Upon arriving home, the moment Yuu opened the door, he locked eyes with Sora, who stood at the threshold like a gatekeeper.
"You're late!"
Her crisp voice sounded like a scolding. In her left hand was a dolphin plushie, in her right a black rabbit, her eyes glaring at him coldly.
"Sorry, sorry, I went to tutoring today and got held up a bit." With a relaxed smile, Yuu changed into his slippers, ruffled Sora's head, and prepared to head straight to the kitchen.
"I'll start cooking soon."
"No rush, I already had some snacks to tide me over." After saying this, Sora suddenly stepped forward, grabbed his sleeve, and began sniffing him like a puppy.
*HUFFT!* *HUFFT!*
The silver-haired girl slightly closed her eyes, her small nose twitching, sniffing him thoroughly with serious focus. From his neck to his hair, shoulders, and chest, her warm, light breaths made Yuu feel itchy all over, like a peculiar warm-up—then, as Sora continued sniffing downward, he stepped back and flicked her forehead.
"No scent of another woman on me, right? Don't worry, I wasn't late because I was out on a date with a girl. I really had important business."
Just escorting a tutoring classmate home and erasing all evidence with Total Reset, Yuu smirked at his little sister without a shred of guilt.
"Hmph, who cares about that. It's just weird—despite the rain outside, you're not even a bit wet."
Turning her head dismissively, as if hiding something, Sora walked toward the living room. "I'm hungry, Yuu, hurry up and cook."
But before leaving, she muttered thoughtfully to herself, "This strong sense of déjà vu… Have I done this recently? I don't remember…"
Yuu: "…"
(My dear sister, you've done this several times during summer break, to the point I had to awkwardly chat face-to-face with the bald barbecue stall owner to get rid of the smell on me. Have you forgotten all that?)
(Oh, right, you did forget. Not just you, but Yukinoshita Haruno, that bald barbecue stall owner… In the whole world, I might be the only one who still remembers.)
Finding it amusing, Yuu couldn't help but smile, setting down his school bag and heading to the kitchen.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
After enjoying a still-delicious dinner and taking a leisurely bath, Yuu closed his bedroom door. He told Sora he was busy and couldn't play games with her for a while—though very displeased, Sora seemed to think he was starting to study diligently, so she didn't selfishly hold him back. Instead, she urged him to finish his tasks quickly and join her to play a new cyberpunk game, then returned to her room to continue her hikikomori life.
Yuu wasn't lying to her either—he was far busier now than during summer break.
Sitting at his computer desk, he powered on the new PC he'd built himself with top-tier graphics cards and equipment from system rewards, capable of running AAA games at max settings. Yuu then sent a message to Asuna. After setting his phone aside to wait for a reply, the computer finished booting.
"I was previously rewarded with Network Technology (Expert Level). Let's see how far my skills go this time…"
Glancing at the system panel, Yuu stretched his fingers and began typing rapidly on the keyboard.
Searching for network technology-related information, he opened a detailed website. After browsing a bit, Yuu, now proficient in related technologies, slowly revealed a confident smile.
His guess was right.
Network Technology (Expert Level) didn't just teach him how to fix network issues—it granted him the ability to create websites, write code, handle network security, perform intrusions and hacking, compile and decompile, analyze programs… and more. Advanced technologies that would take an ordinary engineer years of study and practice, costing them their hair and heart, were now his.
With just one reward, he skipped the From Beginner to Expert process, directly mastering these modern tools. For some reason, realizing the complexity of these technologies made Yuu suddenly pity programmers—except, of course, those from the Hedgehog Cat novel site.
"Well then, might as well give it a try…"
An idea flashed in his mind. Yuu opened the search bar again and found a website legally designed for practicing hacking techniques. He unplugged the LAN cable, used the knowledge in his head, and within half an hour created a new firewall program for himself, protecting his computer while setting up an anti-tracking system. Only then did he reconnect to the internet, open the website, and register a new account.
He had no intention of becoming a hacker—just wanted to test the extent of his current abilities.
Yuu signed up on the secure English-language site dedicated to training hacking skills. It featured hacker news, technical articles, hacker forums, and plenty of beginner tutorials—plus a challenge task leaderboard with difficulty levels from E to S. While not entirely accurate, it could at least categorize hackers by general skill differences.
Without hesitation, Yuu started with the E-level challenges. The sound of clacking keys echoed in the room as he progressed steadily to A-level, only hitting a wall at the S-level challenges, which even his Expert-Level skills couldn't solve.
After ten minutes of thinking, he lifted his hands from the keyboard, leaned back in his chair, and stretched his interlocked fingers upward, closing his eyes and yawning lazily. Though he failed before the challenge ended, he felt no despair—only a cheerful laugh.
"Haaah—I didn't expect it to be this fun. I got addicted without realizing it."
Yuu glanced at the time, realizing he'd been glued to the computer for three hours like a statue—imagine how focused he'd been.
The result was a shiny A-rank badge next to his account ID and several private messages in his related email inbox. He noted these for more thorough future planning, then picked up his phone and opened the message Asuna sent half an hour ago.
Asuna: {Yuu-kun, after you left, Sugou-san said he suddenly had business and had to go home early… Even though he's my stepbrother, I don't really like him. His smile sometimes gives me the creeps, so different from you.}
Asuna: {Also, I talked to Mom… After tutoring, we can walk home together, and on weekends, she gave me one day to go on a date!}
Reading Asuna's messages, Yuu couldn't help but raise his brows in surprise.
"She let go that easily…"
Yuu had thought Kyouko would first demand he prove his worth, compare him to Sugou, and only after ensuring the "deal" wasn't a loss would she allow Asuna to date him.
Unexpectedly, Kyouko agreed to their dating so easily… Did she already see him as a potential son-in-law?
Asuna: {If you hadn't become my classmate, and if Mom wasn't reluctant to lose a high-quality tutor at Ichiyo Gakujuku, she probably wouldn't have agreed so quickly… After all, if I don't change classes, she can't stop us from meeting. Forcing us apart would only backfire, so it's better for her to agree to my request and observe for now.}
Asuna: {Hmph, it took me half an hour, talking until my throat was dry, to get Mom to accept this argument, you know? Otherwise, meeting every day might be fine, but going out on weekends wouldn't be so easy~}
Asuna seemed quite proud of herself.
Now Yuu roughly understood—it wasn't that Kyouko was kindhearted and couldn't bear to separate the young couple, but that Asuna had used reason and emotion at home, bravely speaking up to her, which earned her this leniency.
"Pretty clever, Asuna…" Yuu couldn't help but smile.
Asuna had once said that the real-world Asuna was different from her fantasy-world self. She couldn't boldly swing a sword at others or run freely across meadows—her shackles were her mother, who'd raised her strictly since childhood, never showing her a pleasing expression.
You should do this, you shouldn't do that… Growing up with these words, she gradually developed a passive personality, slowly forgetting who she truly was. She lived aimlessly like a puppet, acting in a dull drama on the stage called life, without improvisation.
A prison made of familial love and fear—perhaps that was the sorrow unique to Asuna.
—But now, Asuna had learned what it meant to stand firm in her beliefs, to puff out her chest and speak her mind to her mother.
She'd found a direction forward, like a swordswoman wielding a sharp blade, its tip pointed straight ahead, no longer afraid. Yuu clearly saw Asuna's change—arguably, no one understood her better than he did now.
"Either way, this is the result I wanted…"
After some thought, Yuu glanced at the system panel and sank back into his thoughts. "But it seems her strength is still lacking. This small bit of courage isn't enough to fulfill her wishes."
He didn't know how far he needed to go, and his current goal was just his own guess—as long as it wasn't an excessive desire like actually marrying her or building a happy family, everything was still negotiable.
While thinking this, he scrolled down his phone, and Asuna's messages didn't end there.
Asuna: {But Mom also set some conditions… First, we can't get too close. Second, our grades can't drop. And third… she wants your info, including school reports, special talents, family background, and so on…}
Asuna: {I'm so sorry! I tried persuading her, but she said if you don't provide it, she'll find it herself, and that it's the main condition for you to date me…}
Asuna: {Let's talk about the rest on the phone! I'm going to study now. Once you're done with your stuff, call me right away.}
"As expected, her mindset hasn't changed. Once she knows my info, her actions will adjust accordingly…"
Yuu wasn't surprised at all, only smirking mockingly before pressing the LINE voice call button to call Asuna. The busy tone rang for barely a second before she picked up, clearly glued to her phone.
"Yuu-kun?" Asuna asked with a hopeful tone.
"It's me, good evening."
"…"
After a brief pause, Asuna giggled shyly, her soft, sweet voice soon ringing out.
"Mm, good evening to you too!"
For some reason, Yuu couldn't help but smile, swiveling his computer chair.
"Why so happy?"
Asuna's cheerful tone danced. "Hearing your voice, of course I'm happy~"
"Hmm? How dare you talk like that. You're not Asuna—who are you?"
"Sorry, these are my truest heart's words!" Suddenly a bit dissatisfied, Asuna asked with a questioning tone, "Yuu-kun, what do you mean? Aren't you happy talking to me?"
"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding. I just find it odd—when did you become so upfront?"
One hand holding the phone, the other quietly tapping the keyboard, Yuu teased casually.
"Not long ago, you were still a bit tsundere. Now you're practically one step away from writing I love Yuu-kun~ on your face. Of course I feel like you've completely changed."
"You're the one who's completely changed—I totally hate you now!" Speaking with an annoyed tone, Asuna suddenly remembered something and urged excitedly, "Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, quick, turn on the camera—let's video call!"
"Huh? Why?"
"No reason! Come on, I'll go first."
"Alright."
With no reason to refuse, Yuu placed his phone beside the computer screen and switched to video call mode. Soon, the phone screen showed a slightly swaying Asuna, while his own face appeared in the small window in the bottom-left corner, looking more handsome than ever.
Ignoring that obvious fact, Yuu closely observed the background on the screen—this was the first time he'd seen a girl's room besides his sister's.
In the clean, tidy, and brightly lit bedroom, the chestnut-haired girl was adjusting the camera with her hair down. Her fair, beautiful face was bare of makeup, her long, curled eyelashes blinking occasionally, her slightly parted lips red and tempting like cherries, her jade-like skin flawless even up close to the camera.
Asuna wore a thin, bright yellow nightgown, her slender white arms visible, her figure's curves clearly outlined. Her slim body, wrapped in simple home clothes, evoked a gentle, delicate feeling that made one want to hug and cherish her.
Of course, this wasn't the first time Yuu had seen Asuna in pajamas. But the game and reality were different after all. Now, seeing her innocent, sweet, and unguarded appearance, even Yuu couldn't help but feel his heart race, his thoughts drifting, his gaze unintentionally drawn to the curve of her neckline.
Yet his expression remained as calm as ever, as if he'd seen it all before.
"Why the sudden video call?"
After adjusting the camera angle, Asuna sat back in her chair, smoothing her not-so-messy long hair, smiling as if sighing. "Don't you think this feels like in the game?"
"Even though we're far apart, we can see each other's expressions, confirm if we're in each other's eyes… I really love this feeling."
"I see." Yuu was momentarily stunned, then suddenly leaned closer to the camera, winking hard. "Then look—am I in your eyes?"
"I'm being serious… ugh, forget it." Letting go of her hair, Asuna rolled her eyes at him helplessly, about to sigh but unable to suppress a smile.
"Too bad you can't see me—now it's your turn to look into my eyes."
Asuna leaned closer too, blinking her bright, large eyes, and said with a sweet smile, "So? Am I there?"
Yuu looked for a moment, sighed, and shook his head.
"Sorry, I only see the iPhone 12 lens."
"I see."
Asuna tilted her head, pursing her lips as if understanding, murmuring to herself, "That means my heart's already full of you, with no room left for my eyes."
"…"
Seeing Yuu suddenly fall silent, looking awkward and unsure how to respond for a moment, Asuna froze, scrunching her small face to hold back laughter for a few seconds before finally bursting out.
"Pffft… I-I didn't expect Yuu-kun to be so bad at handling cheesy love lines… Your embarrassed expression is so cute…"
As if hearing something fascinating, she panted softly, her ears red, giggling at her desk, her crescent-shaped eyes nearly narrowing into straight lines.
The corner of Yuu's mouth twitched, and he tapped the desk in annoyance. "Hey, you over there, what eyes saw me being bad at handling it and embarrassed, huh?"
"Mm-hm, none at all~"
Unfortunately, the girl on the other side had no intention of listening to explanations, instead lifting her head, gazing at him with affectionate, gentle eyes full of understanding.
Not wanting to waste more time, Yuu firmly changed the topic.
"Enough casual chat—let's get to the important stuff."
"Okay—"