I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

"..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha remained silent, and after reading the contents, slowly crumpled the note into a ball.

She wanted to throw it on the ground, but hesitated for a moment and put it in her bag instead.

"He even left a message for the stalker... This guy's head is definitely not normal."

His tone was so polite, a mix of threat and concern, that even if she wanted to angrily say, "I'll remember this grudge!", she knew she was in the wrong and couldn't bring herself to be angry.

After letting out a soft, disdainful sigh, Kasumigaoka Utaha took out her notebook and wrote down the last item for the day:

"It has nothing to do with being a lolicon; he's not a normal man and can't be judged by common sense."

Chapter Fourteen: I Believe in Myself

"These days, there are so many strange things and strange people..."

After confirming that the giant, black-haired beauty had safely left the alley, Tenkuji Yu sighed, then got up and left the shadows where he had been hiding, heading in the real direction of home.

He took out his phone and replied to Qiong's thirteenth message, "Why aren't you home yet?"

"I was hit on by a beautiful girl with long legs in black stockings on the way, so I'm a little late."

'???'

"Because she wasn't as pretty as my sister, I rejected her harshly, and she left this heartbreaking city in tears."

"Huh? Are you stupid? Are you a siscon?"

"Just telling the truth. I'll be home soon, in five more minutes."

"hurry up."

If I get home any later, I bet Qiong will strangle herself with her twin tails, right?

The pizza she ordered online had arrived, but she refused to eat it first, preferring to go hungry and wait for him to come back—and then she would vent all her resentment from being hungry on him.

"Well, the problem is definitely with me."

He scratched his head and reflected on himself.

What could have been resolved quickly has been delayed until now, and he still can't go home, all because he wanted to teach the stalker a lesson.

Why suffer the consequences of not getting rid of it sooner?

"Could it be that I'm actually quite interested in women with good figures?"

That shouldn't be the case, I clearly...

With a serious expression, Yuu Tenkuji checked his strike zone. More than four minutes later, he finally returned to his front door, took out his key, and opened the door.

"So slow!"

That was the first thing I said to him as he stepped into the entryway.

Yuu Tenkuji smiled helplessly, placed his palm on the head of the girl who was holding the black rabbit doll, and gently stroked her smooth, silvery hair.

"I am back."

"...Welcome back."

After a long silence, the dissatisfaction and unease on her face gradually subsided. Kasugano Sora pursed her lips slightly, lowered her gaze to the ground, and stood quietly in place, letting him pat her head.

Only when she faintly heard gurgling sounds coming from her flat stomach did she blush and slap his hand away, then turn around and run into the living room.

"Go wash your hands, it's time to eat!"

"Good~"

Yuu Tenkuji took off her shoes and walked towards the restroom.

Kasugano Sora watched him pass by from the living room doorway, then sniffed the air and suddenly frowned.

"Wait a moment!"

"Huh?" Seeing her suddenly grab the hem of her clothes, Tenkuji Yu looked puzzled. "What's wrong?"

Qiong didn't answer. Instead, she pulled his arm, brought the cuff of her sleeve close to her nose, and told him to lower his head in a cold tone. She then smelled his collar and neck.

Then, narrowing her brown eyes slightly, she scanned Tenkuji Yuu's entire body like a police dog hunting its prey.

"You, you didn't go to work today, did you?" Qiong asked in a deep voice.

“That’s right…” Seeing her looking for ‘evidence’ like this, Tenkuji Yu quickly realized what was going on and gave a speechless twitch at the corner of her mouth.

"My dear sister, do you even know how to catch someone cheating?"

"I was just curious because I smelled someone else's perfume on you." Kasugano Sora snorted, took a step back, clutched the black rabbit doll tightly in front of her, and fixed her somewhat serious gaze on his face.

"You didn't go to work? So you went on a date with another girl? Who? Is it Yuigahama Yui, the one you mentioned before? Or is it the girl who hit on you earlier? Did she really make a move on you?"

"What does this have to do with Yuihama... Don't make wild guesses." Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but rub his forehead.

I just casually mentioned it to her before summer vacation, but I didn't expect her to remember it so vividly.

Well, my younger sister not only knows a lot, but in some ways she's even more perceptive than a hunting dog, making me wonder if she read the script beforehand...

Or perhaps, this is just a unique skill of the jealous person?

But did I actually have the scent of Yukino Yukinoshita on me?

Tenkuji Yu frowned slightly and sniffed the areas that Sora had focused on earlier, but couldn't smell anything.

...That's only natural. He and Yukinoshita Haruno had hardly had any intimate contact, and it had been so long since he returned from Shibuya that even the smell of McDonald's had completely disappeared. How could there possibly be any trace of Yukinoshita Haruno's perfume?

He couldn't help but look at Kasugano Sora with a strange gaze.

"What? Are you trying to say I'm meddling?" She seemed to have misunderstood something, her face slightly furrowed, her tone filled with displeasure.

"Yu has no taste in girls at all. If he gets fooled by a bad woman, I might suffer the consequences too!"

Tenkuji Yu raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know I have no taste in girls? I've never even had a girlfriend."

Qiong hesitated for a moment, then pouted and stubbornly replied, "I just know!"

Tenkuji Yu shrugged, not wanting to argue with her about such a pointless thing.

Moreover, Qiong's claim that he has no taste in girls is simply self-deprecation.

Who can blame him for having the same type of aesthetic as Kasugano Sora?

Petite and adorable, she is also willful and capricious, yet often reveals a side that fears loneliness and loves to be pampered. She is simple-minded but also reasonable—she is simply a perfect creation of God.

If his sister hadn't misled him, his pants might have actually twitched a couple of times when faced with beauties like Yukinoshita Haruno or the stalker girl.

...And here I want to solemnly declare again that he is really not a lolicon, he just likes young girls.

If a young girl likes it, then it's no surprise that boys would too.

"You know it, you know it. I'm going to wash my hands."

He walked back towards the toilet.

This time, Qiong didn't stop him.

But a faint, mosquito-like sound came from behind:

"Yu, you won't leave me, right?"

With her hand resting on the toilet door, Yuu Tenkuji answered without turning her head:

"of course."

"Even if you get a girlfriend in the future... Yu will always be with me, right?"

The next moment, the trembling voice was overshadowed by a firm tone.

"I believe in myself."

"believe?"

"Yes, I believe that Yuu Tenkuji will never leave Kasugano Sora, and will never let her become a person."

The sound of rushing water filled the air. He chuckled softly, deliberately drawing out his words:

"There's nothing I can do. Qiong is a child who's afraid of being alone. To prevent her from crying from being scared, I have no choice but to take responsibility and raise this shut-in little sister."

"I didn't cry!" Qiong puffed out her cheeks and kicked the door frame twice in frustration. "I didn't cry when you came home late today... no, I didn't cry at all!"

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore, let's go eat."

After drying her hands and leaving the restroom, Yuu Tenkuji looked at Kasugano Sora, who was using a rabbit to cover her face but couldn't hide her bright red ears, and smiled warmly.

She stood there in silence for a long while before tentatively raising her eyes to look at him. When she met his smile, something seemed to soften instantly.

"...Yu."

She spoke softly, extending her fair little hand toward him.

"I'm here."

He held her firmly in his large hand and led her into the living room, letting her lean her head on his arm as if relying on him, her soft silver hair gently brushing against her skin.

"Anyway, it's a promise... If you betray me, I'll turn into a yandere and show you."

Yuu Tenkuji could only sigh helplessly.

"Stop watching that junk stuff, or I'll cut off your internet."

"Also, if you get a girlfriend, you must tell me. You can't bring her home until I approve."

"That's really strict."

"Conversely, I also won't have a boyfriend."

"Huh? Why?"

"For no reason, you idiot. You idiot, you stupid idiot!"

The lights were dim, and the aroma of pizza filled the entire living room.

Chapter Fifteen: Rented Boyfriends and Rented Girlfriends