I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

"If you don't like it, you can cancel the order anytime. Besides, you were the one who specifically requested me, a newcomer, and now you're saying I'm trying to get something from you? That's really strange."

Yuu Tenkuji looked out the window with a cold expression, his words filled with distance.

"Anyway, I don't want anything except money."

"Also, I don't know everything, I only know the things I happen to know."

As soon as the words were spoken, the atmosphere froze again, as if someone had been called to the podium by a teacher for a lecture.

Despite his nervousness, Tenkuji Yuu kept a cold expression and quietly awaited her answer.

"..."

After a long silence, Yukino Shino pursed her lips and slowly lowered her eyes.

"I see..."

Her fingers unconsciously traced the patterns on the tabletop. She slightly curved the corners of her mouth into a smile, as if trying to hide her disappointment, forcing out a cheerful one.

"I just think that, putting aside the loan relationship, we should be considered friends now... Well, sorry for pressing you for your secrets in that way."

Sky Temple slowly returned to view.

"No, personally speaking, I actually quite enjoy spending time with Ms. Haruno."

She blinked her eyes pitifully, her voice soft and sweet: "Really?"

Yuu Tenkuji nodded earnestly.

"Yeah, although I didn't think so at first."

"..."

Her face contorted for a moment, then Yukino took a deep breath, her smile blooming brightly again. She placed her hand on her chest and said reassuringly:

"That's great... To be honest, at first I just thought you were interesting, I didn't really see you as a person... cough cough, I saw you as a man."

After a pause, Yuuki Tenkuji smiled back at [Yukinoshita. Mine. Haruno].

"It's okay, me too."

Yukinoshita Haruno seemed not to hear, and continued to laugh gently and heartily.

"Let's pretend nothing happened and continue to get along harmoniously, my boyfriend?"

Without hesitation, Tenkuji Yu grasped her outstretched hand.

Slender and long, perhaps due to its cold constitution, it feels like a soft, icy mochi.

He said, "This is what I should do."

【Jeong-yeon 言。】

Both of them knew to take each other's words with a grain of salt; only a fool would believe them.

Every line is a line from a play, devoid of any genuine feeling—it is precisely because I understand this fact that I can smile at the other person.

For her, nothing was more comfortable than a false connection built from pure lies.

For him, this was simply the correct way to mine.

The two looked at each other, their eyes reflecting each other's image as if trying to etch it into their minds.

Then, smiling, they tacitly let go of each other's hands.

Once again speechless, Yukinoshita Haruno took out her phone, leaned back lazily in her chair, and casually said:

"Why don't you play on your phone to kill time before the food is served? I don't think you'd like to chat with me anyway."

That was a huge help.

Completely lacking any awareness that a "rented boyfriend" should take the initiative to chat with his girlfriend, Yuu Tenkuji took out his phone and scrolled through unread messages.

Two or three minutes later, she held the screen up to her face, pointed to the person playing the piano with gorgeous and elegant fingering, like a dancer, and asked:

Is this you?

Tenkuji Yu put down his phone, looked up and smiled at her.

"you guess?"

"..."

Staring at him, Miss Yukinoshita clicked her tongue in a very blatant way.

"Congratulations, host, you have received a reward: ... Japanese Yen."

"Congratulations, host, you have received a reward: Short Story Writing (Proficient Level) once."

"Congratulations, host, you have received a reward: a weakening of your presence (status) once."

"Congratulations, host, you have received the reward: Acting Skills (Master Level)."

"Congratulations, host, you have received a reward: a slight increase in willpower (spirit)."

△

Turn off the system panel.

Yuu Tenkuji became increasingly certain that the better his relationship with her, the richer the rewards he would receive.

On the morning of July 26th, I became Yukinoshita Haruno's rented boyfriend, in just two or three days.

What if this mine could be mined continuously for six months?

The thought of this possibility made him gasp, realizing he had contributed to global warming.

"Little sister... I might have to rely on some rich woman to become an all-powerful monster."

Chapter 27 Spicy Constraints

"Ouch! It's so hot and spicy!"

After the dishes were served, Yukino Yukinoshita took a bite of Mapo Tofu, immediately stuck out her tongue and breathed out, her fair cheeks flushed red from the spiciness.

She gulped down several mouthfuls of tea, and then, taking advantage of Tenkuji You's inattention, exchanged her Mapo Tofu for the pineapple and shrimp dish that he had only taken a bite of.

"The portions are the same, so exchanging them is perfect! Please, little Youyou~"

"Just right, my foot." His younger sister often did this kind of thing, so Yuu Tenkuji only paused for a moment before expertly switching the plate back. "You ordered spicy food? You deserve it, don't you?"

"I just didn't know it was so spicy, it's not that I can't eat spicy food." Looking at the Mapo Tofu that had returned to her, Yukinoshita Haruno shrugged and put it aside, then picked up her stir-fried vegetables instead.

Her lips, slightly pursed and glossy, looked as sweet and soft as a high-end dessert.

"...When you eat at a restaurant you've never been to before, you're bound to have some bad experiences. I won't force myself to eat something I can't finish." She swallowed the food in her mouth before adding this.

"Moreover, regular Mapo Tofu isn't this spicy."

To prove she wasn't lying, Yukino Yukino stuck out half of her tongue, letting him see how her pink tongue had turned red and swollen.

She noticed that he only glanced at her and then quickly looked away, and couldn't help but chuckle mischievously, like a little girl who had successfully pulled off a prank.

"Mapo tofu is supposed to be spicy. You must be used to the sweet Japanese-style mapo to be able to eat it."

Ignoring her, Tenkuji Yu looked at the plate of Mapo Tofu with great interest. After finishing the Mapo Eggplant on her chopsticks, she reached out and scooped up a spoonful.

Like an electric current, the sensation traveled directly from the tip of my tongue to my forehead the moment the spoon touched my mouth.

"No~"

Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but tremble slightly, his neck and above turning red almost instantly, and his breathing became heavy involuntarily.

This is... a legendary premium dish!?

The traditional Mapo Tofu is known for its eight flavors: numbing, spicy, hot, fresh, fragrant, and tender. This restaurant has achieved six of them, and even the crispness and freshness are subtly taking shape!

The world of cuisine unfolds in my mind. Every bite of spicy sauce feels like floating in bright red lava, with only the tender, hot tofu as a means of survival.

Unfortunately, if all eight ingredients could be gathered, it would probably be a higher-level, top-tier dish.

"It's so authentic... Only a Chinese chef could make this kind of flavor."

Slowly exhaling a breath of spicy air, Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but sigh, "I never expected that such an unknown Chinese restaurant could actually invite a near-Qin-level Chinese chef to preside over the restaurant. It's truly unexpected."

"Lin-level?" Upon hearing this, Yang Nai, who was eating, tilted her head in confusion. "Are chefs divided into such levels?"

Yuu Tenkuji shook his head: "No, it was just a joke."

"Hmph~ Playing with memes..."

Looking at him suspiciously, Yukinoshita Haruno seemed somewhat skeptical, but wisely refrained from pressing for answers.

After all, there is no Dark Cuisine World in this world, no Totsuki Culinary Academy, and no related novels or manga.

There is a lot of repetition in other works—the two worlds are like incompletely copied files, with some similarities and some differences.

For example, the Goldberg Variations he played, as well as works like Oreimo, Food Wars!, and Cooking Master Boy, have never existed in this world before.

But the progress of series like "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure," "One-Punch Man," and "Pokémon" is exactly the same as in the previous life, and I just can't understand why there is such a difference.

Perhaps it's the result of a shift in the world line? Yuu Tenkuji was too lazy to delve into things that were beyond human control.

'If I ever reach the perfect cooking skill level, maybe I really can make a glowing dish and let Qiong try it to see her reaction...'

Thinking this, Yuu Tenkuji placed the plate of Mapo Tofu in front of her and began to eat it with rice.

Seeing how happily he was eating, Yukinoshita Haruno's lips curled into a faint smile.

"You like spicy food so much?"

"It's just edible," he replied vaguely.

"There's a Sichuan restaurant in Shinjuku that's supposedly very authentic. I can take you there to try it next time."

“Really? Then I’ll gladly accept.” Tenkuji Yu agreed without any pressure, and then added, “If you don’t mind, I can also take you to some of the local eateries near my house. Although they are cheap, the taste is by no means inferior.”

"Of course, that meal is on me."

Even if the rich woman doesn't mind, as a man, Yuu Tenkuji can't keep letting her treat him to meals.

In order not to become a gigolo, he made this suggestion—to reciprocate by treating the other person to a meal, and at the same time, introduce them to his favorite restaurants.

Regardless of the price, it's the thought that counts, so neither the person inviting nor the person being invited will feel any pressure.

Moreover, doing so would naturally give them the opportunity to meet again.