I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Only Natsukawa Masaki is out of place.

Because no cat wanted to approach her, they either avoided her or ignored her, creating a "cat vacuum zone".

"Hehe, let's call and send over a batch of dog-like creatures to play games with them."

Natsukawa Masaki smiled darkly, radiating an aura that made the surrounding cats even more wary.

Although the cats that had been gathered with great difficulty were scared away, Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't bring herself to say anything to blame her when she saw her like that. She could only sigh with pity.

"Don't pity me, I don't like small animals... unless it can control sand and likes to chew gum."

Natsukawa Masaki said nonchalantly, continuing to focus on the spaghetti in front of her.

Yuu Tenkuji could vaguely sense envy and disappointment from her; clearly, being avoided by the cat had hurt her.

It looks like it has a lot of armor, but this guy is actually quite vulnerable to damage, right?

……

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, a satisfied Yukino Yukinoshita led everyone out of the cat house, preparing to head to their next destination.

Having visited the mountaintop and the amusement park, all that's left are the shopping street and scenic area. There's also a flower field nearby that's still blooming beautifully in autumn. It's impossible to see everything before leaving, which is why we need to make some choices.

Finally, considering that dark clouds were already looming overhead and looked like a heavy rain was about to fall, the group decided to spend the rest of their time in the shopping street with shelter from the rain, rather than doing what they should do on an autumn outing to a scenic spot. Yukino Yukinoshita had some complaints about this, but she had already promised Yumiko Miura, so she naturally couldn't go back on her word.

"Even if the weather forecast says it won't rain, you should still be prepared for rain." Since they were planning to go together, Yukino Yukinoshita addressed the group in a lecturing tone, "Isn't it common sense to carry an umbrella with you whenever you go out, as long as you have room in your bag?"

Of the six people present, only she, who was prepared for any eventuality, and the overpowered Tenkuji Yuu had brought umbrellas. Therefore, she spoke with great confidence, leaving no room for rebuttal.

Yumiko Miura pouted, clearly disliking her condescending attitude: "So what if I didn't bring one? We won't get too wet on the bus anyway. Or we can just go to the convenience store and buy an umbrella or a raincoat, right?"

Yukino Yukinoshita narrowed her eyes and directly challenged her: "What you did was a reactive measure, what I did was a preventative measure."

Meeting that cold gaze, Miura Yumiko sneered fiercely: "Ha, who would know what would happen beforehand? Of course, we can only figure out how to deal with it afterward."

"What if it's too late to deal with it afterward? Is your life just about constantly trying to salvage things?"

"It's just raining, who wants to talk to you about life? It's ridiculous!"

"Alright, alright, stop arguing." Yui Yuigahama pulled Yumiko Miura back, and Touko-chan pulled Yukino Yukinoshita back. The two of them started to mediate the fight in unison. "Let's talk about this when it really starts raining. Let's go shopping happily for now?"

"Hmph!" The Flame Queen turned her head away, seemingly too lazy to argue with her.

"Tsk." The Ice Queen tossed her hair, looking as if she had wasted another moment on something boring.

As for the couple, they watched the show from the sidelines. Natsukawa Masuzu originally wanted to buy some popcorn to liven things up, but was stopped by Tenkuji Yu. She tried to nibble on his fingers, but was restrained by having her head held down, and that's how they started to bicker.

After the minor dispute subsided, before everyone could randomly choose a shop to go into, Yui Yuigahama suddenly spoke up:

"By the way, if conditions permit later, how about we go and check if 'Little Ksitigarbha of Happiness' exists?"

"what is that?"

Holding a small brochure that she had somehow obtained, Yui Yuigahama spread it out and showed it to everyone: "Look, this says that there is an urban legend in the 'Shimizu Scenic Area' called 'Little Jizo of Happiness'. It doesn't actually exist, but it's everywhere."

"Isn't that contradictory? Did the person who wrote the copy even think about what they were saying?" Yukino Yukinoshita reflexively nitpicked, but no one paid her any attention.

Yui Yuigahama continued reading the instructions from the booklet: "It only appears in front of people who yearn for happiness, perhaps in a corner of a convenience store, or perhaps in the middle of a bush—as long as you offer it an offering after seeing it, you can have your wish fulfilled and obtain the happiness you desire!"

Yuu Tenkuji: "How cliché."

Natsukawa Masuzu: "If we're talking about urban legends, I prefer the Slit-Mouthed Woman. Cutting someone's mouth off with a snap must feel really satisfying... Hehehehe."

Yukino Yukinoshita: "In the end, is this promotional method really useful? I don't think it can increase sales in the park, and the copy needs to be revised."

Ordinary Sauce: "Really? I think it's quite romantic..."

Yumiko Miura: "Give up. Those people have zero romantic sense. Don't bother with them."

"It's just a side event." After seeing everyone's varying reactions, Yui Yuigahama scratched her cheek and put away the booklet. "It's okay if we don't find it, but if we do find it, doesn't that mean we're lucky? That's one of life's little joys!"

After all, it was something that was dispensable, and not many people cared after it was mentioned, so they just forgot about it.

This time, Yumiko Miura led the team. She walked into the clothing store with ease and quickly found the brand counters that were reasonably priced and of good quality.

And then, Yukino Yukinoshita's nightmare began.

Chapter 52: The Disappearance of Natsukawa Masashi

"This one is nice, go try it on."

"Why me..."

"Cat House".

“…Very well, I’ll wear it.”

Feeling humiliated, she changed into the dress she had chosen.

Yukino's entire body was scanned by Miura Yumiko's gaze, and she shook her head in disappointment, waving her hand to tell her to change her clothes back.

"No, it doesn't match the chest area. This outfit suits Yui better."

"..."

This volatile emotion hadn't appeared in Yukino's heart for a long time since she met Yuuki Tenkuji.

But she had her own principles and sense of justice, and she couldn't go back on her word once she had made a promise. So, no matter how humiliating or unwilling she felt, Yukinoshita could only bite her lip and let them manipulate her clothes.

Yes, it's them.

Yui Yuigahama, Touko-chan, and even Masuzu Natsukawa joined Yumiko Miura's group, unwilling to miss this rare opportunity to "help the Ice Queen change her clothes," even if they were met with her cold stares and felt frozen from head to toe.

"Xiaoxue, you'll definitely look very elegant in this!"

"Yukino-san, please try this on!"

"Yukinoshita-kun, the outfit I'm recommending has a touch of the style of the international design master, Araki-sensei. Please be sure to try it on."

"...Isn't this men's underwear?"

"Superficial, Yukinoshita-san is so superficial! Don't just label beautiful clothes! Even if it looks like underwear, it doesn't become underwear the moment you put it on your head!"

"Natsukawa-kun, I'll call a taxi for you to go home right now."

It means "Get out of here".

As for Tenkuji Yu, he found a way out for himself.

For most men, shopping with women is undoubtedly a torment, a test of both body and mind, leaving them only able to catch their breath with their phones and rest areas.

As for Tenkuji Yu, he was naturally the kind of person who would pick out clothes at will, only comparing prices and not brands, and buy things as quickly as possible; he was shopping with five women, and no matter how you looked at it, he could only end up as a tool, their joys and sorrows were none of his business, and in the end, he wasted his precious autumn outing on the most insignificant things, and went back with only painful memories.

Of course, being able to enjoy Yukino Yukinoshita's costume show should be considered a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune—but if that were all, Yuu Tenkuji wouldn't deserve to be called a system owner.

Among the many skills he acquired was "fashion (expert level)," which was enough to make him a columnist for fashion magazines;

Not to mention their expert-level "makeup" and perfect "disguise" skills. Their knowledge of fashion trends, clothing brands, and makeup matching is more profound than that of most women, and their professional level is definitely far superior to that of these high school girls.

So when girls ask those dreaded questions like "Which one looks better, this one or this one?" or "Which color looks better, this one or this one?", Yuu Tenkuji not only handles it with a smile but also provides a well-organized analysis and offers many insightful suggestions.

The girls who had been arguing about which outfit looked better gradually quieted down, their eyes widening as if their opinion of him had changed drastically.

Even Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't help but open her mouth slightly, looking at the clothes he was holding in her hand with a look of astonishment.

"I originally just wanted to look and not say anything, but since you've all taken the initiative to ask me, I'll show you a little something... Yukinoshita, this should suit you well, try it on."

He smiled and held out his hand, gesturing for her to take it.

"..."

The group exchanged silent glances.

The next moment, Miura Yumiko decisively pulled Yukino Yukinoshita to another changing room, while the other girls surrounded her, effectively blocking Tenkuji Yu's view.

The sounds of their discussion reached her ears clearly.

"It feels so disgusting... That guy, is he just researching women's clothing all the time?"

"Yumiko, don't say that... It may be disgusting, but Yumiko meant well."

"I'd rather not have this kind offer. But then again, the fact that he can so naturally ask a girl to change into the clothes he's chosen is quite remarkable in some ways."

"I'm sorry, my boyfriend is a bit lacking in common sense. To be honest, even the top I'm wearing underneath was chosen by him; it's the kind that's extremely revealing, *crying*..."

"Um, Tenkuji heard everything from behind... I have a feeling he might come up and knock us on the head at any moment."

The pleasant shopping trip lasted for two hours.

At 3 p.m., the rain finally started. There were still two hours left before the 5 p.m. meeting time, but we had only explored about half of the shopping street.

Apart from Yukino Yukinoshita, who looked lifeless and like a doll, the others were still full of energy, waving bags of various sizes in their hands, and continuing to walk towards the next store with unfinished business.

"Yumiko, look! It's a scenic area, but it not only has amusement facilities, it even has an arcade... That's amazing."

"Want to go over and take a look? Taking some selfies would be nice."

"There are so many people, I hope there won't be a queue..."

"I think that's enough. Let's find a coffee shop to rest and wait for the meeting to start..."

"What are you talking about, Yukinoshita? Our journey has only just begun! Don't stop here!"

"...I'll kill you sooner or later."

As for the rain...

They planned to wait until it was almost time to gather, check the weather then, and decide whether not to buy rain gear at the convenience store—after all, Yukino Yukinoshita and Yuu Tenkuji both brought umbrellas, and Yuu Tenkuji even brought an extra raincoat.

If you squeeze in, you might not even need to buy one. Students from Class B and Class J can each get on the bus with just one umbrella, so there's nothing to worry about.

Just as they were about to head towards the arcade, Natsukawa Masuzu suddenly stopped and said apologetically, "Sorry, my stomach is suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable. You guys go ahead."

"I'll go with you." As her boyfriend, Yuu Tenkuji naturally had to fulfill his duty of companionship, though he wouldn't go inside with her.

"No need, you can stay with them. I'll be back soon."

Unexpectedly, Natsukawa Masaki not only refused his request to accompany him, but also didn't say anything more, and quietly walked towards the restroom.

Then half an hour passed, and she vanished without a trace, as if she had completely disappeared from this world.

△

A somber rain curtain enveloped the entire scenic area.

Blindly trusting the weather forecast, people caught off guard quickly retreated to the eaves, watching with some distress as the rain grew heavier and seemed unlikely to stop anytime soon.