Whether she truly believed him or not didn't matter—what mattered was that she showed she was on his side… A girl in love wouldn't care about such things.
She pressed her slightly aching temples with her fist. Her delicate brows furrowed as she thought for a long time. She looked at Yuu with desperate, complaining eyes:
"So, in short, for reasons you can't explain, you'll chase other girls even if you're dating me, and it'll happen at least twice?"
Yuu avoided her gaze, feeling inexplicably guilty.
"'Chase' sounds a bit harsh… But broadly speaking, yeah."
"Then why are you telling me this?"
(Not even Yukinon knows, not even Sora-chan… Am I really that special to him?)
Though her feelings were mixed and uneasy, Yuigahama helplessly realized a sweet happiness she couldn't resist was bubbling up in her heart.
How embarrassing!
"Why?" After a moment's thought, Yuu answered casually, "Because you happen to be here."
Yuigahama's eyes widened. "Just a coincidence?!"
(How can this guy be so good at ruining the mood!)
Seeing her disappointed expression, Yuu showed a sincere smile. His voice softened unconsciously.
"Dummy. Happening to be here isn't just any coincidence."
System or no system, Yuigahama, who wasn't family, always appeared by his side.
Fearfully yet persistently confessing her feelings, only to be cruelly rejected by him—
Perhaps out of compensation, or maybe just wanting to cherish these feelings, Yuu decided to be honest with her at this moment.
As for the reasons, if he really had to say them, they'd be endless.
Wanting to make a change starting now. Wanting to alter the repetitive situation.
Wanting to find someone to vent the frustrations piled up in his heart. Wanting to find someone to share the burden of his secrets. Wanting not to be forgotten…
Wanting to find a companion unrelated to being a girlfriend.
Yuu didn't care about the reasons. He just wanted to say it. He wanted to say it to this female friend who had liked him for three years—
"Yui, even so, would you still want to date me?"
In that narrow alley, it was just the two of them.
Under the twilight-covered sky, he said it to her.
Unlike earlier, Yuigahama looked at the smile on his face. She slowly pursed her lips.
As if caught in an inexplicable, vague atmosphere, there was a loneliness in her eyes that made her feel sad.
As if she had been struggling alone in a world with nothing for a long time.
Suddenly, Yuigahama understood what answer he wanted.
"…I don't want to."
As she was provoked and said those words, she let out a sigh of relief and smiled sincerely.
As if she were standing in for the stars and moon, illuminating the city before her where he stood.
"I got rejected, huh."
No matter how beautiful her smile, Yuigahama felt annoyed seeing his happy expression.
She suddenly threw the things in her hands to the ground. She stepped forward, standing in front of Yuu. Her small face flushed and scrunched up in anger. She grinned fiercely.
"Don't get the wrong idea! I'm not rejecting you because you might cheat!"
"Then…"
Yuu instinctively stepped back, but Yuigahama gripped his collar tightly, pulling him down forcefully.
At such close range, the girl stared into his eyes seriously. Her warm breath, still carrying the scent of black tea, brushed against his lips. Her eyes reddened again.
"Stupid Yuu-kun. Since back then, I'm the one who liked you, I'm the one who approached you—I'm the one who hoped you'd like me!"
Since the day Yuu told her to sit across the table and stiffly said encouraging words. Since the day he refused to give up on her helpless self.
Though her confessions were rejected, the heart that had changed couldn't return to how it was. It kept going until now. Her heart was filled with him.
Whether it was the warmth of his palm or the smile he showed unintentionally; whether it was his quiet presence or his casual teasing.
Yuigahama loved it all, loved everything about Yuu.
Thus, she shouted at him with a clear voice, as if to drive away all the darkness in the sky:
"If we're really going to date, then so what if there's a chance you'll cheat?!"
"Before I hate you and break up with you for something like that, I'll keep liking you and confessing to you!"
"As long as you like me too, no matter how many problems we face in the future, I'm sure I can get through them with you!"
"Because Yuu-kun… Yuu-kun, you…"
Yuigahama took a shaky breath, holding back tears. She bit her lip, gently pressing her forehead against his. She said, word by word:
"If you don't like me, it's completely meaningless!"
"…"
Yuu stopped breathing, staring at her in silence.
"So, I'm asking you, Yuu—"
Yuigahama closed her eyes and asked softly, "Do you like me?"
In the howling wind, the alley fell deathly silent.
Even though one step forward could make their lips touch.
But that small distance, as if uncrossable even after three years, remained blocked by suffocating air.
At some point, Yuu closed his eyes too.
Her body heat transferred to him. The warmth reached his heart but felt cold, as if freezing his body.
A familiar voice sounded at the same time.
[System update paused. Progress: 23.333%.]
[Will you choose Yuigahama Yui as the next task target?]
[Upon confirmation, the task will begin immediately.]
[Note: The task target chosen by the host will yield richer rewards and…]
(Get lost, you damn system.)
Without waiting for the system to finish, Yuu muttered softly.
(If you dare touch Yui, even if I reincarnate a hundred or a million times, I'll never care about your stupid tasks… A broken person can do anything.)
[…Do you confirm rejection?]
(Do I even need to answer? Hurry up and go update.)
[System is undergoing a major update…]
After teaching the troublesome system a lesson, Yuu opened his eyes and looked at the girl in front of him. Her flushed face had stopped crying, but sadness was still clear on it.
She seemed to have guessed his answer. In the silence, the corners of her lips gradually lifted. She smiled casually, feeling relieved.
"I don't know what your real plans are, but if possible, please don't ask questions like that again…"
(Otherwise, I'll really… really… really… be sadder than you can imagine.)
Before she could say it, the rest of her words were stopped by warm, soft lips.
It was just a brief kiss, like a butterfly landing. It felt almost like accidentally falling asleep, her head dropping and brushing against him.
But the shock it brought was like an atomic bomb exploding in her brain.
Yuigahama froze at first. Then her eyes widened. She looked at Yuu in disbelief. Her throat trembled, unable to make a sound.
"I don't know if I truly like you, after liking others before. I also don't know if I'll like someone else in the future."
As if giving up, Yuu smiled resignedly and gently touched her dango-styled hair.
As usual…
"But from now on, Yuigahama Yui… I don't want to hurt you anymore, and I don't want to keep my distance from you."
His eyes were clear, filled only with Yuigahama's dazed expression. They were like a vast starry sky spreading in the distance.
At least now, Yuu had no time to feel sad about his helplessness.
He had his own tasks to fulfill.
"I'll come to like you faster than you liked me."
As for the reward, perhaps it was a love that wouldn't be forgotten?
His gaze never left her. Yuu cupped her warm cheeks. Their foreheads pressed together, and he whispered to her:
"So, until then, please don't run away."
No matter how many times the world resets, don't run away.
He pleaded, like an ordinary boy with nothing.
Soon after.
Yuigahama's face was wet with streaming tears.
She leaned in, biting her lip in return. Then she buried her face in his neck. She gripped his collar tightly, as if she'd tear it.
After letting go, her weak sobs sounded with relief.
"…Mm, I… can't run away anymore."
Yuu hugged the girl, letting her tremble softly as if she couldn't hold back her sobs.
Looking up at the darkening sky, his eyes were deep and bright.
He believed—the warmth he felt in his chest, missing for a day, would never disappear.
Even if it would increase the difficulty of his tasks, or bring bigger problems and deeper pain, completely violating his original goal of asking the system to erase emotions…
As long as it didn't vanish, that was enough.
Watching those memories felt like his heart was being pulled and stuffed into a TV. Yuu didn't want to experience that again.
A cowardly hero wanted to become strong, and a strong girl pushed him from behind.
So he raised his gaze and stepped forward.
"I'm sure I'll become stronger than before."
He tightly hugged the soft body in his arms. Yuu swore to himself.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
"I was wondering why Yui didn't come home this late~ Turns out she was busy getting cozy in an alley."
A soft voice, filled with emotion and intrigue, suddenly broke into their moment.
They both looked toward the alley at the same time. A middle-aged woman with orange hair stood there. She propped her youthful, beautiful face with one hand, watching their embrace with a bright smile.
"Sorry, am I interrupting you two?"
Yuigahama immediately pushed Yuu away. She instinctively wiped her lips with the back of her hand. Her small face flushed in panic, like an innocent girl caught by family doing something without locking the door.
"M-Mama, why are you here!?"