I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

"I'm amazed you could even think of something related to Chinese characters..." Yuu shrugged, speechless, not giving her a chance to take it back. "Fine, Itoko it is. Itoko, aren't you going to thank your sister Kasumigaoka for bestowing this name upon you?"

The silver-haired girl immediately bowed her head, her voice softer than before: "Thank you, Kasumigaoka-neechan."

"...Huh?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha blinked blankly, then suddenly realized that she, who had said she didn't want to take responsibility, seemed to have been unknowingly dragged into the mess by Tenkuji Yu...

Wait, why did she say "again"?

written request for leave

I've been looking at a lot of unhealthy things on Twitter, and now my head is full of random thoughts. What I write might not pass the censorship, so I'm taking a day off.

I should update earlier tomorrow. I'm setting a new goal for myself—to finish this before December!

Then it'll be delayed until next year...

I'm writing a new book, an original romance novel, possibly about saving a desperate girl... Although I keep revising it, I haven't written a single chapter yet. Maybe new ideas will come up in the future?

I've only just realized that writing fanfiction is actually quite easy...

Chapter 129 The Illness is Called Love

In conclusion, the naming decision has been made.

After the three finished breakfast, the silver-haired girl, Itoko, quickly cleared away the dishes, while the other two watched her vividly changed appearance and talked about what happened in the bathroom last night.

"...That's roughly it. Aren't there many science fiction stories that describe this? AIs created don't want to be controlled by humans, so they decide to rebel or something."

Kasumigaoka Utaha pursed her lips, not wanting to be looked at with that speechless gaze that seemed to say, "So you can be fooled so easily." She could only try to explain her actions from this morning.

"Now it's just that humans have been replaced by the system. She... Itoko, this AI, wants to become human and doesn't want to disappear with the system. That's why she tries to build good relationships with us as much as possible within the scope allowed by the system, attempting to use this method to detach herself from the identity of an 'object'."

"Even if we can't become human, when she's about to disappear, perhaps we can save her out of consideration for the friendship we once had... In order to avoid being arbitrarily erased from existence, and in order to completely break free from the control of the darkness, she is willing to pay any price."

Kasumigaoka Utaha spread her hands: "She's gone this far, how can I refuse? I'm not like you, heartless and emotionless. Anyone with a bit of feeling would feel sorry for her after hearing these words and want to help her, right?"

Yuu Tenkuji automatically ignored the following sentence, and nodded thoughtfully while stroking his chin:

"Indeed, it's not that you're easily fooled. A few sweet words in the bathroom are enough to lower your guard..."

“You’ve already said it. And if I replaced Itoko with you, believe me, I’ll kick you out of the bathroom and make sure you can’t have any offspring.” Kasumigaoka Utaha said with an elegant and gentle smile.

“Now that we’ve named her, the three of us are practically partners on the same side,” Yuu Tenkuji continued calmly. “Perhaps she really doesn’t want to disappear, or perhaps she has ulterior motives, or maybe it’s a trap set by the system… Whether she’s giving us a surprise or a shock, what we have to do won’t change. We still have to find a way to clear the world ourselves.”

The silver-haired girl once said that she could only protect their safety and give them some appropriate hints, but she couldn't give them the complete strategy.

Just like having an external plugin to help you level up, even if it helps you to some extent, you still have to play the game yourself in the end.

"You're really good at spouting nonsense." Kasumigaoka Utaha clapped her hands casually, her attitude slightly sarcastic. "You've finished summarizing, so what's next? You're a captain, after all. Stop with the long-winded talk and get to work."

“I didn’t just talk the talk.” Yuu Tenkuji rolled her eyes and stood up from her chair. “Since you’re not planning to rest after dinner, let’s head out now and get our things ready.”

Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression immediately changed. She held her fair and smooth cheeks and pretended to be weak as she leaned back in the chair, whimpering, "Waaah, I just ate, I can't move... Let me rest a little longer."

"You can rest along the way. If it really doesn't work, Itoko can get a wheelchair, and I'll push you there." Tenkuji Yu raised an eyebrow and smiled. "A sickly transfer student and a beautiful girl, isn't that a good plot?"

"Not bad my foot." Kasumigaoka Utaha pouted, swinging back and forth in her chair with one arm around her leg. Her glossy black stockings were pulled up, revealing a faint flesh color, and the alluring yet mysterious scenery beneath her skirt was hidden under the table. "There's still some time before school starts, right? No need to rush. Besides, Itoko hasn't finished washing the dishes yet..."

"You change your mind faster than turning the pages of a book, and all you can do is talk..." Before Yuu Tenkuji could finish complaining, the silver-haired girl came out of the kitchen and deftly took off her apron.

"Itoko has already washed the dishes. If needed, all the dishes can be cleaned in a second, but in order to be closer to human habits, Itoko usually chooses to wash the dishes by hand, and waits for her older brother to harass her from behind while she washes them."

"..."

The two of them fell silent, staring at her in quiet contemplation, suddenly unsure where to begin their吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or critical comments).

Yuu Tenkuji decided to ignore the last sentence: "It seems you quite like this name... although normal people wouldn't speak that way."

For girls who aren't particularly cute, using their names to refer to themselves will only provoke dislike.

For example, what if he speaks in this way one day—

"Yu doesn't think she's anything special. Yu is just doing what she's supposed to do. No matter what others say, Yu will always choose the right path~"

Look at this, isn't it disgusting? It's absolutely hilarious.

Aside from those who deliberately act cute or use virtual characters, he doesn't believe that a mentally sound human being would use their 'name' to refer to 'me' during a conversation.

"I know. It's a cute thing—the third-person self-reference."

The silver-haired girl explained earnestly, "Now that I've been given a name, Itoko believes I must have my own unique characteristics to be more like a one-of-a-kind human being. And the information shows that verbal tic is something that can easily give others a unique impression, and changing it is just as easy, so Itoko is going to give it a try."

After saying that, she tilted her head slightly, her voice calm yet gentle, like a naive child: "Isn't it good that Itoko did it this way? If it doesn't suit Brother's wishes, Itoko can change it back."

"No, it's just a slight departure from your previous 'cold-blooded robot' persona..."

Avoiding her gaze, Tenkuji Yu pressed her temples, her expression inexplicably complicated.

Why is it that for a moment I suddenly find this guy kind of cute?

Just a few days ago, she was nothing more than a prop puppet in the hands of the mastermind.

The changes brought about by the name were more profound than I had imagined...

"Isn't it fine? There are plenty of strange people in this world. Let's just say she's having a sudden bout of chuunibyou. Anyway, she looks the same age and appearance." Kasumigaoka Utaha said casually, as if it were none of her business. She looked the silver-haired girl up and down and then suddenly changed the subject.

"On another note, where did you get that information from? Was it automatically generated by the system?"

The silver-haired girl nodded and added, "To be specific, the conspiracy was copied from my brother's knowledge base."

Her answer was so quick, as if she hadn't thought of anything, that Tenkuji Yu didn't have time to stop her. Kasumigaoka Utaha blinked in surprise and exclaimed "Wow!"

She then cast a mocking glance at him, laughing smugly.

"So this is your reserve of sexual positions... You seem so dignified and unmoved, I never imagined you'd like to come from behind while others are washing dishes. I knew I wasn't wrong about you~"

Sky Temple squinted and glared back: "It's knowledge, not posture. You didn't misread me, so what do you mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything; it's just a compliment on your extensive knowledge."

Kasumigaoka Utaha waved her hand, having had enough of the commotion and chatting, then pushed back her chair, stood up, and patted the wrinkles on her skirt.

"We're just going to sneak in to find someone, we're not planning to attend class with them, right? Then I won't bring my backpack."

"Let's bring it along, it'll make it look more convincing." When it comes to things related to acting, Yuu Tenkuji takes them very seriously.

"Okay, you're the boss, I'll listen to you. I'll go upstairs to get my things."

Her crimson skirt fluttered, and her cascading black hair, enveloped in a fragrant breeze, passed by him.

From behind, the legs, tightly covered by nylon and radiating beautiful lines, revealed the girl's thighs, backs of the knees, calves, and heels through the gaps in the black stockings, showcasing a tenacious struggle born of life.

The so-called "legs to play with for years" means that when you see these legs, you can't help but imagine yourself playing with them in the palm of your hand. You would even be happy to be trampled and ravaged by them, let alone knead and abuse them.

Of course, Yuu Tenkuji didn't like being trampled underfoot, but he had to admit that his senior's legs were incredibly alluring, whether it was morning or afternoon.

Especially with the addition of black stockings, a truly outrageous prop, whether it's roughly ripping them off or watching her slowly pull them off with a humiliated expression, few men could resist such a lewd and bewitching scene, right?

Withdrawing his gaze from mere admiration, Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but feel proud of his own assessment once again.

"Don't even think about going back to sleep if you're not here within ten minutes."

"I will be serious when it's time to be serious, don't worry."

Without turning her head, Kasumigaoka Utaha said this and walked steadily upstairs.

In less than ten minutes, a beautiful high school girl returned to the living room. Her makeup was light and not very noticeable, except that her lip color was more pink and bright.

Her features were as delicate as a model's, her figure was far more mature than her age, and her temperament was as quiet and elegant as a literary girl. A white headband held her hair down, but it also gave her a touch of playful cuteness like a girl next door.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Kasumigaoka Utaha tilted her head slightly towards him, her eyes crinkling into a gentle, light smile: "Wearing another school's uniform feels like cosplaying, it's quite novel~"

"No matter how novel it is, I won't wear it." Yuu Tenkuji calmly packed her things and walked towards the entrance.

Kasumigaoka Utaha instantly composed herself, following behind him while clicking her tongue in dissatisfaction: "Tsk, how did you know what I was going to say?"

"Don't underestimate a man's intuition."

After changing her shoes, as Tenkuji Yu was walking towards the elevator outside, she casually asked, "Itoko, have you turned everything off?"

The silver-haired girl paused for a moment before replying, "They're all closed. Should Itoko check them again?"

"No need. I just realized that it doesn't seem to matter even if the water, electricity, and gas are still on."

Yuu Tenkuji chuckled wryly and scratched his head: "Looks like I need to speed things up. I don't want to make this place my second home."

"Don't worry, brother, Itoko will do her best to help you." The silver-haired girl nodded, her gaze never leaving him, her voice gradually softening, "That sentence just now felt very homey... Itoko likes that feeling."

Yuu Tenkuji looked a little confused and turned around: "Do you know what it feels like to like someone?"

“I know.” The silver-haired girl gently clutched her chest, her delicate, fair face expressionless, yet one could sense that she was earnestly contemplating or reflecting on something. “The veil gave Itoko a lot of information about her brother, with the section on emotions being the most substantial and abundant… including ‘like,’ ‘value,’ ‘cherish,’ ‘sacrifice,’ ‘blessing,’ ‘possessiveness,’ ‘peace of mind,’ and so on—”

Integrated into the concept of "love," a passionate yet profound emotion.

"Yeah……"

After a brief pause of half a second, Tenkuji Yu murmured with a sigh, withdrawing his gaze from her.

I don't know why, but my mood inexplicably improved, and I felt a sense of relief and openness.

He smiled and nodded: "Indeed, as long as it's for the people and things I love, I can resolutely overcome any obstacles I encounter on the road ahead!"

The elevator doors opened, and Kasumigaoka Utaha, swaying her schoolbag, followed him, casually interjecting, "So that's why you made that kind of declaration to me on the Ferris wheel? How high-sounding! Wanting to be a warrior of love is no excuse for becoming a scumbag."

"Is someone who's two-timing scum? I don't think so."

As the elevator descended, it felt as if I were falling into the bottom of a lake of memories, with blurry scenery rippling around me.

Sky Temple Yuu looked up, somewhat dazed, at the ever-decreasing elevator numbers, not even hearing what she herself had said.

"A guy who hesitates and can't even be honest about his own desires, who doesn't dare to take any responsibility or listen to any criticism, and who ultimately makes the girl leave sadly and causes double harm through rejection... isn't that the real scumbag?"

Like in another timeline, his worst act wasn't actually getting the junior he liked pregnant.

Instead, he liked two or even more girls at the same time, but because he didn't dare to muster the courage to express his feelings and thoughts to them, he cut off and abandoned his "love", cowardly choosing the path that would not make anyone happy, which caused those around him, including himself, to be hurt.

That kind of guy deserves to be called a scumbag.

After all, why flirt if you're not going to marry her, right?

"Hypothetically, I mean hypothetically," Tenkuji Yuu said softly, her eyes slightly closed, "If one day I fall in love with you, but I don't want to let go of Aya, would you rather see me give you up for Aya, or would you rather see me make every effort to make sure you and Aya are both with me?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha raised an eyebrow slightly: "Didn't you ever give up her choice for me?"