Yuu lowered his gaze, looking at the outstretched hand before him.
The nails were neat and clean, the suit cuff revealing an expensive gold-plated watch strap, exuding a refined yet understated luxury. The man's fairly handsome face bore a friendly smile, his demeanor humble yet not belittling. His attitude toward Yuu, a high school student, was far kinder than Kyouko's, carrying the charm of a friendly older brother.
Even so, Yuu couldn't help but sneer inwardly:
(Your acting is so raw, uncle.)
First, if he truly saw himself as an equal, the man before him wouldn't have emphasized "Tenkuji" earlier. Second, though he was speaking to Yuu, he occasionally glanced at Asuna beside him, his narrowed eyes brimming with aggression, though he hid his ill intentions deep within. Sugou thought he'd concealed it perfectly, but in Yuu's eyes, such acting was fake and laughable.
(Sugou Nobuyuki, your eyes are shifty, your mouth is crooked, your smile is fake, your gaze is lecherous, and your heart is full of malice—not a single move of yours is worth imitating! With this, you think you can compete with me on the same stage? Keep dreaming!)
"Nice to meet you, Sugou-san."
Despite these thoughts, with the Yuuki mother and daughter watching, Yuu naturally wouldn't act rudely. With a demeanor more natural than Sugou's, he gently shook his hand, glancing at him with curiosity and confusion a few times before letting go as if nothing had happened.
Then he activated Total Reset ten times in a row…
Erasing all the warmth and sensation he'd just felt. Even so, a repulsive feeling seemed to seep into the tissues beneath his skin, making him want to rush back and scrub his hand dozens of times with soap. Truly disgusting. Completely different from Asuna's soft, delicate hand, this was the first time Yuu realized shaking a man's hand could feel so uncomfortable.
—No, perhaps it was just this person.
Yuu suddenly realized that from their first meeting, he'd felt a deep dislike and wariness toward the man before him. This was also the first time he'd felt such strong hostility toward someone—even when stalked by a female pursuer, his reaction hadn't been this intense.
Why was that?
Before Yuu could find an answer, Sugou spoke with a wide smile and enthusiastic tone.
"Thank you for escorting Asuna-san home. It's truly dangerous for a girl to walk alone at night. Luckily, you offered your selfless help. Otherwise, if something happened, both I and Madam would regret it for life."
"Huh? N-No problem…"
Yuu's brows twitched slightly, and he struggled to keep his lips from curling into a smirk, maintaining the innocent and naive demeanor of an ordinary high school student, blinking at him guilelessly.
Seeing his expression, Sugou unconsciously puffed out his chest, slightly raising his posture, and continued his poor performance.
"By the way, I only mentioned my name earlier and haven't properly introduced myself, have I? I'm the adopted son of President Yuuki, a technician at RECT, and an expert in full-dive technology. I serve as the head of the full-dive technology research department at RECT."
Without caring whether the other party had heard of RECT, Sugou recited his illustrious resume as smoothly as reading a menu.
"Adopted son of the president? Head of technology? Tech expert?"
Unable to suppress a sharp intake of breath, Yuu widened his eyes in mock surprise, then let out a long sigh.
"So you're Asuna's stepbrother? Please forgive my boldness."
Without waiting for Sugou's reaction, Yuu quickly bowed at a fifteen-degree angle, saying sincerely, "I'm Asuna's prospective boyfriend, Tenkuji Yuu, already her husband in a game."
"Frankly, though I have many skills, I'm currently just an ordinary high school student. For now, I can't compare to you."
"But I hope for your guidance in the future—like Kouichirou-nii, I hope you'll also approve of my relationship with Asuna!"
Sugou: "…"
This soft yet sharp jab left him momentarily speechless, unable to continue with his prepared lines, even slightly flustered. This guy's tricks were too many in just a few short sentences…
First, Yuu emphasized Sugou's status as a stepbrother, then played the emotional card with Asuna, hinted that despite lacking impressive qualifications, he had the potential to match Sugou, and finally equated Sugou with Kouichirou, Asuna's real brother, subtly placing himself in the role of a family member.
By elevating his position as high as possible, Sugou wasn't his rival but rather someone on the bride's family side… Who ever saw the bride's family competing with the groom for the bride?
Looking at the high school boy smiling warmly before him, the corner of Sugou's mouth twitched, his puffed-up chest unconsciously deflating. The arrogant, confident glint in his eyes dimmed slightly, replaced by a trace of seriousness and caution—but only to that extent.
A young kid who hadn't even grown all his feathers, with just a bit of wit and cleverness, wasn't enough to make a societal elite like him worry.
Besides, there was another possibility—the other party genuinely wanted his support for their relationship, completely unaware of his intentions, and he was overthinking it. The more he observed Yuu's expression, the more Sugou became convinced of this speculation, the corner of his mouth forming a self-mocking smile as his expression gradually relaxed.
Yuu blinked innocently, secretly enjoying the amateur actor's changing expressions with great interest. What was fascinating wasn't his acting but the character in this drama.
As Sugou spoke with Yuu, Asuna unconsciously glanced at her mother.
"Mom, why is Sugou-san…"
Kyouko half-closed her eyes, saying calmly, "I invited him. I originally planned for Nobuyuki to have dinner at our house and discuss your marriage…"
"Marriage?!" Before she finished, Asuna gripped her mother's arm tightly, shaking her as she said anxiously, "Didn't I tell you not to decide for me! I have Yuu-kun now—I absolutely won't marry Sugou-san!"
"Let go." Kyouko frowned and glared at her.
"I won't!" Asuna's gaze was as sharp as a blade, stubbornly meeting her mother's eyes. "You promised that as long as I found someone worthy of me…"
"I said originally!" Emphasizing her tone slightly, Kyouko pressed her forehead helplessly, sighing. "Haa, this child is getting more disobedient… If you don't let go, I'll really discuss your engagement with Nobuyuki with your father."
"Oh, I'll let go." Quickly releasing her grip, Asuna's eyes sparkled as she looked at her mother, full of hope. "So, you won't stop me and Yuu-kun anymore, right?"
"So impolite. I'm doing all this for your own good—why don't you ever understand?"
Kyouko shook her head, her gaze no longer on her daughter but shifting to the two talking nearby.
"I've already said I'm reserving my judgment about you two. If he can't compare to Nobuyuki in every aspect and can't ensure a comfortable life for you in the future…"
"Asuna, you'd better give up early. Finding a reliable man is the best choice for you."
"Mom…" Asuna's expression dimmed, and she fell silent for a moment before firmly shaking her head.
"That's what's best for you, not for me."
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
On the other side, Yuu was still talking with Sugou.
"Young love, huh… It really brings back memories. Back then, I was only focused on studying, aiming for success, and never dated a woman. Thinking about it now, I regret it a bit."
Shifting from his earlier topic, Sugou put on an expression of reminiscing about the past and success, sighing with a bitter smile.
Yuu nodded understandingly, saying very seriously, "With your status, Sugou-san, you'll definitely find a career woman who suits you! Like me and Asuna—matching age, matching personalities, and naturally moving toward marriage—you just have to believe in yourself. You can do it!"
The corner of Sugou's eye twitched, but he maintained his wide smile. "Thank you for the encouragement… But besides age and personality, don't you think social status equality is also very important?"
"No." Without hesitation, Yuu answered bluntly.
As if finally finding an opening to attack, Sugou's slightly stiff smile returned to normal, and he said meaningfully, "I see, truly the mindset of a high school student—so naive."
Yuu agreed enthusiastically. "After all, Asuna and I are high school students, and our perspectives are definitely different from uncles and aunties… cough, adults."
"Even if our grades are good, our youthful spirits are still immature. Between love and material things, it's easy to confidently and impulsively choose noble love without caring about future regrets…"
"So naive it's almost laughable. You agree, right, Sugou-san?"
Yuu narrowed his clear, bright eyes, like a high school student answering a question to seek a teacher's approval, calmly facing the adult's gaze with a relaxed smile.
Sugou: "…"
This sarcastic tone and the way he preemptively concluded the conversation left Sugou speechless… More than feeling annoyed, he was now more concerned with whether this kid genuinely meant it or was deliberately provoking him with words, having seen through his intentions.
Either way, he couldn't lose this conversation, or things would get tricky!
"Since you understand this principle, I'll speak frankly."
Taking a deep breath, Sugou decided to stop beating around the bush. His glasses' lenses glinted coldly like a venomous snake, his smile fading slightly as he looked at Yuu and said heavily, "For Asuna's future, the President and Madam are looking for a son-in-law who can give her a happy life. Feelings aside for now, the main thing is whether he can meet her daily material needs…"
"Feelings aside?!"
Suddenly cutting him off, Yuu widened his eyes in mock shock, sighing with a rhythmic tone.
"Wow, so as long as there's money, you can do things like steal a girl? Truly worthy of a societal elite, easily doing things we can't—truly impressive!"
"You… don't twist my words! Money can't buy feelings, but material life is the primary condition. You just mentioned love and material things—you should understand."
A vein pulsed at his temple, and Sugou irritably pushed his glasses up twice. Trying to maintain his composure, he explained patiently, "That's what I meant by social status equality! As the daughter of a president, if her future husband is just an ordinary employee with a monthly salary barely enough for daily needs, forget the main Yuuki family's reaction—Asuna herself would—"
Yuu interrupted again, feigning confusion. "Wait, what does marriage have to do with Asuna?"
Sugou clearly didn't understand the question, only annoyed that his words were cut off again. "Of course it does! Marriage isn't just one person's business—"
"Enough, I understand everything you're saying." Yuu furrowed his brows, slowly dropping his act, speaking impatiently. "If it really involves her, why not let her speak for herself instead of you fantasizing for her here? Are you a mind-reading amoeba in her stomach?"
"You…" Sugou's face twisted slightly.
Yuu only sneered.
"You, you, you… Tsk tsk, you know it yourself. Principles are principles, but how they're applied depends on the person's wishes."
"So, let's talk frankly and keep it simple."
In Sugou's sharply narrowed eyes, Yuu's expression quickly faded, his gaze piercing the man's face, his voice carrying danger.
"Sugou-san, are you planning to steal my girlfriend?"
"With your position as department head and elite societal status, ignoring me who loves her and ignoring Asuna's own wishes, you want to force her into the material life you're talking about?"
As if pushed back by the cold aura in his eyes, Sugou instinctively stepped back twice but then remembered the Yuuki mother and daughter were watching. He forced himself to straighten his neck, pulling the corner of his mouth into a mocking smile.
"Hmph, I never said anything like that… Your reaction is too immature. How about calming down a bit, Tenkuji?"
Yuu couldn't help but scoff. "Don't just throw my name around—I'm not small. Compared to you, I'm a Rayquaza, and you're a Caterpie. A Caterpie that can't even learn Harden, only good for shooting string—utterly useless."
"???" Sugou, with no experience in trading insults, was instantly speechless.
After venting his frustration with words, Yuu no longer paid attention to Sugou, who was as weak as a chicken and only good for spouting nonsense. He turned to Asuna, his expression turning serious.
"Asuna, some things, if left unsaid, others might not realize how important they are to us."
"Yuu-kun…"
Meeting Yuu's genuine gaze, Asuna unconsciously clenched her hand over her chest, holding her breath, though her heart raced.
Glancing at Kyouko beside her, Yuu made a calm and earnest declaration in her presence.
"Immature or impulsive, it doesn't matter."
"I can do anything for Asuna. Whether she wants to escape her current life or have a future happier than anyone else's, as long as she still likes me… Forget department head—even becoming a company president, I'll do it for you."
"No matter how many rivals come, if I can't even handle something this small, how can I make her entrust the rest of her life to me?"
"After all, the one who makes the choice is her."
Yuu paused, his voice like a soft sigh floating into the air. "You both agree, right? Sugou-san, Madam Yuuki."
With that, Yuu turned, only raising his hand in a wave, then walked off into the dark night. He left the three standing in front of the Yuuki family home, with varied expressions and silence, watching his calm back as if he could truly do anything.
Sugou's face was dark as water, as if plotting something sinister.
Kyouko shook her head, as if she'd just watched a childish yet amusing drama.
Asuna quietly clenched her small hand, wiping away moved tears with the back of her hand. The anxious, uneasy expression completely vanished, replaced by a rising resolve and courage, like the sunrise.
Facing the figure fading into the night's darkness, she took a deep breath, her face blooming into a bright smile.
"Mm, I understand… From now on, I won't run from reality anymore."
"I'll be like you, fighting for my own future!"