I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

The two walked out of the crowd and quickly found the virtual research club president who was wearing glasses.

"There are significant safety concerns with your equipment, especially when four high-powered machines are used simultaneously, which could easily lead to dangers such as electrical fires."

When speaking to outsiders, Yukino Yukinoshita's tone is always calm and unquestionable, not cold but unapproachable: "Please let me check your sockets and power strips again to see if they are being used in accordance with school regulations."

"Understood. Member, take the chairman there."

The president adjusted his glasses and instructed a member to take Yukino Yukinoshita to check the wiring. Then, his deep gaze behind his glasses turned to Yuuto Tenkuji.

"Tenkuji-kun, did you come with the chairman, or...?"

"I'm just here to help a friend with their booth. Looks like you've done a pretty good job." Yuu Tenkuji looked around the Virtual Lab's setup, her curious gaze sweeping from the crowded experience area to the empty arena area. She raised an eyebrow but didn't immediately ask anything.

"A friend?" The Virtual Research Club president's usually expressionless face, as bland as a zombie, showed a rare expression of surprise. "The friend you're talking about, it wouldn't be..."

“It’s Yuuki Koichiro, Koichiro-nii. The otaku college student who lent you the helmets.” Tenkuji Yu smiled. “It’s not that I don’t trust you guys, it’s just that I wanted to come and check on you when I have time, so I can take care of any problems you might have… I started using this machine around the same time as Koichiro, so I should know it better than you guys.”

“…I see.” The president of the Virtual Research Club pursed his lips, his nose bridge bulging as he kept pushing up his glasses, the glaring light from the lenses exploding wildly.

Because of his naturally expressionless face and the fact that his eyes were hidden behind thick glasses, Yuu Tenkuji didn't notice his complex and subtle feelings. Instead, he pointed to the arena area and asked, "After you changed the martial arts tournament into an arena, has it become so deserted?"

"No, that's not how it is..." After a few seconds of silence, as if considering his words, the president of the Virtual Research Club slowly spoke.

"Actually, a powerful challenger came to our side. After he took over our title, he kept crushing the newcomers who came up to challenge him, not giving them any gaming experience. Over time, naturally no one wanted to go up on stage and get brutally crushed by him."

Upon hearing this, Tenkuji Yu frowned: "There are such trash players? Why don't you just kick him out of the game? Can't the committee come over anytime if you need help?"

"No, the established rules must be followed; this is the dignity of our Virtual Research Institute!"

The president shook his head vigorously, his usually calm face suddenly taut with resolute lines like marble.

"It's our fault for being disrupted because we're not strong enough. We're just going to wait until he gets tired of being up there, and then we'll bring in customers to challenge him again."

"I see." Tenkuji Yu looked at him suspiciously. Although he could smell the lie, he couldn't see any emotion on that dead face, so he naturally didn't know what the president was hiding or deceiving him about.

However, when it comes to powerful challengers related to the game "Sword World", the first person that comes to mind for Yuu Tenkuji is, of course, Asuna Yuuki, who is far away at Black Lily Academy.

She was probably the only super-strong player in that game who could go toe-to-toe with him. If Asuna went all out and became the champion, then naturally no one but him could defeat her.

Looking at the arena area enclosed by two curtains, Yuu Tenkuji thought carefully for a moment and quickly gave up his guess that the champion was Asuna Yuuki.

Firstly, since she studies in a neighboring city, she wouldn't come to Zongwu High School to participate in the cultural festival unless she had to.

Secondly, the virtual research club president uses the character "他" (kare), and the virtual entity appearing on the screen in the arena area is also male, which basically distinguishes it from "她" (kanojo).

Finally, Asuna Yuuki isn't an unreasonable person. Given her personality, at most she'd get itchy and go on stage for a fight, then leave voluntarily to avoid bothering others; she would never intentionally cause trouble.

Thinking of this, Tenkuji Yuu unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, and then said to the president of the Virtual Reality Research Club:

"I'll help you get him down."

"Then I shall respectfully comply."

"?"

This guy agreed way too quickly and decisively, didn't he?

Noticing the growing confusion in Yuu Tenkuji's eyes, the Virtual Research Club president pushed up his glasses, sweat beading on his forehead in the late December winter heat.

Instead of explaining her plans to him, she respectfully reached out and gestured towards the seat behind the curtain: "Please, he has really caused us a lot of trouble. Please defeat that guy who is so powerful that he's not human."

"……I see."

With a focused gaze, Yuu Tenkuji looked the bespectacled man up and down. Although he still accepted the request, he kept turning back to look at the Virtual Research Club president, making him sweat more and more, almost like a waterfall on his stiff face.

Until his figure completely disappeared behind the curtain, the president of the Virtual Research Club suddenly collapsed, supporting himself on his knees, taking off his glasses and wiping the sweat from his brow with his collar.

"The oppressive force of that gaze..."

Before he could finish his reflection, he suddenly raised his head.

In the blurry world, someone peeked out from behind the curtain, staring straight at them.

He suddenly stretched out two fingers, first pointing to his eyes, then gesturing to himself in the distance—only after doing this did he pull his head back in.

Virtual Research Club President: "..."

Is this a warning to him, "I'm watching your every move"?

Damn it, why are all the people around Yuuki-senpai like these weirdos...?

The virtual research club president is so tired, I really want to play games.

"Where did he go?" Yukino Yukinoshita returned after checking the power supply and saw only the desolate figure of the Virtual Research Club president standing in place, but she did not see her boyfriend.

"They've gone to war in our place," he replied in a weathered voice, pointing to the screen above.

Yukino looked up.

On the lush grassland, a figure dressed in cloth gradually solidified, while the male imaginary figure opposite him, as if having waited for a long time, slowly stood up.

……

Meanwhile, there is an aerial walkway connecting the teaching building to the student club building.

Kasumigaoka Utaha has controlled her emotions and made up her mind that she will no longer get angry about anything related to Tenkuji Yu.

She's already in such a terrible situation, and she's already entangled with such a lousy notebook, why should she ruin her health by getting upset over other people's problems?

Didn't Dazai Osamu say that?

"Getting angry is torturing yourself with other people's mistakes; it's an irrational behavior."

...It doesn't seem to be something Dazai Osamu said, but it doesn't matter.

Following in their footsteps, I arrived at the Virtual Research Society office.

Kasumigaoka Utaha stood at a distance observing until she saw them split into two groups, with two people entering the clubroom and the others resting and waiting in the corridor. Only then did she take a deep breath and stride over with her long, black-stockinged legs.

'I know them, but they don't know me...'

For some reason, Kasumigaoka Utaha felt a little nervous.

The first person he encountered was a cute girl with silver hair and twin tails. She was Yuu's younger sister, a family member who was far more important to him than his own life.

The notebook even contained statements like "The two siblings are each other's reason for existence." I bet they're the only siblings in the world who would go to such an extreme.

When he subconsciously looked at her, Kasugano Sora also looked over, and the two of them couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

Then, Kasugano Sora's gaze naturally fell downwards, looking at Kasumigaoka Utaha's chest.

"..."

After turning their gaze away, one person quickened their pace with a blank expression.

Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't help but purse her lips with amusement—she really was still a child, completely unable to hide her envious, jealous, and resentful gaze.

After missing her sister, she met Tenkuji Yu's current girlfriend.

She had a crush on him since junior high school, but after her confession failed, they didn't return to being friends until her second year of high school. For the first three missions, she was either a background character or the loser.

She finally made it to the top of the list for this mission, but she's still not the notebook's chosen main heroine... Poor little pink dumpling.

"?"

Seemingly sensing her sympathetic gaze, Yui Yuigahama turned her head in confusion, then frowned and pondered with some distress.

Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't wait for her to remember who she was before continuing on her way as if nothing had happened.

Mrs. Yuihama, I don't know her, and there's not much information about her in the notebook, so I'll skip her.

I don't know Mrs. Yukinoshita, but both of her daughters were kidnapped by someone, and he easily solved the two tests she set. It's like she's cursed by Tenkuji... Being a mother is too hard.

Finally, there's Yukinoshita.

The only female college student present whose looks and figure could rival hers, and who had the most notes in her notebook, making it difficult to know whether to admire or pity her.

Tenkuji Yu's first girlfriend, a memory awakener who chased him from the past to the future.

Only she succeeded in rebelling against this world that had been remade three times.

"..."

Her mood instantly turned serious. Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't even dare to look at her for long and tried her best to maintain a calm and composed expression—because the notebook said that Yukinoshita Haruno's observation and keenness were no less than Tenkuji Yu's.

Who is Yuu Tenkuji? He's the protagonist of a light novel who's so good at everything that the world has to be remade three times for him, and who keeps getting girlfriends. He's a monster who's good at both academics and martial arts, practically omnipotent.

Anyone who can be compared to him by a laptop is definitely not someone to mess with.

As if walking back and forth in front of a sleeping lion, suppressing her tense muscles and wildly beating heart, Kasumigaoka Utaha maintained the same pace, gently tossing her flying black hair, and naturally brushed past her.

One meter, two meters.

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wait a moment."

"!?"

She held her breath, her back to the voice, and Kasumigaoka Utaha's face turned purple as if she were suffocating.

She instinctively stopped, her expression changing rapidly as she took deep breaths to adjust her mindset, at least outwardly appearing calm.

Then, he slowly turned around.

"Excuse me……"

“Mom, the driver just called me and said he’s been driving around for a long time and hopes we can give him a detailed pick-up time.”

“Okay, we’ll go back once Tenkuji-kun comes out… so tell the driver to drive around the area a few more times.”

"Okay~"

Yukinoshita picked up her phone and turned around as if sensing something.

The long-haired beauty who had just brushed past her had already entered the Virtual Reality Research Club office, and that "Excuse me~" didn't seem to be directed at her.

"But since they both have long, straight black hair and are both beautiful, why is Yukino's chest so flat?"

Based on personal experience, Xiaoyouyou is actually a fan of giant cat-themed beauties!

If Yukino hadn't been forced by the gods to find someone to date, she probably would never have had the chance.

Just as Yang Nai was about to grin with schadenfreude, she suddenly remembered her current situation, so she couldn't laugh at all and could only make a phone call with a sour face.

As for Kasumigaoka Utaha, who successfully escaped and avoided contact with his girlfriends, she made a conscious effort to walk through the gaps in the crowd to a corner, where she breathed a sigh of relief in a rare open space.

"Even if they talk to me, it's no big deal. I have no grudge against them, so I don't need to be afraid of anything happening..."