I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

But now, Yuu Tenkuji can say this with his head held high: for all the important people in his life, he wants to live as long as possible! He wants to outlive them and carry their weight for the rest of his life.

"Is that so?" Yukino Yukinoshita tilted her head slightly, a light smile appearing on her face. "Alright, I will prove you right with the rest of my life."

The two looked at each other, both with genuine smiles on their faces.

Knowing that if they continued to look at each other like that, they might not be able to resist kissing and might even fall deeply in love, they quickly turned their attention back to the book that contained all sorts of memories.

Yuu Tenkuji lifted his hand, which had been about to cover Yukino's thighs and slowly stroke down her skirt to explore, and turned the last page of the book for her.

"Next, it should be the process of me declaring war on the system..."

The memories of confessing to Yukino and being ruthlessly rejected flooded my mind.

At this point, Yuu Tenkuji's memories were fully restored, and she regained all the emotions she had lost.

He couldn't help but close his eyes, recalling the things he had said to the system—

"Stripping me of my romantic feelings for her will actually make it easier to achieve the later mission objectives... System, is that alright?"

"I'm not mature enough to become a player, liking someone but becoming someone else's boyfriend... If I don't suppress my feelings, I'm afraid I'll end up going to Asuna after completing the mission."

"I'm not some chosen one, which is why the system had to take away my emotions... But what's left, I can face it with a smile and accept it with a smile now."

"System, this time, not only will I not let you take back my feelings, but I also demand that you return all the feelings I let you take away before!"

Tenkuji Yu laughed. Was this growing more and more willful really a sign of growth?

Whether it counts or not, he thinks he has changed to some extent—his thoughts, values, and personality have all undergone countless changes in the process of meeting everyone.

That is definitely something more valuable than the abilities the system provides.

Because Yukinoshita Haruno told him about her beliefs in making a choice.

Because of Asuna Yuuki, he gained the courage to move forward.

Because Natsukawa Masaki told him the meaning of belief.

Because Yukino Yukinoshita told him the purpose of the change.

That's why Yuu Tenkuji is now able to muster the courage to transcend the so-called right and wrong, believe that her choices were not wrong, and make changes in order to achieve a happy ending.

That was his answer. He wanted to smear all of this onto the face of fate that had cursed him countless times!

Tenkuji Yu opened her eyes, exhaled softly, and looked at the black-haired girl beside her.

"Thank you, Yukino."

"You should thank more than just me." She stretched out her finger and gently tapped her nose, her eyes tender.

Sky Temple smiled and nodded, then stood up: "I know that I may never be able to express my gratitude to each and every one of you in my lifetime."

"So?" As if she could see through his thoughts, Yukino crossed her arms with amusement, her gaze following his movement as she deliberately cooperated with him.

Yuu Tenkuji tapped his left atrium: "So, I will spend my whole life telling you everything I want to say here."

"Then I'll look forward to it."

The girl, sitting gracefully in the chair, chuckled softly like a snow sprite.

The morning light shone on her jet-black hair, the red ribbon hanging down her chest fluttered gently, and the book she held on her lap had somehow transformed into a snowflake necklace.

She turned her head, and her smooth black hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her dark blue eyes, slightly smiling, shone like jewels.

"Would you help me put it on before you leave?"

"My pleasure."

Just as she had done in the past, Yuu Tenkuji picked up the necklace, wrapped it around her long, silky hair, and fastened the silver chain at the back of her beautiful, fair neck.

He took a small step back and carefully examined how Yukino looked with the necklace on. He couldn't help but clap his hands in praise: "It really suits you. Even the snowy scenery of Hokkaido isn't as beautiful as you!"

"There's no need to talk about something so obvious." The beautiful girl was as narcissistic as ever. Instead of getting up from her chair, she pointed to the door of the Service Department. "If you have nothing else to do, you can go find your next girlfriend, you womanizer."

"Are you sending me away so soon?" Yuu Tenkuji asked, her eyes widening as if feigning sadness.

"What good is it to linger here? Even if I keep you here longer, you'll never be mine alone." Yukino glanced at him indifferently, her fingers lightly tracing the snowflake ornament on her chest. "Back in reality, there will be even more trouble waiting for you... Be prepared."

"Don't say such discouraging things..." Yuu Tenkuji slumped his shoulders in a mocking manner, but quickly put on that confident and cheerful smile again. "Just kidding. Those troubles are just spice in my happy life. I actually hope they can stay with me until I'm seventy or eighty!"

By then, everyone will be old men and women, yet they will still argue endlessly about who should sleep with whom tonight... Just imagining such a scene, how could Tenkuji Yu possibly worry about such a trivial matter?

"Your skin and mindset are really quite different from before." Yukino couldn't help but smile bitterly, unsure whether to feel gratified for him or helpless about her own inability to have a normal relationship anymore.

In short, is it a combination of both?

"Well then, I'll be leaving now."

Tenkuji Yu turned around and opened the slightly glowing door without hesitation.

"See you later, Yukino."

"Well, based on what you said before, it's probably just a matter of opening and closing your eyes."

Like bidding farewell to her husband who was about to embark on a long journey, Yukino Yukinoshita watched his retreating figure with a tender expression until he disappeared behind the slowly closing door.

With her back to the warm sunlight streaming through the window, she slowly closed her eyes, filled with happiness, recalling every moment she had spent with him, the bittersweet memories that came with him.

—It's not just Yuu Tenkuji who has grown.

Such an important life experience—if she forgets it, she will no longer be Yukino Yukinoshita—no longer the Yukino Yukinoshita who changed herself for love and friendship.

Therefore, we must remember it more clearly than anyone else, and cherish that past more than anyone else.

Yukino Yukinoshita smiled, her lips curving upwards, adorned with a snowflake necklace, lost in her own unique happiness.

"See you later, my hero."

……

After passing through the light-filled passage behind the door, Yuu Tenkuji blinked. Once her vision returned to normal, what she saw was no longer the narrow, dark tunnel.

But...

An open-air bar perched on the edge of a cliff?

Chapter 185 Utaha Kasumigaoka's Turn

"This little system has come up with another new trick for me..."

Standing there speechlessly for a long time, Tenkuji Yu sighed, pressing his brow.

Now that things have come to this, he probably wouldn't be surprised if the system teleported him to Mars.

Just pretend you're dreaming, just like the author dreams of dating his two-dimensional wife every day; there are always endless possibilities in dreams.

—The most important question now is, where did Kasumigaoka Utaha go?

"Yoyo-kun, over here~"

The problem had barely surfaced when it was successfully resolved by the person involved.

Wearing a black evening gown, Kasumigaoka Utaha sat in that conspicuous open-air bar, raising her fair arm to him and waving it casually twice.

Sky Temple looked at her from afar, his eyes slightly unfocused for some reason.

At that moment, images of his sister and four girlfriends flashed through his mind, as did the appearances of Iroha Isshiki and Kanade Tachibana, and the days he had spent with them, now turned into a mess by the system...

Perhaps it's time to put an end to this utterly ridiculous farce?

Fortunately, no matter how bad the script was, he had the most beautiful actresses in the world who stayed with him until the end.

Tenkuji Yu chuckled softly, no longer thinking about anything else, and walked refreshingly toward the black-haired beauty on the high chair.

"Judging from your appearance, did Itoko give you special treatment so you can leisurely drink and wait for me here?"

"As expected of you, you guessed right." With a charming yet innocent smile, Kasumigaoka Utaha put down her glass and addressed the empty bar, "Give him a regular martini."

With a mixture of doubt and curiosity, Tenkuji Yu sat down next to her.

Not long after, what was thought to be the wall of the wine cabinet suddenly flipped over, and a robot dressed in a bartender's uniform silently walked out, placed a stemmed wine glass on the ivory bar counter, and then returned to the inside of the flipped-over wine cabinet wall.

"Shaken, not stirred." The mature and beautiful young woman smiled and pushed her glass toward him, while she picked up an old-fashioned glass with a round ice cube on it and greeted him.

"To our soon-to-be-normal lives, Chers!"

Boom!

Tenkuji Yu clinked glasses with her, swirled the lemon-green liquid in his glass, took a small sip, and put it down.

He doesn't like drinking, but he doesn't dislike seeing the charming blush on a beautiful girl's face after she drinks.

“Honey, James Bond isn’t nearly as pretty as you.” Knowing the origin of that English line, Tenkuji Yuu also adopted the demeanor of a greasy American, deliberately raising an eyebrow to tease her.

Kasumigaoka Utaha propped her cheek on her hand, gazing at his handsome face through the wine, her eyes narrowing into a hazy, alluring smile, looking somewhat silly: "Hmph~ You think comparing me to male celebrities makes me happy? You're sorely mistaken~"

Tenkuuji Yu was somewhat surprised: "What? Are you unhappy right now?"

“I was drinking champagne, now I’m drinking vodka…maybe later, I’ll be drinking the water of life?” she mumbled, letting out a long sigh as her flowing hair cascaded onto the bar. “Really…if Itoko hadn’t said I wouldn’t really get drunk, I would have been completely out of it by now. Sigh…that’s life, isn’t it…”

With a sigh, Kasumigaoka Utaha took another sip of her drink, fidgeting restlessly in her chair with her excessively slender waist, muttering indistinct murmurs.

Yuu Tenkuji silently pushed his wine glass away a little—if it doesn't make you drunk, isn't it just fake wine?

Fake alcohol is a killer! The proof is this beautiful girl in front of me, writhing more and more like a maggot. Is Itoko helping her or messing with her...?

"Is there anything I can do for you, beautiful lady?"

"Yes." Upon hearing this, she immediately perked up. "Can you feed me wine mouth-to-mouth without spilling a single drop?"

Yuu Tenkuji stared speechlessly at her as she raised her upper body: "...You've been acting for so long, just for this?"

After a slight pause, Kasumigaoka Utaha lay back down.

"They don't know what you're talking about... They're drunk, they can't get up without being given more drinks..."

Is this logical relationship a bit confusing?

Yuu Tenkuji was too tired to even complain anymore. After a helpless sigh, he picked up her wine glass and gulped it down in one go. Then, he forcefully pulled her close and kissed her passionately.

Of course, it wasn't just about kissing. But the specifics can't be described. Just know that her evening gown was thinner than you'd imagine, and that the wine eventually mixed with saliva and splashed out between them, soaking their collars.

They engaged in a passionate, intimate exchange for a long time, until Kasumigaoka Utaha was out of breath and begged for mercy, pushing against his chest. Only then did Tenkuji Yu gently place her limp back in her seat, wipe the water from her mouth, and tentatively turn to the bar and say:

"Waiter, bring me two warm towels, a pot of fine Longjing tea, a purple clay cup, and two catties of beef, half lean and half fat."

Before long, the table was filled with all the things he had mentioned—two warm towels, a purple clay teapot with two cups, a plate of beef, and two pairs of chopsticks.