Yuu 591-595

Title: Is Something Wrong?

Sora originally had no intention of leaving Yuu’s side. She feared that if she left him for even a moment, something would happen to him, or he would be taken advantage of by certain mischievous cats.

However, considering they were about to enter her older brother’s room, and she couldn’t stop them for very strong reasons, after several hesitations, Sora finally left the sofa. She carefully laid Yuu’s body flat and touched his cheek with a face full of worry.

“Yuu, wait for me here. I’ll be right back.”

“...”

His eyelids didn’t stir. Yuu still slept soundly and peacefully. Only his regular breathing answered her.

Sora lowered her gaze. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, as if tears were clinging to them.

“Truly, you must be very tired... Now, sleep well.”

She forced herself to smile, but her vision blurred again. The tip of her nose ached, making it difficult to breathe.

Boundless loneliness and panic began to take root and spread. Her heart ached and felt empty, as if she had lost half of herself. She just wanted to lose consciousness with him, no longer worrying if he would sleep forever.

Even if Yuu was sure to wake up, as written in the notebook, if he didn’t successfully pass that test, would his spirit be wounded? Would he forget her?

Would he... truly change into someone else?

“Even though this isn’t a true life-and-death farewell, when I can’t hear your voice, and you don’t respond no matter how loud I shout, it truly feels worse than death.”

Sora wiped her eyes, allowing the world and herself to become clear, while also suppressing her discomfort.

After years since both her parents died in a plane crash, she once again felt a fear more painful than despair.

As if being a thousand meters underwater, surrounded by heavy water pressure and lightless darkness. Her internal organs ached to the point of wanting to vomit.

As if abandoned by the entire world, surrounded by loneliness without support and cold, foreign air. She wanted to disappear immediately, unwilling to face a darker and crueler future.

Wanting to hide in the room, wanting to curl up in a corner, wanting to cry loudly, wanting to shake his body hard and force him awake.

Even though he was only temporarily asleep, she was so afraid, as if her only family would leave her forever, letting her live alone in this world without relatives.

If that happened, it would be better to die earlier.

Yuu was a pillar for Sora. If he left her, she would have no more reason to live.

Even if his consciousness was only temporarily gone, the impact on her was as severe as a heavy wound...

If it were the old Sora, perhaps upon seeing her brother in a coma-like state, she would have collapsed weakly on the floor and never risen again.

She knew that such a self would only tightly embrace Yuu’s still warm body, cry until her eyes were swollen, and then remain by his side like a soulless being, not eating, not drinking, not bathing. If Yuu didn’t wake up in two or three days, she wouldn’t care if she simply died.

Life without him was a terrible thing she couldn’t endure for even two or three days.

“But the me now has grown up a little, Yuu.”

Sora suddenly smiled. She took her brother’s warm hand, placed it on her own head, and gently stroked it.

“As long as you’re still here, I can be stronger than anyone... Then, I’ll turn around and become your pillar, always waiting for you to come home.”

She whispered. Her forehead touched Yuu’s forehead. Her gentle gaze gradually became firm and resolute.

Precisely because she was his sister, precisely because she was his family.

Because she knew that her brother was not a perfect and omnipotent Superman, the younger sister wanted to shed her past weak and helpless self, trying to become his support—

Even if she couldn’t help at all, she absolutely couldn’t hinder him at such an important moment and make him worry!

“Yuu, I love you... After you wake up, I won’t forgive you if you don’t hug me while sleeping for a week.”

With a smile that banished weakness and was as bright as the sky after rain, Sora left that last sentence. She placed Yuu’s hand on his lower abdomen, then rose without hesitation.

“Let’s go.” She looked at the girls waiting for her at the door and said coldly, without expression, “Searching for items is fine, but the bed and wardrobe must not be touched. I will watch over you from the side.”

“How rude! Do we look like perverts who would sneak in and kiss Yuu-chan’s blankets and underwear?” As if feeling slandered, Haruno puffed out her cheeks and protested, “Such a thing can be done anytime; who would choose the wrong time!”

“The problem isn’t about time, you know!”

Yukino interrupted coldly. Seeing a small gray cat casually stepping on the stairs, as if leading them to Yuu’s room, her eyes sparkled. She followed behind the cat’s bottom excitedly, occasionally “Meow~ Meow~” trying to communicate with it.

As for Masuzu, with regret that her plan was exposed, she followed them up the stairs.

As Sora walked out of the living room, the lights dimmed, the door closed softly, and the curtains covered the sunlight from the large window.

There was only a corner of light illuminating the handsome young man lying supine on the sofa, who slept peacefully with a slight smile on his lips, as if dreaming beautifully.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Yuu thought the Final Exam was no joke. Its difficulty level was completely incomparable to the previous four missions.

As if the system no longer gave him any ease, he couldn’t find a starting point for an attack at all, not even knowing which direction to put effort into.

Time had moved from early April to late May.

During this time, cherry blossoms bloomed everywhere. There were flower-viewing parties, celebrations, and smiles. The joy of spring seemed to have just begun to ignite the entire island.

During this period, Yuu got used to student council work, the life of a third-year high school student, and all the people and things he encountered in this test.

His relationship with his two juniors also gradually warmed up. Every day, he was alone with them in the student council office. Sometimes on holidays, he even went out and ate with them under the pretext of work...

If only he had always maintained a proper distance as a senior and not overstepped boundaries, such an interaction pattern would be almost like dating both of them at once, having double female partners.

Nevertheless, a month had passed, and Yuu still hadn’t found enough clues to initiate the mission objective.

The three clues he found on the first day—the fact that this was his third year of high school, his hikikomori little sister’s uniform, and the familiar feeling that he had once formed a student council with his juniors.

None could be the answer to solving the mystery of the system’s objective.

And during this period, he found nothing else noteworthy. As if everything that began in this third year of high school made sense; nothing was lacking, nothing was superfluous. Such daily life would continue.

The only suspicious thing might be his sister.

However, after trying various methods, Yuu was forced to give up looking for flaws in Sora.

Because Sora in this test was behaving very strangely. She was much quieter than usual, and seemed to try to avoid private conversations with him. She looked like an AI deliberately simulated by the system for this test, and very crudely made—

Perhaps the system also knew that even if it could change the world line, it couldn’t affect the familiarity level of the world’s strongest siscon with his sister, right?

If he were allowed to become close with Sora here, then in less than a day, the clue for the Final Exam would probably be found quickly.

If it were solved in seconds, what would be the point of this test?

So Yuu guessed that the clue to his objective was not with Sora at all, but with other things he wouldn’t normally notice or suspect.

For example...

“The system itself.”

Yuu smiled coldly, a wise look in his eyes showing that he saw everything.

“Although the system itself is in a paused state, in this test, I can still use statuses and skills... Regardless of whether it’s a special facility given to me by the system, this itself is an extraordinary clue.”

And the system probably didn’t expect that the sudden idea he had to forcibly combine certain statuses and skills had actually managed to leave an unusual backdoor in the last mission...

If this backdoor could be activated smoothly, let alone finding clues, he might even walk through walls from the labyrinth’s entrance to the finish line, as if he were using cheats.

“Initially, I just wanted to prepare it just in case, but I didn’t expect to use it this quickly. Truly, plans don’t keep up with changes.”

Yuu sighed with emotion. He stood in front of his bedroom door. Facing the closed door, he slowly extended his hand.

“In that case, I’ve come to see you...”

He held the doorknob, closed his eyes, and remembered the feeling at that moment—

Using Perfect-level Learning, aided by the special status of Sense Synchronization, he successfully learned the feeling of the system opening the door for him, at the cost of a nosebleed.

Could such an absurd and illogical thing truly be accomplished?

Yuu had never tried it, and there was not enough evidence to support this idea—but he was confident that he had learned how to open the door from the system and could open the door leading back to the real world.

Regardless of success or failure, his confidence was a thousand percent.

So at this moment, with absolute certainty that he would succeed, Yuu followed the guidance of the power within his body, pushed the door in front of him, and stepped out.

“In that case, let’s meet with a surprise, long time no see—Life Achievement System!”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

The spare key turned. The door opened. Sora was the first to enter.

The scene behind the door unfolded before their eyes. Masuzu couldn’t wait to look around the room, her eyes sparkling, and her smile slightly lewd.

The view outside the window was covered by curtains. The bedroom was definitely empty. The masculine decor exuded a melancholy cool blue tone, but its tidiness made the mood bright.

Most importantly...

Taking advantage of them entering in sequence, and all of them having their backs to her, Masuzu stopped at the doorway. She raised her slender neck like a swan, flared her nostrils, and took a deep breath like a whale.

“Sss—“

(Ah~)

(That’s Yuu’s scent; the whole room is filled with his unique and familiar aroma~)

(Amazing! The best!)

(Is this really a privilege I can experience?!)

With a flushed expression as if on the verge of ecstasy, Masuzu closed her eyes. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, her body wriggling like a maggot, her abdomen constantly contracting, and her entire body lightly trembling as if electrified.

“The greatest happiness...”

-

Title: The Secret of the Snowflake Necklace

“What is this obsessive woman doing again...”

Sora glared distastefully at Masuzu, who was taking a deep breath at the door. She looked around, but found that only Haruno had started searching with purpose. Meanwhile, Yukino and Utaha stood in the corner of the room, seemingly having no intention of moving at all.

Utaha was still understandable. According to her, besides meeting Yuu once during summer vacation, she had no other close connection, let alone left anything representing a close relationship... Even if there was, it shouldn’t be in this room.

However, Yukino was very strange. Although she had lost her memory now, if she still loved her older brother, she should be as interested in his room as he was, and invade his personal space under the guise of searching for something. Why was she standing so calmly still?

Sora narrowed her eyes. She carefully observed the long-haired black-haired girl, who stood tall but appeared less cold and strong than when they first met.

Yukino bit her lip slightly, looking at Haruno’s back as she rummaged through a drawer. Her beautiful, snow-white face showed a hesitant expression. Her eyes struggled slightly, as if she wasn’t sure whether to reveal a certain secret, and feared her treasure would be snatched away as soon as she spoke.

Her hands clenched lightly in front of her chest. If she were religious, she might be holding a cross for peace of mind.

After observing for a moment, Sora proactively walked closer.

“Aren’t you going to search? Until yesterday, you were Yuu’s girlfriend. So, as long as it has something to do with you and was left behind, he would definitely keep it very preciously in his room. One of them might be the key to entering that dream.”

“Ah, that, I...” Yukino turned, a little flustered. She opened her small mouth. The hand holding her chest unconsciously tightened.

She glanced at Sora, then at her older sister who was focused on using a wire to pry open Yuu’s desk drawer. Finally, she shifted her gaze back, exhaled a sigh of relief, and her shoulders dropped. Her expression quickly returned to calm and peaceful.

“I’m sorry, even though you all say I’m his girlfriend, the me now can’t remember anything. I don’t know about our dating days, and I don’t know what we ever left for each other...”

Yukino whispered softly. Her head was slightly lowered, like a little girl abandoned alone by her parents in a strange place, wanting to go home but not knowing the way. She exuded sadness amidst her confusion.

“Oh... so that’s why you’re just watching.”

Sora suddenly understood. Then she felt like she was picking at someone else’s wound, so she felt bad about continuing to hurt her. After nodding comfortingly, she twirled a strand of her hair and prepared to leave as if nothing had happened.

However, at that moment, Yukino suddenly released her hands from her chest, gently smoothed her long hair back, and pulled a necklace from beneath her high-neck sweater.

“Although there’s no proof, this snowflake necklace that I somehow have, he must have given it to me...”

She surmised there was no other possibility.

After seeing her uninvited older sister home, Yukino didn’t dwell in negative emotions for too long. She immediately cheered herself up, planning to buy something at the supermarket downstairs, and then curl up on the sofa watching cat videos to calm herself.

However, before going down, she glanced at the cold street scene outside. Perhaps influenced by some kind of impulse, she took out the snowflake necklace wrapped in a handkerchief, put it on her neck and hid it under her clothes, then went out.

As a result, the winter that usually made her curl up and her fingers freeze, was now like a docile stray cat. There was no longer the fierce cold and bone-piercing indifference.

Endless warmth spread from the snowflake, penetrating her chest and spreading through her blood. As if tightly embraced by someone’s broad chest, it gave her a sense of comfort to walk forward steadily even in winter.

Yukino was initially very confused. Why an ordinary jade necklace, not a new type of hand warmer or other black technology, could do such a magical thing.

However, in this more magical situation, all those doubts seemed to resolve themselves.

“This...” Not wanting to touch the snowflake, which should still have warmth from Yukino’s chest, though very curious, Sora didn’t ask her to take off the necklace. She just brought her head closer, observing the necklace from top to bottom.

Then she said in a convincing tone: “He definitely gave it to you! Look, ‘Y&Y’ is engraved here, which should mean Yuu and Yukino... Yuu likes to do small romantic things like this, just wanting the girl to become more obsessed with him after accidentally finding it.”

“Y&Y?”

Yukino was startled. She then flipped the snowflake to face herself. She frowned slightly in surprise, narrowed her eyes, and re-examined the snowflake jade of unknown material.

“No way, I’ve checked it very carefully. There’s nothing...”

“You didn’t check the chain part, did you?” Sora shrugged. In this world, no one knew more about her older brother’s little thoughts than she did. “Search carefully. It’s engraved on the inside of the chain connecting the snowflake jade... That man, Yuu, truly only uses useless little cleverness.”

Or perhaps a bad sense of humor?

Following Sora’s words, Yukino finally managed to see the ant-sized English letters engraved on the silver ring connected to the snowflake.

Y&Y.

Yuu and Yukino.

Without any proof, no matter who doubted, these three characters represented that meaning.

Yukino held the necklace in front of her eyes, staring at the three characters unmoving. Her dark blue eyes seemed to contain only them.

Although they were just simple words composed of English letters, it was like a love story full of promises and smiles, making her unconsciously fascinated, imagining what kind of complicated and winding emotional experience had occurred between Yuu and Yukino.

It must have been a memory that didn’t end so well, but a memory that anyone could face without regret in the future, right?

Unconsciously, she showed a warm and relieved smile.

“I see...”

“Tenkuji-kun, is this the key you left for me?”

“Even if all of this isn’t happening now, even if you didn’t proactively come to confess to me, as long as I carefully examine this necklace, sooner or later I will find the secret hidden behind these letters...”

“As long as I still love you, then Y&Y will forever mean Yuu and Yukino.”

Yukino gripped the necklace tightly, then carefully tucked it back into her sweater, placing it in the center of her chest.

She slowly exhaled from her lungs. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly. Her blue eyes seemed to smile, then suddenly lifted, but also rippled with a clear sparkle like a lake surface.

“In that case, the fact that I am his girlfriend needs no further doubt.”

Muttering to herself, Yukino shifted a firm and relaxed gaze to Sora, and said with a smile: “Thank you, Sora-chan. Although my memory hasn’t returned yet, I already know something very important to me, and I won’t be confused or sad anymore.”

Sora stared at her, who suddenly felt relieved, with her whole demeanor gradually returning to normal. She replied stiffly: “Huh? Oh, you’re welcome... I just spoke casually, I didn’t mean to help you.”

Did this mean she talked too much? She felt a little regretful for no reason.

“Even so, I have to thank you.”

Yukino shook her head. She glanced at her older sister, who had successfully opened the desk drawer and started rummaging from top to bottom, then suddenly turned and walked out the door.

“Where are you going?” Sora asked instinctively.

“I’m going to make a call for a bit, and will be right back.”

Like a sister-in-law to her sister-in-law, Yukino naturally rubbed her small head. After a brief pause, she said again:

“Sora-chan, I want to ask Yui to come over for a bit, is that okay?”

Hearing this sentence, the one who reacted immediately wasn’t Sora, who was preparing to swat her hand away, but Masuzu, who had finished sniffing at the door.

“You want to call Dango-chan? It’s better not to do that.”

-

Title: Shameless!

“Why?”

Yukino’s hand, which had just been about to reach for her phone in her pocket, paused because of that sentence.

As if her earlier lewd behavior had never happened, Masuzu combed her long hair with her hand and said slowly: “Isn’t this a very simple matter? First of all, Dango-chan’s status isn’t the same as ours. She’s the official girlfriend that Yuu chose to date, even without the pressure of a mission, you know~”

“I don’t see any reason to exclude Yui, because we’re both his girlfriends.”

Staring at Masuzu’s slightly condescending gaze, Yukino answered very firmly.

Although she still had a little worry and anxiety about whether Yuigahama truly accepted her relationship with Yuu, more than her own feelings, Yukino didn’t want her best friend, who was truly dating Yuu, to be kept in the dark in a situation like this, only able to wait for everything to end without knowing anything.

Her boyfriend had fainted without cause, was forcibly kissed by someone in the car, and now his room was being raided by several women who had feelings for him... After this, even more outrageous things might happen. Meanwhile, Yuigahama wasn’t by his side, unable to stop any of this, and unable to help him at all.

The feeling of shock and helplessness after learning the truth made Yukino’s chest tighten just imagining it. She truly didn’t want her best friend to feel the same pain.

So, she said firmly, word by word: “I don’t know what the past is like in your memories. To me, Tenkuji-kun and Yui are a couple with a good and intimate relationship. Everything we’re doing now, and everything Tenkuji-kun is experiencing now, must be immediately told to her.”

“Or, do you have a reason to hide it from her?”

“Pffft!”

Stared at with such intimidating truth by Yukino, Masuzu couldn’t hold back her laughter, like a villain mocking the naive thoughts of the protagonist before a major battle. After a small chuckle, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and said slowly:

“You’re right~ Just like cancer can’t be hidden from family, if an accident happens one day, the damage will be even more severe for those kept in the dark, right?”

Yukino frowned: “Can you stop using analogies like that...”

Masuzu ignored her and continued speaking on her own.

“I know too. You think the reason I don’t want Dango-chan to come is purely because I want to exclude her, the official girlfriend, so that we mission targets without official status can continue acting freely, right?”

The corner of Yukino’s eye twitched slightly: “Honestly, I didn’t think that far... So you’re thinking that?”

“...I thought you would think that.”

Masuzu’s calculating expression became awkward. She coughed awkwardly a few times, but quickly refocused.

“I’ll say it first: as long as Yuu can wake up safely, let alone letting Dango-chan come to take control of the situation, even if we have to lock the two of them in the same room and wake him up with unspeakable exercise, I sincerely don’t care.”

“I care!” Sora, who had been listening to their conversation, interjected unhappily.

“Don’t worry, that’s impossible to happen.” Masuzu couldn’t ignore this little girl’s opinion. She reassured her, then turned back to Yukino.

She suddenly stepped forward, and her tone became aggressive.

“Besides, do you think Dango-chan isn’t my best friend? While you two spent Christmas Eve together upstairs and your fierce fighting sounds echoed throughout the apartment last night, we were watching JOJO downstairs to soothe our wounded hearts!”

“Dango-chan even specially went upstairs to give you Christmas gifts, and her eyes were red when she came back! You dare say you’re thinking of her more than I am?! How shameless!”

Although it was a shout that sounded very honest and fiery, the slight twitch at the corner of her lips gave the impression that she was holding back laughter.

Sora, who was observing, sneered indifferently. She didn’t care at all whether her older brother had really done something to that flat-chested black-haired woman—

After all, Masuzu’s words were completely untrustworthy. Just looking at her expression, she was surely just spouting nonsense to disturb others.

Although the suspicion about what Yuu did last night hadn’t disappeared, unless Yuu admitted it himself, as a little sister who always believed in him, Sora would never waver just because of others’ words!

“Wh-what did you say...”

On the other side, because she was too shocked, Yukino didn’t notice the oddity in Masuzu’s expression. She only retreated a step with a shocked face.

Her trembling pupils contracted into pinpricks as if recalling something she couldn’t believe. Her dry lips mumbled in a daze:

“So I really did something like that with him... Waking up in the morning without wearing anything, that was because of him too...”

She stood right in front of them. No matter how small Yukino’s mumble was, Sora and Masuzu could quickly catch the keywords.

“Waking up in the morning...”

“Finding yourself without wearing anything?”

Both were stunned, then simultaneously showed similar shocked expressions. They stared at Yukino, whose white skin flushed and who turned her head away with a beet-red face, in disbelief.

“No way... Dango-chan trusts you two so much, and you actually did it?!”

Masuzu couldn’t help but widen her eyes, clenching her fists. The sourness and reluctance in her heart turned into condemnation toward Yukino: “Too envious... No, too cruel! Is your friendship not worth six hours of passion?!”

“You were about to say envious earlier... Wait, that’s not the point.”

Feeling those two gazes piercing, Yukino frantically flicked her long hair, covering the side of her face that was already as red as a sunset.

Then she stared at the corner of the wall, took a deep breath, and tried to defend herself in a calm tone:

“Even though you say that, I don’t remember anything now, and no physical abnormalities appeared... M-maybe, I took it off myself!”

“Tch, is that your final excuse?” Masuzu sneered coldly. She suddenly turned toward Haruno, who was still searching for something, and raised her voice.

“Haruno-san, your sister—“

“Wait, wait a moment, the issue isn’t certain yet!”

An inexplicable fear and panic surged in Yukino’s heart. Ignoring her shame, she turned, and tried to cover Masuzu’s mouth with her hand, attempting to prevent the war aimed at her from breaking out.

“We’ll discuss this after Tenkuji-kun wakes up! If we cause trouble now, we might miss the best time to save him!”

Letting her mouth be covered by the warm and soft palm, Masuzu stared at her flushed, ashamed, and panicked face. Her blue eyes emitted cold scorn and disdain.

As if saying—Then, beg me not to spill it.

Yukino gritted her teeth. She urged her with a serious and firm gaze to assess the situation and accept her plea. Don’t start an internal conflict at this critical moment.

As the two faced off, Sora slowly set aside her shock and murmured softly.

“Yuu desperately didn’t want to say the details, so last night he really was with that flat-chested black-haired woman... Wait.”

Suddenly remembering something, Sora turned to Masuzu and asked with a pout: “Hey, you obsessive silver-haired woman, turns out you weren’t making it up? That sound really came from upstairs to downstairs?”

Masuzu irritably brushed away Yukino’s hand and sighed in feigned sadness: “Sorry, only that sentence was made up. Originally, I thought Yuu wasn’t the type to choose Yukino before his other girlfriends. I didn’t expect them to be forced against (together), fall in love mutually, collaborate in crime, and share intimacy...”

“You can’t use proverbs carelessly!” Yukino bit her lip and glared at her. She pulled at her collar to release the heat. Even now, she still didn’t dare face the reality.

“The issue isn’t certain. Don’t say it as if I really slept with him until we get definite proof... And besides, even if I did become his second girlfriend, I would never do something so shameless on Christmas Eve and leave Yui behind, you know!”

Masuzu just crossed her arms and continued sneering: “Huh, that’s not necessarily true...”

The debate hadn’t reached a conclusion when suddenly, Haruno’s joyful voice came from the desk in the depths of the room.

“Found it!”

What specific item did Haruno discover that could be the key to the mission?

-

Title: The Item That Became the Key

Near the door, Utaha, who had been watching the drama of the three girls with amusement and curiosity, was immediately intrigued when she heard that sentence. She left them and walked closer, carrying a notebook.

“Finally found it? Is it definitely a key?”

“I don’t know if it can be a key, but only this bracelet connects my past and my future with him.”

Haruno leaned against the desk, putting the colorful beaded bracelet she had just found from the drawer onto her wrist. She then lifted her arm slightly and gazed at the cheap colorful beads with tender eyes.

It was the most perfect creation she had strung together over several nights, thinking of the past, imagining his warmth, and pouring her unwillingness to give up through her fingertips, threading the beads one by one with nylon string.

She was trying to recapture his attention in this ridiculous and pathetic way.

At that time, how did Yuu feel when she deliberately cut off contact and waited for him to come and confirm their relationship, and how did she feel when she made the bracelet that eventually fell off on the street?

Haruno didn’t know.

But perhaps, it would feel heavier and more painful than her own feelings?

“Anyone would hate to be separated from the person they love most.”

A helpless smile appeared on Haruno’s lips. She let out a light sigh and slowly lowered her hand.

As for the outcome, how could the almighty Haruno fail?

Although she went through a lot of pain and reluctance that she didn’t want to remember, in the end, she managed to get Yuu back through this bracelet—Yuu, who would accept her lies, who promised to be with her forever in this world where the original could not be found, finally returned to her side.

Although there was no proof, Haruno still believed that it was this bracelet she made that made Yuu dream of the past every day, and then gradually regain the emotions that had once been lost—so, if rounded up, it was her effort!

After the session of reminiscing and gratitude ended, she raised her eyes, met Utaha’s gaze as she walked to her side, and spoke casually.

“Kasumigaoka-san, according to the explanation in the notebook, isn’t the most important item for me and Yuu-chan the most suitable to be the key to entering the dream?”

Utaha opened the notebook, re-examined its inner pages, and nodded after a moment.

“If there’s no other way to interpret it, then yes.”

“Then, this is it!”

Haruno’s tone was firm. She glanced at the black-covered notebook: “Can you confirm it from your side?”

Utaha began to think hesitantly: “...Shall I try?”

As a writer, unlimited and daring imagination is the most important part.

And she—Kasumi Utako, the famous beautiful JK writer—certainly had the power to act, trying to translate this imagination into words.

She didn’t need to know the specific method. There was no cost to trial and error, so she just needed to try the most probable method.

So after thinking for a moment, she flipped the inner page of the notebook towards Haruno and gently wrapped it around Haruno’s bracelet, as if to copy the pattern.

“Does this work?” Haruno looked at her with strange eyes.

“How would you know if you don’t try?” Utaha shrugged indifferently. She took the notebook back, glanced at it, and quickly lifted her chin, showing a victorious smile.

“Huhuhu, it’s only right that I did it~”

“It actually worked? I can’t believe it’s this simple.” Haruno raised her eyebrows, amused. She waved a finger at Utaha, signaling her to show the contents.

“Take it.”

Although she was not happy with the attitude of the person in front of her, who was always superior and naturally summoned her, she didn’t want to cause trouble. Because after all, this person was a university student, her family was rich and powerful, and she was also the most active in helping her complete the mission among everyone here.

Utaha became too lazy to make trouble and directly handed the notebook to her.

Haruno’s expression became serious. She focused her gaze, carefully reading every sentence in the notebook. After confirming that the content hadn’t changed from what she saw in the living room, she looked at the newly appeared line:

【Haruno Yukinoshita has obtained the key.】

【Qualified: Yuuki Asuna (Not yet obtained), Natsukawa Masuzu (Not yet obtained), Yukinoshita Yukino (Not yet obtained).】

“So easy to understand.”

Haruno pouted, but a thoughtful expression appeared on her face. She looked and thought for a while, then returned the notebook to Utaha.

She then turned, smiled at the three girls crowding around her, and wiggled her wrist, showing off the bracelet on her arm.

“I’m all set. What about you guys? Don’t tell me you haven’t found anything and are just chatting there?”

Masuzu hissed annoyedly inwardly. She spread her hands and said with feigned frankness: “You know Yuu’s attitude towards me in the last mission. I didn’t give him anything, so of course, he couldn’t have given me anything either... Even if there was something before, I can’t remember it now.”

Haruno didn’t mock her. She just smiled brightly and offered friendly advice: “Then, search more in this room. Maybe he kept something as a memento, like a photo, a diary, or something... If you really can’t find it, leave Yuu-chan to me! I’ll bring him back intact!”

“...Tch, just wait for my revenge.”

Masuzu secretly gritted her teeth. With great reluctance, she turned to conduct a thorough search in another part of the room.

(Sure enough, the combat power of the older sister and younger sister are on different levels...)

(How can I take down this person who faintly has the aura of an official wife?)

Sora didn’t know what difficult problem Masuzu was contemplating. Seeing her walk aggressively towards her older brother’s bedside table, she immediately followed with a vigilant face.

“I’ll help you search, and keep an eye on you at the same time.”

“Then, next...”

Haruno shifted her gaze. Now, in front of her, besides Utaha who pulled a computer chair and sat down, rubbing her calves clad in black stockings, only her sister remained.

“What about you?” She reached out and familiarly smoothed the hair beside her sister’s cheek. “Have you found the key?”

“...”

After a moment of silence, Yukino slowly nodded, then turned to ask for the notebook from Utaha.

She turned her back to her, moving silently, as if not wanting her sister to know what the item was.

Haruno also didn’t force her to turn around. She only raised her eyebrows with a small smile and said with a slight mocking tone: “Why, afraid I’ll snatch it?”

“Of course. From childhood until now, how many things have you snatched from me under the guise of ‘Big Sister is doing this for your own good’?”

Yukino said coldly without turning her head. After bending slightly over the notebook, she seemed a little relieved.

After tidying the collar of her sweater, she finally turned, showed the line “Yukino has obtained the key” to Haruno, and then returned it to Utaha.

“Anyway, don’t think I’ve forgotten what you did before.”

“Alright, what a vengeful sister.”

Facing a gaze that seemed to dispel all unease and doubt, as firm and sharp as her own yesterday, Haruno merely shrugged indifferently. She suddenly changed the subject:

“Although I didn’t hear what you two were arguing about earlier, Yukino-chan, do you want to call Dango-chan to act with us?”

Yukino was slightly startled, then her expression quickly darkened. She asked in a restrained tone: “...You also oppose the official girlfriend knowing the truth, just like Natsukawa-san?”

“Official girlfriend? Pfft, I laugh at the sound of it.”

Haruno burst into laughter, waving her hand in front of the corner of her upturned lips, as if dismissing the title.

“As if we’re fake. Yuu-chan once said, you know~ Among the four of us, only you became his target after he started dating Dango-chan.”

Seeing her sister fall silent, slowly clenching both hands, Haruno smiled cheerfully and uttered a very cruel fact for her—

“Meaning, we all came first. There’s absolutely no need to worry about Dango-chan, who is the object of infidelity—only you, who came later, would feel guilty towards her.”

“By the way, your memory hasn’t even returned yet, but you’ve already given yourself the title of fake girlfriend at the beginning... Tsk tsk tsk, what self-torture, Yukino-chan.”

“...”

Under the barrage of attacks from her sister, Yukino bit her lip hard. Her long, drooping hair covered her expression. She only lowered her head and didn’t speak.

Not long after, the smile at the corner of Haruno’s lips slowly faded. She sighed silently and ruffled her own hair with a slight annoyance.

After teasing her sister this far and uttering those words, she only then felt that she had gone too far—she had already vented her anger earlier in the day, but she was still being mean to her. What should she do if her sister decided to cut off their sisterly relationship?

Regardless of whether they were rivals or how often they fought, Haruno never doubted that she would always love this stubborn and unruly sister of hers. Of course, she didn’t want to truly break up with her.

So, she had to say something to fix things.

“Good heavens... Yukino-chan...”

Just as she was about to open her mouth, trying to ease the atmosphere, she saw Yukino suddenly lift her head. Her expression didn’t show the struggle and sadness she had imagined.

Her glistening wet eyes seemed to have made a decision, staring at her sharply and seriously.

“Nee-san...”

They both spoke almost simultaneously. Their voices overlapped.

And at the same time, they were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell from downstairs.

*DING-DONG!*

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Yuu opened the door. Outside the door was the empty corridor he had seen so often.

He smiled confidently and calmly. After standing still for a moment, he suddenly held his head and squatted down, letting out a distressed groan.

“Damn it, it failed... I felt the skill was active, why did it fail!”

Where did it go wrong!

While struggling with this question, he walked down the stairs.

After all, someone had just rung the doorbell.

-

Title: Life Achievement System

Although a month had passed, and he hadn’t even found an initial clue for the Final Exam Mission, and his attempt to fraudulently complete the mission had also failed.

Yuu was not anxious at all. Apart from his slightly wavering confidence, his emotions were still calm and peaceful.

After all, in the four previous missions, he had hardly encountered any setbacks. He managed to complete all of them in less than half a year, relying on his intelligence and fully utilizing the rewards given by the system, easily gaining a lot of money, many skills, and various statuses beyond common sense.

This time, for the Final Exam Mission, he didn’t think it would be the only exception... Although the difficulty level was different from before, he was prepared to spend half a year searching for clues.

“Come to think of it, it’s quite a shame to have to part with this easy and useful system...”

As he descended the stairs towards the entrance, Yuu couldn’t help but sigh.

Since one day in summer, he was suddenly hit by this Life Achievement System on the street, he diligently worked on the simple tasks given by the system for the happy future of himself and his sister.

He gained money and physical fitness from the side quests, and acquired skills, various statuses, and Light Orbs—which could grant any wish if five were collected—from the main quests.

There was no time limit for missions, and no penalty for failed missions. Besides occasionally causing accidents to attack him from behind, this system was like a windfall from heaven, allowing Yuu to quickly transform in these past six months, becoming an existence that people around him looked up to.

The first main mission, he completed the Emotional Master achievement—becoming a rental boyfriend to counsel a noble girl who had long been bound by her family and was trying to do interesting things to ruin herself. Eventually, he gave the girl the courage to speak to her family, giving her the opportunity to study abroad and pursue her desired discipline.

Although before going abroad, the girl hoped he would accompany her, and hinted that the family agreed they could cultivate feelings abroad before returning to the country to finalize the marriage after graduation, Yuu firmly refused because his sister did not want to go abroad, and he himself did not have romantic feelings for the noble girl. Then he watched her board the plane, sobbing uncontrollably.

The second main mission, he completed the Sword Master achievement—becoming a sword instructor at a noble girls’ academy. He spent a month conquering the kendo club, fencing club, naginata club, integrated weapon application department, and other clubs, becoming a mentor to those noble girls with exceptionally high martial arts values.

After leading this group to dominate national competitions, Yuu was preparing to retire with glory. However, at a celebration party held at a private venue, he was publicly proposed to by the strongest Female Sword Expert in the entire academy and all high school students in Japan. Along with more than ten female students he personally taught, they presented tempting conditions that would make all men mad with jealousy, only hoping he could stay at that school and continue teaching them.

What the hell?! After the mission was over, he had to return to Sobu High School for school. What reason did he have to keep staying at an all-girls school?

Sora would definitely protest if she knew.

So, even though surrounded by this group of rebellious students who ambushed their teacher, Yuu remained undaunted and immediately rejected them.

However, the noble girls became desperate. Relying on their large numbers, they tried to force him into intimacy, making him unable to escape, and only able to take responsibility until the end—because the situation had reached this point, Yuu felt bad about disappointing their deep and strong intentions, so he proposed one condition.

“Consecutive battles. Whoever among you can defeat me, I will grant your wish and do whatever you want in the future.”

In the end, he, with one person and one sword, brought down this group of hyperactive girls, and left a note to warn them—“Don’t look for me until you can defeat me.”

It is said that after that night, many girls cried and left their clubs, abandoning their martial arts prowess, and trying to transform into hidden noble girls whom someone might like...

Yuu nodded with relief when he heard this. He was indeed the Light of Truth for having reformed this group of rebellious students who ambushed their teacher!

As for the third and fourth main missions, he also successfully completed two master-level achievements, obtaining two Light Orbs.

Other side quest achievements, such as Culinary God, School Star, Producer, Coach, Investigator, Explorer, Master, Doctor, Commander, and others, were even more numerous. He gained countless along the way, and received various system rewards until his hands went numb.

Only one last mission remained.

Within a short half year, this Life Achievement System would be completely conquered by Yuu.

Perhaps this is why the system issued this Final Exam Mission, trying to let its host witness the system’s dignity and struggle in the end?

“I see your effort, Kaiser Ryo... No, System. Is this the graduation duel you’re giving me?”

Thinking this, even though the system was not by his side, Yuu still nodded, touched. Any trace of frustration vanished at that moment.

As he walked towards the entrance, he reconsidered the clue problem: “Back to square one. Since this is an Achievement System... then this time, do I have to achieve some great achievement? Like becoming prime minister... Hmm, impossible, there’s not enough time at all.”

He looked out through the peephole and saw a beautiful silver-haired girl like a fairy, wearing a straw hat that protected her from the sun, with snow-white skin.

Shaking off the thoughts in his mind for a moment, Yuu immediately opened the door and smiled at her, inviting her in.

“Yo, Your Excellency Student Council President, why the sudden visit?”

Hearing this sentence, the girl gently pursed her soft sakura lips. Her pale golden eyes under her straw hat looked at him, showing a slight dissatisfaction.

As time went on, the girl’s expression became increasingly lively and cheerful—though still not very clear, it was at least much richer than when she didn’t know how to express emotions at the beginning.

“Yuu-senpai, please don’t call me that when we’re alone.”

Her voice was still very melodious and pleasant to hear.

Kanade walked into his house casually. Her silver hair around her neck was slightly lifted. A fresh and rich scent wafted past his nose as she walked by, bringing a sense of relief.

She took off her thin jacket and tiptoed to hang it in its usual place on the coat rack beside the door.

“It’s getting hotter lately.”

“Want some ice cream?”

“Hmm...” Kanade hesitated, looking away, “Thank you for your kindness, but I can’t eat cold things lately.”

“Is that so? There’s room temperature lemon water on the table. If you’re thirsty, have some. Your cup is on the cup rack.”

“Thank you.”

After saying that, Kanade quickly walked towards the living room. The back of her white and cute ears were slightly red.

Yuu couldn’t help but laugh.

“Blushing over something like that... You’re really just an ordinary girl.”

How else can I assist you with this narrative?