Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

Even though Hayasaka had realized something and had found Kaguya in advance and given her some hints, Kaguya herself still couldn't understand what was about to happen.

I believe the reason we haven't been able to establish a strong enough spiritual connection is because our relationship isn't close enough, and our hearts are still a bit far apart. Therefore, we need to try to become closer and open our hearts to each other. Although this is something that can't be achieved overnight and is unlikely to happen in a short time, that's precisely why we need to increase our interaction. So, Kaguya, please, let's talk about it.

After Gao Hai made a serious request through a temporary mental link, Shinomiya Kaguya was completely dumbfounded.

To deepen the connection between hearts and become more intimate, thus fulfilling the prerequisite for activating the mental link of the Black Watch. Kaguya understands this, as the mental link of the Black Watch essentially eliminates external spying; unless the linker themselves malfunctions, information is unlikely to be leaked. Currently, only extremely special entities like paper dolls, possessing mysterious copying and replacement abilities, can obtain information from the mental link by copying mental fluctuations. Furthermore, this copying phenomenon is virtually unusable by players, making it arguably the most secure known method of mental linking.

However, how to actually do it was something Kaguya couldn't understand.

Ultimately, what does it mean to not be close enough to each other?

Isn't my relationship with Gao Jun intimate enough? Is there something missing between us? After we've crossed the final line between a man and a woman and done everything we could, is there anything we haven't done well enough?!

Kaguya Shinomiya couldn't understand it.

As the person with the most twisted and awkward personality in Gao Hai's team, she could never admit that she had any flaws or shortcomings, nor could she accept the idea that her relationship with Gao Hai was different from that of the other girls.

Even though in reality her relationship with Takami wasn't progressing very smoothly, and before Hayasaka Ai started helping Kaguya with her plans and even dragged her to the final step, Kaguya herself hadn't accomplished anything on her own. But given her pride, she would never admit that.

But… Gao Jun truly failed to establish a spiritual connection with me. Gao Jun wouldn't deliberately deceive me on something like this; he's always very serious about matters concerning the team's survival. So, if he said it wouldn't work, if he admitted that the conditions were indeed lacking, then there must be something he genuinely didn't do well enough. In other words, do I really have some problem, some aspect where I'm inferior to the others?

The girl felt very heavy-hearted.

The moment Kaguya realized she might be the one dragging the team down, she even subconsciously wondered if Takami and the others might be considering abandoning her. Although she immediately dismissed this instinctive, dark thought, the very fact that she had such a thought revealed just how bad her mental state was.

In fact, this is also the most troublesome aspect of Kaguya's character. Unlike the kind and opinionated Maki, the lively and witty Chika, or the quietly supportive and hardworking Miko, Kaguya comes from a twisted and abnormal family. From a young age, she was instilled with unhealthy values ​​and a distorted worldview. Although Kaguya has undergone many changes after spending more than three months with everyone—becoming more considerate of the team and others, less gloomy, and no longer deliberately using selfish and dark words and images to disguise herself—she still finds it difficult to change many of her instinctive traits.

This is also why Takahashi decided to confront Kaguya directly and tell her his purpose from the beginning. If he tried to act without saying anything, she might imagine something terrible that would backfire. Although things wouldn't have improved much after the confrontation, it was a necessary test of team building.

However, although Gao Hai took Kaguya's personality into account, he failed to grasp the timing of her appearance.

“Guchu——”

The slender silver thread broke in mid-air.

Covering her mouth, Goto Ichiri blushed and turned to run away, disappearing without a trace as a result of intense shame, transforming into the "runaway guitarist".

After experiencing a huge shock, Kaguya Shinomiya became dazed and confused, and looked even more unwell.

But don't panic. It's precisely in times like these that you must not panic. You must smile and face the challenges with a smile!

{Yo, Kaguya, you're here. Let's go somewhere else, somewhere more private.}

With that, Takahashi gestured to Chika, who was watching the show, not to follow, and then took Kaguya to another place.

So... it really is going to be something like this? I thought it would really be some kind of heart-to-heart talk...

Even inside the safe village, Kaguya remained very cautious when speaking through the mental link, though her tone was somewhat unsteady and her cheeks were flushed.

In terms of her condition, she's not bad; I thought she would be very listless.

Well, thinking about it carefully, she did come after all. She didn't run away or run away because she was too scared to come. So, Kaguya has grown quite a bit.

{Okay, we're here. Come in. It'll just be the two of us here now, so it's a pretty good place.}

When Gao Hai arrived at the place, he first smiled at Kaguya, then went inside, found a place to sit down, and patted the person next to him to signal Kaguya to sit down.

At this moment, the two of them were in a grassy area in the corner of the village square. Because it was close to a house on the edge of the square, it had been isolated during the players' construction of walls and roofs, making it a relatively secluded spot where they wouldn't be noticed or disturbed by passing players. Although Li Ziyong's house was probably quieter and more convenient in comparison, Gao Hai still felt uneasy considering that it was the enemy's residence. He was reluctant to hold an important conversation with his teammate there, so he chose this spot instead.

{Should we...do it here? I...I might not be ready yet...}

Kaguya didn't follow immediately. Instead, she instinctively reached out and grabbed her collar, whispering as she leaned back slightly in a defensive posture, as if afraid that Takami would suddenly become a beast and tear her clothes off.

Hmm, did I go a little too far when we were playing games together? But there's nothing I can do about it. I was really into it, and she happened to be there. Plus, Hayasaka egged me on a bit, so it's understandable that I couldn't control myself.

{No, Ichiri and I only drank each other's blood to exchange bodily fluids; we didn't do anything like that. Don't misunderstand.}

Gao Hai raised his hands in a French military salute and explained to Kaguya very seriously.

{Oh, is that so? I'm sorry, Gao Jun, I misunderstood you.}

Upon hearing this, Kaguya paused for a moment, then promptly lowered her head and apologized. Although it was difficult to tell from her expression whether she truly believed Takami or simply didn't want to dwell on the topic any longer.

"call……"

In short, after taking a noticeable deep breath, Kaguya carefully walked to Takami's side, slowly sat down while still holding a hand outstretched to touch her cheek, and quickly adjusted to a very ladylike sitting posture before cautiously turning her head to look at Takami.

Seeing her cautious demeanor, Gao Hai knew she was probably thinking about all sorts of things, perhaps even rehearsing the possible scenarios several times. However, he didn't pay much attention to it. He simply stroked his chin thoughtfully, then coughed lightly and spoke solemnly.

{So, let's discuss how to improve our relationship. Kaguya, what are your thoughts?}

Gao Hai then passed the question to Kaguya.

{Sigh, my thoughts? Am I supposed to come up with those?}

The girl blinked her dark red eyes, momentarily confused about what Gao Hai was up to.

After all, I'm not entirely sure how to handle this. From my perspective, I've always treated Kaguya with genuine sincerity. I can honestly say that I love Kaguya, and I love being with you. Whether it's working together as teammates in dungeons or interacting in everyday life, I've never disliked Kaguya in any way. My feelings for you are only love and trust. To be honest, I'm still quite dissatisfied that this black watch doesn't support establishing a mental link between us, because I don't think we've done anything wrong.

Gao Hai was very serious.

He knew he wasn't good at handling emotional issues, so rather than beating around the bush, he felt it was better to be completely open about his feelings and what he wanted to say from the start. At least, he hoped Kaguya would understand his feelings from the beginning of their conversation, and he didn't see anything wrong with revealing his heart to her. He genuinely trusted this girl, someone he'd fought alongside since their time at the Shirakawa Apartment, and that was something he couldn't fake.

{Hmm... saying something like that right off the bat, Gao Jun, you really are...}

Kaguya's face immediately turned red.

Even though she and Takahashi had already done everything they could, it was essentially a result achieved prematurely under duress. In fact, Kaguya was still at the stage where she would blush and feel shy if there was even a little flirting, so she was a little at a loss when Takahashi said those words.

{So, Kaguya, what do you think we should do to further enhance our trust in each other? Now that we've fulfilled the exchange of bodily fluids but still can't establish a mental link, what efforts do you think we need to make to achieve the remaining conditions?}

Gao Hai just looked at Kaguya intently; he was genuinely asking Kaguya for help.

{Even if you asked me, I wouldn't know the answer to this question...}

Kaguya took another step back, feeling her mind go blank, and subconsciously began to recall the scene of Ichiri licking Takami's fingers.

She could see clearly that Gao Hai's expression at that moment was undoubtedly one of great satisfaction. He thoroughly enjoyed being treated like that by Goto Ichiri, and was even somewhat excited about it.

Kaguya, who witnessed that scene, was actually not in a good mood. Even though she knew very well that she was not among the top girls who had relationships with Takami, and that she was the weak one when it came to matters of the heart, seeing him interact so intimately with another girl after already having a close relationship with him still made her feel heavy-hearted, and her jealousy and anger swelled up.

Kaguya isn't the type to readily share her feelings; in fact, among the girls who have had intimate relationships with Takami so far, she's the most possessive. However, because she's lagging behind and was essentially being guided onto the right path, Kaguya knows she has little say in this matter. Even so, witnessing that scene firsthand still makes her feel uneasy, to the point that she subconsciously clenches her fists.

If Gao Hai had pulled his finger away a little later, he might have taken the initiative to separate the two.

Upon realizing this, Kaguya frowned.

If I had to say what I want, it would probably be to have Gao Jun all to myself for a whole day, from the moment I open my eyes until I close them, so that he can only look at me and is not allowed to make eye contact with any other girl.

Of course, if she could, she wouldn't be satisfied with just one day; she would ask for much more. However, considering practicalities, Kaguya felt that having one day to herself was already her limit, so she didn't dare to think about anything more.

So could it be because of this?

Because I have some emotional dissatisfaction with Gao Jun, and because I really don't want to share him with anyone else, there's always been something missing in our relationship. Ultimately, I've always considered myself a person with strong self-esteem and a unique sense of pride. The fact that I'm forced to share the same man with others because of the "Sacrifice Game" is something I've always been unwilling to accept deep down…

Could that be the reason?

Kaguya's head gradually lowered, and she stared at her palms with a somewhat confused expression.

If that's really the reason, what should I do?

Kaguya had absolutely no idea what to do next.

To establish a spiritual connection through the black watch, her emotional bond with Gao Jun needs to reach a certain depth. But if she has a requirement in this regard, and it happens to be a requirement that Gao Jun cannot fulfill, how can she circumvent this condition? Should she deceive herself? Is that even possible—emotionally deceiving herself, denying her true feelings? Is such an approach even feasible? If it were, would this mixture of false emotions gain the black watch's approval?

The more Kaguya thought about it, the more confused she became.

Gao Hai could somewhat sense that the girl's emotional changes were somewhat unusual, but he simply didn't know what to do. To be honest, Gao Hai had never seriously pursued or confessed to any girl before; all the girls he'd met and developed close relationships with had gone through a process of "experiencing danger - getting to know each other - being together." Asking him to analyze why Kaguya was feeling frustrated and confused, and to figure out what he should do, was far too challenging for him.

However, perhaps that's why there are shortcomings in the relationship between us?

In relationships, I've always been the one who receives, always the passive one, always waiting for a girl to clearly express her feelings before taking action. Because of this, I haven't been able to be my best partner in front of Hayasaka and Kaguya, two girls with more complex feelings and who are less likely to express their true feelings.

If that's the case, then... even if I don't know what to do, I have to take action. I have to be the first to take action. I can't always wait for the girl to take the initiative. I have to be a man and take responsibility!

Kaguya

After calling out to the other person in the temporary mental link, Gao Hai grabbed the girl's hand and moved closer.

Ah, Gao Jun…

Kaguya, increasingly confused as she pondered, looked up, her crimson eyes meeting Takami's for a moment before she instinctively looked away. Takami then moved closer, turning to meet Kaguya's gaze once more.

This time, Kaguya didn't deliberately avoid eye contact, but her gaze was still somewhat evasive, and you could clearly feel that she was a little uncomfortable.

Kaguya, although I don't know exactly what's bothering you, since we're both here to solve this problem, I hope you can tell me what's on your mind. Even if I can't solve it myself, I still hope we can work together, together.

Gao Hai asked earnestly in the temporary mental link.

{I……}

Kaguya's expression became even more hesitant. She opened her mouth several times, but still couldn't say anything.

{…Gao Jun…don’t you think…I’m a very troublesome woman?}

Finally, the girl lowered her head in frustration and asked in a muffled voice through the mental link.

{Absolutely not. On the contrary, the cat maid outfit is really amazing. If possible, I hope you can wear it for me again sometime when we're alone.}

Gao Hai quickly revealed his true thoughts.

"I'll never wear those embarrassing clothes again!? No, no, that's not what I was asking about!"

Kaguya was taken aback by these words, and immediately recalled her past experience. Her face flushed red with embarrassment as she loudly refused. Because she was so emotional, she actually made a sound instead of speaking entirely through the temporary mental link. As a result, she realized her mistake halfway through her sentence, quickly covered her mouth, and continued to protest only through the mental link.

Therefore, the word "troublesome" has never been part of my impression of Kaguya. I've always thought she's adorable, sometimes clever, and sometimes a little clumsy. We've been through tough times together; you've seen me at my worst, and I've seen you in pain. After walking hand in hand to this point, how could I possibly find you troublesome? It should be the other way around—I hope you won't dislike my lazy side in everyday life. After all, I'm well aware of my flaws.

Gao Hai moved closer, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Kaguya, and continued speaking gently through the temporary mental link.

As a marginalized individual with some psychological issues before his transmigration, lacking life goals and direction, Gao Hai knew that if he hadn't entered a place like the [Sacrifice Game], given his behavior in daily life, he probably wouldn't have attracted many girls.

Even if someone is very good at making money and has no worries about food and clothing, they still give people a feeling of "instability" if they don't have a stable income.

He doesn't own any property, doesn't save much money, and always spends lavishly on games and other forms of entertainment. Add to that his unkempt appearance and lack of ambition, and he'd likely be seen as a completely negative person by others—who would possibly like him?

It was the extremely dangerous and twisted world of the "Sacrifice Game," and the incredibly difficult dungeons he experienced under the guidance of the Black Watch's destiny, that forced him to transform and grow, becoming different from his past self.

It was this journey, filled with pain and hardship, that allowed him to meet a series of wonderful girls that Gao Hai would never have met in his entire life. He showed these girls the strongest and most tenacious side of himself, which he had fought so hard to achieve, and they successfully built an unbreakable bond with each other.

Despite it being a nightmarish experience, no matter how he tried to recall it, he could only remember the painful and terrifying events. But Takayuki had to admit that the [Sacrifice Game] had shaped him into who he was today. Because of this, he had often wondered if his lazy lifestyle would be a negative factor in the eyes of Chika Maki and the others, leading them to think, "This person performs so well in dungeons, how come they're so terrible in everyday life?" However, later events proved that the girls didn't care about such trivial matters at all. Hayasaka was even somewhat pleased, feeling that this meant she could take better care of Takayuki.

{In my eyes, Kaguya, you've always been a beautiful, lovely, and wonderful girl. To be honest, I was really worried about whether I could win your heart. But now it seems I can be a little proud.}

Gao Hai chuckled softly.

So, let me explain my feelings properly.

If you want to go on a date with me, let's spend the whole day together.