I, the spiritual mentor of beautiful girls from all over the world

"Complex things are not necessarily good; as long as everyone involved is happy, that's enough."

“The teacher is right!” Yui Yuigahama’s eyes lit up instantly, as if she had found a kindred spirit.

"That's what I think! But you know how Xiaoxue is..."

“Yukino Shinobu just wants to do everything perfectly, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Lynn said slowly, taking a sip of water.

"But sometimes, the pursuit of perfection is itself a form of imperfection."

Yui Yuigahama nodded as if she understood, then, as if she had thought of something, a look of anticipation rekindled in her eyes.

"Teacher, will you come to see our performance at the school festival?"

"Will do."

Lynn's answer was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Yui Yuigahama's smile instantly became incredibly radiant, like a sunflower in the height of summer.

Qiong watched this scene from the side, her hand holding the fork tightening unconsciously, and then slowly loosening.

As my brother once said, she was the first light he lit in his world.

Since it's a light... shouldn't it illuminate more places?

Including... Yui.

Thinking of this, she spoke up, her voice soft yet clear.

"I'll also help with the Service Club's programs."

Yui Yuigahama's eyes widened in surprise, unable to believe her ears.

"R-Really? Sora!"

Qiong nodded, then looked at Lynn.

Those clear gray eyes, though silent, held a hint of inquiry.

A genuine and profound sense of relief welled up in Lynn's heart.

He saw through Qiong's move very clearly.

It wasn't out of acceptance of Yui, but rather a difficult yet significant "compromise" and "management" she made in order to protect "her own world with her older brother."

She was no longer that terrified little beast who could only resist the world with paranoia and possessiveness.

She began to learn to understand, manage, and maintain this world, which she had finally acquired and which included the new concept of "friends," in her own way.

This is a far more complex and sophisticated survival strategy than simple rejection.

Lynn smiled gently, reached out, and gently patted her head.

"Qiong, you've grown up again."

This praise comes from the heart.

Upon hearing the words "3.3" and feeling the familiar, affirming warmth above her head, a look of satisfaction flashed in Qiong's eyes.

Being able to do things for her older brother and gain his approval is her greatest happiness.

Dinner ended in this wonderfully warm and harmonious atmosphere.

When Lynn went to pay the bill, Yui Yuigahama was standing next to him, thanking him quietly and apologetically, while Sora stood quietly beside him like a pretty little tail.

“By the way,” Lynn suddenly suggested after paying the bill.

"A new game center just opened nearby, want to check it out?"

He thought that this noisy yet focused environment was the best place to break down barriers and establish new ways of getting along, and also a team-building method with the least "trouble".

Yui Yuigahama's eyes lit up instantly: "Game Center! I love it!"

She subconsciously looked at Sora, only to see that Sora didn't seem interested in this kind of place, but still nodded slightly, because it was Onii-chan's suggestion.

"Yay!" Yui Yuigahama cheered, feeling that today was the luckiest day of her life.

Thus, this "three-person date" he spearheaded naturally progressed to the next stage.

Walking down the street at night, the colorful neon lights flashed incessantly, elongating and overlapping the three people's shadows on the ground.

Lynn walked in the middle, with Yui Yuigahama and Sora on his left and right, maintaining a subtle and harmonious distance.

Yui Yuigahama walked to Lynn's right, and she could clearly feel the reassuring warmth emanating from him.

She secretly glanced up at his profile, which looked exceptionally gentle under the neon lights, and then couldn't help but look past him to the quiet silver-haired girl on the other side, her heart overflowing with an unprecedented, unreal sense of satisfaction.

If only such times could last forever...

Enough.

Chapter 73: The Passionate Loyal Dog and the Arrogant Rabbit, Let's Get Along Well

Inside the game center, colorful neon lights flashed wildly.

Various electronic sound effects, heavy metal music, and players' screams blend together to create a cacophony that can overwhelm one's reason.

Lynn had always kept his distance from such places, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

His extraordinary perception allowed him to easily discern the most suitable area for "controlling the situation" from this chaos.

The claw machine area is located in a relatively isolated corner, where the atmosphere is most relaxed.

That was the only place where he could keep both girls in sight at the same time with the lowest level of trouble.

After making his judgment, he slowly started walking, leading the two of them in that direction.

His goal was clear—the claw machine piled high with adorable Shiba Inu plush toys.

"Wow! It's a Shiba Inu!"

That soft exclamation of surprise seemed to ignite all the light in Yui Yuigahama's eyes.

That pure, girlish affection instantly dispelled all her inner turmoil and unease, transforming into an almost uncontrollable impulse that drove her to take half a step toward Lynn.

Her hand instinctively rose, almost touching the hem of his clothes, to share this unexpected treasure.

However, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a silver-haired figure as quiet as a doll, which instantly extinguished all her enthusiasm like a bucket of cold water.

The raised hand froze awkwardly in mid-air.

Despite her unnatural movements, her sparkling eyes honestly betrayed her inner joy.

Lynn followed her gaze and glanced at Qiong, who was also expressionless but whose gaze lingered on the dolls for half a second longer, and chuckled inwardly.

He walked up to the coin exchange machine, exchanged a large box of game tokens, took out a few, and placed them in Yui Yuigahama's palm.

"you first."

"Eh? Me, me?"

Yui Yuigahama accepted the tokens with a flattered expression; the few cold game coins felt as heavy as a thousand pounds in her palm.

She stole a glance at Qiong beside her, who had no expression on her face, and seeing that the other party didn't seem to object, she took a deep breath and encouraged herself:

"Um... I'll try it first!"

However, reality is cruel...

"Ah! Just a little bit!"

"Damn it! Did this paw not eat? It has no strength at all!"

All of Yui Yuigahama's efforts were in vain in the face of her pitiful gaming talent and the shady claw machine modified by the unscrupulous shop owner.

Although she was complaining about the machine, a desperate voice was screaming in her heart.

(Why! Why can't I even do something this simple right! The teacher is watching... Xiaoqiong is watching too... I'm such an idiot!)

Kasugano Sora watched this scene quietly from the side, her clear gray eyes showing no ripples, as if she were observing a creature that had nothing to do with her and was putting on a comical performance.

Yui Yuigahama retreated dejectedly, her little face filled with "I really am an idiot!", before Sora finally moved.

She silently stretched out her fair little hand and laid it out in front of Lynn.

Lynn understood and placed a few game coins in her palm.

Qiong stepped forward; she wasn't playing around, she was carrying out a mission.

A mission to prove to my older sister that "I am better than her".

She simply stared calmly at the target in the glass case, her gray eyes revealing a surgical precision and composure under the noisy lights.

She inserted the coin, pushed the lever, and pressed the button—all in one fluid motion.

The metal claws swooped down and firmly gripped the Shiba Inu's nape.

Wow! Xiaoqiong is amazing!

Yui Yuigahama exclaimed involuntarily, her admiration genuine, but so was her disappointment.

Just as the claw reached its highest point, that seemingly strong and powerful claw, once again, without warning, released its grip.

Qiong's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

(How is that possible? My theory... should be flawless.)

Unconvinced, she tried twice more, with the exact same result.

When the last coin also failed, the initial shock finally turned into a chilling anger of being fooled.

She stared intently at the limp, metal claw, as if looking at a dead thing that had betrayed her.

This machine seemed to be telling her, through the laws of physics, that some things cannot be accomplished simply by being precise.

Two girls, one defeated by her own clumsiness, the other defeated by the rules of the machine.

In this silent competition, they reached an awkward tie in a way that no one expected.

Lynn looked at the two people, one dejected and the other unwilling, and a barely perceptible hint of helplessness and gentleness flashed in his eyes, which always carried a hint of laziness.

"Alright, stop arguing with a pre-programmed metal box."

Yui Yuigahama looked up blankly, while Sora, standing beside her, cast an inquiring glance at her.

Lynn met their gazes and spoke in a calm and gentle tone, as if stating a very simple fact:

"This kind of thing was created just to make you unhappy."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a warm hand, gently wiping away the anxiety and resentment in their hearts.

"So, losing to it is not shameful."

After saying that, he turned around and stood in front of the machine, adding in an almost indulgent, slightly lazy tone:

"Next, I'll tell you the secret to this money-making machine."

In his view, everything became different.

The power of [God's Left Hand - Gandalf] was quietly activated.

The internal structure of the claw machine, the weight distribution of the claw, the center of gravity of each plush toy... countless data streams flashed through his mind, eventually converging into a unique and optimal solution.

He inserted a coin and gripped the joystick.

In Yui Yuigahama's eyes, the teacher's movements were even somewhat casual.

The claws landed... seemingly off-center!

She was about to feel sorry for it when she saw the metal claw close in a way that completely defied common sense.

With a sharp point, it hooked tightly onto a small white tag on the Shiba Inu's neck!

That's not arresting...

It's more like... fishing a fish out of the water with a hook!

The moment this thought crossed her mind, Yui Yuigahama's mouth dropped open, her eyes widened, and her brain completely shut down.

For the first time, a clear sense of shock appeared in Qiong's usually calm, gray eyes.

Lynn bent down, took the Shiba Inu plush toy from the exit, and casually patted off the dust.

next second.

In his emotional perception, two completely different emotional spectrums are colliding fiercely.