In this crossover anime, I've been bound to two systems.

"Yinglili..."

"What's wrong? It feels weird that you suddenly called my name with that expression."

"...In short, I'm sorry."

"Huh? Why are you suddenly apologizing for nothing?"

Before Kasumigaoka Utaha could give an answer, Sawamura Eriri's phone rang.

She picked it up and saw that it was a call from her mother.

She looked towards the school gate, gave simple replies with "uh-huh" and "yeah," and hung up the phone shortly after.

"Why did you suddenly apologize just now?"

"Nothing... What did your aunt say to you?"

"Let me go home quickly, she and my dad have something important to tell me."

"...Then you should go quickly."

"You're really strange. What about the matter of leaving the department?"

"I'll just mention it briefly today, and we'll talk about the details tomorrow."

"That's fine."

"and many more……"

Eriri Sawamura, who had just taken two steps toward the school gate, was stopped by Utaha Kasumigaoka.

"what?"

"You... never mind, it's alright."

"Aha?!"

Eriri Sawamura looked suspicious; she was already somewhat dissatisfied.

"You're acting really strange right now. Are you hiding something from me?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha considered what Sawamura Eriri might do if she truthfully told her what she had said to Sawamura Sayuri the night before.

"fine."

Kasumigaoka Utaha decided to keep quiet and trust Eriri to handle this trivial matter.

"I'll get some rest early tonight, so don't call unless it's absolutely necessary. See you at school tomorrow."

"Hmph, how weird..."

Eriri Sawamura muttered to herself as she slowly walked towards the school gate.

…………

Chapter 83 Disintegration

Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't tell Sawamura Eriri the truth, not because she deliberately wanted to scheme against her.

She was only concerned with appearances and didn't want to fight with the enraged blond idiot in public; she didn't like being watched.

Besides, that idiot really gets angry and doesn't know his own strength. What if she accidentally exposes herself?

So although I felt a little sorry, I could only let her rely on her on-the-spot reaction to deal with this awkward situation.

Having lived a lifetime even in dreams, how much more so when facing one's closest parents? It's no wonder that misunderstandings can't be cleared up; at most, there might be some shame.

I wish her all the best.

Put your phone in airplane mode tonight and get some rest.

Speaking of which, the weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow. Maybe I should ask for leave tomorrow and not come to school.

Kasumigaoka Utaha quickly put her guilt aside and walked toward the doujin game club.

Although it is called a club, there are only four members at present, so it might be more appropriate to call it a hobby group.

Furthermore, this club has not received official recognition from the student council, and the multimedia classroom used for activities was obtained by the club president through great difficulty from the teacher, and it may be taken back at any time.

In a sense, it's perfectly normal for this group of enthusiasts, which was formed solely out of passion, to suddenly disappear at any time.

How could I have been persuaded to join in and help? What was I thinking back then? Why was I so easily convinced? Just like Eriri, I guess I was too soft-hearted. That's not something to be praised.

Although it's apologetic to go back on my word, as long as I can offer a compensation plan that won't cause the other party any loss, I'm sure Aki Tomoya won't have any objections.

Even if there are objections, it doesn't matter. It's just a verbal agreement between students, not a signed contract, so it doesn't count.

Kasumigaoka Utaha vaguely sensed that her way of thinking had changed a lot compared to before.

However, she did not resist this change. Although it only existed in her dreams and not in reality, the roads she had walked, the scenery she had seen, and the things she had experienced were real.

All of these factors combined gave her a stronger sense of confidence and self-assurance, which naturally led to a change in her perspectives on many things.

Therefore, when Kasumigaoka Utaha came to the doujin game club, she told Aki Tomoya that she and Sawamura Eriri had changed their minds and would be leaving the club.

Even though Aki Tomoya was taken aback and asked in a daze why, with a hint of pitiful desire to salvage the situation, Kasumigaoka Utaha still decisively interrupted him.

"There's no particular reason. I just feel that as a senior in high school, I should focus more on getting into a good university, rather than playing a game with the younger students at school with an uncertain future."

She gave an irrefutable reason based on facts, and even though Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't have a convincing expression on her face when she gave this reason, it didn't make Aki Tomoya say anything to persuade her to stay.

"But...but!!"

He just kept saying "but" without being able to say what came next.

This was an unexpected situation, and Aki Tomoya couldn't understand why things that had been agreed upon before had suddenly turned out this way.

And it wasn't just one person, but the two most important people in the group, the scriptwriter and the illustrator, who both chose to leave the group.

If the two most core members leave, is there still a need for the thing he insisted on, the so-called ideal, and this group to continue to exist?

"Don't worry, I will take responsibility for filling the void left by my departure, and the same goes for Sawamura."

"What does it mean?"

A glimmer of hope appeared in Aki Tomoya's heart.

“We will personally fund the hiring of professional scriptwriters and animators for you, so there won’t be any problems and it won’t affect the plans you set up at the beginning.”

"But if it weren't for Kasumigaoka-senpai and Eriri, things would be completely different!"

Aki Tomoya practically shouted those words.

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at him calmly. Her experience of living two lives allowed her to roughly understand the deeper meaning hidden in his words.

Even so, she still tilted her head, feigning ignorance, and asked,

"We're both creators, and we can both produce story text, original character artwork, and background images for you. What's the difference?"

"...!"

Aki Tomoya was speechless.

"Alright, that's probably what I came here to talk about today. I'll submit my resignation application to Sawamura later. That's all for now."

After concisely ending the conversation and essentially stating her own thoughts, Kasumigaoka Utaha turned and left without a second thought.

Aki Tomoya, slumped in his seat, looking utterly lost, didn't glance at her again.

The multimedia classroom fell into a stifling silence, almost suffocating.

"If Kasumigaoka-senpai and Sawamura-kun both quit, then it seems there's no need for me to stay here. Rather than making games, I still want to study hard and get into a better university so that my parents' burden will be lighter."

A girl stood up in a corner that no one noticed.

It makes one wonder, is there actually a third person in this classroom?

Such thoughts.

In fact, Aki Tomoya was indeed startled by the girl who suddenly spoke.

"It seems like everything's fine today, so I'll head back now."

After the girl who had no presence also left.

Aki Tomoya sat in his seat, scratching his hair in frustration. He still couldn't understand how the club, which had seemed to get along quite well before, could fall apart in an instant.

Did I do something wrong to make my senior and Eriri angry?

But I didn't do anything!

But Kasumigaoka-senpai's expression and attitude definitely showed that she was angry...

No, it's not quite the same. It's less about being angry and more about being cold, like when you're talking to a stranger—completely indifferent and as if it has nothing to do with her... cold!

What on earth happened? Why did things turn out this way?!

A huge question lingered in his mind, and unable to understand it, Aki Tomoya finally took a step and rushed out of the club.

He had to chase after him and get to the bottom of it; otherwise, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep a wink tonight.

Meanwhile, Suzumiya Chisato, who had taken the train to the station and walked a distance to the entrance of Toyonosaki Academy, was waiting for the message brought back by the Black Wings that had been released earlier.

…………

Chapter 84 People Without a Sense of Boundaries

Afterwards, go for a full-body sauna and apply a face mask while you're at it. You can also get some rest during this time.

Oh, speaking of which, I also need to trim my nails, since I'm still a student and can't wear nail polish yet, but at least I need to make sure they look nice.

Although there's no need for it right now, it's better to trim your toenails while you're at it, just in case.

After leaving the club, Kasumigaoka Utaha quickly stopped thinking about what had just happened.

As she walked toward the school gate, she was looking down at her phone screen, checking which beauty salons near her home had good reviews, as she planned to get an annual membership.

Three days ago, she would never have had such thoughts. Three days ago, she always thought that she was young and invincible and did not need to do the things that only middle-aged women would do.

However, she now feels that body care is still quite necessary for women.

After all, youth is fleeting, and spending money to prolong it as much as possible is a worthwhile investment.

She walked out of the campus with her head down, and out of the corner of her eye she saw someone coming. She thought he was just a passerby, but she didn't expect him to walk straight up to her and stand right in front of her, blocking her way.