Tsutsukakushi Tsukushi/Story

==Childhood==
Ever since she was young, Tsukushi has loved and cared for her younger sister, Tsukiko.
Until the age of three, Tsukushi and Tsukiko would always spend time together with their mother, Tsukasa. After the death of their father and a typhoon in Japan, the two siblings were sent to Italy by their grandparents, leaving their mother in Japan. Years later, they returned to Japan to have a meeting with their mother at a hotel, however, Tsukasa failed to show up. Immediately, the siblings personally visited their old mansion and met the two versions of Youto, the young and the old. Tsukushi immediately demanded to hand over their mother to her as she proclaims her distaste of their mother's absence. Suddenly, Tsukushi began throwing pebbles at the Youtos and one these pebbles strikes Tsukasa, resulting in her head bleeding. Before Tsukasa can approach her daughter, Tsukushi harshly runs off.
The following day, as Tsukushi and Tsukiko were about to leave the hotel they were staying in, the older Youto appeared before them and persuaded Tsukushi to come and visit their mother once again and she reluctantly agreed. Arriving at the mansion, Youto dresses the siblings with the clothes made by their mother by hand and tells them that Tsukasa had always hoped to see her daughters once again. Knowing this, Tsukushi and Tsukiko immediately appear before their ill mother. Tsukushi laments on wanting to have memories with her mother. The younger Youto criticizes Tsukushi's personality but nonetheless, offers to her his precious memories with Tsukasa for their sake by wishing to the Cat God, leaving the current Youto forgetful of the past memories he had with Tsukasa and Emi as both the old Youto and Tsukiko returned to their respective time.
Due to her rapidly declining health, Tsukasa believed in a "curse" in her bloodline as a coping mechanism, which would manifest in Tsukushi due to an inadvertent wish made as an expression of love for her mother, remaining undetected until it resurfaces many years later. After Tsukasa eventually passes away, Tsukushi is left alone to take care of her younger sister while still carrying the precious memories she had with her mother that Youto once possessed. Meanwhile, Tsukushi continues to love Tsukiko as she constanly took pictures of her in secret.
At one point, Tsukushi prayed to the Cat God into making amends with Tsukiko after she and the latter got into an argument. The Cat God granted her wish by giving her tools into making the infamous Stony Cat, which Tsukushi used as an apology gift for Tsukiko.
==Beginning of the Story==
In high school, Tsukushi becomes the president of the track-and-field club. She runs the club with unwavering discipline, earning her the nickname "Steel King."
Around this time, Tsukushi's affection for her younger sister also reaches an all-time high, leading her to develop romantic feelings and a desire to marry her. Determined to act on these feelings, Tsukushi devises a plan to study in Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage is legal. In an attempt to distance herself and sever their sisterly bond, Tsukushi unknowingly causes Tsukiko significant distress.
One of the members of the club is Yokodera Youto, who signed up for the club with the ulterior motive of peeking into the girls' swimming club through a small hole on the wall. However, Tsukushi misinterprets his consistent attendance and effort as signs of dedication, and unexpectedly appoints him as her successor to lead the club. 
Though unwilling, the need to maintain his facade forces Youto to accept the role. The incident makes Youto realize the inconvenience of his facade, leading him meet Tsutsukakushi Tsukiko at a Stony Cat statue rumored to have the power of removing an unwanted trait. Youto wishes away his facade, while Tsukiko, believing that the growing distance between herself and Tsukushi is due to her overly expressive emotions, wishes her expressions away. However, these wishes would have unexpected consequences, as Youto finds himself blurting out anything on his mind, and Tsukiko loses the ability to express emotions entirely.
The next day, Tsukushi notices Youto's absense during morning practice, immediately scolding him upon finding him. Having relinquished his facade via his wish to the Stony Cat, Youto blurts out inappropriate comments about the her sportswear. However, she assumes Youto's behavior is due to overwork and gives him a temporary break from club activities.
Some time later, Tsukushi visits the local game center in order to maintain discipline among her track-and-field club members. She unexpectedly finds Youto along with Tsukiko. When she asks her why she's here, she nonchalantly replies that it's for a "date." Believing that the date is with Youto, she convinces herself that the date is necessary for Youto's "medical treatment," but is still unable to accept her younger sister being picked as his partner. Youto's attempts to explain only deepen misunderstandings, and in a desperate move, Youto grabs Tsukiko and flees.
Some time later at school, Youto finds Tsukushi to inform her of his decision not to become the next club president. Still holding a grudge, Tsukushi once again confronts Youto about the "date," forcing him to make up a hasty excuse that he has an evil younger twin, which the dense Tsukushi believes. However, Youto, having learned about Tsukiko's strained relationship with Tsukushi, also confronts her about their tension. Tsukushi brushes him off, insisting that it is a private family matter. When Youto claims that Tsukiko has lost her expressions due to the Stony Cat, she attributes her change to natural maturity and denies the existence of any supernatural powers, as she was the one who created it as a child to mend a fight with Tsukiko.
Determined to protect Tsukiko, Youto challenges Tsukushi to meet him at the hill with the Stony Cat for a symbolic showdown over Tsukiko's future. There, Youto Youto kneels before the Stony Cat and wishes for the removal of his shame, embarrassment, and restraint to confront Tsukushi without hesitation. The Stony Cat grants his wish by symbolically taking his underwear as an offering, leaving Youto feeling liberated from shame.
Youto, now unrestrained, vows to take on the role of Tsukiko's older sibling and fight to restore her emotions, claiming Tsukushi is unfit for the position because of her cold and oppressive behavior. Tsukushi dismisses Youto's declarations, questioning his logic and daring him to prove his resolve. She boasts about her close relationship with Tsukiko, sharing personal memories from her childhood. As the argument intensifies, Tsukushi admits she loves Tsukiko more than anyone else, shocking Youto.
Tsukiko emerges, having overheard the entire confrontation. She chastises both Youto and Tsukushi for their actions and demands an explanation. When pressed by Tsukiko, Tsukushi hesitantly admits that she tried to sever ties with Tsukiko and planned to study in Massachusetts to bring their relationship to the next stage — marry Tsukiko in a place where same-sex marriage is legal, and live together with her forever.
Changing her mind about the Stony Cat's powers, Tsukushi threatens it into returning Tsukiko's emotions in the form of the meat bun that she lost the night she made the wish. Tsukiko, realizing that the meat bun contains her emotions, instead offers it to the Steel King despite Youto's attempts to stop her — Tsukiko, believing that her older sister is in fact a really kind person who struggles with expressing herself, has decided to give up her expressions for good and offer them to her sister instead.
==Rivalry Against the "Evil Twin"==
Over summer break, Tsukushi finds her younger sister spending more and more time with who she thought was Youto's evil twin.
One day, Youto arrives home to discover that his house has disappeared. He turns to Tsukiko for help, and she invites him to stay at the Tsutsukakushi household, even allowing him to use their bath. Misinterpreting her intentions, Youto assumes Tsukiko wants to bathe with him and waits in the bath for several hours, but she never shows up. Later, Tsukushi returns home. As Tsukiko tries to stop her from entering the bathroom, Youto overhears their argument and bursts out of the bath naked, attempting to rescue Tsukiko. Having no shame, he doesn't really react when Tsukiko and Tsukushi see him in this state.
Outraged, Tsukushi confines who she thought was Youto's evil twin in a futon, and promises him many different methods of torture, but soon falls asleep. She starts talking in her sleep, revealing that she is terribly afraid of losing Tsukiko, her only living family member, and becoming all alone.
The next day at school, Tsukushi meets with who she believes is the good, older Yokodera, beginning to plan an assassination of his evil twin. Youto, though obviously against this plan, has no choice but to agree to aid her.
When she arrives home later, she finds Youto together with Tsukiko in the family storehouse, identifying Youto as the evil twin. Youto scrambles to escape, resorting to diving into a closet as a desperate attempt to avoid her wrath. To stall for time, Youto claims the closet has "special abilities" and can transport him to another dimension. Exiting the closet, he manages to avoid death by apologizing for his younger brother, marking himself as the good Yokodera.
However, Tsukushi suspects him based on the sports jersey he is wearing. Youto looks at Tsukiko, attempting to signal her for help, but his expectant gaze draws even more suspicion from Tsukushi. Fortunately, he manages to win her over by praising Tsukiko's cuteness. 
They go to her room to converse about the evil twin assassination plan. There, Tsukushi reveals the depth of her affection and protectiveness for Tsukiko, shaped by their shared loss of their parents during childhood. She explains that, despite her efforts, she could never fully replace their parents for Tsukiko, and confesses her fear of separation and abandonment.
Tsukushi introduces Youto to a hidden mezzanine floor above her room, which houses Tsukushi's private collection of videos, photos, and records documenting Tsukiko's life, including her childhood moments and even embarrassing situations like toilet use. She explains her obsessive documentation as a way of preserving Tsukiko's "cuteness" for posterity, claiming it's an expression of love.
Tsukushi admits she feels her love for Tsukiko might be "too heavy" and acknowledges her fear that she might be smothering her sister. Youto attempts to console her, offering words of understanding and encouragement. Although his response is surface-level, it succeeds in temporarily lifting Tsukushi's spirits. 
Returning to their original topic, she declares that the assassination of Youto's twin must proceed without delay, elaborating on increasingly violent methods. Yokodera suggests that killing the evil twin outright will only make her a martyr in Tsukiko's eyes, and she will never marry the Steel King. Instead, he proposes the idea of making Tsukiko hate the evil twin instead. For that, Yokodera suggests Tsukushi to seduce the evil twin and steal him away from Tsukiko.
Later, while a storm outside the household intensifies, they are unexpectedly joined by Azuki Azusa, who was transported here from a vacation due to an inadvertent wish by Youto. The group, including Azusa and Tsukushi, gathers for dinner in the banquet hall. Tsukushi, executing her plan and believing Youto to be his evil twin, begins to exhibit unusually affectionate and flirtatious behavior toward Youto, prompting Azusa's jealousy. Azusa, initially quiet, reaches her breaking point as Tsukushi feeds Youto directly. She slams her chopsticks on the table, accusing Tsukushi of unfairly monopolizing Youto's attention. Her anger leads to a fierce verbal confrontation with Tsukushi, with both girls competing for dominance in the situation.
Under pressure, Azusa blurts out that Youto is her "private pet." Though clearly a desperate attempt to assert her connection to him, the declaration embarrasses both her and Youto. Azusa doubles down, claiming her bond with Youto involves "discipline" and a list of commands he obediently follows. Her antics amuse Youto but frustrate Tsukushi, who struggles to maintain her composure. In response, Tsukushi ups the ante by offering Youto almond gelatin, daring him to lick it off her hand. Azusa reacts with equal fervor, pulling Youto towards her and commanding him to obey her instead, creating a tug-of-war over his allegiance until Tsukiko eventually steps in.
At night, Tsukushi looks for the younger Yokodera in the storehouse intending to seduce him again. She employs awkward, clumsy tactics inspired by a magazine and incomplete health education, but when this fails miserably, she breaks down, admitting her deep-seated fears of losing Tsukiko to others. Feeling powerless as she's about to lose Tsukiko to the younger Yokodera, she states she would rather the world be destroyed than endure more loss or abandonment.
Her desperate words are interpreted as a wish by the Cat God. The walls and roof of the storehouse crack and crumble as the typhoon's force intensifies, amplified by the Stony Cat's power. Furniture, tiles, and structural beams fall around them, creating a scene of utter destruction. Youto protects Tsukushi from falling debris, which she misinterprets as him falling for her charm, causing the apocalypse to stop.
The typhoon outside continues to worsen, even breaking the storm shutters and flooding the house. Youto would later realize that the typhoon is caused by a supernatural force, eventually deducing its root cause, being Tsukiko's fear of separation. Despite holding a grudge against Tsukushi, Azusa is asked to distract her while Youto confronts Tsukiko, eventually stopping the typhoon.
Promising Tsukiko a visit to his house together with everyone, Youto decides that it's time to clear a misunderstanding that Tsukushi has — that he has a younger brother. However, when shown his family register, Tsukushi completely misunderstands the situation, believing Youto to be the younger brother who has been rejected by his family. Determined to help the younger Yokodera and give him a family, Tsukushi promises to marry him, and dramatically kisses Youto on the cheek. Just arriving, Azusa is shocked to witnesses the scene.
==Italian School Incident==
Some time later, as the result of the Cat God's mischievous plots, Youto encounters Emi, whose wishes transform their school into an Italian wonderland and causes all students to change into swimsuits and worship Youto as a prince.
While Tsukiko believes that these transformations were the result of Youto's wishes, Tsukushi believes otherwise, because she knows all of the buildings by name, having studied Italy for a while. Instead, she suspects that they were the result of a subconscious wish by her.
The next day, Tsukushi unexpectedly learns that she has been accepted as a transfer student to Italy. Later, during a confrontation with the Cat God, who is possessing Azuki Azusa, Youto discovers the truth: while Emi’s wish was responsible for part of the school's transformation, another part was tied to a childhood wish of his. As a child, Youto had wished for Tsukushi to go to Italy when she grew up, but his memory sacrifice would rid him of any recollection.
It presents Youto with a difficult choice: If he cancels the wish, Emi, whom Youto now treasures as a friend, will be returned to Italy. If he doesn't cancel the wish, Tsukushi will be sent to Italy instead. Ultimately, Youto manages to resolve the dilemma by subduing the Cat God with a dramatic kiss after canceling the wish. In doing so, he ensures both Emi and Tsukushi can remain in Japan.
=="Nonexistent" Memories==
Over the next period of time, Tsukushi and Tsukiko's grandparents begin pressuring them to move to Italy, citing their supposed Italian heritage, even purchasing them two one-way plane tickets to Rome.
After learning about this, Youto steps in. Though Tsukushi initially insists that the matter is a private family issue and that outsiders should not interfere, Youto convinces her to let her in by pretending to be his evil twin, citing their earlier promise to be family and insisting that he needs to hear their family member's struggles.
When told about the ongoing issue about their grandparents, Youto asks which side said grandparents are from. Tsukushi answers wrongly that they're from their mother's side, but is corrected by Tsukiko. However, when questioned whether it's okay for her to forget her bloodline like this, she explains that it was on purpose — she considered her family to only be their late parents and Tsukiko, and she chased out of her mind anyone not in this house and could not grant them warmth.
Tsukushi speaks passionately about the importance of the house, reminiscing about childhood moments like her mother carving height markings into the veranda and praising her growth. She admits to calling her grandparents to decline their request but reveals that the conversation took an unsettling turn. Her grandparents disputed her memories, claiming that the sisters lived in Italy during their early childhood, a claim Tsukushi finds impossible to believe.
Instead, she came across a photo of a young boy who resembled Youto. She recalls telling him during the school sports festival that he reminded her of an old friend, and now she is certain it was him. She describes feeling an inexplicable sense of nostalgia and emotional significance tied to the image, as if it represented something important she had long forgotten.
Tsukushi questions Youto whether he remembers anything about their past, but Youto can no longer trust his own memory after the Emi incident. Tsukiko also expresses interest in learning more, believing that there would be a high chance that Youto had met her as well, since she was always with her sister. Thus, they decide to continue searching for photos, but still make no significant discovery in the end.
Later, Youto and Tsukiko take a break to shop for dinner. On their way however, they are confronted by the Stony Cat, who transports them ten years into the past. Tsukiko sees this as an opportunity to confirm the truth about her past, including her connection to Youto and her estranged mother, Tsukasa. The pair soon encounter Tsukasa, who is far from the warm maternal figure Tsukiko envisioned, instead appearing as a disheveled and self-deprecating woman haunted by guilt over her inability to stay with her children during a turbulent period in her life. Instead of her daughters, the person who lived with Tsukasa was a six-year-old Yokodera Youto.
When a seven-year-old Tsukushi visits Tsukasa after returning from Italy, the younger Youto takes matters into his own hands, wishing to transfer his cherished memories with Tsukasa to the younger Tsukushi so she can have the bond she longs for with her mother. The mysterious power of the cat god facilitates this wish, erasing the boy's memories of Tsukasa and dooming him to forget important people in the future as a consequence. Realizing the extent of past Youto's sacrifice and learning the truth behind Tsukushi's memories, Tsukiko tries to stop the process, but Youto intervenes, wishing to preserve the determination that his past self carried.
Tsukushi on the other hand, continues searching the house for evidences of her memories, finding a hedgehog costume, previously worn by their mother. Despite everything, she comes to believe that the "four of them" lived as family, including Youto. She decides to call their grandparents again to talk things out, ready to try as many times as it takes to get their feelings across.
==The "Curse" Resurfaces==
Tsukushi's university entrance exams are fast approaching. Despite Tsukiko and Youto's best efforts to tutor her, Tsukushi continues to struggle significantly with academics.
At one point, Youto, influenced by the manipulations of Emi's father and awakening to his inner "hero" persona, boldly proposes marriage to Tsukushi. His aim is to free her from the stress of her exams and secure happiness for both Tsukushi and her sister, Tsukiko. However, Tsukushi misidentifies this version of Youto as his younger brother and decides to postpone her answer until she receives the older Yokodera's approval.
Around this time, Tsukushi begins to experience a noticeable decline in her health, marked by severe coughing fits. Believing that she is affected by a "curse" associated with the Cat God's bloodline and aware that her time is running out, Tsukushi resolves to end the curse of the bloodline by herself and make the most of the time she has left.
Some time later, the world becomes trapped in a mysterious time loop. The details of the true original timeline are unclear, as the story skips directly to the first loop. It is only known that Youto, embracing his desire to save anyone in need no matter the cost, sacrifices his remaining lifespan to the Cat God to save Tsukushi's life. Though his sacrifice succeeds in erasing the "curse," his death would send Tsukiko into despair before the time loop is initiated. Tsukiko would be the only one to retain her memories across loops thanks to the notes she kept, due to a subconscious wish to remember everything in Youto's stead after previously discovering the true reason behind Youto's bad memories.
In the first time loop, Tsukushi is sent off to her university entrance exams by Youto and Emi. She attends the morning session but, feeling unwell, skips the afternoon exams and sneaks home early. At home, she is joined by Youto and Azusa, and she proposes an outing to the skating rink. Tsukiko steps forward to suggest going on Saturday due to discounted prices. At the rink, Tsukushi helps a group of lost children reunite with their parents, but she overexerts herself in the process and collapses. Later, the Cat God confronts Youto and reveals the truth about Tsukushi's terminal illness, prompting Youto to sacrifice his life once again in an attempt to save her.
In the third loop, Tsukushi once again proposes the outing. This time, Tsukiko proposes going on Sunday morning instead, when there are less children around. At the skating rink, Tsukiko takes it upon herself to help any lost children, and convinces Tsukushi to go home early before she overexerts herself. After a peaceful week, Azusa invites them to participate in a bridal photoshoot at a church for her mother's magazine, with Tsukushi as bride and Youto as groom. 
As Tsukushi dons the wedding dress, she reflects on memories of her late mother, who adored wedding dresses but never had a formal ceremony. She confides in Youto, expressing her wish to live a long life surrounded by family, despite knowing that it is impossible. However, before the photoshoot can begin, Tsukushi collapses once again and is rushed to the hospital. This time, Tsukiko reveals the truth of the loop to Youto and desperately pleads to him to not repeat the same tragedy. Despite her efforts, Youto's nature proves difficult to change, and the time loop ends in heartbreak once more.
Tsukiko becomes increasingly disheartened by Youto's stubbornness as the time loop continues to repeat, each cycle ending in tragedy. In the 8th loop, Tsukiko calls an ambulance early during Tsukushi's exams, preventing her from sneaking home. Visited by Youto at the hospital, she admits that she wanted to end the curse of the bloodline with her generation, by living and dying as herself, free from the legacy of the Cat God. When Youto asks why she didn't tell anyone, she simply answers, "Because I am an Onee-san after all!"
With Emi’s help, Youto comes to a realization: he and Tsukushi are alike in their shared desire to shoulder all responsibilities alone. Placed in the same position as Tsukiko, Youto finally begins to understand her struggles and the errors of his own ways. Though Tsukiko has grown distant from him due to his repeated sacrifices, Youto conveys his feelings by having Emi deliver her a letter.
In the loops that follow, the two of them eventually reconcile. Combining their efforts, they eventually come to learn that Emi's father is the one responsible for the time loop — having received something precious from the Cat God via the Tsutsukakushi family at one point, he feels deeply indebted and has taken it upon himself to ensure the happiness of the bloodline. By previously drawing out Youto's inner desire to become a hero, he ensured that Youto would sacrifice his life for Tsukushi's sake. However, each time Youto dies, Tsukiko falls into despair, prompting him to reset everything and try again by wishing to the Cat God, repeating the cycle endlessly in pursuit of the best possible future.
Working together, Youto and Tsukiko come up with a plan to counter Emi's father. When they finish the necessary preparations, they have entered the 99th loop. After confronting Emi's father, they succeed in breaking the loop by returning to the past once more, intending to rid the lineage of the "curse" from its root.
==New Timeline==
This time, instead of traveling to the past in their current forms, Youto and Tsukiko regress in age, taking the places of their younger selves in the Tsutsukakushi household. Fearing the butterfly effect, Tsukiko decides to act appropriate for her age, pretending to struggle with words while she observes Youto. As part of her plan to reform her older sister, she also makes the seven-year-old Tsukushi read advanced books to her at bedtime, such as Great Learning and Doctrine of the Mean.
Youto on the other hand, immerses himself into the role of a six-year-old, excited for the myriad of possibilities this new world presents. By chance, he encounters the separated childhood friends, Azuki Azusa and Maimaki Mai, and manages to reunite them. Tsukushi, though initially pretending to be disinterested, is secretly thrilled to play with others her age and eventually becomes part of their friend group.
Youto and Tsukiko eventually reveal the truth of their time travel to Tsukasa. Later, they confront the Cat God of this timeline about the "curse" at the storehouse. The Cat God reveals herself as an ancestral spirit of the Tsutsukakushi family, stating her role is limited to granting wishes by balancing gains and losses. She denies responsibility for any curse, explaining that if one exists, it would stem from someone's wish, not her actions.
This revelation leaves Youto and Tsukiko questioning the true nature of the supposed curse and the validity of their assumptions. Eventually, they are forced to confront Tsukasa herself, concluding that her belief in the curse must have stemmed from her own wish. Tsukasa, instead of being angry, feels relieved that the curse might not exist. Yet, her composure crumbles as she confesses her despair over her limited time and her wish to see her daughters grow. The belief in a curse, she admits, was her coping mechanism for her deteriorating health.
Tsukushi returns to find Tsukasa in tears, misinterpreting the situation as Youto bullying her mother, prompting her to interrupt with her usual boisterous antics. Expressing her unreserved love for her mother, she says, "Mother and I are always together. I will walk on while holding her hand, grow as I watch her back, and sleep next to her — Until eventually I die just like her." With this, they have witnessed the true birth of the curse.
Though briefly shaken by the realization, Tsukasa reassures Tsukushi, urging her to live a long life, share her burdens with loved ones, and cancel "all things drawn to her unjustly." Tsukiko tries to suggest wishing to the Cat God to grant Tsukasa a healthy body. However, she is unwilling to accept such a method. She insists that as long as her children live strong, she will continue to live on in their hearts, and she is satisfied. With her young body still possessing expressions, Tsukiko begins to tear up, soon mirrored by Tsukushi. Tsukasa pulls the both of them into an embrace, before inviting Youto to join them as well.
Tsukasa then addresses a misunderstanding that he has carried for his entire life — he wasn't cast aside by his parents. Instead, she had summoned him to her home out of a desperate desire for a family. She expresses satisfaction in the long, happy dream that she lived as a result, and erases her wish, promising to return Youto to the place he belongs, to be raised by loving parents and grow up happy.
Due to both wishes being cancelled, particularly the second one, Youto grows distant from Tsukushi and the rest of his acquaintances as he becomes busier with his own family, while Tsukushi's bond with Mai, Tsukiko, and Azusa remains strong. Despite Tsukiko's efforts to guide the astute young Tsukushi on the right path, Mai's influence eventually leads Tsukushi to revert to her old clumsy self. In high school, she once again becomes the president of the track-and-field club. It is also around this time that Tsukiko, guided by her "Yokodera-kun Notes," helps Youto rekindle his relationship with his old friends, including Tsukushi.
Renowned as the "Steel King" for her leadership, Tsukushi secretly yearns for a life beyond her regal image. Inspired by childhood memories of her mother in a wedding dress, she dreams of marriage and femininity, a desire that shocks those around her. Seeking freedom to rediscover herself, Tsukushi Tsukushi seeks Tsukiko's permission for three days of freedom to focus on becoming more "womanly." Confident in her ability to transform, she even humorously invites Maimaki Mai as a "hostage" to ensure accountability.
The next day, Tsukushi sets out for Narita Airport with the vague intention of learning more about femininity by observing flight attendants. However, though Tsukiko has other plans in mind. Tsukiko traps Youto in a bag and sends him along as Tsukushi's unwitting companion, sending the two to Greece.
Despite her initial confusion, Tsukushi starts to embrace the adventure. In Santorini, Youto surprises her with a wedding photoshoot, where she wears a bridal gown and experiences a fleeting moment of joy as locals cheer them on. Returning to Athens, Tsukushi visits the first Olympic stadium, overwhelmed by the conflict between her two identities. When she instinctively runs to the finish line, she finds Tsukiko waiting with open arms. She suggests an extended stay, but banishes Youto back to Japan.
Tsukushi reflects on the enjoyable trip. She calls out to the distant Youto to show the photos to everyone when he gets back, asserting they'll all see that the "Steel King" no longer exists. However, Youto shouts back, telling Tsukushi that she's always been cute.
By the end of the story, Tsukushi is seen living together with Tsukiko and Youto in their new rented apartment, indulging in her newfound hobby of gaming. Having been raised without any form of exposure to video game entertainment, she grows unhealthily obsessed, though Mai remains a steady presence, keeping Tsukushi's habits in check.
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