I Really Don’t Want a Girlfriend Anymore

The next morning, Yuu received a message from Kouichirou.

Kouichirou: {Haiz, I was gonna give you my helmet, but my little sister took it. Ordering a new one will take about a week. I'll deliver it myself.}

Yuu: {Hmm, no need to trouble yourself. Just ship it.}

Kouichirou: {Don't be like that~ Once the helmet's delivered, we can grab a meal together, right? I've got a lot to talk about with you.}

Yuu: {…Related to anime?}

Kouichirou: {Could it be related to my little sister?}

Yuu: {Alright, I get it. By the way, can I buy a second helmet now? I'll cover the cost myself. I want to play with my sister.}

Kouichirou: {Sorry, since the product is limited, it'll take a week to order a second one for you. A third one might be…}

Yuu: {Then it's fine. Call me when it arrives. I can chat for half an hour at the door. No need for dinner.}

Kouichirou: {Why?! Don't tell me Haruno-san forbids you from hanging out with anyone? Women like that are so possessive, just like my dad…}

Yuu: {No, I just don't want to eat alone with a guy.}

Kouichirou: […]

As Kouichirou fell silent, as if struck, Yuu promptly ended the conversation, turned off his phone, and tossed it aside.

After going to Sora's room and explaining the situation, though slightly disappointed, since it was a gift from someone else, Sora wisely didn't press the issue. Instead, she adopted a nonchalant "it's nice if it comes, no big deal if it doesn't" attitude, stating she wasn't really expecting the VR helmet.

Yuu happily ruffled her hair, then tried to barge into Sora's room.

"?! What are you doing!"

Sora quickly puffed out her chest, blocking Yuu with her body, her pretty face flushing, looking at him with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

"I'm serious, hand over your browsing history."

Yuu tried to sidestep her, but she pressed forward. To avoid touching more inappropriate areas, he could only retreat.

Realizing his intent, the girl's resistance hardened:

"No way, this is a girl's privacy! Get back!"

Yuu scoffed, "Tch, I should've put a child safety mode on your computer!"

Sora gritted her teeth, "I'm fifteen! Who says I'm a kid? In ancient times, people my age were already married, you know!"

Yuu put his hands on his hips, retorting loudly, "Ancient times didn't have all this chaotic information. How can you compare?"

Sora sneered coldly, unleashing her trump card: "Then those things you locked on your hard drive, not letting anyone see—when did you first download them?!"

"…"

Yuu fell silent, his aura weakening, his offensive crumbling. He looked at his sister with a gloomy stare.

"You've been sneaking into my room and messing with my computer for no reason."

Sora awkwardly averted her gaze, huffing twice, "…Your fault for not locking your door and not changing your computer password."

"Thanks for the reminder. I'll keep it in mind." Yuu sighed, turning as if nothing happened, slightly bowing his head, leaving only a weary-looking back.

"The Sora who used to just call 'Onii-chan, Onii-chan' has grown up and become someone her brother doesn't recognize…"

"Don't change the subject. Yuu, when did you first see that stuff? Be honest!"

"…"

As if he didn't hear, Yuu bolted back to his room.

The Tenkuji household today remained lively and peaceful.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

The Yuuki household.

Her long hair cascading to her waist, the 17-year-old girl quietly stared at herself in the mirror, as if lost in thought, then let out a long sigh.

"It's summer vacation, but it doesn't feel like a vacation at all…"

Yuuki Asuna, whose life was filled with studying and various etiquette courses, had never experienced spending a summer vacation playing with friends.

Her mother raised her like a golden canary, waiting for her feathers to grow lush, beautiful, and elegant, then selling her for a high price to boost her influence within the family.

Nearly 18, Asuna understood everything. To earn her parents' praise and repay their care, she kept striving without complaint, molding herself into what they wanted most.

But no matter how strong the iron, if forged relentlessly like that, it would eventually crack.

Yesterday at her tutoring class, she scored the only perfect mark in the class, yet her mother not only didn't praise her but belittled her efforts as if they were expected, even saying she'd be punished if she didn't achieve the same next time. Asuna, who had never earned a smile from her mother through her own efforts, was starting to feel exhausted.

Perhaps that's why, last night, she suddenly thought to sneak into her brother's room and take his VR helmet.

"But how do I use this thing…" Flipping the VR helmet's body, Asuna frowned slightly in frustration. She was too nervous at the time and forgot to grab the manual.

But by trying a few cables, she could surely figure out the right way to use it—she wasn't a top student just because of hard work; her sharp mind and quick thinking were the main reasons.

At that moment, her phone on the desk vibrated.

"Brother?" Opening a message from her brother, it contained a PDF file, "VR Helmet User Manual," and a message:

Kouichirou: {The helmet's yours. Relax in that world, but don't let Mom find out.}

Asuna paused, then smiled and nodded firmly:

"Okay!"

As her fingers tapped the keyboard to reply, another message came from the other side:

Kouichirou: {In a week, if you meet a guy named Yuu in that world, around your age, whether it's a direct duel or a sneak attack, please give him a proper lesson in my name!}

"Why?"

Kouichirou: {Don't ask. Just consider it a guy thing.}

"?"

With a puzzled face, after the slightly odd conversation with her brother ended, Asuna opened the manual and was about to study how to operate the device.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door, followed by a cold, stern voice from outside:

"Asuna, what are you still doing? It's time for tutoring."

Her shoulders jolted in surprise. Asuna hurriedly hid the helmet under the bed, then stood up.

Her mother opened the door, seeing her standing by the bed, trying to hide her nervousness, and slightly furrowed her brows.

"…If you're ready, come downstairs."

Finding nothing, her mother turned and left after saying that, like a warden summoning a prisoner for forced labor.

"I'll be right down~"

Asuna replied weakly, forcing a friendly and obedient smile.

Once the door was fully closed, Asuna's face collapsed. She patted her chest, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Good thing I was quick, or I'd be done for if she found out…"

Then, ignoring the helmet tucked under the bed, she hurriedly finished getting ready, checked herself in the mirror, grabbed her schoolbag, and rushed out of the room to join her mother downstairs.

The helmet remained hidden under the bed, but one thing was clearly etched in her mind:

"In a week, in that world… give 'Yuu' a lesson in my brother's name…"