I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

"Well!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka froze instantly, sweat beading on her forehead.

She glanced at the cigarette between her fingers, then at Tenkuji Yu, who seemed to be stating some factual theorem. After struggling and hesitating for a long time, she finally lowered her head and sighed heavily.

“…You make a good point, I understand.”

"Let me keep it for now. I'll start quitting smoking tomorrow... no, I'll start right now!"

At this point, Hiratsuka Shizuka's eyes hardened, as if she had made up her mind completely.

"……hehe."

Tenkuji Yu simply chuckled twice, clearly not believing it.

This is just like someone who stays in bed in winter. They say they'll get up when the alarm goes off, but after turning off all the dozen or so alarms they set, they're still in their warm bed—it's just self-deception.

Of course, he wasn't so arrogant as to think he could correct Hiratsuka Shizuka's human flaws through preaching; he would offer a word of advice whenever he saw something, as a way of showing concern for his teacher.

After the two were seated facing each other, without much small talk, Yuu Tenkuji placed his hands on the table and got straight to the point:

"Hiratsuka-sensei, do you have a list of clubs that will be holding a 'Challenge Event' at this year's club showcase?"

[Challenge Activity] - This is also a tradition of the 'Autumn Club Showcase'.

On that day, many booths will offer challenge projects related to their clubs, attracting people who have not yet joined a club or are interested in the club's characteristics. The activities, rules, and prizes are all designed by the students themselves.

This approach not only attracts more people but also showcases the charm of club activities, making it a rather fun way to promote the club.

"Yes, yes..." Hiratsuka Shizuka glanced at him questioningly, then turned around, opened the cabinet behind her, and began flipping through folders. "I'm telling you, you're not really going to do something that's too outrageous, are you?"

Yuu Tenkuji spread his hands, looking rather helpless: "Are you also trying to say that I'm unrealistic and just having a chuunibyou phase?"

"Of course, any normal person would think that way... but your recent changes make it hard for me to make a definitive conclusion so easily."

She placed a stack of documents in front of him, crossed her arms, and looked him over, her eyebrows gradually furrowing.

"Tenkuji, even if you really are an all-rounder, hundreds of times better than Yukino... have you thought about the consequences of doing so?"

"Hmm? I'd like to hear more." As she picked up the document and flipped through it, Tenkuji Yu also raised an eyebrow, expressing her curiosity.

Hiratsuka Shizuka sighed, tapping her slender fingers on the table with a clear, crisp sound.

"It's very simple. Regardless of whether you take the lead in the name of the 'Service Department' or not, in front of everyone—including teachers and students on campus, as well as attendees from outside the campus—you must defeat each of the clubs that issued the challenge and trample them all under your feet."

Have you really not considered what other people who witnessed this will think?

Tenkuji Yu put down the documents, looked into Hiratsuka Shizuka's eyes, and asked slowly as if to confirm, "You mean, if I do this, everyone in the club will be looked down upon?"

"That's basically it." With a slight smirk, Hiratsuka Shizuka tucked a cigarette between her fingers, tilted her head back, and exhaled a long breath, speaking without a hint of nervousness. "Some people might think, 'How come our Soubu High's clubs are so weak? We initiated the challenge ourselves, yet so many clubs have lost to an ordinary student. The result isn't just a drop in club memberships, but potentially a decrease in overall enrollment...'"

“Well, teacher, I think you’ve got two things wrong.”

Before she could finish speaking, Yuu Tenkuji interrupted her with a slightly amused expression.

"Which two things?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka looked down in confusion at his calm, confident smile.

"First, the so-called 'challenge' does not mean that I will crush them as easily as squeezing an egg... On the contrary, I have to be careful not to let them turn the tables and make my plan a joke and lose face in front of that woman, Yukinoshita."

Yuu Tenkuji raised one finger:

"Take Yukima, the head of the culinary club, for example. His mapo tofu is second only to mine in terms of deliciousness. If I hadn't used all my strength, I might have been easily defeated by him—that would have been a huge joke."

"After all, the moment I proposed this plan, it meant that I could not afford to lose, and I was no longer able to lose."

Hiratsuka Shizuka was slightly taken aback, seemingly trying to understand the meaning of his words, and remained silent for a long while.

"...Well, you can only say you brought it on yourself." She sighed. "And when did you compete in cooking with the culinary club members? I didn't know that."

“I explained this to you later, after school last Friday. Also, I didn’t intend to blame anyone else for my choices.” Tenkuji Yuu shrugged easily and continued from where she left off:

"If those gangs could put up a fight with a certain level of strength, and everyone could see it, even if they lost to me, no one would look down on them... After all, the reason for being looked down upon is never because the opponent is too strong, but because you are too weak and seem to have no power to fight back."

"On the other hand, if such a club really exists, there's nothing I can do but try not to choose them for challenge activities... Smashing weaker opponents won't create any entertainment value."

"Tsk, how arrogant. That's the statement."

Hiratsuka Shizuka couldn't help but click her tongue, sounding somewhat disgusted, but her face was full of appreciation and approval, as if she really wanted to pat him on the shoulder and loudly say, "You did a great job!"

Sensing the atmosphere of a shonen manga, Yuu Tenkuji spread his hands innocently.

"I was just stating the facts, where was my arrogance?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka smiled and raised her fist: "Your tone and attitude are so arrogant that I want to hit you, don't you?"

Tenkuji Yu paused for a moment, deciding not to argue with this single older woman.

"...Anyway, I was right, wasn't I?"

After a moment's thought, Hiratsuka Shizuka nodded in agreement.

Chapter 91 We are all carbon-based life forms

The conversation with Professor Heizuka lasted only about ten minutes.

Soon, the two finished and walked out of the small room in the student guidance office.

The door was brought by Yuuki Tenkuji.

"I'll take care of things on the school's end for you. Whether you want to surprise those clubs or coordinate the day's schedule with them beforehand... that's up to you."

He had barely turned around when Hiratsuka Shizuka patted him hard on the back and laughed heartlessly, "Oh, it's so great to have a student like you who makes things so easy! My workload is greatly reduced, I'm so happy! So happy!!"

"...Just talk, please don't resort to violence."

Sky Temple Yuu's lips curled into a slight smile.

To be honest, even he could feel some pain from the force, so it would probably cause internal injuries if it hit someone else.

Why hasn't this person been reported for physically punishing students yet?

Is it because of their beauty and figure? The likelihood of young people becoming masochists these days is truly worrying…

"It's alright, it's alright~ I'm very good at judging people, you can't hide the fact that you're thick-skinned and tough!"

"You're fine, but I'm busy..."

"Then let's not dwell on such a small matter and get to class!"

With her hands in the pockets of her white coat, Hiratsuka Shizuka ignored his expression and strode off with a carefree and nonchalant air.

After walking a few steps, she suddenly spoke again: "By the way, Sky Temple, since you only agreed to join the Service Club to help me, you can leave the minor troubles and cleanup procedures to me... As for you, just do what you want to do!"

Tenkuji Yu was taken aback, looking at her retreating figure: "Why are you..."

Hiratsuka Shizuka waved her hand: "Isn't it obvious? You're not the kind of person who likes to show off. You suddenly came up with this plan, so you must have your own reasons. Otherwise, why would you go to all this trouble... But I'm too lazy to ask. Anyway, a win-win situation for both teachers and students, a chemical reaction that allows everyone to grow, is the kind of stage I want to see!"

Towards the end, the older single woman felt a surge of excitement, her voice as enthusiastic as a child wanting to become light.

Tenkuji Yu sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Teacher, your chuunibyou is acting up again."

Hiratsuka Shizuka immediately started cursing: "Stop babbling! This is the secret to adults staying young, you brat!"

"……but."

Lowering his eyes, Tenkuji Yu smiled calmly and followed her.

“Even if you didn’t say it, I would still do it… according to my own will.”

Indeed, completing Hiratsuka-sensei's task—to get the Service Club involved in the Autumn Club Showcase—was a very simple matter.

Even if he slacks off the whole time, it's fine to let Minister Yukinoshita do the work herself.

But for her own purposes, or perhaps just for a fleeting thought, Yuu Tenkuji still chose to step forward and become an idol... no, she deliberately complicated things and created a lot of trouble for herself.

It can be said that it is neither safe nor mature enough.

I bet the future Yuu Tenkuji will be furious with his past self, right?

However, Yuu Tenkuji is now enjoying the pride and satisfaction that comes from using his abilities to do something that no one else can do—that's good enough.

Such a simple reason can become the driving force behind everything.

Not to mention, he also had to prove to Kyoko Yuuki that he was capable of raising her daughter well.

"So, how many clubs' stadiums will we be able to beat that day... I'm really looking forward to it."

He flicked the photocopy of the club list in his hand.

Looking into the distance, long contrails streak across the sky, as if trying to fill the entire clear sky with their slender bodies.

Tenkuji Yu smiled and walked towards the classroom.

……

The day's classes ended without any major incidents.

As the school bell rang, Yuu Tenkuji packed his bag, said goodbye to Totsuka, and turned to leave the classroom.

Not long after, Yui Yuigahama caught up with him, gently patted his shoulder, and complained:

"Xiaoyou, I thought you would wait for me!"

Tenkuji Yu tilted his head in confusion.

Why should I wait for you?

"...Huh? Aren't we partners in the same club?!"

Suddenly opening her bright, moist eyes like a puppy, Yui Yuigahama stared at him in disbelief: "You didn't even say hello! How can you be so heartless!"

“There are still exceptions.” Tenkuji Yu immediately returned a dissatisfied look. “I have no objection to what you say, but please don’t exclude Yukinoshita… that woman is definitely more ruthless than me.”

Yui Yuigahama was still puffing out her cheeks angrily, looking like she wanted to pounce on him and bite him.

"Yukinoshita is Yukinoshita, and Yu is Yu; they cannot be confused!"

"Unfortunately, we are all carbon-based life forms."

"What's a pity?! Besides, I was clearly talking about you, why did you have to drag Yukinoshita into this?!"

"This is really troublesome... So I'm treating you a little differently?"

"Isn't that obvious!"