After his Studying skill reached Expert level, Yuu finally understood what it meant to be a genius.
Problems that once required multiple readings to grasp now made sense at a single glance, and he could even expand one idea into several. Movements or tones of voice that once needed repeated practice could now be almost perfectly replicated and even enhanced.
For example, in the shounen series Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, there's a character named Mimasaka Subaru, whose ability, Perfect Trace, allows him to flawlessly replicate an opponent's cooking techniques and dishes through prolonged observation and imitation, then improve upon them to defeat his rival.
Yuu, with his Sharp Eyes talent, was essentially an upgraded version of Subaru, like a high-level Sharingan that couldn't cast ninjutsu. He was just one step away from the so-called genius eyes of Reading Everything, capable of instantly learning and mastering almost anything observed—ninjutsu, movements, skills, genjutsu, writing, physical constitution, and more.
Of all the skills and stats granted by the system, Studying was undoubtedly the most overpowered and had the greatest potential.
Even though love came into play, it was only after studying… cough cough, let's rephrase.
Although Perfect Acting was significant, it paled in comparison to Expert Studying—because even acting could be honed and improved through studying.
A genius is someone who can shorten others' efforts tenfold and quickly rise to the top.
A cheater, however, is a being who can do even more than a genius without feeling any effort at all.
Yuu hadn't avoided trying to directly upgrade Studying to Perfect level with the special Level Up reward. But when he attempted it, the system issued a warning:
[This reward will only appear once and can be used on any system product.]
[Do you wish to use Level Up on Studying?]
After weighing and considering, Yuu ultimately gave up on upgrading Studying to Perfect.
First, there had to be something suspicious for the system to issue such a specific warning.
Second, by earning just two more Expert Studying skills, he could also reach Perfect level.
Third, Expert Studying was already sufficient. He didn't need to waste his one-time reward out of curiosity about becoming the ultimate cheater.
Based on these three points, unless it was an extremely urgent situation or one where a specific skill or stat absolutely needed to be upgraded, Yuu likely wouldn't use Level Up. He'd keep it as his trump card.
A little caution never hurt.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
The ten-minute class break was half spent chatting, leaving little time to discuss problems in detail.
Yuu then explained the math problems in his notebook to Asuna in the simplest way possible, roughly outlining the thought process behind the questions and their solutions. With Asuna's intelligence, absorbing sixty to seventy percent shouldn't be difficult.
"I see… Indeed, compared to piling on formulas, the teacher's question style leans more toward complex logic… You're really amazing, Yuu-kun."
Nodding thoughtfully while jotting neat notes in her own notebook, Asuna suddenly sighed.
"Even though this is for our future…" She looked up, her small lips pouting slightly, gazing at Yuu with a hint of frustration. "A rare break, but we have to discuss problems seriously. Don't you feel unmotivated?"
"Isn't there plenty of time after school? We can't even talk loudly in class—what's there to get excited about?" Yuu tapped her forehead with the end of his pen, saying helplessly, "Focus on studying now. One day, even if I'm not around, you won't have to worry about your mom finding weaknesses in your grades and using them as an excuse to arrange another marriage."
"Like you said earlier, as long as you're here, that's what matters~" After saying this casually, Asuna suddenly realized something was off, her eyes widening as she looked at him nervously.
"Wait, don't tell me you're already thinking about breaking up!?"
Yuu's expression turned odd. "…Why would you think that?"
"Your tone sounded like it! And you didn't deny it just now…" Asuna stared intently into his eyes, as if trying to peer into his true thoughts. Instead, she clearly saw the waves of anxiety swirling in her own hazel eyes.
Yuu couldn't help but sigh, placing his hand on Asuna's head and stroking it like he was soothing a child.
"I'm not thinking that… Don't overthink it. Let's make a promise. As long as you don't hate me or forget me, I won't break up with you, in the real world or in the game. I'll be with you forever. How's that?"
"Yuu-kun…"
"Hm?"
Yuu thought she was touched by his sweet, romantic words, so he kept gazing at her warmly. But Asuna gave an awkward smile. "How… That kind of promise is too exaggerated. Maybe only middle school girls would fall for it?"
Yuu: "…Oh, is that so?"
Are middle school girls these days this experienced?
"But…"
Asuna suddenly lowered her head, resting her forehead on his shoulder, smiling and whispering, "Even if you're lying to me, I'm willing to believe you."
"Because it's you, Yuu-kun… Whatever you say, I'll choose to believe."
Yuu paused for a moment, giving a faint, wry smile.
"…That's a bit heavy."
"Hey, heavy means you're important to me. That's not bad, right?"
"Alright, alright, of course it's fine…"
Feeling her reliance and trust, Yuu couldn't help but scratch his cheek, his smile slowly fading.
…Honestly, being loved so earnestly by a girl this beautiful and kind, even with prior experience, he couldn't remain completely unaffected.
Loving someone can sometimes stem from their closeness to you or simply from their sweet smile.
Though he'd anticipated this development, Yuu still couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
No choice but to not take it too seriously, lest this act become reality and end in tears… A man must be mature; he didn't want to be executed by the system again.
Before the teacher returned to the podium, Yuu wrapped his arm around Asuna's slender shoulders. He lowered his head, their cheeks touching, the contact warming slowly, like an embrace in an onsen.
His nose caught the fresh scent of her hair, his ears heard her tense yet soft breaths, and the warmth flowed downward, seeping into his heart.
Yuu closed his eyes.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
In the end, at the tutoring class's summary quiz, Yuu scored a perfect mark, while Asuna got a ninety-eight. The other top students scored just above ninety at best, all complaining during the review that the questions were too hard and the time too short.
If it weren't for someone guessing the questions so accurately—practically giving her the answers beforehand—Asuna wouldn't have scored so high. The two points she lost were due to some unclear calculations and minor carelessness.
Recalling the moment when the teacher asked them to announce their scores, the looks from their classmates seemed to say, "Why do you brainiacs have to date at tutoring and disrupt our studies? Get out!"—a mix of shock, envy, and frustration.
Though it wasn't exactly ethical, Asuna couldn't help but smile proudly and contentedly—after all, the person she liked was that amazing.
Time flew by, and soon it was after school.
Under the night sky, the city lights twinkled, and crowds of students in uniforms and suits bustled about, creating a lively, distinct atmosphere on the streets.
Like other student couples, Yuu and Asuna walked side by side, slowly strolling along the wide sidewalk under the bright moonlight, from the commercial district to the residential area. A forty-minute journey took them over an hour—partly because Asuna tried taking a detour, only to be stopped by Yuu.
Reluctant to let time pass too quickly, they could only slow their steps, making every moment worth cherishing.
"Yuu-kun, have you decided what to wear for our weekend date?"
"Anything's fine."
"Ugh—seriously! It's our first date, so please put some thought into it!"
"I mean, I look handsome in anything, and you look beautiful in anything, so there's no need to stress."
"…Hmph, that's more like it~"
Chatting endlessly, the gate to the Yuuki family home came into view. Asuna's fingers gently tidied her brown hair, mussed by the night breeze. She tilted her head, her soft, crescent-moon-like eyes reflecting in Yuu's.
"So, for our weekend date, let's meet in front of Chiba Station's plaza, okay?"
"I could pick you up at your house too," Yuu said with a smile.
"Eh… No! That'd ruin the date vibe!" Asuna wavered briefly, then hurriedly shook her head, clenching her fists with determination. "A girl's heart is important! I want to live out all the scenes I've seen in shojo manga!"
Yuu let out an exaggerated sigh. "I also want to live out shonen manga scenes, but sadly, there are no villains for me to punch."
"Go do that in the game! Don't use a sword—beat up all the Orcs that bothered me before with your fists, and you'll be my hero!"
Yuu visibly grimaced. "Huh? Too much hassle, no way."
"Ugh, so unromantic… Fine, it is kind of a hassle!"
Asuna laughed lightly and joyfully, letting go of his warm hand, then turning to face him.
Behind her was the gate to the Yuuki family home, but no one else appeared to interrupt their farewell.
She smiled and said, "Yuu-kun, thanks for walking me home!"
"It's my job." Yuu raised his hand, tidying her bangs messed by the wind. "Though it's not official yet, I'm at least your boyfriend. Small things like this don't need thanks."
"Then when will you make it official? I don't care what Mom says." Without blinking, Asuna gazed at him with her beautiful eyes, faintly hiding a few smiles.
Yuu thought seriously for a moment, answering ambiguously, "When you can return to… Later, we'll settle everything."
"I see…" Asuna nodded, half-understanding, then waved at him, tilting her slender, graceful figure.
"I'm heading in. Be careful on your way home."
"Alright, see you at the date."
"See you at the date."
After their mutual goodbyes, Yuu started walking home.
"Oh, wait," Asuna suddenly grabbed his hand.
(She has something else to say?) Thinking this with confusion, Yuu stopped, turned, and asked, "What's up… Ugh."
Soft, moist lips unexpectedly pressed against his.
Asuna stood on her tiptoes, tightly gripping his wrist, as if trying to merge their heartbeats. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, clearly showing her nervousness; her breathing was uneven, her face flushed. The darkness of the night couldn't hide her shy reaction, her heartbeat louder than usual.
It was as if, by firmly pressing her lips to his, she poured out all her courage and feelings.
"…"
They kissed for a few seconds.
Yuu quietly opened one eye, meeting Asuna's wide, startled eyes before she hurriedly closed them again, her entire body stiff as a fossil.
Realizing that if he didn't respond, Asuna might stay glued to him for dozens of minutes without moving, Yuu sighed helplessly and placed both hands on her shoulders.
As if sensing what he intended, Asuna, already as tense as could be, chose to slowly relax, giving him control, closing her eyes with anticipation.
"Your kissing is terrible."
Instead, Yuu parted their lips, sighing softly.
Her brows furrowed, Asuna opened her eyes, dissatisfied, but before she could say anything, he continued, "A real kiss should be like this."
"?"
A question mark barely formed in her mind when, with a burning breath and masculine force, Yuu cupped the back of her head with one hand, leaned down, and kissed her again.
"Mmmph mmmph mmmph!?"
Asuna's eyes widened suddenly, her body tensing again, instinctively clutching the clothes on his back, her breath catching.
But just as she reflexively resisted, a gentle masculine aura enveloped her, like a storm overwhelming her, instantly capsizing the little boat that had never sailed.
Their lips and teeth intertwined, breaths mingling with the sound of water.
Her consciousness slowly drifted into a dreamlike state, forgetting where she was or whether she stood on solid ground, carried away by his skilled kissing technique into a door she'd never seen.
In the end, as his tongue brushed her teeth, Asuna completely surrendered, going limp in his arms, closing her eyes calmly, letting herself sink into a deep ocean until she was breathless.
…This was more thrilling than any shojo manga.
After a long moment, Yuu finally straightened, supporting the slightly limp girl.
"Huff… That's what a real kiss is." He licked his lips, his smile slightly flirtatious.
Asuna slowly opened her eyes, her beautiful face flushed like she was drunk, as if wanting to glare at him but lacking any strength to attack.
"Why… are you… so good at this…"
"I've got a CPR license and watched plenty of practice videos."
Yuu told the prepared lie, gazing at her wet, ripe red lips, his mind unconsciously comparing.
(Yukinoshita Haruno's lips are cool and thin, needing a long kiss to warm up; Asuna's are different, like rock candy that melts quickly, small but beautiful, leaving an unforgettable sweetness.)
Such comparisons risked feminist backlash, so as soon as the thought arose, Yuu suppressed it, ensuring Asuna didn't notice anything odd.
"Really…"
The beautiful girl who'd just said she'd believe anything he said now raised her brows slightly, looking at him with eyes full of doubt.
Yuu maintained an innocent expression.
(Seriously, girls… Why do they get so much sharper about things like this?)