I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Miss Yuki-onna also expressed her anticipation—she was looking forward to seeing what kind of embarrassed expression he would show after his boast was exposed.

Back in the noisy classroom, before class started, Yuu Tenkuji opened her phone's notes app.

The notes section at the top is filled with information related to Asuna Yuuki.

Yuki's address: ...

Asuna's school hours: ..., school dismissal time: ..., school location: ..., mode of transportation: ...

Tutoring center: ..., Address: ..., Phone number: ..., End time: ...

Without even thinking about who gave it to him, it was obviously from his ally, Koichiro Yuki.

It was packed full of information, much more detailed than the information he had given Yukinoshita Haruno before.

Knowing all this, Tenkuji Yu could completely control Yuuki Asuna's whereabouts—whether it was to kidnap her when she was alone or to stalk her and secretly film her life, it would be an easy thing for him.

Of course, it was precisely because he knew that Koichiro Yuuki wouldn't do such a thing that he spoke so frankly and without reservation.

That trust was so strong that even Yuu Tenkuji himself was doubtful.

Koichiro Yuki explained it this way:

"My relationship with Asuna wasn't too bad, but it wasn't great either."

"Normally, no one would take the initiative to chat with anyone else; we just live our own lives... But recently, I've gradually felt like I've gone back to my childhood, sitting on the eaves of the courtyard, eating watermelon and chatting."

"She started asking me about you and started initiating conversations with me, both in real life and on LINE."

"This became the catalyst for her to learn that I'm actually an anime fan. She also learned that although I work out, I still lost to you in a boxing match..."

"Well, it's a little embarrassing to say this, but it's all thanks to you that Asuna and I can talk like ordinary siblings about things we don't want to tell our parents or our classmates."

"So, Ayou, I believe you!"

"I believe that you, who have eased the tension between us siblings, can also bring about positive changes in Asuna's life!"

He concluded with a passionate tone.

This heartfelt and touching confession made Yuu Tenkuji feel hot all over, as if ants were crawling all over him, and he was so embarrassed that he almost dug out a "Aincrad" with his feet.

Is this what they call anime/manga fans? I'm scared!

No matter what Koichiro Yuuki says, he has no intention of reciprocating this trust.

After all, they've been doing that for a while now.

……

"But going directly to her tutoring center to confront her just doesn't feel right..."

Yuu Tenkuji kept thinking about this until school ended.

Let me give you an example—

If Yukino Yukinoshita hadn't sent him a message that subtly conveyed her feelings of wanting to see him, would he have traveled a long way to find her?

The answer is, absolutely not.

He was there to have dinner with his family and friends, why was he getting involved?

What if the other person doesn't want to see him there at all? Wouldn't that be considered excessive self-consciousness?

Not all good intentions should be accepted by others.

That's why Tenkuji Yuzai needed a reason to act.

It's the same this time.

It's like facing a sickly fish that's unwilling to jump out of the water, and he can't take any further action.

Even when trying to reel in the fish, no matter how many times you cast the bait, it shows no intention of biting.

"At least let me know you're safe, okay? Otherwise, I'll assume you were playing a game when a wild boar ran you over, and I'll call the police right away, okay?"

The seventh message is still unread.

"Congratulations, host, you have received a reward of 3000 yen."

The system notification popped up again, indirectly reflecting her current mood.

"Forget it, you can't rush things. Let's give her some time to process things."

Suppressing her impatience, Yuu Tenkuji scratched her hair and decided to put the matter aside for the time being.

...Since that's the case, I don't need to ask for leave from work today. I'll go and help out.

On the way to the coffee shop, Koichiro Yuuki suddenly called.

"Ayou, my sister told you not to worry about her. The reason she's not reading or replying to messages is just because there's a problem with her phone. She's fine now, so please don't overthink it."

Tenkuji Yu was slightly taken aback, then twitched the corner of his mouth, finding it somewhat amusing.

"Is there something wrong with your phone?"

This idiot, can't he even lie?

Seemingly finding his younger sister quite adorable, Yuuki Koichiro chuckled twice, but his tone suddenly became serious.

"Hey Ayou, you didn't send her any harassing messages, did you?"

Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but click his tongue: "Hey, do you think I'm that kind of person?"

Koichiro Yuuki said in a matter-of-fact tone, "That's hard to say. After all, men will do some silly things when it comes to love!"

"You are the example?"

"..."

After an awkward silence, Yuuki Koichiro forcibly changed the subject: "Alright, little high school student Tenkuji, now it's my turn, a college student, to teach you how to chat with girls."

"Did you know? How to gradually increase your attractiveness to a girl without making her feel disgusted is a very profound art..."

"You're so kind." With a cheerful tone, like a sunny day, Tenkuji Yu interrupted him with a smile, "But I'm sorry, I'm destined to be single for the rest of my life, so I don't need to."

Even if he has no luck with women, at least he has Qiong to back him up—this idea is very excessive, but at least until Qiong has other men she likes, it is a matter of course to him.

Anyway, that's what Qiong thinks too.

Even if she doesn't have a husband to support her, her brother will take care of her for the rest of her life and never abandon her—the tacit understanding between the siblings has long been so strong that it cannot be shaken by the outside world.

Of course, Koichiro Yuuki was unaware of these things.

"Destined to be single forever? Ha, you're pretty confident..."

"I have to go now, so I'll stop here. Thank you, informant."

"Who the informant is, you bastard!"

Yuu Tenkuji decisively ended the call, opened the chat room with Asuna Yuuki, and sent another message.

"Just how much do you hate me to have Hao-ge deliver this message to me...?"

As a result, half of the screen was filled with his messages.

However, the other party still maintained an attitude of not reading or replying, which made it seem as if he was harassing the girl with messages, and he was just short of being blacklisted.

"It's really uncomfortable to be ignored like this... I'll definitely ask her why next time we meet."

Putting away her phone, Yuu Tenkuji fanned the stuffy, sticky air with her collar and couldn't help but sigh.

The club performance is next weekend, it won't last until next Monday at the latest, if she still ignores me...

Even if it means blocking her way from her tutoring center to her doorstep, he has to win back his online gaming wife no matter what.

……

It got dark very quickly.

The night was deep, dark clouds loomed overhead, and the rain seemed to be about to burst forth in the high night sky.

Unexpectedly, when Yuu Tenkuji finished dinner and was about to take out Shunji Iwai's "Love Letter" to read,

The little fish that had been ignoring us finally took the bait and asked this question out of the blue:

How can I gain the same courage as you?

“Courage? What the hell…” Tenkuji Yu was a little dumbfounded.

Are all you girls riddle solvers?

However, he was only puzzled for a moment before he quickly realized that the girl was in a state of confusion and desperately needed someone to help her and guide her out of it.

So, after careful consideration, the relationship counselor, who had helped a wayward adult woman get back on track, gave this answer:

"It's very simple, just say one word."

What word?

"Would you like to team up with me for this mission, Asuna?"

If she still has any attachment to that world, if she is willing to cross the line between virtual and reality and try to make a change in her life—

Therefore, there is only one answer.

"want."

"receive."

Yuu Tenkuji nodded in satisfaction, chatted with her for a few moments, and then ended the conversation as quickly as possible.

The routine is always the same. In order to surprise her, he did not reveal his next move, but instead told her to stay in touch and wait patiently.

"Finally, we can move around."

Yuu Tenkuji stood up from the chair and stretched vigorously.

All my laziness vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of eager excitement.

He gazed out the window at the night, his eyes bright and the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, as if he could see the girl curled up on the bed in the inky darkness.

And subconsciously, she spoke softly:

"Asuna, from this moment on, I'm going to change your life!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent, as if even the street had been rendered speechless.

After a long while, Yuu Tenkuji took a deep breath, silently covered his face, and squatted down.