I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

He was careless and didn't dodge, so he was hit directly in the face.

Just like a little boy who secretly bought a young prince and hid him at home while going out to play, only to have his mother call ten minutes later saying he had to go tidy up his room, Yuu Tenkuji panicked inexplicably.

What he cared about was not the situation of "losing and getting back".

If things that should have disappeared still exist, then what about memories that should have disappeared...?

For some reason, Yuu Tenkuji shivered, a chill running down her spine, as a sense of foreboding rapidly grew within her.

He lowered his head, using the gesture of covering his head as he stood up to conceal his extremely unpleasant expression.

'Including the time with Qiong, this is the second time.'

"Damn system, I'll ask you one more time—that comb was bought by Yukino Yukinoshita by chance, it has nothing to do with you, and you didn't exhibit any bugs, right?"

With a last glimmer of hope in her heart, and under the concerned gaze of others, Tenkuji Yu took a deep breath, waving her hand to indicate that she was alright, while waiting for the system's reply.

After about five seconds of silence, the system responded in a mechanical female voice:

"confirm."

"This item was given to the target by the host during the mission and was not removed by this system for some special reason."

Damn! (A vulgar expression)

With impeccable acting skills, she tried her best to control her facial expressions, her muscles working so hard to keep her lips tightly pursed.

With great difficulty, Yuu Tenkuji managed to swallow back the curse that almost escaped his lips, and managed to deal with the people around him with a slightly embarrassed smile.

But then again...

Why is this system master, who can even alter world lines, always so ruthless and inefficient in his actions?!

Is it trying to see who can be more unreliable than Bilibili's potato-like servers?

Or have you, with your blind and clueless nature, been plotting against me all along, and finally found your chance today?

Seemingly hearing his question, the system added, "Please rest assured, host. The mission target's memories and your romantic feelings are identical, and have been confirmed to be completely erased after the settlement. The reason this item did not disappear is not due to a system error, but rather related to your situation."

Yuu Tenkuji felt no comfort whatsoever.

He followed the Service Club members out of the clubroom, a cold smile playing on his lips: 'Ha, so they're blaming me now?'

Regardless of whether Yukino Yukinoshita took out the comb in front of him intentionally or unintentionally—all he wanted to know now was what kind of explanation this damn system could give him!

(System explanation in progress...)

"This is fucking..."

After the system's emotionless explanation stopped, Yuu Tenkuji was at a loss for words.

According to the system, the fundamental reason why the comb was left behind was actually due to himself...

The principle is this:

Once you obtain the "Injury Time" status, regardless of whether you want to use it or not, as long as you enter the mission settlement space, the energy required for the "Injury Time" will be generated.

If used, it will be consumed; if not used, it will become superfluous—seemingly looking down on this excess energy, the system did not greedily absorb it itself, but generously gave it to the newly born "Yang Light Jade".

The so-called "light jade" is not an ornament to commemorate emotions, but a magical crystal used to achieve miracles.

Although a single piece can only be used as an ornament, with the help of system energy, it is still enough to achieve the small miracle of [keeping items that should have disappeared].

That's why the comb returned to Yukinoshita Haruno's hands.

Therefore, the past, which should have disappeared, can speak out, telling the story of its existence.

If "Yo no Kōgyoku" is Yukino's child, then this might be the child's last attempt to win back her mother before she leaves.

...Of course, the system wouldn't use such a humane analogy.

Yuu Tenkuji simply used a more understandable approach to clarify the system's long string of explanations.

In short, if he had activated "injury time" at that time, everything would have been completely erased at the end, and the "child" would not have been able to do anything.

It wasn't that the system had a bug that was causing trouble; rather, it was fate, and his choices led to his current situation.

In other words, he deserved it; he brought it on himself.

"Screw your damn system! You think you can shift the blame onto me like this?"

Tenkuji Yu frowned unhappily: 'The energy was given by you, the miracle was made by the light orb, and I've been an outsider from beginning to end—you dug a hole in the middle of the road, I walked according to my own ideas and got trapped, and you say I brought it on myself? Have you no shame?'

"..."

Of course, since the dog system doesn't even have a body, it naturally has no face to speak of.

Completely ignoring his protests, the system fell into a long silence, leaving him alone to sulk.

"Ya le ya le Daze..."

Rubbing his temples, which were throbbing slightly, Tenkuji Yu let out a soft sigh.

What else could he do?

You can't hang the system up and slap it, nor can you modify the world line yourself...

Accepting this fact seems to be the only option.

So, Tenkuji Yu quickly adjusted her mindset and cheered herself up.

'Hmm, there's no need to worry too much, it's just a comb... As long as my memories haven't returned, it won't affect me!'

Just like him, even if he retains his past memories, as long as the feelings from back then haven't been restored, Yukinoshita Haruno is just a familiar stranger to him, and won't change the current reality.

—That's how I lost my composure. It seems I'm just like an A5-grade Kobe beef—still too green.

After reflecting on her actions, Tenkuji Yu looked at the people around her.

Thanks to his flawless acting skills, no one noticed how conflicted he had been, how many brain cells he had lost, while discussing the upcoming "challenge activity."

"They set up challenges, and Yui completed them one by one. This feeling..." Yui Yuigahama clapped her hands excitedly, "It's just like a trial! Isn't there that, Hercules' Ten Labors?"

"It's Hercules, the mighty god from Greek mythology... and then there are the twelve trials." Yukino Yukinoshita sighed inwardly, speechless. "Should I praise you? At least you got most of the name and legend right..."

While Yui Yuigahama was awkwardly laughing, Shizuka Hiratsuka added, "Heracross is a Pokémon, a Bug/Fighting type, which I quite like."

"Sorry, nobody wants to know."

"Damn it, you city kids who never had a childhood..."

Listening to Hiratsuka Shizuka's rambling.

As he walked toward the cooking research club, Yuu Tenkuji felt a strange sense of emotion.

A trial... indeed, it bears some resemblance to the situation back then.

They all use the skills given by the system to show off in front of a certain person or group of people.

Thinking of this, Yuu Tenkuji casually turned his head and looked through the window of the empty classroom next to him at Yukino Yukinoshita's expression.

It would have been better not to look, because once I did...

He met those bright, cunning eyes, as if they had been waiting for him there all along.

"..."

Yuu Tenkuji felt his heart skip two beats—it was a sense of dread.

I turned my head and found someone staring at me. What kind of horror movie plot is this?!

It really scared me to death...

Even though she tried her best to control her facial muscles and not let herself show any unusual expression.

Tenkuji Yuuya couldn't help but twitch his cheek slightly. After pausing for two or three seconds, he turned his gaze away as if nothing had happened.

He had no idea what his quick-witted and intuitive "ex-girlfriend" had discovered.

I wonder what she thinks of that comb, or what kind of scheme she's plotting against me.

In a situation where the enemy is in the dark and we are in the light, besides gathering intelligence cautiously, Yuu Tenkuji can only remain unchanged and do his best to protect his already difficult daily life.

and many more.

Why do I suddenly have this feeling that the difficulty of the task is gradually increasing...?

△

"Go this way!"

Opening the campus map sent by Yuu Tenkuji, Asuna Yuuki led her mother toward the cooking club's classroom.

The surrounding crowds were so large that the lively atmosphere made the club building resemble a festival venue, except that it lacked the mouthwatering aroma of food.

Instead, laughter, shouts, and chatter filled the air, creating a vibrant and youthful campus scene.

"How was it, Mom? Yu-kun is amazing, isn't he?"

As they walked, Asuna smiled and spoke to her mother, her steps light and her tone full of boasting.

"I recorded the whole thing, you know? This level of skill is way better than our school's piano teacher, you could perform at the National Concert Hall!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? What kind of level do you think those who can perform at the National Music Hall are? You have no taste."

Kyoko Yuuki scolded, but her words were somewhat evasive: "Not only do you need to be a skilled pianist, but you also need to have an outstanding background, music theory knowledge, and award-winning experience. Apart from young geniuses from certain families, the only ones who can go on stage are those internationally renowned pianists."

She paused, crossed her arms, and calmly began to lecture her daughter.

"Asuna, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, you've overrated him... Unless he goes down this path and surpasses others with his own talent, it's not impossible."

"But it's still better than Sugo, right?" Seeing this, Asuna directly unleashed her ultimate weapon, "You already sent me on a blind date with that guy, if you still look down on Yu-kun now, I reasonably suspect you're a hypocrite..."

"Hmm?" Kyoko Yuuki's eyes widened, her gaze cold and sharp.

"...A guy with terrible double standards. But my respectable mother isn't that kind of person~"

Asuna suddenly changed the subject, her smile becoming playful as she clung to her mother's arm and acted coquettishly.

—This is something she hasn't done since graduating from elementary school.

Let go of my hand!

After saying this with bluster but no substance, and only struggling slightly, Kyoko Yuuki sighed and shook her head as if giving up: "Then I'll admit it—whether it's his demeanor when he goes on stage, his style when he plays, or his demeanor when he receives an award, this Tenkuji-kun really has nothing to criticize."

"To be honest, whether you're good enough for me or not... I'm actually a little worried for you, Asuna."

Before Asuna could even feel happy, her face immediately fell: "Mom, what do you mean?!"