I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

No matter how I try to convince myself, no matter how I try to comfort myself, I try to remain calm and rationally analyze the current situation—

In this desperate situation where she was isolated, helpless, and unable to save herself, she finally began to panic.

"Stop joking! Am I really going to be stuck in here like this?!"

What about the forced logout button?

What about security protection?

Thirty seconds have passed, how come the people outside still haven't realized something's wrong?!

...Uh, wait a minute.

Thinking of a crucial point, Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't help but twitch her lips and her eyes were filled with despair—if she had a mirror right now and could see her body, she would bet that her expression would be even worse than when she had missed the deadline and still hadn't finished writing the manuscript.

"If you can't go back, please wait here for a while until the others get their new login devices before making any further plans."

Before leaving, Asuna Yuuki said the following.

In other words, even if she were trapped here and hadn't woken up after thirty seconds, the group outside wouldn't think she was in any danger; instead, their hope of finding the exit would be rekindled.

Forget about forcibly removing the machine to save people; the best-case scenario is that after they get the new login device, they come in with me and float around as ghosts. At least I'll have someone by my side so I won't go crazy from loneliness.

The worst-case scenario is that she's the only one experiencing this, but they mistakenly believe she's entered Tenkuji Yu's trial, so they very considerately send her body to the hospital for IV drips to prolong her life, hoping she can wake up together with Tenkuji Yu...

As a result, before Tenkuji Yu woke up and they realized something was wrong, they had to keep floating in this empty, eerily white space!

But if Yuu Tenkuji doesn't complete the tasks in her notebook and just falls asleep and never wakes up...

"Falling into the abyss, a future of no return—is that referring to now?!"

Are you kidding me?!

I've completed all the previous tasks, why am I being treated like this? I protest!

Kasumigaoka Utaha wanted to shout, but naturally couldn't hear her own voice.

As if sensing her panicked and desperate mood, the white light band beneath her feet suddenly surged, and a fierce, intense light burst forth from the end.

Then, as if everything began to accelerate and synchronize, the surrounding scenery suddenly blurred, the vast passage narrowed into a straight line, and the next moment, the seemingly unreachable end of the light crashed into us at an unexpected speed!

"wait--!"

Before she could recover from the shock of the sudden change, Kasumigaoka Utaha only had time to close her eyes before she completely lost consciousness under the bright light.

△………………△

For Yuu Tenkuji.

This trial world, which was initially unfamiliar, has gradually transformed into something I am now familiar with.

This isn't some kind of online game or a live-action dating sim—it's another real world where the people aren't NPCs controlled by data, but ordinary humans like him, worthy of being treated with care.

Vivid expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness; occasional illogical and humorous dialogues; interwoven and complex emotions; and a skin temperature that seems to penetrate to the very core of one's being...

Even though he knew in his heart that everything would return to square one after the trial ended, he still couldn't help but feel emotionally invested in the things around him, and naturally cherished every moment he experienced in this 'third life'.

Fortunately, the Kasugano Sora in this world is not the sister he once swore to protect to the ends of the earth and to do anything for her—although he loves her very much, the difference between reality and illusion can never be erased.

Yuu Tenkuji knew that she would leave this place sooner or later.

In order to go back and see his real sister, he would not confuse this world with reality, and when it was time to leave, he would not have any lingering attachment to it.

As long as there are people waiting for him outside, he will not stop moving forward.

"But in reality, is Sora really the only one waiting for me to wake up?"

For some reason, Yuu Tenkuji has been thinking about this kind of question more and more lately.

'Ding-a-ling~'

In "Angel Coffee".

The air conditioner was running quietly, and the calm and peaceful cool air permeated every corner of the coffee shop. The comforting aroma of coffee wafted everywhere, and the elegant and grand classical music seemed to slow down even the pace of time.

As Yu Tenkuji pushed open the door, the clear sound of a bell by the door attracted the attention of several customers, who, like small fish startled by raindrops, soon dispersed.

The greetings from the waiters followed.

"Huanlin... Ah, it's you."

The blonde girl, leaning on a mop and casually rubbing the floor, half-raised her eyes. After confirming that the visitor was not a guest but an acquaintance, she lazily shook her head and continued to wander around as if lost in thought—euphemistically calling it mopping.

"Close the door quickly, the air conditioning is escaping."

Yuu Tenkuji rolled her eyes helplessly, closed the glass door behind her, and complained to her junior colleague, "Are you here to work or to enjoy the air conditioning, Gabriel?"

"Nonsense, these two things don't conflict." The petite and cute blonde girl, who exuded an aura of lethargy, replied listlessly, "Can't I enjoy free air conditioning and earn money while standing up?"

"It's fine, but is this how you make money?" He pointed to himself, then to the seat, gesturing, "There's a customer here, hurry up and seat him!"

"You? A guest?"

Holding the mop handle, Gabriel turned around, her eyes narrowed and her mouth twisted into a contemptuous smile that was incredibly irritating: "Hiahiahia~ Don't make me laugh. If you want me to treat you, this devilish senior, as a guest, you'd better first offer up 100,000 yen worth of in-game currency~"

Ignoring her, Tenkuji Yu loudly addressed the mustachioed man behind the bar, "Manager! Although I've resigned, don't I have the right to propose adjustments to a certain employee's salary?"

"Shut up, you idiot!"

Before he could finish speaking, the blonde girl in the maid outfit pounced on him like a hungry tiger. Her delicate features were now twisted and grotesque like a demon, baring her teeth and claws in a menacing manner, and she seemed to be trying to shove the mop handle into his mouth.

"That's my tuition fee for this month... No, you dare to use money to threaten such a pitiful, innocent, and kind-hearted girl? Aren't you afraid of being cast into hell by the angels?!"

"Where is your face? How can you say something like that without even blushing?"

Tenkuji Yu turned his head away, slapping her head down with a cold laugh, "And this isn't the attitude a junior should have towards a senior, is it? Don't think you can ignore workplace rules just because you're an international student. Even if I resign, it'll be the same. If you're so capable, go find another job."

"Gunnunu... Damn human..." After struggling in vain, Gabriel rolled her eyes and glared at him, her efforts futile. She quickly gave up and let him do as he pleased, like a piece of firewood that had been completely burned out.

"Fine, the situation is beyond my control. I'm too lazy to argue with you... You're a guest, right? Please come this way."

With a cold, emotionless tone, the part-time waitress, whose full name was Natomi White Gabriel, turned and walked towards her seat, twisting the mop in her small hands and muttering indignantly, "Damn workplace unspoken rules, damn Japanese habits... If there's a next time, I'll blow my horn and make it all over again..."

"Stop complaining all the time. If you had a better attitude and were more serious at work, I wouldn't be so harsh on you." Tenkuji Yu sighed, found a nearby seat, and ordered without even looking at the menu, "The same thing is fine."

"Fine." Gabriel, seemingly not having listened at all, prepared to leave expressionlessly.

He suddenly spoke up: "Call me Onii-chan, and I'll treat you to an afternoon tea set."

The blonde girl immediately turned around, smiling brightly and speaking sweetly, "Onii-chan, is there anything else you need?"

"Hey, that's the right attitude!" Yuu Tenkuji nodded in satisfaction, then waved for him to leave. "Put it on my tab, and deduct double the amount from your salary for every extra dollar."

Gabriel scoffed dismissively, giving him a cold, disdainful look, her tone devoid of warmth: "Sister complex, loli complex, epic hentai."

Then, with a pout, she turned around and walked towards the mustachioed owner behind the bar.

"They really are just as rude as ever..."

Yuu Tenkuji shook his head, too lazy to bother with this junior colleague with such an eccentric personality anymore.

Since Isshiki Iroha quit her part-time job at the café to work for the student council, the café has been facing a staff shortage for a while.

Gabriel came to apply for the job at this time. Although she was unmotivated, lacked common sense, was clumsy and not very smart, the boss still hired her as a waitress because she was young and an international student trying to work and survive in this unfamiliar country.

The person who taught her various things on behalf of the boss was Yuu Tenkuji, who came to help out as a friend.

Chapter 45 Why is the senior here!

“Here, your ‘same.’ And then…”

Before long, the blonde girl brought a tray and placed a cup of black coffee and a plate of smoked chicken sandwiches on the table in front of him.

Then, quite naturally, she sat down opposite him, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the remaining black tea and cake on the tray, and eagerly picked up a spoon.

"This is my afternoon tea set! Oh my, it's been so long since I've had this~ The cake was made by the owner himself."

Mmm, delicious!

Seeing her casually scoop up a spoonful of cake and stuff it into her mouth, her face full of happiness as she chewed, Tenkuji Yu's hand, which was holding a coffee cup, froze in mid-air, and her eyes gradually narrowed dangerously.

Oh no, my fingers are itchy.

I really want to give her a good whack on the head.

Although it's a belated setting, when teaching newcomers, Yuu Tenkuji will involuntarily enter a state called "possessed by evil spirits," and it's said that his eyes will flash with an inhuman red light like a robot that has lost its mind—which is why Gabriel calls him the devil senpai.

In this mode, he shows no mercy to women. As long as it's to train the new juniors well, he doesn't hesitate to use any form of punishment—whether it's legal physical punishment, gentle yet cold words, or a combination of hard and soft rewards—as a whip to push them to reach his own standards.

Back then, Iroha Isshiki also went through this kind of hardship...

Recalling the past, Tenkuji Yu took a sip of coffee, the coldness in his eyes gradually softening, and long memories unfolding.

Although she seems carefree, loves to act spoiled, and is unwilling to work hard, Iroha Isshiki always holds her breath and tries her best to do her best in things she is responsible for, as if she doesn't want to be looked down upon by others.

In addition, she is shrewd and clever, and can not only ask him questions in a generous manner, but also make good use of her greatest strength—her cuteness—to navigate between guests and superiors with ease.

So in the end, after she left her job, she successfully took over the position of the store's best employee.

...Sigh, it's all because I taught them well.

Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but pat his own shoulder with a sigh: "As expected of you, Tenkuji-senpai."

"Is there something wrong with you?" Gabriel casually remarked while eating her cake.

Of course, many newcomers were driven away by his teaching methods, or they accidentally fell in love with him during the teaching process, confessed their feelings, and left heartbroken after being rejected...

But this troublemaker in front of him was the only exception among those who stayed in the shop but were still not properly educated by him.

Yuu Tenkuji put down his coffee cup and stared sharply at the blonde girl opposite him.

"Did the boss say you could take a break?"

"Otherwise, what am I supposed to do but skip work?"

"Then hurry up and eat. The floor isn't finished mopping, the windows aren't clean, and the owner even has to wash the cups and plates. How can you be so leisurely enjoying your cake here?"

"Because the boss told me to go and rest first~ Enjoy life while you can, otherwise you'll go bald sooner or later." After finishing the cake, Gabriel leisurely sipped her black tea, her eyes narrowed so she didn't even look at him. "Since you're a guest, don't criticize how our staff rests. You really don't understand any social etiquette."

Tenkuji Yuu's forehead veins bulged: "Really? Then you'll have to pay for this meal yourself. I'll talk to the boss about employee training later."

"Come on~ don't be so angry, siscon senior." Calmly, Gabriel exhaled a breath of air with the aroma of black tea, then suddenly grinned mischievously and said to him, "How about this, I'll give you an angel's blessing, and we'll call it even, how about that?"

"An angel's blessing?" Tenkuuji Yu was stunned for a moment, then picked up his phone, pretending to dial 110 (the police emergency number). "You're the legendary religious fraudster, aren't you? I wonder if I'll get paid to report you..."

"Tch, believe it or not."