I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Normally it's the other way around.

In summary, Yui Yuigahama did two big things today.

First, with her mother's consent, she pretended to be sick and asked for leave from school.

Secondly, she studied at her desk all day long, from morning until now, without leaving the desk except for eating and going to the toilet, and without wasting her life by turning on her phone.

Scared, weren't you? Hehe, she was too.

At noon, when she was so engrossed in studying that she forgot to go downstairs for lunch, her mother almost dragged her to see a psychiatrist, muttering things like, "What kind of trauma did she suffer? Did she get NOR in person...?"

Seriously, I just promised myself this morning that I would study hard even if I didn't go to school. I definitely didn't ask for leave on purpose because I wanted to be lazy or didn't want to see anyone...

Well, even Yui herself doesn't believe that.

Anyway, apart from a slightly sore eye, she is in good health and feels like she has been reborn. She is in great shape now!

"That's right, we're students! Romance is not important at all. We need not only poetry and fleeting pleasures, but also a complete set of national mock exam questions!"

A strange surge of passion welled up within her. Yui Yuigahama slammed her hands on the books on the table and stood up, her face radiating righteousness, her eyes filled with anticipation and excitement for the future.

Mrs. Yuihama quietly opened the door, sighed, and walked in carrying a tray.

"Yui, I'm so glad you woke up in time..."

"Um...doesn't the word 'awakening' sound a bit strange?"

Her body stiffened for a moment, and her embarrassed face flushed slightly.

Yui Yuigahama sat back down at the table as if nothing had happened, patted the bun on her head, and pretended that nothing had occurred.

Mrs. Yuihama placed the items on the table, sighed, and placed her hand on her beautiful, smooth cheek, saying with a hint of worry, "But you're just using 'studying' to drown your sorrows, aren't you? Even if you want to turn heartbreak into motivation, you can't force yourself like this."

"I...I'm not heartbroken at all!"

As she picked up the chocolate cake from the tray, Yui Yuigahama explained, "Besides, it's something I wanted to learn myself; nobody forced me. This is just how I change my mood!"

"You didn't used to change your mood like this." As if she could see through everything, Mrs. Yuihama narrowed her eyes slightly. "It's all because of him, isn't it? Your little Yui."

"..."

Yui Yuigahama kept her head down, eating cake and drinking green tea, without answering.

Indeed, if she wanted to change her mood, going to sing karaoke or go bowling would have been her usual style.

I don't have that much ambition for studying.

As long as my grades stay at a certain level, that's fine. Anyway, no matter how hard I try, I can't compare to those two people, and I don't plan to go to Tokyo University or Waseda University or anything like that. Just being myself is enough.

She was an ordinary person, living an ordinary life, and that didn't change much.

However, even thinking about it this way, the fact that she would fake illness and take leave just because she was in a bad mood is unlike anything she would have done in the past.

She, once an ordinary woman, is no longer ordinary, yet she is still a long way from the stars she once gazed upon.

"Tenkuji-kun has excellent grades, right?"

Mrs. Yuihama lowered her voice.

"...First place."

"Even though we're in the same high school, I still can't help but want to catch up with him and reach the same level as him. That's why I stop singing and going out to play, and instead stay home to study, and temporarily escape from his side."

Mrs. Yui sighed softly, patting her daughter's drooping head: "Your timidity hasn't changed, but you've become so much stronger than before, Yui."

“I’m not that timid, I said everything I needed to say…” She ate her chocolate cake bite by bite, as if trying to swallow her mumbled words, and said with some dissatisfaction, “Also, don’t try to analyze your daughter’s feelings so casually.”

"Oh dear, who told you to guess so easily~" Mrs. Yuihama chuckled gently and ruffled her hair twice. "But I still don't know why you're feeling down. Why don't you tell your mother? Maybe you'll get some helpful advice~"

"You talk as if you're some kind of expert, Mom..."

"At least I have more experience than you, both in life and in terms of women's experience." Poking her soft cheek, Mrs. Yuihama mischievously added, "By the way, before you go that far with him, let me teach you some relevant knowledge... like how to make yourself look comfortable..."

"Aaaaaahhhhh—I don't want to hear it! Mom, stop talking! Get out of here!" Before the censored image could even flash through her mind, Yui Yuigahama quickly interrupted her, put the finished cake back on the tray, and then pushed herself and the plate out the door in embarrassment and annoyance.

"I'll handle my own affairs! Just be happy for your daughter's hard work and ambition! That's all, I'll come down for dinner when it's ready!"

"Oh~ Mom also wants to experience the troubles of puberty, I heard that it can make you younger~" Mrs. Yuihama looked at her aggrievedly.

"You're young enough already, you're clearly just trying to gossip about me!" Yui Yuigahama pouted angrily, preparing to close the door amidst her mother's cheerful teasing smile.

Just before closing the door, her mother's voice rang out again:

"Yui, no matter what... you can run away for a day to calm yourself down, but you can't run away forever. There are some things you always have to face."

"Although I don't know what Tenkuji-kun did to you, after thinking, hesitating, feeling hurt and discouraged, you must tell him your true feelings and the choice you made from the bottom of your heart."

"Instead of saying nothing and regretting it in your room, why not say something and then cry in your mother's arms under the covers? These are all necessary steps in life, don't be afraid, Mom will always be with you."

After a few quiet seconds, the footsteps faded away from the doorway and the person walked lightly downstairs.

"..."

Leaning against the door, Yui Yuigahama used her weight to close it, her hair casting a shadow over her face.

The sky outside the window darkened at an alarming speed; there was no sunset today, and the gray clouds quickly turned inky.

"Wow... Mom is such a kind person."

After silently gathering her emotions, she wiped her eyes, left the door, picked up the black-screened phone from the desk, and pressed the power button.

Aside from the message of concern he sent in the morning, he hasn't sent any other messages—what is he doing right now?

Are you going straight home? Or are you working on the cultural festival? You might also visit your old workplace.

...Or perhaps, he's chatting with Xiaoxue?

Not just Yuki, but also Haruno-san, Ryoko... even Aya-chan or Kanade-chan could be involved.

I don't know when it started, but I always feel like every girl in the world is interested in him, and I'm just an ordinary one among them. No one will even notice when I'm abandoned.

Do the stars prefer to look down on mortals on Earth, or do they prefer to shine alongside the Milky Way and the full moon?

"I know I shouldn't think like that... These are just unnecessary worries, I shouldn't feel so inferior."

It was as if she was convincing herself, or perhaps complaining about everyone who shared the same feelings.

Yui Yuigahama unconsciously clenched her clothes at her chest, bit her trembling lips, and took a deep breath.

However, the scenes from yesterday kept replaying in my mind.

It's strange. He clearly said he wanted to be her boyfriend, they both understood each other's feelings and made firm vows to each other, and strictly speaking, they even shared their first kiss...

Then why am I so uneasy that I dare not look at his face or talk to him?

Why be afraid of a future where being with him will bring great happiness?

"—It's about to begin, isn't it? Xiaoyou's 'cheating'."

This vague premonition was what caused her great distress.

Chapter 75 Mom, you can't do this! Xiaoyou is my...

Something that is definitely not good news for me is about to happen.

Yui Yuigahama had this premonition since they said goodbye yesterday, and after a day of reflection, it became even more real.

I didn't think there was anything wrong at the time, but after I got home and sat down to think about it, I found that my anxiety was like an inflated balloon, growing bigger and bigger.

She couldn't stop her mind from wandering, constantly flashing images of him drifting further and further away from her after he was with other people.

...Because I once had it, the feeling of losing it now is even more profound than the day I confessed my feelings and was rejected.

Ultimately, however much effort she put in, Yui Yuigahama never truly won him over.

"Because Xiaoyou has never really confessed to me, nor has she said she wants to date me..."

A slightly sad murmur echoed in the room.

Yui Yuigahama knew that Yuu Tenkuji didn't like to say things against his conscience or deceive others—even if the person wasn't Yukino Yukinoshita, he wouldn't make up lies to comfort her, much less fabricate his feelings.

Therefore, before he personally uttered the words "like" and "dating," Yui Yuigahama's place in his heart remained solely that of a friend; no matter how important a friend she was, she would never be his boyfriend.

The term "cheating" is more like a warning, a warning to myself not to continue liking him, otherwise the disappointment will only grow.

After all, if there's no actual relationship, how can there be any talk of infidelity?

"How annoying... Why do these dark thoughts keep popping up?"

In her room alone, Yui Yuigahama sniffed and tried to force a smile, even if it was just a bitter one.

She clearly said, "As long as you like me too, no matter how many troubles we encounter in the future, I am confident that we can overcome them together!" But now she is so depressed because of a mere premonition.

It's so embarrassing. They haven't grown at all. Their words are as fragile as paper, easily torn apart.

Because she didn't want anyone to see her in such an embarrassing state, Yui Yuigahama chose to take a day off today, using studying to forget everything and clear her mind of all the distracting thoughts.

The results were indeed very good, but after the training ended, all sorts of thoughts started popping up again like mushrooms after rain, coupled with what my mother said...

"Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ahhh—!"

Suddenly, she started scratching her head vigorously, ignoring the messy hair that she had painstakingly tied up. After letting out a few frustrated cries, Yui Yuigahama pulled out a chair and sat down again with a do-or-die attitude.

When in doubt, write down a math problem! No matter how troubled you are, there won't be a super difficult math problem that will give you a headache!

As she picked up her pen and opened the black notebook on the table, preparing to clear her mind and immerse herself in the world of knowledge once again, a sentence on the cover page suddenly caught her eye.

"Some people bear heavy burdens for thirty years, while others are trapped in a cage; some wander alone in the darkness for a very long time."

Fortunately, there are always stars to pave the way, so even through thorny thickets, the journey was not in vain.

He wrote this sentence to encourage himself to keep trying.

So she tried her best to get to his side, and finally seemed to be only one step away from him, but no matter what she did, she could not cross that step.

Why is this?

"Did I really do something wrong...?"

Looking at that sentence, Yui Yuigahama fell into deep thought.

She didn't know how much time had passed when a knocking sound suddenly came from outside the door, startling her awake as she seemed to have a premonition.

"Yui, your friend is here to visit you~"

"A friend?" Yui Yuigahama blinked, glanced at the mirror on the table, reflexively tidying her disheveled face, and asked, "Who is it?"