I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Yuu Tenkuji had no topics he wanted to discuss with her, and the android created by the system certainly wouldn't chat with him about everyday matters.

Ten minutes later, the silent yet not awkward atmosphere was broken by the black-haired girl who walked into the living room.

She was wearing the Black Lily Academy uniform that Sky Temple had asked the android to get for her. Her figure was soft and beautiful, and her temperament was quiet and elegant. However, her fair face still showed signs of sleepiness, and her long, flowing hair was a few strands that were messy and split. She yawned forcefully, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

Good morning!

"Good morning, your portion is over there." Tenkuji Yu didn't even look up, pointing to the bowl and chopsticks opposite him.

"Thanks." Kasumigaoka Utaha barely opened her eyes as she swayed and walked to the dining table to sit down.

"You're welcome, anyway, I didn't do it."

"I'm not thanking you."

"?"

Tenkuji Yu looked up in confusion and saw Kasumigaoka Utaha pulling out a chair while casting a glance at the android beside her.

The silver-haired girl nodded and said calmly, "You're welcome. It's what I should do."

Kasumigaoka Utaha picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of fish into her mouth, chewed for a while, and then gave a stiff evaluation: "Very, very delicious."

"Thank you."

The silver-haired girl didn't smile, but perhaps it was just my imagination, her eyes seemed brighter, and she looked more energetic.

Seeing this, Kasumigaoka Utaha secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then lowered her head and silently began to eat her breakfast.

The awkward atmosphere at the dinner table is unlikely to dissipate anytime soon.

Tenkuji Yu looked at the two of them with a head full of questions, and suddenly felt that this was a story between two people, and that he was just an outsider.

"What's going on?" he asked Kasumigaoka Utaha, who seemed to have the biggest problem. "Were you hypnotized by her? You hated her so much yesterday."

"It's not hypnosis... at most it's bewitching, and a little bit of sympathy too." Kasumigaoka Utaha sighed as if she had a headache, listlessly poking at her rice with her chopsticks. "It's actually much more awkward than I imagined. I'm really not good at taking the initiative to build good relationships with people."

“I think you did a great job, Kasumigaoka Utaha.” The silver-haired girl bowed slightly. “Thank you very much. It’s a small thing, but it really helped me.”

Kasumigaoka Utaha pouted, her eyelids lowered, seemingly unappreciative: "Don't expect too much. I haven't forgiven you for what you did to me yesterday... If you really want to thank me, I hope you can turn that gratitude into concrete actions."

The silver-haired girl blinked: "I understand, is it going to be a yuri (lesbian) promotion?"

"No!" Stopping her from taking off her clothes on the spot, Kasumigaoka Utaha glared at Tenkuji Yu. "What have you been teaching her!?"

"They didn't teach you anything! I'd like to ask, what happened between you two last night?"

Yuu Tenkuji glared back defiantly: "Don't tell me nothing happened. Your attitude changed faster than France surrendered. Did she raid you at night? Or did she break in while you were taking a shower?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha immediately crossed her arms, staring at him warily and suspiciously: "How did you know?"

"Really..." Yuu Tenkuji was speechless.

"Don't worry, I'll explain it to you." Kasumigaoka Utaha slowly lowered her hand, glancing at the silver-haired girl. "Even if I don't tell you, this girl will tell you anyway... because she's so devoted to you."

Tenkuji Yu frowned.

It's true that she's single-minded, but that's just a system setting, a sugar coating used to deceive herself... Kasumigaoka Utaha knew about this yesterday, so why would she say something like that?

His attitude towards androids last night, which was so disrespectful, was almost like that of a completely different person.

“Oh, right.” While he was thinking, Kasumigaoka Utaha said again, “Always calling her this guy or that guy, doesn’t she have a proper name?”

“How could that be?” Tenkuji Yu raised an eyebrow. “You don’t mean you want to name her, do you?”

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at the silver-haired girl sitting obediently in the chair, her brows furrowing. After a moment, she gently shook her head: "No, you should handle this. Although I said I would help her, I don't want to take on too much responsibility for her."

You say that, but you still offer to help her name her... Doesn't that mean you have to take responsibility?

Even if it's not that serious, instigating crime is still a crime, senior!

"Yeah……"

With a subtle sigh, Tenkuji Yuu found Kasumigaoka Utaha's thoughts increasingly incomprehensible, so he simply turned his gaze to the silver-haired girl.

Do you want to have a name?

The silver-haired girl tilted her head slightly, staring at him calmly and intently: "If possible."

“There’s nothing wrong with it…” Tenkuji Yu pondered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of naming her.

In some fantasy works or myths, names are very important—demons become vulnerable when their true names are known, monsters lose their power when their names are taken away, and heroic spirits are targeted when their true names are exposed.

When an intangible thing acquires a true name, it can become a tangible thing.

What would happen if a system-created entity were given a name?

Will the system immediately gain control over the Light Jade? Or will the silver-haired girl be able to break through the rules and kill them both?

It shouldn't be that exaggerated...

"Alright, then I'll name you."

Having made his decision, Yuu Tenkuji met the silver-haired girl's gaze, his expression turning serious: "However, for safety's sake, you have to promise me a few things."

It's not that he's delusional and has to treat naming something so important; nor is it that he thinks he can avoid all dangers just because he's been given a guarantee.

But it's better than being completely careless and just giving away the name so easily, right?

As for rejecting the proposal... that is indeed the safest and best approach.

But what if?

If a name is given to her, this android will go from being a neutral character to an ally, and might even betray her in the future to help her fight against the system...

Wouldn't that be a huge profit?

Most importantly, Tenkuji Yu remembered a sentence she said when they first met—

"I am the key that allowed my brother to leave this world, that's what the conspiracy says."

Upon closer observation, the silver-haired girl has undergone many changes since four days ago.

It was originally just a machine that obeyed orders without question, but now it's becoming more and more like an ordinary human being without any morals.

Although her expressions were still not vivid enough, her tone was flat, and her demeanor was as stiff and wooden as a doll, her performance yesterday, and the occasional glimpses of her emotions and dissatisfaction, proved that she was not simply a "surveillance machine".

Perhaps the system wanted to use this change to make itself pay more attention to this silver-haired girl who was gradually becoming more human?

Once he begins to regard her as a human being, and spends every day with her, her existence will undoubtedly become increasingly important.

By then, the system's honey trap will have succeeded. When faced with the crisis of disappearing one day, it can simply bring out the silver-haired girl as a hostage to prevent him from actually taking action.

Therefore, logically speaking, Yuu Tenkuji should keep his distance from the silver-haired girl and regard her as a tool that can be discarded after being used.

—But on the other hand, what if doing this would mean you would never find the clue to leave the world?

If the silver-haired girl really is the key, then making her a real human might be one of the conditions for clearing the game?

Far away yet so close, this might just be a trap set by the system.

After much deliberation and weighing the pros and cons, Yuu Tenkuji decided to give it a try. As long as it wasn't the worst-case scenario, he could accept the outcome no matter what.

"First of all, naming you won't cause any problems for us, will it?"

The silver-haired girl immediately replied, "No."

Yuu Tenkuji nodded to himself, but he wasn't entirely reassured: "Next, after we get the name, what benefits can you bring us?"

Upon hearing this, Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't help but mutter, "Not only are you overthinking things, but you're also incredibly realistic... It's just a name, but you're making it sound like a negotiation."

Tenkuji Yuu was too lazy to talk to a woman who lacked foresight and defensiveness.

“There’s no benefit to it,” the silver-haired girl replied. “A name obtained in exchange for benefits is not something I want.”

"What do you want?" Tenkuji Yu frowned slightly, her mind racing, and asked bluntly, "You're not just a simple android, are you? If you were just a 'doll created by an entertainment system' to please me, how could you have developed the idea of ​​wanting something after only four days? Even novels wouldn't dare to write it that fast."

"Do you know? Your words and actions are too proactive. Rather than items created by the system, you seem more like the system itself, which has developed rationality, and you are personally contacting me in order to get something from me."

"..."

The silver-haired girl fell silent, while Kasumigaoka Utaha across from her loosened her grip, dropping her chopsticks to the ground, and stared at her with wide, incredulous eyes.

"You...you're saying this child is the system? Not some artificial being endowed with a soul and emotions, trying to become completely human because she doesn't want to disappear—she herself is the biggest conspiracy in this world?!"

"It's just a guess, don't make such a fuss." Tenkuji Yu glanced at her, his expression slightly speechless.

What's with this setting that only appears in light novels? Is the android fooling her?

Ignoring the shocked Kasumigaoka Utaha, he turned his gaze back to the silver-haired girl and continued to ask, "Are you the system itself? Or an agent of the system's will? What benefits will it bring you if I let you name me and establish a good relationship with Kasumigaoka Utaha?"

The silver-haired girl watched him silently, her expression still calm and indifferent, but her lips were subtly pursed, as if she were lightly biting her lower lip.

"...This is prohibited."

She shook her head, lowered her eyes as if she didn't dare to look at them, and said in a very soft voice, "Because of restrictions, there are many things I can't say."

"The only thing I can be sure of is that I can protect your safety in this world, and I will not do anything to harm you, and I will try my best to cooperate with your actions."

“As I’ve said before, we are not in an adversarial position; on the contrary, I would much rather stand with you.”

"In order not to disappear completely along with the cover-up after the incident, I want to become an important figure in your hearts. To do this, I must build good relationships with you. Having a name can be of great help—that is my goal."

This seemed to be the first time the silver-haired girl had spoken so much in one go.

Even though the voice remained flat, one could almost hear the emotional ripples within it, suggesting that it wasn't as calm and collected as it appeared on the surface.

After she finished speaking, she fell completely silent, like a prisoner preparing to accept judgment, bowing her head and no longer offering any explanation or pleading.

Kasumigaoka Utaha gradually suppressed her surprise and doubt, unsure whether to continue trusting her. She could only glance hesitantly at Tenkuji Yu, hoping that this 'male protagonist' would make a choice on his own.

Tenkuji Yuuji pinched his chin, lost in thought for a long time, his eyes occasionally glancing at the top of the girl's head, looking quite conflicted.

The silent and somber atmosphere lasted for an unknown period of time.

"...Since you are a creation of the system, let's call you 'System Child'."

He crossed his arms thoughtfully: "No surname, just this name, simple and clear."

The silver-haired girl slowly raised her head, pursed her small, pink lips, and asked hesitantly, "Is it okay?"

"Of course not!" Before he could speak, Kasumigaoka Utaha slammed her hand on the table and protested, "Giving a girl such a corny name, you have absolutely no sense of aesthetics!"

Yuu Tenkuji rolled her eyes: "Then you pick one?"

Whether she had anticipated this moment or not, Kasumigaoka Utaha immediately replied with great interest: "It's very simple. Just remove the top horizontal stroke from the kanji for 'system' and write it as '糸子' (itoko), which is pronounced as 'cousin'. Isn't that great?"

(Both Itoko and my cousin are pronounced "Itoko" in Japanese.)