"Big Sis~~~~" Just as Chu Lian and Inori were talking, the front door—which had been left unlocked after last night—was suddenly pushed open from outside. A figure soared several meters through the air and landed directly on the bed, pressing Inori's half-sitting body down into the blankets and rubbing her cheek against Inori's soft chest with a deeply satisfied expression.
"Good morning, Big Sis! Isn't it such a delightful surprise to see me first thing in the morning?" Chu Chu purred with her eyes squinted like a cat, as if only missing a tail swishing happily to complete the picture.
"Hm? Wait a second... Big Sis doesn't have such a big chest... Did it grow overnight?" After a while of snuggling, Chu Chu finally noticed something was off. She slowly opened her eyes—only to see Chu Lian sitting beside the bed, her face already consumed with rage.
That scared Chu Chu stiff. Like a broken machine, she slowly raised her head and was greeted by Inori's emotionless yet stunningly beautiful face, tilted slightly in confusion as she stared back.
The next moment, Chu Chu jumped up, leapt off the bed, and backed away while pointing at the two of them. "You... you... you... who are you? Why are you in Big Sis' bed? Don't tell me... don't tell me you two slept together last night? And you must've done all those envi—no, detestable H things, right?!"
Her eyes brimmed with tears as she rambled, not even noticing Chu Lian's eerily calm expression or Inori's slight frown. She went on, "I knew it... I just knew it... If I'm not around Big Sis, so many people will try to seduce her. You fox demon! Sob sob sob..."
And then came the sentence that completely pushed Chu Lian over the edge:
"Big Sis' chastity is gone... Her first time isn't with me anymore. Are we supposed to live like this now, with my impure Big Sis? ...Oh... but as long as she Hs with me every day... no wait, as long as she spends time with me every day, I won't care if she's impure... Big Sis... we..."
Chu Chu had intended to say: "We should be together from now on. Even if you're not pure anymore, I still love you, Big Sis..." But Chu Lian's fist made sure she never finished that sentence.
In her blackened state, Chu Lian's combat power skyrocketed. With one punch, she sent Chu Chu flying out the door, crashing through the room directly across the hall. She continued smashing through furniture, leaving destruction in her wake, until she finally embedded herself halfway into a wardrobe.
Her body from the thighs up was buried inside the closet, with only two slender legs dangling outside, swinging slightly. An ordinary person would be dead or at least suffering multiple fractures from such a blow. But instead, Chu Chu let out a string of ambiguous moans: "Ah~ mmm~ ngh~ ah... Big Sis' fists of love... I missed them so much..."
Hearing that, Chu Lian clenched her fists, ready to go deliver another blow. Fortunately, Inori's voice stopped her. "Lian, is she your sister?"
Chu Lian turned back and gave her the gentlest smile. "Mm, she's my younger sister, Chu Chu. Her personality is a bit odd. Sorry for disturbing you."
She first apologized to Inori on behalf of her sister. No matter what, Chu Chu was still her sibling. If her sister caused trouble, then as the older one, she had the responsibility to own up to it. Especially since the person involved was someone as ethereal as Inori, she had to handle things with care.
"Even though she's my sister, she's not exactly the most sensible type. She can be a little obsessive. Don't take her words or actions too seriously, and try not to let her influence you." This too was the duty of a good older sister—to minimize the damage her sister might cause. By preparing others early on, many problems could be avoided.
"She's interesting..." Inori, sharp and perceptive, quickly understood the meaning behind Chu Lian's words. She couldn't help but comment softly.
"I suppose so..." After giving it some thought, Chu Lian had to admit that the word did, in fact, perfectly describe Chu Chu's personality and lifestyle. So after a slight hesitation, she nodded.
"It's already daytime..." Inori lifted the blanket, walked over to the window, and spoke softly as she gazed at the sun outside.
"It's been a long time since you've seen it, hasn't it?" Chu Lian understood her sentiment. This wasn't just the hope that followed darkness; it was the emotion of finally seeing the sun again after drifting through countless days. It was just that Inori wasn't good at expressing emotion through facial expressions, so she used her body instead to feel its warmth.
"Mm..." Inori responded faintly, reaching out her small hand as if trying to catch a beam of sunlight in her palm, to store it away.
Chu Lian was momentarily entranced, watching Inori's snow-white skin shimmer like crystal under the sunlight.
Back when she was still a student, it was Guilty Crown that first pulled her into the world of anime.
Like many others who loved or hated it, she adored the series while feeling deeply dissatisfied with parts of its plot and story structure. She often criticized certain unnecessary narrative choices. But no matter how much she complained, there was one fairy-like girl she could never blame, forget, or bear to see harmed.
That was the very girl now standing before her: Inori Yuzuriha. It wasn't her appearance that first captivated Chu Lian—it was her song, Euterpe, that stole her heart.
With such a stunning introduction, this girl made Chu Lian fall completely, to the point that even after watching countless other anime over the years, Inori still remained her favorite deep down.
And now, she stood here, alive and real, sharing the same space. Whether this was the doing of the system or the hands of fate, Chu Lian still felt immensely grateful. What could be more thrilling than having your favorite anime character step out of the 2D world into your real life?
Even if this Inori wasn't the exact same as the one from the Guilty Crown universe—she hadn't truly fallen for Shu, hadn't experienced Gai's death, the dark school life, or her final sacrifice. At her core, she was someone completely like Inori, yet not Inori.
It was a paradox—but a feeling Chu Lian could deeply sense. Reality wasn't a story. There were no convenient coincidences or perfect arrangements. Only unpredictability, unforeseeable futures, and outcomes that never aligned with expectations—that was the real world.
Thinking this, she found some peace. Maybe this Inori wasn't a perfect copy of the one from her memories, but both were equally lovable. And that was enough.
"Can I... live here?" Inori suddenly turned and asked Chu Lian.
A bit surprised, but unable to suppress the joy in her heart, Chu Lian beamed and answered, "You're absolutely welcome! The second floor has bedrooms. Besides Chu Chu, my sister Chu Ke, and my brother Chu Ren, there are several vacant rooms. It won't be a problem at all."
"Would I be intruding?" Though Inori really wanted to stay, she still considered whether she might be bothering them.
"It's perfectly fine. You can stay as long as you like." The reply didn't come from Chu Lian, but from her mother, who had heard the commotion upstairs and assumed it was just Chu Chu being her usual self. She hadn't expected to meet another girl.
In fact, she'd been standing outside the door for a while, listening in on most of their conversation before finally speaking up.
"Mom, thank you!" Before Inori could even react, Chu Lian had already dashed over and hugged her mother around the waist, rubbing her head against her and speaking with delight.
"Thank you very much..." Inori bowed slightly toward Li Mingxue in gratitude. Though her face remained expressionless, Chu Lian could feel that she was truly happy.
Perhaps Inori's desire to live here was just a sudden impulse. But who could say for sure? Maybe it was truly the one thing her heart longed for most. After drifting for so long, she was the only one among all the sleepers to awaken after a time. Facing the boundless, deep void, such loneliness and isolation could easily drive a normal person insane.
If she weren't so unfamiliar with emotions, if she could understand what madness felt like, perhaps she would already have collapsed entirely.
In that sense, her condition could be seen as both fortunate and unfortunate. The endless time and solitude didn't drive her mad, but they did wear away much of her past memories, burying them deep within her subconscious. What remained were fragments of daily knowledge and the awareness that Eve had intentionally passed to her.
Last night, Chu Lian's question unintentionally triggered those painful memories Inori desperately wanted to forget. That brief moment of memory resurfacing proved too overwhelming, causing her to collapse.
She wanted to live here, partially for the peace, and partially because Chu Lian was the first person she saw both times she woke up. In this unfamiliar world and environment, it gave her a sense of reliance on the girl who, despite being younger, had become her emotional anchor.
Chu Lian didn't know all the intricacies, but she could still sense the fragile heart of this crystalline girl.
Besides, she genuinely didn't feel at ease letting Inori stay out on her own. If anything unpredictable happened, regret would be too late.
She didn't want to live with that regret, so she would prevent it now—before it could happen.
"I'm Lian'er's mother, Li Mingxue. You can call me Aunt Mingxue, or Madam, whichever you prefer," Li Mingxue said as she walked over and gently patted Inori on the head with a smile.
Unlike many women who cared about how they were addressed, Li Mingxue was much more easygoing. She didn't mind being called older, in fact, she was happy about it. Because only when others acknowledged her as a mother and a wife could she proudly talk about her husband, her children, her Chu Lian.
What surprised Chu Lian, though, was that her mother didn't seem the least bit curious about Inori's origins or her obviously naturally pink hair. She welcomed Inori more enthusiastically than even Chu Lian herself had—like welcoming a new daughter into the family.
"A new daughter? Oh, maybe Mom really wants to adopt her as one? But judging by Inori's personality, it might take a very long time for her to call someone 'Mom.' Still, if Mom likes her, then let her be..." Chu Lian smiled as she watched, her thoughts turning in all directions.
And so, the girl who had crossed time and space just last night became the newest member of this household. Despite her striking appearance—those pink tresses, the delicate expressionless face, her slim figure, and that alluring outfit—none of it kept others from liking her.
Well, maybe except that last part. In this house, no one was allowed to dress like that outside. As Mom once said: "My daughters can wear whatever they like at home—that's their freedom. But absolutely no showing off to outsiders. They belong only to me. Unless you can actually marry one of them."
Which meant that even if Chu Lian were to perform at a concert, she couldn't use sex appeal. Of course, her thighs were another story—they were works of art. Whether black stockings, white stockings, sheer, red, purple, or garter belts—as long as nothing too revealing was shown, she could wear them out.
Such beautiful, modestly dressed fashion deserved to be seen—and envied.
Even Chu Chu, once she understood Inori's personality, started trying to get close to her. If Chu Lian hadn't held her back, she'd probably already be sneaking in to cop a feel. Even though she was a max-level Chu Lian fan, her strong yuri soul couldn't resist wanting to take advantage of a pretty girl.
Watching her mom and Inori chatting on the sofa, Chu Lian turned around, opened the door, and looked toward the distant sky. Life, she thought, was becoming more and more interesting—and more and more beautiful.
Ayase, can you see this? Can you see what's happening now? I miss you so much. Please... come back soon.
She casually closed the door behind her, not noticing the gaze Inori cast at her back—or Chu Chu's attempt to pounce on her, which resulted in a full-face collision with the door.
Walking down the street, she took in the scenery around her and, without realizing it, began to hum:
咲いた野の花よ
Blossoming wildflower,
ああ どうか おしえておくれ
Ah, please, won't you tell me?
人は何故 伤つけあって 争うのでしょう
Why do people hurt each other and fight?
リんと咲く花よ
You, the flowers that bloom with grace,
そこから何が见える
What do you see from where you are?
人は何故 许しあうこと出来ないのでしょう
Why is it so hard for people to forgive one another?
—"Euterpe," Egoist