I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Having successfully avoided the likely awkward atmosphere, Tenkuji Yuu waited for the elevator for a while before finally arriving at the floor where Natsukawa Masuzu was.

Ding-dong! I rang the doorbell, and someone came to open the door quickly.

"Welcome, it's a bit late today."

"The club had an event, which took a little longer than expected."

"Oh dear, that must have been very hard on you."

The young woman who opened the door naturally took his coat and briefcase, and after settling them in, she blushed slightly and smiled shyly at him, saying:

"So, should we eat first, or take a shower first, or... eat me first?"

Tenkuji Yu walked past her expressionlessly.

"I'll cook the food, I don't have time to shower, but you... you can't eat it if you haven't showered."

That slightly seductive, innocent expression instantly crumbled, and Natsukawa Masaki's face turned quite gloomy.

"You've gone too far by making me sound like a piece of dirt!"

The voice came from the kitchen, accompanied by the sound of the refrigerator being opened: "I didn't go that far. Do you really enjoy self-torture that much?"

"Who told you to still act like a saint, unmoved no matter how I try to seduce you?"

After glancing furtively at the kitchen and confirming that he didn't have time to look at the entryway, Natsukawa Masaki buried her head in his coat and began to inhale deeply, while speaking in a seemingly calm manner:

"Could it be (inhale)... that I really need to (exhale)... send you a Mona Lisa (inhale)... to get back to normal (exhale)?"

"I'm not some ordinary office worker, what use is that thing to me?" Yuu Tenkuji shouted while preparing ingredients. "By the way, what's with that voice? Are you sick again?"

"No, I just suddenly had some difficulty breathing."

After charging was complete, with a flushed face, Xia Chuanzhen satisfiedly let go of his coat, leaned against the door, and spoke in a mature and charming tone.

"Then next time you come, I'll take a shower and wait for you."

Amid the sound of chopping vegetables, Yuu Tenkuji casually replied, "There's no need for that. I'm just here to cook a meal and then I'll be leaving. That little bit of time isn't enough for me."

"Oh? Are you trying to say you have great stamina?"

"You can't be too afraid to even brag, can you? As for the actual outcome, we'll talk about it when you're mentally prepared, Miss Zhenliang who likes dirty jokes."

Wearing her loungewear loosely, Natsukawa Masaki chuckled, her eyes filled with a lazy smile.

"Wow, you know me so well! That's terrifying!"

The distance from the entryway to the kitchen has been transformed into a warm and welcoming atmosphere that was previously absent.

Similar conversations have been repeated countless times ever since Yuu Tenkuji started ringing her doorbell as a matter of course.

As for Natsukawa Masaki, she always tries to flirt with him, seemingly unafraid of what might happen when a man and a woman are alone together in a room.

But if he gets serious and approaches her, she timidly pulls away, clearly not ready for a kiss. At home, she's more reserved than in public...

Although Tenkuji Yu is about the same in this respect.

To this day, they are both testing the waters to maintain a safe distance, in order to avoid any accidental conflict.

Putting aside Natsukawa Masaki, Tenkuji Yu is no saint who remains unmoved.

Although the system's existence raised his standards considerably, it couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't impulsively cross that line one day, making some overseas returnee who loves telling dirty jokes understand what it means to be consistent in word and deed, and what it means to keep one's word.

But there was no other way; the world was not yet at peace, and the growing dragon still had to be sealed away.

A mature man recognizes his own desires and then uses undeniable reality to restrain himself—this is why Yuu Tenkuji is always able to control his temper.

"Okay, remember to let it cool down before putting it in the refrigerator, otherwise it will spoil very quickly."

As usual, after making the porridge for her, Yuu Tenkuji prepared to leave the Masuzu family home—there was still a little sister at home who needed to be fed, and she couldn't not go back soon.

"You've worked hard, Ayu." Natsukawa Masaki smiled gently, reaching out her cool hand to touch his face, her deep blue eyes gazing at him. "You're really becoming more and more like a stay-at-home husband. How about I take care of you from now on? I can even take care of your sister too."

"You don't even earn as much money as I do now, and you still expect me to be your gigolo?" Tenkuji Yu said irritably, brushing her hand away and squatting down in front of the entrance to put on her shoes.

"I'll take care of you from now on, how about you pose in JOJO poses for me at home every day?"

"To come up with such a thing as Prey, you truly deserve to be called the King of Demons, Ayu."

Withdrawing her hand, Natsukawa Masaki smiled nonchalantly, her palm slowly reaching behind her as if to take something out.

After putting on her shoes and standing up, Yuu Tenkuji suddenly said, "By the way, I might be a little busy lately."

"You've been a bit busy lately?" Natsukawa Masaki paused, then asked instinctively, "What about the weekend? Are you free this weekend?"

"The weekend? I need to accompany my sister to the doctor."

"……besides?"

"I also need to go to the Kendo Club to participate in the National Tournament. The schedule is uncertain, I'll let you know later."

Unbeknownst to him, Tenkuji Yu had also gotten into the habit of reporting his whereabouts to her in the manner of a boyfriend.

However, Natsukawa Masuzu didn't seem to notice this. She just stared at him with her sapphire-like eyes wide open, looking on in confusion.

"Kendo club? National tournament?"

"Ayu, what have you been up to behind my back with that beautiful girl from who-knows-where?

Yuu Tenkuji: "..."

So she's just assuming it's related to a pretty girl...? What kind of impression do I have on her?!

Chapter Eighty-Nine: The Amulet of Misfortune (Two Chapters Combined)

Regardless of how bad an image she had of him, Tenkuji Yu had originally planned to find an opportunity to tell Natsukawa Masuzu everything that had just happened.

He has a habit of telling his girlfriends about everything that has happened to him, so that she knows everything about his "life" and that his whereabouts are transparent.

While I may not remember to mention everything, and there may be things I really don't want to say, at least sharing my experiences regularly can minimize my girlfriend's anxiety and avoid misunderstandings and arguments.

I couldn't participate in your past, but I'll accompany you to the end in your future—I guess that's why I unconsciously do this because I like this phrase.

Even when they're not physically together, they can share all the joys and sorrows they've experienced. Yuu Tenkuji believes she enjoys this kind of relationship.

"So it is, and so it is..."

Right there in the entryway of the luxury suite, he recounted the events of the afternoon in detail.

With her expression returning to its usual calm and composed state, Natsukawa Masaki crossed her arms, rested her chin on her hand, and nodded thoughtfully.

"A silver-haired angel in the first year... the national kendo tournament... and Yu's sister complex... Hmm, I get it."

"You don't understand. I like older women with big breasts. I'm completely unexcited by the little girl type, okay?"

"Wow." As if she had heard some big news, Natsukawa Masu raised an eyebrow and asked tentatively, "Really? I thought you were either a lolicon or gay a while ago."

Without the slightest hint of anger, Yuu Tenkuji simply shrugged: "Guess? I'm not going to tell you my XP."

Natsukawa Masuzu suddenly realized: "Or do you actually like tentacle-type characters, but you've just never dared to say it? Like a girl whose true form is a jelly monster, or an octopus girl from another world?"

"What kind of bizarre options are these..." Yuu Tenkuji rolled his eyes, too lazy to argue with her anymore, pressed the doorknob and prepared to leave. "That's fine. If you're free, you can come and take a look. It shouldn't take too much time, and we can still walk home together after school."

“Of course, wherever you are, I will be there, until death do us part… We are one, Tobio.” Natsukawa Masuzu smiled, then suddenly lifted his chin with her fingertip, her eyes soft and alluring as she spoke, “I am very pleased with your honesty. What kind of reward do you want? Sugar? How about two? Or three? No, I’ll just give you five.”

"Any JoJo fan who confuses Doppio and Secco is trash." Yuu Tenkuji remained unmoved, even offering a nonchalant remark.

Incidentally, both of these are villains from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5, and both have some personality issues.

"I haven't mixed it up. A good JoJo fan is one who can use Stands to make jokes at will. Please don't doubt my professional ethics." With a snort, seeing that he wasn't teased at all, Natsukawa Masuzu prepared to let go.

Unexpectedly, Yuichi Tenkuji grabbed her wrist, pulled it to his chest, and casually wrapped his arm around her slender and beautiful waist.

This unexpected action caused Natsukawa Masaki to widen her eyes, her soft cheeks quickly turning red, like two red plum blossoms blooming on the snow.

"What...what should I do..."

She struggled slightly, but still softly leaned against his chest, her cool, silver hair gently brushing against him.

"A goodbye kiss is something only couples do. We're different from them..."

The voice was soft and gentle, a weak hum that came out like a little girl lazily rolling around in bed, containing a strange sense of anticipation and excitement.

The surrounding air began to warm up, and it felt as if flames were burning wherever my skin touched it.

"If I do nothing, you'll be disappointed, won't you?"

Saying this with a helpless air, Tenkuji Yu lifted her chin, looked into her moist and beautiful azure eyes, and smiled slightly: "It has nothing to do with being in a relationship. We're just doing what we want to do... If you can't believe in love, just believe in what you can believe in. How cool."

"..."

Her dazed eyes cleared instantly. Looking at his focused gaze, Natsukawa Masaki opened her mouth as if to speak, but couldn't say anything. She could only silently avoid his gaze.

Even though she knew he was right, for some reason, when she was nestled in his arms, she couldn't agree and nod as naturally as she usually did.

It's like having a thorn stuck in your heart. No matter whether you move forward or backward, there will always be a layer of disguise that will be torn away, exposing your truest self.

"Don't think too much about it, I'll be by your side." He said softly, as if he could see through everything, his tone gentle yet cruel.

Why bring this up now?

Natsukawa Masami didn't understand; she could never guess what he was thinking, and occasionally she would feel uneasy about it.

Was he just saying it casually, or was he implying something? Wouldn't it be better to continue deceiving each other like this? Why did he have to say it out loud?

The hands around her waist were warm and secure, the firm embrace seeming to lead her into another abyss.

In the silence, their lips met again, savoring each other's taste.

This was also the first time that Natsukawa Masuzu remained conscious during her kiss with Tenkuji Yu, unable to immerse herself in the dreamlike bliss.

……

Outside the luxury apartment building.

Tenkuji Yu turned to look at the half-lit windows of the high-rise building, her face expressionless, and simply asked herself:

"do you like me?"

She would definitely answer: I like it, or rather, I love it.

However, that was definitely not the truth.

No matter how close she was, Yuu Tenkuji would never hear her sincere answer.

Because things that even she herself avoids are things she can't give away as gifts.