I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

They're quite cute.

Tenkuji Yu smiled and was about to exchange a few words with her as usual when the group that had gone to take pictures by the edge of the railing returned to the pavilion. Yui Yuigahama, who was in the lead, held up her phone and shouted excitedly.

"Everyone, come take a group photo!"

Behind her were Yumiko Miura and Tomoko, who seemed to have gotten along well and were chatting peacefully.

"I'll pass." Yukinoshita had barely finished speaking when Yuigahama Yui grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet, almost causing her to drop her water bottle. "It's a rare autumn outing, how can you just give up? It's a school trip, after all, we should make sure to create lasting memories!"

Yukino Yukinoshita looked troubled, yet gave up resisting as if it were commonplace: "So, don't just stick to me like that..."

Natsukawa Masuzu glanced at them, then chuckled and said in a low voice, "I don't want to do something so meaningless. What's the point of leaving a memento? We'll be parting ways sooner or later anyway."

Gray clouds drifted in from afar, gradually enveloping half of the azure sky, and the clear sky began to turn cloudy.

Only Tenkuji Yu could hear her voice, so he was the only one who responded.

“Yes, we’ll part ways sooner or later. No matter how deep the memories are.” Yuu Tenkuji got up from the stone bench, stretching as she spoke casually, “But that’s precisely why we should enjoy life to the fullest before we part ways, right?”

He turned back and extended his hand to her, gesturing towards the group that had already begun searching for a filming location: "As long as you haven't forgotten, the things you've experienced are never meaningless. You must have memories too, right? Memories that make you smile when you think back on them."

Xia Chuanzhen stared blankly at him, then involuntarily looked away, as if the sunlight behind the clouds had stung her eyes.

"...Well, maybe so. Even if things are really bad now, I was still quite happy when I was a child."

Holding her hand resting on her knee, Tenkuji Yu also pulled her up, smiling as he said, "Whether it has meaning or not is for us in the future to decide. As for now, just do what you want to do and what you like to do."

“If you just hate taking pictures, I won’t force you—how about becoming the photographer? It’ll be perfect for taking pictures of the five of us.”

Tucking her silver hair behind her ear, Natsukawa Masuzu sighed and said with a helpless tone, "To come up with such an outrageous idea, you really are something else... As for taking photos, I neither hate it nor like it."

"Of course, I'll pass on the nude photos. If you want to see them, please come to my room to confirm them in person."

"Oh, I'll do it next time." With a casual reply, Tenkuji Yu released her hand and patted her slender and delicate back.

"Let's go, let's take a picture that we can put in our breast pocket, so we can take it out and reminisce about it when we're on a plane someday."

"That's too ominous, isn't it? Probably half of them will die in battle."

Despite saying this, Natsukawa Masuzu obediently followed him toward the group that had already left the pavilion, and casually asked, "We'll be separated sooner or later too, won't we?"

"Of course, they're just a fake couple after all."

She said softly, "So, are you enjoying it right now?"

"Hmm..." Yuu thought for a moment, pretending not to see the unease she was hiding, and said uncertainly, "I guess so? After all, I'm quite happy to be with you."

"...So, you've fallen for me without even realizing it." Natsukawa Masuzu shook her head regretfully, but her expression unconsciously relaxed.

"Let me make it clear beforehand, I absolutely hate being in a relationship. If you're serious about pursuing me, be prepared to be kicked aside by me."

"Again? How many times do you need to emphasize this?" Yuu Tenkuji said helplessly.

Natsukawa Masuzu revealed a cold smile, her eyes devoid of any emotion: "I will emphasize this no matter how many times. My existence is about perpetuating this hatred."

"Is it chuunibyou (middle school syndrome)?"

"How rude of me! I'm serious. Everyone has their own beliefs they want to uphold, don't they?"

“I understand.” Before stepping out of the pavilion, Tenkuji Yu paused and looked intently at Natsukawa Masuzu. “Liking you as a person is different from liking Natsukawa Masuzu—so don’t worry, I don’t want to date you, nor will I seriously pursue you.”

Natsukawa Masaki nodded in satisfaction: "That's good. You've got the balance just right."

"so……"

"Hmm?" His expression suddenly turned serious, and Natsukawa Masaki was taken aback.

Then, as if not allowing her to escape, Tenkuji Yu stared intently into her eyes, speaking each word heavily in the air.

"Sooner or later, I will fall in love with another girl, and I will seriously pursue her and have the kind of relationship you hate the most."

"If all goes well, we'll get married and have children. I'll do everything I can to stay with her and rack my brains to make her happy—whether it's fighting with the bald guy in sunglasses or carrying her up a mountain, it's all things I'd only do for her."

"When that time comes, no matter if anyone else comes to confess to you, I will end your request and pursue my own happiness... For our 'fake couple' relationship, this will be the real breakup, and the lie will end here."

The sound fell with a touch of loneliness, rolling down the hillside with bits of grass and disappearing into the deep, dark woods.

"..."

Natsukawa Masaki didn't speak, but stood there like a stone statue, staring at him blankly with unfocused eyes.

As a heavy, sorrowful background music began to play, Yuu Tenkuji quickly commanded the system to shut up, and deathly silence returned to the two of them, as if the air itself had stopped flowing.

She was so quiet that you could hardly hear her breathing.

Her lips trembled slightly, but more than surprise or sadness, she felt lost and conflicted, like a child who couldn't find her way, staring wide-eyed at the unfamiliar world, waiting alone for someone to take her home.

Tenkuji Yu remained silent for a few seconds, and when he didn't get a reply, he smiled casually and tugged at her cold cheek.

"Well, I think you were already mentally prepared... no, the word 'mentally prepared' is a bit wrong. You probably don't care much, right? After all, you said you would help me find a girlfriend after the commission was completed. Instead, you emphasized again that I have a problem."

After saying that, he took a deep breath and stepped into the sunlight that filled half the sky, leaving her alone in the shadow of the pavilion, letting her silver hair be ruffled by the mountain wind.

"This period of time will be memorable for me until the end of the commission."

"So, let's take a picture. It's really cool."

Not long after, the camera light came on.

The dark clouds gradually thickened, and the dampness swept in, causing the trees to rustle even louder, as if sighing.

It is going to rain.

Chapter 49 Under the Snow: Meow~ (Two-in-One)

A storm is brewing, but on this mountain, although the sky is a bit overcast, it is actually much calmer than before.

Perhaps this is the calm before the storm?

As the surrounding woods quietly watched them go, the six of them took the light rail back to the flatlands. After greeting Hiratsuka-sensei, who had confirmed that they hadn't wandered off in different groups, they headed towards the shopping street together, planning to find a place to eat first and then decide how to plan their afternoon activities.

"In that case, let's go straight to the 'Cat House'!"

Having recovered from the fatigue of the climb and feeling refreshed after a rest, Ms. Yukinoshita said with a strong voice, "I've already done my research. It's a combined pet cafe. Although the prices are on the higher side, the food has received pretty good reviews; it's delicious and the portions are generous."

Her gaze was clear and resolute as she met everyone's eyes in turn, without flinching or avoiding them, her eyes flashing with a strong will.

It's the kind of unwavering determination that if someone speaks, she can respond with ten words in return for every one she says.

"If you have financial difficulties, I won't force you, but if there are no problems in that regard and you don't intend to make any other suggestions, I hope you can consider my opinion."

"Shall we go to the cat house...?"

Although her tone was somewhat forceful, Yukino Yukinoshita's performance in group communication was commendable, and she did not act rudely at all.

After exchanging glances, Yui Yuigahama and Touko-chan were the first to say they had no problem with it, while Yumiko Miura simply muttered, "You really like cats..." without offering any objections.

Only Yuu Tenkuji raised her hand in a childlike tone and asked, "I have a problem! Minister, I'm allergic to cats, what should I do?"

"Nothing can be done. Given your habitual lying, your opinions will be reserved for future consideration and may be adopted depending on the circumstances."

Yukino Yukinoshita answered coldly, not even bothering to look at him, and instead looked directly at Natsukawa Masuzu, who hadn't said a word.

"Natsukawa-kun, you should be fine, right?"

"...No problem, you decide."

"Is that so?" Yukino Yukinoshita frowned slightly, but didn't ask any further questions. She led everyone toward the cat house marked on the map.

Around 12:30 pm, when the six of them arrived at the cat house, there were already eight or nine people gathered outside, who looked like two groups of tourists. The shopkeeper said that it would take at least ten to twenty minutes to get a seat.

"Is it too late...?"

Looking at the lively or haughty cats in the store, Yukino Yukinoshita bit her lip with a face full of resentment.

Her snow-white fists clenched tightly, her nails almost digging into her palms with regret, and she kept muttering things like, "It's normal for cats to be popular, but they shouldn't be this popular..."

If she were alone, she wouldn't mind waiting for an hour, since she wasn't interested in anything else anyway; but now that she was the leader of the group (in her own opinion), considering the upcoming schedule, Yukino Yukinoshita had no choice but to give up and not waste the rest of the group's time queuing.

"Forget it, let's find another restaurant to eat at," she said with a sigh.

Her gaze lingered on the tourists playing happily with the cats behind the shop window, and the elegant and haughty way the furry creatures strolled around. With a strong will that seemed to want to break her own head, Yukino Yukinoshita turned away from her slightly envious gaze with a calm expression.

"If it's within twenty minutes, waiting a bit shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"...Yuigahama-san?"

Just as she was about to leave, Yui Yuigahama suddenly spoke up, asking the others in a questioning tone, "Yumiko..."

“This is my first time in a place like this, and I’m quite interested.” Miura Yumiko waved her hand, indicating that she didn’t need to say anything more, while glancing at Yukino Yukinoshita. “But on the other hand, I want to go to other places later, so I hope someone won’t say ‘not interested’ and leave on their own.”

“...Of course not.” Yukino Yukinoshita recovered from her surprise and said in a very serious tone, “Mutual respect is the foundation of teamwork. Although I mostly act alone, I can still understand this basic common sense.”

Very unusually, she was much more positive and gentler than usual in front of the cat.

Not only Yui Yuigahama, but Yumiko Miura also blinked in surprise, then chuckled and remarked with amusement, "You seem so unapproachable, but I didn't expect you to be so nice. My opinion of you has changed."

"Really? Well, thank you for the compliment." Yukino Yukinoshita smiled back, gently brushing her hair aside. "But if I'm not interested, I'll say so directly—and from what I've observed, our tastes are quite different, so I hope you won't mind my opinion."

"You really dare to say that... Fine, just you wait and see! I'll definitely make you interested in the things I'm interested in, Yukinoshita!"

As if accepting some kind of challenge, Miura Yumiko pointed at Yukino Yukinoshita, raised her head high and smiled, and ignited a flame full of energy.

As for the regular sauce, there are still no objections.

"Natsukawa-san is the last one left... Did everyone pass?" Yukino Yukinoshita got the answer from her expression and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. A small, cute smile appeared on her lips, and her clear and bright voice became noticeably cheerful.

"Then I'll trouble you to line up. But before you enter, I suggest you read the entry instructions carefully to avoid violating any of the store's rules... After all, you have to be careful when interacting with cats."

Having grown accustomed to having his opinions ignored, Yuu Tenkuji casually remarked, "It's alright, isn't it? I also have a cat at home. It's well-behaved, cute, and a good homemaker. I don't see anything I need to be wary of."

"..."

Yukino Yukinoshita's shoulders visibly twitched, then she seemed to suppress the urge to press further, awkwardly turning her face away and letting out a stiff, cold snort:

"This is outside, not your home. Please don't be too free."

"Yes, Minister~" Tenkuji Yu lazily drew out the tone, seemingly nonchalant, but in fact, he had been keeping his attention on Natsukawa Masuzu the whole time.

After reading the store rules written on the small blackboard outside, the group of people took out their phones and excitedly discussed the photos they had just taken on the mountaintop.

Besides Yuuki Tenkuji and Masuzu Natsukawa, Yukino Yukinoshita was also dragged into the discussion by Yui Yuigahama. Although she wasn't very interested, she wasn't annoyed either.

"The lighting in this photo is a bit too dark; let's delete it."

"You took too many pictures too..."