I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

It's like a game with a predetermined ending, and he is the protagonist—no matter what happens or what the character he controls might think, the game cannot end until the ending is achieved. He can only keep moving forward and trying to end the game just for the sake of ending it.

This feeling of being pushed around is extremely uncomfortable. Trying to resist will only cause the system to rewind time. So in the end, Yuu Tenkuji can only carry out the mission in a Zen-like manner, protesting to the system with the attitude of "I don't care about your rewards, my mood is the most important", and waiting for the day when he collects five items to clear the game.

Looking back now, I realize that I was both incredibly clever and incredibly cowardly.

Because he was afraid of falling in love with a second person, a third person... and afraid of getting hurt again and again in an inescapable mission, he cleverly came up with a way to maintain his mindset, but cowardly chose to eliminate his feelings.

While playing games in my sister's room, Yuuya Tenkuji asked Kasugano Sora about her goals.

This is what she said:

"Stay by Yu's side and drive away all the vixens I don't like... Besides that? Hmm... I guess I'll just beat all the games I like?"

"It's not that I particularly enjoy playing games... It's just that I get a sense of satisfaction after finishing a game, and I also want to give the characters in the game a perfect ending. I feel that even though I'm like this, it's nice that I can still give them a push... Uh, what did you make me say! Forget about it, what are you laughing at!"

His younger sister was always so mature, so mature that sometimes even he, her older brother, felt inferior to her.

During lunch break, Yukino Yukinoshita also said that finding a goal is actually very simple; it just depends on whether you are willing to put in the effort for the things you value and not make any excuses.

Given this, the answer is quite obvious.

Stop deceiving yourself, ask yourself honestly—

Does he have something he wants to value, something he wants to obtain, or something he wants to touch?

"……system."

Tenkuuji Yu lay back on the bed, casually replying to the message from Yuuki Asuna, and calmly asked in a low voice, "Can I enter the system space now?"

The system replied to him emotionlessly: "Apart from the stages of completing tasks and settling accounts, the host can only enter the system space by paying a price."

He asked in a deep voice, "Then what is the price?"

"Consume the 'Sleep (Proficient Level) (One Use)' skill to enter the system space. Consume?"

"Hoho~" Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

This price is cheaper than I imagined...

"Sleep" was a skill he had recently acquired, but because it was too useless, he kept it to use for crafting.

Now that he's switched to the key to enter the system space, it's just right, and he won't feel the slightest bit of heartache.

Therefore, he said directly, "Granted. You damn system, take me in."

"The host will enter a sleep state. The internal and external time flow rates are 1:1. Please be prepared."

After he gave his permission, it was as if the system had poured a large bucket of sedative tea into his mind, and a strong sense of sleepiness instantly took over his consciousness.

Yuu Tenkuji did not resist.

He closed his eyes, letting the dark pool water envelop his entire body until his consciousness completely disappeared.

Chapter 44 That is to make the girls show a satisfied smile!

A world where no one exists

Coming to my senses, the desolate ruins came into view, like an ancient landscape that has never changed.

Compared to last time, however, there was an extra golden orb in the sky, like the sun, which turned the gray snow curtain into brilliant and gentle golden dust, bringing a touch of visual warmth to the cold and indifferent space.

Yuu Tenkuji stared blankly for a long time before looking away, rubbing her eyes with a touch of emotion.

"It's clearly not real sunlight, and the body isn't a real body, yet it hurts my eyes if I look at it for too long..."

As expected of something left behind by Yukino Yukinoshita.

She appears beautiful, yet carries sharp thorns; anyone who gets too close will easily be scratched.

He walked to the television screen that was displaying static, sat down cross-legged as before, and then spoke without any politeness:

"System, could you play that slideshow that almost made me cry again?"

The system replied: "Confirmed."

The screen flashed, revealing a picture of him looking up at the sky, his face contorted in a grimace, almost like a crumpled piece of paper soaked in liquid, as he struggled to hold back his tears.

The image quality is the highest definition, and you can clearly see the glistening teardrops floating around the edges of the eyes.

Yuu Tenkuji: "..."

After a second of silence, he suddenly sprang to his feet and kicked that ugly face with all his might.

Burn my soul, Senpa Senpo (1000%)!

With its full power exceeding all limits, crimson light swept through the air, leaving behind a faint smell of burning.

--boom!

Yuu Tenkuji used a kick, but nothing happened.

The screen was fine, his body was fine, and even the echo of their collision was quickly swallowed up by the immense silence.

The system silently proved once again that it was the only god in this world.

"Eat shit, you damn system!"

Completely ignoring this, with her fists clenched and trembling slightly, Tenkuji Yu glared angrily at the embarrassing scene on the screen, her face turning red with rage for the first time.

"Tell me, do you even have AI?! Come out and fight me if you dare! What kind of hero hides behind a screen and mocks me?!"

And when was that photo taken? Is the entire system space some kind of dog system photo studio?!

"No. This is the 'memory projection' the host wanted to see."

The system remained unmoved, its cold response only fueling my anger.

"The recording of the first mission is now playing."

"Who are you kidding? This one wasn't included last time!"

"Version updated."

"..."

The words stuck in his throat. After a moment, Tenkuji swayed, as if all the color had faded from his body, and slumped to the ground in despair.

"Gulp, just kill me..." He rolled his eyes and finally uttered this classic line.

Fortunately, that photo, which was arguably the darkest and most profound in his life, quickly became a scene of him and Yukino Yukinoshita brushing past each other on a street corner.

After taking a few deep breaths, Yuu Tenkuji composed herself and watched intently as the memories flashed before her eyes.

Their meeting, getting to know each other, separating, meeting again, making a promise, parting ways...

Finally, it ended completely amidst the glimpses of her beautiful figure, partially concealed beneath her bath towel.

The screen flickered with dark, static-like noise again.

"..."

Tenkuji slowly closed his eyes and sighed calmly.

"Sure enough, my mood is completely different now."

There will be no more sadness, and no more lingering attachment to her.

Just like flipping through photos of classmates from other classes in a graduation yearbook, apart from a few sentimental feelings about the past, his heart was completely undisturbed.

...I just feel a little empty.

It was as if something that should have been there had been forcibly dug away.

With his palm on his chest, Yuu Tenkuji gradually tightened his grip on his collar, straining until his knuckles bulged and veins stood out on the back of his hand.

But he couldn't help but grin and laugh out loud:

"Ha, thankfully, I realized it not too late..."

Having lost that romantic feeling, I am intelligent, rational, casual, and indifferent... I seem very strong, but inside I am hollow.

Since that day, a piece of his heart has been removed.

What remains are completely numb wounds and an unfillable void—where once existed a girl named Yukinoshita.

Unwilling to face this fact, he chose to escape the present situation, and his mentality was very different from the past; he made a smart choice in his own opinion, but in fact he was just hiding in a cowardly shell, afraid of being hurt again.

Of course, that's not wrong.

No matter who tries to deny it, Yuu Tenkuji doesn't think he's done anything wrong.

...However, his pride wouldn't allow him to continue being weak.

Continue living under the protection of that so-called "correct" ideology, and become an innocent and adorable person like Yukino Yukinoshita.

He is Kasugano Sora's older brother and Yukinoshita Haruno's former hero—how could he be lying on the ground and afraid to get up just because he was injured once!

“Very good... I know what to do.”

Yuu Tenkuji lowered his hand, stood up from the ground, and patted off imaginary dust from his bottom.

He looked up at the sunbeam overhead with a relaxed expression and waved at it: "Thank you so much, you're still here helping me with the lighting even after everything is over."

Speechless, the "Radiant Jade of the Sun" remained silent, its light still bright and warm, but no longer so dazzling.

“Also, system…” Tenkuji Yu lowered his head, facing the LCD screen, “Although I always call you a dog, I also have thoughts of waiting for you to become human, pinning you to the ground and beating you up, and training you to only say ‘Master, I’m sorry~’”

system:"……"

"However, I am not your pawn, nor a character you control, nor a ruthless task machine."

He turned around with a smile and walked to the stone gate next to him, placing his palm on the door panel.

Their gaze was no longer wavering or confused, but fixed firmly and steadily ahead.

"It has nothing to do with you or them—from now on, everything I do is for myself!"

The former Yuu Tenkuji, for the sake of his younger sister and the family's livelihood, went through the motions of mining to describe his actions.

Even after he fell in love with Yukinoshita Haruno, he was still preoccupied with wanting to be with her. It wasn't until after the mission was over that he became disheartened and decided to give up on his feelings.

He always reacted passively and never took the initiative to think about what he had gained or changed from making those choices, even when the tasks were forced upon him.

If you're not even willing to understand these things, then that time that only he remembers, that pain that only he carries—wouldn't it all be meaningless?

Living is not simply about living, just as playing a game is not about completing the game for the sake of completing it.