I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

"Why!"

"By..." Asuna Yuuki chuckled, the imposing tone in her voice seemingly able to be transmitted through the phone, "those 'places where children can't go'?"

The deathly silence, where even breathing could not be heard, lasted for a long time.

"...It's not that I'm bowing down to you, it's just that I suddenly wanted to take care of my sister."

"Okay, sure. Hurry up!"

Yuuki Koichiro sighed helplessly, then raised his voice again and said to Tenkuji Yu, "I'm sorry, my sister seems to have something to ask you."

"It's alright, it's not shameful for a man to bow down to his sister." Having roughly understood the situation, Tenkuji Yuu gently comforted him.

For some reason, Yui Yuigahama's gaze became somewhat strange.

"Waaah, you're so kind-hearted, bro." Yuki Koichiro faked a few sobs, and soon the voice on the other end changed to that familiar gentle girl.

"Tenkuji-kun, it's been a long time."

Tenkuji Yu's expression remained unchanged: "It's been a long time since I've greeted you, Yuuki-kun."

Yui Yuigahama blinked, tilted her head, and muttered curiously, "Yuuki-kun? Isn't he a shut-in college student...?"

Yuu Tenkuji glanced at her sideways and ruffled the little bun on her head with his palm: "Didn't I say before that I'm friends with Asuna Yuuki's older brother? It's just that someone else answered the phone."

"I see...hehe."

Yui Yuigahama nodded in realization and smiled shyly. Then she consciously distanced herself—although it seemed a bit late to do so now, Yuu Tenkuji didn't care. Anyway, she wouldn't say anything shameful, so whether she eavesdropped or not was up to her.

As I was thinking this, a sudden inspiration flashed through my mind.

...Wait a minute, Yukinoshita Haruno has regained her memories, so what about Yuuki Asuna?!

Tenkuji Yu's pupils contracted sharply, she held her breath, and her heart involuntarily quickened.

Before Yuigahama Yui could notice anything amiss, he quickly calmed himself down and then turned down the call volume.

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation with your brother." This distant tone reassured Yuu Tenkuji slightly. "I think I just heard Yui Hama's voice. Is she next to you?"

“Yes, we just finished our after-school activities and are going home together now.” Tenkuji paused for a moment, then said casually, “After all, we’re boyfriend and girlfriend.”

"..."

Despite some doubts, Yui Yuigahama genuinely smiled with joy and sweetness, her round cheeks flushed.

She leaned her shoulder against his again, and her fingers, like a little bird searching for its nest, gently hooked onto his.

After a long silence on the other end of the phone, the person didn't react with much excitement, but instead replied thoughtfully in a soft voice, "Oh, that's surprising... Congratulations on your relationship."

"Thank you, I'll remember to send you a wedding invitation on my wedding day," Yuu Tenkuji said jokingly.

“You guys are only in your second year of high school, and you’re already thinking so far ahead.” Yuuki Asuna smiled, her voice devoid of emotion, and immediately changed the subject, “I’ll be going to Chiba soon, how about we all get together then? Me, you, Yui-chan, and Yukinoshita-chan.”

"No problem, I'll talk to Yukinoshita. We can create a group chat and everyone can tell me when they're free."

"Okay, then that's settled."

Then she hung up the phone, as if she didn't want to say another word to him.

Yuu Tenkuji didn't care what Hao-ge was feeling right now. After ending the call, he put his phone in his pocket and looked at Yui Yuigahama beside him.

"You overheard everything?"

"No. What did you say?" Something soft and round pressed against his arm. Yui Yuigahama's gaze wandered, her face flushed, and her guilty expression was obvious.

Yuu Tenkuji chuckled and poked her cheek: "It's a boyfriend's responsibility to keep things transparent when talking to other girls on the phone. I practically had you on speakerphone so you could chat too. There's no need to worry about such a small thing."

Yui Yuigahama breathed a sigh of relief, but then said in a slightly hesitant voice, "But we're not even really dating yet, is it really okay to do this?"

"what?"

"Declaring your ownership, acting like a boyfriend and girlfriend..." Those round, bright eyes looked over, as if confirming something, staring straight into his eyes. "Xiao You, what are you thinking? If you really want to date me..."

"If I confessed to you now, would you accept?" Yuu Tenkuji interrupted her with a smile.

Yui Yuigahama thought for a moment and shook her head: "I always feel that it wasn't because I truly liked him that I confessed, which makes me feel a little unwilling."

"I like you, otherwise I wouldn't care so much about your feelings." Yuu Tenkuji turned her gaze to the road ahead and said slowly.

"I want to date you, but I feel like something is missing... In the end, I can only resort to this half-baked approach: first, we'll establish a relationship, and then I'll slowly make up for the shortcomings later."

Yui Yuigahama pondered for a moment, then blurted out, "So, you get on the bus first, then buy the ticket?"

"Is that not allowed?"

"...I don't know how to answer this question."

She sighed in annoyance, her fingers hanging at her sides, going from hooking to gripping, and then interlocking.

"To be honest, I'm increasingly confused about what Xiaoyou is thinking... Even though you're right beside me, you feel more and more unfamiliar, as if you're carrying a heavy burden."

"He appears to be smiling and admitting it, but he is more insincere than anyone else."

Tenkuji Yu stared at her blankly for a moment, then pursed his lips and looked up at the sky.

The winter wind swept through the gap between the two, and the bare branches swayed in the gray twilight, with crows occasionally flying by.

"Perhaps."

"If you don't say anything, I can't think of how to help you."

With a gentle, warm touch, Yui Yuigahama lowered her head, as if trying to clear away all the confusion in her heart and her own, and said firmly:

"However, I will always be by your side!"

"Just like you accompanied me through those difficult times of studying, no matter what you're worried about, no matter what troubles you, no matter what you're concerned about..."

"Yui, I will always be by your side, so that when you don't know who to confide in or vent your frustrations to, you'll have someone you can rely on."

As if she had let go of some knot in her heart, she suddenly chuckled softly, raised her gaze high, and looked in the same direction as him.

Even if they're not boyfriend and girlfriend, it's the same.

"I can do these things just because I like you."

Chapter 42 You can go to sleep when you're tired of studying.

Night falls, at the Tenkuji residence.

After clearing away the dishes, Kasugano Sora called out to Tenkuji Yu, who was about to go upstairs.

"Yu, you've been busy with the cultural festival lately, haven't you?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Tenkuuji Yu turned her head in confusion. "Didn't I tell you already?"

"Your cultural festival..." Kasugano Sora hesitated for a moment, fiddling with her white hair, then looked away and casually asked, "When does it start?"

Tenkuji Yu quickly understood what she wanted to say, couldn't help but smile, and stepped forward to pat her head.

"How about I refuse everyone's invitations and spend the whole day with you exploring the school on the first weekend of December?"

"You said it yourself, you're not allowed to abandon me halfway through!" As if not allowing him to go back on his word, Kasugano Sora raised her small face and stared at him intently. "Also, actually I'm not that interested in the school festival, I just want to see how popular you are at school, how many girls are always bothering you... So, get ready."

"Haha, Qiong is really a tsundere!"

As if not understanding her gaze, Tenkuji Yu roughly ruffled her hair and burst into hearty laughter: "Honestly, what's wrong with wanting to visit the cultural festival? It's perfectly normal for a shut-in to yearn for the vibrant school life of a normal person. Don't be shy, don't be shy, your brother is actually happy about it~"

Kasugano Sora stared at him coldly, her soft, sweet little mouth seeming to emit a disdainful sneer.

After being glared at for a few seconds, Tenkuji Yuu suppressed her smile, coughed twice, withdrew her hand, and quickly went upstairs.

Sora followed behind her upstairs and pressed, "Besides Yuigahama Yui, you have other women, right?"

Tenkuji Yu vehemently retorted, "No, really no. I always kept myself pure and upright at school, and would never intentionally flirt with other women!"

"really?"

"You know I would never lie to you."

"So, those who passively stick to you don't count?"

"I've rejected all the guys who confessed to me! Anyway, so far, only Yui and I have a flirtatious relationship. You can ask her if you don't believe me."

"Never mind then. You know I'll always choose to believe you." Kasugano Sora snorted unhappily, still somewhat resentful, but she didn't follow him into the room. "Anyway, we'll find out when we go to your school... Besides that girl, how many other shameless women are eyeing my Yuu!"

"The wording is really extreme..." Shaking his head helplessly, Yuu Tenkuji suddenly remembered something before closing the door and said to Kasugano Sora, "By the way, Sora, a few friends will be coming to our house for a cooking class this weekend."

"A cooking class?" She stopped walking towards her room and tilted her head in confusion.

"Yes, I'll be the host, teaching two people how to make Mapo Tofu and various desserts... Yui will also be there."

"Oh, I see. This is troublesome..." Kasugano Sora frowned somewhat reluctantly, but she didn't object to the activity that would bring outsiders into the house. She just muttered a few words, "Then I won't go downstairs. Just don't disturb me."

Tenkuji Yu smiled and said, "Let's join together. Learning to cook will increase our feminine charm."

Kasugano Sora shook her head.

"First of all, I don't like cooking." She said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Besides, no matter how hard I try, can I ever cook as well as you? Only someone who can't cook miso soup for themselves needs to learn to cook, right?"

“That makes a lot of sense.” Tenkuji Yu shrugged helplessly.

Kasugano Sora was about to go back to her room after she finished speaking, but just as her hand touched the doorknob, a flash of inspiration struck her.

"Wait, female power... Yu, are those two people you mentioned girls?"

Sensing the imposing and cold tone in the voice, Tenkuji Yu subconsciously cleared her throat, then straightened her chest and nodded with the utmost composure:

"That's right, they are two female students. They are the same age as you."

"Isn't it cute?"

"They're... kind of cute, right? You've seen one of them before, the white-haired girl you met during your follow-up appointment."

"..."

In front of her room, Kasugano Sora slowly turned around, her moist and fine teeth slightly clenched, and a transparent flame seemed to burn in her pale eyes as she glared angrily at him.

"Yu, you just said, besides Yui Yuigahama?"

Yuu Tenkuji quickly raised his hands and slowly retreated behind the door: "I was just taking care of my juniors, I swear I have no improper thoughts about them!"

Kasugano Sora's flat chest rose and fell, and she smirked, saying in a forced smile, "You've already brought her home to learn how to cook. So, what's next? Will you bring her to her room to learn something else? And if she gets tired of learning, she can just sleep? Heh, what a kind senior who takes care of his junior."

"No, believe me, I'm really not the kind of scumbag who goes after anyone who's cute!" Yuu's figure gradually disappeared behind the door. "Right now, I only like Yui. I brought them home purely for convenience..."

Before he could finish speaking, Kasugano Sora rushed over, grabbed his door, and angrily pulled him out.