Yuu 576-580

Title: Memory Recovery and Raging Pain

“I-I see... Hmm, that makes sense, thank you for the reminder.”

After a moment of stunned silence, Yuu nodded, skillfully concealing his somewhat indifferent intentions.

He felt that Asuna’s tone seemed to imply something, yet also merely a reminder for him to look after Yuigahama.

But it didn’t matter, they would test it out together later anyway.

“By the way, Yuuki-san, do you still remember the cultural festival?”

With a not-too-sudden tone, Yuu steered the conversation towards what he wanted to ask.

Of course, before speaking, he activated the “Earless Wall” state.

So, from this moment on, no matter who passed by, or any acquaintances with hidden motives, they wouldn’t be able to hear their conversation, and would ignore their interaction as if it didn’t exist.

Even if Yuu stood up now and shouted “Henshin! Kaigan!” (Transform! Open Your Eyes!), only Asuna in front of him would look at him strangely.

“Cultural festival? I do remember, yes...”

Asuna blinked, her beautiful and gentle face full of confusion: “What about it? I remember nothing important happened that day.”

A slight understanding appeared in Yuu’s eyes, he spread both hands, and asked as if it was nothing: “It was your first time visiting Sobu High, right? I wanted to hear your opinion about the cultural festival back then, after all, you’re a rare transfer student who came from an outside school to ours, and I have a junior who became the student council president. So...”

“I understand. You mean like a survey, right?”

Although Yuu didn’t finish his sentence, seeing his expression, Asuna understood what he wanted to ask.

Yuu smiled, saying nothing, taking it as silent consent.

He didn’t like lying, especially to his acquaintances and friends.

So, when he didn’t want to tell the truth, he usually used this method to communicate with others, maintaining information superiority while also being able to quietly extract information from them.

Asuna was indeed a transfer student, and Kanade did successfully become the student council president after the cultural festival—but these were all just objective facts.

Yuu didn’t utter any answers from his mouth, which meant he wasn’t lying to Asuna.

As long as he didn’t lie, there was no risk of being exposed.

Cleverly diverting others’ thoughts, aided by ambiguous words and actions, letting them actively think and reach the answer he wanted, this was the safest communication technique.

Asuna noticed nothing, initially praising Sobu High’s cultural festival and saying how much she enjoyed walking around, and then suddenly remembering something. She raised one finger to Yuu and said:

“Although we didn’t know each other then, I actually visited your school before the cultural festival.”

“Before that?” Yuu’s eyebrows rose, his eyes gradually becoming strange, “You mean... during the Autumn Fair?”

“Eh?” The words she was about to say were preempted by Yuu. Asuna couldn’t help but raise her hand, covering her slightly open mouth in surprise: “Yes, the Autumn Fair... How did you know?”

“Because before the cultural festival, the only major event at our school was the Autumn Fair...”

Yuu’s fingers unconsciously tapped the table, he hesitated slightly, unsure whether to continue asking.

The old Yuu might have changed the subject here, avoiding saying anything that could trigger her memories...

But now, he had to surpass his always-avoidant self, and do things he wouldn’t have done in the past.

He had already promised Yukino to change, so he couldn’t back down now!

Yuu took a light breath, the fingers of both hands intertwined on the table with a hint of seriousness, his eyes looking intently at Asuna.

“Kuroyuri Academy is very far from Sobu High. May I ask why you had to come all the way to see our Autumn Fair?”

“Was there a performance you wanted to watch... or was someone inviting you?”

Asuna answered without thinking: “Both, I guess? Someone said he would be performing at the Autumn Fair, then invited me to Sobu...”

But as she continued, her voice grew smaller and smaller, until finally only air could escape her throat.

Her natural expression froze on her face, like a computer that crashed while saving a file. Her eyes widened in astonishment, not knowing what to say.

Seeing this, Yuu urged in a gentle and warm tone: “So, besides us, do you know anyone else at Sobu High?”

“There is... Eh? No, there isn’t... But if there isn’t, why would I... why would I visit your school...”

The system’s memory rewriting was always haphazard, like a health supplement claiming no side effects; a little thought was enough to find various inconsistencies.

Although Yuu didn’t know if this method could fully restore Asuna’s memories, it was at least worth a try.

Yuu simply watched Asuna’s increasingly furrowed brows, his feelings neither anxious nor enthusiastic. He just remained silent, giving her time to think for herself.

“I did go to Sobu High’s Autumn Fair, and I also saw Tenkuji-kun’s piano performance... But, if no one invited me, I should have been at cram school then... Moreover, bringing Mom with me, something like that would be absolutely impossible...”

Chaotic thoughts, formulas with no answers found, and strange memories that all made no sense.

Her breathing became chaotic and trembling, Asuna unconsciously hugged her head, her expression becoming bewildered and painful.

As her thoughts plunged into a deep hole, her pink, cherry blossom-like lips gradually lost color. Her bright amber eyes widened uncontrollably, the red veins appearing at their edges becoming increasingly clear, as if thousands of toothpicks were scraping her brain’s nerves, bringing indescribable pain from the depths of her soul.

“It shouldn’t be like this, this is too strange... And why can’t I remember the piano melody from that day... It was so beautiful, I shouldn’t have forgotten it...”

Her chestnut hair drooped, her slender shoulders continued to tremble.

The girl struggled and fought alone, but besides the tears falling on her cheeks, she couldn’t regain anything.

Her two hands hugging her head clenched so tightly that her veins bulged, her fingernails sinking into her flesh, like someone whose limbs were broken and placed in a box, fighting immense pain by biting her tongue.

“Stop! Clear your mind, don’t think about anything!”

However, the next second.

A firm yet gentle voice, enveloped in an invisible force, suddenly hit her eardrums.

Then it quickly spread throughout her limbs, like a warm sun melting thick snow, slowly relaxing her overly tense nerves.

Those stiff hands finally released Asuna’s head, falling limply onto the table.

Her breathing returned to steady, Asuna slowly raised her head, blinking with dry, red eyes, staring blankly at Yuu in front of her who looked concerned.

“This...?”

-

Title: With Her Heart, Piercing Through False Memories

As if suddenly falling from a snowy place into a hot bath, the familiar warmth brought a comfortable sensation that softened her stiff and cold body, while also enveloping her head that was hot from overthinking. The pain from earlier disappeared quickly, as if it had only been an illusion.

Asuna wasn’t stupid. Although she didn’t know what had happened with that chaotic false memory, and didn’t know why she felt so tormented...

But clearly, his sentence containing a strange power had freed her, alleviating the intense pain that seemed to want to tear open her skull.

Although her breathing wasn’t yet steady and her voice was still choked and hoarse, she still forced a smile at the corner of her lips, showing a bitter smile that looked pitiful to Yuu.

“Even though I don’t know how you did it... but thank you, Tenkuji-kun.”

“No, I don’t deserve your thanks.”

With an expression mixed with apology and embarrassment, Yuu patted his head guiltily, and sighed: “If I hadn’t talked so much and asked questions, you wouldn’t have ended up in this situation... I’m the culprit, forgive me.”

After all, although he hadn’t expected that just realizing the abnormality in her memory would give her such intense pain, Yuu could actually have prevented the situation from worsening.

It was just that the desire to see Asuna recover her memories at that time made him hesitate. That’s why he only watched her struggle while holding her head, hoping she could say the sentence, “I remember!” in the next moment.

And when everything seemed increasingly wrong, although it was too late, Yuu immediately used the Word Bullet to pull her out of that memory pain vortex.

So, this delayed action was completely unworthy of thanks. Fundamentally, it was his own demands that hurt her—and that painful memory was also something he created himself.

In any case, Yuu was the real perpetrator, so he clearly didn’t deserve Asuna’s thanks.

“That’s not true. Even if you hadn’t asked, when I realized something was wrong, I would have tried hard to think about it myself, right?”

Although she didn’t understand the meaning behind Yuu’s words, and didn’t understand why he felt so guilty, Asuna still shook her head, rejecting the apology.

A gentle smile appeared on her beautiful face, which was gradually regaining color. She looked straight at Yuu, her voice soft yet firm:

“It’s precisely because of you that I can sit here calmly now, instead of struggling alone in pain until it’s unbearable... So, I must thank you, Tenkuji-kun.”

“...”

(That’s true, she does have that kind of personality in the memories.)

Snapping out of his daze, Yuu let out a resigned sigh, and laughed along in a helpless tone.

“In that case, I should thank you too, for thanking me.”

The two smiled at each other in understanding, and Yuu suddenly remembered something, handing her a handkerchief from his pocket.

“Wipe your sweat and tears. Fortunately, no one noticed us here, otherwise I’d be beaten up now.”

“No one would do that.”

Taking it as a joke, Asuna thanked him as she received the handkerchief. After wiping her messy face, she casually put the handkerchief into her bag.

“I’ll wash it clean at home and return it to you, don’t refuse. Unless you’re a fetishist who likes collecting girls’ tears and sweat.”

“It’s fine if you just keep it.”

Yuu shrugged, sipping his black coffee, gesturing for Asuna to drink too to calm down and moisten her throat.

After the two quietly drank half of their beverages, their gazes met again. The settling atmosphere was as calm and natural as before, but there was an unspoken emotion floating beneath the surface.

“So, where should we start?”

As soon as those words were spoken, Asuna immediately asked back: “You must still have things you want to ask me, right?”

Seeing Yuu’s expression that couldn’t hide his surprise, Asuna smirked slightly, her soft and rosy lips pursing. Her fingers gently circled the rim of the coffee-stained cup, saying calmly and confidently: “Don’t think I can’t hear it. You asked about the cultural festival, that’s clearly not as simple as wanting to do a survey for a junior, right?”

“Plus, after that you immediately asked about the Autumn Fair... I suspect the cultural festival in my memory also experienced the same chaos and errors as the Autumn Fair. Tenkuji-kun, you’re the only one who understands this problem!”

With her chin slightly raised, Asuna folded her arms across her chest, raising her eyebrows with an aura full of vigor, as if silently saying to him, “How about it, my guess is right, isn’t it?”

The nobility-like gentleness was like a sharp sword unsheathed from its scabbard, emanating sharpness and intelligence he knew, yet not losing the cuteness and agility of a girl.

“Are all girls nowadays this smart...”

Stunned to the point of being speechless, Yuu could only let out a defeated sigh like this.

“So what you want to know is, does my memory match yours?”

After guessing it herself, Asuna raised her eyes while thinking, playing with her bangs with her finger, murmuring: “First, the reasons I went to Sobu High’s cultural festival: the first was to familiarize myself with the school before transferring, the second was to check if the helmet lent by Nii-san for the event had any issues...”

This time Yuu didn’t hesitate: “Don’t force yourself to remember. Let me give you information from my side first—“

Before he could finish speaking, Asuna extended her hand to stop him.

“Please do that after I really can’t anymore,” she said in an unquestionable tone, soft yet firm, “Because this is my own memory, I want to try to find its flaws myself, and try to remember it myself... A little pain is no problem, it’s better than being guided by others in confusion.”

Seeing Yuu’s slightly worried expression, the happiness and warmth rising in her heart couldn’t be contained, Asuna winked at him cutely: “Of course, if I encounter a situation like earlier again, I’ll ask Yuu-kun to save me once more~”

“Alright, if you’re insistent... Hmm? Yuu-kun?”

Yuu almost instantly noticed the inconsistency in her name-calling, but before he could ask, Asuna erased all her expressions, closed her eyes, lowered her head, and concentrated fully on thinking.

Her nerves still felt a bit painful, but when her mind was truly focused, and she slowly gathered all the clues and doubts, that pain wasn’t worse than girls’ monthly days, and was easy to ignore.

Then, she searched for the only ray of light in the darkness.

(Transfer... Why did I have to transfer to Sobu High? Not even hesitating to oppose Mom...)

(Cultural festival... I remember I should have had another purpose besides familiarizing myself with the school and checking the helmet, but why can’t I remember it...)

(VR Club... I did go up to the ring briefly, but I came down quickly because there was no opponent, and exchanged contacts with Konno-san, and promised to fight her and her sister in another game next time...)

(After leaving the VR Club, it seems I went straight home without doing anything else?)

(No, something’s wrong. This is too strange!)

Without a reason to risk everything, it was impossible for her to convince her mom to allow the transfer.

Time hadn’t passed that long either, with her memory, how could she not remember the purpose of her visit?

The memory of the ring fight was also strange. Only the beginning was fine, the end was like a MAD (edited video clip) made by haphazardly pasting materials. At a glance, there might be no problem, but actually the rhythm and way it ended showed various oddities.

And most importantly, Asuna remembered that she obtained something very important from that ring fight, a Cheat Program that even a professional technical team couldn’t find the source and mechanism of—

The program’s name was “Heart’s Will.” An ability that could surpass system limitations and bring miraculous light.

“Then, who did I use this Heart’s Will on?”

As that question arose in her mind.

Invisibly, “Heart’s Will” suddenly solidified. A thin, long sword shining brightly pierced through, shattering the mirror that always blocked her eyes and reflected many false images.

At this moment, all questions were answered, the distorted world returned to its track. What was blurry became clear again, what was wrong became right again.

“Right... I remember!”

Asuna suddenly raised her head, slapped the table with both hands, and stared at Yuu with wide eyes.

-

Title: Remembering What?

“Do you remember?”

Yuu jolted, reflexively straightening his back, looking at her with a serious and slightly nervous expression.

“What do you remember?”

“I remember...” Asuna’s hands rested on the table, she looked down at Yuu, but for some reason, her beautiful face gradually flushed, and her speech became a bit stuttered.

“A-approximately everything before yesterday... including when the two of us fought in the VR Club ring, and the reason why I transferred to Sobu High...”

It seemed she recalled something embarrassing to confront, she instinctively avoided Yuu’s gaze, scratching her neck slightly, appearing awkward.

“I see.”

Understanding Asuna’s current embarrassment, Yuu smiled relaxedly, and said in a gentle, comforting voice: “That was to find me, right? You must have had a hard time, even though you didn’t remember anything, you could still make decisions because of that strange attraction, taking actions like chasing a husband from afar.”

“Chasing a husband from afar, that’s nothing like i-it...”

Asuna sat back in her seat as if exhausted, puffing her cheeks slightly, and hid her embarrassment by pretending to drink coffee.

However, after calming down a bit, her gaze gradually became complex, she looked at Yuu with a hesitant expression.

“Well... regardless of what I’ll do.”

“Yuu-kun, since you already have a girlfriend like Yuigahama-san, you should restrain yourself more when talking to other girls, otherwise you’re too flirtatious...”

“Oh, you’re right.” Yuu just realized. Neither he nor Asuna had returned to their original relationship. Using such teasing terms on Asuna, who was an ordinary friend, was indeed inappropriate.

Pulling back their emotional distance, he apologized with the proper attitude: “I spoke without thinking. I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, I was just saying it, I actually don’t care much... Never mind.”

Regret that came too late flashed across Asuna’s face. She said nothing more, just letting out a weary sigh.

Her lips touched the rim of the cup, she sipped the coffee, letting the bitter taste different from latte slide down her throat.

However, her mood brightened again because of Yuu’s next sentence.

“But you don’t need to worry either. Wasn’t I already very restrained when talking to you before the cultural festival? Usually, the way I talk to other girls is like that. I only flirt with people very close to me.”

“...That means, I’m someone special to you?” Asuna secretly lifted her shining eyes, asking in a soft voice to confirm.

“Of course.” Even though his feelings hadn’t returned, Yuu could still nod firmly based on the facts.

“We should be very special to each other—if not, there wouldn’t be so many strange things happening around us, right?”

“Ah, after you say that...”

Slowly placing her cup down, Asuna’s happiness didn’t last long. Her face was filled with worry and difficulty.

Recalling the Heart’s Will light that appeared in the fighting ring, and the strange experience she had for the second time, where her memories were covered and rewritten by a mysterious fog.

Indeed, there was a strange fateful bond connecting her and Yuu. The in-game ring and her current feelings also proved that their past relationship was extraordinary.

Were they just netizens who married in the game? No, if it was that simple, she wouldn’t be obsessed to the point of transferring to Sobu High to find him.

Was she a frightening stalker who liked him unilaterally? Although it seemed like that, and Yuu told her not to remember it in the ring, as if something terrible had happened in the past...

But Asuna was certain her personality wasn’t distorted to that extent. Moreover, Yuu’s expression at that time, rather than fear or embarrassment, was more like having unspeakable difficulty, wanting her not to get lost.

So, were they not only married in the game, but also dating in the real world?

This should be the most likely option, after all, Sherlock Holmes once said (continuation omitted)...

(But if so, why is Yuu-kun dating Yuigahama-san again?)

Since the cultural festival, Asuna had really wanted to ask Yuu this question.

Before the Kyoto match, she was already in a state of amnesia. However, Yuu, who knew everything, met her, instead of trying to get everything back, he lied by saying he had never met her before and was dating Yuigahama.

After that, Yuu even advised her to give up searching for the truth, asking her to pretend everything never happened...

If she had really dated Yuu, this was clearly the action of a jerk man, right?

Abandoning an amnesiac girlfriend and finding a new lover. No wonder her self in the fighting ring was angry enough to use Heart’s Will, stabbing Yuu’s chest with a sword while saying she wouldn’t forgive him!

Asuna couldn’t help but glare at Yuu angrily, then averted her gaze when Yuu showed a confused expression, temporarily suppressing the desire to question him, and continued to clear her mind.

Regardless of their past relationship, the only certain thing was that there was a mysterious force blocking them from acknowledging each other, and even the Heart’s Will light couldn’t fully overcome it.

In any case, Asuna hadn’t remembered the reason for her going to the Autumn Fair, and that beautiful piano melody. She only knew that everything was related to Yuu, and was the key to restoring her original memories.

“But it turns out, Heart’s Will isn’t a cheat that only appears in games, but some kind of superpower of mine...”

Suddenly realizing this, Asuna couldn’t help but admire: “It can even penetrate the mysterious power that can seal memories. It feels amazing.”

While saying that, she glanced at the table full of energy, took a new straw as a substitute for the thin sword in her hand, then closed her eyes, and began to build emotions.

According to Asuna’s understanding, what was called Heart’s Will was strong and steadfast emotions. Whether it was the desire to seek the truth, or the stubbornness to not want to be toyed with by memories. As long as it was straight and sharp like a sword, it could emit miraculous light.

So now, what kind of Heart’s Will should she use to test...

“Ha!”

Not long after, enveloped in anger towards that jerk man, she suddenly thrust towards Yuu. The tip of the straw pointed straight at his forehead.

A strong wind blew, blowing Yuu’s bangs to the side, revealing his moist and innocent eyes like a child’s.

“I clearly didn’t do anything, why are you attacking me?”

Ignoring Yuu’s pretend pitiful voice, Asuna pulled back her hand, examining the straw that showed no abnormalities with a bit of regret.

“It didn’t work, huh... Maybe this is just an ability that can function between virtual and consciousness...”

Yuu couldn’t help but comment: “If it could be used in the real world, it would be terrifying. Even I wouldn’t be able to beat you then.”

Recalling his experience of almost being stabbed in the chest in the fighting ring, he unconsciously rubbed his arm, for the first time feeling worried about his own combat strength.

After all, he was getting further on the path of becoming a jerk man, and what was called a jerk man was a creature that would be beheaded by an axe if not careful...

As for why Heart’s Will, the special skill once given to him by the system, had transferred to Asuna, and even helped her restore memories altered by the system, Yuu was too lazy to investigate, even unwilling to think about it.

After all, he had decided it was a system error, so blaming everything on the system not only wouldn’t be wrong, but also saved energy. That was good.

-

Title: Simultaneous Dating and Cheating Must Be Distinguished

“Our topic has strayed a bit, let’s get back to serious matters.”

With a serious expression, Yuu placed the empty coffee cup aside, looking straight at Asuna.

“You remember, right? The question you asked me in the fighting ring.”

Asuna nodded, taking a slow breath, suppressing the inexplicable emotions deep within her eyes, her calm gaze felt real.

“Even though we’ve never met in the game, why do you know so much about my moves and techniques?”

Yuu replied: “Because we worked together for a while, and also fought several times. Of course, you always lost.”

Asuna’s eyebrow twitched. She instinctively wanted to say something, but tightened her cheeks and tried to restrain herself.

“Why did you say that continuously guessing wasn’t good for me?”

“Because at that time, I had no intention of taking responsibility for anything I had done in the past. So, I just used that for your own good as an excuse to avoid everything,” Yuu said honestly, already prepared to be scolded and insulted by Asuna.

However, Asuna had no intention of doing that. She just blinked in surprise and confusion.

“Then now...”

“Now, because of Yui, because of Yukino... because of all our relationships, I can finally be determined to put everything back to where it was. After that, we will decide where to go next, based on each of our wishes.”

“Hmm... although I don’t quite understand, the point is you’ve made a decision and will take responsibility for the past, right?”

Feeling confused for a moment, Asuna suddenly paused. The radar in her brain blared, realizing the strangeness in Yuu’s words.

“Yukino? What does that have to do with Yukinoshita-san? And I’ve wanted to ask for a long time, your relationship with Yukinoshita-san...”

“All of that will be discussed later,” Yuu remembered something else, and asked back, “You once said there were three clues—the Nun, the ring, and the login history—that made you certain that strange feeling was related to me. And that’s why you decided to transfer to Sobu High to look for me.”

“Well, that’s right...”

Because the problem bothering her wasn’t immediately resolved, Asuna mumbled unsatisfactorily, chewing on the coffee-stained straw, and then sighed in resignation.

Yuu continued the question: “I don’t care about the others, but that ring... I’ve looked for it, is it really in your inventory?”

“Yes, I don’t need to lie to you.”

Asuna, who had used the ring to extract information from Yuu at the time, now blinked with big eyes and looked a little innocent.

“Although its status shows Destroyed. I can’t take a screenshot, move it, or discard it. It just occupies one inventory slot like a layer bug... But when the power of Heart’s Will restored my character, you must have seen it too, right? On both our fingers were those destroyed rings.”

“I don’t mean to doubt you, I just still find it hard to accept.” Yuu winced as if in pain, holding his forehead and letting out a heavy sigh, “Even though it’s something I’ve known for a long time, the feeling where I’ve tried my best, but still got betrayed by that scoundrel, is truly annoying...”

“That scoundrel?”

Before Asuna could ask further, Yuu changed the topic again: “I’m holding a Christmas party at home tonight. I’ll invite everyone involved in this matter, and at the same time explain all the truth, to answer your questions as much as possible.”

“If you have time, I hope you can come... I can ask someone to help me deal with your mother, it shouldn’t be a problem as long as you don’t come home too late.”

“If Mom is fine, of course I want to come...” At this point, Asuna suddenly hesitated, “But what you’re going to explain must be related to my memories, right? Including the memory of our first meeting that I can’t recall now.”

“Of course. Although I don’t know if the process can be explained, the information I can disclose right now should help you remember some things without too much pain.”

Yuu himself wasn’t sure, but he had to try. Even if it was just exchanging information, he wouldn’t lose anything.

Besides, wasn’t Yuu afraid of gathering all these girls in one room?

Of course he was afraid.

He also didn’t know how to calm Yuigahama after his explanation, how to help his girlfriends recover their memories without pain, and how he himself could regain his feelings.

The road ahead was full of uncertainty and anxiety. Moving forward required immense courage—Yuu’s mentality hadn’t reached the point where he transcended humans like his physical condition. Just to confirm how much Asuna’s memories had recovered earlier, he was already very tense, needing to mentally prepare himself before daring to listen.

Nevertheless, that wasn’t a reason for him to retreat and flee.

Because the courage needed to face everything had already been shared with him by someone.

“In that case, I don’t think I’ll come.”

“Hmm?” This sentence stopped Yuu’s thoughts, making him surprised and looking at Asuna’s seemingly resigned expression.

“May I know why?”

“Uh, although saying it might make you think I’m troublesome...”

Asuna smiled bitterly while scratching her cheek. However, her eyes stared firmly, her gaze sparkling like sharp steel.

“I want to be like before, without any clues, relying on myself to remember everything!”

Her firm utterance echoed in the surrounding air.

“Relying on myself, huh...”

Yuu was stunned for a moment, then recalled the words Asuna had once said to him during a break (in the game).

—Even if I forget you, no matter how many times, I will remember you.

—I’m waiting for you in the future.

Yuu’s gaze was uncontrollably drawn by her eyes, and two people, similar yet different, slowly merged before him.

Different tenderness, the same firmness—Asuna’s stubbornness always deeply touched Yuu’s heart.

He gently pressed his left chest, silently feeling the bittersweet sensation of being moved or awed surging in his heart.

Asuna didn’t notice his small movement, instead she held her chin and frowned, deep in thought.

“By the way, I feel like I successfully remembered it once in the past. That’s why I’m so obsessed with remembering it myself, and sometimes I accidentally call your name... Was that when I used Heart’s Will? But why can’t I remember...”

“If you can’t remember, don’t force yourself. There’s still plenty of time, you can think about it slowly.”

Exhaling from his lungs, Yuu smiled casually at her.

“Serious topics end here. Since you don’t want to attend the Christmas party, I’ll tell you the information I can say now, which isn’t related to your past memories. Is that okay?”

“Ah, of course. Thank you very much.” Hearing his voice, Asuna, who was thinking, reflexively lowered her head to reply, showing the elegance of a young lady.

However, she soon smiled awkwardly, straightened her back and cleared her throat twice, picking up the remaining latte cup, and returned to her relaxed and cheerful demeanor when facing a friend.

“Alright, I’m ready to listen!”

“In that case, first...” Yuu’s finger tapped the table, and he immediately knew what to tell her.

Silently observing Asuna’s expression, he said the following in a calm tone:

“Based on the facts, until yesterday, I was simultaneously dating Yukino and Yui, and had obtained consent from both their parents... Today, I am simultaneously dating Yukino’s older sister and Yui, but Yui and their mother are unaware of this.”

Sipping her latte, Asuna also nodded calmly.

“Hmm... I see. No wonder I felt something strange about the atmosphere between the two of you. Yukinoshita-san’s expression of liking you was almost written on her face, hearing you say this actually makes sense...”

“WHAT MAKES SENSE?!!!!”

*BANG!*

The cup was slammed onto the table, its sound sharp as his voice suddenly rose.

“Uhm, to prevent me from mishearing just now, I’ll ask again...”

Taking a deep breath, the corners of her lips twitched as if in a spasm, seemingly trying to restrain the shock in her heart and the big question mark. Her beautiful face, which looked half-smiling and half-not, became severely distorted and looked very terrifying.

It seemed to take great effort for Asuna to keep her tone calm. With a somewhat dark face, she confirmed to Yuu word by word:

“Did you just say that yesterday you were simultaneously dating Yukinoshita-san and Yuigahama-san. And today, you’re cheating with Yukinoshita-san’s older sister while still being with Yuigahama-san?”

Yuu couldn’t help but smile while clapping his hands: “Good conclusion! And you even clearly distinguished between simultaneous dating and cheating. That’s the Asuna I know.”

Asuna: “...”

-

Title: Utaha is On Her Way

Meanwhile, in a desolate and lifeless world, filled with ruins.

「It is detected that the Host’s current behavior will cause the failure of the Fifth Task’s completion. The Fifth Task is canceled, the Final Exam begins early.」

Beneath a sky cut into four pieces, a voice suddenly came from a tattered and broken black screen.

Despite being attacked by four Orbs of Light, the system’s electronic voice remained cold and steady, unaffected by any external factors.

The system merely calmly announced the impending changes, as if it were a pre-established fact:

「Full energy utilization, Worldline loading, setting Graduation Conditions—」

「Detected task process change caused by program error, Graduation Conditions raised to highest difficulty level.」

「Set as—Find the System.」

「Before the Final Exam passes, system functions, Orbs of Light, and System Space are sealed.」

The next second.

An invisible wave suddenly swept across the Empty World, gray streaks, like chains, instantly spreading from the screen to every corner of the world.

From this moment on, no matter the boundless sky, or the four unique domains of the Orbs of Light, all colors froze in place, like a black-and-white photograph, with no room for the slightest resistance or struggle.

The desolate world returned to silence, the deadly gray color reverted to its original state.

Only the broken screen emitted a deep black light, as if silently running some high-tech game. The faint sound of overclocking operations could be heard, or as if the whole world was humming, continuously spreading an invisible power to distances unreachable by humans.

「This is, the last.」

Accompanied by a familiar soft voice.

*CRACK!* *CRACK!*

Suddenly, a few more cracks appeared on the screen, streaking across like scars.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

“Ouch!”

In the middle of her nap, the disheveled, voluptuous female ghost suddenly jumped out of bed. Her hand instinctively covered the part of her forehead that had just been hit. Her red, surprised eyes were wide open, and a pair of beautifully shaped white jade orbs gently swayed with her gasping breaths. Her whole self seemed frightened.

“W-Who... What’s wrong?”

The pain in her forehead hadn’t disappeared, so this wasn’t a nightmare or an illusion.

Rather than calming down, she slowly became aware—Utaha gritted her teeth, looking left and right as if searching for the culprit. Her resentful and hateful gaze finally locked onto the notebook lying silently on the blanket.

After a slight shock, her not-so-friendly expression gradually became complicated, and then, as if accepting reality helplessly, she let out a resigned sigh.

“This thing... I clearly locked it in the drawer, how could it fall and hit me?”

Although no one would answer her, the answer could be summarized in one simple sentence—

What humans couldn’t do, didn’t mean the magical notebook couldn’t.

So the problem wasn’t with the principle, but with the reason.

“What’s wrong, do you want to show your existence because you haven’t appeared in a long time?”

Saying this sarcastically, Utaha brushed her messy hair back from her head, picking up the notebook that had been inactive for a long time since she successfully changed fate last time.

Strangely, this thing usually appeared quietly on the table, waiting for her to come to it. Why did it wake her up this time in such a rough way, like falling on her head...

“Wait, don’t tell me?!” A possibility popped into her mind, her previously relaxed expression immediately turning serious. Utaha no longer hesitated, and immediately opened the inner pages of the notebook.

Sure enough, there was horrifying content written on the white paper that made her gasp, open her eyes wide, and unconsciously jump out of bed.

「《The Perfect First Act Ends, the Second Act Grandly Opens!》」

「Editor, you should follow fate’s guidance, slowly steering the story towards the most perfect ending.」

「However, the Mysterious Existence does not allow any accidents to occur on the path It has set. Even if it means ending everything and restarting the next cycle, It stubbornly and foolishly chooses the worst ending!」

「And your task is, before all this begins, to find a way to grasp the lever of changing paths, for the sake of the world you are in and for your own sake, once again reversing the ending back to its original state so that everyone can achieve happiness.」

「Come, begin writing—the Second Act of constructing the perfect ending.」

「《Second Act》」

「Within 15:00 from now, arrive at the specified location (XX District X Chome, Number XX, Chiba City).」

「Seize the opportunity before others, help Tenkuji Yuu who is asleep on the street, and take him home to begin the next act of fate.」

「Reward: Random Author Experience Card, Writing Skill Enhancement, Enlightenment (Status).」

「Failure to rewrite, or being preempted by others, your future will fall into an abyss, never to return, please be cautious.」

「Note: When the Protagonist is asleep, the Notebook of Fate and future paths can be revealed to others, no longer threatened by the cycle of death.」

Content somewhat similar to the last, yet also amazing in an opposite sense—and, still using difficult-to-understand language.

Although Utaha should no longer be surprised, seeing the number 14:50 continuously counting down in the notebook—written in ink, but changing like a digital clock.

Utaha couldn’t help but twist her beautiful face, clutching her head and stamping her foot hysterically.

“Aaaaaah? What the hell is this?! What the hell is this?!”

Why did the second task appear so suddenly?

Why did a junior named Tenkuji Yuu suddenly fall asleep on the street?

And why, if she wasn’t the first to help him, would she immediately fall into an abyss and never return?!

It makes no sense at all! Imi wakannai! (I don’t understand!)

And the most unreasonable thing was the countdown with less than fourteen and a half minutes left!

She bit her thumb nail, anxiously calculating: “That location is roughly near the luxury residential area... From here to there, even if I run as fast as I can, it’ll take ten minutes...”

This was because she deliberately stayed in a hotel near the city for two weeks to focus on writing, so it wasn’t far from the luxury residential area. If it were from her home, it would take at least thirty minutes or more to the specified location in the notebook.

As if her heart was squeezed by tension, Utaha couldn’t help but scream: “Fourteen minutes is too urgent! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!”

She slammed the notebook against the wall in anger, ignoring unnecessary thoughts, kicking her suitcase aside, and preparing to leave.

For the sake of her future and also the seemingly abundant rewards, she had to follow what the notebook said, rush to the specified location as quickly as possible, and then see what other troublesome and unreasonable problems she would have to face!

Slipping off her lace nightgown, she deftly pulled thermal stockings up to her hips, encasing her black thong.

She chose outerwear with good color and comfortable for movement, then tucked her long, lazily maintained hair into a hat.

After putting her phone, wallet, room key, and that damn notebook into her bag, putting on her coat, Utaha rushed out of the hotel room with full enthusiasm and urgency.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

After finishing talking with Asuna, and giving her his home address, letting her come anytime if she changed her mind about attending the party.

Yuu left Star○ck, and walked towards the apartment where Masuzu and Yukino lived.

As he walked from the city center towards the luxury residential area, he lowered his head and began to think: “Hmm, I’d better call Masuzu first... I need to make sure if she still retains memories from the previous time.”

He took out his phone, opened his LINE contacts, and just as he was about to tap Masuzu’s profile picture.

「Congratulations Host, you have met the initial requirements for the Fifth Task.」

“What?”

The soft female voice echoing in his mind made Yuu unconsciously stop his steps, and involuntarily exclaim in surprise.

However, he reacted very quickly. Before anyone could stare at him in confusion, he had already activated the Earless Wall state, and continued to step forward.

At the same time, he asked the system in confusion: “System, I didn’t do anything, and it hasn’t been half a day since I completed the Fourth Task, why did I meet those initial requirements?”

However, the system remained as usual, choosing not to answer his question.

「Now the Final Exam can begin.」

「After the Final Exam is completed, the system’s task will end here. After granting any of the Host’s requests, the system will automatically disappear from this world.」

After listening calmly, Yuu couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows with great interest.

“Wow, there’s such a good thing?”