I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Tenkuji Yu pouted, put his schoolbag on the long table, and said in a conceding tone, "Yeah, there's really no point in comparing grades. It seems my level of thinking is still a step behind yours."

Without looking up, Yukino Yukinoshita said in a calm tone, "You don't need to be too self-conscious. Studies have shown that girls usually mature about three years earlier than boys, so it's actually quite normal for you to seem childish in front of me."

Yuu Tenkuji nodded: "You saw through my intentions and called me naive. It seems that coming to the club today was a mistake."

"Being able to recognize your own mistakes is something most humans can't do, Tenkuji-kun," Yukino Yukinoshita praised with satisfaction.

Even though her eyes were still on the book, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve upwards with a happy smile, her heels seemed to lightly touch the ground, and the hand holding the book even unconsciously made a victory sign.

This straightforward, prideful expression, devoid of any arrogance, stemming solely from her "victory in the counterattack," prompted Yui Yuigahama, who was watching nearby, to mutter:

"Xiaoxue is so cute..."

“Yes, just as cute as a cat,” Yuu Tenkuji whispered in agreement.

Yui Yuigahama glanced sideways, her expression subtle.

"...Xiaoyou, you're not teasing Xiaoxue on purpose, like you're teasing a cat, are you?"

“How can you say it was intentional?” Tenkuji Yu said with a righteous expression. “I was just worried that Yukinoshita might be lonely because she doesn’t have anyone to talk to, so I wanted to find some topics to liven up the atmosphere.”

"Haha..." Yui Yuigahama chuckled twice, her expression full of disbelief.

Sensing something was wrong, Yukino Yukinoshita looked over with a suspicious expression.

What are you talking about?

Yui Yuigahama quickly waved her hand: "Nothing, nothing! By the way, Yuki, have you decided on your group for this autumn field trip?"

"Of course. Tomorrow's the autumn field trip, how could we not have decided by now?"

Yukino Yukinoshita frowned, looking at her with an expression that seemed to say, "Why are you asking this nonsense?"

"Haha..." Yui Yuigahama scratched her cheek awkwardly, but didn't seem to care much. She still pulled up a chair and sat down next to Yukinoshita, asking with a curious look, "Yukino, do you have any close friends in your group? What's the male-to-female ratio?"

"Yuihama-san, just talk, don't get so close..." Yukino Yukinoshita sighed helplessly as she tried to back away, but couldn't escape Yuihama's warm embrace of her soft body.

"They're all women. And coincidentally, one of them is..."

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Tenkuji Yu picked up her schoolbag, not paying attention to what they were saying, and prepared to leave to find Natsukawa Masuzu at the school gate to go home together.

Yui Yuigahama waved her hand, not even looking over, her attitude unusually generous: "Go ahead, go ahead~ Remember to bring things you'll need for tomorrow's hike, like Yui's homemade cookies, snacks, and bento boxes!"

"Are you a primary school student...?"

The two complained at the same time, glanced at each other, and then clicked their tongues in disgust.

"You guys have such great teamwork!" Yui Yuigahama said with a hint of envy, then couldn't help but laugh. She enthusiastically suggested, "How about this? If we have free time for lunch, let's go eat together! Yui is in my group, so six people in two groups will definitely make it lively!"

This way, Yui, who doesn't have many friends, can interact with more people instead of just arguing with Yuuki in the Service Club—there's no malice in it, Yui is simply thinking of Yukino's well-being.

Then, naturally, Yukino Yukinoshita immediately refused: "Sorry, I don't like crowds. If there are no rules for group activities, I prefer to travel and dine alone. Group activities will only bring more trouble and disputes."

However, if he brings his own lunchbox...

Recalling the fried rice from the day of the performance, the fluffy, soft, warm, and sweet taste seemed to reappear in her mouth. The black-haired girl subconsciously swallowed, but out of modesty, she pretended to be nonchalant, her gaze fixed on Yui Yuigahama's dango.

Yuu Tenkuji: "Yeah, it's too much trouble. And I don't want to bring a lunchbox either."

"Tsk."

"...Yukinoshita-san, why are you clicking your tongue?"

"It's nothing, it's not something you need to worry about."

After giving the girl, who had her long hair casually tied back and looked composed, a few questioning glances, Yuu Tenkuji didn't say much, opened the classroom door and left the Service Club.

……

The afternoon sky was overcast, and there was no vibrant sunset today. The crowds after school seemed to quiet down as a result, like raindrops silently merging into the stream and going their separate ways at the branching points.

As Tenkuji Yu walked out of the club building, he soon saw Natsukawa Masaki leaning against the stone sculpture at the school gate, her silver hair flowing and her skirt swaying slightly, looking as beautiful as a landscape painting.

Even though she was holding her phone and pretending to be busy with her head down, many male students passing by still cast fascinated glances at her.

Yuu Tenkuji walked past calmly and confidently amidst the stares of those lining the path.

"Awaited."

“It did take quite a while.” Natsukawa Masuzu put away her phone, took his arm, and frowned at him with undisguised displeasure. “Couldn’t you have just moved from the dark dimension like Vanilla Ace?”

To explain, Vanilla Ice, also known as Vanilla Ice, is a villain in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3. Her Stand is Miasma, which allows her to hide in dark spaces and move at high speed while devouring objects.

"Even if I could do it, it's still daytime. Do you want me to be reduced to ashes?"

Yuu Tenkuji remembers clearly that, as DIO's number one subordinate, Vanilla Ice died in the same way as his boss, by exploding in the sun—although the clouds are thicker now, there are still a few rays of sunlight peeking through.

Seeing that he had picked up on the joke, Natsukawa Masuzu smiled and shook his head, raising a finger and explaining in a very logical manner: "Before being resurrected by DIO as a vampire, Vanilla was a normal Stand user who could move around in the sunlight... I know it's a bit much to ask you to awaken your Stand, after all, we don't have that 'arrow,' and I can't bear to let you suffer the torment of awakening your Stand."

"So here's settled then. Go and learn Ripple. Become the most powerful Ripple user in Chiba City!"

"...Do you really understand what it means to force someone to do something they can't?"

The two chatted about topics that most people wouldn't understand, and left the school intimately, casting a shadow of heartbreak over the pursuing gazes behind them.

After discussing JOJO to the point of exhaustion, Natsukawa Masuzu suddenly sighed, "Even though the whole school knows we're boyfriend and girlfriend, three fearless guys still come up to me and try to chat me up."

"Either they haven't paid attention to the rumors at school, or they just want to get to know you, right?" Yuu Tenkuji guessed.

Natsukawa Masuzu revealed a disdainful smile and said coldly, "How foolish. Don't you know that any man who gets close to me will be annihilated into the most primitive fragments of the universe and kept company with Lord Kars?"

Tenkuji Yu smirked: "Am I that cruel...? Anyway, if you just say you have a boyfriend, most of them will back down, right?"

Natsukawa Masaki glanced at him sideways: "What if it's no use saying anything?"

Tenkuji Yu said calmly, "Then call me, and I'll make them back down."

"Very good, I will do that from now on."

Natsukawa Masuzu nodded in satisfaction, rested her head on his shoulder, and pressed her chest against his, generously displaying the softness and fragrance of the young girl.

"Don't you find it difficult to walk?"

"I don't think so!"

rub.

In public, she started rubbing against people again.

According to Natsukawa Masaki, this is a gentle massage, which is very beneficial for a young girl's skin care, and he should cooperate as much as possible.

Tenkuji Yu didn't mind. Over the past few days, she had gotten used to Yu's increasingly addictive behavior, since she wouldn't lose out anyway... But there was something that Yu seemed to have subconsciously overlooked.

"It's really cold. Didn't you say before that you should be careful when you're out lately and avoid giving your father any leverage over you?"

"..."

You could feel her soft, slender body stiffen slightly, then she said casually, "Rubbing against each other is like yawning, it's not an intimate act that only people in love would do, so you don't have to be careful."

Do you even believe what you're saying?

Natsukawa Masaki turned her head to the side, and her swollen, fair cheeks could be vaguely seen.

"...It's normal. It's just that Ayu is too sensitive. You sensitive little virgin, you virgin monster~"

"Hey."

When she can't hide it anymore, she resorts to mocking others to get by; that's really her style.

Kind of cute.

"Don't worry, if he would object to hugging and cuddling, he wouldn't have remained silent until Mana came to find me."

Soon, Natsukawa Masuzu's tone returned to calm, and the arm around him seemed to tighten a little: "I estimate that as long as it doesn't cause a big commotion, or if Mana and the bald guy take the initiative to report our situation, that person won't really order me to go back."

"Really? That's good."

Her expression changed instantly, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at her teasingly: "What? You're that reluctant to part with me?"

"A little bit." This was the truth from Tenkuji Yu. "It's actually quite comfortable to be rubbed by a beautiful girl. It's all your fault for making me get used to this feeling."

"It's all my fault? I'm so sorry." It's unclear what soft spot this touched, but her eyes lit up, her smile deepened, and she looked incredibly cheerful and at ease.

"As an apology, you can rub against me back, okay? Of course, you can only rub against me a little, not go any further."

"...Forget it, you can just rub against me."

Yuu Tenkuji didn't want things to develop into something like, "I'll just rub against you, I won't go in," or "Just the tip, not too deep..."

"Since you've said so, then I won't stand on ceremony." Natsukawa Masuzu wasn't disappointed. After getting his reply, she gently rubbed her slightly flushed cheek against his arm as she talked about the autumn outing.

"I'm in a group with the club president, Yukinoshita... I don't know the other person, he's just a filler."

"Are you bringing a lunchbox? If you are, I won't bring any liquid food or jelly."

"You're in a group with Tuanzi-chan? Tsk, looks like I'll have to find a chance to break out of the group and secretly take pictures of evidence of your affair with Tuanzi-chan..."

"Speaking of last Sunday's study session, you didn't do anything to betray your girlfriend, did you?"

Just like any other couple, on a quiet, shady street in the afternoon, Natsukawa Masuzu chattered on and on about various things, while Tenkuji Yu listened from the side, occasionally nodding in agreement with her words, and occasionally ruffling her head in exasperation, messing up her silver hair in a retaliatory act.

Finally, as they parted in front of the luxury apartment, Natsukawa Masuzu asked:

"Do you know Yukino Yukinoshita? She's your department head's older sister, about two or three years older than us."

Yuuki Tenkuji was stunned: "Yukinoshita? What are you doing..."

Natsukawa Masaki frowned slightly.

"Last Sunday, I happened to run into her in the elevator. She was looking for Yukinoshita, and we chatted for a few minutes..."

Chapter 41 Old man, your ability—(two-in-one)

"Although we talked about Yukinoshita, such as how she was doing at school and whether she had made any friends... when she talked about the Service Club, I always felt that she was subtly probing you, as if she was very interested in you."

Natsukawa Masaki stared at him with a suspicious look, as if his own pig had once again stolen someone else's cabbage.

"Yuuna Tenkuji's damn charm, could she even win over an older woman?"

"...I may be very charming, but I don't deserve to die at all, okay?"

Tenkuji Yu scratched his head, put on a wronged expression, and said helplessly, "Of course I know Yukinoshita Haruno, and I've even chatted with her a few times."

Natsukawa Masaki raised an eyebrow, watching with great interest as he began to explain.