I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Out of kindness, Tenkuji Yu offered a soft word of comfort and reached out to pat the girl's slender back.

Of course, the ghost's hand can't touch anything; doing so can only express its goodwill.

"……Thanks."

Kasumigaoka Utaha tilted her head and glanced at her sideways, pursed her lips, and whispered her thanks.

She took a deep breath to calm the discomfort in her body, withdrew her gaze that had flashed with strange emotions, tucked her black hair behind her ear, and her delicate and gentle face gradually returned to peace.

"We already know how terrible things were for us in that timeline, so what? Does that have anything to do with the truth?"

The person she was asking was, of course, the voice of heaven, which is the adult version of herself.

She didn't expect a response, but just as she would have asked this question if she had met her beforehand, after a few seconds of pause, Tianzhiyin rang out again.

"After that, I was busy helping Xiaoqiong with your funeral and handling the aftermath. I also had to deal with all sorts of inquiries and probing from reporters and editors. I was so tired that I asked Ms. Machida to help me issue a notice of hiatus. I haven't written a novel for a long time."

"Half a month has passed, and I finally had some time to rest, only to find that Xiao Qiong left me a suicide note and went to a villa far away to be buried alone at sea... At that time, I really thought that I might as well die with you all. Watching the important people around me leave this world one by one, that feeling of despair can really easily break a person."

"Unfortunately, I can't let go of my parents, Ms. Machida, all the readers, and the authors who fought alongside us... I think Yu-Yu-kun would also be reluctant to leave them, right? It's just that he is gentler than anyone else, which is why he values ​​other people's lives more than his own."

"The story of how we met ends here. What follows is the story of a lonely old maid who became the greatest writer in all of Japan, which I don't think you'll be interested in."

She made a self-deprecating joke, but unfortunately neither of them laughed; Kasumigaoka Utaha even rolled her eyes.

"There's so much nonsense going on..."

"That's not all, is it? She hasn't revealed the most important truth yet."

As if responding to Tenkuji Yu's words, Tenno quickly changed the subject: "The most important thing is something that happened several years later."

"One day, just as I finished writing a volume of the original manuscript, I was holding your photos and mementos and silently shedding tears when a semi-transparent girl's figure appeared in front of me—yes, just like you are now."

After a moment of surprise, Tenkuji Yu quickly realized who she was talking about.

"A girl with long silver hair, who looks petite and cute, right?"

In the video edited by Tachibana, she said that she gave the power of the Light Orb to a girl who loved her in every timeline but never succeeded in winning her heart, as compensation.

That person was naturally Kasumigaoka Utaha... Although I don't know why she was chosen from this timeline, it doesn't matter. What matters is what she did after gaining power.

Tian Zhiyin continued, "I don't know her name or her background. At first, I thought she was an angel sent by God to take me away... Thinking that although there are still many regrets, it seems that there is nothing to complain about in being taken away by such a lovely angel, so I decided to ask her to let me take care of the funeral arrangements first."

"She inexplicably apologized to me first, and then asked me two questions—whether I wanted to make up for the regrets of the past, and whether I was willing to give up the rest of my life for you."

She laughed and sighed, "I don't know if I had something wrong with my head back then or if I had completely become a love-struck idiot. As soon as I heard that it was possible to turn back the past, not only to bring you back to life but also to become the one who could change your life, I excitedly agreed without thinking about what would happen next."

"That angel lady did try to persuade me a few times, but I didn't listen at all. I was just eagerly begging her to give me the 'power of miracles,' my mind was full of stories like the protagonists in novels, who travel through time, change everything, and find happiness."

"As it turns out, although I have a talent for learning and writing novels, this kind of thing that goes beyond common sense is even more difficult to understand than I imagined."

"After saying goodbye to Miss Angel and starting to study this power on my own, I realized how ridiculously naive I had been before."

Tenkuji Yu and Kasumigaoka Utaha listened silently, already prepared to hear her launch into a long monologue about her inner journey.

It's a pity there are no sunflower seeds or benches here, otherwise the experience would be better—listening to stories is always more relaxing than going on stage to act.

"I won't go into the specific number of failures or setbacks I encountered; it's embarrassing just thinking about it."

She abruptly changed the subject, skipping the lengthy process and stating her conclusion: "In short, I used the power of the Light Jade to create a notebook and sealed my own spirit inside, and traveled through time and space countless times... until this last time, I finally achieved some results."

"First, attach the laptop to Youyoujun's system and lie in wait for an opportunity. You can't be discovered by the administrators inside, nor can you interfere in Youyoujun's love life without any preparation."

You can understand all the words, but when they are put together into a sentence, it's hard to understand what she's saying.

Kasumigaoka Utaha turned directly to Tenkuji Yu and asked, "System? Is it related to computers?"

Just think of it as a cheat code.

Tenkuji Yu didn't intend to hide it from her. After all, they were partners who had gone through hardships together, and the existence of the system had been revealed by the notebook beforehand. Continuing to hide it would only make him seem petty and pretentious.

"Don't all the novels about reincarnation in another world have those cheat codes that give the protagonist a power-up and make him look cool? My situation is similar to theirs. The 'system' is my cheat code. As long as I complete the tasks, I will get rewards."

After saying that, he also confirmed one thing—this space is not under the system's control, and even if he reveals things about the system to an outsider who knows nothing about it, he will not be punished by the cycle of death.

"You're from another world?!"

Kasumigaoka's pupils contracted, her beautiful face filled with disbelief.

She looked him up and down incredulously, as if she were seeing an alien perfectly disguised as a human, but she didn't show the slightest distance or wariness. She just nodded knowingly: "That makes sense... The reason you give people the feeling that you are omnipotent and can do everything is because of the help of various game skills, right? And your mental age is also much more mature than ours, so you can learn various things at a much earlier age."

The girl with long, straight black hair thought and thought, her thoughts wandering to who-knows-where, when suddenly her eyes lit up and she said, "So, the few games I lost in the arcade weren't because of you, but because of the reincarnated person's cheat code?"

I knew I couldn't possibly be so helpless against a junior!

It's not that I'm bad at games, it's just that my boyfriend has cheat codes!

Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly felt enlightened and smiled with a cheerful mood.

Yuu Tenkuji watched her silently from the side.

—As expected of a renowned writer, not only is he highly receptive, but his ability to fill in the gaps in his imagination and comfort himself is also top-notch; he can enlighten himself without needing anyone else to explain.

"It doesn't matter if you think that way, the result is that I will win anyway, and that fact will not change."

Yuu Tenkuji spread her hands. Before she could get angry, she said in a serious tone, "In the end, on this timeline, we are all actually from another world, right?"

“I’m talking about reality.” Kasumigaoka Utaha sighed enviously, rubbing her cheek. “I really wish my writing skills and inspiration could be improved by the system, so I wouldn’t sometimes get writer’s block and feel like dying.”

"That's not a wish-granting machine; it's a huge pit that's hard to get out of once you fall in."

Tenkuji Yu shook his head and looked back at the pitch-black sky.

Chapter 120 Past and Truth, Strategy Guide

"and then?"

Even though she knew that "Heavenly Voice" would say the next sentence in a fixed sequence every second, Yuu Tenkuji still asked the question.

She said, "Next, I need to create an opportunity for the two of you to get to know each other normally, but I can't rush into a relationship—several times I've had a perfect start but then inexplicably lost everything, so I have to be extremely cautious. It doesn't matter if I fall behind others; my only goal is to escape the loser situation and successfully become one of his girlfriends..."

"Wait, is that really me?! Going to such lengths to become a member of someone else's harem... Don't be ridiculous!"

Clenching her fists tightly, Kasumigaoka Utaha's face flushed with anger, completely ignoring what she was about to say: "When did I become such a shameless woman! Even if I've been through that kind of thing, it doesn't mean I'd willingly share a husband with someone else—"

"Alright, alright, calm down. Let her finish." Yuu patted her shoulder twice, comforting her, "The notebook's actions don't represent your actions. She told me before that she has the same pride as you, and she won't really force us to be together. Your happiness is the most important thing..."

"Well, that's not the most important thing." Before he could finish speaking, "The most important thing is to change the fate of Yu-Yu-kun, who always ends up in a bad way, and to become the most important person in his heart... It would be great to be able to completely possess him and achieve the most wonderful happy ending, but I can also accept the true ending of draining him dry with the other sisters."

"..."

"..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha silently looked at Tenkuji Yuu, her face expressionless and her eyes devoid of any light.

"Is this what you call self-esteem?"

"Who knew she had prepared two sets of stories..."

"So, why is it that you, this harem scumbag, can still stand so confidently in front of me? Do you really think you're some kind of lucky light novel protagonist?"

"What a joke! How could someone blessed by the heavens not have a good end? Besides, I was just saying those things. I am devoted to Isshiki Iroha!"

"This is truly unpleasant. Could you please perform the acrobatic act of shoving your head into your butt right now, you all-powerful male protagonist?"

"I might actually be able to do it now that I'm in spirit form... but I won't do it."

When the two were bickering as usual, "Voice of Heaven" continued to finish speaking according to its fixed pattern.

"In this timeline, which is your reality, I saw a completely different development than before. In addition, the power of the Light Orb was almost exhausted, so I took a gamble."

Initially, she lurked within Yuu Tenkuji's body, or rather, deep within the system, observing the situation.

Because of the shared origin of their powers, Kasugano Sora was unaware that a remora-like creature was attached to the system, nor was she aware of the various underhanded tricks she was playing.

Although all these tricks ended in failure, Kasumigaoka Utaha, no matter which world she was in, always met the same fate as Tenkuji Yuu. The storylines changed, but she remained the same loser, which made her feel increasingly helpless.

In the current timeline, which is when the "boyfriend system" descended upon him, she didn't have much hope at first. She just followed the usual routine and gave them a chance to get to know each other. She used the little light orb power she had left to let Kasumigaoka Utaha meet Tenkuji Yuu playing the piano at JR Shibuya Station, and secretly added something to the "perfect lullaby".

That's why Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly had the thought of 'whispering for her to catch him and learn about his story'.

Of course, whether such a first encounter was good or bad, or whether the two of them had officially met, she didn't really care.

The main event is yet to come; this is merely a prelude—she must conserve her strength, observe the story's development, and wait for the opportune moment to strike, stirring up the waters until Kasumigaoka Utaha can enter with an advantage.

Unfortunately, even after having three girlfriends and her spirit, morals, and soul were almost completely worn down by the system, she still hadn't found an opportunity to get Kasumigaoka Utaha involved and successfully develop a love story with him.

Just as she was about to intervene further, the "Bad Luck Charm" that Tenkuji Yu had obtained through the "Miracle Deal" caught her attention.

The "Bad Luck Charm" has the effect of sacrificing oneself to bring good luck to others. In other words, from the moment one obtains this item, whenever someone around him encounters bad luck, Yuu Tenkuji will automatically become the target of misfortune. Things like a vase rolling over and hitting him on the head, or a truck making a sharp turn and crashing into him at a 90-degree angle from in front of someone are all possible.

That was originally how it was—but the trial administrator, Kasugano Sora, noticed this and built a firewall to seal its effects. She then began to study whether this thing could be converted into the system's power, thus helping Tenkuji Yu in a positive way.

The research was successful, and the risks were eliminated, but the results were somewhat unexpected.

After the third mission ended, the system determined that Yuu's mental state was nearing its limit. In order to ensure the smooth execution of the final mission, while Kasugano Sora was busy with other things, the system took it upon itself to disable the firewall and release the negative energy that had been reserved for later use as a trump card—that is, the 'error program'—and absorbed it into the system's operating program, attempting to use it as an auxiliary means to influence his mental state.

The method is quite simple—restore Yukino's memories and give her the opportunity to choose her next girlfriend.

This is the optimal solution analyzed by AI.

By the time Kasugano Sora discovered this, she, as the administrator, was powerless to change the terrible script that the system had already set up, and could only let it run its course.

Is it really true that this is the power of misfortune?

If it weren't for Yukino Yukinoshita saving him, Yuu Tenkuji might have fallen into oblivion and met his doom even earlier than in previous timelines.

She watched from the shadows, her heart pounding with fear, almost thinking she was about to embark on another world trip with the system, wasting all her energy...

Fortunately, she seized the opportunity and successfully took the most crucial step.

Unbeknownst to anyone, while the system was absorbing the Amulet of Misfortune, her original body, residing deep within the system, quietly split off a fragment of her spirit, which resided within the Amulet of Misfortune, becoming part of it like a parasite, and successfully infiltrated the system's operating program.

Because of the shared origin of their powers, Kasugano Sora did not notice the unfamiliar code when she checked the "error program"... Although any big commotion would be exposed and removed as a bug, when it comes to stealth, no one is better than her at secretly making many small moves without being discovered.

After that, she only did two things.

First, change the identification certificate of the clone to "the Radiant Jade of the Dawn" to make it easier to bypass the system's automatic error detection mechanism.

Second, after the system update, deliberately make the clone a tool of the system, pretending to be used and controlled by it, but in reality, it does what it wants to do.

Just like how she went from being an unregistered resident to working for a government agency, with this new identity, she could openly start looking for opportunities for the union of Tenkuji Yu and Kasumigaoka Utaha.

There's no need to worry about Kasugano Sora discovering her, because even as a system administrator, system modifier, and user of the power of the Light Orb, she still cannot interfere with a system that has already been successfully running. At most, she can only forcefully do something using her own power.

In other words, as long as Kasumigaoka Utaha's power is considered as part of the system's extension, Kasugano Sora will never suspect her—without causing a major upheaval, they can only helplessly watch her do as she pleases!