It must be acknowledged, of course, that he now had a girlfriend.
After learning that Sora saw him heading to school with Masuzu from upstairs, Yuu knew it was time for another family meeting.
Was this a misfortune for him?
He didn't think so. If true misfortune struck, it would be far worse than this.
For instance, if Masuzu showed up at his doorstep in the morning, confronting Sora directly and sparking a fight between girlfriend and little sister…
Or, if two certain people regained their memories due to another system glitch, then came along with Masuzu, facing Sora in a tragic showdown between girlfriend, ex-girlfriends, and little sister…
If things like that happened, that could be called true misfortune.
Dating and getting caught by his little sister was just a matter of time. There was a limit to how much he could avoid it—though troublesome, Yuu was mentally prepared.
So, during dinner, he roughly recounted everything about Masuzu to Sora.
That included how he was asked to be her fake boyfriend, how their relationship improved during the pretense, and how it now felt no different from a real couple.
Excluding the part about the system, their story was actually quite simple, with little need for embellishment or omission—just leaving out the kisses, hugs, and touches so Sora wouldn't think he was some perverted creep who liked groping women.
After finishing, Sora fell silent for over ten minutes. She seemed unwilling to talk to him, or perhaps she was just processing the information. Her flat, cold expression showed no change, far calmer than Yuu had expected.
After all, in both the first and second missions, when Sora realized Yuu had someone in his heart and supposedly a girlfriend, she revealed an insecure, clingy side. Though she didn't throw a tantrum due to her maturity, Yuu had spent considerable effort soothing her emotions and reassuring her that he wouldn't abandon his only family for an outsider.
Logically, Sora having experienced a world-line shift and memory loss, shouldn't have changed her behavioral patterns. The same scene should have repeated.
But when she spoke again, Yuu heard:
"You haven't done it, have you? That thing."
Yuu blinked, staring at his slightly blushing sister, who was pretending to be casual. He was utterly bewildered.
"W-what are you saying… That's it?"
"Isn't that important?"
Her gaze returned, and Sora frowned. Her eyes were as cold as an angry kitten whose tail had been stroked. "Yuu's virginity being taken by some unknown woman without my knowledge—just thinking about it makes me mad! Is it weird that I want to know that first?"
"Of course it's weird…"
"I'm going upstairs. I'm not eating!"
Sora glared at him angrily but didn't get up from the dining table.
"Fine, just say it." As if helpless against her, Yuu covered his face with one hand, his tone somewhat pitiful. "Your brother… is still a virgin."
"As expected." Sora's expression shifted, and she laughed mockingly.
Through the gaps in his fingers, Yuu shot her a sharp look. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing~"
(Just a coward who doesn't even dare do anything to his little sister.)
Sora, of course, wouldn't say that last line out loud.
She only smirked mockingly while picking up and eating her food. With slender chopsticks in her mouth, her pink lips glistened with oil.
Seeing her like that, Yuu's expression gradually turned helpless.
"Well… Your reaction is way calmer than I imagined."
"Hmm, I think so too."
Sora nodded, slightly puzzled as she bit her chopsticks. "It feels like something similar happened before, or maybe I dreamed something like it?"
"In short, my heart already had a hunch. So, it's not strange if it actually happened… Weird, right? Even though Yuu's being seduced by some random woman out there, I'm not that mad. I even feel confident that whoever this girlfriend is, I'll be the one laughing in the end."
"That's pretty weird." Yuu nodded, because she had indeed said something similar before, dismissing Yukinoshita Haruno as insignificant.
But that was something from a previous world-line.
With an unchanged expression, Yuu mentally flipped off the system and sneered.
(Damn it, I knew you were unreliable. So many flaws in your work, and you still dare call yourself a system? No system family has a disgrace like you!)
[…Host, the system has said before, this is an inevitable effect of world-line changes. Since it's a change, not an erasure or jump, it's only natural for residual feelings to remain. Even with the system's power, they can't be fully erased.]
Rarely did the system use a defensive tone, as if unwilling to take the blame.
(But what does that have to do with you being a disgrace? If you can't do it, you can't do it. No need for excuses.) Yuu shot back immediately, his tone stern, like lecturing an ignorant child.
(You're a grown system now. Stop blaming the world and obediently admit your mistakes!)
[System: 😐]
Whenever it couldn't argue back, this damn system slyly pretended not to hear. Next time, it would do the same thing again, leaving no way to vent his frustration.
In short, because Yuu chose to confess, combined with the system's influence and the fact that past efforts weren't in vain, Sora not only didn't lock him up, she didn't even run to her room to sulk—unexpectedly, everything went smoothly as if nothing happened.
"Don't bring her home for now. You can meet at the door. I'll be watching from upstairs."
Aside from that line, his possessive little sister seemed to have accepted that her brother had a girlfriend. After calmly finishing dinner, she went straight back to her room to play games.
Apparently, Uma Musume was super fun lately, and she was addicted to playing it on an emulator—not her phone, since she was also playing other games.
Come to think of it, he should thank the system this time, right? This attachment wasn't a bad thing for him, was it?
"You think I'd think that? Damn system, I haven't settled the score with that comb yet. You'd better behave and be a proper toolman!"
Whatever happened, after successfully navigating his sister's hurdle, Yuu still felt relieved. Another secret had been revealed. In the end, the outcome was pleasing for everyone.
Could that amulet also absorb his misfortunes?
With a hint of gratitude, he thought this, then pulled the inescapable amulet from his pocket.
Dull green cloth. The word "misfortune" embroidered in black thread seemed even deeper. A faint, mysterious black light flowed over it, somehow feeling like it was ready to explode.
Like a ticking time bomb, just looking at it made him uneasy.
Yuu quietly tucked it back into his pocket, looked up at the sky, and let out a tired sigh.
"Bad stuff… Just don't cause trouble during the national tournament."