I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

……

"Hey~ So, Yu-kun, did you come all the way to 'Ichiyo Academy' to be my classmate just to woo me?"

As Tenkuji Yu recounted his experiences of the day, Yuuki Asuna sighed in surprise, her beautiful brown eyes glancing at him with a hint of amusement.

"This way of pursuing me is really touching. How about it, would you like me to become your 'girlfriend' right now?"

Tenkuji Yu simply twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Look at how smug you are. If I hadn't chased after you today, I probably wouldn't have seen you this weekend."

Asuna Yuuki was slightly taken aback: "Why? Am I in some kind of danger?"

"Didn't you even notice your surroundings? I'm telling you, there's someone sitting behind you..."

I don't know when, but the umbrella was replaced by Tenkuji Yuuna.

The two walked hand in hand in the light, gentle rain.

The night seemed to stretch to the ends of the earth, while the city's neon lights twinkled peacefully.

A black sedan sped past on the side of the road, and the cell phone in the girl's bag silently lit up with a message notification.

written request for leave

I was out all day today, and when I got back my mind was blank, so all I could do was write down a stream of consciousness.

I'm taking a day off to ensure quality.

After all, the plot of this volume is nearing its end, and the few chapters I owe will probably be made up for later.

Then Haruno will also appear at the end of this volume, setting the stage for the third volume.

My head hurts so much!

Chapter Sixty-Four: Show truth to the twisted, and lies to the straightforward.

Asuna Yuuki originally intended to take a taxi home, but now that someone was accompanying her, she was willing to walk back slowly with him, even if it was only a few dozen kilometers away.

Unfortunately, the Yuki family home is not too far from "Ichiyo Gakujuku". It takes about 40 minutes to walk home. Her mother made her call a taxi for her safety. If she finishes class early on weekends and her mother drives the car out, Asuna will walk home from the cram school.

I used to complain about how long this distance was, but now I feel that it doesn't matter if this road stretches to the ends of the earth.

Since meeting him, everything has changed.

……

Time is like ice melting under the sun, passing by swiftly without us even realizing it.

Asuna opened the umbrella slightly and looked up at the clear night sky. She tightened her grip on the warmth in her palm, not telling him to close the umbrella, but instead continuing to talk with a smile.

"Then my brother secretly said a lot of good things about you. I almost thought you sent him to brainwash me and make me like you..."

Yuu Tenkuji rolled his eyes: "I'd be an idiot to send him to do something like this, or maybe I want you to hate me... Besides, even without anyone else, wouldn't you develop feelings for me?"

Asuna Yuuki's eyes widened, and she immediately raised her chin arrogantly, looking disdainful as she tried to refute him.

"You think you're popular? I don't think so... Pfft."

Before she could finish speaking, she couldn't help but shake her head and laugh, gently nudging him with her slender shoulder: "You're so narcissistic! Really~"

Tenkuji Yu raised an eyebrow: "That's called confidence. Am I wrong?"

Yuuki Asuna thought about it seriously for a moment, then turned and stared at him for a long time before her smile suddenly blossomed like a flower, exuding a sweetness.

"Okay, you're right!"

They talked a lot along the way.

We talked about games, and we talked about reality; we talked about happy things, and we talked about things that bothered us.

Yuu Tenkuji talked about the difficulties he encountered in preparing for the "Autumn Club Showcase" recently, including having a difficult club president and not being able to find a third member;

Asuna Yuuki recounted how she was forced into an arranged marriage and how she mustered the courage to talk back to her mother for the first time. She also expressed her desire to return to that world as soon as possible to complete her mission.

The night was never quiet. As if they had endless things to say, they walked side by side past rows of streetlights, their footsteps and voices slowly extending from the commercial area into the residential area.

Yuuki Asuna suddenly remembered something and asked with some concern, "Yu-kun, won't it be a long detour for you to take me home like this?"

"No, it'll only take about thirty minutes by car." Tenkuji Yu shrugged. His plan was flawless; he had even arranged the train route back in advance.

"That's pretty close."

As she got closer to home, Asuna Yuuki subconsciously slowed her pace, her fingers brushing down her brow to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Her gaze fell on the ground, and she murmured softly, "So... from now on, after school, can we walk home together like this?"

Looking up, the Sky Temple gazed at the boundless night sky, its clarity like the reflection of a moonlit lake.

"If you're willing, I'll play along to the end."

"Congratulations, host, you have received the reward: Time Calculation (Status)."

Like a child who has received a Christmas present, Asuna Yuuki couldn't help but smile, her steps light as she walked on the road.

"Hmph, that sounds nice~ But I believe you!"

"Since you've put it that way, I'll try my best to convince my mother so that I can walk home every day without her having to pick me up from the tutoring center... It'll save her a lot of trouble, and she might even be happy about it."

Yuu Tenkuji nodded without saying anything more.

In the upscale residential area before us, the mansion of a detached villa gradually comes into view, its white exterior walls glowing a warm yellow under the streetlights.

“That’s my home.” Noticing where his gaze was focused and confirming his guess, Asuna Yuuki naturally changed the subject.

"Hey, Yu-kun... if it weren't for the connection in the Sword Art Online world, the way we're holding hands and walking home right now would be no different from any other couple, right?"

Knowing that she would eventually forget what happened during this period, Yuu Tenkuji answered very casually: "If you don't mind the omission of various procedures in between, you can think of it that way, it's fine."

"What?! You look so relaxed and confident!"

With a furrowed brow in displeasure, Asuna puffed out her fair cheeks like a squirrel, staring at him with a questioning expression.

"Is it because you have a lot of dating experience that you're so nonchalant? Or is it like what's written online, that those who are favored always take it for granted?"

The hand being held tightened, and the gaze sharpened, like the glint of a rapier.

Stared at by the girl with such an angry expression, for some reason, the corners of Tenkuji Yu's mouth couldn't help but turn up. Hiding that hint of pleasure, he said in surprise:

"I've even tried to make it a reality, and you still think I don't care about you?!"

"This……"

Asuna Yuuki was stunned. Her sharpness quickly faded under his gaze. She bit her pink lips slightly and smiled shyly and happily.

Yuu Tenkuji pretended not to see it, sighed heavily with his head down, and said in a feigned aggrieved tone, "I was prepared to be seen as a stalker by you, so I asked your brother a lot of questions about you before I finally decided to come and find you today... but you can't even feel my feelings."

"That's not true!"

The voice was incredibly clear, containing an undeniable will.

Stopping in front of the house, Asuna Yuuki grasped his hand tightly, presenting her slender and well-proportioned body to Yuu Tenkuji.

The streetlights illuminated her rosy cheeks, and her clear brown eyes seemed to radiate a gentle, bright light as she gazed intently into his eyes.

“Yu-kun, when I was running away from and unwilling to face reality, you kept sending me messages to care about me. I was really touched and happy.”

"If it were me, I probably couldn't be as persistent as you are with a stranger I've only known online for a short time, right?"

She took their clasped hands and solemnly enveloped them with her other hand, allowing their body heat to blend even more deeply.

Asuna Yuuki closed her eyes and whispered, "It was all just acting, all just pretending to be a couple... but when you held my hand, there was no fake tenderness in it."

"Perhaps that's why I accidentally fell in love with you."

Two crescent moons curved her lips, a small smile blooming on her face, and she sighed contentedly.

"Our relationship isn't a one-way street."

"..."

Silent and speechless, Tenkuji Yu gazed at her quiet and earnest pretty face as she spoke these words.

He questioned himself: She likes me, but do I really like her?

This question is simpler than what to eat for dinner tonight—it's neither something I like nor something I dislike.

Because in the game, Tenkuji Yu always had a playful attitude, and his intimate behavior with her was also to achieve his goal and give her spiritual satisfaction.

Even though he had some feelings for her, he still couldn't truly fall in love with a second person in such a short time.

Therefore, from beginning to end, Asuna Yuuki's feelings were a one-way street.

His acting skills successfully fooled her, but not himself.

I don't know if it's because of the last mission that I developed PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)...

Nevertheless, Yuu Tenkuji wouldn't tell Asuna Yuuki the truth. Instead, to make her smile even more, he said:

"There's nothing we can do. That game is just too realistic; it's not a joke at all."

He smiled helplessly, then clenched his fist around the soft hand in his palm: "Once you've taken hold, letting go won't be so easy, you know?"

"...Yes, that suits me perfectly."

Leaning forward, Asuna Yuuki gently rested her forehead against his chest, seemingly taking a deep breath.

Beneath her smooth chestnut hair, her ears were already flushed red, yet one could vaguely see the satisfied smile that shone from the bottom of her heart.

"From now on, I will get closer to you every day... until we can become the most important person to each other, whether in reality or in the game."

The faint sigh was blown away by the wind.

Tenkuji Yu placed the umbrella on the ground, wrapped his free hand around her head, pulled her close, and whispered softly in her ear:

"Whether in reality or in the game, I am so glad to have met you, Asuna."

"Me too, Yu-kun."

As if letting the night swallow them up, the two embraced in front of Yuuki's house, quietly enjoying the warm atmosphere.

Yuu Tenkuji closed his eyes, his expression slowly returning to calm.

— Show truth to the twisted, and lies to the straightforward.