I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Yumiko Miura, standing beside her, frowned slightly, glanced at the radiant Yumiko with a strange look, and then followed her gaze toward Yuu Tenkuji.

After pondering for a moment, as if she had understood something, Miura Yumiko frowned even more deeply, clicked her tongue, and tapped the table with her finger as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

But in the end, he didn't say anything. Frustrated, he rolled his hair up, took out his phone, put it under the table, and secretly started playing with it.

△

It's a little embarrassing to admit... After receiving my report card, what should I say...?

Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but get excited, and even couldn't help but let out a wicked smile, a sinister laugh rolling from his throat.

"Hmph... Yukino Yukinoshita, conquered."

Although it was something he had anticipated and was confident about, the thought of the girl's usually aloof expression about to become distorted still filled Tenkuji Yu with the anticipation and excitement of a child preparing for a trip.

He could hardly contain his urges; he wished time could fast forward to the end of the school day so he could have his Service Club activities and then give that a good teasing to the always aloof Snow Maiden.

At this moment, Yuuki Tenkuji was able to somewhat understand what Yukinoshita Haruno felt.

This isn't childishness, it's joy—Yukino Yukinoshita is their source of joy.

The school's top 100 rankings are only posted on the bulletin board the next day, so unless you tell others, only the teacher and you know the results that are handed out today.

However, a lot of noise came from Yui Yuigahama's side, and you could vaguely hear heated discussions about "fiftyth place" and "she's obviously an idiot," so it's estimated that her results have been forced to be made public.

In this situation, low grades are like public execution, while high grades are like being forced to show off—and Yui Yuigahama is clearly the second type. After disbelief comes admiration and envy, and everyone enthusiastically surrounds her and discusses her.

Even if any dissenting voices question the authenticity of the results, they will be angrily berated by the blonde double-helix drill next to Yui Yuigahama, who will then awkwardly touch her nose and apologize.

Tenkuji Yu diverted some attention to the situation over there and couldn't help but nod slightly.

"Although she's like a hot-tempered, somewhat dim-witted woman, she's still a good friend..."

Yui Yuigahama's achievement of ranking in the top 50 of the grade was also beyond his expectations. In his original expectations, Yui Yuigahama would have performed exceptionally well if she ranked in the 70s or 80s, and would not have failed to live up to his careful teaching if she ranked in the top 100. As for ranking in the top 50 of the grade, it could only be described as an explosive performance.

Yuu Tenkuji was very satisfied. Two years had passed, and both he and she had grown considerably. They were no longer the insignificant beings who spent their days huddled in the library, racking their brains to study.

Instead, they are bright stars that shine when they find an opportunity, worthy of being ignored by others.

"Thank you for your hard work, Yui."

When get out of class ended midway, he used this sentence to deal with Yui Yuigahama, who was eagerly seeking his praise, and adopted a matter-of-fact attitude.

Yui Yuigahama seemed quite dissatisfied with his bland and simple response, but then, as if suddenly remembering something, her face abruptly turned serious, her fair fists clenched, and she stared intently at him:

"I understand, Xiaoyou. I won't let you down!"

Tenkuji Yu's brow twitched slightly.

"...Although I don't understand exactly what you've learned, this is a good idea, please keep it up."

After saying that, as if she couldn't be bothered with her, she decisively turned to Totsuka, who was leaning closer, and smiled at him, sharing with him in a gentle tone and relaxed manner that she had won first place.

His attitude was much warmer than when he treated Yui Yuigahama, and he even had a kind of closeness that no girl could get close to.

Seeing that scene, Yui Yuigahama felt very conflicted.

Does this mean I'll have to compete with boys for boys in the future?

……

That was pretty much it for the little incident of announcing the results for Class F. The day's classes flew by, and the afternoon sky was filled with fluffy white clouds.

Yuu first sent a message to Natsukawa Masuzu, telling her to wait a bit and go home together later. Then, she picked up her schoolbag, ready to go to the club to chat with a certain Yuki-onna (snow woman).

Just then, Yui Yuigahama walked over: "Yu, are you going to the club too? Let's go together."

“It is possible…” Yuu Tenkuji glanced at Yumiko Miura behind her and frowned slightly.

Even though he hadn't said anything, he felt that the other person was staring at him with hostility, as if looking at a scumbag who was two-timing him.

"Ah, um..." Yui Yuigahama quickly sensed that something was off, but she didn't know where it was coming from. After looking around, she could only say to Yumiko Miura, "Yumiko, I have to participate in a club activity today. You should go home first."

The girl with regular features and blonde hair resembling a double-helix drill crossed her arms, clicked her tongue almost imperceptibly, and turned her head rather stiffly to answer:

"...Hmph, whatever."

Yui Yuigahama clasped her hands together, her pitiful, teary eyes, like those of a puppy, looking up at her apologetically: "I'm sorry, let's go sing together again next time!"

"It will be all right."

Yumiko Miura shrugged indifferently, gave him a cold glance, and then strode away.

From beginning to end, she didn't say a single word to Yuta Tenkuji, but her eyes and attitude were like thorns, unabashedly releasing her hostility.

"...When did I offend her?"

When they were drawing lots to form groups, this drill-wielding woman wasn't acting like she was owed millions, all grumpy and angry.

"I don't know either..." Yui Yuigahama looked equally confused as she watched Yumiko Miura's departing figure. "Did Yui accidentally hear you say she was a double-helix drill bit?"

"Although Yumiko has a bad temper, she is not the kind of bad person who targets others indiscriminately. She also hates bullying and harassment. She shouldn't exclude anyone for no reason."

After saying that, she looked at Tenkuji Yu with some concern, her mouth slightly open as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Really? Then maybe I really did offend her unintentionally." Tenkuji Yu shrugged and walked towards the front door of the classroom. "As long as she doesn't go too far, I won't retaliate verbally. Don't worry, but you'll have to put up with this awkward atmosphere."

Yui Yuigahama breathed a sigh of relief. She was indeed afraid that Yui might get upset and use the same arguing techniques she used with Yuki on Yumiko.

Even Xiaoxue was defeated and almost threw a book at him several times. If it were Yumiko... oh dear, she couldn't imagine the terrible scene!

"It's okay, I'll try my best to make your relationship better!" Yui Yuigahama followed behind him, clenching her fists as she made up her mind. "Let's get along well on this autumn outing! It'll be more fun if everyone gets along well!"

Tenkuji Yu smiled and said, "I don't care. Being kind to others is a sign of high emotional intelligence. I just hope you can keep that powder keg-like Golden Drill Head in check and prevent her from bothering me."

"I'm just afraid you'll talk to her like that..." Yui Yuigahama smiled wryly, her shoulders slumping. Then her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her soft cheeks puffed out. "No, being too nice can also be a problem... Yuuko is very popular with girls, and Yuuko is so innocent, maybe she'll..."

"There's no such thing as 'maybe,' so don't overthink it, okay?" Tenkuji Yu turned around and flicked her bun hair in an annoyed tone.

Yui Yuigahama chuckled foolishly, not mentioning the matter again, but pondering why Yumiko suddenly became hostile towards Yu.

Entering through the entrance of the special building, I walked up to the second floor and found classrooms with empty signs hanging on them.

Tenkuji Yu knocked on the door, and only after hearing a clear and pleasant voice from inside did she open the door and go in.

"good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Tenkuji-kun, Yuihama-kun."

The girl by the window, as always, gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with her fingers, her clear eyes fixed on the book in her hands, as quiet as a court painting.

The two walked in, their footsteps unconsciously lightening, as if unwilling to disturb the tranquility of the moment.

However, after closing the door, before even pulling out a chair to sit down, Yuuki Yukinoshita spoke to her:

"Under the snow, I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

"..."

Yukino Yukinoshita paused slightly as she turned the pages, raising her gaze and frowning at the meaningful smile on his face.

After a moment of thought, she suddenly closed the book, letting out a soft sigh as if she were worried about someone's intelligence. Her voice was helpless and gentle, yet still carried her usual haughty air.

"Look at that smug look on your face, I bet the good news you're talking about is that you've surpassed me and become number one in the school, right?"

Yuu Tenkuji: "..."

written request for leave

I'm going on a long trip today, so I'm having trouble writing. I'll ask for a day off when I get back.

There are only ten days left in this month, and I still need 60,000 words. That means I need to write at least 6,000 words every day from now on, which is three updates a day... Great, it's time to start updating like crazy.

Returning from the underworld while simultaneously increasing update frequency—I absolutely cannot lose this battle! How could I possibly lose!

Chapter 40 I'll Just Rub Against You (Part 2)

Seeing Tenkuji Yuu's suddenly speechless expression, Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't help but smile, brushing aside her long hair that had fallen over her shoulders, revealing an elegant smile that showed she had everything under control.

"What a simple-minded man. He got good grades and is in a hurry to show off. Is he that competitive? I won't give you candy as a reward."

Tenkuji Yuu's face remained expressionless for a moment, then he also put on a smile, but it looked completely fake.

"You seem to be handling this quite with ease, second place."

"..."

Yukino Yukinoshita's brow twitched as she recalled the shock and displeasure she felt when she saw "Ranking in Grade: 2" on her report card.

As for how he knew who was ahead of him in line... the answer was so obvious that he didn't even need to guess.

Because before the midterm exam, someone had been subtly hinting at and provoking her, trying to dethrone her from first place.

Although she was reluctant to admit it, Yukino Yukinoshita knew in her heart that the guy would only talk big when he was sure of himself. If he didn't have a firm grasp of the situation and absolute confidence that surpassed his own, he would never be so arrogant.

So this result wasn't too far from her expectations—it was inevitable that she would experience emotional fluctuations, making her want to hang a sign outside that read "Dogs and Sky Temple Yuu are not allowed" to prevent him from getting cocky and coming to swagger over her.

In the end, I didn't do that simply because I didn't want to run away from it.

Yukino Yukinoshita is not without her losses. Although she hates the feeling of losing, she doesn't cling to the title of victor.

"childish."

A faint sneer rang out.

“I am different from you. Being able to admit that someone who is not as good as me has surpassed me in some way is something that only a person with noble character can do.”

She looked at Tenkuji Yu with a dignified posture and spoke calmly and earnestly: "I have done the best I could, and even so I still lost to you, so it is simply because I am not as skilled as you are - you can be proud of it."

"I acknowledge your hard work and excellence, just like I used to be. You became the top student in the grade based on your own merit... Well, congratulations on being the top student."

Yukino Yukinoshita shrugged slightly, then lowered her cool and beautiful face, as if to end the topic here, and silently looked at the book in her hand.

However, you could still sense a hint of resentment in her words, even though she appeared indifferent, as if she were less interested in fame and fortune than a hermit.

"What do you mean by being the same as you in the past... You said such nice things before, but you still managed to elevate yourself later. You're really something, Yukinoshita."

Yuu Tenkuji shook his head and sighed, suddenly feeling utterly bored. Even the top-ranked report card in his schoolbag didn't seem so appealing anymore.

He knew in his heart that Yukino Yukinoshita hated lying, and that she was upright and honest with herself and others, and would not stubbornly insist that she was right.

In other words, she will only do the right thing and say the right thing, and even if she has to admit that she is not as good as others, it is worse than finding excuses to fill her self-esteem.

Yukino Yukinoshita in this state is not fun to tease at all. Yukino Haruno would probably also look bored if she saw this.