I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Yukinoshita couldn't help but chuckle a few times, like a clown in a circus, her skill in pleasing herself was extremely high.

Looking at the cheerful smile in the mirror, and the gradually tidy, smooth, shoulder-length short hair, she lowered her bright eyes, suddenly slowed her breathing, and focused her mind, chasing that faint, vague feeling.

...The comb gently scratched his scalp, and a smile inadvertently appeared on his lips.

It feels so familiar.

It was a feeling that was different from the daily routine of the past, yet so familiar that it was etched into my heart.

what is it then?

Like searching for sunlight through a gap in the clouds on a snowy day, Yukino Yukino slowly stopped what she was doing, running her fingers and comb through her hair, her expression unusually serious, and she closed her eyes in deep thought.

"jingle--!"

The alarm clock she had set suddenly went off. After she stopped it, her arm fell limply to her side, and she sighed heavily, tilting her pretty face up.

"Ha~ Haruno-chan's a huge failure~ I still didn't think of anything."

Since I've gotten used to it, I'm not too disappointed, just a little unwilling.

Every morning, Yukino Yukinoshita gives herself ten minutes of "mystery-solving time" to unravel the unsolved mysteries surrounding her.

The wooden comb, seemingly from nowhere, evoked a sense of emptiness, as if something had been lost, and a strange change, as if something had been gained—

From that day on, she was like a clumsy child trying to unravel a difficult nine-linked puzzle, persistently working on it every day.

If my mother and sister found out, they would definitely treat me with both concern and ridicule without mercy.

It's quite funny that she, who is usually mature, calm, and composed, could be so mentally sensitive as to have delusions.

Even so, it doesn't matter.

Yukino Yukinoshita considers herself an overly burdensome woman.

She never lets go of what she sets her sights on, never gives up what she owns, and will definitely get back what she has lost—even if it's just an illusion, she wants to know where that illusion comes from before deciding whether to give it up.

Therefore, no matter how many times she fails, she will persevere until she finds the solution.

"However, it's not like there's no progress at all~"

Thinking of this, Yukinoshita Haruno quickly cheered up, and a smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.

After combing her hair, she put the comb at the bottom of her bag and opened the cosmetics cabinet.

"Let me think, when would be a good time to go to Soubu High School next time..."

As she drew her eyebrows in front of the mirror, she hummed a cheerful tune.

After all, there was a boy there who she cared about a lot.

There's a connection between them as sisters, and also a connection based on their abilities, but what interests Yukinoshita Haruno the most is...

It was the change in his facial expression when he saw the comb.

Perhaps the key to unraveling the 'illusion' lies in that high school student who plays the piano beautifully, is handsome, and whom you find particularly pleasing to the eye!

Although we only met yesterday, I sensed he didn't have a very good impression of me. If I go to Soubu High too often, my fussy younger sister will complain again...

However, if she really wants to do something, she won't care about all that; she'll do whatever it takes to achieve her goal!

"Tenkuji-kun... tsk, that's too much of a mouthful. Let's just call him Yu-Yu~"

As she silently murmured the name, Yukinoshita Haruno found herself unable to suppress the lighthearted smile on her face. A certain emotion was churning in her chest, as hot and boiling as magma from the earth's core.

Why is this so?

The main reason she set her sights on Yuu Tenkuji was to find the answer to this question.

△

"Achoo!"

Yuu Tenkuji, who had just returned from a jog, was taken aback and stood frozen in the entryway, rubbing her nose.

"With my constitution, how could I still catch a cold... It's not even that cold outside."

Moreover, with its "completely new" operation, it's impossible for him to catch a cold from being exposed to cold air while sweating; this sneeze is more like an unreliable warning.

"Damn this dog system, is it trying to betray me again?" He stroked his chin, concluding with eighty percent confidence.

"Host, the system has not done anything unnecessary for you."

As if trying to prove her innocence, the system's gentle, coriander-like voice rang in her mind, making Tenkuji Yu grin uncomfortably.

I always feel that a cold, impersonal system is better; something that's too human-like can make people uncomfortable—and that's just the level of basic intelligence.

Could it be that after completing five tasks, the system will actually turn into a cute girl?

Will we really have to resort to inhumane methods like silencing and muting to deal with it?

Out of a sense of chivalry, Tenkuji Yu hesitated.

But the thought that the system had forced itself on him first made all his hesitation vanish, and his determination to get revenge sooner or later hardened once again.

"System, shut up if I didn't ask you anything. Don't try to read my mind or criticize me."

As they walked toward the bathroom, Yuu Tenkuji decisively issued a mute order.

Even with its gentle and pleasant voice, the system's tone still possessed a somewhat robotic, inorganic quality:

"Understood, host."

The world has finally quieted down again.

With time to spare, Yu took a hot shower to wash away her fatigue and began to think about what she needed to do next.

After emerging from the bathroom, he went into the kitchen feeling refreshed. While making a phone call to a certain "tool" who had helped him a lot in both timelines, he began preparing breakfast.

The call connected, but there was only silence on the other end; one could only faintly hear heavy breathing.

"Hey, Hao-ge?"

"..."

"Are you still sleeping? I forgot you're a college student who's never on time to get up."

"...Is there something you need?"

"How is your sister, Asuna Yuuki, doing? Also, do you know Nobuyuki Sugo?"

"...Good...sit in jail..."

"That's none of your business, go to sleep, college student."

"Grass……"

Before Yuuki Koichiro could finish his spiel from sleep and finish cursing, Tenkuji Yu hung up the call. Now that he knew what was going on, his cooking became a little lighter.

I didn't bother to find out the details about the changes in the timeline; I just needed to know that my ex-girlfriend was doing well.

Yesterday's events are like yesterday's death; today, he looks to the future—after all, a healthy mindset is essential for a healthy love.

"That's right, I'm totally obsessed with love right now!"

Who will be the next target in Chapter Two?

Yuu Tenkuji laughed, half self-deprecatingly and half happily.

A rich aroma soon wafted from the kitchen. After preparing two breakfasts, he went upstairs, knocked on his sister's door, and returned to the living room without waiting for her answer.

Halfway through breakfast, the silver-haired girl, still sleepy and swaying, carrying a rabbit doll, finally walked towards the dining table.

Why didn't you wait for me?

"I still have to go to school." Yuu Tenkuji pushed a glass of milk towards him. "Did you stay up late playing games again last night?"

"One o'clock in the morning doesn't count as staying up late." As if stating some truth, she answered so confidently, without even looking at the glass of milk, and went to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of barley tea before pulling out a chair to sit down.

Yuu Tenkuji had no choice but to slowly finish the glass of milk with bread.

Looking at his younger sister's delicate, fair face, which was now adorned with two noticeable dark circles under her eyes, he stroked his chin and murmured thoughtfully:

"Hmm, if we just drag you back to school, your terrible sleep schedule should be able to be corrected, right?"

"Onii-chan, please don't have such dangerous thoughts." Picking up a fried egg, she said the most cowardly thing in the most calm tone, "Going to school is impossible. Unless I become interested in school someday, I will stay in my room and never leave the room even if there is an earthquake."

Every word exudes the pride of a shut-in, making it impossible to admire him at all.

Tenkuji Yu shook his head and sighed, but then suddenly thought of something and revealed a mischievous smile.

"If your brother got a girlfriend at school, would you be interested?"

"..."

The chopsticks suddenly stopped in mid-air, and Kasugano Sora stared at him without moving, her light-colored pupils deep and silent.

Yuu Tenkuji subconsciously wanted to retract his earlier statement, but in the end, he looked directly at her with a calm gaze and his smile remained unchanged.

Breakfast had barely begun when the table fell into a deathly silence, as if it were the dead of night.

"...We'll see. Maybe I'll consider it once you have a girlfriend."

To his surprise, Kasugano Sora's expression remained calm. She simply said this casually and then continued eating her breakfast.

Tenkuji Yu frowned in confusion, unsure of what she was thinking, and naturally, he couldn't press her for an answer.

It was just a spur-of-the-moment experiment; whether or not it yielded a result was actually irrelevant.

After all, whether or not to go to school is up to her, and whether or not to have a girlfriend is his own business; neither of them wants to interfere too much in this regard.

But such a weak reaction is really strange...

In the quiet atmosphere, the dishes were quickly emptied, and after tidying up, Yuu Tenkuji prepared to go to school.

Kasugano Sora stood in the entryway, holding her rabbit doll, watching his tall figure in his uniform and leather shoes, her cherry-colored lips pursed slightly.

"...Be careful on the road."

Yuu Tenkuji opened the door: "I'll go to the coffee shop today and be back before dinner."

"Aren't you going to tutoring classes anymore?"

"...I'm not going." Tenkuji Yuu paused, still unable to contain her curiosity, "Sora, why did I even go to cram school?"

"You forgot?" My sister's questioning voice sounded from behind me. "You said you were really annoyed by the top student in the grade and wanted to stand on her head to mock her during the next test, so you signed up for tutoring to improve your grades... But the next test isn't here yet, is it? Giving up so early isn't like you."