Outside Tenkuji's house, inside a van.
Yukino's hands, resting lightly on her knees, intertwined aimlessly. After a long silence, she gazed at Masuzu, who was fiddling with the hair on Yuu's forehead, and spoke hesitantly:
"Natsukawa-san..."
Her tentative voice had just emerged when Masuzu cut her off.
"Do you know how happy I felt when I woke up this morning and realized I still remembered everything from before yesterday?"
"Wh-what?"
Startled, her face filled with confusion and bewilderment.
"As long as it doesn't fade again, fully reclaiming it is just a matter of time."
Without lifting her head, Masuzu continued, her focus on admiring Yuu's eyes and brows.
Those blue eyes, once brimming with disdain, nonchalance, eccentricity, and shadow, now held only pure tenderness and affection, fixed on the serene features of her sleeping lover.
In a low voice, she murmured: "Just give me a little more time, and this bone-deep ache won't be like rootless weeds anymore..."
"What are you really trying to say? Can you explain first?" Yukino interrupted her mutterings, a trace of anxiety in her tone.
"Don't rush." Masuzu finally raised her eyes and offered a faint smile. "When he called me of his own accord, I knew you'd succeeded in what you set out to do. Thanks to you, we all have a shot at happiness."
"Honestly, though I'm reluctant to admit it, I should thank you for adding another brick to his harem project. It lets me focus on piecing together the past without worry... But it's embarrassing—seeing you now, clueless and all disheveled, it actually makes me glad, like revenge served sweet."
(Just like how you relished my clownish display yesterday, pitying me as I danced awkwardly beside him, his girlfriend.)
With a soft sigh, Masuzu lowered her head again. Her finger trailed from Yuu's forehead to his cheek, past his chin, until the tip of her nail brushed his throat—as if tempted to end him right there in his sleep.
But after a light scratch and press, her finger returned to his hair, resuming what he'd never permit awake: indulging that teasing, sweet itch in her heart.
"Natsukawa-san..."
Yukino's face beside her twisted unpleasantly, yet she sensed Masuzu was more recounting facts and mocking herself than outright taunting.
Besides, the words carried layers Yukino needed to unpack—no time for anger.
"It's not just the harem nonsense, Natsukawa-san. It seems you're not merely harboring secret feelings for him... You've betrayed Yui too, haven't you? She's your only friend."
Masuzu scoffed.
"So what? And anyway, it wasn't me who betrayed her—just like you, who should only be quietly pining for Yuu right now, haven't betrayed your best friend either."
She met Yukino's gaze steadily. Her blue eyes gleamed with an odd light, her voice bright and resolute, free of doubt.
"The real fault lies with Yui, who loved this scumbag Yuu to her dying breath. She brought light to us all, then vanished without a proper goodbye."
Masuzu shrugged. "As his ex, I just want back what's mine. How's that betrayal? Besides, Yui approved you two dating back then—she should've known the guy she loved was a flirtatious jerk."
"Your concerns are overblown. Just own these feelings already."
The revelation hit like a tidal wave. Yukino gaped in shock for the umpteenth time, staring at Masuzu, who had bowed her head once more, her expression a tangle of complexity laced with unwitting relief.
"So, you dated Tenkuji-kun too... No, the real issue is..."
She muttered, her face a mix of disbelief and complication, yet tinged with subtle ease: "Yui approved us dating? Impossible—that's too absurd... When? How could she...?"
Seeing Yukino as pitiful as she once was, Masuzu offered comfort from experience: "Remember it soon, and it'll all sort itself out. For now, don't overthink; nothing gets solved that way."
"The priority is him—suddenly out cold, no telling when he'll wake. I trust Yuu won't leave us girlfriends hanging in grief forever, but we should prep: call a private clinic, hook him to an IV like a veggie patient to keep him going."
"...You're right."
Yukino drew a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. Her eyes cleared. Fists clenched on her knees, she shoved aside the nagging thoughts, her face serious once more.
"Hope Kasumigaoka-senpai's notebook reveals the next part soon... My guess? This is just the start. He—or we—has more to tackle."
"Like game quests, huh?" Masuzu arched a brow teasingly.
Yukino shot her an irritated glance, sweeping back her long hair, her voice icy with biting sarcasm: "You're awfully composed. Why not pull your old tricks—those irritating, perverted stunts where you seduce him by putting yourself down?"
Masuzu blinked in realization: "Oh! Why haven't I?"
"Huh??"
Under Yukino's disbelieving stare, Masuzu leaned into the back seat, bending without pause to press her soft lips against Yuu's steady-breathing ones.
"Ngh!"
Not done yet. The kiss with her beloved sparked fire through her; she clamped her thighs instinctively, a bitter moan escaping before she deepened it fiercely—cupping his face for a wet, profound, lingering claim.
"Haaah... Feels amazing. Just mucosal contact, yet so blissful... Is this what damn love is? Feels like the past is resurfacing. Then... more kisses."
Whispering in delirious joy, Masuzu twisted fully into the back, angling for deeper access—awkward, yet fervent.
"..."
Yukino sat frozen, staring as if her brain had fried from the heat, immobile.
Ahead, Masuzu persisted in her one-sided assault, kissing as if to rouse him. Her tousled hair and flushed cheeks evoked the very lewd woman she'd mocked—yet she tuned out the world, stubbornly chasing forbidden urges.
Only when she overreached, fumbling at his belt, did Yukino snap to. Her face blazed—shame? Rage?—like dynamite-blasted mountaintop snow. Teeth gritted, she lunged to the back, yanking her away furiously.
"You dare assault an unconscious guy?! Trying to commit a crime right in front of me?!"
"Is NTR-ing someone a crime? Oh, wait—Yuu's asleep. NTR on a sleeper is criminal. Haven't reclaimed girlfriend status yet... Tch, forget the nitpicks."
"How's that a nitpick?! Where's your moral boundary?!"
"Love erases boundaries! How about we split sides, mark him up before they wrap with his little sis—scratch that itch? Time's short for full fun, and this van's cramped anyway."
"You... Shameless! Perverted! Filthy! Only Nee-san'd team up with you! Release Tenkuji-kun now!"
"Such a prude. Bet you two got lewder than this on Christmas Eve..."
"I was alone at home—how could I...? Wait, unless...?"
"Yep, that 'unless' exactly."
Masuzu wiped her damp lip corner, flashing a wicked grin at Yukino—eyes bulging wider, cheeks scorching, arms hugging her chest on reflex. "Yui crashed at mine last night, ditching you—then Yuu's girlfriend—for a cozy Christmas with him."
"We heard it all from downstairs, tsk tsk... So fierce. Ceiling shook like mad from you!"
Yukino reeled back a step, back hitting the seatrest before she shrieked in realization: "Liar! You said you doubted we skipped anything lewder, and this place is top-tier soundproofed and shock-absorbent—how'd downstairs hear?!"
"Caught me? But the first bit was true. What else would a super-close couple do alone on Christmas Eve in their pad? No need to spell it out."
Masuzu rubbed her chin, eyes narrowing as she scanned Yukino top to bottom—her face suddenly stiffening, as if dredging up an unwelcome memory.
"Wild as it seems... Yukinoshita-san, did you wake up dressed this morning?"
Yukino: "..."
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Something felt off.
Yuu awoke that morning in his own bed, eyes fluttering open.
The oddity wasn't the familiar spot, but returning to square one—one eye shut, the other wide—like a reset.
"I..."
He clutched his head, sitting up to peer into the wardrobe mirror, mildly dazed.
No real difference. If anything, he looked younger, sans the weathered maturity of before.
His gaze drifted to the digital clock on his desk.
Six a.m., date—
April 1, 20XX.
"Back in time?"
Yuu blinked, stunned. Clarity rushed in; memories surged. After a beat of reflection, understanding dawned in his eyes.
"System... your Final Exam? But looping to day one of school—what's the play...?"
Muttering oddly, he vaulted from bed straight to the desk.
A white-covered notebook sat there. Flipping it open, the first page read:
「Mission Update: Complete the Final Exam Mission to obtain the Fifth Light Gem.」
「Mission Target: Not started—Host, seek clues independently.」
「Hint: System access disabled in this state; rewards paused. Prior earnings (normal rewards/money) intact.」
「Mission Duration: Unlimited. Fail to find clues pre-high school graduation? Reset to April 1, 20XX.」
「Unlimited retries—use wisely, wrap it up quick.」
That was it. Yuu memorized every line, dissecting it mentally before snapping it shut.
"Hmph, 'wrap it up quick,' huh? After rigging this endless loop, don't feign sincerity."
He sneered derisively, striding to the window to yank the curtains, welcoming the sunlit dawn.
Street cherry blossoms were budding. The city stirred like the rising sun, blooming with spring's vigor and glory.
Eyes closed, he savored the sun's warmth on his face briefly. Then, sans regret, he pivoted to his school bag—rifling books, ID, phone contacts to catalog what he could.
"Contacts mostly same. Still at the cafe; second-year high school starts today... This timestamp—want me playing GALGAME? Barely a hint..."
Yuu's brow furrowed subtly. Scanning the room anew, satisfied with intel for now, he donned his uniform swiftly, shouldered the bag, and exited.
Before descending, he cracked Sora's door—Sōbu High uniform on the wall, sister snoring peacefully—then headed down.
Breakfast prepped and apron shed, before he could rouse her upstairs, the doorbell chimed.
"Coming—"
Who at this hour?
Curious and conjecturing, Yuu swung the door open, peering down at the snow-haired girl before him.
"Tachibana? Why...?"
"Good morning, Yuu-senpai."
The stoic girl dipped her head slightly, then met his mild surprise with calm golden eyes.
"First day of school. We agreed to go together."
"Hah? Agreed..." Shock faded fast; Yuu clocked it—system's setup plot.
Really making him GALGAME this cast he knows? That pervy system's taste...
He tsked inwardly. Beneath her puzzled head-tilt, he mustered a helpless smile—flawless role immersion.
"I remember. But you're early. Just finished breakfast."