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"Speaking of which—"
The girl gazed at the flickering lights outside the window: "This is the first time Asakura-kun and I have been alone."
"It shouldn't be the first time, though…"
Asakura was about to mention the time he and Yuigahama Yui went to catch fireflies during the hot spring trip, but then he suddenly remembered that the time he spent alone with Yuigahama Yui catching fireflies had been 'rewound' by Asagumo Chihaya.
The only one who still remembered what happened at that time was himself, whose memories were preserved by the "Scale."
For some reason, Asakura felt a subtle sense of regret.
It seemed that today truly was his first time alone with Yuigahama Yui.
So he changed his words, saying, "Then, as a celebration for getting your first time, Yuigahama, what would you like me to treat you to? A croquette, a crepe, or a taco are all fine."
"Asakura-kun, you're not mistaking me for a child like Anna, are you?"
Yuigahama Yui glanced at Asakura and said with some displeasure, "Not everyone feels happy when they're fed."
"Just kidding."
Asakura chuckled, "Actually, I was suggesting we go to Wagnaria for a meal."
"There's not much difference in essence, is there...?"
Yuigahama Yui retorted.
"Then what kind of memento do you want, Yuigahama?"
Asakura spoke with full confidence, as if saying 'it's no problem even if you want to pluck the stars,' "Anything under 500 yen is fine~"
"A budget fit for elementary school picnic snacks..."
The girl looked even more speechless.
However, she immediately started to genuinely think about it.
The girl instinctively looked up at Asakura; his appearance wasn't as handsome as some of the well-known good-looking guys in school like Hayama, but compared to those people, Yuigahama Yui felt that Asakura's looks were more enduring, the kind that becomes more appealing the more you look at him.
In the past, she hadn't paid much attention to him and didn't mind joking around with him, but after realizing that his appearance seemed to perfectly hit her sweet spot, the girl suddenly felt her heart race when she looked at Asakura again.
Especially after the Mount Kumotori fire, Asakura's hair turned white overnight; it wasn't the kind of sickly paleness seen in albinism, but rather a white that seemed to have accumulated after being weathered and baptized by time.
Although his personality hadn't significantly changed, that head of white hair indeed made his demeanor more mature.
His heterochromatic eyes beneath his plain glasses were even deeper than the sea, giving the girl the illusion of being immersed in the ocean just by meeting his gaze.
"Asakura-san... Asakura-kun... Asakura-kun... Asakura-tan... Takuma-kun... Takuma-kun..."
The girl mumbled to herself for a long time, then suddenly opened her eyes and made a decision: "'Takuma-kun' it is!"
"What's with that strange nickname...?"
Asakura complained.
"It's for our first memento! From today on, I'll call the Asakura 'Takuma-kun'!"
"In that case, you might as well call me 'Little Brother'..."
"There aren't always blooming magical cherry blossom trees in Chiba either."
"You're secretly an otaku, aren't you?"
"No, not at all, it's just that Ruri-chan recommended a lot of 'masterpieces' to me before, and to have something to talk about with her next time, I've been slowly playing them recently."
Yuigahama Yui said happily, "Ruri-chan is such a tsundere, she even said things like 'a friend recommended them' or 'there's no room at home' to cover it up."
"..."
No, that was very likely true.
Although he hadn't continuously followed up, Asakura at least knew that Gokou Ruri and the otaku girls in their joint community had become closer, especially those who went to the game center together.
Especially the one named Kirino, who seemed to be planning to pull Gokou Ruri into the ranks of siscons; she had sent siscon-related games to Ruri even before the offline meeting, and today Asakura even received a complaint message from Gokou Ruri, saying that after the offline meeting, Kirino had escalated her efforts and sent her a large pile of siscon-themed Gal games, specifically noting that they didn't need to be returned.
Ruri had only managed to distribute some of them to others with great difficulty, otherwise, her home simply wouldn't be able to fit so many things.
Asakura, however, felt that Kirino was probably just clearing out things that had accumulated at home and were no longer needed.
After all, not every home is large enough to collect and store three copies of all beloved game main bodies and merchandise—one for 'preservation,' one for 'proselytization,' and one for 'enjoyment'—and still have space.
"Speaking of which, Asakura-kun... Oh, no, Takuma-kun, you just call Hitori by her first name."
Yuigahama Yui looked at Asakura with anticipation again.
"It just happened... Well, after all, no one uses honorifics for pets, right?"
Asakura said.
He then noticed the girl's gaze and, after a moment of hesitation, asked, "Yuigahama, do you want me to call you by your first name too?"
"After all, we've known each other for so long (about a month), I think it's about time we used a more intimate address."
The girl said seriously.
"In that case, how about Yuinosuke?"
"Isn't that a nickname for a boy?"
"Yui-don."
"Why does it make that sound? It's quite concerning."
"Arnold Schwarzenegger."
"I'm not some Terminator, and besides, isn't that not a nickname anymore?"
The girl looked at Asakura pouting, "Can't you just call me by my name properly?"
The moon came out.
Pale silver moonlight poured down like water, cascading onto the magical car in the night sky, enveloping the vehicle like a thin veil.
That silver glow penetrated the car window, spilling into the interior; the invisible magical power seemed to have no intention of obstructing this beautiful moonlight, allowing it to gently caress the old-fashioned ornaments inside the car, adding a touch of mystery to this small car already filled with magical colors.
The veil of moonlight also fell upon the girl; her fair face glowed faintly, and her pink long hair fluttered with the night breeze, like a flower blooming under the moon.
The beauty of youth and the enchantment of moonlight intertwined, forming an indescribable splendor.
Asakura gazed at her, and after a long moment, as if finally surrendering, he softly said, "Yui."
"The wind's too strong, I can't hear you~"
The girl finally revealed her bright smile again, a smile so beautiful that even the moonlight paled in comparison.
"Next stop, Miss Yui's house will be arriving soon."
Asakura no longer looked at her, sitting upright and focused, embodying the true meaning of safe driving.
If someone could see through the invisible illusion at this moment and look from directly below, the magical car traversing the night sky would appear like a phantom, coincidentally passing through the bright lunar disk, leaving the shadow of its body upon the moon.
Immensely beautiful.
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