This part was super important, and Kuroha Akira put some serious thought into it. Eventually, he figured out the perfect solution.
He'd design a life game just for her!
"Anyway, let's start with something small. Since you, Kurenai, can talk to me normally, you should be able to communicate with Shion just fine too, right?"
"Mm... I think I'd be okay with Shion."
"Great! Then 'chatting with Shion' will be your beginner quest!"
"Beginner quest... so there's more after that?"
"Of course! After that, you can slowly level up. For example, helping with errands. Or if she needs makeup for something, you could do her makeup. Basically, first find things you can do right now, then gradually expand that range."
"Expand the things I can do..."
She was totally hooked by Kuroha Akira's words—because everything he'd just said was stuff she could actually do. Not some abstract "just get over it" nonsense, but concrete, achievable steps.
"Exactly! And there are rewards too!"
"There are rewards?"
"The reward is time! Young Kurenai, why not think of your other self as the 'Great Demon King Kurenai' who 'stole all your time'?"
"G-Great Demon King Kurenai... isn't that a bit much? My other self never wanted to replace me—I willingly gave up control of the body..."
"I know, I know. It's just a metaphor. But here's the reality: because you two have a fifteen-year age gap, your experience level, young Kurenai, is way lower than Mature Kurenai's, right?"
"Mm..."
"But there's no reason you can't do what she can do—because she's literally your future self! Think of it like a final boss, the Great Demon King, who turns out to be a hero from another world. Sounds kinda similar to your situation, doesn't it?"
"O-Oh, I see...!"
"And as the hero, your job is to grind experience, keep leveling up, and eventually take back your 'future' from the Great Demon King Kurenai!"
Kuroha Akira squatted down in front of her, clenched his fist, and looked at her with encouraging eyes.
"How about it?! Can you do it, Hero Kurenai?!"
"O-Oh...!"
"LOUDER!"
"OH!!!"
"Good! From now on, try to do more things you can't do yet! As long as you can outperform the Great Demon King Kurenai, you, Hero Kurenai, will get back more and more personal time!"
"Okay!"
And just like that—Shy Kurenai transformed into a Hero, and the composed, mature Kohaku-nee became the Final Great Demon King.
Kuroha Akira figured that if the two personalities couldn't fully sync up, then letting them have a healthy competition for control of the body was the next best thing. Switching from "having her life stolen" to "reclaiming her life"—just that simple shift in perspective could completely change someone's outlook.
Because reward systems work way better than punishment systems. People hate losing and love gaining.
Of course, Kuroha Akira had his own ulterior motives here too. By setting it up this way, Hero Kurenai would naturally hand over most of the body's time to Demon King Kurenai. Meanwhile, she'd also act as a challenger, diligently searching for things she could do, ultimately achieving self-improvement.
At the end of the day, for Kuroha Akira? He didn't care which personality was in charge—as long as one of them could help him.
Inside, Demon King Kurenai watched in amazement as Kuroha Akira completely revitalized her other self with just a few words. She felt both relieved and genuinely impressed.
She didn't mind being seen as the Great Demon King. If her other self could truly surpass her, she'd only be happy.
But then... another emotion started surging through her. This was...!
Even though the two personalities' memories weren't connected, maybe because all the body's physical sensations were shared, their inner thoughts and emotions were also linked.
"Let's head back for now, Kurenai. Can you still stand? I saw you scraped your knee earlier."
"Ah... hiss..."
Only now, reminded by Kuroha Akira, did she feel the stinging pain in her knee. She sucked in a sharp breath.
Kuroha Akira extended his hand to her.
"If it hurts a lot, I can carry you back."
"Ah... mm..."
Tashiro Kurenai's voice came out low, with a slight tremble. If you looked closely, you'd notice her eyes were tinged with a faint pink—partly from crying, and partly from sheer embarrassment.
She didn't want to trouble Kuroha Akira. Really, she didn't. But in the end, she couldn't help nodding in agreement.
So Kuroha Akira turned around and squatted down in front of her.
"Alright, hop on."
Looking at his broad back, a warm feeling flowed through Tashiro Kurenai's heart.
"Let's hurry back and get that knee treated. Hope it doesn't leave a scar."
"Mm... thank you, Bai..."
"Uh... uh?!"
Hearing her use his original surname, Kuroha Akira awkwardly reminded her.
"Kurenai, my surname isn't Bai anymore, okay? Don't call me that again."
"Then can I just call you senpai?"
"Just call me Akira. You know, the other Kurenai calls me that."
"But... your real age is thirty, right? My other self is older than you, but I'm younger than you. I'm your junior..."
"Well... okay, that's fine too. But don't call me that in front of outsiders. I mean, looking at you, you could totally pass for my older sister."
"Mm... I'll be careful about the situation, senpai."
Even though outwardly he was a high school student nine years younger than her, in his past life, he was a reliable adult six years older.
He was the one who invited me to change careers and become a manager...
He was the one who chased after me and saved me...
He was the one who told me what to pursue, how to deal with people, and how to make peace with myself...
Coming back to herself, Tashiro Kurenai realized that her mind was already packed with images of him.
Her social anxiety had always prevented her from forming deep connections with others, so the space in her heart had remained empty for a long time.
People who get rescued tend to develop feelings for their saviors. And for someone with social anxiety like Tashiro Kurenai, that feeling hit even harder.
Interest → Good impression → Love → ?
That's how it should have progressed. But because she'd never been interested in any man before, never had a good impression of any man, she basically speed-ran straight to the love stage.
The first love of twenty-four-year-old Tashiro Kurenai was thirty-year-old Bai Yuming.
Before this, she'd only trusted her other self. But now, this man had become another pillar of support.
Tashiro Kurenai leaned onto his back. Just the contact made her chest and face feel burning hot.
Even though she was just getting a piggyback ride, such intimate physical contact was still way too much for someone with social anxiety. So she urgently sent a distress signal to her other self from inside her mind.
Hey... other me... can we switch now...? I'm sorry for causing you trouble this time...
Kohaku-nee got pushed to the surface. And then she smiled—a little wryly.
Seriously... if you already like him, why not go for it?
If you get shy this easily, how are you ever gonna catch a man?
But that's okay.
Even if you don't dare... I do.
And our feelings are connected, aren't they?
So when I make my move, you'll feel it too. That means you'll also get to experience your first time.
Sorry, Shion-imouto. Big Sister Kohaku really wanted to support your relationship...
But after all... "I myself" am more important.
Big Sister is going to steal your man.