Yuu 361-366

Title: Can Mistakes That Keep Piling Up Lead to a True Ending?

The things not specifically mentioned in the previous text were unimportant to Yuu.

For example, Immunity to Baldness ensured he’d have thick hair his whole life, so he didn’t need to fear going bald despite being a programmer.

Vampire Slayer and JoJo Knowledge King were just jokes. The former gave him a special attack against vampires, so he no longer had to fear strange uncles in tight bodysuits wanting to eat him like bread. Unfortunately, he’d never encountered such creatures in either of his lives, so it was completely useless, just like the oversized strategy T-shirt he got from a transaction.

The latter made him intimately familiar with every detail and plot point of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. If it appeared in the work, he could answer any question, even the height and weight of characters.

“Araki-sensei doesn’t know JoJo like I do.”

As for the cash reward and various skills, they were far richer than those from previous task completions. Tangible and intangible wealth kept piling up. Unknowingly, Yuu was already standing on a platform higher than anyone else.

As time passed, he might be able to do something grand with these resources. Privately backing a puppet prime minister wasn’t even out of the question.

But right now, Yuu had no time to think about the future. He wasn’t even really listening to the system’s voice.

He just sat quietly in place, his head resting on his knees, letting the inhuman electronic voice announce the results.

[Time spent: Fifty days.]

[Settlement completed.]

[Congratulations to the Host. You have obtained the reward: Night Light Orb.]

[Next objective—no clues provided. Please wait patiently.]

After those words, the entire world fell silent for a moment.

Then, a rustling sound. The TV screen began flickering with black-and-white static. The scenery of Sobu High suddenly appeared. The camera zoomed in quickly, starting to play an animation starring him and the girl.

The heroine of the third arc was a beautiful silver-haired transfer student.

She seemed perfect and cold, shining like a gem, but she was a villain who would seize a boy’s secrets and use them to threaten him…

The story began when she was rejected by that boy behind the school building.

Unconsciously, Yuu lifted his eyes, watching expressionlessly as they walked to the Service Club, went home together after school, and headed to school together the next morning.

The TV wasn’t far from him. The cold electronic light reflected the slight downturn of his lips. There was no ripple in his dark eyes.

The light and rain had fallen on his eyelashes countless times, turning into soft star-like glows trying to illuminate his eyes, but always in vain.

Time felt fast yet slow, as if it spanned all fifty days.

For Yuu, this animation, which couldn’t even compare to a fairy tale, finally reached its end.

The image froze on their gazes. The bright smile of the boy who once had no feelings for her contrasted with the tear-filled, confused eyes of the girl who hated love.

They looked at each other from so close, yet it was as if the Milky Way separated them.

If you only looked at the ending, it was undoubtedly a tragedy.

But…

“You know how it ends, yet you can still smile happily. You’re such an idiot.”

Yuu muttered, releasing all the strength in his body and falling back.

His arm covered his eyes. Facing the silent world, the corner of his lips curled in a mocking tone. He began talking to himself.

“Being the perfect boyfriend was fun. Enjoying the feeling of falling in love was fun. Yeah. The more fun it is, the harder it is to let go. Why don’t you get that?”

The voice reached his ears. A sigh-like response echoed in his heart.

—I’m just pretending to be an idiot. Because I can’t do anything about it. The result will naturally be like this.

“Can’t do anything? Don’t fool yourself with random excuses like that. You just love her relying on you, and you love the satisfaction of changing her. No matter how many times you go through it, experiences like this are still addictive. It’s like playing a dating game. Right.”

—If it were that simple, it’d be better. If I could do it, why would I let the system take my feelings? Wouldn’t it be better to save the data and keep playing?

“That’s because you’re too weak. Who doesn’t have three or four girlfriends at this age? No matter how many pretty words you said before, in the end, you’re still a loser afraid of getting hurt!”

—What do you know! That’s called being sensitive. Is being strong just playing with women everywhere without changing your expression? If you want to be trash like that, do it yourself. I have my own principles. It’s fine being a loser.

“…”

Yuu slowly clenched his fist. He bit his lip unconsciously. His jaw trembled slightly.

“Principles? After losing, you hide in a corner where no one can see you and wallow in sadness. That’s your principle? That’s hilarious!”

—Who hasn’t had their heart broken? Next time, and the time after that…

He comforted himself, gently and carefully, like soothing a small child.

—No matter how deep my feelings are, the system can easily take them. I can still face the next task with a smile, until it’s all over.

Suddenly, he unclenched his fist. Yuu couldn’t help but laugh.

“So, you can’t smile alone?”

—“…”

“So, when will you become strong enough to hear them say, It was nice meeting you, and feel nothing no matter how many times?”

The question in his heart could also be answered from within.

Because only he knew that even the most cowardly, weakest, most ridiculous voice could be expressed.

—Then what? I’ve never denied my weakness. But after going through so much, can’t I become stronger?

—The changes they gave me, the growth they brought, the courage they instilled—it’s not for nothing. It won’t vanish when the memories do—can’t I grow into a strong, confident hero?!

Yuu would never stay still… No matter how many times he lost, he’d never retreat.

From the past to now, and even into the future.

After all, he’d only acknowledge the version of himself like this.

“…Yeah.”

The light and rain illuminated his face again.

Facing the sky, Yuu lowered his arm. He parted his pale lips, took a deep breath, and gradually lifted the corners of his mouth. He smiled as usual.

“Because you’re Kasugano Sora’s big brother. You have to be the big tree she can rely on forever. You’re Tenkuji Yuu.”

“You made the twisted Haruno stop obsessing over lies. You made the weak Asuna swing the sword of courage. You made the fanatical Masuzu believe in love.”

“You’re not the chosen one, so the system has to take your feelings… But the rest, you can face with a smile and accept with a smile.”

“Because you promised them. Because you believe you won’t break your promise.”

His eyes grew brighter, as if finding a glimmer of hope behind the clouds.

The gloom and sadness from before vanished instantly. Yuu stood from the ground, looking at the black-and-white system screen with an excited expression.

The screen reflected the current him—without anyone’s comfort, his strength was enough to make him rise on his own.

After looking, Yuu unconsciously turned his face away. He rubbed his cheek and said casually:

“System, continue the settlement.”

Whether the system was kindly waiting for him to finish talking to himself, after his words, it resumed the settlement process.

[Timeline saved—]

He looked up at the two light orbs. His eyes squinted slightly, as if dazzled.

The third light orb would likely appear after he left. He didn’t know what kind of scene it would create.

Though, no matter how many light orbs there were, in this empty world, he could only talk to himself.

…In a place where there was no one to deceive, he could only deceive himself.

As long as he didn’t expose the lie, one day, such a lie could become reality.

So, this third parting had no avoidance, no relief, no hope, and no sadness.

Yuu only chose to lie to himself. He didn’t let his steps stop. He kept moving forward, toward a finish line that was getting closer.

After all, one day, he’d become truly strong…

Yes, just like those he’d saved.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

[Timeline saved.]

[Task execution period: September 22 to November 11.]

[All connections with the target during this period will be reclaimed by the system. The remaining development path will be adjusted reasonably, so the outcomes remain unchanged, and no relevant memories will remain, except for the Host.]

[After restoration is complete, the system will automatically return the Host to the real world.]

[Confirming the release of the Host’s romantic emotions toward the target. This will be executed upon returning to the real world.]

[World timeline restored. World repair program completed… Repair halted.]

[Detected Status: Injury Time. Would you like to activate it?]

Yuu snapped out of his reverie. He squinted at the system screen with a disdainful expression.

“I’m asking, even if I use Injury Time, can you guarantee there won’t be bugs like the comb or the ring?”

[The system will do its best to eliminate significant impacts from the previous timeline and erase all traces with major connections to the Host.]

“Do its best? So, no absolute guarantee? What if it happens? You want me to complete the task again?”

[The system will do its best…]

Damn it. This thing’s repeating itself because it can’t answer!

This shameless tactic—it must’ve learned it from customer service on some website!

“Fine, you dog system…” Yuu angrily kicked the screen twice, managing not to damage it. “Then forget it! It’s just troublesome. Only an idiot would use it!”

Besides, with Masuzu’s outwardly strong but inwardly fragile personality, if she realized during Injury Time that she’d just been in a relationship, forced to part, and those parting words were her last, she might not stay as calm as Asuna did. She could mentally collapse, let alone resolve her regrets.

Anyway, problems would still arise if used. Only a fool would seek extra trouble. Yuu would rather bet on luck and trust that Masuzu, like Haruno, wouldn’t remember anything.

Plus, Yuu was willing to give a bit of trust to the dog system regarding memory alteration.

[Confirmed. Initiating separation program.]

A stone door rose from the ground. Everything felt so familiar.

The light and rain fell on his shoulders, as if reluctantly saying goodbye, but leaving no trace.

“I remember last time I left, I threatened you, dog system…”

With mixed feelings different from before, Yuu clenched his fist, slowly exhaled, and walked toward the stone door with a calm expression.

“But this time, forget it.”

“See you after the fourth task is done. I’ll definitely greet you with a smile.”

Yuu pushed the door. Before stepping in, he instinctively patted his pocket.

No amusement park tickets, no misfortune talisman.

He didn’t bring them here.

He shrugged, then pushed the issue from his mind. He walked with his head held high, letting the strong white light swallow him until his consciousness completely faded.

As the light dimmed and the stone door closed.

On the completely dark system screen, a reflection of himself—a scarred stray dog walking stubbornly alone on the streets—appeared.

The world fell silent again. The sun’s rain still fell on the ruins. The gray sky seemed split in two.

After a while, the system’s cold voice sounded again.

[Detected Host nearing limit. To ensure the smooth execution of the final task, open firewall and accept error program…]

The dim screen suddenly lit up. An unpleasant red color instantly filled every corner.

Amid it, the large “Misfortune” character seemed to want to leap out of the screen, flashing with a deep, striking black light.

At that moment, the light and rain seemed to turn into a blood rain, with droplets falling on the ruined ground.

But a summer night gradually emerging from the sky’s edge blocked the red and black light, preventing it from spreading further.

The barren world seemed to come alive silently. The sun, rain, summer night, and misfortune light intertwined. Strange changes quietly spread.

After a while.

[Error execution completed. World repair completed… Host’s emotional retrieval completed.]

The voice, no different from the previous two times, sounded.

The system screen went dark again, as if a delete button had been pressed. All changes, along with the misfortune light, vanished completely, as if they’d never happened.

Only the sun, rain, and summer night light orbs remained in the sky, occupying three positions in the gray expanse. They shone quietly, bringing a touch of life to this barren world.

[Next objective: Undetermined.]

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

November 12th, 8 a.m.

The curtains blocked the strong morning light, but they couldn’t stop the piercing alarm sound.

“Haaah~”

Yawning, Haruno got up, washed her face, and sat at her vanity to get ready.

As usual, she picked up the wooden comb, but not to brush her hair.

Because if she did, she’d want to cry. To avoid crying like a child, she’d stroke the comb for a few minutes before using a premium one to style her hair.

On one hand, it calmed her. On the other, she wanted to find the source of this incongruity. Since she never got useful information from Yuu, Haruno could only try to unravel this mystery by touching the object and thinking.

In her room at home, she picked up the wooden comb. As she was about to stroke it a few times, she noticed spiderweb-like cracks filled with a springtime painting.

“Huh? Since when…”

Haruno froze. She’d taken such good care of it.

Not even a scratch, let alone a dent. She treated it more carefully than her own body. When did these cracks appear?!

She felt anxious. Her fingers stroked the ruined painting, no longer beautiful. Before she could feel sad, she heard a crisp sound.

CRACK!

The wooden comb shattered in her hand, falling to the floor. The edges of the fragments were pitch black, as if corroded.

“What… Ugh!”

She opened her mouth wide in shock. Less than half a second later, Haruno suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head, as if someone was hammering her brain—her surely beautiful brain—into paste.

Ignoring the fragments silently turning to ash on the floor, she couldn’t help clutching her head. She crouched at the vanity with a pained expression, groaning.

“Why… What is this…”

She was confused and shocked.

But after a long-locked door in her mind was shattered by this blow, Haruno suddenly felt no more pain. She let a flood of memories overwhelm her body. Even her unconscious trembling stopped.

Her attention was entirely on the memory fragments flashing through her mind. Her eyes were blank, gradually becoming dazed.

After some time.

She slowly raised her head, blinking her dry eyes, her lips trembling slightly. With an expression of disbelief, she slowly uttered one word:

“Yuu-chan?”


Volume Afterword

The third volume is finally complete… and it’s getting longer and longer!

There are many things I want to reflect on and apologize for, but if I say them, it might get too long, affect the reading experience, and spread a gloomy vibe. So, I, the author, decided to skip this step.

First, I want to thank the readers who’ve faithfully followed this far, especially those who diligently read at 6 a.m. Since I often rushed to meet deadlines and fixed things later, I apologize for any affected reading experience (crying profusely).

Next, for readers who couldn’t wait and decided to save chapters midway, I hope you find time to finish. I’m a slow-paced writer, so I include many details and key changes in the text. It’d be a pity if you missed them (crying a storm).

Lastly, for readers who saved the entire volume, congratulations, you can start reading! And you definitely won’t lose out by following the fourth volume, as the important parts are finally coming!

No matter how the third volume went—whether it started strong and dipped, or who liked or disliked it—this book has reached its mid-point climax. Many hidden hints will finally come into play.

Though I cut many hidden storylines due to improper plot pacing—keen readers surely noticed—I was constantly hounded by questions about when the third volume would end, so I sped it up. I wrote in a rush, without much daily life, just chasing the plot…

If I wanted, I could’ve added tens of thousands of words to enrich characters and scenes, but I couldn’t. Even the final act was rushed; I couldn’t slow down.

Regarding repetitive patterns, I only realized after you pointed it out… Though I’ve been writing novels for five years, I still make beginner mistakes.

I still have to thank your comments, which truly taught me a lesson. In the future, no matter how many heroines there are, I won’t let you taste the same dish. I’ll work hard to enrich my plotting skills!

Hmm, I’m unconsciously reflecting again. Let’s stop here.

I still owe twelve chapters from a bet. I’ll finish them soon.

I might take a short break soon to outline the fourth volume. Besides the first, this might be the most-read volume. I can’t be too careless. Please understand.

Don’t worry about the senpai’s appearance. It’s not a clichéd editor arc… though writing it that way would be easier and a bit tempting.

Heroines outside the system will start appearing. Though they have a head start, system heroines won’t necessarily lose… this just refers to the drama of fighting over the boyfriend, as the ending will definitely be a harem.

Sora-chan has been a side character for so long. Now it’s time for her to officially join the battle.

Flashbacks are the main focus. I’ll speed things up (smile).

Your big brother, Tenkuji Yuu, will also start changing his mindset. I’ll pay more attention to his character development. Stay tuned.

Thanks to your support, I’ve been able to work hard writing until now.

All this time, I’ve tried to make this book more interesting and write so all readers can enjoy the story.

Thus, I hope to impress you again with an unforgettable story you’ll enjoy over and over.

Thank you for your guidance in the third volume. See you in the fourth!

-

Title: Yukinoshita Haruno’s Flashback

In July of this year, or perhaps even earlier, Haruno realized she didn’t have the fate to choose her own freedom.

An older sister must be wise, mature, and pave the way for her younger sister’s future… Her parents never said it explicitly, but she knew better than anyone that this was her duty.

Though she’d been called a genius by those around her since childhood, Haruno’s future was already decided by so-called responsibilities. She could only accept it with a smile.

But there was nothing wrong with that.

After all, her younger sister was so naive and innocent. Forget building connections in social settings—she probably couldn’t even refuse a drink. She could easily get drunk, be tricked into going home with someone, and foolishly lose the Yukinoshita family business, forced to become someone’s mistress.

A pure snow lotus shouldn’t leap into a dyeing pool like that.

In contrast, she, whose heart was already blackened, could do it. Let her handle it. Acting childish and causing trouble wasn’t her personality—after all, she’d never used the family’s wealth for reckless fun.

Whether it was taking over the family business or entering a political marriage with a stranger, twenty-year-old Haruno was already mentally prepared.

Because from the past until now, she could always easily meet everyone’s expectations. As long as she hid her sincerity deep inside and offered beautiful lies to others, she could gain endless benefits for her family.

Even so, Haruno had things she wanted to do and secrets she didn’t want others to know.

That was to experience the sweet and sour taste of love before her youth truly ended.

Perhaps it was a spur-of-the-moment idea, or maybe it was fate. During a break in the summer vacation, she opened a website for renting boyfriends and, for some reason, chose a new seventeen-year-old boyfriend.

He didn’t even have a self-introduction. Haruno had no idea how he was accepted, nor why she picked him, essentially throwing money down the drain.

And thinking about it, he was a high school boy the same age as her sister! Eating such young grass was a bit absurd…

But Haruno didn’t care. Her finger had already clicked. Of course, she’d back out after testing the merchandise. At most, she’d just waste a little money.

Even if she couldn’t taste the sweet and sour of love, finding amusement to pass the time was a good option.

And so, in front of the Hachiko statue at Shibuya Station, she and the teenage boy met for the first time.

He was thin and tall, likely having worked part-time under the sun for a long time. There was a clear tan line between the inside and outside of his short-sleeved shirt. He was fairly handsome, but his eyes, uninterested in anything and only pretending to be enthusiastic, docked him a lot of points.

His hands were the type hand-fetishists would love, making people want to take them off and play with them…

But that was it?

Haruno smiled on the surface but muttered in her heart.

(You won’t make a living from this job. Change careers quick! No, at your age, you should study hard. Why are you a rental boyfriend? Aren’t you afraid of getting punished if the school finds out?)

Of course, she only thought it. Haruno wouldn’t say such things easily. She just lost hope for the taste of love and shifted to having fun with this boy her sister’s age.

Facts proved that the boy named Tenkuji Yuu—likely still a virgin—was a great target for fun.

After the first parting, Haruno grew slightly interested and decided to keep in touch with him, purely out of a cat’s mischief playing with a mouse.

After the second parting, the more she got to know him, the more she saw him differently. The thought of finding a good toy unconsciously changed. She started wanting to know more about him and had certain expectations.

After the third parting, Haruno reached a base with him at a speed that shocked even herself. Though it was only the third base of a kiss, from that day, the term rental boyfriend was deeply etched in her heart, making her sink further without realizing it.

After the fourth parting… Damn, it seemed she couldn’t live without him.

After the fifth parting… Kissing felt so good. When could they move to the next stage?

After the sixth parting… The word rental was a bit annoying, but since this relationship started with a lie, it could only be this way.

The seventh parting… The eighth parting…

In just one month, Haruno’s heart felt filled with beautiful memories spanning over a decade.

He once finished the curry she didn’t like, just for her.

He once promised to come immediately if she asked for help.

He once traveled a hundred and thirty-three kilometers to find her.

“His smile is more beautiful than any scenery I’ve ever seen. His smile is the brightest view of this summer.”

Unknowingly, Haruno loved seeing him smile, loved smiling with him, and had grown used to smiling together.

“Goodness. He’s just a rental boyfriend, why is he working so hard for me?”

“Because you’ve done this, I have no choice but to get serious.”

So, after realizing her own feelings, she decided to surpass the boundaries of rental and lies, to pursue something real that belonged only to her.

On this path, Haruno had been worried and confused, but far more were the happiness and security of having Yuu always by her side.

Because that person never disappointed her.

Because that person shared her thoughts.

Because that person loved her back.

Because she trusted him so deeply, Haruno could break free from the shackles of responsibility, shed her mask of lies, and, like a little girl in love, sincerely enjoy the feeling of dating him.

Who cared if he was a rental boyfriend? Haruno loved Yuu, that was all.

So, that amusement park date was truly fun.

They rode various attractions together and saw Tokyo’s romantic night view together.

She received a gift from him, and Yuu carried her, escaping from her mother.

Every word Yuu said was like wrapped candy, hidden in her heart. When Haruno dug them up, her mouth was full of sweetness.

How could she love someone like this? How could there be someone who made her fall so deeply in love?

After all—the first person she loved was him, and that was truly wonderful!

The path to happiness stretched into the future. The warmth in her chest overflowed. With the resolve to entrust her heart to him for life, Haruno even took the underage boy to a hotel, ready to turn rice into cooked rice and make him grow up early.

Giving her body was also a way to show her love.

So, from now on, no more lying.

So, from now on, no more renting.

So, from now on, she could be immature, she could be weak.

Because Haruno, at her core, wasn’t a mature or strong girl.

“Yuu-chan?”

Haruno had just come out of the bathroom, but the teenage boy was gone.

Yuu left a note saying he went to the convenience store to get something, leaving her alone in the empty, quiet room. Haruno looked around anxiously.

“Incompetent boyfriend~”

Holding the cheap wooden comb, Haruno lay on the bed. She thought about giving him an exciting punishment when he returned. She thought about asking him to brush her hair again when he returned. She thought about saying more sweet words when he returned. She thought about…

While thinking, she entered a dream world where Yuu was.

While thinking, she entered a world where Yuu wasn’t.

Since that day, Haruno lost the most important thing.

-

Title: Haruno Is Solving the Mystery

The cold wind outside battered the window glass.

The morning sun shone faintly. Grayish light filtered into the unlit room. The air grew still, as if frozen.

“Huh, huh…”

Her face pale, her forehead slick with cold sweat, Haruno panted heavily. Her pupils shrank to pinpoints. She stared straight at her disheveled reflection in the mirror. Her lips trembled as she muttered:

“This is the truth…? The thing I’ve always wanted to uncover was actually memories from that time?”

Thirty-three days—the time from their meeting to their parting.

She clutched her forehead. Memories of the present and past tangled together. Her consciousness was chaotic and incomprehensible, like a dyeing pool. She couldn’t calm down at all, and it even felt like a dream.

The composure she once had was now fragile as paper. Haruno took several deep breaths, but her trembling fingers couldn’t steady. Her whole body was covered in goosebumps, as if someone had doused her with a bucket of cold water while she was drowsy.

“Something like this can happen… Heh, is this a joke from the gods? Or did I receive memories from another world? Were those all things that happened in a parallel world?”

Still able to crack jokes like this, Haruno was proud of her mental strength.

She forced herself to close her eyes and firmly knocked her head twice with her fist. Only with pain and darkness could her mind calm down.

After all, those memories weren’t fiction.

Without needing to seek evidence, even though the process was strange and bizarre, Haruno would believe from the depths of her heart that this was a reality she had lived through, only now revealed.

Because even without her memories, in November, she unknowingly fell in love with Tenkuji Yuu—how could a troublesome and heavy woman like her fall for someone else just because she lost her memories?

“Then let’s sort out the situation one by one.”

Rubbing her forehead with her fingers, Haruno muttered to herself with her eyes closed: “First, why did I care so much about a junior I’d never met and feel heartbroken seeing him interact with other girls?—that question’s answered.”

“Because Yuu was my boyfriend.”

“Next, why did I lose my memories… No, rather than losing memories, it’s more accurate to say the entire world was reset once.”

As those words came out calmly, her confused and fearful expression receded like the tide. The aura of a relaxed, unflappable strong woman gradually returned to her.

Haruno briefly reviewed her memories and found there were two versions—

One was her sweet and bitter love story with Yuu until August 25th.

The other was Yuu’s complete absence. At the sports center, eating curry, at the amusement park, and at the hotel, she was alone, on a lonely and quiet journey, unaware anything was wrong.

Thinking of this, a bitter and frustrated feeling suddenly rose in her heart. Her heel unconsciously tapped the floor, but she quickly stopped.

Refocusing her thoughts, after examining the differences between these two versions, Haruno couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

“It’s like a script already written, where someone who was supposed to be in it was suddenly erased, but the story still had to make sense. It’s too forced…”

But something felt off.

It was as if the fog hadn’t fully lifted, and she was only seeing the surface layer. This feeling made Haruno think hard for a long time, but she couldn’t find a way through.

She could only set aside this hunch for now. For further confirmation, she grabbed her phone from beside the bed.

She opened the messaging app, instinctively wanting to find her boyfriend’s chat, but realized his name wasn’t there. His number wasn’t in her contacts either.

“Only my memories were restored, but everything that happened is just gone?”

Haruno clearly remembered. Though she once deleted all his contact info, on the amusement park date, she added Yuu back to her LINE friends and phone contacts. She even changed his name to [My Most Beloved Little Boyfriend], planning to show off to Yukino someday.

No way to go back…

Frowning, Haruno shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to be sad.

She still remembered his number. But after weighing it, she didn’t call Yuu for now. Instead, she found a name she’d almost forgotten at the bottom of her contact list.

The busy tone rang for about twenty seconds before being replaced by a lazy, listless male voice.

“Hello? Who’s this…”

“This is Yukinoshita Haruno. Sorry for waking you. There’s something I want to ask you.” Her voice was friendly and cheerful, but Haruno used a commanding, impolite tone.

“Yuuki, answer me as fast as you can. On the day we went to Karuizawa, did my boyfriend come looking for me?”

The man on the other end seemed half-asleep, or maybe he just lacked a brain. Yuuki Kouichirou answered in confusion: “Huh? Your boyfriend? Since when do you have a boyfriend? That’s really—”

Before he could finish, Haruno thanked him curtly and hung up. Then, she called her mother downstairs.

“Haruno? You’re upstairs. Why call—”

“Yeah, I’m a bit busy. I’ll explain later…” Saying this casually, Haruno asked seriously, “Mom, I want to ask, why did I go to the amusement park on August 24th and not come home all night?”

“August 24th? Amusement park?” Her mother thought for a moment and answered hesitantly, “To show off to Yukino. And you didn’t come home because you were too lazy to take a taxi at night. Why are you asking this?”

“Then why did I start pursuing a free marriage?”

“You said you wanted to expand the business overseas after graduation and could find a better partner with your own judgment. Most importantly, you didn’t like the Yuuki family’s son.”

Her mother answered smoothly. Then her voice turned serious, tinged with worry.

“Haruno, is your head okay? Should we see a doctor?”

Haruno’s cheek twitched slightly. She burst out laughing: “Next time, please use a gentler approach, dear Mom.”

(Yuu-chan often used this way of talking to tease people too!)

(Goodness. My boyfriend’s like my mother-in-law. My stomach’s going to hurt sooner or later…)

She put down her phone, and the chaotic thoughts faded too. Haruno’s expression turned serious again. She crossed her legs at the edge of the bed. Her fingers gently pinched her chin, showing the thoughtful look of a detective solving a case.

“Besides me, no one else remembers those times?”

Including her former self, everyone fully believed the false memories that replaced the real ones, automatically ignoring some illogical details.

For example, without Yuu’s existence, Haruno wouldn’t have rejected her parents’ arranged marriage, even if the guy was an otaku classmate she didn’t like—the motivation wasn’t enough. How could it have turned out like this?

Even her mother, who understood her personality so well, didn’t question it. So clearly, some mysterious force was interfering, making them completely forget that person was actually part of it all.

“Most importantly, in the end, it’s you… Yuu-chan.”

With a soft sigh, Haruno put on a grim face. She desperately wanted to grab Yuu and interrogate him for a day and night in her room. After all her questions were answered, she’d take back everything lost during these three months.

The shattered and vanished wooden comb, the memory changes like magic, and his strange expression when he saw that comb…

All the answers to all the questions lay with her little boyfriend, who’d vanished for three months!

-

Title: The Dream Crafted by Yuuki Asuna

Asuna had a strange dream.

The reason she called it strange was that she couldn’t recall its contents, but upon waking, she touched two streams of tears on her face, and there was a faint smile at the corners of her lips.

What lingered in her heart was a warm feeling filled with regret, sadness, but also so much happiness that she didn’t want to let it go.

“This is really different from before…”

She blinked in confusion. After being dazed for a while, she skillfully wiped away her tears and checked her phone.

It was 5 a.m. Not yet time to get up and exercise.

Perhaps since before the summer vacation ended, Asuna had been having strange dreams—or rather, nightmares.

She was trapped in a full-dive game with no escape, forced by her mother to marry a sleazy man, attacked by a fugitive wielding a poison-filled syringe, and parted from a boyfriend she rarely got to meet… Though these were things that never happened, she experienced them so vividly, as if she’d entered someone else’s life. She could only wake up when the pain and helplessness became unbearable.

Waking up with tears streaming down her face, silently, had become routine for her.

However, Asuna didn’t tell her family about this. On one hand, she didn’t want to be dragged to a psychiatrist. On the other, she believed this was a problem she had to solve herself.

Perhaps because the dreams reflected her deepest psychology, or maybe…

More than the reason for her frequent dreams, Asuna wanted to know who that boyfriend was. That man repeatedly groped her, stuck out his tongue like a dragon, nearly turning the dream into something erotic, but always cruelly left her in the end.

The faces of her mother, the sleazy man, and the fugitive were crystal clear in her dreams, but the boy’s identity was completely blurry. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember him. In the end, she could only recall two things.

First, he was a perverted jerk who abandoned her.

Second, in the dream, she loved him deeply, even to the point of marriage.

Each time she woke up with tears falling like rain, Asuna swore in her heart—don’t let her find out who that jerk was. If she did, she’d hit him with four punches, spark a flurry of stars, and stab him with lightning until she made holes in his body, making him pay for the tears she shed these past few days!

The strangest part was also here.

Not only did she unconsciously feel that he wasn’t someone she imagined, but like her mother and the others, he was someone who truly existed in reality and had a significant connection to her.

Asuna didn’t feel anything wrong with blaming him for what happened in her dreams. It all felt so natural, as if her instincts urged her to quickly remember this jerk and bring her sword for revenge.

These slightly strange days had been going on for some time.

Used to it by now, Asuna was only surprised that today’s dream was a bit different from usual.

It left no memories and no deep pain. It was as if all the nightmares she’d had before had been refined. In the end, it gave her a gentle conclusion that still made her feel happy.

“Why is it like this? Is it because I’m staying overnight somewhere?”

Gently pressing her warm chest, Asuna sat up from the bed. To avoid disturbing others, she moved very lightly.

Today was November 12th, a Sunday, and also the last day of the national championship.

Of course, she’d been staying at a luxurious Japanese-style inn provided by the school for the past few days. Around her were athletes from Kuroyuri Girls’ Academy. The sound of their steady breathing blended together, and it was likely no one would wake up for another hour.

Her eyes had adjusted to the room’s darkness. Asuna looked around. She helped fix the sleeping positions of a few friends nearby and covered their chests before reaching into the bag beside her bed. She quietly pulled out a high-tech, cool-looking device shaped like two parallel rings.

This was a virtual full-dive device, a modified version of the NERvGear, called the AmuSphere.

It not only inherited all the functions of the NERvGear but also made significant improvements in safety and portability. It was newly developed, and there were probably fewer than ten people worldwide who owned one.

As the daughter of its developer, Asuna was naturally one of those owners. She even secretly brought it without her mother’s knowledge. During downtime at the tournament, she’d take it out and play. She was truly an internet-addicted girl.

Of course, others wouldn’t mind. After all, she still held authority in the club, and they relied on her to win the championship. Sometimes, when she got too engrossed in playing, some even voluntarily brought food to her room.

As for the game installed in it, there was, of course, only one.

“I’ll play for a bit… just a bit!”

Wearing the eye-mask-like login device, Asuna lay back on the bed. After covering herself with the blanket, she closed her eyes and whispered softly.

“LINK START!”

Then, a stream of data light flashed within her consciousness.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Aincrad, first floor.

Wearing a red-and-white knight’s uniform, her long legs wrapped in white stockings, Asuna walked lightly and gracefully along the main street.

The in-game time was synchronized with reality. So, the floating city was still gray, with faint mist drifting above the towers, occasionally broken by the sound of birds disturbing the morning calm.

It was still a highly realistic virtual game, like another world.

Without pausing to admire the now-familiar scenery, the chestnut-haired rapier swordsman quickly arrived at the central cathedral. She gently knocked on the heavy, ornate wooden door.

“Grandma Martha, are you awake?”

Without waiting for a reply, Asuna pushed the door open slightly. After sneaking a peek inside, she tiptoed in.

“Miss Asuna, you’re here again today.”

Without looking up, the white-haired nun cleaning the tables and chairs in the church suddenly spoke. Her soft voice echoed in the vast cathedral, making Asuna, who was creeping in like a thief, stiffen. Then, she stood upright as if nothing had happened.

“Yes. I want to come every day to check on you~”

“My body’s already recovered. You should hurry to the upper floors for adventures. Under the Goddess’s protection, you don’t need to come every day to care for an old woman like me.”

Facing the spoiled behavior of the chestnut-haired rapier swordsman, the white-haired nun only responded with a resigned, motherly, and amused expression. She deliberately glanced at the door with her eyes.

“Hmm, Grandma Martha doesn’t want me anymore?” Asuna pouted. The gallant swordsman naturally showed the behavior of a little girl. She pretended to cry, “I’m just stopping by to see Grandma. I won’t stay too long!”

Nun Martha looked at her with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes: “And also to take the secret recipe from here?”

“Who told Grandma Martha to make delicious food I can’t recreate… Even though my cooking skill is maxed out, I still can’t figure out how to take it to the next level.” Asuna pretended to sigh sadly. Then she tucked her hair behind her ear and helped Grandma Martha sit on a long bench.

“Goodness…” Martha shook her head with a smile, her face full of tenderness.

As she let Asuna help hold her arm and prepared to sit, her body suddenly froze. Her eyes widened slightly. She kept observing Asuna.

“What’s wrong…?”

-

Title: Yuuki Asuna Begins to Seek the Truth

Feeling slightly uneasy under the gaze, Asuna unconsciously hunched her shoulders and asked in confusion.

“Hmm, it might be a bit strange to ask this now…” Frowning deeply, Martha pondered for two or three seconds before speaking hesitantly.

“Miss Asuna, you’ve never been in a relationship with anyone, have you?”

“Eh?” Asuna blinked in surprise. “Of course not. Neither in the game nor in the real world…”

“But the mission here was given to couples or married pairs. Have you ever thought about why you were able to successfully take on the mission to heal me?”

Tilting her head slightly, Asuna asked curiously, “Wasn’t it because you happened to collapse in front of me, so you gave me this mission specifically?”

As she said this with a reasonable expression, her consciousness suddenly blurred for a moment.

No.

Something was wrong. The issue wasn’t that simple!

“Check your inventory. That item might be the reason.”

Lowering her head slightly, Martha sighed. Her cloudy eyes glinted with an unclear light, sometimes flat, sometimes stiff, as she stared at the ground.

Snapping back to reality, ignoring the other party, Asuna quickly opened her inventory and searched through the neatly organized list.

“Nothing. Everything’s normal…” After searching from top to bottom, she frowned. She also opened the item deletion history. “Grandma Martha, what was that item actually… Huh?”

In the grayed-out history, there was a name she’d never seen before.

[Broken Affection Ring (Unusable).]

“Affection…”

Asuna’s mouth opened slightly. She froze in place.

Even though she was in a game, she could clearly feel her blood flowing backward. A wave of nausea gradually rose. It felt as uncomfortable as a nightmare.

“Wait, when did I discard this item… I mean, I never obtained a ring like this?”

Martha didn’t answer her.

Talking to herself, Asuna unconsciously clicked the item description below. A single line appeared before her eyes.

[Description: Asuna and (data deleted)’s wedding ring, proof that they once loved each other. (This item has been permanently lost and cannot be recovered).]

Though the description was brief and nonsensical.

For some reason, an overwhelming sense of loneliness suddenly flooded her throat. The tip of her nose stung painfully, like a child feeling sad but unable to find someone to tell.

The system interface blurred. Asuna wiped the clear tears streaming down the back of her hand. Her face still showed disbelief.

“There’s a bug in this game…?”

“When did I get married, and who did I love…?”

“Affection… Wait, does this mean I played this game with someone and even got married?”

The inventory screen couldn’t be closed for a long time.

The mystery of her dreams remained unsolved, and a new mystery appeared before Asuna.

The entire world seemed to turn magical and confusing from this moment.

Were those dreams just her imagination, or were they facts that had once happened?

Did that person really exist in her life?

The memories she fully believed in now had more and more illogical and confusing elements…

Asuna fell into confusion.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Kyoto University Sports Hall, noon.

Outside, a cold wind blew fiercely, but inside, the atmosphere was vibrant.

The morning matches had ended. The National High School Kendo and Fencing Championship finally concluded after four days.

The last to step onto the podium were athletes from Sobu High School and Kuroyuri Girls’ Academy.

Amid cheers and applause, some even egged on the star athletes from both sides to duel with bamboo swords and rapiers, to see who would be the strongest champion of the entire tournament.

After all, whether it was the kendo boy who easily defeated five opponents in just over a minute in the finals or the chestnut-haired girl whose elegant posture and rapier moved as swiftly and beautifully as a meteor, their strength made people doubt their eyes, unable to believe high school students could be this powerful.

Because of the misfortune of encountering these two Demon Kings in the tournament, all the defeated athletes, though reluctant and tearful, had to admit that among everyone present, only those two could challenge each other.

They were monstrously strong!

Of course, the organizers wouldn’t approve such an unreasonable request. After handing out awards and giving routine speeches, they began preparing to disband, letting the high school students return home to their mothers.

Before heading back to the inn to pack, Asuna left the Kuroyuri Girls’ Academy team and quietly sought out Tenkuji Yuu from the Sobu High School team.

“Tenkuji-kun, can I bother you for a moment?”

“Of course… What’s up?”

Other kendo club members were chatting nearby. Only two girls from the volunteer club were with him.

Yuu’s lips curved slightly. His eyes looked at her with curiosity. He seemed cheerful and handsome, easily closing the distance between them.

But for some reason, Asuna hated that expression. She even wanted to put her hand on his face and rub it off forcefully.

Shaking her head, she obviously wouldn’t actually do it.

“I wanted to ask… Have you ever played Sword World? My brother gave it to you.”

Yuu asked in confusion, “Yeah. I remember answering that question last time, didn’t I?”

“Then, is your account still active?” Facing the puzzled looks from the two other girls, Asuna coughed awkwardly. Her face flushed slightly as she said, “I-It’s my brother who asked me to check. Seems like there’s an issue with the technical department.”

Yuu nodded. “Of course it’s still active.”

“Your ID?”

“…” Yuu seemed to hesitate for a moment but masked it with a thoughtful expression. “It’s been a while since I logged in. I kinda forgot… But it should be Yuu.”

“Yuu? Got it…” Asuna muttered. Ignoring Yuigahama’s wary expression and not giving Yuu a chance to ask more, she continued with a serious look:

“Then, have you ever had an online romance? Or, do you have a girlfriend?”

“…”

Yuu, Yukino, and Yuigahama stared at her in shock, as Asuna asked the question so casually.

Yuigahama was the first to react. She pulled Yuu’s arm as if protecting her child, puffed out her cheeks, and stared straight at Asuna’s beautiful face. She said cautiously:

“Asuna-chan, why are you asking that?”