I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

However, unlike the tense and oppressive feeling at the beginning, Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression was much more cheerful and relaxed than before.

The fact that they spent over an hour on the meal is enough to prove just how much they talked about.

Despite being blocked by various "prohibited items," they still didn't know the system's true purpose, the game's rules, prohibited areas, or tips for passing the level.

The only thing they could call a gain was information that wasn't too far removed from their daily lives, which was what they were looking for.

As for the suggestion of having android bodyguards, Kasumigaoka Utaha put it aside for the time being, planning to make a decision when she goes out to look for clues tomorrow.

Although she thought the silver-haired girl was just exaggerating and planning to join them in this way, Kasumigaoka Utaha wasn't a simple-minded or impulsive person. Before she was completely sure that what the other girl said was false, it was best to keep her guard up and not let her arrogant personality lead her to her death one day.

This is not a resort, but an "other world" where you might be turned into an animal, have your memories altered, or have your existence erased.

Yuu Tenkuji was pleased that his partner was intelligent, mature in some ways, not too willful or a burden, and able to keep up with his thinking. Apart from being self-righteous and too fond of teasing people, he had no flaws.

Watching her proactively help the silver-haired girl clear the table after finishing her meal, he couldn't help but take a sip of tea with a sense of satisfaction, feeling that all the hard work of the afternoon was worthwhile.

However, this idea is still a bit premature.

"Go take a shower later, I'm going back to my room to look up some information."

When Kasumigaoka Utaha came out of the kitchen, Tenkuji Yu put down his teacup, stood up, and gestured with his eyes: "Always carry your phone with you."

The black-haired girl paused for a moment before remembering that he had planned to look up information on [Yuuki Asuna] and [Natsukawa Masuzu].

Although it seems that a mobile phone can be used to hack into the Land Administration Office's backend, he said it is far less convenient and faster than a computer. Kasumigaoka Utaha's computer does not meet his hardware requirements, which is why he has been putting this off until now. He feels more comfortable using his own equipment.

Kasumigaoka Utaha glanced at the silver-haired girl still washing dishes in the kitchen, nodded, and said with a slightly serious expression, "I understand. Tell me immediately if you find anything... Or should I keep in touch with you while I take a shower?"

"Are you alright?" Tenkuji Yu raised an eyebrow, somewhat taken aback.

"It's not a video call, why bother with such a small thing?" Kasumigaoka Utaha shrugged and said casually, "Anyway, you can't get excited just by listening to girls taking a shower, right? I won't do anything weird in the bathroom. As long as I turn the water up a bit, you probably won't even hear me washing my hair."

"alright."

It wasn't like she was being eavesdropped on while taking a shower, so Yuu Tenkuji didn't mind at all; she just found her attitude rather strangely nonchalant.

Perhaps he's had an epiphany or finally realized something?

Since it was a good thing, Yuu Tenkuji didn't bother with her anymore. He explained the layout of the room to her, gave her the room key, and then turned and went upstairs.

"Wait a moment."

"what happened?"

Tenkuji Yuu turned around and noticed that Kasumigaoka Utaha had her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was troubled by something.

"You haven't forgotten, have you? The human form of 'Canary' hasn't appeared yet. Logically speaking, she should be here tonight to bump into you, just like Yukino Yukinoshita."

"The fourth human-transformed animal hasn't appeared yet... Could it be that the pattern we've identified is wrong?"

Of course, Tenkuji Yu hadn't forgotten what she said.

However, before verifying these patterns and investing time in them, there are other more important things to do.

"I'll go look up some information first. If no one comes knocking on the door later, I'll go for a night run."

Yuuko Tenkuji looked out the window at the night sky.

Under the starless and moonless night sky, all was silent, and the city's neon lights cast false bands of light.

"Whether it's right or wrong, starting tomorrow, it's time to really take action."

Recover your memory.

Find the missing person.

Leave this world.

At last……

Defeat the shady dealings, reclaim the Radiant Jade, and completely change your destiny.

Yuu Tenkuji gently clenched her fist, her eyes showing no confusion.

The goal is ahead, and the road is under our feet.

—All that's left is to keep moving straight ahead.

Chapter 127 Taking a Bath Together, Cultivating Feelings

The bathroom was steaming hot.

Kasumigaoka Utaha turned off the tap, tucked her wet long hair into a towel, and clipped it up.

Glistening water droplets slid down her fair, rosy neck, meandering along her graceful curves, and finally, carrying the scent of shower gel, disappeared into the drain hole.

She pursed her lips, looking at herself in the misty mirror, and asked:

"Do you still have their files?"

"Yes, although it's not in Toyonosaki, it's not too far away."

The phone on the shelf beside him made a sound, which echoed clearly in the steamy bathroom.

"Is that so...that's good."

Walking to the bathtub, Kasumigaoka Utaha reached out to test the water temperature. After confirming that it wasn't too hot, she tentatively stepped in first.

Next came her firm calves, full but not chubby thighs, and a flat stomach without any excess fat. Her perfect young woman figure quickly disappeared into the water, and the ripples blurred the beautiful scenery beneath the surface for a moment.

Her whole body flushed red, and she couldn't help but exhale a breath of hot, delicate air. She scooped up a handful of water and poured it onto her pink shoulders and neck, her eyes half-closed in obvious enjoyment.

A lazy murmur drifted through the mist: "It's not too far... Hmm~ There seem to be only a few high schools nearby, right? I remember there's even a girls' high school..."

"They were at that girls' high school, and the two of them were classmates."

Ignoring her soft, melodious moans, Tenkuji Yu spoke calmly, with the faint sound of rapid typing coming from behind: "Yuuki Asuna, number 30 in Class 2-A at Kuroyuri Academy, first in her grade. Natsukawa Masuzu, number 14 in Class 2-A at Kuroyuri Academy, average grades. Both come from prominent families. Yuuki Asuna is the daughter of a major electronics manufacturer, and Natsukawa Masuzu is of mixed race, with her father owning companies both domestically and internationally... They're both really rich girls."

“These things aren’t important,” Kasumigaoka Utaha interrupted him, leaning against the bathtub wall. “The most important thing is how we find them.”

"Let's go directly to the Black Lily Academy first thing tomorrow morning," Yuu Tenkuji said decisively. "They live in different directions and are quite far from here. It's not like we can just walk into such a prestigious family. A hasty visit will only cause more trouble."

"So you think it's easier to make a move at school?" Kasumigaoka Utaha's hands glide across the water, her pink feet gently stepping out of the waves, white waves surging, her bare face seemingly enjoying the sight. "Indeed, we don't have to go to school, so we have the advantage of being able to move around freely during weekdays... But Black Lily Academy is, after all, a prestigious girls' school, they won't let us in so easily, will they?"

"There are many ways to get in, the difficulty is that I don't have that much time to make arrangements, so infiltration is the only option."

"Infiltrate? You?" Kasumigaoka Utaha laughed. "Alright, I want to see you in women's clothing. Let's have a live-action version of a girl falling in love with her older sister!"

"Stop joking, you're the only one who needs to infiltrate," Yuu Tenkuji said speechlessly. "I'll take care of the uniform and everything. You just blend into the school crowd in the morning and then act when the opportunity arises. We'll communicate with earpieces, okay?"

"Tch, I knew it would be like this."

Although his tone was regretful, the smile on his face was even more comforting.

Kasumigaoka Utaha stretched out her arms and legs, bathwater and sweat sliding down her cheeks, then relaxed her body, letting herself float in the nine-tenths full of water.

She composed herself, sighed, and said, "Then let's pray. Let's pray that when we wake up tomorrow morning, they'll still be in this world."

Of course, there's also the option of rushing over to find them right now.

But not long ago, the silver-haired girl went to Tenkuji Yu's room to remind him that it was best not to act at night—both of them, not just Kasumigaoka Utaha, might be in danger.

This might involve some kind of game rule, but unfortunately, the other party didn't offer any further explanation beyond the reminder. So, Yuu Tenkuji had no choice but to abandon his plans to act immediately and go for a night run later, and obediently stay at home until dawn the next day.

He said with some helplessness, "If they're not here, we'll just have to turn Toyonosaki upside down."

"Not only that, you're also going to find your token of love, right?" Kasumigaoka Utaha opened her eyes, the steam rising from the warm yellow ceiling, making her clear, wine-red eyes appear misty. "Although I don't know if regaining my memories will help with the current situation, and I don't know how to deal with a scumbag who's cheating on me... But they must all be very important people to you, right? Not being able to remember anything, and not even knowing you ever liked them when you meet them, that feeling is just awful. So it's better to regain my memories as soon as possible."

"..." Tenkuuji Yu paused for a moment, then sighed with a hint of a smile, "That's what I was thinking too. If all else fails, I'll have to sneak into their house and find some clues."

Even if a crisis strikes first, it's better than standing still—it seems his thought process is gradually overlapping with Kasumigaoka Utaha's.

"Even if I regain my memories, whether I'm juggling four relationships or the person I am now, my personality won't change much, so don't worry."

Kasumigaoka Utaha ruthlessly retorted, "How could anyone feel at ease living with such a shameless guy!"

Tenkuji Yu laughed heartily: "Hahaha, you're right. If you were the kind of manipulative, green tea bitch who's slept with a thousand men, I wouldn't want to live with you either. I always feel like I'd get infected by that scumbag virus."

"You bastard..." Kasumigaoka Utaha gritted her teeth and angrily slapped the water's surface.

But then, in a voice he couldn't hear, he couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"So what are you going to do later?"

"If you can't move around at night, go online to look up some information, and then just go to sleep."

"Don't shower? You stinky man!"

"I have a special skill that allows me to instantly remove all stains from my body. I'm cleaner than you even without taking a shower."

"That's cheating... no, there's still a difference. There's no scent of a recent shower, how can that be considered clean!"

"I don't talk to women who don't make sense."

"Tsk... whatever, whether you smell good or not is none of my business."

Kasumigaoka Utaha exhaled and looked up at her phone on the shelf: "If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. I want to enjoy my bath alone in peace and quiet."

"Okay, there shouldn't be any danger inside the house. Get some rest."

After saying that, he ended the call himself.

Kasumigaoka Utaha sank back into the water, bubbling away as she slowly closed her eyes, feeling the comforting sensation of the hot water enveloping her body and seeping into every tired cell.

She temporarily forgot everything, casting aside all her worries and concerns, as if she wanted to completely melt into the bathtub and escape this world without thinking about anything.

"..."

The sounds of breathing and water gradually faded, and the bathroom became quiet.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but just as the water was getting a little cool, she opened her eyes, ready to take another shower and then go out to change her clothes.

The bathroom door was suddenly opened.

"!?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha was startled, reflexively thinking that someone had finally succumbed to their animalistic instincts and was going to force her to take a bath together.

However, before she could cover her body, which was still dripping water from a certain prominent part after taking a bath, the person behind the door walked in and closed the door behind them.

Compared to Yuu Tenkuji, this guy who suddenly appeared in front of her surprised and bewildered Kasumigaoka Utaha even more.

"What...what do you want to do?"

"bath."