[The mission reward can be claimed immediately. If not claimed by 6 AM on December 25th, the System will automatically enter the claim period.]
[Note: The claiming process is irreversible. Once you choose to enter the claim state, you cannot leave the claim space until the world correction is complete.]
The familiar System notification box appeared, reflected in Yuu's wide eyes, along with the girl's fragrant black hair.
He stared blankly ahead, feeling his brain was like a Tesla with stuck brakes, unable to turn over.
This… this completed the mission?
Yukino just said three sentences, and the System paid out one hundred eighty thousand for him… no, and he directly completed the strange "ideal boyfriend" mission given by the System?
So, no matter what he said, the target girl's feelings were the most important indicator for completing the mission… Although that made sense, Yuu still felt a little unwilling.
Was it because the System couldn't withstand the charm of a beautiful girl, or had Yukino figured out the System's workings and knew how to open its backdoor…
Wild thoughts filled his mind. Before Yuu could react, the girl in his embrace let go of his hand and sat back down on the sofa calmly and comfortably.
"Although only thirty percent of my intention was to test, my original purpose was just to tell you what's in my heart…"
Yukino slowly crossed her left leg over her right. The thighs beneath her Christmas mini-skirt were white as if glowing, but also created a mysterious, dimly lit area.
With elbows resting on her knees and hands clasped under her chin, Yukino showed a clever smile like Commander Ikari, as if she knew everything.
"But looking at your expression, the mission is complete, right?"
"You really are…"
If he weren't so focused on the alluring and seductive leg-crossing gesture and her slender, beautiful figure, Yuu might have been stunned by excessive surprise and unable to regain his senses for several seconds.
But now, he just blinked. After a wry smile full of admiration, he leaned weakly against the back of the chair.
"I think even the Gods wouldn't have expected my girlfriend to be this intelligent."
"Ara, this is just basic deduction, My Dear."
Gracefully flicking the long hair over her shoulder, Yukino lifted her chin with a calm expression. The childish pride on her face couldn't be hidden.
The snow outside the window was still falling.
The balcony floor was covered with a thin layer of white, but the couple inside didn't care about things unrelated to them. Even the noise from the warm air blown by the AC was isolated outside their world.
Logically, Yuu should now be saying sweet words to Yukino, like a final message, hoping she could live well without him, or hide his disappointment and pretend to be relaxed, enjoying their last moments alone.
But the problem was…
His girlfriend already knew he completed the mission, and also knew the parting was coming. If he still did that now, wouldn't it be overly theatrical?
Who knows what to do next? Yuu had never been in this situation before!
Or just smile? Can a smile solve everything?
"Ahem…"
In the awkwardness of his own making, even though he hadn't thought of what to say, Yuu cleared his throat.
Seeing him like this, Yukino smiled helplessly and started the conversation: "The mission is complete, next is the brief parting. How exactly does that work?"
"That…" Yuu looked at her gratefully and secretly sighed in relief.
To him, Yukino tonight was the gentlest woman on earth.
"Wait, don't say it yet, let me guess!"
However, before Yuu could answer, Yukino stroked her fair, beautiful chin and began guessing with great interest:
"In the sci-fi works I've read, most have scenes like this—after the protagonist completes a request from a Higher Existence, or meets certain strategy conditions, the world suddenly stops. Only the protagonist, meaning Tenkuji-kun, can move. Then, you'll be sent to a place similar to an admin space…"
"???" His heart pounded. Due to a bad premonition, Yuu hurriedly stopped her: "Wait, wait, wait. If you keep guessing, I'll suspect you have the all-knowing Eyes of Wisdom! And spoilers are very dangerous!"
"Dangerous? I'm just speculating based on virtual fiction. Would the Gods do something to me just because my guess is correct?"
Yukino tilted her head slightly, blinking innocently, but there was mockery and coldness towards a certain existence in her eyes.
"If there were problems just from mentioning a setting, then those sci-fi authors wouldn't have survived this long. A God so high above shouldn't be so petty as to fuss over this, right?"
"That's hard to say. There's a way to die called 'You know too much.' I suggest you be more careful…" Yuu pressed his temples. His helpless expression resembled Yukino's usual one.
"Although that being probably isn't that bored, but what if, just because of these few sentences, it actually does something to your memories?"
Despite the various seemingly intentional bugs and weaknesses, the System was, after all, a Higher Existence capable of stopping time and altering the world—if it really did something to Yukino's memories secretly, forget stopping it, Yuu might not even notice.
So, he had to speculate with great malicious intent towards the inhuman System, to avoid falling into its trap one day unknowingly.
Yuu hoped Yukino could also understand this concern.
"...Hmm, what you say makes sense."
Seeing the worry and caution in his eyes, her calm smile gradually faded.
Yukino frowned slightly, lowered her head, and let out a soft sigh: "Before everything is finished, we should indeed be more careful… I should talk less."
"It's not that serious, maybe I'm just worrying too much." Yuu waved his hand casually, trying to dispel the gloomy atmosphere.
He said nonchalantly: "As you said, before 6 AM tomorrow, I can report the mission completion anytime. Then, in the stopped world, I'll go somewhere to meet that being and end this romantic journey."
"Everyone's memories, and the facts that have occurred, will completely change after that… Hmm, that's about all I can say."
Perhaps because Yukino had guessed it beforehand, the part he could say was more than he expected.
Yuu drank the black tea in his cup, licking his lips. He gazed at the beautiful girl in front of him who was lost in thought. His eyes swept over her alluring figure in the Christmas mini-skirt. He suddenly felt a warmth slowly rising in his stomach.
Of course, there was no aphrodisiac or rose-colored flower added to the black tea. Even if added, it wouldn't be much use to him…
He was purely just thinking of other things after understanding some matters… Ahem, like the barriers between humans!
"I see…"
Unaware of what dirty thoughts were swirling in Yuu's mind, after being silent for a moment, Yukino folded her hands over her chest. She looked at him with calm eyes: "The process is clear. So, are you planning to report the mission now? Unnecessary farewells probably aren't needed. After all, I believe you will quickly find the current me."
"Even so, there's no need to rush."
Yuu shook his head and suddenly stood up from the sofa.
"Yukino, I used to always fear partings, fear loss. But I forced myself to be a hero who could face everything standing tall, and only dared to cry when alone."
His voice was low, and his expression gloomy. As if he were a husband divorced by his wife for being too quick, his steps felt somewhat unsteady.
"I experienced it three times. Three times I didn't dare delay completing the mission until the last moments, afraid the longer I delayed, the more painful the parting would be…"
Circling the coffee table, Yuu walked towards Yukino. His deep, sorrowful black eyes gazed at her, as if she were his only savior, the only star in the night sky.
"But now, because of you, everything is different."
"Like an exam candidate who has studied for a week without sleep, and confidently faces the final exam, I… am no longer afraid of anything."
A voice so full of affection and gentleness, as if resonating with her eardrums, conveyed deep affection into her heart.
"You changed me, and made me love you even more."
"..."
(What kind of sweet talk is this?)
Although it should have been a touching scene, Yukino instead became wary, as if her nerves were being provoked. She secretly shifted her bottom, retreating to the corner of the sofa.
(Perhaps, it wasn't an illusion…)
She slowly looked from Yuu's eyes to the desire slowly flowing out, dirty and lecherous.
"Wh-what do you want?"
The little white lamb curled up. Her smooth, soft toes moved on the carpet, but the distance to the grey wolf was less than half a meter.
"Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person."
As if wanting to melt all the snow in Chiba City, Yuu showed a bright smile.
"I just want to cherish every minute and second with you now, before all this ends."
Then, before Yukino could get up and escape, Yuu pounced and lifted her entire body from the sofa.
"Wait a moment, wait a moment…" Her long eyelashes fluttered in panic. Yukino pushed Yuu's arm but realized her body was going numb and soft, so she couldn't use any strength at all.
Her white skin from her collarbone to her ears quickly took on a bright red hue. Her face was hot and red like a cooked shrimp. She looked more like a weak little lamb, bitten in the mouth of a big wolf, struggling in vain.
"It's not that I don't allow it, but don't be so sudden! Gi-give me a little mental preparation. The atmosphere is also very important…"
"I'll give you one more minute for final mental preparation. As for the atmosphere, we can get it from kissing."
Yuu became dominant for a moment. He completely ignored her struggles, which weren't much different from temptation. He held the girl's hot, softening body tightly in his arms and walked towards the bedroom carrying her.
His steps were firm, as if he were rushing to a battlefield. The pounding of his heart in her ears showed his burning passion and impatience.
He suddenly lowered his head and said sincerely and affectionately: "Yukino… your life, your children, even as time passes and seas turn to mulberry fields, I will take responsibility until the end."
"That's something you say after it's done, right?! And give me protection!"
"I know. I just wanted to tell you my attitude."
Yuu slowly raised his gaze, as if looking into the distant, boundless future, and said gently:
"Besides, I think I'll say this sentence to others too… The past feelings of love, and the present feelings of love, are no different."
So, if he wanted to change everything starting now, he might… no, he would definitely become a scoundrel who attacks many women in the future. He would live a life where he climbs into different women's beds every day and says sweet, affectionate words to them.
Unless his girlfriends voluntarily leave him, who has turned into a scoundrel, Yuu is prepared to make his family prosper and have many descendants.
Because he has decided to take responsibility until the end, there's no need for doubt.
Knowing it's the wrong path, but still choosing to follow his heart's desires, and stepping forward firmly—doing this required more courage than he imagined.
"...Really, saying something like this now only makes the atmosphere worse."
Yukino sighed. Her palm gently caressed his face. The slight trembling in her body had vanished at some point.
She suddenly looked up. Her hot, heavy breath wrapped around the man's skin. A voice as fine as a mosquito emerged from her moist lips, as if kissing his chin:
"Please, let me take a bath first… I don't want the first time to smell like hot pot."
Yuu couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and laughed, lowering his head: "In that case, let's bathe together… Don't worry, I won't grope you."
Yukino, her face full of shame, was initially startled. Immediately after, her expression changed. Her struggling movements suddenly became more intense.
"Wait a moment, this is too fast! Bathing together… I'm not mentally prepared yet, so it's not allowed!"
Possessing acupressure skills, Yuu just lightly touched her armpit, and Yukino went limp like mud again. She unconsciously covered her mouth, suppressing an unbearable moan.
"My dear, we've already seen each other naked, what preparation is needed just for bathing? Honestly, I should have joined you earlier and taken responsibility for helping you clean what I left on your body. It's just that at the time, my heart was still a bit awkward…"
Yukino weakly tugged at his collar: "No, you're too open now… I-I… Anyway, let me go first! Even if we want to bathe together, wait until after we do that thing…"
"No. Bathing together is a pleasure for couples. Besides getting to know each other's bodies, it's also essential foreplay before doing important things."
"But the problem is—Mmmph!"
Yuu sealed Yukino's lips, which still wanted to say something. As she widened her eyes and glared at him angrily, Yuu easily turned the doorknob with his foot. He carried his beautiful, cute little girlfriend into the bathroom and closed the door with his foot.
The sounds coming through the door were somewhat muffled. Inside were Yuu's attentive, mischievous laughter and Yukino's embarrassed, panicked cries.
"So, want me to help you undress?"
"No! I-I… I'll do it myself!"
"Then, you help me take mine off? Look at these abs and v-line, are they tempting?"
"Enough! Tenkuji Yuu, right now, turn around! I said we're just bathing, no groping!"
"Alright, alright, the girlfriend is the boss… anyway, you can't escape (whispering)."
"Guwuu… Why did I have to fall for someone like you…"
When the relationship has stepped into a new chapter, the future ahead will be very open.
As for what happens next, it's too indecent to listen to carefully. Let it be a little secret between them as a couple!
After all, tonight is still very long.