I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

"……that's all?"

"That's all, be careful when you go out."

As if complaining that he was making trouble for no reason, Yukino Yukinoshita sighed helplessly, "I know, thanks for reminding me."

"You're welcome, it's my pleasure."

“…” She paused, then answered softly, “You too, be careful on the road.”

"Congratulations, host, you have received the reward: Leisurely and Free (Status)."

After ending the call, Tenkuji Yu rolled her eyes: "Is this what you call a special feature? This broken system."

The reason he did this suddenly was not only because he really wanted to remind Yukino Yukinoshita to bring an umbrella, but also because he was testing a sudden idea.

—If he's thinking about the reward he wants, will the system actually grant his wish?

As it turns out, yes, and it's incredibly compassionate.

Before making the call, he thought, "I want a reward related to rainy days that I can use in my daily life." But the system not only gave him one, but it didn't give him things like water guns, water cannons, or rainmaking spells that he didn't usually use. Instead, it gave him a useful ability that he copied from Pokémon.

"Effortless: In rainy weather, the speed doubles."

It's not the speed of an early X, but the speed of a pile driver.

When no one was around, Yuu Tenkuji closed her umbrella and tried it out. She almost lost control and crashed into a telephone pole—it was so fast, too fast!

This system is flawed in every way, except when it comes to giving out rewards—it's always incredibly generous.

After his initial reflection, Yuu Tenkuji put the matter out of his mind; he had received countless rewards, so naturally he wouldn't be overjoyed or devastated by a single auxiliary trait.

Most importantly, having called Yukino Yukinoshita, he couldn't forget Yui Yuigahama, otherwise it wouldn't be fair to her—the moment this thought crossed his mind, Yuu Tenkuji had already taken action.

"Hey? Yui, are you still in bed?"

"Hahaha! You dare to say that? Who was it that was late every day in middle school..."

Even without any reward, he still spoke very happily.

Chapter 81 After the Rain... Many Short Stories (18/23)

The winter rain drizzled on and on, seemingly lasting from dawn till dusk, stretching from Tokyo to Okinawa. It wasn't heavy, but it was persistent enough that it felt like it would never stop.

Yu Tenkuji arrived at school alone.

Not only did Yui Yuigahama oversleep this morning, she was so busy chatting with him that she forgot to prepare for going out. She's probably still hurriedly getting ready and running out the door with a piece of bread in her mouth.

Yuu Tenkuji didn't mind waiting for her, just like when they usually went to school together on the long slope—but Yui Yuigahama told him to go directly to school, and he didn't make a fuss, entering the school gate a few minutes earlier than usual.

"Good morning, Tenkuji-kun."

The disciplinary committee member greeted him, and even though it was drizzling, he was still wearing a raincoat and standing guard in front of the school gate, which was admirable in its dedication.

Coincidentally, Yuu Tenkuji knew this person.

During the last mission, it was she who reassured him and Natsukawa Masuzu about their relationship and exposed the school's strange custom of promoting healthy relationships.

Good morning to you too.

After a polite greeting, Yuu Tenkuji was about to pass by when he heard the other person's mysterious voice.

"Tenkuji-kun, everyone will wish you and Yukinoshita-kun all the best! Good luck!"

Sky Temple Yuu stopped in his tracks, turning to look at her with a strange expression: "What do you mean?"

"It means exactly what it says! Your relationship with Yukinoshita has already spread on social media!"

The disciplinary committee member quietly took out his phone, peeked under his umbrella, opened the campus network page, and showed him the various posts on the forum.

[Breaking news! The campus goddess is confirmed to be taken, and the couple openly displayed their affection at the committee meeting!]

[I'm your 'boyfriend,' how could I possibly leave you out when you're in trouble? — The most heartfelt confession, guys should all come and learn!]

[You can't learn this! Ten things you might not know about how campus celebrities date.]

Am I the only one who thinks Yukinoshita is unworthy of Tenkuji-sama?

[The Yuyu Fan Club is facing disbandment; how much responsibility should Yukino Yukinoshita bear for this?]

【…】

As Yuu Tenkuji watched, the corner of his eye twitched involuntarily.

"This... seems even more exaggerated than before..."

Although he has the campus network app downloaded on his phone, he doesn't use it often, only opening it once every two or three days.

I vaguely remember that the discussion surrounding me breaking the wooden pillar of the archway to save Yukino Yukinoshita was not as high as the buzz surrounding me openly helping her with tasks in the committee this time.

In other words, the news of his relationship with Yukino Yukinoshita spread like wildfire, almost reaching the entire school—from the Cultural Festival Executive Committee to the whole school, it only took less than one night, which shows how fast information spreads.

"Don't worry, most people will still wish you well."

Seeing that he had looked away, the disciplinary committee member carefully hid her phone and said with a smile, "Your true love fan club will handle those overly aggressive fans for you, and you don't need to worry about Yukinoshita-san either—you just need to focus on your relationship and strive to carry forward the school's traditions! Be sure to be happy!"

"I see..." Yuu Tenkuji drawled, seemingly understanding, before suddenly asking, "True Love Fan Club?"

The disciplinary committee member's eyes lit up: "Yes! It's composed of the group that followed you from the very beginning of the autumn performance..."

Before she could launch into a long explanation, Yuu Tenkuji raised her hand to stop her, her tone flat and even.

"Are you a member?"

The disciplinary committee member stood with his hands on his hips, head held high and chest puffed out, looking proud: "No, I did..." Then, realizing something was wrong, he quickly covered his mouth and put on an indifferent expression.

"...cough cough, I don't know anything."

There's no way Tenkuji Yuu would be fooled so easily.

"I thought all disciplinary committee members were this gossipy, but it turns out I was wrong."

He smiled kindly, looking down at the girl of the same age whose face was gradually turning red and who was too embarrassed to meet his gaze. He said slowly, "It's an honor to have a member of my fan club among the disciplinary committee members, and even one of them has taken a leadership position."

Using an umbrella to shield himself from the rain, with a serious tone and his hand on his chest, Tenkuji Yu gave her an elegant bow: "It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for telling me so much information."

"No, well... that's not what I meant..."

The disciplinary committee member was timid and hesitant, her eyes darting around nervously, a far cry from her usual spirited demeanor in front of the school gate.

"Do you need my autograph? Or a photo? By the way, I don't know your name yet, Miss Cadre..."

Before she could finish speaking, she covered her face and ran away in a flash, leaving behind only a repentant roar that seemed to dispel the dark clouds:

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have abused my power for personal gain, I'm a sinner!"

"Wait……"

Unable to stop her in time, Yuu Tenkuji could only stretch out his hand and watch her disappear rapidly into the rain.

His lips twitched; he wasn't quite that wicked after all. He managed to suppress a laugh and sighed with self-reproach.

"Did I go too far... She was just trying to give me her blessings, it's so heartless of me to tease her like this."

Shaking her head, having already lowered her profile the moment she uttered that cry, Tenkuji Yu quickly headed towards the teaching building after confirming that no one was paying attention to her.

Place the umbrella in the umbrella stand and make sure it's within a clear view of the monitor; open the shoe cabinet and make sure the shoes in the room haven't been suddenly replaced or have been stained with any strange liquid.

After changing his shoes, Yuu Tenkuji stepped into the corridor, feeling refreshed.

"Even if she's a beautiful girl, even if she's wearing black stockings, once she's been soaked in water for a while, the smell would definitely make people want to stay away..."

Although it sounds a bit strange, Yuuto Tenkuji really wants to see Yukino Yukinoshita's feet getting soaked and smelly from the rain, and her awkwardness in not daring to take off her shoes—that contrast is quite interesting to think about.

Of course, I can't feel excited, let alone like it.

Please, everyone, treat your XP systems like human beings and stop thinking about escaping Earth.

……

Class 2F is located at the end of the second floor of the teaching building.

Yuu Tenkuji usually goes up the stairs at the very back of the first floor, where she can enjoy the youthful energy of the first-year students along the way and avoid having to say hello as much as possible.

Second graders know so many people that they could probably say "good morning" dozens of times if they walked from one end to the other. In contrast, first graders are usually too shy to greet people, either nodding politely or pretending not to see them. This level of shyness suits them just fine.

Undisturbed by anyone, Yuu Tenkuji passed smoothly in front of the first-year classroom; perhaps because it was still early and most people were taking a nap at their desks, the corridor and classroom were quiet, and footsteps could be clearly heard.

The infirmary in front of the stairs was quite the opposite; it was bustling with people coming and going, making a lot of noise, and most of them were girls.

"What's going on? The infirmary shouldn't be open yet."

Yuu Tenkuji slowed down, observed for a moment, and then understood.

The girl whose feet were soaking in water came to the infirmary to borrow a hairdryer.

Through the window of the infirmary, Yuu Tenkuji could see the girls inside carrying their socks with resentful expressions. Some were drying their socks with towels or handkerchiefs, while others were queuing up to wait for the person in front of them to finish using the hairdryer.

All you can see are smooth, adorable little feet dangling in mid-air; for some people with a particular XP, calling it a paradise wouldn't be an exaggeration.

In addition, a strange smell wafted out from inside, mixing with the cold and damp air of the rainy day, creating an indescribable chemical reaction.

The moment she accidentally caught a whiff, Yuu Tenkuji killed her sense of smell and hurried upstairs, holding her breath.

—Thank goodness it's not summer, and thank goodness it's all girls who came, otherwise I'd be out of luck with this nose for now.

Anyone who has lived in a men's dormitory knows just how terrifying the smell of a guy's feet after soaking in water—especially those from a sports club, right after playing basketball—can be described as a biological weapon.

It's hard to say about girls, but there's absolutely no creature on Earth that would like this kind of 'masculine' physique!

Before fleeing upstairs, Yuu Tenkuji heard a familiar, sweet voice ring out from the door of the infirmary.

"Senior, you saw me just now, right? You definitely did, didn't you? I waved to you and you ignored me, that's so mean!"

"Isshiki, it's not that I didn't see it, it's just..."

He turned around, just as he was about to say something.

Then he saw Isshiki Iroha walking towards him with her cheeks puffed out, carrying a pair of cute colorful socks in her hand.

The scene was like an alchemist using Q to approach himself when he was low on health.

"..."

Yuu Tenkuji turned back expressionlessly and quickly disappeared into the stairwell.

"So fast, senior?!"