I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Yukino Yukinoshita kept asking herself these questions.

Rather than saying it's impossible, it's more accurate to say she's unwilling to admit it.

Unwilling to admit that after realizing something, she felt extremely surprised and involuntarily happy—such emotions are definitely not something Yukino Yukinoshita should have.

She unconsciously lowered her gaze, gently biting her lip, not daring to meet Tenkuji Yu's eyes again.

If there really were a girl in this world whose best friend's boyfriend confessed his feelings to her, and she wasn't bothered at all, but instead so happy that she wanted to say yes on the spot...

That means something inside her must have already broken down.

“I’m not joking.”

Even so, he still didn't consider the chaos in his heart as he stood at the door, continuing to talk to himself: "Anyway, no one's around, so I'll just say it straight—Yukino, I've liked you for about a month now."

"..."

Yukino Yukinoshita remained silent, her expression unchanged.

—Then why did you date Yui?

Why did you betray her and my trust in you, doing such a scumbag thing?

“I know you like me, although it’s a little strange for me to say it myself, as if I’m becoming as narcissistic as you…” He smiled helplessly and said in a sincere and gentle tone, “But no matter how you deny it, I can tell you’re lying. So let’s be honest with each other and sit down and talk it over? And there are some things I want to explain to you as soon as possible.”

"..."

More unpleasant emotions than mere irritation were stirring within me.

Yukino Yukinoshita didn't look at his expression, afraid that if she looked up, her precarious composure would completely collapse.

—Yes, you said you knew I liked you.

How could you not know why I tell lies that I don't even believe myself?

Where do you get the confidence and audacity to stand in front of a girl who was suddenly hugged, confessed to, and then had her feelings exposed by you, and who doesn't know what to do now, and say those things with a smile?

Countless questions and taunts welled up in his throat. Yukino Yukinoshita pressed her brow hard, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath to suppress them, along with the feeling of nausea.

She couldn't understand it; this was the first time she had ever felt this way about him... The Tenkuji Yu she knew shouldn't be this kind of person.

Something's definitely wrong with this world, isn't it?

The changes were happening so fast that she suddenly felt as if she were still in a nightmare and had not yet woken up.

—Yes, a nightmare.

Being confessed to by someone you like is nothing short of a nightmare for Yukino Yukinoshita, who doesn't want to betray her best friend.

"I'll say it one last time, I have nothing to say to you."

Yukino Yukinoshita stuffed the books on the table back into her bag, picked up her own things, and hid her expression under her falling hair.

She lowered her head and walked towards the door as if fleeing, her voice cold and muffled: "Whether you're joking or not, whether I really like you or not... for the sake of the three of us, for the sake of Yui, let's pretend nothing happened."

"Otherwise, I'll start to hate you."

A familiar scent wafted through the air, passing by Yuu Tenkuji, before she swiftly opened the iron gate and strode out of the clubroom.

As for Tenkuji Yu by the door, he just sat there blankly in the chair, watching her slightly flustered steps walk away, and the hand that was half-raised ultimately failed to grab her arm.

It wasn't that he didn't want to stop it, nor was it that he deliberately didn't explain for the sake of plot conflict, and that he would only speak properly when something else happened next time.

—As the two passed each other, Yukino Yukinoshita made eye contact with him for a fleeting moment.

Her slightly parted cherry lips hesitated for a moment, then quickly pursed tightly.

Her watery eyes, filled with complex emotions, gazed intently at him, silently expressing her thoughts as if they could speak:

"Give me some time to calm down. If you dare stop me, be prepared to break off all contact with me."

That look was so resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.

It wasn't until she strode away from the Service Club that Tenkuji Yu snapped out of her daze and gradually realized what had happened.

He couldn't help but slap his forehead in self-reproach, letting out a bitter and frustrated sigh:

"Am I an idiot?! What's the rush...?"

Eager to help her regain her memory, eager to prove that he still loves her, eager to bring the two of them back to their intimate relationship as they were yesterday, eager to fulfill the vows and promises they made—these were the thoughts that unconsciously filled Tenkuji Yu's mind after seeing her on the news broadcast.

He only thought of himself, completely disregarding how confused and panicked Yukino would be in this situation after her memories were rewritten.

Indeed, she loved him, even as the world changed.

Perhaps this feeling had been quietly brewing in her heart even before they started dating—but so what?

To Yukino Yukinoshita right now, Yuu Tenkuji is a scoundrel who is dating her best friend while also trying to take advantage of her feelings and have a fling with her.

That's why I called him a scumbag, and that's why I was so angry.

This affection wasn't a magic bullet to get out of trouble, and her sense of justice and morality wouldn't allow her to do something like stealing someone else's love or having an affair—but then Tenkuji Yuichi came along with a hug and a confession, making it impossible for her to calm down and think things through, let alone listen to his explanation.

No matter how much she likes Yuu Tenkuji, she would never accept a confession from her best friend's boyfriend.

In retrospect, Yukino Yukinoshita's decision to leave in order to calm her thoughts proves that she is much more mature than Yuu Tenkuji in this respect and does not act on emotion.

Like a boxer who has been hit hard several times in the ring, Yuu Tenkuji held his head and thought for a long time before his breathing gradually calmed down.

"First, we need to understand exactly how the system has distorted the past events..."

Next, I'll talk to Yui about the 'mission' and 'girlfriend'; I wonder how much she still remembers..."

He raised his head, and confidence and composure returned to his face.

Making thorough and efficient plans in advance is what he is best at and most used to doing.

After thoroughly clarifying her thoughts, Yuu Tenkuji knew what to do next.

Only by winning over Yui can he, with the help of his current girlfriend, begin to pursue his ex-girlfriend, Yukino Yukinoshita—otherwise, she will always feel guilty towards her best friend and will subconsciously resist everything related to him.

Next are three other girlfriends; I need to find time to meet them as soon as possible.

If they still remember the events of the last mission, or if Yukino Yukinoshita's restored memories haven't been erased by the system, then persuading Yukino Yukinoshita to accept the current situation would be much easier than simply relying on him to talk his way out of it and gain her trust.

After that, there will probably be many difficulties hindering Tenkuji Yu, preventing him from so easily reconciling with all his girlfriends and living a blissful life of having multiple wives.

Not to mention the still unknown fifth mission, and the infamous "dog system" that could cause trouble at any moment and is considered the root of all evil...

The road is long and arduous, with no end in sight, and many thorns blocking the way.

Thinking about it carefully, it would be easier to let go of the past, just like the previous three times. Perhaps it's really unnecessary to create trouble for myself like this.

"Unfortunately, I've already agreed to her request."

Tenkuji clapped her hands casually, got up and put the chair back next to the long table. She glanced at the rising sun shining in from the window and smiled apologetically at the spot where she always sat.

"My goal now is to get back at the trouble caused by my girlfriend... No matter how difficult it is, I can't give up."

Just like how one day, the sky filled with dark clouds will eventually clear up.

Just like how one day, the city covered in snow will eventually welcome spring.

No one will leave, and everyone can bloom with a contented smile in spring.

Tenkuji Yu turned and strode forward, as if walking towards that future.

As the lights dimmed, the footsteps in the corridor gradually faded into the distance.

That winter, the Service Department was completely deserted.

Chapter Four: Grandma once said

Considering it was only a little past nine in the morning, Yuu Tenkuji did not go directly to Yuihama's house for a visit. Instead, on her way back, she stopped by a supermarket near her home to buy groceries.

By this time, most of the snow on the shopping streets had been cleared, and the glistening snow clinging to the bare branches and eaves was no longer so bothersome. Together with the street lights, it created the atmosphere that a white Christmas should have. I imagine that at night, the whole of Tokyo will be like a dream, filled with a romantic atmosphere that is rarely seen on ordinary days.

So how did I spend Christmas Eve if I wasn't with Yukino Yukinoshita?

While pondering this question, Yuu Tenkuji passed by a small park and was drawn in by the delicate shouts coming from inside.

You can see several little girls with different hair colors having a snowball fight. They are probably around eleven or twelve years old. Their gloved little hands pick up snowballs and throw them at each other without much force. They laugh and dodge the flying snowflakes. Their slender and petite bodies are full of energy as they run and jump on the snow.

Such a beautiful everyday scene, just looking at it from afar, gave him a strange sense of healing, and he couldn't help but smile happily—of course, to avoid being seen as a lolicon pervert, he used "presence adjustment" to lower his presence before smiling.

After watching openly for two or three minutes, Yuu Tenkuji finally walked away satisfied. The elementary school students continued their lively snowball fight, and he did not disturb any passersby or patrolling police officers.

At the same time, he recalled that he had met these elementary school students once before.

"I really miss those days... Back then, I even stole a basketball from an elementary school student to try and throw it, just to test my 'throwing' skills..."

Like an old general reminiscing about the battlefield, Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but sigh and shake his head in wistfulness.

Although he didn't actually steal the ball; it just happened to roll to his feet, and he used it to show off in front of the little girls.

The 20-meter swivel that once required complete concentration to make can now be headbutted into by me—and my expert-level throwing skills back then have now been perfected to the highest level, allowing me to hit the target every time, no matter what I throw or how I throw it.

From summer vacation to winter vacation, in less than half a year, those little girls are still just as energetic and cute, with little change.

However, it was as if he had entered a mental time chamber. Both his body and mind were completely different from the part-time worker, the ruthless task machine, the invincible virgin brother-complex, and the Tenkuji Yu who lived only for his sister.

He probably never imagined that he would meet such important people and find more reasons to live in this world.

He probably never imagined that he, who believed his heart and actions were always right, would choose to run wildly down a clearly wrong path, all for the sake of those girls he had dated for dozens of days.

He probably never imagined that he, who had no shortage of money, no lack of ability, and no worries about the future, would be troubled by a bunch of trivial matters related to girls all day long, and even tasted the forbidden fruit with other women before he came of age.

Whether or not that "he" had thought about it, at this moment, Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but ask himself—

Do you miss the simple and ordinary days of the past? Do you wish to continue living a restarted life without the system?

The answer, without hesitation, is of course no.

From the first mission to the fifth mission now, Yuu Tenkuji can face any timeline with equanimity, and every step he takes is his choice—except for the day he was saved by Yukino Yukinoshita, when the cowardly Yuu handed over the choice to her and it took him a long time to fully recover.

The one who could provide the final answer was always Yuu Tenkuji; he had regrets, believing he could have done better, but he never regretted his choice at the time.

Including the matter of taking back his feelings, given his fragile and obsessive mindset back then, he probably wouldn't have been able to continue after parting ways with Asuna, and would have been tormented by guilt.

Whether it's right or wrong, the story we have now is the one that Tenkuji Yu has walked his own path, so it's inevitable that he won't look back and will keep going. If this story didn't have a single female protagonist and ended with a happy ending with one man and multiple women, that would be even better.

...Ahem, don't get the wrong idea. "One man and many women" simply means watching fireworks together, going to the beach together, or something similar. It has no other meaning.

"Alas, time flies, and in the blink of an eye, everything has changed, and people are no longer the same."

Put away those random thoughts, put your hands in your pockets, and smile casually.