girl who chose to part.

She didn’t think she was important, because before she started dating him, Yuu already had three ex-girlfriends.

She didn’t think she was foolish, because if the person she loved were in her position, they would do the same.

She only felt that she had worked hard.

Yuigahama is Yuu’s girlfriend. No matter what she has to sacrifice, no matter what she has to give, the warmth she worked so hard to obtain, she will never let go.

In the past, now, and in the future.

Even if God wants to erase her memories, Yuigahama will always strive to be Yuu’s girlfriend.

In this world, there is only one kind of heroism: seeing all the truth, but still choosing to love him.

“If no one can be Yuu-kun’s hero, then I will be!”

That was something only she could do. Something only she, who never forgot the feeling of loving him, could do.

No matter what happens, this time, she won’t let him show that expression from before, accustomed to parting, enduring disappointment and pain!

Yuigahama slowly took a deep breath and stepped into the elevator.

She looked at herself in the mirror, adjusted her tilted wool hat, and said with determined eyes:

“Yuu-kun, let me be the one to protect you!”

-

Title: Yuu’s Graceful Farewell

The faint chirping of birds could be heard outside the window, a melody characteristic of the morning.

Yuu slowly opened his eyes. Like a high-performance computer, his blurred vision and dulled mind cleared in less than three seconds and began operating rapidly.

He rubbed his eyes and yawned widely.

The sun rose late in winter, the sky wasn’t bright yet, and the room with its curtains drawn was so dark it was hard to see anything.

However, his good eyesight spoiled him. Once accustomed to the darkness, he could see the time displayed on the digital clock on the wall.

“December 25th, 5:50 AM… I really know the perfect time to wake up.”

Realizing this, Yuu could only smile wryly.

He turned his head. The naked girl was curled up under the blanket like a kitten. Only her snow-white shoulders, her delicate and enticing collarbone, and her sweet, peaceful, and calm face were visible. Every detail was so perfect it evoked affection.

Not wanting to wake the girl who was sleeping soundly after last night’s exhaustion, Yuu didn’t sit up immediately. He just used his finger to gently brush aside the strands of hair on the side of her face and whispered in her ear:

“Sleep well, dream beautiful dreams.”

“……”

Yuu didn’t know if Verbal Bullets could work on someone asleep, but Yukino’s breathing seemed to become more stable and peaceful. Even though he teased her cheek with her hair, her long, curved eyelashes didn’t tremble in the slightest.

“My wife is so sweet.”

Yuu couldn’t hold back a soft laugh. He slipped back under the covers, gently embracing her warm, slender, soft, and smooth body, letting her lean against his chest so she could sleep more soundly.

The girl was like a treasure carved from white jade. Both her back and arms, though so slender her bones were faintly visible, felt perfect and incomparable to the touch.

He couldn’t resist kissing her rosy lips again. There was some movement under the covers, but he chose to control his desire and not touch her further.

Last night’s madness—even though Yuu had shown much mercy and lowered his satisfaction threshold to thirty percent—the girl experiencing intimacy for the first time still couldn’t withstand the intense onslaught. Yukino lost her ability to fight back before Yuu had even used up one-tenth of his stamina.

From the initial shyness, pain, and pleasure, to the shock, loss of consciousness, and disbelief in the middle, then starting to threaten, glare angrily, and bite her lip begging for mercy, until finally, as if all her strength was drained, leaving only instinct accompanying him.

Even for the final bath, Yuu had to carry her, wash her hair, clean her face, and wash away all the traces left on her body as if cleaning a doll, then dry her and carry her back to bed.

Seeing Yukino so exhausted she couldn’t even lift a finger, Yuu certainly felt deeply ashamed. He repeatedly swore to Yukino, whose eyes had lost their light, that he would remember to stop when she begged for mercy next time, and was almost kicked out of the room.

What could he do? As a virgin monster in his teenage years, facing a special beauty like Yukino, Yuu naturally wanted to practice what he had learned, proving the knowledge he had seen in various materials beforehand. At the same time, he also wanted his partner to enjoy the pleasure of floating to heaven with perfect technique.

That’s why he unconsciously acted more and more outrageously. He admitted his fault and would definitely use this as experience for next time.

Speaking of technique…

Although not mentioned before, before the mission was completed, the system actually gave him many rewards.

The monetary rewards reaching hundreds of millions of yen went without saying. Compared to its stingy appearance at the beginning, the system now was like winning the lottery and being unstinting. The money given just last night exceeded the total combined from several previous missions…

This comparison might be slightly unfair to the three ex-girlfriends, but that was indeed the fact. If anyone was to blame, blame this increasingly unfair system.

Besides, he also obtained several Expert-level skills, two Master-level skills, and one status that felt very useful.

The Expert-level skills were all life-based skills like fishing, sewing, forging, chemistry, physics, etc. The only one worth mentioning was Learning (Expert Level), which hadn’t appeared for a long time.

After collecting three Learning (Expert Level) skills, he of course immediately combined them to summon the long-desired Learning (Master Level), hoping it would be stronger than the Sharingan.

As for how effective it was, Yuu couldn’t feel it for now.

After all, he usually already had photographic memory and a sharp mind. There was nothing here for him to observe and copy. To find out how amazing Learning (Master Level) was, he might have to wait until morning and find an opportunity to try it.

Additionally, Writing, Tea Ceremony, and Handicrafts had also accumulated to a level that could be synthesized to Master Level. Yuu naturally didn’t hesitate. His Master-level skill library suddenly became rich, unlike at the beginning when he was proud of just one Acting (Master Level).

The other two Master-level skills obtained directly: the first was Aikido, the martial art Yukino learned for self-defense. Unfortunately, it couldn’t protect her from the biggest pervert—yes, that was Yuu himself.

The second was the Art of the Bedchamber (or bedroom techniques), which of course didn’t just include positions, but also knowledge of medicine, medicinal herbs, massage, Chinese medicine, and various other aspects.

Ever since obtaining a shameless skill like Tongue Technique, Yuu knew this thing would appear in his skill list sooner or later.

Sure enough, as if the system was deliberately catering to his needs, this Art of the Bedchamber was immediately applied by Yuu in last night’s intimate communication. He, who had already mastered most techniques just by watching videos, successfully made the poor, weak girl moan in pain, enduring pleasures her body couldn’t bear.

As for the status obtained, it was of course related to Yukino.

[Lie Detection Tool (Status): You can sense the aura of lies. No matter how skilled the acting, it cannot escape your perception. Note: Touching the subject’s skin with your tongue while detecting lies allows you to read things the subject is currently hiding.]

Even though Yukino was his exclusive Truth Detector Princess, the system gave him this status… Yuu’s feelings were truly complicated.

However, this status was indeed good. At least far more useful than Man with BGM.

After all, unlike Yukino, Yuu primarily relied on discerning micro-expressions and small movements of the other party to judge if someone was lying.

However, there were always people whose lies couldn’t be distinguished this way, especially when communicating over the phone. As long as the person’s acting wasn’t too bad, it was somewhat difficult for Yuu to tell if the other party was lying or not.

Yuu didn’t mind if someone lied to him, but if he could know which statements were true and which were false, it would definitely greatly assist in communication.

As for the Bucciarati evolution version mentioned in the note… Unless absolutely necessary, and the subject was a girl he liked, Yuu would never lick her.

His mind lingered on system-related matters while his arms held his girlfriend, who was weak and fast asleep after the battle. Unconsciously, the time had reached 5:59 AM.

Closing the skill panel, Yuu welcomed the final moments with a calm heart.

“A farewell like this, it’s really my first time experiencing it.”

He lowered his head, his breath gently blowing on Yukino’s bangs: “Everything I needed to say, I said last night. Even if I said it now, you wouldn’t hear it. So, I’ll leave now.”

Smiling, his fingers moved reluctantly over Yukino’s back and collarbone. Occasionally, his fingers landed on the runway of her chest, causing subtle shivers.

“Nghh~”

Yukino frowned, whining in annoyance like a disturbed kitten. Instead, she hugged Yuu tighter, resting her head on Yuu’s chest, and her slender, firm, and elastic thighs also wrapped around Yuu’s waist.

Yuu’s current feeling was only comfort and peace. He let all of Yukino’s soft parts cling to his body like an octopus and simply held her, so there was no longer any gap between them.

“As promised, I will come find you soon.”

Stroking the back of Yukino’s soft black-haired head, Yuu whispered: “But after that, your loyal boyfriend will disappear and transform into a super scumbag who cheats with your older sister and two of your classmates.”

“When that time comes, please scold me mercilessly.”

The second hand was about to turn to the twelve o’clock position.

Yuu slowly closed his eyes, carrying undeniable satisfaction and peace. He used that sentence as both a farewell and a code for their reunion:

“I love you, will you go out with me, Yukino.”

(System, complete the mission.)

As those words were spoken.

Before the system responded and the world stopped, a prompt box suddenly appeared.

[DING!]
[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the reward: Emotional Adjustment (Special).]

It was a template exactly the same as a regular reward prompt, but in Yuu’s ears, he heard a soft woman’s voice speaking that sentence.

Not the system’s harsh, artificial electronic voice, but a very gentle, familiar voice, yet he couldn’t remember whose voice it was.

“This is…”

Yuu was startled and blinked. However, before he could question this, a gray wave suddenly spread throughout the world, including the clock’s hands, including the breath and heartbeat of the person beside him. Everything stopped in place as time itself ceased.

-

Title: This Time, I’ll Selfishly Decide My Own Future

Nothingness… that expression is outdated.

In this seemingly bustling world, besides barren land.

As soon as his consciousness returned, Yuu looked around.

The first thing he saw was the sky divided into three parts.

The Sunlight Sphere occupied one-third of the area. The strong sunlight drove away the cold and dead atmosphere, though its intensity seemed poorly controlled, and the ground exposed to the strong light was clearly cracked.

The Rainlight Sphere also occupied one-third of the area. The slanting wind and gentle drizzle felt refreshing and cool on the skin. However, the rain seemed never-ending. As far as the eye could see, most of the land under the dark clouds had turned to mud.

As for the reward obtained last time—the Nightlight Sphere, it calmly repelled the sun and drizzle from its territory. Not a single dark cloud, summer constellations hung high in the sky, and a cool breeze blew as if from a river surface.

And Yuu stood precisely at the center of the intersection of the areas emitted by these three light spheres. To the left was the sun, to the right was the drizzle, and behind him was the summer night.

One side hot and one side cold, with wind constantly blowing from behind. This strange feeling made Yuu unable to help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

“This barren world that should have nothing, why has it become so ridiculous…”

Sighing helplessly, Yuu, who didn’t want to endure the Triangle Attack any longer, chose to step into the Nightlight Sphere area that felt most comfortable overall, then sat cross-legged.

He didn’t know if it was just his feeling, but the Nightlight Sphere hanging high above like the moon seemed to sway happily twice, then shook its round body at the other two light spheres, as if showing off.

This successfully provoked the Sunlight Sphere.

The light in the left area suddenly shone brightly. Rays full of light and heat baked the earth, even the air began to distort and blur.

In contrast, the Rainlight Sphere seemed indifferent, continuously dropping its never-ending drizzle in its territory—but if observed carefully, the rainwater was slowly infiltrating the Nightlight Sphere’s summer night territory. The cool, comfortable air also became slightly more humid, and over time, the wet traces on the ground clearly expanded.

…How strange.

Regardless of whether these light spheres had self-awareness or not, for Yuu, the most important thing was the bastard controlling this space.

His gaze focused on the old screen in front of him.

But this time, there was no hatred, no sorrow, no escape, no despair. He just stared straight at the LCD screen representing the system’s existence, leaned back relaxedly, and suddenly smiled.

“Hey, buddy, do you remember what I said last time?”

Knowing it wouldn’t pay attention, Yuu answered in his heart.

—See you when the fourth mission is completed. I’ll definitely greet you with a smile.

So now, he was keeping his promise.

“Damn System, because you came to me, I had the chance to meet a unique girl like Yukino, date her, and do things I need to take responsibility for my whole life…”

He looked sincere, with a grateful smile on his face: “Although I really want to pull out your (censored) and stuff it in (censored) then kick you into a boiling hot pot to burn the (censored) you shouldn’t have, then beat you until your intestines come out, but I’m not a hot pot restaurant owner, and you’re not a parent and naughty child either, so I can only say this to you—“

This sentence, he no longer said sarcastically, but spoke from the heart:

“Thank you, for letting me encounter such beautiful love.”

“……”

Facing the always silent Damn System, Yuu naturally received no answer.

So, after his monologue, he stretched relaxedly, waved his hand, and asked it to start the procedure.

System: “Mission completion begins.”

“Oh oh oh! Everyone, it’s started!”

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻!

This was the first time he welcomed mission completion with such a relaxed mood. Yuu couldn’t resist his bad sense of humor. He clapped with a mocking tone, as if watching a clown show.

System: “Mission objective: Become Yukinoshita Yukino’s ideal boyfriend. Rewards issued based on Host’s performance. Mission completed.”

Yuu shrugged: “Although I basically didn’t do anything. If not for Yukino being so gentle, I think dating two girlfriends simultaneously would have made me fail this mission immediately, right?”

The system completely ignored him, like an emotionless broadcasting machine: “Reward statistics obtained: ……”

What followed was a series of money, skill, and status reward statistics.

A dazzling and eye-catching list scrolled down. Yuu watched the system finish its list boredly, then jump to the next stage.

“Time spent: Thirty-seven days.”

“Completion finished.”

“Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the reward: Snowlight Sphere.”

“Next objective—no hints available, please wait patiently, Host.”

Yuu sighed, his tone showing disappointment: “Wait patiently again! I’m telling you, Takagi… no, System Brother, this is the last time, why are you still using this old trick? Even Judai wouldn’t keep using Elemental Hero against enemies…”

Hmm? Wait a minute.

Amid his mockery, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

Closing his chattering mouth, he frowned and carefully recalled. With the perfect memory he possessed, Yuu was absolutely certain it wasn’t his illusion—

Why didn’t the special Emotional Adjustment reward given last time appear in the system’s reward list?

Although this damn system often had bugs, like memories that should be deleted returning, and things that should be erased still existing, when it came to rewards given to him, this system had always been very reliable and never lacking.

There’s something strange behind unusual occurrences. He couldn’t help but ask: “Damn System, you…”

Seeing the LCD screen suddenly light up with snow, and the black-and-white images slowly being colored, Yuu unconsciously closed his mouth and grinned.

He hated this part: the replay of dark history and the bad taste humor show of sprinkling salt on wounds was about to start again!

“Even though my mentality is different, I still have psychological trauma…”

He clicked his tongue in disgust, and the question he wanted to ask was also stuck in his stomach.

However, upon second thought, Yuu felt somewhat grateful he didn’t utter that sentence.

First, saying it might not bring benefits, instead giving the system a chance to fix itself, equivalent to giving salt to the enemy.

Second, the woman’s voice that announced the reward still echoed in his ears. He also carefully recalled the description of the Emotional Adjustment status. Combining both, Yuu suddenly had a bold speculation.

Although baseless, his instinct told him—if he utilized it well, he might be able to use it at the most critical moment!

As he thought this, the screen began playing the fourth animated film centered around him and assisted by several girls.

Yuu immediately sat up straight and watched himself on the screen attentively.

After returning from Kyoto, the confusion about the mission and future, and Yuigahama’s initiative.

“Tsk, tsk, I was really pathetic back then… Truly amazing that Yui could like a useless man who’s only handsome.”

Yuu shook his head and couldn’t resist commenting.

Next, he witnessed Yuigahama working hard to get along with Sora for his sake. When he saw her home, he couldn’t resist telling her what was hidden in his heart.

“This was the beginning of everything… If Yui hadn’t said the sentence As long as you love me too, no matter how many problems we face in the future, I believe we can overcome them together when I was most vulnerable, I might have sunk deeper, right? I also wouldn’t have been able to date Yukino.”

Yuu touched his face and sighed. He once again had a deep awareness of how useless he was at the beginning of the fourth mission.

Thankfully, people always change.

The weak appearance he first showed his little sister after returning home signified that he had shed the pretense of being a reborn youth pretending to be strong at the beginning, and started opening up to others like an ordinary person.

“At that time, I found it really embarrassing, but now, a real man isn’t an existence that’s always perfect and strong, that’s just a robot…”

Watching himself lying on his sister’s lap, Yuu folded his arms and nodded in agreement, “Being able to adapt, being able to be soft and hard, being able to be strong and gentle—that’s the quality a real man should have!”

Many subsequent scenes flashed across the screen.

Although this was Yukino’s stage, Yuigahama’s shadow was everywhere in his life. He laughed, argued, and hugged with her. He was supported by her gentleness from beginning to end, enabling him to keep moving forward until now.

There were also scenes with Haruno and others. Although not many, while watching, Yuu realized that those who met him rarely showed sincere smiles, with sad and confused expressions being most common.

“I really want to drag that guy on screen out and beat him up…” Yuu muttered guiltily.

If not for his feelings towards Asuna and Masuzu not having returned yet, his guilt wouldn’t be this simple.

Looking further down, there were many scenes with Sora, Iroha, and Kanade, even the faces of those two housewives appeared on screen, though their numbers drastically reduced and passed quickly.

Finally, there was Yuu’s girlfriend, his exclusive Truth Detector Princess, Yukino sleeping in an adorable pose.

The screen was filled with scenes of her. Such memories and experiences certainly contained no pain or sorrow—evidenced by the gentle smile unconsciously appearing on his face.

Yuu still remembered, in the special building corridor, she restrained her action when Yuu pressed her palm against his face, just because Yuu showed a rare vulnerable expression.

Yuu still remembered, facing his sudden dating request, Yukino’s cold and elegant eyes quickly saw his helplessness and accepted the mission without hesitation.

Yuu still remembered, Yukino’s increasingly easily embarrassed reactions after they started dating, and her fear that telling Yuigahama about their relationship would affect their friendship, yet she never thought of leaving him.

Yuu still remembered, her cute expressions during their amusement park date. Sometimes shy, sometimes excited, sometimes pretending to be serious. Although liking him more and more, Yukino still used the mission to hide her tsundere feelings.

After that, Yukino became more honest, more proactive, even secretly kissing him in quiet corners.

The appearance of willingly continuously changing because of loving someone—no matter how many times he saw it, Yuu couldn’t help but be captivated by her.

The final scene was the night he spent with Yukino in the luxury apartment—adult scenes didn’t appear, which made Yuu feel relieved.

Good, the Damn System still knew how to protect their privacy.

The animation quickly spun. Before stopping at the scene of them sleeping embraced, the camera suddenly switched.

Yuigahama in her pink wool hat stood in front of the door, gently placing two paper bags.

Her face had traces of tears not yet dried, but she smiled very warmly, as if speaking to Yuu in front of the screen.

“Merry Christmas, Yukinon, Yuu-kun!”

“……”

Yuu suddenly fell silent.

Although there was much dark history he didn’t want to remember in the fourth life review, Yuu, with his changed mentality, watched it relaxedly and smiled throughout, even occasionally mocking himself.

However, after this scene appeared, his smile froze on his face and slowly disappeared.

Yuu slowly lowered his head, unable to say anything, his fists clenched tightly.

Deep apologies clogged his throat, but he felt that he, feeling guilty towards her, was a scoundrel and had no right to apologize verbally.

While he was making love with his girlfriend inside the room, another girlfriend brought the Christmas presents she prepared, placed them in front of the door, and blessed their relationship to go smoothly.

This scene painful for others, for Yuu, was like a blunt knife continuously cutting his heart back and forth. His heart ached until he started choking.

“What have I actually been doing…”

Even so, Yuu himself knew very well.

Even if he knew Yuigahama was standing outside at that time, he couldn’t pull her in, destroying the Christmas Eve date Yukino prepared to help him complete the mission.

Therefore, watching the girl turning and leaving on screen, the heartache and guilt flooding him made him even more confused.

“Although she might not remember tomorrow, but…”

Taking a deep breath, Yuu suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart. His gaze was firm and calm.

“Yui, I won’t hesitate anymore.”

From now on, he would never let the people he loved cry from sadness—if it were the current him, he could do such a thing.

Soon after, the image stopped at the scene of him and Yukino sleeping embraced. Afterwards, the screen slowly flickered with snow again. The cold, emotionless broadcast voice of the system sounded again:

“Timeline collection completed.”

“Mission execution period: November 19 to December 25.”

“All connections with the target during this period will be retrieved by the system. The remainder will be altered in a natural way, ensuring the occurred results remain unchanged, and everyone except the Host will not retain relevant memories.”

“After restoration completion, the system will automatically send the Host back to the real world.”

“Confirming removal of Host’s love emotions towards target…”

“Not allowed!” As this sentence fell, Yuu reached out his hand, staring sharply, “Did I say I wanted you to take back my love emotions? You want to interfere with my feelings without confirmation, am I the Host or are you the Host?”

“……”

The system made no sound, but seemed to silently express disbelief.

Yuu stood up from the ground, brushed off the little dust on his trousers, and looked down at it with a cold expression.

“System, this time, not only will I not let you take back my feelings, I also demand you return the feelings I let you take in the past.”

The system finally spoke: “Emotions that have been detached cannot be restored. The Host has confirmed this.”

“I also confirmed that Haruno and others’ memories wouldn’t recover. What was the result, you should understand without me saying, right?”

Yuu snorted in disgust and pointed to his chest: “Besides, you said emotions can’t be restored, here’s one—Could all the dreams I experience every day be Haruno using the bracelet as a medium to hypnotize me with superpower, ultimately making me fall in love with her again unconsciously?”

Facing the system, words he couldn’t say to Yukino could finally be vomited out quickly—

“Do you know, if Yukino hadn’t taken me home tonight, tomorrow on Christmas Day I was prepared to meet Haruno and explain everything? I’ve been suppressing these feelings from the Culture Festival until now, suppressing them very hard, and then you say they can’t be restored?”

He rudely raised his middle finger at the system and for the first time spoke his native language: “Idiot, fuck you.”

“……”

Seemingly not expecting this situation at all, the system remained silent for a long time. The snowy screen kept flickering with dazzling light.

Just when Yuu thought it was just the system’s calculation process taking time, and the system was preparing to give him a reasonable answer.

The voice that sounded gentle but without any emotion sounded again: “Timeline collection completed, world correction procedure finished… Correction halted.”

“Detected Host possesses status—Injury Time. Does it need activation?”

“Huh…?”

Yuu couldn’t help but hold his forehead. The corner of his mouth moved as if both surprised and mocking.

“Turns out choosing to avoid answering… System, the more missions I complete, the more your functions regress? Where’s the cold, perfect, authoritative mission-giving machine from before?”

System: “Detected Host possesses status…”

Alright, this guy can’t answer questions and started repeating.

“Whatever. Since it’s like this, I’ll rely on my own methods to recover those lost things… I hope you won’t hinder me.”

Although he didn’t know how yet, Yuu no longer planned to pin his hopes on this useless system that only knew how to give rewards.

If they have no memories, he’ll help them recover them.

If they have no feelings, he also won’t neglect his girlfriends, or even actively avoid them.

Because what he promised Yukino, no matter how troublesome or difficult, he would do it.

Step forward, no matter how many thorns he must step on, he won’t stop just because of mere pain.

Over these past few months, his girlfriends have told him many things.

Haruno told him the conviction in making choices.

Asuna told him the courage to advance.

Masuzu told him the meaning of trust.

And…

The efforts once made, the pain once felt, were not in vain at all.

Because he suffered so much, he now knows the sweetness of current happiness.

Because he kept losing, Yuu now knows how beautiful possession is.

Because he was a coward and escaped, he now understands how important they are to him.

—Yukino told him the purpose of change.

“I still don’t know which choice is the most correct and perfect.”

Yuu slowly sighed, walking towards the ancient stone gate standing quietly nearby.

“But at least, I know what treasures I don’t want to lose, and what responsibilities I must bear.”

“From now on, worldly morality and conscience limitations have nothing to do with me—The only thing I’ll do is pursue possibilities that can make everyone who loves me happy. Speak like a real man that I can give happiness to all of you.”

He stretched out both hands, pressed his palms against the rough stone gate, closed his eyes, as if carefully feeling its texture.

“Throughout my life, I’ve always made decisions I thought were correct, but I never considered whether what correctness brought was truly what I wanted… So, this time, no matter what mission you give me, no matter whose boyfriend you want me to become.”

“I will selfishly decide my own future, and walk on the bright path I choose myself.”

Thus, Yuu shouted loudly—

“System, open the gate connecting reality and this world!”

He ignored Injury Time and directly asked the system to let him return.

The snowy screen disappeared, and the old screen seemed like its plug was pulled, standing still in place.

“Confirmed. Starting release program.”

As the voice sounded, white light began overflowing from within the gate. The thick stone gate, as if stuck, slowly opened a crack, gradually widening until wide enough for one person to pass through.

At this moment, Yuu lowered his head with a focused expression, uttering a sentence in his heart:

“—“

Then, he wiped his nose that suddenly bled, held his head, and with unsteady steps, his face showing a winner-like smile, crashed into the white light-filled world behind the gate.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Four light spheres split the sky. The land that should be barren and gray instead showed various different forms.

Too much sunlight, too much humidity, stars twinkling in the sky…

Right after the only living being left this world, a pure white light sphere slowly rose from the sky, coldly and arrogantly forcing itself between the Sunlight Sphere and the Nightlight Sphere.

The Sunlight Sphere seemed somewhat helpless and proactively gave way, but the Nightlight Sphere wasn’t that easy. The constellations suddenly shone brightly, as if wanting to project summer night beauty across the entire sky of the barren world.

Then it got beaten up together by the Sunlight Sphere and the Snowlight Sphere.

Light and snow mixed instantly, and the land covered by summer night became damaged, so it could only obediently retract the manifested natural phenomena and consciously reduce its coverage range.

The Snowlight Sphere successfully gained territory from both and quickly piled thick snow layers on the ground, bringing boundless white snowy scenery to the barren world.

As for the Rainlight Sphere, it still enjoyed its drizzle and slanting wind in its territory, leisurely watching the good show.

“Destiny Chapter setup completed. Loading final trial…”

No one could hear the system’s cold prompt voice.

However, before finishing sounding, the four light spheres suddenly shone brightly. Then, blazing sunfire, giant water cannons, dragon star clusters, and snowstorms simultaneously bombarded the pitch-black screen. Various manifested natural phenomena completely submerged it.

*CRACK!*

The sound of screen cracking was faintly heard.


-

Title: Epilogue: Right or Wrong, He Walks His Own Path

One moment eyes open, the next moment eyes closed.

The person was still lying in bed. The morning sun hadn’t yet broken through the thick cloud barrier. The birds chirping outside the window still felt both near and far. Everything was almost the same as moments before.

Yet, strangely, the room that was originally filled with the girl’s sweet scent and covered by the natural odor of primal human activity had suddenly transformed into the bedroom he recognized.

In the quiet room, only the sound of his own breathing could be heard.

“I’m back...”

Unconsciously he reached out to the side to feel around, but couldn’t find the plains he had explored all night that fascinated him so. Yuu could only sigh regretfully.

(Did I become a virgin again...?)

No, that wasn’t what he should be complaining about.

He had long wanted to complain—every time he completed a mission and woke up in bed, Yuu always felt like a hero killed by bandits, reloaded and resurrected at home, with the first thing he saw being the familiar ceiling.

Although it felt ordinary, this design was actually for his own good.

After all, given the situation he was in before mission completion, if Yukino woke up exactly one second after he returned to the real world, and their eyes met...

Yukino, having lost her memories, upon seeing the two of them naked in the same bed, her first reaction might be rubbing her eyes in disbelief, then desperately pressing her temples to avoid fainting on the spot, then choosing to call the police. Before the police arrived, she would hide in a corner of the room with scissors, staring at him with empty, expressionless eyes, preparing to defend herself.

Remembering that scene, Yuu couldn’t help but shake his head with both heartache and amusement. He could only say that the System occasionally did good things. It didn’t cause his girlfriend to have a mental breakdown right after he completed the mission—unless they regained their memories at that moment, otherwise he might become a despicable man (a disgraced loser).

Setting aside those chaotic thoughts, Yuu picked up the phone on the nightstand and impatiently opened the album to check.

Sure enough, all the collections of Yukino’s Christmas mini-skirt photos were gone!

There were several sexy photos of her wearing black and white stockings with garter belts, her face full of embarrassment, pressing down her skirt and stretching her long legs for him to take!

His body began trembling unconsciously. Suppressing the urge to smash his phone, Yuu gritted his teeth angrily, staring at the air in front of him:

“Damn System, I don’t care what you did to me before... But this grudge alone, I won’t reconcile with you from now on!”

To avoid waking his sister in the next room, he deliberately lowered his voice, like a wild beast emitting a threatening growl.

Exhaling a long breath, and after confirming that all records and traces had been cleaned up by the system as before, Yuu put his phone back. His expression gradually returned to normal.

“Today is Christmas Day... seems like it’ll be a bit busy.”

Although it was only six in the morning, he was already thinking about things that would happen at six in the evening.

Yuu had decided that tonight he would take Yuigahama home and treat her to... his homemade Christmas roast chicken, to make up for failing to accompany her yesterday.

However, whether it would be a Christmas date just for the two of them, or inviting a few more people to celebrate together, Yuu wasn’t sure yet—after all, the girls he liked weren’t just one. He wanted to win all their hearts equally, and he also wanted to talk with them as soon as possible, handling all the accumulated problems up to now.

Whatever it was, these were all things he would do during the day or evening.

It was still morning, and nothing had started yet.

A new day, a new beginning, a new self.

And also a new morning to step towards the final mission.

“Should I change into new underwear to better match the atmosphere?”

Leaning against the window and humming happily, Yuu got out of bed. He suddenly pulled open the curtains, welcoming the cloudy winter morning with a refreshed feeling.

Outside the window, branches glistened lifelessly. Roofs of varying heights looked like sleeping polar bears, bending over to catch fish on the ground.

Not many people were walking on the streets at this time. The cold wind blew fiercely, occasionally sweeping snow off dry branches, causing cloud-shaped snow lumps to fall and shatter on the ground.

Yuu couldn’t suppress a smile. He liked scenes like this. He used to find them ordinary, but recently he had come to like them more and more.

He liked the coldness of the chilly wind hitting his face.

He liked the snow-covered houses that were actually easy to warm up.

He liked the ice surfaces that accidentally melted into water, glistening under sunlight.

But in the end, what Yuu liked most was—

The snow-covered city filling his entire vision, the most beautiful and happiest sight he had ever seen in his life.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Merely saying you like something isn’t enough without action.

While his sister was still fast asleep, Yuu cleared the snow outside the door, then made two servings of breakfast. One serving he kept in the rice cooker to keep warm, and one serving he finished himself.

Around seven-thirty to eight o’clock, he quietly left home with his wallet and keys. The trains had stopped due to heavy snow, so he ran all the way to Sobu High. Every time he breathed, it felt like ice fragments were falling from the alveoli in his lungs, but they quickly evaporated due to his body temperature.

The reason he ran to Sobu High at this time was actually very simple—the morning news happened to have a live street broadcast. While eating and watching TV, he happened to see a figure passing by at the edge of the background. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be heading towards Sobu High.

No need to ask or test further. Yuu quickly finished his breakfast and immediately rushed to Sobu High, just to keep his promise, to find and meet her as quickly as possible.

However, when he arrived at the tall, locked front gate of Sobu High, he couldn’t help but frown and began doubting whether his eyes were playing tricks on him.

“Yukino wouldn’t be able to enter like this, right... Huh? Wait.”

Since Yuu usually entered through the main gate, he hadn’t realized there was actually a small side gate next to the school gate for students or teachers. The key hung beside it wasn’t locked, and there were clear signs of opening and closing.

The piled snow at the gate wasn’t scattered on the ground either, but neatly pushed aside.

Clearly, this was Yukino’s doing.

Yuu felt relieved: “My goodness, just stepped into adulthood and already running around like this. You’re quite strong, huh... Oh, I forgot, you’re as pure as I am now.”

Telling a joke only he could understand, Yuu with an inexplicably joyful smile lightly stepped into the school through the small gate. Without hesitation, he headed directly to the Service Club on the second floor of the Special Building.

The curtains were drawn. From below, he couldn’t tell if the lights were on. As Yuu climbed to the second floor, he unconsciously slowed his steps.

No need to doubt anymore.

There was a scent belonging only to her on the stairs, becoming clearer in the dry, fresh winter air.

“Would suddenly appearing startle her... Or should I make some sound to alert her? No, the most important thing is, from where did her memories start being remade...”

The closer he got to the Service Club location, the heavier his movements became, as if burdened by all the doubts in his mind, hesitating to actually walk to the Service Club door.

Yuu had to admit that due to the influence of a mentality similar to homesickness, he suddenly didn’t dare to greet Yukino who might be alone in the club room right now. He began to waver and hesitate again.

After all, he was afraid, afraid that Yukino would look at him with confused and unfamiliar eyes, and suddenly say “Who are you?” to him.

As if the entire world had abandoned him and reset all memories related to him.

...But he also knew, that was impossible.

There was still the Service Club group on LINE, and he also had Yukino’s contact. Although they were no longer a couple, they should still be friends.

So, no need to be afraid.

Yuu stood in front of the door and slowly took a breath.

Raising his hand, he knocked on the door.

KNOCK-KNOCK!

After three seconds of silence, a cold, melodious voice sounded slightly nervous.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

Yukino seemed somewhat relieved: “...Tenkuji-kun? Come in.”

Yuu opened the door and looked inside from the threshold.

Under the winter sunlight, she was like a white plum blossom blooming in snow. Yukino sat near the window as usual.

Her black hair was beautiful like lead powder. Her fair, tight skin was flawless. Except for the slightly modest chest area, she was an almost flawless beautiful girl.

Yuu suddenly remembered the scene of first seeing her.

Autumn afternoon with sunset, winter morning with sunrise. No matter the background, she remained beautiful, captivating him.

This was who-knows-how-many-times in his heart he felt grateful, thankful that he didn’t let the system take back his feelings, thankful that he still loved her.

(Things that belong to me, even if they bring pain, shouldn’t be discarded so casually...)

Yuu smiled relievedly, and once again decided in his heart that he must recover the two feelings that hadn’t returned yet.

“What is it? What’s so funny?”

Seeing Yuu’s smile, Yukino seemed to misunderstand. Her eyebrows slightly raised with coldness, and her expression showed slight displeasure.

She calmly put the alarm back into her coat pocket, adjusting her sitting position back to her usual elegance and composure.

“I didn’t expect besides me, there would be someone else so idle as to suddenly come to school for morning study.”

Yuu looked at the desk. Indeed, there was a classic novel with a bookmark on it. He couldn’t help but complain: “You’re really enthusiastic. Ignoring the train stoppage, you still came to the Service Club to read. Couldn’t you use the heater at home...”

“None of your business, it was just a sudden idea.” Yukino looked at him who came empty-handed, the confusion in her eyes deepening, “Instead, you, if not for morning study, what are you doing at school?”

“Looking for you.” Yuu was very honest, and closed the door behind him.

Thus, he once again received Yukino’s wary gaze, as if she considered him a sexual offender like during their first time alone.

Somehow, seeing the beautiful girl with hands protecting her chest and pulling out an alarm again, Yuu could barely hold back his laughter.

After all, to be honest, he even knew how many moles were on her chest, and Yukino was still being guarded like this...

No, mustn’t laugh! If he laughed now, he’d be considered a pervert!

“What business do you have looking for me? To the point of chasing me to the club room... Couldn’t you contact me online?”

A firm gaze watched him. However, somehow, after contact with his somewhat strange, almost laughing gaze, Yukino’s wary, defensive body slowly relaxed, as if she had already confirmed that Yuu wouldn’t hurt her.

“Besides, does Yuigahama-san know about this? Although this isn’t the first time we’ve been alone, after you started dating her, you should pay more attention to maintaining propriety in all aspects, to avoid misunderstandings.”

Seeing her lecturing with a proper tone, Yuu slowly sighed, and the smile on his face gradually faded.

“Yukinoshita, someone once said this to me.”

“What?” Yuu’s unrelated answer surprised Yukino, and she didn’t even react when Yuu walked toward her.

“Even now, even me, would you say, That’s just the past, in the future? —She once asked me like that. At that time I couldn’t answer, because I didn’t want to see the desperate and sad expression on her face after I nodded.”

Yukino frowned more deeply, feeling a headache. She pressed her temples with her thumbs: “This sentence feels somewhat familiar... Wait, what exactly do you want to say with this unrelated talk?”

“I just want to tell her...” Yuu stood near the window, looking at Yukino whose blue eyes were wide and slightly surprised.

“Tenkuji Yuu in the future will embrace Yukinoshita Yukino of the present, including the past parts.”

Then, he bent down without hesitation, embracing her who had lost her memories, as if leaving nothing behind, even together with her chair.

“I love you, will you go out with me, Yukino.”

When they met again, Yuu had decided to say this sentence, to welcome a new beginning.

This was also one of the vows Yuu made with Yukino.

Ignoring the girl who suddenly stiffened and turned to stone in his embrace, he relaxed his entire body, inhaling the fragrant, fresh scent of her hair.

Slowly raising his gaze, Yuu looked at the scenery outside the window shrouded in thin mist.

The dark clouds that had been dropping snow all night slowly dispersed. Sunlight broke through the layered cover, shining on the unmelted snow-white new clothing.

The winter sun reflected a calm, beautiful light. Ahead was the road and scenery under the snow stretching continuously. Even the best eyesight probably couldn’t see its end.

Yuu’s gaze looked far ahead, a hopeful smile overflowing from the corner of his mouth—Since he got entangled with this damn system, he had never felt so relieved, open, and relaxed.

Although it’s said that everyone must work hard for their own future.

But what was needed now was to try to expand the paths he could choose, rather than limiting his own possibilities with others’ labels and labels of correctness, and ultimately becoming a shackled coward.

As long as he made preparations like this, someday when he found his goal, he would be able to run with all his strength toward it, toward them.

The end of that road was very broad. Although there was still thin, cold mist, it would surely disappear before the newly emerging sunrise, right?

Anyway, Yuu thought so.

He would start striving for it from now, striving to win back his girlfriends, and together with them, create a future where everyone could be happy.

So, perhaps only this sentence could express his current feelings—

“I really want to have a girlfriend again...”

SLAP!

As soon as those words were spoken, a clear palm print quickly imprinted on Yuu’s gently smiling face.

“Let go of me, you scoundrel!”

A cold voice mixed with disbelief, embarrassment, and anger sounded extremely clear in the Special Building where only the two of them were present.