"Kurumi-chan! Let's watch TV!" Asuna called with a bright smile, bringing out the food she had cooked—a stew made from rabbit meat. But this wasn't just any rabbit; it was an S-rank ingredient. Kurumi had simply called it a rabbit because she couldn't identify its actual species.
"I thought Asuna would make a full-course meal, but there's only one dish," Kurumi said with a faint shake of her head, pretending to look disappointed—as if her expectations had been too high.
"How could we possibly eat that much? Besides, normal families don't eat feasts every day," Asuna said cheerfully, setting the stew on the table and handing Kurumi a pair of chopsticks.
"Ah, switching straight into thrifty housewife mode," Kurumi teased, taking the chopsticks in both hands.
"Mhm, we can't waste food," Asuna said earnestly, nodding as she served Kurumi some rice. This was their own private world—a domestic routine where everything had to be done by hand.
"Heh, the next line's going to be 'Farmers work hard to grow rice, so we must finish every grain,' right?" Kurumi joked, waving her chopsticks before picking up a piece of rabbit meat and placing it in her mouth. She closed her eyes, savoring the flavor.
"So good! Ten times better than Inori Yuzuriha's cooking. Wait—why am I even thinking of Inori? Focus, Kurumi. Today, I'm only allowed to think about Asuna." Opening her eyes again, Kurumi smiled brightly. "This is the most delicious meal I've ever eaten."
"Thank you!" Asuna pressed her palms together in delight, her smile radiant.
"Thank you for the meal," Kurumi said after enjoying the food thoroughly.
"Simple but satisfying," Asuna replied happily. The mutual respect between them was warm—just like that of a loving couple.
Setting down her chopsticks, Kurumi's smile faded into a serious expression. She looked straight at Asuna and said, "Asuna, what would you do if Kimi and I were not the same person?"
With a calm smile, Asuna shook her head lightly. "You're the same person."
"No, we're not," Kurumi said as she waved her hand. In an instant, Kimi appeared, separated from her.
Kimi folded her arms, a brilliant smile lighting up her face as she greeted Asuna. "You foolish little sister."
(Inside, Kimi was thinking: My divine one, I'll separate you from that foolish girl and fix your twisted view of love.)
Her expression unchanged, Asuna stood from her seat, walked over to Kurumi, and sat directly in her lap. Wrapping her arms around Kurumi's neck, she said softly, "This is my Kurumi-chan."
Kimi froze instantly. Wait, this isn't how the script's supposed to go! Shouldn't Asuna be panicking and abandoning my divine one right now?!
"How can you tell the difference? That one is the original Kimi," Kurumi said, astonished as Asuna smiled sweetly at her.
"That Kimi isn't my Kimi-nee. The smile might look the same, but my Kimi-nee's smile is more restrained—willful, but not wild," Asuna said, rubbing her cheek affectionately against Kurumi's. Her face glowed with joy.
The real Kimi showed a faint, regretful smile. "I can't break up my foolish sister and my divine one anymore. There's no room left for me between them."
"But we're two different people!" Kurumi pouted, disappearing from beneath Asuna and reappearing beside Kimi. With a flick of her hand, she set her system appearance to match Kimi's perfectly. Both began twirling strands of their light-brown hair around their fingers.
"No, you're one person." Asuna smiled softly, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Kurumi's arm.
"Even though you both look the same, the way that Kimi-nee twirls her hair shows joy—like she's pleasing herself. But my Kimi-nee's gesture is softer, gentler—like she's trying to charm someone. Isn't that right, Kurumi-chan? You're one and the same." Asuna's face glowed with happiness as she spoke.
"Ugh! Let's see you tell me apart now!" Kurumi huffed angrily. With a wave of her hand, both Kimi and Kurumi vanished. In their place, the small cabin filled with dozens of NPCs—all identical copies of Kurumi and Kimi.
"I don't believe you can still find me now," all the Kurumis and Kimis said at once, smiling in unison.
"Kurumi-chan, why are we playing hide-and-seek?" Asuna said, pressing her palms to her cheeks in mild confusion.
Everyone fell silent. Even Kurumi realized the difference between an NPC and a real person. She decided to stay quiet—to see what Asuna would do next.
"Well, fine then. Is there a reward for finding Kurumi-chan?" The confusion vanished quickly, replaced by Asuna's bright smile as she began searching. "I don't really understand why Kurumi-chan clings so tightly to names and appearances. Does it matter whether you're Kimi or Kurumi Tokisaki?" She reached out, poking one of the duplicates with her finger. "Not this one."
"I've loved Kurumi-chan for a long time—ever since the very beginning of the game. So I know that, whether you're Kurumi or Kimi, the one who's always been with us has only ever been one person." She sniffed gently near another copy. "Not you, either."
"It doesn't matter what name you go by or what face you wear. The Kurumi-chan who's always been by my side—the one I know so well—can't be mistaken. Maybe to you, all of them seem the same. But to me, each one is completely different." Glancing briefly at another duplicate, Asuna passed by it without hesitation. None of them were her.
"Mhm. I don't know who you are, but you're not her—not the Kimi-nee and Kurumi-chan who have always been with me," Asuna said softly, glancing once at Kimi before walking straight through the crowd.
"There you are—my Kurumi-chan." Asuna placed both hands on the kitchen doorway and leaned in, her small head peeking into the kitchen. There, crouched against the wall, was Kurumi. Her face lit up with a joyful smile.
Yes, there were no Kurumi clones in the living room—only Kimi. The real Kurumi had hidden herself in the kitchen, crouched quietly in the corner.
"My Kurumi-chan, why are you hiding?" Asuna knelt in front of her, wrapping the crouching Kurumi gently in her arms.
"Asuna... how did you find me?" Though dressed in her alluring crimson dress, Kurumi looked more like a frightened little animal crouched there. The sight filled Asuna with tenderness.
"Hehe~ I know Kurumi-chan too well. Just one look into your eyes, and I can tell." Asuna's lips curved into a small, triumphant smile.
"You're lying. Even I can't tell the difference," Kurumi muttered gloomily.
Asuna's smile softened. She took Kurumi's hand and pressed it gently against her chest, speaking with a radiant, loving smile. "Kurumi-chan, I've loved you for eleven months. My heart has long since synchronized with yours. Names and appearances—Kimi, Kurumi Tokisaki—none of that can hide you from me. Even if you became someone else entirely, I'd still recognize you in an instant."
As she gently caressed Kurumi's back, Asuna's voice grew softer. "Because my heart, my soul, only beats for the Kurumi-chan who's always been by my side. So I know—from beginning to end, the Kurumi-chan with me has always been one and the same."
"But... my heart doesn't resonate the same way with you, Asuna. If you were gone, I don't think I could find you," Kurumi said quietly, her tone tinged with melancholy. Her feelings were genuine—but nowhere near as deep as the love Asuna felt.