"Stage one is very clear, finding back what was lost, whether it's memories or girlfriends—and both are clearly interconnected."
"Restore memories first, find the girls who were wronged by the system; or find those girls first, then use that to awaken memories—Both should complement each other, just see which succeeds first."
Turning on the light, walking to the desk, Yuu flipped through the white notebook on the desk and furrowed his brow while thinking.
The book was like a quest log in a game, where today's system-given clues were written on white paper—but since the voice function had been reactivated, didn't writing it down feel excessive?
Silently noting this discovery, Yuu then put the notebook in a drawer and locked it. After changing into pajamas, he continued thinking about this trial's problems.
Of course, before changing clothes, he didn't forget to perform Refresh on himself, driving away all the festival fireworks smell and Iroha's girl aroma from this house, leaving no trace.
He wondered when this habit was formed...
Wait, could it be his true self was actually an anti-getting-caught-cheating master?
Crossing many romance arenas without ever losing, never getting caught cheating even once, and never experiencing a love triangle... (the rest omitted)
This body must have been created by Unlimited Girlfriend Works!
For some reason, Yuu suddenly didn't want to restore his memories anymore...
"However, this is troublesome."
He held his forehead from dizziness, muttering to himself, "If I really had many girlfriends before, what about Iroha..."
Should he keep it secret from her and continue acting, or honestly say that he most likely was a playboy in the past, and now had to try finding his ex-girlfriends?
Admitting something like that without remembering anything felt somewhat strange...
Thinking further, what if the system's final trial required him to date ten girls simultaneously, or kiss every girl once to complete it fully...
Even if Yuu truly had such appeal, how would his girlfriend feel?
That was a new girlfriend who had only been dating for a few hours!
"Oh God, what kind of worldly suffering is this..."
The more he thought about it, the more he felt the road ahead was full of thorns. Yuu couldn't hold back from holding his head sadly—swearing by the world's best little sister, he truly wasn't a playboy playing with hearts!
Once having a girlfriend, he was the most moral boy in this world, how could he betray Iroha just for the system's task?
Although this was just a trial, although everything appearing in this world might just be imitations made from his memories in a parallel world...
But for the girl he kissed goodbye not long ago, Yuu was truly sincere in loving her, and this feeling wouldn't change, whether in dreams or reality.
He had also long planned, after completing this trial, he would confess his feelings to Iroha in the real world and continue their relationship!
So, cheating was impossible, for a lifetime impossible to cheat. Directly destroying the system couldn't be done, so he could only use a few tricks to maintain life like this...
"Forget it, let's think long-term."
The night deepened, Yuu sighed helplessly and decided to leave this problem to tomorrow's self.
However, one doubt he had momentarily released emerged again.
For some reason, he suddenly remembered the words said by that silver-haired angel girl after the festival ended.
—I've already obtained enough, this remaining time, I hope I can entrust to Iroha.
"What does this sentence mean again..."
This clearly wasn't as simple as shallow interpretation.
Although he asked Iroha not to overthink it, even if it had nothing to do with the mission, Yuu couldn't possibly ignore this junior girl's strangeness.
He sat on the bed, his right index finger regularly tapping his left elbow, carefully pondering the details of Kanade's tone and expression when saying that sentence.
The more he thought about it, the more he could sense the abnormal meaning behind it.
After all, before that, the two of them were just senior and junior with a slightly familiar relationship. He was just dating her friend, so there was no need to say farewell words like "I don't have much time left, I hope you can enjoy it."
With Kanade's personality, she also wouldn't use such blessings to make them unnecessarily worry.
Moreover, although her illness showed improvement, it was still far from complete recovery, and was reported could relapse anytime. Could it be...
"Don't overthink it! Tomorrow just ask her directly."
Firmly making a decision, Yuu rubbed his face hard, eliminating the tense and stiff expression, and sighed slightly tired.
The blue veins unconsciously appearing on the back of his hand showed how bad his feelings were just now, so he needed to clench his fist to stay calm.
Although he had the Calm Heart and Clear Water condition to use, unless truly necessary, Yuu really didn't want his feelings influenced by the system's power... while other skills and abilities were very easy for him to use.
This kind of firmness, he was confident, wouldn't change whether now or in the past.
"Although it's a bit too early to sleep now, but better rest soon..."
Things to do tomorrow might be more than imagined.
The corrected mistake had opened a new path, and the gate toward completing the trial was already vaguely visible in the distance.
The rest was just to keep moving straight forward, using all strength, all wisdom, and all courage. Then, ending all these extraordinary things.
Perhaps it should be said, the real trial was just beginning now?
The night deepened.
Curtains were tightly closed, and the cold air blown by the AC eliminated May's humidity and heat.
Thick darkness covered his body. He lay on the bed, emptying his thoughts, just staring at stains on the ceiling, waiting for drowsiness to close his eyelids.
For some reason, there was a sense of déjà vu emerging from the depths of his heart, as if he had repeated times like this many times.
Facing an uncertain future, he could only close his eyes anxiously, waiting for tomorrow's self to make choices leading to a perfect ending...
How many times had his self who possessed the Boyfriend System gone through nights like this?
"My self in any world, life isn't easy..."
Sighing softly, Yuu slowly closed his eyes, letting his consciousness sink into invisible darkness, and fall into the dream realm.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Reality.
The people in the living room were currently gathered around Utaha with serious expressions, like detectives investigating a crime scene. Meanwhile, the unconscious black-haired girl on the sofa, sleeping soundly with the eye-mask machine, was the victim who experienced this unexpected accident.
The air froze for a moment, before Haruno propped her chin with one hand and muttered while thinking:
"Why only she could enter... Could it be Yuu-chan will really approach this big-breasted tights girl? Really has no taste."
"..." Yukino glanced at her sister somewhat speechlessly.
(Is she deliberately using such sarcastic remarks to cover disappointment from not being chosen?)
As a younger sister, Yukino could only sigh without commenting.
"Calm down, let's analyze the current situation."
Her sharp blackish-blue eyes swept around. The graceful and gentle girl propped her right elbow with her left hand, her white fingers touching her chin, and her voice melodious like a spring, "First, we must confirm whether Kasumigaoka-senpai truly entered Tenkuji-kun's Trial, or just entered that game, and accidentally forgot the promise to exit after thirty seconds."
"I'll check."
Asuna didn't hesitate, she wore the entry device again and said the connection password.
Thirty seconds later, she removed the machine, shook her head toward Yukino, while raising the phone in her lap, so they could see the conversation contents on the screen.
"Still the same maintenance room, and still forcibly ejected when time ran out... Besides, I just asked Nii-san, and he said the game isn't under temporary maintenance, other accounts can smoothly enter Sword Art Online."
As soon as those words were said, everyone's expressions slightly changed.
Meaning, this was another Abnormal Event.
And coincidentally, this event excluded them who were girlfriends.
Yukino took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation and discomfort in her heart, and made a conclusion with a cold expression:
"Basically we can confirm."
"Unlike us, Kasumigaoka-senpai succeeded in entering the Trial, and shouldn't wake up for a while."
Masuzu immediately continued, "Should we try cutting the power, forcibly removing this machine, and see if she'll immediately wake up?"
Like she did at the school festival?
Remembering the bad feeling when almost recovering memories but failing due to someone's intervention, Asuna couldn't hold back from pursing her lips, staring at Utaha's lying body with a somewhat complicated gaze.
(Natsukawa-san proposing this suggestion, surely doesn't mean well, perhaps she also feels this is very unfair... But even so, we can't harm others.)
Sighing helplessly, Asuna still chose to release the resentment in her heart and advised, "Better not do that. Although our machine has forced disconnection protection, the current situation clearly can't be considered with common sense and logic. If something happens... for example, never waking up again, that would be very bad."
"Mm, that's true~"
Just saying it for fun, Masuzu didn't insist at all. She obediently closed her mouth, and looking at the carefree and relaxed smile on her face, it seemed she didn't feel disappointed because her suggestion was rejected.
"Yuuki-san, you don't need to take her words seriously, basically there's no substance."
Glancing at the innocent-faced Masuzu, Yukino continued, "On the contrary, we should feel happy—because Kasumigaoka-senpai succeeded in entering, it means our efforts weren't in vain, the endpoint is there, we just haven't found the right way."
"With a pioneer opening the path, will people behind more easily avoid failure?" Haruno nodded in agreement, her tone sounding quite moved, "Truly worthy of being my little sister, she said something very philosophical!"
Yukino had no intention of paying attention to her, she explained her ideas to the others with a serious attitude:
"So, the problem now is, what's Kasumigaoka-senpai's difference from us? What behavioral differences appeared? We must find out the key to entering the trial from there."
Masuzu actively joined the discussion, "First, she's not Yuu's girlfriend, right?"
"Only Yuu-chan's girlfriends are excluded?" Raising her eyebrow, Haruno also interjected with full interest, "Could it be the trial administrator is a jealous little girl who doesn't want to see us, these evil women, together with him even in dreams?"
As soon as these words came out, several people's gazes unconsciously shifted to Sora who was giving Yuu a lap pillow.
Thinking about it, the person who might do something like this was only this little sister who dearly loved her brother...
"Why are you looking at me? Suspecting me as the mastermind behind all this?"
Sora returned their gazes fearlessly. Her cute and innocent small face was full of discomfort, and the corner of her mouth sneered, "Indeed, if I were the trial administrator, the first thing I'd do would definitely be erasing your existence from his memory, then putting you all on a blacklist, so you stay away from him as far as possible! Even this tights girl I wouldn't spare!"
"Sora-chan..." Yukino hesitated to speak.
However, before she could say anything, Sora paused, her expression returned to calm, and she said coldly, "But unfortunately, if I did that, Yuu definitely wouldn't be happy."
"So, don't look for reasons from me, it's just wasting energy." Her gaze shifted to the NerveGear in Masuzu's hand, Sora extended her hand toward her expressionlessly, "Give it to me, I'll be the comparison group for you."
"Sora-chan, you know the term comparison group?" While staring curiously at this hikikomori girl, Masuzu handed over the helmet, asking while smiling like a gentle older sister, "Did you see it in a book?"
"Textbook."
Having no intention of being familiar with the other party at all, when receiving the helmet, Sora threw a contemptuous glance at her, as if looking at a fool.
"I'm not an idiot or a perverted girl. Even if I don't go to school, the common sense I have is more complete than some people, you don't need to worry about that."
"I see..." The corner of her mouth twitched. After Sora shifted her gaze out of disinterest, Masuzu held her heart and drew circles in the corner of the room.
The feeling of being thoroughly ridiculed by a future sister-in-law was truly painful...
"Link Start!"
Without hesitation, she wore the motorcycle helmet-shaped NerveGear, and before saying the login password, Sora unconsciously gripped Yuu's hand, wanting to gain a sense of security from him.
She didn't want to end up like Utaha who couldn't wake up.
Because guarding this house, guarding everything that belonged to the two of them, was something only she could do, and only she had the right to do.
(So, Yuu... let me wait for you to return in the real world.)
Sora prayed like that.
The next moment, her consciousness was swallowed by the torrential data light stream.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Dream Trial.
Suddenly sensing something, the silver-haired girl who had grown much slightly furrowed her brow. She pulled up a chair and sat in front of the computer, typing on the keyboard at lightning speed.
"Tch, this time it's Me huh... You, happy little kid, why don't you stay in the real world to guard Yuu's body, instead running in here..."
Grumbling like that, Sora stopped the tapping on the keyboard temporarily, lowered her eyebrows and pondered.
Should she tell all the truth to herself from that timeline?
Let her enter briefly, and after finishing talking, throw her back...
After thinking for quite a while, Sora finally shook her head. She typed a few keys, rejecting the entry permission that just appeared.
"If it were me, rather than coming without a plan to search for Yuu, I'd definitely prefer to obediently wait for him at home, taking care of his body in the real world, and he wouldn't need to worry about my safety... Besides, there are already several cannon fodders trying, really no need to risk myself."
So, this entry might just be to become a comparison group for them?
Sora couldn't hold back a cold laugh.
(...Too bad, as long as I don't allow it, no matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you work to find a way, you'll never be able to enter this trial space!)
(I emphasize here, accidents like Kasumigaoka Utaha will only happen once. From now on, no one is allowed to break through my tight blockade!)
(I said so!)
"Hehehehe, including my other selves, you're all in the whirlpool of ignorance, and struggling in vain..."
"..."
Sitting on the bed, Utaha was typing the plot for Love Metronome's sixth volume on the notebook given to her by her.
Glancing at the silver-haired woman laughing low like a villain, she took advantage of the screen as cover, casually took out a black laptop from under her clothes, and using the pen she had previously secretly hidden to write a few words on it as a test.