I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

There must be something else at play for the memories to be so profound and the lingering aftertaste so unforgettable.

"That's why I like Yukinoshita Haruno's smile."

After watching the slideshow, Yuu Tenkuji confirmed this fact once again.

Even if I no longer like her, I will never forget the satisfied smile on her face because of me.

Is it because even with the system's intervention, he still couldn't let go of her?

Or is it just as Qiong said, that he simply wanted to give "her," whom he met through the system, a beautiful ending with a smile?

The system did not provide an answer.

This is one of the most difficult questions in the world that no one but myself can answer.

So, in order to find the answer, he will become Yuuki Asuna's "online boyfriend".

To see her radiant smile of contentment, we must keep moving forward on this predetermined track until we reach the finish line.

This time, the scenery along the way will surely not disappoint him either.

"Well, we don't know yet whether it's 'something important' or not."

"But all in all..."

The stone door was pushed open forcefully, and Tenkuji Yu stepped into the blinding white light.

He suddenly turned around, laughed heartily at the screen half-buried in the ground, and poked his chest with his thumb:

"She's my target, not yours!"

The next moment, his arrogant declaration and his figure disappeared behind the stone gate.

"..."

Gray dust, tinged with sunlight, floated and sank in mid-air.

A patch of static flickered on the screen; the world, devoid of human presence, remained silent, as if it would continue forever.

So quiet that even this line of text seemed to have never appeared—

"Third target, locked in advance... Mission changed."

Chapter 45 Never Be Afraid of Your Mother-in-Law

The next day, after knowing what I had to do.

I attended classes as usual in the morning, went to a coffee shop in the afternoon to educate the new part-time student, and went home in the evening to cook for my younger sister.

After completing this set of fixed procedures, it was nearly 8 p.m., and night was falling.

Before going live, Yuu Tenkuji made a phone call to Koichiro Yuuki, hoping to get some information out of him first.

After a few pleasantries, Yuu Tenkuji got straight to the point:

"Brother Hao, is your family's education really that strict?"

"Huh? Why are you suddenly asking about this?" Yuki Koichiro was taken aback.

Yuuki Tenkuji calmly explained, "After chatting with your sister for a few minutes in the game, I suddenly became curious."

"..."

After a half-second silence, a puzzling yet meaningful voice of realization came from the other end.

"Oh, I see~"

Tenkuuji Yu gripped the phone tighter, seemingly sensing the murderous intent emanating from him. Yuuki Koichiro coughed twice, then feigned seriousness and said:

"Of course it's very strict! After all, my mom is a university lecturer and has been used to teaching since she was a child. My dad also has family pressure, and every time he goes back to Beijing for the New Year, he has to compare himself with a bunch of relatives..."

At this point, his tone became somewhat helpless: "If it weren't for the need to save face and increase the influence of my words back in my hometown, my parents' 'elite education' wouldn't have been so strict."

Sky Temple Yuu seemed thoughtful: "I see..."

He didn't ask any further questions, but Yuki Koichiro continued to talk on and on: "My dad doesn't really care about grades, as long as we're doing well. He's too busy with his own work to have time to educate us..."

As for my mother, she was born in the countryside and worked incredibly hard to make a name for herself in Tokyo. She had an exceptionally strong competitive spirit from a young age, and after having children, she placed all her hopes on us, always expecting us to be number one in every exam.

"Actually, it's not too bad. After all, she's the kind of parent who pursues the right path and is absolutely strict about our studies. She only cares about our future and growth, and nothing else matters. Although it can be suffocating, it's not oppressive."

"If Asuna and I weren't both smart enough to get high scores without much studying, my mom probably wouldn't be so strict... After all, she always tells us not to waste our rare talents, but she doesn't require us to learn talents like piano."

"By the way, don't believe me when I described her as a bad person. She's just cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Because we've never dared to disobey her since we were little, she's used to making decisions for us on her own, like which school we should go to, our future career paths, marriage arrangements, and so on... Really, you'll understand once you've met her in person!"

"So never be afraid of your mother-in-law..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yuu Tenkuji decisively hung up the phone, then sent a thank-you emoji, ending the call once and for all.

Seriously, why can't this person just have a proper conversation?

He started dragging his sister into the matter after only a few sentences; just how much does he want to sell her off...?

Although Yuu Tenkuji did have a slight intention to harm his sister when he made that phone call today.

"It's mainly a family issue... no, a problem with one's own will? In that case, there's not much I can do to help..."

Muttering to himself, Yuu Tenkuji picked up his helmet and entered the virtual world.

△

Aincrad, Level 1, Entrance to the Abandoned Quarry.

Sky Temple slowly awoke, and what came into view was the tent ceiling it had seen for the second time.

He climbed out of his sleeping bag and saw the other sleeping bag light up, revealing a beautiful and gentle young woman emerging from the shadows.

"You're on time today. Is everything alright with your mother?"

"Huh?" Asuna blinked, somewhat bewildered, as she was asked this question right after logging in. "It should be fine... She has work to do today and doesn't have time for me."

"That's fine. I don't want to hear the news that you won't be able to log on one day."

With a smile, Yuu Tenkuji put away her sleeping bag and stretched vigorously.

As she stood up, Asuna continued to look him up and down, and said hesitantly, "Hey, Yu-kun... I feel like there's something strange about you."

"Oh dear, what's wrong with me?"

Tenkuji Yu tilted his head at her in confusion, but a smile still lingered on his lips, making him look just like a creepy uncle about to kidnap a little girl.

"Ugh, that's the weird thing!" Asuna couldn't help but shrink her slender shoulders, crossed her arms and took two steps back, staring at him warily. "It's like you're plotting something bad... You haven't come up with a new way to prank me, have you?"

"Hey, do you think I'm that kind of person?" Removing her deliberately teasing expression, Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but laugh and twitch her lips.

Remembering something, Asuna's cheek twitched slightly: "Oh my, how dare you say that~"

She suddenly laughed in anger, her delicate eyebrows arched high, and her anger was clearly evident in her eyes.

"I don't know who said yesterday that wild boars are divided into males and females, and that if you kill a female wild boar you can get dairy products that can be used to cook. So they asked me to check the lower... lower abdomen of each wild boar!"

"When I logged off, I asked my brother, and he said that all wild boars are male, and you have to find cow-type monsters to get dairy materials!"

She slowly stepped forward, raised her fair and delicate fist towards him, the dark shadows obscuring half her face, making her smile even more amiable.

"Tell me, how should I settle this score with you? How about I send you to find out if the pig-headed man has a female?"

"Isn't it obvious at a glance?" Yuu Tenkuji said, subtly retreating to the tent entrance.

Asuna pressed closer, her gentle yet terrifying aura seemingly merging with the night sky.

"Did you really check it?"

"Of course not, I'm playing a game, not a monster."

"Well, we don't know, right? Just like before you open a box, nobody knows if the kitten inside is still alive, so you don't know if the pig-headed person is female or not."

"Wait, did you mistake O'Kin, the pig-headed man, for Schrödinger's cat?!"

"Oh... idiot, don't use such vulgar language!"

In the instant she instinctively stopped in her tracks, her face flushed and teeth clenched, Tenkuji Yu decisively turned and left the tent, leaving behind only one sentence:

"Alright, let's get ready for the mission. Our time is very precious, and we don't have time to waste discussing such meaningless things."

"..."

Damn it, who wasted time first?!

However, before he could say it, he slipped out of his sight, leaving his raging anger without an outlet.

The tent fell silent, with only Asuna staring at the empty doorway, gritting her teeth.

"That wretched guy, I'll definitely teach him a lesson with my sword skills next time..."

Despite grumbling in dissatisfaction, her eyes curved into two crescent moons, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

The fatigue from studying all day vanished, and my heavy shoulders felt much lighter... Well, I don't know if it's thanks to the virtual world.

Anyway, it has absolutely nothing to do with that awful guy!

Quickly forgetting all the unpleasant things, Asuna stretched and then quickly walked out of the tent while pulling out her equipment.

"Yu-kun, wait a minute! We were supposed to be on a mission, but we haven't even found the entrance yet..."

"Isn't this something anyone with a brain could figure out?"

"...Very well, let's duel now. I'll finish you off in one minute, right now!"

With a crisp sound of a sword being drawn.

The silver diamond ring on her ring finger shimmered gently in the corner of her eye.

Chapter 46 I'd rather you thought of strange things.

After a brief period of commotion.

Having finally calmed the aggressive chestnut-haired rapier wielder, Yuu Tenkuji packed up the tent and stood with her in front of the rubble-strewn mine, beginning to explain the mission:

"First, we must assume that the coordinates indicated by the 'Ring of Beloved' are real; otherwise, we have no way to begin."

"Next, if the coordinates are true, it means that the entrance does exist at this location, but we just haven't found it or triggered it yet."

Asuna placed her fingers on her fair chin, thought for a moment, and quickly understood the key point: "The entrance is hidden, underground? Or inside these stones?"