I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

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Yuu Tenkuji nodded, avoiding eye contact with her, and then pushed open the door and left.

—The "verbal bomb" planted that day seems to have had the opposite effect.

Unlike the other two, the aftereffects of Natsukawa Masuzu's amnesia seemed to have completely ruined her. Instead of gaining a better future, her life became even more miserable than her previous withdrawn and twisted self.

As for his inexplicably good relationship with Yui Yuigahama, it was unexpected, but also reasonable... After all, the lingering feelings were still at play, just like Haruno, who was still clinging to him, and Asuna, who seemed to have sensed that something was wrong.

For Natsukawa Masuzu, this was probably the best of luck amidst misfortune.

Even so, he didn't have much of a reaction after drinking the porridge he made. He didn't know if it was because his sense of taste suddenly disappeared or because the system had erased his memories so thoroughly. He finally put aside his unnecessary worries and wasn't afraid that what he did would cause any chain reaction.

At the same time, it completely extinguished that naive idea that his cooking alone could awaken their memories.

Yuu Tenkuji simply slipped the note with the recipe for "Chiffon Porridge" into her mailbox.

"This is the most I can do when facing the past, isn't it?"

The closer you get to her now, the more uncomfortable she seems to become.

Then, naturally, I had no choice but to keep my distance from my ex-girlfriend again.

……

After being escorted out of the luxury apartment by Yukino Yukinoshita, and then being called by Sora halfway through the journey urging him to hurry home and cook, he had to cancel his plan to take a detour to the shopping street.

After safely escorting the girl home, Tenkuji Yu walked alone along the dimly lit streets in the quiet night, her mind still replaying a question the girl had casually asked her when they parted:

"If Ms. Haruno suddenly confessed to you, whether she was joking or not, how would you respond, Yu?"

"Sorry, I have a girlfriend."

He didn't hesitate at the time, but if he were really faced with that situation, would he really be able to remain completely unwavering?

Even if her memories are erased, she can still like a girl again and again... If someone like that confesses to her, Yuu Tenkuji doesn't think she can be heartless. She can only force herself to calm down with a clear and still mind.

So, what kind of answer will be correct at that time?

"Are you free? Want to hop in and chat?"

Looking up, Tenkuji Yuu gazed at the mature woman leaning against the car door, staring at him in front of the red brick wall covered with graffiti and a few scattered advertisements.

She possesses the lively and adorable charm of someone no more than twenty years old. Her figure, accentuated by fashionable clothing, is curvaceous, and her delicate face, bathed in moonlight, appears even more alluring and gentle.

Her eyes winked playfully at him, clear and bright like sunlight under snow, pure and warm.

Her name is Yukinoshita Haruno.

The ex-girlfriend I no longer like, the one I've forgotten from the past.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Yukinoshita's Vow

During summer vacation, this was where they parted ways after their dates.

Memories of intimacy and farewell kisses in the car flashed through his mind, making him wonder if she had deliberately chosen this spot to block him out.

Yuu Tenkuji didn't show any unusual reaction, but asked with a puzzled look, "Is there something important?"

"Can't I bother you with something so trivial?" Yang Nai looked at him with great interest, her eyes seemingly waiting for him to slip up.

On the surface, she appeared calm, but inside she was slightly flustered. She quickly walked past her.

"Sorry, I'm in a hurry to get home. Let's talk about it another time."

"Oh, how heartless."

Saying this with regret, Yukinoshita Haruno made no attempt to stop him, simply letting him pass in front of her.

"Speaking of which, do you know what happened to Xiaozhenliang that made her lose her appetite and even develop a taste disorder?"

"I don't know, isn't that her privacy?"

"It's quite a coincidence. Although it wasn't that serious, I experienced something similar at the end of August."

Tenkuji Yu didn't stop walking, and his tone wasn't cold; it was as casual as if he were talking to a passerby.

"I see. Then you can exchange experiences with her, maybe you can figure out the reasons."

"The reason... isn't hard to guess." She smiled mysteriously, then suddenly changed the subject, "You and she are very close?"

"Just someone. We were in the same group on a previous autumn field trip, but we barely spoke... Why are you asking this?"

"Just curious~ What about with Dango-chan?"

"Just think of us as boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Eh~ Why is it Yui-chan? Yukino is so cute, doesn't she attract you?"

"Ultraman is quite attractive to me, so does that have anything to do with who I want to date?"

Having answered the question to this point, it's time to show a little impatience and refuse to speak to her without appearing guilty.

"That makes a lot of sense. I can't argue with you."

Her sighs faded into the distance behind her. Tenkuji Yu didn't turn around, but with an impatient expression of trouble on her face, she quickened her pace and left the range of the car's taillights.

next moment.

"...I'll wait for you to tell me the story on your own initiative."

A voice, seemingly deeper than the darkness of night, abruptly entered my ears.

The surroundings were quiet, and the cool night breeze carried the scent of her perfume, connecting her with that familiar feeling from her memory.

Yuu Tenkuji subconsciously stopped in his tracks, forcing himself not to turn around and look at her.

"I'll pretend I know nothing until I figure out what you're up to... but remember, my patience won't last long."

Despite its calm, icy, and aloof tone, it concealed a tenderness and warmth capable of melting away all.

"A guy who makes his girlfriend wait too long will be called a jerk. Come back soon."

She declared clearly and unequivocally: "Don't tell me you don't understand what I'm saying. If you really have forgotten everything, then I will start now and use every means at my disposal to make you remember everything."

"Didn't we agree that you'd stay with this troublesome woman until the end? If you run away halfway, I won't let you off the hook!"

Time seemed to stand still in that instant; the night wind ceased to blow, the stars stopped twinkling, and only the breaths of the two of them formed the entire world.

With her back to her, Yuu Tenkuji stood there, as if she were standing in the middle of the sea, isolated and helpless.

He opened his mouth slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but the "Heart of Clarity and Stillness" he had activated brought him back to his silent and calm state, and his fists clenched gently at his sides.

The emotions have vanished, but my mind is a jumbled mess, unable to form any coherent words.

"Miss Yang Nai, you..."

After a long pause, Tenkuji Yuu turned around and spoke to his ex-girlfriend behind him.

But then I heard her voice, like a child who hadn't tidied up the room yet, hurriedly trying to cover it up.

"Wait, don't turn around and look at me!"

Then, Yukino Yukinoshita took a deep breath and muttered in dissatisfaction, "Damn it, I really hate this unfamiliar form of address... I've decided, from now on, if you use honorifics when you talk to me, I'm not going to play along with your 'acting' anymore!"

"Yang Nai..."

"Okay, that's settled then. I'm sure you're smart enough to know what I'm talking about, but in case something unexpected happens, let's just keep quiet about it... But I'll settle the score with you about cheating on me with Yuuko-chan after everything is over."

Seemingly sensing that he was trying to lie, Yukino Yukinoshita didn't give him a chance to speak. She opened the car door, started the engine, and prepared to drive away after saying those harsh words.

The exhaust fumes blew into Tenkuji Yu's face, causing him to cover his mouth and nose, squint his eyes, and look at the woman sitting in the driver's seat with a complicated expression.

"You...you self-absorbed idiot."

"Likewise, you liar brat."

This time, she didn't turn around. Instead, through the car window, her clear and cheerful voice seemed to be heard by the floating clouds and stars in the night sky, dispelling the tranquility of the evening breeze.

"Remember this well, I will never forget you again—I will never have the chance to let you leave me again!"

"So don't even think about backing out. Your future still belongs to me, my dear little Youyou~~~"

Those confident and self-assured words, spoken with an air of ease and composure, disappeared into the night along with the black sedan that had left the white line.

She didn't turn around or look in the rearview mirror; she just stared straight ahead with her eyes wide open.

A cold wind quickly filled the car, messing up my hair, obstructing my view, and making my hands tremble slightly as I gripped the steering wheel—but it didn't matter, there weren't many cars on this road anyway.

Most importantly, that familiar warmth filled her heart again, though not much, it was the beginning of her finding everything from the past.

"Ah, I just couldn't resist..."

"How come the mature Yukinoshita always turns into an impulsive child in front of him?"

Where her lover couldn't see, Yukinoshita smiled broadly and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

She knew he wanted to run away, he wanted to lie, he wanted to hide something... he was just like her in the past.

Now that their positions have reversed, it's her turn to chase after him, from Chiba to Karuizawa, from her home to Disneyland, from July to countless years to come—

No matter how far apart they are, as long as the memories and feelings remain, Yukino Yukinoshita will keep her young lover firmly by her side, and even death cannot separate them.

"It's so good that you can remember..."

yes……

It's really great that I remembered this before I completely gave up...

△

"..."

Along the deserted streets, car headlights receded into the distance, and the graffiti on the red bricks was once again concealed by the night.

Tenkuji gazes up at the winter night sky.

It's a little different from summer, but when you can't see the stars, it's still the same as always.

"If my feelings were still there, I would be so happy right now that I'd be laughing and crying at the same time..."

Sighs drifted into the evening breeze.

With his hands in his pockets, he turned his gaze to the slanted shadow of the streetlamp, lowered his head, and silently began to walk.

"Why, why did this really happen... Tell me, system."