I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

The moment their eyes met, she already showed her annoyance.

As expected, after a brief moment of stunned silence, Yang Nai revealed a bewitching and joyful smile, like a rose slowly blooming.

"Oh~ Isn't this the adorable Yukino who almost had an accident on the bus, and then took the opportunity to ask to move out, wanting to gain a sense of superiority from spiritual growth? What a coincidence~"

This strange, sarcastic voice, just hearing a single word, can pollute one's mind, making one grit their teeth in hatred.

Yukino took a deep breath to calm herself, glaring at her older sister with cold and angry eyes: "Think what you want, but have you ever heard of the phrase 'being influenced by what you see and hear'? I don't want to be influenced by some decadent college student who always stays at home drinking and doesn't study properly. Moving out is only for my own future. Don't you even understand this?"

"Oh? You're wrong about that, Yukino."

His eyebrows furrowed instantly, and Yang Nai became unusually serious, saying righteously, "I still went to class! The so-called university is a free world where you can arrange your own time after you get the credits to graduate!"

"..."

Holding her forehead, Yukino sighed from the bottom of her heart.

Looking up at the female college student leaning lazily against the door, wearing only a cool white tank top and athletic shorts, sipping beer absently, she couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

When exactly did that perfect superwoman sister begin to show a hint of inexplicable decadence?

Because she was always staring at her sister's back, Yukino Yukinoshita was able to notice the changes in Haruno Yukinoshita faster than anyone else.

First, I developed a liking for spicy food; second, I often drove aimlessly.

Finally, she took the initiative to ask her mother to decline the drinking engagements and instead turned her attention to salon gatherings, which were mostly attended by women. She no longer wanted to use her charm to roam among men. This was something Yukino overheard. Her mother and sister did not want her to get involved in business matters too early.

Why did things turn out this way? Now, Yukino is also searching for the reason.

Undeniably, she was very interested in people or things that could change her sister.

Perhaps we can find an opportunity to defeat and surpass our older sisters, and gain their recognition and approval!

"Yukino." Her older sister's voice pulled Yukino back to reality.

Before she knew it, Yang Nai was already standing in front of her, a mischievous smile on his lips, and gently tapped her forehead with the still-wet beer bottle bottom.

Yukino immediately stepped back, patted her slightly cool hair, and glared angrily at Haruno: "What are you doing?!"

Yang Nai didn't care about her anger at all, and said leisurely, "When you move in, remember to invite your sister to your house to play often, okay?"

"I will remember. As for which day, please wait patiently." She also sneered, making it clear that she would never welcome you.

"What an unlovable child!"

Muttering to herself, Yang Nai suddenly made a lightning-fast move, forcefully ruffling her sister's smooth, straight long hair.

Yukino was stunned for half a second before she quickly came to her senses, protecting her head as she retreated to the door.

Like a cat with its fur standing on end, she bit her lip slightly, her cheeks flushed, and stared incredulously at her sister who was smilingly withdrawing her hand.

"Yukinoshita Haruno, what's wrong with you!?"

Even though she's usually sharp-tongued, my sister probably hasn't done that kind of affectionate playful behavior to her in years—was this guy drunk? Or did he close a big deal and get so excited that he acted so recklessly?

Yukinoshita looked at her, seemingly lost in thought or perhaps puzzled by something, and smiled faintly.

"There's nothing wrong with it. I just wanted to prove that my love for my sister wasn't so twisted."

"You..." Yukino was absolutely certain that this guy was drunk and was rambling on and on. "I don't understand what you're saying. I'm going back to my room!"

She turned to run away, preparing to go into her room, but then heard Yang Nai's voice behind her.

"Yeah, I don't know what I'm saying either... It's been happening a lot lately."

With a hint of self-deprecation, she carried her beer and slowly walked downstairs.

"But I'm really worried about you, okay? If you run into any trouble while staying out, just give me a call and I'll quickly and efficiently solve it for you. Remember to keep in touch."

"..."

Yukino turned around in front of the door, watching her swaying figure as she went downstairs, and opened her mouth as if to say something but hesitated.

She also knew that her sister's biggest change actually had nothing to do with business...

It was like a road covered in snow, melting into the sunlight and resembling early spring.

Gradually, gently—you can see Yukino's true feelings.

Even though it still makes it hard to tell whether it's real or a lie, Yukino Yukinoshita doesn't dislike that feeling.

"……elder sister!"

Without thinking, she called out to the other person.

Yang Nai paused, turned around in the stairwell, and smiled at her with a mixture of surprise and confusion: "What's wrong?"

"Um..." Yukino spoke without thinking of what to say, her eyes darting around. After hesitating for half a second, she decided to just make up a topic to brush it off.

"Do you know someone named Yuu Tenkuji? We're in the same grade and currently in the same club."

"Tenkuji Yu?" Haruno subconsciously took a sip of beer, letting the alcohol ferment in her mouth, her brows furrowing slightly. "Never heard of him before. What? Are you interested in him?"

Yukino clicked her tongue, her eyes filled with obvious disdain.

"No, it's just that the person's arrogant and rude manner is very similar to yours, so I asked if you knew him."

After thinking for a moment, she added, "He's the one who rescued the dog from under the car wheels on the morning of the first day of school."

"Oh? Is it that little Superman who's like the Flash?" Yang Nai raised her eyebrows, becoming interested, and even forgot about going downstairs to use the restroom.

"Let me introduce him to my sister! Maybe we can make some money with him. Recently, there's been a trend of investing in athletes to participate in competitions, just like horse racing."

“To treat people directly as money-making tools, sister…” Yukino Yukinoshita sighed, pressing her temples as if in pain, “As expected, this is something that won’t change easily.”

"Hmph, no one in this world can change me except for Yukino~" Haruno walked up the steps with a grin, seemingly wanting to give her a friendly sisterly hug.

All that was given to her was a door panel and a fleeting glimpse of black hair.

"I'm going to study now, don't bother me if there's nothing else."

"Cut~"

△

<The First Layer of Aincrad>

The town where it all began, the "Silver Spoon" Inn.

This is a hostel with a restaurant. Although the furnishings are simple, the dishes are plentiful and delicious.

It was past 9 p.m. when a man and a woman dressed in inexpensive clothes sat at a dark brown wooden dining table in the corner, looking at each other with serious expressions.

Chapter Thirty-Two: They got married just like that?

It was said that there was something wrong between them, and only Asuna was embarrassed, while Yuu Tenkuji felt nothing and was very calm.

After Sister Martha finished telling that story, he roughly guessed that this would be how it would unfold—the only unexpected thing was that he thought the system was going to make him take the initiative to become Asuna's "online boyfriend" this time, but he didn't expect that the foreshadowing was buried here, and the identity required for him to complete the mission was still arranged for him.

My online boyfriend... does that mean he should use this mission to openly and legitimately win her over?

Yuu Tenkuji was already an experienced user of the dog system's tricks and quickly figured them out.

However, there was one thing he could never figure out.

What exactly is the benchmark for the system to select targets?

Back then, he and Yukinoshita Haruno were just passersby who brushed past each other.

And now, it's neither the girl in black stockings who was following him, nor Yukino Yukinoshita, nor Yui Yuigahama, nor Saika Totsuka...

For the second mission, the system chose Yuuki Asuna, whom he had helped once before, who was only by the artificial lake.

This is related to the objective of the third mission, and its significance is something he really needs to think about deeply.

...Could it be that the system holds a beauty pageant, and whoever is the most popular wins?

Tenkuji Yu shook his head, refocusing his attention on the conversation in front of him.

"Fortunately, the mission is very clear: simply go to the 'Land of Love' to obtain the 'Flower of Desire' as a material."

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, closed his eyes slightly, and said slowly to the girl in front of him, "Accepting a mission without asking for details, I told you long ago you would regret it... So, do you want to give up?"

"Hmm..." Asuna was furious at his sarcastic remarks. Her face flushed red, she gritted her teeth and glared at him for a long time before replying in a stiff tone, "It concerns Granny Ma's safety, of course I won't give up!"

Setting down her teacup, Tenkuji Yu raised an eyebrow at her: "So, are you sure you want to enter the 'Land of Love' together?"

"..."

Asuna bit her lip, lowered her head and remained silent for a few seconds before letting out a soft sigh and giving a slight bitter smile.

"In the end, I shouldn't be the one hesitating... If I had to say, it was I who dragged you into this, and now you have to do this mission too."

“You’re quite sensible.” Tōkōji Yu smiled casually, his fingers tracing the rim of the cup. “It’s just a game anyway. Having something to do is better than aimlessly grinding monsters, right? That’s why I didn’t stop you from triggering the quest. In a way, it’s thanks to you that the game is more interesting.”

"What a surprise, you're so good at comforting people... Anyway, thank you, Yu-kun." Asuna patted her chest in relief and finally smiled with a sense of relief.

The tension and awkwardness that had been building from the moment he accepted the mission to the time he came here for this conversation vanished in just a few words.

"It's because this game is so realistic that I care so much..." Asuna shook her head to herself, materialized the quest item from her inventory, and placed it on the wooden table.

That's right, stop overthinking and focus on the task!

“You’re better at playing games than I am, so I’ll leave the rest of the action plan to you. I want to cure Granny Ma as soon as possible… regardless of whether she’s a character in the game or not.”

Under her serious gaze, Tenkuji Yu nodded calmly and confidently: "As long as you play support obediently, leave the carry role to me. I will try my best to complete the mission without getting injured."

"Huh? What will happen if you get injured?"

"I will feel sorry for myself."

"..."

Asuna was at a loss for words. Just a few seconds ago, she was saying, "It's just a game," but now she was feeling sorry for herself because she got hurt in the game?

This guy really likes to joke around.

"Due to insufficient intelligence, our current plan is only one—to take these rings and explore the 'Land of Love'."

Getting straight to the point, Tenkuji Yu opened the box containing the "Ring of Beloved," handed the woman's ring to her, and then picked up the man's ring to examine it.

The gleaming silver ring is adorned with pink heart-shaped diamonds, making it look exquisite and beautiful. In reality, it would probably cost hundreds of thousands.

This was the first time Asuna had examined the ring closely, and her eyes quickly lit up. Her girlish nature made her love it so much that she looked like she wanted to try it on.

Without hesitation, Tenkuji Yu selected the equipment item: "Equip it, otherwise the quest cannot be started."