I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Raising an eyebrow, Tenkuji Yu spoke with a smile.

"come over."

"……what?"

“If you want to see,” he unlocked the screen, brought up an album full of cat photos, waved it at her casually, “come over here and look at it, otherwise forget it.”

With Yukino's excellent eyesight, she could naturally see the cute gray-spotted kitten waving at her on the screen.

A faint blush spread across her fair and lovely face. Whether from embarrassment or anger, she gritted her teeth slightly and glared resentfully at Tenkuji Yu.

"I'm starting to wonder if you're really planning to do something to me."

In the empty classroom where the two of them were alone, the way she forcefully called him to her side was clearly a prelude to her making unwanted advances.

But even though she said that, Yukino Yukinoshita felt no fear or even wariness at all. When they first met, she wanted to call the police just because he approached her, not to mention the 'threat' she had received. She could never be too careful when they were alone.

Is this Stockholm syndrome?

No, it's just that I saw through this person and he simply didn't have the guts to put his wicked schemes into action.

"Come or don't come, it's none of my business." Tenkuji Yu shrugged, put down his phone, and continued eating.

To his surprise, Yukino Yukinoshita didn't hesitate for long before she looked like she was going to her death, and carefully sat down about a meter away from him with a chair and a lunchbox.

The scent of shampoo or laundry detergent filled his nostrils with the pleasant aroma of winter, momentarily making him feel lightheaded.

So this smells really good?

Yuu Tenkuji subconsciously took a deep breath, only to see the beautiful girl with long, straight black hair immediately cross her arms, glaring at him with a mixture of embarrassment and anger, her upper body leaning away from him.

"Pervert! You definitely had ulterior motives!"

"...You're overthinking it, let's watch it now."

Yuu Tenkuji didn't bother to explain, gestured to his phone with his eyes, and calmly continued eating.

He had no intention of attacking Yukino Yukinoshita. His reaction just now was merely a male instinct. He had always considered her a friend.

...Perhaps there's still a lingering impression of her as a kitten, like "she hesitated before coming when called."

"I hope you won't do anything that would diminish my trust in you."

Squinting at his profile, Yukino Yukinoshita said this coldly, then let out a soft breath, lowered her guard, and eagerly picked up the phone on the table with her slender, fair hands.

Then came her various suppressed gasps, and occasionally you could hear the sound of her footsteps as she suppressed her excitement.

Chapter Twenty-One: Is your preferred type the more mature type?

"So cute! What breed of cat is this...?"

"This position is nice too, I really want to try rubbing it..."

"It can shake hands? It opened the door by itself? That's so smart..."

That clear, cool voice became unusually lovely and gentle, as if the snow woman had finally become human, as if winter had melted into spring.

Beside her, having finished her bento, which was even more delicious than usual, Tenkuji Yu leaned back lazily in her chair and closed her eyes to rest.

He opened the album specifically for cat photos, so he wasn't worried that Yukino Yukinoshita would find any strange pictures—but even if she did, it wouldn't matter. At most, she would see the abs he took to show off; there were no private photos that were shameful.

Just listening to her tender whispers with a relaxed mood, Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but laugh out loud when he recalled her usual aloof and serious demeanor.

"..."

Perhaps because she had made up her mind to ignore him, Yukino Yukinoshita was not angry.

But whenever laughter rang out, a foot would always sneakily kick his shin from underneath, then casually pull it back.

The midday sun slanted through the window lattice, gently sweeping across the short and long black hair.

The shadows in the classroom were about the same distance from the chairs, but unusually, they were leaning together in a friendly manner.

"call……"

Time moved slowly, as if every detail was magnified, even her satisfied sigh seemed to be stretched out, leaving a deep impression on her mind.

It seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and Yukino Yukinoshita returned the phone to her.

"Thank you."

"All done?" Yuu Tenkuji teased, the warmth of her palm still lingering on her phone case.

"Hmph. It's a pity that the cat has an owner like you." Although it was meant to be sarcastic, her slightly flushed face and relaxed expression made it sound less aggressive and more like a coquettish complaint.

"Did you take it for vaccinations? What kind of food are you feeding it? Judging by its age, it should still be a kitten. How do you usually train it?"

Why do you care so much?

Yukino Yukinoshita looked unwilling: "...At least, it's a cat's name."

"Yukinon."

After answering, Yuu Tenkuji saw the surprised expression on her face as expected, and then explained, "Don't misunderstand, I adopted this cat from the animal hospital before the start of the semester. I didn't remember you at that time."

"……That's good."

After all, it's easy for someone to have a bad association when their classmate's cat has a name similar to their own.

Although she had already believed his words in her heart, Yukino Yukinoshita's brows remained furrowed as she looked at him thoughtfully.

She could tell he wasn't lying, but his roundabout way of speaking seemed to be deliberately avoiding some key point, not directly answering her question...

"Speaking of which, I haven't thanked you yet."

This sentence diverted her attention, and she looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"What do you want to thank me for?"

Tenkuji Yu glanced at her, then looked back at his phone, saying casually:

"Thank you for your concern yesterday, I'm much better now."

"yesterday……?"

Yukino Yukinoshita blinked in surprise, her cherry-colored lips parted slightly, and before speaking, she couldn't help but purse her lips into a beautiful smile.

"I can tell that kind of thing, there's no need to say it out loud."

Turning her face away calmly, Yukino Yukinoshita stroked her long hair and sighed helplessly, "Caring for your subordinates is the duty of a department head. If you truly want to thank me, then show me a little more respect than usual."

"Dream on." Looking at the roots of her ears in her hair, Tenkuji Yu also laughed. "I'll consider whether to use honorifics for you after you beat me in a mock exam."

"Oh? You're quite the guy who was just average in your grade before summer vacation, aren't you?" With a faint smile, Yukino Yukinoshita turned back, her tone as cheerful as his. "If we both get a perfect score, then it's my victory, how about it?"

"Sure, I can secretly ask the teacher to add a few more questions that are beyond the syllabus. As long as you're not omniscient, I'll definitely be the winner."

For a moment, Yukino Yukinoshita rolled her eyes at him, who was smiling smugly, and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"When it comes to shamelessness, no matter how hard I try, I can't beat you."

"If you admit defeat, then it's my turn to make demands, right? After all, a victory or defeat requires an equal stake."

"Lunch break is almost over, let's go." Ignoring his teasing, Yukino Yukinoshita packed up the half-eaten bento box that she had left while looking at photos, took a chair back to the window, and left a lingering fragrance in her dark hair.

Tenkuji Yuya packed up his empty bento box and waited for her to finish packing so they could leave together.

"Does Yuihama-san have something to do today?"

"Isn't it a bit late to ask now?" Yuu Tenkuji watched her lock the clubroom door. "She went to eat with her friends. Unlike someone else, she gets along really well with the girls around her."

"You think I'd be envious?" Yukino Yukinoshita scoffed, "I'd rather hang out with those guys who can't do anything but gossip and scheming than with you..."

She suddenly stopped talking.

She quickened her pace subtly, her skirt billowing as she walked forward.

Tenkuji Yu didn't press the matter. He wasn't the kind of guy who would randomly flirt with girls, chasing after them to tease them if they accidentally said something wrong. He was too oblivious to his surroundings.

He simply followed behind her, gazing at the exquisite area between her black stockings and fair thighs, a contented smile spreading across his face.

"...Your gaze is a bit indecent."

The beautiful girl with long, straight black hair suddenly stopped and waited for him to walk up to her with a displeased expression before continuing on her way.

"I was just appreciating beautiful things. I've said it before, you're not my type." With her hands behind her head, Tenkuji said casually, without any intention of defending herself.

"Or do you mean you don't consider yourself beautiful?"

"Don't think this trick will work on all girls." Yukino Yukinoshita sneered, tilting her chin slightly and confidently tossing her black hair. "It's common knowledge that I'm beautiful, but that doesn't mean I'll be like an inanimate work of art, willingly letting you admire me."

"Really? I'm so sorry."

"Taking the initiative to apologize is a good virtue, so I'll praise you for that." After saying this condescendingly, Yukino Yukinoshita seemed to hesitate for a moment, remaining silent for a few seconds before saying in a tone that suggested she had something to say but couldn't:

"Just asking, is your type... the more mature type?"

"..."

The question itself wasn't particularly shocking, but the fact that Yukino Yukinoshita asked it made Yuutokuji so shocked that he subconsciously stopped in his tracks.

Her nose nearly bumped into his back, and the girl quickly stepped back, meeting his gaze with a blank, nonchalant expression as he stared at her with a strange look in his eyes.

"what happened?"

"...Is this the question you want to ask, or is it someone else's question?"

Chapter Twenty-Two: Yuu Tenkuji's Confusion (15/23)

Her feigned composure crumbled, and Yukino Yukinoshita blinked in surprise.

Knowing what was puzzling her, Tenkuji Yu covered her face with one hand and sighed as she explained, "If you liked me, you definitely wouldn't ask this way... If you didn't like me, of course you wouldn't even ask."

Yukino Yukinoshita stared at him, and after a moment of stunned silence, she smiled with a mixture of helplessness and admiration.

"It's been analyzed so clearly that I feel disgusted with that guy now."

"So, it was Yang... your sister who asked you to ask?" Tenkuji Yu frowned slightly.

Without Natsukawa Masuzu's influence, has Yukinoshita Haruno, who should have given up on Shimogamo Shrine, started chasing after him again?

Whether she has the memory or not, her feelings are so heavy and persistent...

Having been deprived of his emotions, he only felt it was troublesome.