Yuu 556-560

Title: Go Forth, Ball of Light!

The time was December 25th, 05:59 AM.

As the minute hand slowly moved to the very top, and the hour hand jumped to the very bottom, at the moment they formed a straight line.

An invisible wave swept across the entire world. Changes that humans could not observe were occurring.

In the Yukinoshita family home.

As the female student was sound asleep in bed, suddenly, light shone in the quiet, dark bedroom.

First, it was the leftover materials for making a bracelet stored in a storage box.

Then, it was a notebook locked in a drawer, filled with diary-like content.

Even the computer screen automatically lit up, as if someone was controlling it remotely. Certain data and cloud drives were called up.

Next, the deletion process began.

Because they recorded facts that did not exist in this world, both the notebook and the data would be sent to another Dimension unknown to anyone, after being completely reset.

Not sent to a grave, not immediately expelled, but another Dimension from which they could never return to the real world.

Thus, the notebook became transparent. Beads and nylon threads transformed into specks of light. Documents in folders and cloud drives, as well as remaining search history, disappeared one by one, leaving no trace, giving no opportunity.

It was as if an invisible existence was trying to prove that this time, absolutely no one would be able to recover the memories!

“Don’t...”

The young woman in bed seemed to sense something. Her previously peaceful sleeping face gradually became distorted. She hugged her body due to the cold. Her breathing felt constricted as if she was choking.

“Stop... I don’t want to... I’ve already sworn... I won’t forget again...”

She struggled in a nightmare, fighting unconsciously. Although she couldn’t wake up or realize everything that was happening at this moment.

She was still muttering. Her tiny body under the blanket tensed. Her fingers clutched the bedsheet tightly, like a child holding onto their most precious treasure and refusing to let go. Her fingertips turned white and trembled.

Nevertheless, the changes would not stop for her.

Things that shouldn’t exist in this world, without any external interference, had made the final decision to completely disappear.

However, the next moment—

Completely different from the light symbolizing deletion and forgetting, like the sky after fresh snow melts, a warm ray of sunlight shone through.

Without any warning, a Golden Spherical Ball of Light appeared in the middle of the room, dispelling all shadows, and enveloping its surroundings in a bright and warm domain.

It hovered in the air, silently confronting the computer screen that had suddenly stopped deleting, like a student caught playing on their phone in class. An indescribable awkward atmosphere froze the air.

Just like the wave that swept across the world, the existence called the Ball of Light stood outside the timeline. The phenomena it caused would not be observed by ordinary humans, and it possessed the miraculous power to change the world.

Only the brilliant light it emitted made the female student in bed gradually relax her tensed body, like a green snake hibernating in its nest. The expression of struggle and pain disappeared. Her breathing returned to stable and relieved. She slept soundly.

The clock hands still stopped exactly at 6 AM, and the whole world was silent at this second, as if it would last forever.

Just as the Invisible Force stopped all progress, the Ball of Light did not react actively, only silently ‘staring’ at the semi-transparent notebook and beads, and the computer whose deletion bar had reached eighty percent.

The atmosphere was subtly tense, as if a great battle was about to break out.

Suddenly, as if testing.

Progress reached eighty-one percent.

The Ball of Light immediately shone brightly, like an enraged viper provoked and attacking. It shot a beam of light that seemed real, as if wanting to burn everything blocking its path.

Progress retreated to seventy-nine percent.

The beam of light suddenly stopped, less than a hair’s breadth from the screen, like a knife placed at the throat.

Then, as the progress receded further, the beam of light gradually retracted back into the Ball of Light. Its brightly shining, fierce, and murderous appearance returned to being a gentle and peaceful little sun like before, after all the data files sent to the Other Dimension returned to the cloud drive and desktop.

The Ball of Light slightly changed direction. Although it had no eyes, or what could be called a front, a clearly much thicker light replaced a gaze, looking at the semi-transparent notebook in the drawer.

At this point, there was no longer any need to fight.

The Invisible Force retreated very honestly. All changes were like time rewinding, returning to the initial state where nothing had happened.

The computer did not turn on automatically. The notebook and bracelet remnants did not glow or become transparent. The female student in bed still hugged her blanket and slept soundly, mumbling indistinct dream words.

However, as if meeting the most beautiful thing in her dreams, the corner of her mouth lifted slightly, forming a happy and relieved smile.

And as the light disappeared.

The clock hands began to turn, and a new day arrived.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

The same situation also occurred in two other places.

In the Yuuki family home.

Blue light illuminated the warmly styled bedroom. Thousands of murderous intentions transformed into a meteor shower of light, piercing without hesitation the Light Brown-haired girl in bed.

The light shower passed through the girl, through the bed, through the bedroom floor, but brought no injury or damage.

Only the Invisible Force attempting to envelop her floated to the ground like a punctured balloon, then slowly disappeared.

Soon after, the girl turned over.

In the room with closed curtains, quiet, and dark, she was having a beautiful dream from which she was reluctant to wake.

Luxury Apartment, Tenth Floor.

Summer Night Descended. Starlight transformed into a giant hand, slapping the Invisible Force that wanted to touch the notebook, and made a Roaring Tiger hand gesture with sparkling palms. The gesture opened and closed, with a very clear threatening intent.

The invisible existence, completely powerless against the Ball of Light, had not even completed one percent of its progress, miserably disappeared from the real world.

No one remembered, and no one could realize—that in this less-than-a-second pause, three silent wars occurred, and quickly ended.

The victor was the miracle accumulated from the past to the present.

What was protected was a strong belief that did not want to be lost, striving to expand into possible futures.

In a world where there was nothing.

Although the main subject had disappeared, the domain maintained by the Ball of Light did not weaken at all. The sky was still divided into four different parts.

And when they hung high in the sky again, they found that the newly appeared ‘Snow Ball of Light,’ which did not have enough power to ‘come out,’ had erected a Snow Tower Reaching to the Sky at the intersection point of the four domains.

Although there was no way to show emotions, it could be clearly felt that the ‘Snow Ball of Light’ was venting its dissatisfaction in its heart, seeing its appearance continuously strengthening the intensity of wind and snow, trying to make this snow tower pierce the sky and earth.

After all, what was pressed as the base of this giant ice tower was an old screen representing the system.

Observing the ‘Snow Ball of Light’ cruelly tormenting the system, the three Balls of Light silently communicated for a moment, and seemed to shake their spheres with a slight helplessness.

Then they enthusiastically joined. A colorful and magnificent melee, once again broke out in the boundless and barren world.

Meanwhile, Yuu had just woken up from her sleep, silently experiencing the subtle feeling of welcoming the fifth mission while maintaining her emotions.


-

Title: The Lying Miss Yukinoshita

The time was half-past nine in the morning.

The location was the Sobu High Special Building, Service Club Room.

As winter break had just begun, even students who had to attend extra classes due to excessively poor grades wouldn’t be on campus at this time. The fields, school buildings, and cafeteria were deserted. Only the snow covering various spots adorned this once-bustling prestigious high school.

Along the path from the school gate to the Special Building, Yuu had also specifically confirmed that there was no one else in the school besides the two of them.

In a different scenario, this would be like no one being home and him bringing a female classmate to his room—an opportunity to be alone that would surely make anyone’s heart pound and spark fantasies!

Even without using the status of the “Earless Wall” whatever they did now, no matter how loud they shouted, even if they immediately stripped off their clothes and opened the window to perform the Third National Series of Broadcast Calisthenics for Junior High Students in broad daylight towards the school building opposite, no one would find them.

Of course, since surveillance cameras operated 24 hours a day, they still had to restrain themselves in the corridors... Yuu also wasn’t worried if their sneaking in was caught on surveillance footage, and both would be punished by the school.

As long as they didn’t do immoral or illegal things, and honestly apologized verbally or wrote a letter of remorse, the school would surely take the initiative to give them an out, freeing the two Top-Ranked Students of their batch.

The world is truly like this. If one wants to live more freely, both power and interpersonal relationships are indispensable.

The same logic could be applied now.

Yuu thought that as long as he sincerely said a few kind words to Yukino, he could free himself from having “forcibly embraced” her, and not make an issue of this for the sake of their past.

After all, “A Couple for One Night, a Hundred Days of Affection.” Even if the memory of that night was lost, the feelings mixed during intimacy would surely remain, right?

Yukino wouldn’t really consider him a “Sexual Harasser” would she?

“So, Miss Yukinoshita, could you please put down your phone, and let’s remain rational, sit down, and talk properly?”

Forced to move his chair near the door and sit, Yuu actively released goodwill, hoping to break the current stiff deadlock.

Unfortunately, the girl by the window didn’t appreciate it.

“I have nothing to talk about with you.”

Holding her phone in her hand, as if her eyes would be defiled if she looked at him, Yukino had her back to him, her voice as cold and emotionless as the chilling wind blowing outside the window.

“Don’t worry, I’m thinking whether to call Yuigahama-san first, or call the police first, then tell her after the police arrive.”

“Where is the point that should make me worried?!”

“At least I won’t use personal punishment. Or, do you want to feel the sensation of an ‘Anti-Perpetrator Stun Gun’?”

“As if you could beat me even if you had that thing...”

“Hmm?!” Hearing Yuu’s heartfelt complaint, Yukino couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows, as if she truly wanted to turn around and glare at him, expressing her dissatisfaction at being underestimated.

However, her head was only half-turned; she suppressed the urge and turned it back again.

If she made eye contact with him now, her true intentions would surely be exposed.

(I mustn’t have any thoughts, he’s Yuigahama-san’s boyfriend... Shh, huh...)

Facing the vast white snowy scenery outside the window, Yukino pressed her not-so-constrained chest, and took a few silent deep breaths, trying to control her heartbeat which hadn’t slowed down yet.

She wasn’t interested in stealing her best friend’s boyfriend, nor did she intend to become a third party disturbing their relationship...

So her rapidly beating heart and flushed face right now were all just because Yuu had suddenly hugged her and declared his love, which had shocked her!

Right, she just needed time to calm down. After that, she would resolve the problem of this reckless declaration of love—she absolutely could not forgive him. She had to let Yuigahama punish this jerk Yuu, who dared to act indecently and not guard his mouth towards his girlfriend’s best friend!

As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Yukino closed her eyes, forcing herself to clear her head, and stop thinking inappropriate thoughts.

Then she opened her eyes, saw her reflection in the window, and couldn’t help but bite her lip, clench her fists, and lower her head with an annoyed expression as if on the verge of tears.

(Why do I feel relieved... Suddenly hugged, and suddenly declared love. This should be a disgusting thing, why am I...)

The answer was no longer important.

So many questions were actually just to cover a heart that refused to admit its honesty.

(I’ve gone to great lengths to convince myself not to love him, I’ve almost been able to calmly bless Yuigahama-san... Why did he have to use this kind of joke, lightly shattering my steadfastness!)

If Yukino had more courage, perhaps she would shout at him like this?

Unfortunately, the famous Ice Queen was just a timid person hesitant in the face of love.

Who knows when, Yukino had already harbored feelings for the young man named Tenkuji Yuu.

And as time passed, those feelings turned into love, into familiarity. It gradually deepened with every glance and smile, changing many of her thoughts and habits.

Yukino once thought that she had just found someone she liked, so no matter what happened, she mustn’t let him slip away.

Declaring love didn’t need to be rushed. One day when the atmosphere was right, even if she didn’t say it, she could naturally express her feelings to him.

Then, that kind of leeway was soon shattered by cruel reality.

When she learned that Yuu was dating her only friend, Yukino only remembered that her brain immediately went blank. It was as if her breath and consciousness left her at the same time, and the entire world abandoned her at that moment.

It was an empty feeling where she couldn’t think of anything. It was a loss and sadness she didn’t want to remember.

She could only utter a pale blessing in a hoarse voice. She didn’t even remember how she left the Service Club and how she returned home.

Although she couldn’t cry, the tip of her nose hurt. Every time she thought about it, it felt like a dull knife slicing her heart, but she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

So from that moment on, Yukino hid her deepest feelings, like a doll covered in snow. Until she could completely uproot them from her heart, she had to freeze emotions beyond friendship.

...And this kind of freezing, now looked ridiculous.

With just one hug, it could melt. What was the point of all her steadfastness and patience all this time?

Despite being very angry, despite being very uncomfortable, Yukino still didn’t turn around to question the culprit—Yuu.

She just pretended to look at her phone, desperately trying to regain a composure that could no longer freeze.

After all, all the remaining courage she had was used to slap him when pushing him away...

Otherwise, she would have reacted very badly in his embrace.

However, even if she ignored someone, that someone couldn’t possibly leave her.

Yuu saw her slightly trembling back. He got up from his chair and asked with concern, “Yukino? Are you alright—“

“Who gave you permission to call my name!”

That extraordinarily excited reaction made Yuu freeze in place, his mouth slightly agape in surprise.

A few moments later, he let out a soft, sad sigh, put one hand in his pocket, and looked at the sky at a 45-degree angle.

“Do you... hate me that much?”

“...It used to be decent. Now, I intensely hate you.”

Yukino didn’t turn around, so of course she didn’t see Yuu’s feigned behavior.

Yukino took a deep breath, clenched her hands on the skirt above her knees, and forcibly pressed her voice into coldness, saying without emotion:

“Tenkuji-kun, you’ve disappointed me greatly.”

“You already have a girlfriend, yet you still disregard my feelings and Yuigahama-san’s, and make a joke that is no different from sexual harassment... Didn’t you think about our reactions before doing that?”

She shook her head: “No, you, who are the top of the class, must have thought about it. Even so, you still did it... Although I don’t know the reason, but congratulations, this bad action of yours has successfully overthrown my past judgment of you.”

“If a perfect score is ten, now your score is minus a hundred.”

Words streamed out, unknowingly firing bullets of hatred, as if wanting to completely deny the wavering and doubt in her heart, and from then on position herself as his enemy.

After those words fell, Yukino bit her lip hard. The pain spreading under her teeth finally brought her mind back to normal from the chaos, but it was also accompanied by an unstoppable sense of loss.

(I’ve said this, he’ll definitely retort with sarcasm like before...)

She thought sadly.

However, she heard Yuu suddenly laugh. After a relieved sigh, he said with inexplicable joy:

“Of course, even if you don’t remember anything, you must still love me... Waiting for me, who loves you, to come look for you.”

“Huh? W-what do you mean?”

Confused, Yukino unconsciously turned her head.

“I mean, it was all a lie.”

Yuu raised one finger, placed it at the corner of his widely smiling lips, and winked at her while laughing.

“How terrible, you weren’t a liar before, Yukino.”

Yukino: “...”

-

Title: The Snowy City Will Finally Welcome Clear Skies

“Don’t joke...”

Instinctively, Yukino used this phrase once again to cover her feelings of not knowing what to do.

Seeing his narrowed eyes while smiling, Yukino suddenly fell into confusion, with an inexplicable anxiety encircling her chest.

How serious Yuu’s words, smile, and gaze were—at this moment, she truly couldn’t distinguish them.

In the past, whether he was lying or joking, based on her understanding of Yuu and some indescribable familiarity, she could always discern the various hidden emotions in his words and actions...

But why, now she couldn’t do it?

...The only possibility was that since the sentence “I love you” was spoken, every word from him was sincere, honest, and consistent, as if he truly believed it from the bottom of his heart.

Because it was too real, Yukino, who had already assumed Yuu was joking, ended up like searching for the impossible, unable to find what she thought would appear.

(...But, this is impossible.)

Yukino kept asking herself in her heart.

Rather than saying it’s impossible, it was more accurate to say she didn’t want to admit it.

She didn’t want to admit that after realizing something, she felt extremely shocked, and unconsciously felt happy—such emotions were clearly not ones Yukino should have.

Unconsciously, she lowered her gaze, gently bit her lip, and no longer dared to meet Yuu’s eyes.

If in this world there really was a girl whose best friend’s boyfriend confessed his love to her, not only feeling not the slightest bit disturbed, but even so happy that she wanted to accept it on the spot...

Then there must be a certain part of her heart that was already broken.

“I’m not joking.”

Nevertheless, Yuu by the door still hadn’t empathized with her inner turmoil, and continued speaking to himself: “Besides, there’s no one around, so I’ll be frank—Yukino, about a month ago, I fell in love with you.”

“...”

Yukino’s expression showed no waves. She remained silent.

(Then why are you dating Yuigahama-san?)

(Why are you betraying her, betraying my trust in you, and doing such jerk-like things?)

“I also know you love me, though it’s a bit weird for me to say this myself, as if I’m becoming as narcissistic as you...” Yuu let out a small, desperate laugh, and said in a sincere and gentle tone, “But no matter how you deny it, I can tell when you’re lying. So let’s be honest with each other, sit down and talk properly? Besides, there are some things I want to explain to you as soon as possible.”

“...”

Emotions more unpleasant than annoyance surged in her heart.

Yukino didn’t look at his expression, because she feared that if she looked up, her fragile composure would shatter completely.

(Yeah, you say you know I love you.)

(Then how could you not know why I’m saying lies that I don’t even believe myself?)

(Where does your confidence and thick skin come from, that you can stand in front of a girl you suddenly hugged, suddenly confessed to, suddenly exposed her feelings to, and now she has no idea what to do, while smiling and saying those words?)

A barrage of questions and taunts directed at Yuu rushed to her throat. Yukino furrowed her brows tightly, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, only then able to suppress everything along with the nausea.

Incomprehensible—this was the first time she felt such emotions toward Yuu... The Yuu she knew shouldn’t be like this.

There must be something wrong with this world, right?

His change was too sudden, making Yukino suddenly feel like she was still in a nightmare and hadn’t woken up.

Right, a nightmare.

Being confessed to by the person she liked was, for Yukino who didn’t want to betray her best friend, nothing less than a nightmare.

“I’ll say it again, I have nothing to talk about with you.”

Yukino packed the books on the table into her bag, picked up her things, and hid her expression behind her dangling strands of hair.

She lowered her head, walked toward the door as if fleeing, her voice cold, restrained, and suppressed: “Whether you’re joking or not, whether I really love you or not... For the sake of the three of us, for Yuigahama-san’s sake, just pretend nothing happened.”

“If not, I’ll start hating you.”

A familiar scent lifted a fragrant breeze, passing by him, and without stopping, she opened the iron door and quickly stepped out of the club room.

As for Yuu by the door, he just sat stunned in his chair, watching her footsteps that seemed a bit hurried as they moved away. His half-raised hand ultimately failed to grab her arm.

It wasn’t because he didn’t want to stop her, or deliberately not explaining for the sake of plot conflict, insisting on waiting until something else happened before speaking like a normal person.

As they passed each other, Yukino briefly made eye contact with him.

Her slightly parted pink lips wanted to say something, but she quickly closed them again.

Her moist eyes, filled with complex emotions, stared deeply at him, as if they could speak, silently revealing her current thoughts:

Give me time to calm down alone. If you dare to stop me, prepare to end our friendship.

That gaze was too firm, leaving no room at all.

Only after Yukino stepped away from the Service Club did Yuu snap out of his daze, and slowly realize what had actually happened.

He couldn’t help but slap his forehead hard, letting out a painful groan of regret:

“Am I an idiot! Why was I in such a hurry...”

In a hurry for Yukino to recover her memories, in a hurry to prove that he still loved her, in a hurry for the two of them to return to yesterday’s intimate togetherness, in a hurry to fulfill the vows and promises that had been made—this was the unconscious thought that filled Yuu’s mind after seeing her figure on the news broadcast.

He had only thought about himself, completely failing to consider how confused and panicked Yukino, whose memories had been reset, would be facing this situation.

It was true, he loved her, even if the world had changed, that remained the same.

Perhaps before the two of them dated, these feelings had already quietly sprouted in his heart—but then what?

For Yukino right now, Yuu was a jerk trying to two-time and exploit these feelings, while dating her best friend.

That’s why she called him a jerk, and that’s why she was so angry.

This fondness wasn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card. Her sense of justice and morality also wouldn’t allow her to steal someone else’s lover and engage in secret affairs—coincidentally, Yuu came straight with a hug and confession, which made Yukino unable to calm down and think clearly at all, let alone hold back to listen to Yuu’s further explanations.

Because even though she loved Yuu deeply, she absolutely couldn’t accept a confession from her best friend’s boyfriend.

At this moment, Yukino’s action of leaving alone to calm her mind actually proved that in this regard, she was far more mature than Yuu, and didn’t act on impulse.

Like a boxer who had been punched multiple times in the ring, Yuu held his head and thought for a long time, only then did his breathing gradually calm down.

“First, I need to figure out how far the system has twisted what happened in the past... Then, I need to talk to Yui about the mission and the boyfriend thing. I don’t know how much she remembers...”

Lifting his head, confidence and calmness returned to his face.

Making perfect and efficient plans from the start should be the thing he was most skilled at and most accustomed to.

After completely clearing his mind, Yuu already knew what he had to do next.

Only after sorting things out with Yuigahama could he start approaching Yukino, his ex-girlfriend, with the help of his current girlfriend—otherwise, Yukino would always be burdened by guilt toward her best friend, and would only unconsciously reject everything related to him.

Next, he also needed to quickly find time to meet with the other three girlfriends.

If they still remembered things from the last mission, or if Haruno’s recovered memories were no longer erased by the system, then convincing Yukino to accept the current situation would be much easier than him desperately begging for trust alone.

After that, there would surely be many difficulties blocking Yuu, preventing him from easily reconciling with all his girlfriends and living a happy life enjoying the bliss of multiple women, right?

Not to mention the still-unknown fifth mission, and the damn system, the source of all evil, that could cause trouble at any time...

This was a difficult and long road, with the end still not in sight, and many thorns blocking the way in the middle.

Thinking about it, giving up on the past like the three times before would there was no need to create problems for himself like this—

“Too bad, I’ve already promised her.”

Yuu clapped his hands casually, stood up, placed the chair back beside the long table, looked at the morning sun shining from outside the window, and smiled apologetically toward her seat.

“Restoring the problem called girlfriend—that’s my goal right now... No matter how difficult, I up.”

Like one day, the cloudy sky would finally clear.

Like one day, the Snowy City Would Finally Welcome Clear Skies.

A spring where no one leaves, and everyone can bloom with satisfied smiles.

Yuu turned and stepped forward, as if walking toward such a future.

The lights dimmed, and the footsteps in the corridor grew farther away.

This winter, the Service Club was empty once more.

-

Title: Haruno Once Said

Considering it was only 9 AM, Yuu didn’t immediately visit the Yuigahama Residence, but instead stopped by a supermarket near his home on his way back to buy groceries.

The shopping street was mostly cleared of snow by now. The ice crystals hanging from dry tree branches and eaves were no longer bothersome, and along with the streetlights, they adorned a scene that should have been for a white Christmas. Surely by night, all of Tokyo would once again be dreamily beautiful, filled with a romantic atmosphere rarely seen on ordinary days.

Then, on last Christmas Eve, if he wasn’t with Yukino, how did he spend it?

Pondering this question, Yuu passed a small park, and was drawn by cheerful shouts emanating from within.

He could see several petite girls with different hair colors playing a snowball fight, perhaps around eleven or twelve years old? Their small gloved hands clutched snowballs. They threw them at their opponents without much force, laughing heartily as they dodged scattered snow, their slender, tiny yet energetic bodies running and jumping on the snow.

Such a beautiful everyday scene, just by watching from afar, Yuu felt an inexplicable sense of healing. A joyful smile unconsciously appeared on his face—of course, to avoid being considered a perverted pedophile, before smiling, he had used Existence Adjustment to lower his level of presence.

After overtly watching from the side for two or three minutes, Yuu finally walked away content. The elementary school girls were still merrily playing a snowball fight, and he hadn’t bothered any pedestrians or patrolling police.

At the same time, he also recalled his encounter with this group of little girls.

“How nostalgic... Back then, to try out my throwing skills, I even deliberately took an elementary schooler’s basketball to throw...”

Like an old general reminiscing his past on the battlefield, Yuu sighed, shaking his head sadly.

Yet, he hadn’t actually “taken” the ball. It had merely rolled to his feet by chance, and he used it to show off in front of those little girls.

In the past, a 20-meter free throw that required full concentration to make, for him now, he could sink it with just a header—and his Expert-level Throwing skill from back then had now been synthesized to the highest perfect level. Whatever he threw, and however he threw it, it would surely hit the target.

From summer vacation to winter vacation, in less than half a year, those little girls were still just as spirited and cute, not much had changed.

However, Yuu himself was as if he had walked into the Spiritual Time Chamber. Both physically and mentally, he was vastly different from his former self, who was a Part-Time Worker, an Emotionless Task Machine, a Completely Unbeatable Virgin Siscon, and lived only for his sister.

He probably never expected that he would meet such important people, finding more reasons to strive for life in this world.

He probably never expected that he, whose heart and actions were righteous, would choose to race down a clearly wrong path, solely for the girls he dated for dozens of days.

He probably never expected that he, who lacked neither money nor ability, and had no worries about the future, would be troubled every day by many trivial matters concerning girls, even tasting forbidden fruit with other women before Sora grew up.

Regardless of whether he had ever thought about it, Yuu couldn’t help but ask himself now—

Did he miss the pure and ordinary days of the past? Did he want to continue a restarted life without the system?

The answer was unequivocally no.

From the first task to the current fifth task, Yuu could face every timeline calmly. Every step he took was his choice—except for the day he was saved by Yukino, when his weaker self yielded the choice to her, and it took him a long time to truly rise.

But the person who made the final decision was always him. Yuu had once regretted, thinking he could have done better, but he never regretted his choice at that time.

Including retrieving emotions, with his fragile and stubborn mentality at the time, he might not have been able to do it after breaking up with Asuna, and would have been tormented by guilt.

Right or wrong, the current story was the one Yuu himself had lived through. Therefore, not looking back and continuing forward was inevitable—if this story didn’t limit itself to one heroine, and ended with a happy harem ending, that would be even better.

...Ahem, don’t misunderstand, one man and many women here means everyone watching fireworks together, going to the beach together, and so on, there’s no other meaning.

“Haaah, time flies so fast, in the blink of an eye oceans turn into mulberry fields, and people have already changed~”

Ignoring those chaotic thoughts, with both hands in his pockets and a relaxed smile.

Yuu ambled away from the front of the park, stepping onto the gray street drenched by snow, heading toward the supermarket closest to home.

Midway, he passed an old red brick wall covered in graffiti.

Yuu still remembered, that was where the two of them usually caught a ride. Haruno would typically pick him up and drive him back in the evening.

Such a scene he hadn’t experienced for months—it even only appeared as a faint memory, leaving behind only longing when recalled, like a rootless water hyacinth.

“I hope Haruno’s memories are still there...”

Seeing another unfamiliar white sports car parked in front of the red brick wall, Yuu could only sigh softly, with an indescribable complex feeling rising in his heart, mostly the bitterness of guilt.

Although having such thoughts now was actually just as bad as a green tea girl who had had her fill of playing around, and hoped her backup boy still loved her...

“Jerk” was just one word, and he wouldn’t say it twice.

His way of thinking about liking someone was completely different now for Yuu—just like when he recalled the past now, he truly wanted to punch his past self who had unhesitatingly hurt Haruno.

Even though there were reasons for doing so, he had never lied to Haruno. All his words and actions were the most authentic and truthful reactions at that time.

That still couldn’t erase the fact that he made his girlfriend cry.

That woman had pursued him from the past until now, not even hesitating to break the system’s boundaries, recover her memories, and wanting to restore him.

However, Yuu used the excuse that his former feelings were gone, stood from a victim’s perspective, avoided her, rejected her, and distanced himself. He betrayed feelings softer than the winter sun, letting her tears, her determination to fight her younger sister for him, and the bracelet she made for him, all go to waste.

Was there anything more outrageous than this in the world?

...There was.

It was after all that, somehow his feelings returned, and he still hoped that woman could retain her memories, and become one of his harem members.

Thinking this, Yuu couldn’t help but hug his head, and immediately began to self-blame, muttering in a gloomy tone:

“Ah, I’m such a jerk. Why am I such a jerk? I’d be better off dead, why ruin those girls’ lives...”

His self-hatred polluted his surroundings like exhaust fumes from an old bus.

However, it didn’t last long. Yuu regained his spirits, and stepped into the supermarket with a calm expression.

He pulled a shopping cart and walked toward the meat section, leaving not the slightest trace of the person who had been squatting on the ground and hating himself moments ago.

After all, first, he was thick-skinned.

Second, Haruno once said, only they could deny it. The only thing he had to do was to stand before them responsibly, let them remember everything, and then let them mete out punishment as they wished.

So this path Yuu had to take was not only a bright path that allowed everyone to be happy, but also a path of redemption for those he had hurt.

No matter how much criticism he would receive, no matter how many times he had to hear the words “jerk” or “disgusting” Yuu could not possibly stop now.

This wasn’t self-pity, but a responsibility he had to bear.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Carrying two plastic bags in his hands, after buying enough groceries for five days for the siblings, Yuu left the supermarket, preparing to go home.

His steps were light. However, turning a corner, he stopped slightly stiffly as soon as he saw his house door.

At the same time, as if telepathy stimulated her nerves, the suspicious woman looking left and right in front of Yuu’s house suddenly turned around.

Both faced each other directly across the distant street.

“Why...”

Caught off guard, his eyes went blank. Yuu muttered unconsciously.

He saw the fashionable, mature, and beautiful young woman in the distance. After being stunned for a moment, she slowly narrowed her gentle and charming eyes, as if saying proudly, “I caught you~”

The corners of her soft and full lips also gradually pulled into a bloodthirsty and cold smile. The focus of her eyes locked onto Yuu’s neck and vital points, repeatedly scrutinizing him like a venomous snake, as if she wanted to try something immediately.

Why was this happening?

In her gaze, for no apparent reason, Yuu felt the fear of a great catastrophe about to befall him.

“Why is Haruno here?”

The young man who had just been contemplating atonement couldn’t help but tremble. A chill ran from his backside to the top of his head, warning him that he should run now.

...But now, it seemed too late to regret.

-

Title: Then the Snow Melts, Sunlight Returns to the Streets

“Is this just my feeling? It seems like you’re showing an expression of wanting to escape when you see me.”

After Yuu walked up to his front door with a Tragic and Serious Expression, like a general about to fight in a battle to the death, Haruno immediately greeted him with a sentence like that.

Her face showed a friendly and amiable smile, but deep in her eyes, it felt cold—that was the Fake Smile she mastered the most.

“Why would I need to escape if I’m fine? Rather, you suddenly came looking for me—what’s the matter?”

Yuu spoke as if nothing had happened, while gesturing for her to move away from the door, because he wanted to take out his key to open the front door.

Haruno obediently stepped back, leaning against the wall beside it. Her eyes, Full of Hidden Meaning, observed his expression.

“Yes, I also want to know what I’ve done to make you want to escape... Tenkuji-kun.”

Yuu’s hand, turning the key, paused slightly.

Of course, from the first sentence of their meeting, the two were already Testing Each Other.

He thought it would take a few more sentences before Haruno started Probing for Weaknesses from the greeting. For that, he deliberately spoke ambiguously, trying to control the rhythm... He didn’t expect Haruno to be so impatient, immediately throwing out bait.

(This isn’t her usual habit.)

(Is it because her last memories are still preserved, so she’s impatient to take the initiative?)

(Or has she returned to the period before her memories recovered, and is once again relying on intuition and the strangeness in her memories to pretend to be Extremely Relaxed and Confident in order to get clues?)

Yuu slightly tilted his head, observing the meaningful smile on the college student’s face.

Neither his perfect-level acting ability nor Lie Detection could help him guess what was on Haruno’s mind right now.

Yes, only she gave him this feeling—despite knowing each other so well, they could still maintain mystery in front of their opponent, Stubbornly Speaking in Riddles until the end.

Thinking of this, Yuu couldn’t help but turn his head away, laughing silently with his back to her.

...That feeling had returned, that familiar feeling had also returned, far more enjoyable than the meeting he had imagined.

As for why they didn’t directly talk about the things they cared about, but used this awkward and troublesome way to Test Each Other’s information, like a Secret Agent Meeting...

How to put it, a habit?

Every couple has different ways of interacting. The way he and Haruno were like this. Situations of mutual honesty were far rarer—after all, they could understand the true meaning behind the opponent’s words. Just like some clothes that look better when worn than taken off, there was no need to force the removal of all disguises.

So now, Yuu also used the tone of speech from the past. He stopped his laughter, pretended to be profound, and said:

“Well... It’s hard to say. Rather than saying you did something that scares me, it’s better to say I did many things I don’t dare to face... So, when I meet you without mental preparation, I unconsciously want to escape.”

Haruno said with slight surprise: “Oh? What did you do that you don’t dare to face? Why don’t I remember?”

“Don’t remember? That’s good. It’s enough for me to remember those things.”

Yuu opened his house door, while saying to himself: “You might feel strange, even think I’m raving... But I’ve decided. Even if this can’t even be called redemption, I want to get back the you from before, get back our past, and stop escaping from the beauty we once experienced.”

“What are you talking about? Are you hallucinating? Why don’t I understand a single word?”

“Yeah, think of it that way...” Lifting his foot to enter the entrance, Yuu took a light breath and exhaled it with a bit of heaviness.

He knew Haruno was still staring at him from behind, and he could imagine her complex expression right now.

Just like when he first met Haruno who had recovered her memories, not only surprised by the current situation, but also confused about what to do and say to face this sudden situation.

Yuu also had no intention of revealing everything now. He wanted to find the right time—the right time when he could sit and Have a Long Discussion with Haruno, resolving all the clear and unclear things at once.

Winter vacation was still long, life was still long. Not just for these two Yukinoshita sisters, he would get back all the feelings and memories, and from now on, he wouldn’t disappoint anyone again.

“So, Haruno—“

Yuu half-turned, his voice just coming out.

A soft collision suddenly touched his back, which he received steadily.

Followed by white arms wrapping around his chest, as if wanting to crush him in her embrace, Haruno used all her strength until she trembled slightly.

A familiar scent pierced his nose from behind. His jacket, cold from the wind, in an instant began to warm.

After being stunned for a moment, Yuu slowly stopped all his movements.

He stood in place, letting Haruno continue to apply strength with her hands on his stomach, as if venting all her emotions, trying to merge their hair and even their bones, so they could never be separated.

After an unknown amount of time, Haruno finally spoke softly in a hoarse, choked, and tired voice:

“Right... you’re back.”

Yuu gently patted Haruno’s hand wrapped around his stomach, without much surprise, just lowering his head and laughing: “Yeah, I’m back.”

“When? The Cultural Festival?”

“More or less. I always dreamed of things that happened during summer vacation. When I realized it, I found there was one more person in my heart... Did you secretly cast a spell on me?”

“What nonsense, if I could do magic like that, you would have already been whining and crawling to me calling me Lady Haruno. Why would I have to come find you myself?”

Haruno sneered in a mocking tone, then spoiled her voice like a child, correcting with great dissatisfaction: “Besides, it’s not one more person in the heart, but she was already there, you just made her disappear!”

“Sorry, I misspoke.”

Afraid of being questioned on this, Yuu quickly changed the topic: “What’s with your memories? Did they not change because of the world reset, or did you use some method to preserve them?”

Haruno didn’t answer immediately, but murmured in a suddenly calm tone:

“The world was reset...? That means Yukino-chan successfully completed the Ideal Boyfriend task yesterday? That’s really impressive... But, the Yukino-chan now...”

Being so close, Yuu could of course hear her murmur, so he explained:

“The her now is the same as you two before. In a state where her memories have been modified, everything related to dating me is completely forgotten, and her cognition is very different from us who have memories.”

Haruno nodded. Her head gently rubbed against his back. There wasn’t much surprise in her tone: “Although there are still many things I want to ask you, but in broad strokes, I understand. The wheel turns. What I felt before is what Yukino-chan feels now.”

“Er... There’s still a slight difference...”

“Hmm~ A difference, huh~”

Although Yuu had tried to tilt his head back, he wasn’t an owl, so of course he couldn’t see Haruno’s expression behind him.

But for some reason, he felt Haruno as if slowly drawing a Wicked Fake Smile full of malice, like a great villain planning an evil scheme, which made him shiver for some reason, and a bad premonition arose in his heart.

However, before he could say anything, his waist was suddenly poked twice by her neatly manicured nails. Haruno’s warm voice, slightly laughing, crawled over his neck, whispering softly in his ear:

“Well, in any case, the two of us have returned to the past. All the remaining touching feelings, things I want to say, and complaints I want to voice, let’s save them for another time when we’re alone and the bedroom door is closed, then we’ll talk about it slowly~”

“It’s surprising, you can hold back...” Yuu unconsciously sighed.

As soon as those words came out, there was a sound of stifled laughter from her.

“Pffft... It’s not me who can hold back, but I know how to empathize with my boyfriend, you know.”

The two elastic and warm things pressed against his back vibrated twice as Haruno held back her laughter. Then, the soft white hand wrapped around his chest suddenly moved up, cupping his cheek.

“Come on, Yuu-chan, look over there, yup~”

“What?”

Asking with a confused face, following the strength of her hand, Yuu looked toward the stairs.

“...”

There, stood a girl with a Ghostly Face, white hair fluttering and a terrifying expression.

She opened wide her emotionless eyes. Her slender arm lifted mechanically like a String Puppet, then she placed her thumb across her graceful Swan-like neck, and slowly drew a horizontal line toward her older brother.

Anyone who saw it would understand, it clearly meant, “You’re done for.”

“Sora... Um, hear my explanation...”

The words Yuu uttered reflexively made the atmosphere even more tense and terrifying.

In front of the entrance in this Tense Situation, only one person couldn’t hold back the trembling at the corner of her lips, and then released explosive laughter from overflowing joy.

“Puh ha ha ha ha, sorry, sorry~ I really didn’t expect it to turn out like this before hugging you. I really didn’t mean to harm you, Yuu-chan~”

Behind the frozen Yuu, Haruno couldn’t help but slap his back hard, laughing uproariously without caring about her image, Delighted at Others’ Misfortune.

Her laughter was crisp and cheerful, as if wanting to spread to the neighbors’ ears on the street, as if wanting to pierce the snow-buried ground, as if wanting to reach the high sky after the fresh snow melted.

She laughed heedlessly of others, as if wanting to laugh out all the air in her lungs.

Because she was facing away from Yuu, no one could see Haruno’s expression.

She smiled brightly, looking at the bright scenery above with slowly drifting white clouds, and couldn’t hold back the feeling—it had been so long since she laughed this joyfully. The corners of her lips and cheeks felt a little sore.

Rubbing her cheek, Haruno wiped away the tears at the corner of her eye. She pursed her slightly dry lips, and slowly relaxed her body.

And placed all the accumulated burdens from the past until now, onto his back.

(I know, my tragedy won’t continue.)

Yuu thought while sighing in relief. Haruno slowly closed her eyes, sinking into the back-to-back warmth, heart-to-heart.

(Although it feels like I didn’t do anything, her feelings somehow returned mysteriously... But, whatever. As long as it’s to my advantage, that’s enough. The rest, I’ll figure out later.)

(By the way, how long has it been since I felt this Sense of Security that Changed from Fake to Real?)

(It seems like just a few months, but it feels like years.)

(Truly...)

(From summer to winter, I still love him!)

“Hmph hmph~”

The corners of her lips couldn’t help but lift again. Haruno took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh and beautiful air into her lungs, and smiled silently at the sunlit street after the snow melted:

“To endure until now, truly amazing!”

“Welcome back, Yuu-chan.”