I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

She exhaled a breath of warm air, stretched her arms and legs comfortably in the water, and hummed lazily and relaxed, "Ah, so comfortable~ Soaking in hot springs is definitely the best thing to do in winter, just like going swimming in summer!"

Yukinoshita lay on the shore, squinting and smiling as she chimed in, "And we'll eat ice cream while soaking in the hot springs and hot pot while swimming, right?"

Yukino Yukinoshita sat on the shore, her calves gently paddling the water, her voice sounding even clearer and brighter in the steam.

That's just a generalization.

Unlike Yuihama, who boldly placed a towel on a rock and went into the water naked, the wet towel clung to her slender, modest curves, making the shallow indentation on her flat stomach extremely obvious.

"Although there is a saying that eating hot pot in summer and ice cream in winter will not harm the stomach, what you eat in what season does not actually have a big impact on your health. As long as you keep it in moderation, the rest is just a matter of personal preference."

"I see... Hehe, whatever happens, happens." Yukinoshita Haruno suddenly grinned wickedly. As water splashed up and her voluptuous upper body leaped out of the water, she reached out her devilish claws towards her younger sister with such speed that no one had time to run away.

"Aren't you cold up there? Come on, come down and see!"

"Wait, I'm not used to it yet... Ah!" Yukino Yukinoshita cried out in surprise as she was pounced on by Yukino and carried into the hot spring. The two snow-white bodies intertwined in the water, creating a splashing sound.

After a while, things calmed down. Yukinoshita Haruno clung to Yukino, teasing her chin and laughing playfully, "Your body isn't a cat's tongue, why are you so afraid of getting burned? You've been getting used to being on the shore for so long, be careful not to catch a cold from the temperature difference."

"How...how could I catch a cold so easily!" After catching her breath, Yukino Yukinoshita used all her strength to break free from her grasp and quickly hid behind Yui Yuigahama, staring at her warily like a cat with its fur standing on end while being forced to take a bath.

"Just relax in the hot spring, don't touch me inappropriately."

Yukino Yukinoshita feigned sadness: "This is just my way of expressing my love, Yukino is going too far! Are those two little dumplings really that great? They're not that much older than me!"

"I didn't say anything..." This was a bit awkward for Yui Yuigahama, so she could only blink her big eyes and innocently act as Yukino's shield.

After glaring at her older sister, Yukino Yukinoshita turned her gaze to the other side of the shore: "If you're so bored and want to find someone to play in the water with, how about you find someone over there who's also afraid to go in the water?"

Noticing the gazes directed at her, Natsukawa Masaki casually dipped her feet into the water and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"Little Zhenliang is also afraid of getting burned?" Yukinoshita Haruno raised an eyebrow slightly, but did not rush up to grab her down as she had before.

"Excuse me, please speak Swedish. I don't understand Japanese."

"The hot spring isn't very hot, how about we go for a swim?" (Swedish)

"..."

You're awesome!

Natsukawa Masaki clicked her tongue and, under the watchful eyes of Haruno and Yukino, reluctantly stood in the hot spring, then slowly sat down with her knees drawn up to her chest.

"Hiss..." He couldn't help but gasp softly, his fair and delicate skin turning a deeper rosy hue as if it were being scalded.

She endured the sensation that was both pleasurable and slightly stinging, and casually raised her chin at everyone: "This is probably my first time soaking in a hot spring, right? Yukinoshita-kun, is it yours too?"

Yukino Yukinoshita opened her mouth as if to speak, but recalling the lessons she had learned the previous two times, she decisively shut her mouth and ignored her, leaning against the wall to rest with her eyes closed.

Yang Nai had no intention of continuing to tease them. Since it was a rare opportunity to soak in a hot spring, she naturally wanted to let the hot water wash away all her fatigue before thinking about how to have some fun with these young girls later.

Even with her sister by her side, she wouldn't have a chance to escape, and Yukino Yukinoshita certainly wouldn't let that opportunity slip by.

The corner of the hot spring became quiet, with four women and three pairs of fruits floating on the water. The water droplets sliding down their slender necks and the breaths exhaled from their noses created a beautiful and colorful scene.

A few minutes later, Natsukawa Masaki got out of the hot spring. Feeling a little dizzy, she decided to get out and rest.

Her gaze swept across the room and she saw the sign for the sauna. She hesitated for a moment, but finally pushed open the door and went inside.

In the dim light, the steam carrying the scent of wood suddenly rushed into her nostrils. Xia Chuanzhen paused at the door for a while before closing the door and sitting in a corner. She closed her eyes, leaned against the damp wooden wall, and tried to clear her mind of everything.

The door opened slightly, steam escaped and cold air rushed in, but things quickly returned to normal.

Someone sat down next to her and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:

“Natsukawa-kun.”

“…Danko-chan?” Natsukawa Masuzu opened her eyes and looked at Danko beside her.

Well, because of that huge cat that was wrapped in a bath towel but still had a strong presence, Natsukawa Masuzu's gaze lingered on the upper hemisphere for a few seconds before looking up at her expression.

"Hehehe, this is the first time the two of us have been talking alone like this since the autumn outing, right?"

She flashed her familiar silly smile, and the frankness and sincerity in her eyes always made people afraid to meet her gaze.

Natsukawa Masuzu looked away, stretching her arms and legs forward as she casually replied, "Yeah, I remember saying a lot of hurtful things to you back then, didn't I? I feel really bad about it now."

She asked curiously, "Why is Natsukawa apologizing?"

Natsukawa Masaki bit her lip, her voice unconsciously lowering.

"And why... You were genuinely concerned about me back then, weren't you? But I responded to you like that, and even presumptuously treated you as an enemy..."

There was a moment of silence around me.

Immediately, Yui Yuigahama burst out laughing, a very happy and carefree laugh.

"Pfft, hahaha... Natsukawa-kun, this is nothing like the old you. Not only did you apologize, but you're even reflecting on your attitude so seriously... It's really strange!"

"Strange? That's a really rude way to put it. Don't treat me like a child who can't tell right from wrong!"

Her tone was displeased, but when she heard the other person's laughter, Natsukawa Masuzu felt relieved.

For some inexplicable reason, I couldn't help but curl the corners of my mouth and let out a light snort.

"There was nothing I could do. Back then, you stood in front of me as my rival in love, so of course I wasn't going to be polite to you. No matter how much you tried to be nice to me, I would still think there was something fishy going on... But things are different now."

Like a curious child, Yui Yuigahama leaned closer and asked, "What's different?"

"Well..."

Gently tucking the silver hair that had fallen from the towel, a warmth spread across her cheeks and ears. Natsukawa Masuzu could feel the expectant gaze fixed on her face, yet she couldn't help but hesitate.

The heat in the sauna usually comes from the outside in, but now, she felt a strange, shy feeling that made her feel hot from the inside out. Her internal organs felt numb, itchy, and restless, and she wanted to just escape the sauna and get out of her sight.

However, her body remained obediently seated on the wooden bench, unwilling to leave Yui Yuigahama, who was so close at hand.

Chapter 140 From Rivals to Friends

It was as if a voice was constantly urging Natsukawa Masuri in her heart:

Speak up! Now is your chance; if you don't speak up now, it will be too late!

To have the courage to make a change, to get closer to 'truth,' and to have the opportunity to touch the light that we once dared not touch...

If Natsukawa Masuzu runs away now, she will always be a coward who deceives herself.

Unable to communicate sincerely with others, constantly living in suspicion and calculation, deceiving others and deceiving herself, and enjoying the feeling of loneliness with an arrogant attitude—she hated Natsukawa Masaki more than anyone else, and hated this kind of "maturity" more than anyone else.

That's why I keep asking myself questions until I peel back all the pretense and let the answer from the bottom of my heart emerge.

If I can take this step, can I also gain friends?

If I can take that step, can I laugh with them too?

If I could take that step, I could also face my feelings with the same sincerity and frankness as her.

If possible... could I become his girlfriend?

"..."

His fist clenched quietly at his side, and he inhaled a strangely flavored steam into his lungs. His consciousness was momentarily hazy, as if he were being dazed.

"I want to be your friend, that's what's different from before."

—I said it!

The moment he realized he had spoken his true feelings, Natsukawa Masaki's heart raced, his gaze involuntarily drifted to the corner of the wall, and he seemed deaf to all sounds from the outside world. It was even more nerve-wracking than when they were kissing.

She swallowed hard and pursed her dry lips. "You might find it strange... no, even I find it strange. What is someone who's always toying with other people's feelings saying? It's really presumptuous of them..."

Having crossed the most difficult threshold, the remaining words, though hesitant and stumbling, still flowed out like a floodgate bursting open.

"But I still envy you... I envy that you, like Ayou, are so honest about your feelings. You can openly admit who you want to be good to and who you like without hesitation, never afraid of mutual suspicion or deception, and you can get closer to someone whenever you want. Your words and actions always follow your feelings... You know what? That's the thing that's most lacking in my circle. It's like a pearl hidden in a stone. You want to take it but are afraid it's a trap, and yet you have two of them by your side—"

The increasingly urgent speech suddenly stopped.

Slowly, Natsukawa Masaki lowered her head, rested her elbows on her thighs, covered her forehead, and sighed heavily.

"...I'm sorry, I'm feeling a bit confused right now and I don't know how to express myself properly."

"If it weren't for Yuu, I might never have known how safe and comfortable it is to be able to open my heart and talk to someone... This might sound harsh to you, but if I hadn't asked him to be my fake boyfriend that day, let alone talk to you or Yukinoshita and the others, I might have remained a loner and an 'outsider' with no memorable moments until I graduated and left Japan."

"I want to be friends with you, perhaps because I want to repay him for the 'change' he gave me..." As if she suddenly understood the problem, she sneered and said self-deprecatingly, "What an overly utilitarian reason, typical of me."

Natsukawa Masaki shook her head and prepared to get up and leave.

"Sorry, Yuihama-san, please pretend I didn't say anything earlier—"

"What the reason is, does it matter?"

Before she could finish speaking, a soft body leaned in and gently embraced her, much to her surprise.

Their warm skin touched, and Yui Yuigahama tightened her arms around each other, whispering, "Didn't I say before that I cared about you because I wanted to know more about Yuu? That's true."

"Feelings are selfish. If that's what you call being utilitarian, then girls in love are all extremely utilitarian people... So, reasons don't matter at all. Just do what you want to do, and that's enough."

"..."

Silent, hesitant, conflicted.

Even though she remained motionless like a stone statue, Yui Yuigahama still held her quietly, transferring her body heat to her, as if she were silently telling a story through this action.

Natsukawa Masaki leaned against her chest, closed her eyes, and remained silent for a long time before gently opening her dry lips:

"You said...something that's very similar to him."

"is it?"

"Yes, it's just like a life mentor, making you doubt yourself and whether the beliefs you've accumulated are correct."

"It's not that complicated." Yui Yuigahama smiled and patted her head soothingly like a child. "It's just easier this way. Who told Natsukawa-san to be so troublesome?"

"Trouble? How does it compare to Yukinoshita-san?"

"Hmm...just as troublesome?"

"Ha, she's quite an amazing person too."

Unable to suppress a smile at her slightly conflicted expression, Natsukawa Masuzu suddenly sat up straight, gently pushed Yuigahama Yui away, and turned to meet her gaze.

Both of them wore smiles, their eyes clear and open, as if they could see right through each other.

“Well then, Dango-chan…” The silver-haired girl mustered her courage and didn’t look away, “Would you like to sit on the throne of Natsukawa Masuzu’s first friend?”

"Still so arrogant..."