"I-I see... Hmm, that makes sense, thank you for the reminder."
After a moment of stunned silence, Yuu nodded, skillfully concealing his somewhat indifferent intentions.
He felt that Asuna's tone seemed to imply something, yet also merely a reminder for him to look after Yuigahama.
But it didn't matter, they would test it out together later anyway.
"By the way, Yuuki-san, do you still remember the cultural festival?"
With a not-too-sudden tone, Yuu steered the conversation towards what he wanted to ask.
Of course, before speaking, he activated the "Earless Wall" state.
So, from this moment on, no matter who passed by, or any acquaintances with hidden motives, they wouldn't be able to hear their conversation, and would ignore their interaction as if it didn't exist.
Even if Yuu stood up now and shouted "Henshin! Kaigan!" (Transform! Open Your Eyes!), only Asuna in front of him would look at him strangely.
"Cultural festival? I do remember, yes..."
Asuna blinked, her beautiful and gentle face full of confusion: "What about it? I remember nothing important happened that day."
A slight understanding appeared in Yuu's eyes, he spread both hands, and asked as if it was nothing: "It was your first time visiting Sobu High, right? I wanted to hear your opinion about the cultural festival back then, after all, you're a rare transfer student who came from an outside school to ours, and I have a junior who became the student council president. So..."
"I understand. You mean like a survey, right?"
Although Yuu didn't finish his sentence, seeing his expression, Asuna understood what he wanted to ask.
Yuu smiled, saying nothing, taking it as silent consent.
He didn't like lying, especially to his acquaintances and friends.
So, when he didn't want to tell the truth, he usually used this method to communicate with others, maintaining information superiority while also being able to quietly extract information from them.
Asuna was indeed a transfer student, and Kanade did successfully become the student council president after the cultural festival—but these were all just objective facts.
Yuu didn't utter any answers from his mouth, which meant he wasn't lying to Asuna.
As long as he didn't lie, there was no risk of being exposed.
Cleverly diverting others' thoughts, aided by ambiguous words and actions, letting them actively think and reach the answer he wanted, this was the safest communication technique.
Asuna noticed nothing, initially praising Sobu High's cultural festival and saying how much she enjoyed walking around, and then suddenly remembering something. She raised one finger to Yuu and said:
"Although we didn't know each other then, I actually visited your school before the cultural festival."
"Before that?" Yuu's eyebrows rose, his eyes gradually becoming strange, "You mean... during the Autumn Fair?"
"Eh?" The words she was about to say were preempted by Yuu. Asuna couldn't help but raise her hand, covering her slightly open mouth in surprise: "Yes, the Autumn Fair... How did you know?"
"Because before the cultural festival, the only major event at our school was the Autumn Fair..."
Yuu's fingers unconsciously tapped the table, he hesitated slightly, unsure whether to continue asking.
The old Yuu might have changed the subject here, avoiding saying anything that could trigger her memories...
But now, he had to surpass his always-avoidant self, and do things he wouldn't have done in the past.
He had already promised Yukino to change, so he couldn't back down now!
Yuu took a light breath, the fingers of both hands intertwined on the table with a hint of seriousness, his eyes looking intently at Asuna.
"Kuroyuri Academy is very far from Sobu High. May I ask why you had to come all the way to see our Autumn Fair?"
"Was there a performance you wanted to watch... or was someone inviting you?"
Asuna answered without thinking: "Both, I guess? Someone said he would be performing at the Autumn Fair, then invited me to Sobu..."
But as she continued, her voice grew smaller and smaller, until finally only air could escape her throat.
Her natural expression froze on her face, like a computer that crashed while saving a file. Her eyes widened in astonishment, not knowing what to say.
Seeing this, Yuu urged in a gentle and warm tone: "So, besides us, do you know anyone else at Sobu High?"
"There is... Eh? No, there isn't... But if there isn't, why would I... why would I visit your school..."
The system's memory rewriting was always haphazard, like a health supplement claiming no side effects; a little thought was enough to find various inconsistencies.
Although Yuu didn't know if this method could fully restore Asuna's memories, it was at least worth a try.
Yuu simply watched Asuna's increasingly furrowed brows, his feelings neither anxious nor enthusiastic. He just remained silent, giving her time to think for herself.
"I did go to Sobu High's Autumn Fair, and I also saw Tenkuji-kun's piano performance... But, if no one invited me, I should have been at cram school then... Moreover, bringing Mom with me, something like that would be absolutely impossible..."
Chaotic thoughts, formulas with no answers found, and strange memories that all made no sense.
Her breathing became chaotic and trembling, Asuna unconsciously hugged her head, her expression becoming bewildered and painful.
As her thoughts plunged into a deep hole, her pink, cherry blossom-like lips gradually lost color. Her bright amber eyes widened uncontrollably, the red veins appearing at their edges becoming increasingly clear, as if thousands of toothpicks were scraping her brain's nerves, bringing indescribable pain from the depths of her soul.
"It shouldn't be like this, this is too strange... And why can't I remember the piano melody from that day... It was so beautiful, I shouldn't have forgotten it..."
Her chestnut hair drooped, her slender shoulders continued to tremble.
The girl struggled and fought alone, but besides the tears falling on her cheeks, she couldn't regain anything.
Her two hands hugging her head clenched so tightly that her veins bulged, her fingernails sinking into her flesh, like someone whose limbs were broken and placed in a box, fighting immense pain by biting her tongue.
"Stop! Clear your mind, don't think about anything!"
However, the next second.
A firm yet gentle voice, enveloped in an invisible force, suddenly hit her eardrums.
Then it quickly spread throughout her limbs, like a warm sun melting thick snow, slowly relaxing her overly tense nerves.
Those stiff hands finally released Asuna's head, falling limply onto the table.
Her breathing returned to steady, Asuna slowly raised her head, blinking with dry, red eyes, staring blankly at Yuu in front of her who looked concerned.
"This...?"