"Hey?! Asu…"
This time, it was Yuu's turn to be caught off guard, his calm expression cracking.
"That's my comment, Yuu-kun… No."
Her brown hair tilted, Asuna grinned as she leaned against his shoulder, her sweet, warm breath brushing the side of Yuu's face, her voice soft and alluring as it slipped into his ear.
And she said, word by word:
"My darling~"
Yuu froze.
"…Tch!"
Leaning up to catch his slightly stiff expression, as if too shocked to speak, Asuna burst into satisfied laughter, quickly letting go of his hand and stepping back.
Hands behind her back, like a child who'd pulled off a prank, she snorted at him disdainfully:
"I thought you were some playboy skilled at handling women, but that's all you've got~"
After a brief pause, Yuu looked at her pretending to be tough, hiding all her embarrassment and panic, and couldn't help grinning, chuckling softly.
"Just that? Trying to embarrass me with that level of teasing? You're still far behind."
"What're you talking about? I don't understand~" Asuna's gaze suddenly drifted to the sky, then returned casually.
Her dress formed a captivating curve as she turned away, walking slowly toward the house's location.
"I was just thinking, though we don't know what trial we'll face to get the flower, since this place is called the Land of Love and values husband-wife status so highly… the trial's theme should be related to love, like testing our teamwork, closeness, or something like that."
Guessing questions was a basic skill for a student, and for a high-achiever like her, it was instinct.
Reaching this conclusion, Asuna raised one finger, shaking her head without turning: "So, that was just practice! It's all to help Grandma Martha, so don't get any weird ideas."
"Next, please play your role as a husband properly—the trial doesn't matter, just don't let us get caught and kicked out, got it?"
She displayed a calm, controlled demeanor.
Standing in front of the signboard, seeing the names "Yuu and Asuna" written on it, she calmly took out the key and opened the door.
"Asuna."
Yuu stopped a few steps behind, suddenly calling out.
"What?"
Turning around, for some reason, Asuna felt an odd sense of déjà vu about this scene.
Sure enough, Yuu flashed her a familiar mischievous smile, pointing at his cheek and ear.
"You talk big, but your face is so red it's not convincing at all."
"On the contrary, I should be asking you to play the wife role properly—don't get us caught because you're too embarrassed, okay?"
"…"
Speechless.
The next second, Asuna slammed the door shut, cutting off the annoying face and voice outside.
She quickly found the bathroom inside the house, rushed in, stared at the mirror, and couldn't help biting her lip hard.
Then she turned on the faucet, repeatedly splashing water on her face.
*SPLASH—*
Amid the sound of trickling water, the girl's gritted-teeth tone carried a mix of frustration, anger, and endless resolve.
"AAAAAHH, next time! If I blush in front of him again! I'm such an idiot, a fool, a huge pervert!"
Yes, she swore!
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
New House.
After roughly getting used to the two-story Western-style house with a private yard, it was already ten at night—bedtime for good kids.
Since there was a master bedroom and a guest room, they tried opening the menu with hope. Unexpectedly, the logout button lit up in separate rooms, so they didn't have to log out while staring at each other.
Her heart didn't waver, but Asuna was moved to tears:
"Sleeping in separate rooms is true civilization, sob sob!"
Yuu found it a bit amusing—if Asuna was truly happy, there should've been a ten- or twenty-yen reward, but there was nothing.
She really was dishonest.
Sitting on the bed in the guest room.
Yuu leaned back on his hands, gazing at the bright moonlight outside the window, unable to hold back a melancholic sigh.
"Everything's going smoothly, but how to achieve the goal… I still don't know where to start."
Did he really have to make Asuna fall in love with him, officially date her, and only then would his goal be complete?
Despite the precedent with Yukinoshita Haruno, Yuu didn't think so.
His current goal was to fulfill her desire and let her lose her memories with a smile.
Yukinoshita Haruno's desire might've been true love or genuine feelings.
But Yuuki Asuna was clearly different. So far, she didn't see him as an online boyfriend; there might be a slight attraction, but she never showed longing or dreams of love, no strong need for it.
Combined with information from various sources, Yuu concluded that Asuna's desire likely tied to her high-pressure family environment and a life like a caged canary without freedom.
To achieve the goal, he'd have to overhaul her family's education policy from top to bottom or brainwash her mother… But somehow, neither felt right, and it was far more complicated than just starting a romance that would eventually be forgotten.
After all, it was someone else's family matter. The chances of interfering and getting positive results were too slim, and the difficulty was too high…
"Whatever, there's still plenty of time."
Various plans swirled in his mind, making him a bit dizzy. Yuu slid open the menu, preparing to log out.
At that moment, he received an in-game message.
It was from the person behind the wall.
"Good night, see you tomorrow."
Yuu smiled, looked up, and suddenly shouted loudly: "Good night, see you tomorrow!"
*THUD!*
The wall's sound insulation wasn't great. Not only was his voice audible, but the sound of the girl knocking on the wall in response was clear.
[DING!]
[Congratulations, host received reward: Calligraphy (Advanced Level)]
"We might as well sleep in one room; worst case, we'd use sleeping bags…"
Shaking his head, Yuu pressed the logout button, his body slowly fading from the bed.
But before fully leaving the virtual world, he saw the text in the message, unconsciously smiled, and whispered:
"When it comes to acting, the current me won't lose to anyone…"
Playing the role of a boyfriend or husband wasn't hard for Yuu at all—what he feared was getting too deep into the role, developing real feelings, and repeating the same mistake as before.
But there was nothing left to fear.
His goal wasn't to form romantic relationships with girls but to enjoy the moments they smiled during missions—this grand kind of love wouldn't be outdone by ordinary romance.
Soon after, Yuu's body vanished along with his voice.
The room's lights automatically turned off, and the darkness of night enveloped the small Western-style house in the Land of Love. The entire world fell silent, as if no one had ever been there.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
The Next Morning.
Yuu suddenly remembered something he'd long forgotten.