I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Second Battle

Teachers' office.

"Are you going to the Service Department for lunch?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka put down her comic book and looked at him with surprise.

Just then, the timer on her instant noodles went off. She picked up her chopsticks and casually replied, "Sure, the key's over there. Remember to lock the door when you leave."

"Thank you, teacher."

Yuu's gaze swept across the desk, and he quickly spotted the key to the "Service Club," though it still had a "Spare" label on it.

Noticing the doubt in his eyes, Hiratsuka Shizuka explained while blowing on the steaming noodles, "I originally gave that to Yukinoshita for safekeeping."

Tenkuji Yu frowned, revealing a slightly annoyed expression.

Is she in the Service Department now?

Women can hold grudges. He treated Yukino Yukinoshita so badly last week, so she'll probably just calm down this week, but she definitely won't let bygones be bygones.

Even having lunch means arguing with someone online, as if he's playing a professional game.

"Maybe...slurp."

She ate noodles and drank soup with gusto, then wiped her mouth with a carefree attitude, showing no trace of feminine modesty: "That place is practically Yukinoshita's base. It has good lighting, is in a remote location, and even has a kettle for making tea. If I didn't have any friends, I would choose to have lunch there."

"..."

That makes so much sense that it leaves one speechless.

After all, Yukino Yukinoshita seems to have no friends.

Falling silent, looking at the key in her hand, Tenkuji Yu hesitated.

"What?" The sound of slurping noodles suddenly stopped, and Hiratsuka Shizuka raised an eyebrow at him with amusement.

"Afraid to be alone with a girl? Afraid she'll eat you alive?"

"..."

"Hahaha!" Feeling that she had guessed the answer from his expression, Hiratsuka Shizuka laughed heartily, patted his shoulder, and gave him a thumbs up. "I didn't expect you to be such a good-looking kid, but still a shy little boy at heart! Not bad, not bad, I admire you!"

Tenkuji Yuu let out a long breath and looked at her expressionlessly.

"I don't need your appreciation in this regard. Besides, who's afraid of whom at that point is still unknown."

He put the keys in his pocket and turned to leave when he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Hiratsuka-sensei, do you eat instant noodles very often?"

"Huh?" Hiratsuka Shizuka blinked in confusion, and answered as such for the time being, "I wouldn't say I eat it all the time. I like both ramen and instant noodles, and I usually take turns eating them. If I get tired of them, I'll switch to fried rice."

"I see."

As they reached the door of the teachers' office, before closing it, Yuu Tenkuji smiled and said to Professor Hiratsuka, "According to British research, girls who frequently eat instant noodles not only have worse skin, but they also find it harder to get boyfriends than other women..."

"As expected, there's a reason why the teacher has been single until now."

Hiratsuka Shizu: "..."

Before the Valkyrie's magnetic field could fully activate and obliterate him, Yuu Tenkuji closed the office door, activated his "acceleration" skill, and ran away as fast as he could.

Being petty is not a girl's right. A real man like him can't stand being called a shy little boy.

As for what kind of treatment I will receive afterward...

Haha, if she's so capable, why doesn't she try suffocating me with those 36F breasts!

With his hands in his pockets, Tenkuji Yu transformed into a gentle breeze, nimbly and stylishly weaving through the crowd in the corridor. He didn't even bother to care about the expressions of the students who turned around in surprise after he passed through him, and headed straight for the secluded and quiet teaching building.

Standing under the unmarked class sign, Yuu Tenkuji took out his key, then sighed and stuffed it back into his pocket.

Because it was daytime and there were no windows facing the corridor, it was impossible to tell from the outside whether anyone was in the classroom.

There was a small window in the door, but Yuu Tenkuji was too lazy to try again. He picked up his lunchbox and went straight in.

The door was indeed unlocked.

The next moment, what came into view was...

She was a beautiful black-haired girl sitting by the window, her pink lips slightly open, her movements frozen in surprise, as the panda rice ball on her chopsticks slowly fell back into her bento box.

The two stared at each other with wide eyes, falling into a brief silence.

"..."

"……puff!"

Like seeing something cute, Yuu Tenkuji burst out laughing without any malice.

Ka!

The temperature suddenly dropped, and the girl slowly exerted force with her slender hand, causing the chopsticks to make a mournful sound as if they were about to break. An angry blush quickly rose on her fair face, like paint being splashed on it.

"Sorry to bother you."

Just before the atmosphere turned dangerous, Yuu Tenkuji politely closed the door, maintaining the warmth and tranquility that the corridor should have.

To avoid a complete falling out among the members of the Service Club, Yuu Tenkuji thoughtfully chose not to disturb his companions and went to find another place to eat on his own. He turned to walk downstairs.

She had only taken one step when the door behind her was quietly pulled open.

Yukino Yukinoshita, her blush still fresh but her expression chillingly cold, leaned against the doorframe with one hand and spoke to him in a tone gentler than a soft knife:

"Tenkuji-kun, since you're already here, why are you in such a hurry to leave?"

Tenkuji Yu shrugged: "I don't think you'll welcome me."

"Oh dear, how could that be?"

She feigned surprise and covered her mouth, but every word seemed to burst forth from the cracks in the ice, filled with an undisguised chill.

"As partners in the same club, our communication is severely lacking, let alone team chemistry... This is fatal for a team where only the president is outstanding and we are preparing to participate in a club showcase. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Yukino Yukinoshita has a friendly and cheerful smile, but her eyes are cold in contrast.

"So please come in... I won't let you laugh and then run away."

"You've already stated your purpose."

Even as she said this, just like a student who didn't study yesterday but still diligently wrote on the final exam paper, Yuu Tenkuji did not choose to run away. Instead, she took the initiative to approach Yukino Yukinoshita, and a chilling smile slowly appeared on her face.

"Aren't you afraid that I'll lock the door and do something to you like I did last week?"

Yukino Yukinoshita, however, remained expressionless.

"up to you."

She walked back to her seat with a cool and aloof demeanor, straightened her slightly wrinkled skirt, and gazed at him calmly and indifferently.

"Go ahead and try to take action. I will fight back and get revenge by any means necessary, you scumbag."

"..."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Finally, Yuu Tenkuji broke the silence with a sigh: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made that kind of joke."

He suppressed his smile, stepped into the service department, and without closing the door, strolled to the other side of the long table.

"Huh, she actually apologized on her own initiative?" Looking up at him, Yukino Yukinoshita blinked in surprise, her smile full of sarcasm. "Could it be that Mr. Scumbag is just a spineless coward who likes to talk the talk but backs down as soon as a girl tries to resist? That's really reassuring."

"Stop being sarcastic, it's really unpleasant to listen to." He rolled his eyes, put the lunchbox on the table, and emphasized, "I'm not that kind of person! It's just that I've already gotten my revenge last time, and I can't live with myself if I threaten you with something like this again."

After pulling up a chair and sitting down, Yuu Tenkuji thought for a moment, then his expression suddenly turned serious.

"I apologize, but to be honest, my previous behavior has already violated the crimes of harassment and intimidation. If you have evidence, you can sue me."

"..."

There wasn't a trace of a joke in his voice; he was even overly serious.

This time, Yukino was speechless when the snow fell.

She quickly composed herself and, as if she were getting to know the boy in front of her all over again, looked him up and down.

"Tenkuji-kun, you really are a mystery to me."

Sky Temple smiled.

"That's fine if you don't understand. We haven't known each other for very long. If you understood, I would be scared."

Opening the lunchbox lid, he casually remarked, "So-called adults are creatures who are controlled by their emotions and do irrational things, but after calming down, they are still willing to take responsibility for their words and actions."

Upon hearing this, Yukino raised her delicate, willow-leaf-shaped eyebrows slightly, seizing the opportunity to begin targeting her.

"You're still a minor yourself?"

"I'm different from you; I matured much earlier."

"...Then it's just precociousness, it has nothing to do with adults, right?"

"Aren't adults just children who have matured?"

"An apple doesn't become an apple tree just because it ripens."

"Yukinoshita, are you a thousand-year-old contrarian? How can you be so argumentative?"

"..."

Chapter Thirty-Eight: In short, he was extremely stubborn.

It seemed to be to retaliate for that laugh, or perhaps to settle scores from last week as well.

After inviting him into the classroom, Yukino Yukinoshita disregarded the etiquette of keeping quiet during meals and would retort with anything, even if there was nothing to say, she would find something to argue with him.

The girl's victory was very simple: she told him he was ashamed and felt inferior.

Unfortunately, while Yuu Tenkuji isn't the type to engage in verbal sparring, he's not one to remain indifferent after being challenged.

Thus began the following dialogue between two high school students who were bickering while eating:

"Tenkuji-kun, are you being ostracized by your classmates for eating lunch here?"

"Yukinoshita-san, are you eating bento here because your classmates dislike you?"

"Sorry, a beautiful girl like me only gets ostracized because she's too popular. As for you, you probably did something weird to be isolated, right?"