I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Tachibana Kanade lowered her head, her small hand covering her equally small chest, her voice low and somber: "We were both fourteen years old, so I should have been a little older than you..."

"Uh... okay, whatever makes you happy." Kasugano Sora didn't want to dwell on this issue for too long and quickly changed the subject. "Could it be that Yu contacted you through that vixen girl just now? But didn't you completely disappear?"

"I don't know either. It felt like I had taken a long nap and was suddenly woken up by him."

The depression came and went quickly, and Tachibana Kanade's attention was soon turned back to business, and her golden eyes regained their usual calm gleam.

"The power of the Radiant Jade might truly be capable of even such a miracle?"

As for using the power of the five light orbs to completely revive them, or to grant them immortality in the system space, neither Yuu Tenkuji nor Kanade Tachibana brought it up.

This is their tacit understanding—a long-cherished wish that has been held for decades or even centuries should be completely let go the moment it is fulfilled, returning to dust and ashes, allowing the weary souls to return to their homeland for eternal rest.

This is ultimately not their world, and Tenkuji Yu is not their true lover or brother. Although their importance is similar and he even has a life-saving grace, they are still different people from different worlds. Forcing them to stay will only cause trouble for both sides.

Of course, Yuu Tenkuji was not stingy with the power of the Light Orb, and even considered whether it was possible to reshape their respective world lines as parallel worlds; however, before he could make this suggestion, Kanade Tachibana had already vetoed it on behalf of Sora Kasugano.

"Over the years, we have long since accepted our fate. It is precisely because we have acknowledged the fact that he has left us that we can persevere for your current fate, no matter how many years it takes—so please don't let our enlightenment be in vain."

In the end, Yuu Tenkuji could only use the little energy left on the system itself to give them a few minutes to reunite, which could be considered a small way of repaying them.

"So, it's time for us to rest now?" Kasugano Sora sighed, unsure whether to be happy or helpless, and sat down next to Tachibana Kanade with a complicated feeling. "That idiot, couldn't he have used that energy for something else? He was already a dying spirit, yet he still forced himself to prolong his life..."

"Aren't you happy?" Tachibana Kanade said slowly as she opened the piano lid. "I'm very happy! It feels like it's been decades since I've been able to lean on you like this again."

"I've actually lived through several decades..." Kasugano Sora twirled a strand of hair over her cheek, her gaze drifting away as she gave a nonchalant hum. "Alright, I admit it's a nice surprise. Consider it an end credits bonus. Thank goodness that idiot Yu only gave us a few minutes, otherwise I'd be finding a way to yell at him!"

Tachibana Kanade chuckled softly: "Kyo, you're still as dishonest as ever."

"I want you to take care of it!"

Seeing her place her hands on the piano, Kasugano Sora, who had been laughing and scolding, also touched the keys, closed her eyes, and recalled the past.

During the time they spent working together to modify the system, when they got tired of researching, they would create a piano in the system space to play together. Tachibana Kanade especially liked to teach people, which helped her, who was originally a musical idiot, to develop decent playing skills.

At that time, I didn't have any favorite pieces to play. I usually just played whatever came to mind, purely to express my emotions.

"Xiao Zou, is it still the same?"

"Ah."

"Playing the piano at such an important time of farewell?"

"You don't like saying goodbye, do you? So, this is a farewell."

"...Haha, you're really something."

Kasugano Sora laughed happily.

Tachibana Kanade lowered her head slightly, and a smile appeared on her soft lips.

"How about 'The Hundred-Year Ghost's Second-Handed Piano Duet'?"

"what is that?"

"I've already thought of a title for the next impromptu piece."

"Oh." Li Hua responded blankly, thought for a moment, and then his fingers landed on the piano keys. The melodious music then filled the entire music classroom.

"Kana's piano playing... I haven't heard it in so long." Kasugano Sora swayed her head in enjoyment, quickly snapping out of the emotionally charged music. She straightened her white coat, pressed the black and white keys, and followed the rhythm of the music with a casual yet tacit understanding.

The two girls, long dead, smiled as they enjoyed improvising together at the piano.

"By the way, Kanade, how about we give Yu a surprise?"

"You mean to let both Aya and the other me get that memory? I've already done it."

"Already? Tsk, you... you seem to be thinking nothing, as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, but you're just as wicked as me! And you're much more proactive than me."

"Xiao Qiong, don't let my appearance fool you. I'm older than you, and I'm your sister-in-law, you know?"

"Older means you died several years before me, and your sister-in-law is from another world, right?"

"I think they are comparable."

"That's obviously not going to work!"

The music flows, and the world is at peace.

Before anyone knew it, the two laughing and joking figures disappeared in front of the piano, leaving only the lingering sound echoing on the beams.

It's as if it's offering a final chapter to that agonizing yet hopeful period of struggle, a chapter without regrets.

In the white light of the door, Yuu Tenkuji, who should have closed his eyes and waited for his consciousness to return to his body, suddenly looked up at the sky as if he had heard a sound.

After listening intently for a while, his expression gradually relaxed, and a smile naturally appeared on his face.

"Sora, Kanade... Thank you for your hard work and sacrifices all this time."

"I will not let you down, nor will I let this beautiful music go to waste—I will definitely write an ending that is happier than anyone else's."

"As you all know, Tenkuji Yu is a man of his word. So, trust me!"

"I hope the underworld exists in that world, so I can say this—"

May you one day be able to meet your loved ones again.

.........

……

...

December 25th.

Undoubtedly winter, undoubtedly Christmas.

As night fell, a cold wind raged outside, while the lights inside remained on.

The warmth of the air conditioner drove away the chill, and a mouthwatering aroma wafted out along with the laughter and chatter.

The Tenkuji family has never been so lively.

"Wait, wait a minute, Xiaoxue... There's just too much information you've given me, I can't take it all in. Can I have a moment to process this?"

"Sigh, I knew it would turn out like this... Ms. Itoko, could you please help Yui recover her memories from the previous missions? That way, she should be able to understand more easily."

Are you sure? I think doing this will only make her memories more confused, causing her to start escaping reality and needing more time to rebuild her values. I suggest you wait until Yu-ge finishes cooking and explain it to her personally; the effect should be better than you doing it yourself. (Shrugs helplessly)

"Is...is that so? Also, just use an emoticon to represent the parentheses at the end, don't say it out loud."

"Xiaoxue, is this... the new electronic sprite? Does she call Xiaoyou 'Brother You'?"

"Uh, no, but it seems like it is... Oh no, I don't even know where to begin explaining Itoko-san's situation to you..."

[I suggest Yukino listen to my advice and put her phone on the charging dock; it's about to die.]

In the living room, Yukino Yukinoshita held her head in distress, and Yui Yuigahama, who was completely bewildered by what had happened, didn't know how to comfort her.

The phone was placed on the wireless charging pad. The silver-haired girl on the screen picked up the orange juice that appeared out of nowhere, drank it while looking at them with a (???) expression, and occasionally glanced towards the kitchen.

It's much more lively over there than here.

"Kasumigaoka-senpai, I didn't mean to be rude... Could you please wait outside for a moment? You and I can handle things here."

"Oh dear, that's a scary laugh, Yuuki-senpai~ Are you trying to threaten me with that knife in your hand?"

"Oh dear, how could that be? We're cooking right now. A chef's knife is only good for cutting vegetables (bang!). If you want to chop someone up, a rapier is much more convenient. If it were me..."

"Waaaaah, Yoyo-kun, look at her! She openly said I was getting in her way and told me to secretly kill me with her rapier if I kept bothering her. I'm so scared!"

"(anger)"

"Shiyu, I'm begging you, if the cooking progress is delayed any longer, everyone will be hungry until eight o'clock..."

"Tch, alright, I'll stop fooling around. Yuuki-senpai, it seems the grudge between us won't be so easy to erase."

"No, if you hadn't been causing such a ruckus, seriously disrupting our dinner preparation, I wouldn't have targeted you..."

"Hmm? So, according to you, you've finally forgiven me for what I did during the cultural festival?"

"Sorry, no."

"Answered instantly?! Looks like you're still holding a grudge..."

"Isn't that obvious? Although I know you were forced, the feeling of having your reunion abruptly interrupted still makes me furious no matter how many times I think about it... Ah, of course, I won't blame or attack you because of this, and I hope we can get along well in the future so that Yu-kun won't be caught in the middle."

"Tsk tsk tsk, that's terrifying in a different sense, this aura of an empress... By the way, what do I have to do for you to forgive me?"

"Well... how about we have a one-on-one match in the game? If you win, I'll let bygones be bygones; if you lose, we can keep going. I can guide you on the relevant skills and basics, and I can even help you get a set of equipment."

"You just want someone to play games with, don't you!"

In the kitchen, with both stoves burning at full power, Yuuki Tenkuji was busy, her movements blurring as she took advantage of Kasumigaoka Utaha's distraction. She quickly unleashed her perfect culinary skills, maintaining consistent flavors while speeding up her cooking, continuously plating and serving dishes that were perfect in color, aroma, and taste.

"Chicken soup is here!"

"Oh, Xiaoyou, do you need me to go into the kitchen to help you?"

"No, no need. Yui, please sit down. The kitchen is already packed."

Tenkuji Yuu smiled wryly and pointed behind him. Yuuki Asuna was skillfully slicing potatoes while chatting irritably with the carefree Kasumigaoka Utaha beside her. Although these two beautiful girls were slender, they couldn't keep up with the amount of ingredients and cooking utensils inside. When they got busy, the kitchen felt incredibly crowded, with an extremely high population density.

If it were just about kicking out Kasumigaoka Utaha who was making things worse, that wouldn't be a problem. The problem is that Tenkuji Yu hasn't yet learned the special skill of "driving away girlfriends," and he doesn't want to see other people arguing with her over such a trivial matter.

Fortunately, perhaps realizing she was in the way, Kasumigaoka Utaha moved to the doorway, giving them most of the kitchen space, and helped carry the dishes out.

"By the way, where are Haruno, Masuzu, and Sora?"

"I'm going to your room to play. Sora is keeping an eye on them, so you can rest assured." Asuna, who looked gentle and virtuous with her hair styled like a married woman, glanced upstairs and unconsciously twirled her sword with her left hand. "Speaking of which, Sora was really quite angry after finding out about Itoko's existence."

Yuu Tenkuji sighed helplessly, "There's nothing I can do. After all, while she was worrying and taking care of me while I was unconscious, I quietly gained another little sister in my 'dream.' Even if she's not a real human, it's only natural that she'd be jealous..."

"You've really worked hard." Asuna Yuuki tiptoed and gently kissed his cheek, her smile tender and playful. "Here, your reward~"

"As a reward, it should be a kiss on the lips. Otherwise, it's just a consolation prize."

While preparing the ingredients without stopping, Yuuki Tenkuji lowered her head to respond to the kiss from before, causing two shy blushes to rise on the girl's delicate and pretty cheeks.

Before they could explore any further, the kitchen door was banged on loudly.

"Hey you two, watch your step, I'm still watching." This time it was Kasumigaoka Utaha's turn to look at the two who quickly separated, completely oblivious to the fact that she had become a third wheel. Her gaze was slightly cold. "If you keep going like this, the whole living room will come over to watch, won't it? I'll definitely be the first one to record it."

"N-I can't do it anymore!" Asuna Yuuki waved the kitchen knife in her hand, coughing awkwardly. "Senpai, if you really don't have anything to do, could you help us wash the vegetables?"

"It's nothing. Can we kiss after I wash him?"

"This...you should ask Yu-kun about this."