Yugao's Interrogation

A sweet laugh escaped Yugao, and the bamboo sword's whistle grew suddenly sharper. Nebula Kotetsu didn't dare let his guard down, focusing intently on defending against her attacks.

"Clack, clack, clack!!!!!~" The courtyard once again rang with the rapid clatter of bamboo swords colliding.

Yugao's attacks came in a flurry, her moves nimble. Under her assault, Nebula Kotetsu was so thoroughly suppressed that he barely had time to catch his breath. Now and then, her bamboo sword slipped past his guard and tapped him, stinging a little.

Of course, if he unleashed his strength to withstand her assault for an instant and used his superior male strength to overpower her, victory would be certain. But that would defeat the purpose of a swordsmanship spar.

So far, the system had only rewarded him with abilities. It hadn't yet offered anything related to combat experience.

Thanks to his excellent reflexes, Nebula Kotetsu managed to hold out for a while. After some time, he felt Yugao's strength and speed gradually waning.

Realizing she was beginning to tire, his eyes lit up, and he was about to seize the chance to counterattack when Yugao suddenly leaped backward.

"All right, all right."

"Upperclassman Nebula, you really were planning to hit me hard, weren't you?"

Nebula Kotetsu said, "Come on, I'm the one who's been getting hit this whole time, aren't I?"

Yugao lowered her bamboo sword and clasped her hands together, looking a little embarrassed. "Sorry, upperclassman. I didn't expect you to have such good reflexes. I got carried away attacking and forgot about everything else."

Nebula Kotetsu said, "Then let's keep going."

"I need to get you back."

Yugao narrowed her eyes with a smile, dropped her bamboo sword, and came right up to Nebula Kotetsu. "Don't, upperclassman."

"You're so strong. What if you hurt me?"

"How about I make it up to you another way?"

Nebula Kotetsu leaned back in a tactical retreat.

"No need."

"I just want to hit you back."

"What's the point of hitting me back?" Yugao said.

"How about I be your girlfriend?"

"If I'm your girlfriend, maybe I'll let you get even?"

Nebula Kotetsu shook his head.

He admitted that for a fleeting moment, he'd pictured Yugao's proposal in his mind.

But it had only lasted a moment.

He didn't need that.

"Yugao."

"Let's not talk about this. We should just focus on our swordsmanship spar."

"I'm really interested in swordsmanship. How about I set aside time to spar with you whenever I'm free from now on?"

How about it? Yugao didn't think much of the idea.

Nebula Kotetsu's refusal made her a little unhappy, so she voiced the question on her mind.

"Upperclassman Nebula, why won't you let me be your girlfriend?"

"This is a little embarrassing to ask, but... from what I've heard, you don't usually turn down girls who pursue you, do you?"

"Why not me?"

After seeing Nebula Kotetsu's true face, Yugao had gone into hunting mode, of course she wasn't going to go in unprepared.

She'd also infiltrated the girls' gossip circles and gathered plenty of information about Nebula Kotetsu.

The usual talk about the Hand of God and his peerless looks aside, there was plenty of useful information, too.

For example, according to the experience of those who'd come before her, as long as a girl's looks were above average, Nebula Kotetsu would basically never turn down her confession. The catch was that she'd have to put up with his two-digit number of girlfriends and the gossiping classmates.

Yugao wasn't being conceited. From childhood on, judging by both her own opinion and the reactions of her classmates and strangers, she knew perfectly well she wasn't ugly.

In any class, she was among the best-looking girls.

So she'd come with confidence. She hadn't expected Nebula Kotetsu to turn her down!

How unfair!

Nebula Kotetsu looked a little embarrassed by Yugao's question.

He really had been greedy before.

But things had changed, and he couldn't explain the reasons very clearly.

After thinking it over, he said, "Yugao."

"I'm not looking to take on a new girlfriend right now. I'm sorry, but we met at the wrong time."

"If only you'd appeared sooner."

Yugao's mouth twitched at his explanation.

What a heartless thing to say.

If he weren't at least a little good-looking, she'd have turned around and walked away.

But then again, who could blame her when he was so good-looking?

She said, "Why?"

"Since you already have so many girlfriends, what difference would one more make?"

Nebula Kotetsu said, "I'm sorry."

"I really don't have the energy."

"You know that once I become a Genin, I'll only get busier. My current girlfriends already fill up all my time and my heart. I just don't have the strength to love anyone else."

Yugao gave him a skeptical look.

"Your time and heart are all filled up?"

"Then who was that person lying in a lounge chair and sunbathing when I came over just now?"

Nebula Kotetsu said nothing.

Yugao pressed further, moving right up to him and staring into his eyes from close range.

"Could it be... that I didn't bring Hayate along?"

Nebula Kotetsu's eyes widened.

"What are you talking about!?"

But Yugao looked as if she'd seen right through him.

She gave a soft snort. "Don't think I don't know."

"Actually... I saw through you a long time ago!"

"Yesterday, when I invited you to spar with me during the day, you turned me down without hesitation. And then what happened?"

"The moment Hayate showed up, you changed your mind."

"If Hayate were here, would you have agreed to be my boyfriend?"

Nebula Kotetsu's expression darkened. "Don't make things up."

"How can you just accuse me out of nowhere?"

Yugao smiled.

"Upperclassman Nebula, that's not all I know."

"I also know that every so often over the past two years, boys have surrounded you, saying they were going to beat you to death because you stole their girlfriends."

"Do you specifically go after girls who already have boyfriends or admirers?"

Nebula Kotetsu's expression darkened even further.

"That's a coincidence! A coincidence!"

He wasn't lying. It really was a coincidence.

It was a matter of numbers. Since he was still in school and needed to complete the system's 99 missions, the school was obviously his main target.

And he had standards for looks, too.

Think about it: most of the girls at school who met his standards had some sort of connection with him. So many good-looking girls were bound to have plenty of admirers and supporters.

The only reason he'd been surrounded without getting killed was his own alertness and quick thinking, along with the protection of his late father's spirit.

"All right." Yugao's tone grew firmer. "Even so, I believe you when you say it's all coincidence."

"But what about Anko!?"

"Anko likes you, too! She has for a long time!"

"And Anko's really pretty!"

"Why won't you say yes to her?"

Nebula Kotetsu was still thinking of how to answer when Yugao answered for him.

A flash of insight gleamed in Yugao's eyes. "Is it because Anko's so brash and hotheaded, like a tomboy, that no one in her class pursues her?"

"Because no one's after her, you didn't agree?"

She stared straight into Nebula Kotetsu's eyes. "Because... if no one else wants something, you don't want it either!"

"Am I right?"