I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

That's despicable.

Clearly, Natsukawa Masuzu had no intention of sincere cooperation; she only wanted to use him. She even gave him information selectively, using excuses like "I forgot" to cover up anything she didn't mention.

Yukinoshita felt extremely wronged and strongly condemned this behavior.

These young people nowadays, how dare they deceive honest and simple college students like this! It's heartbreaking, the world is so unfair...

In terms of being willful and morally deficient, the two do indeed have many similarities.

In other words, Yukinoshita Haruno also had no intention of trusting Natsukawa Masuzu.

Since we've already obtained the most important intelligence, any remaining value this guy has is just icing on the cake; it's not a big deal if he's gone someday.

The main reason why Yukino Yukino still keeps in touch with Natsukawa Masuzu is that she doesn't want to waste the current situation. She doesn't know what to do to make Yuuki be devoted to her as before, nor does she know how many other people are in the same situation as her.

Every card in her hand counts, and in order to achieve final victory, Yukino Yukinoshita was already mentally prepared to use any means necessary.

Of course, this includes using Natsukawa Masuzu as a mere tool, squeezing out every last bit of value from her.

"Xiao Zhenliang, do you know about them filming a movie?"

"You just found out today? Was it the same thing that happened on the forum yesterday? Hehe, I don't go online often... Never mind, never mind, let me explain it to you~"

"So, so, so... Judging from their incomplete PV, the actual film probably hasn't been shot yet, right? Seeing how much fun they're having, don't you want to join in?"

"Why, you ask me? Isn't it simple?"

Yukino Yukino smiled, her tone seductive, and whispered into the microphone, "If you're late, there won't be a place for you next to him."

"Since you weren't planning to heed my previous warnings anyway, why not just ignore them and stick by his side 24/7? Maybe you'll regain your memories soon, you know?"

"..." There was a long silence on the other end, then he spoke in an unusually normal tone, "Are you trying to muddy the waters and then reap the benefits?"

"Hmm? You seem to know a lot~" Yukinoshita Haruno said with some surprise, but she still maintained her relaxed attitude. "However, there is one thing you are wrong about - Yu-Yu was originally mine. I only didn't drive away all those philanderers for his sake."

"It's not a case of the fisherman profiting, but rather legitimate self-defense."

Natsukawa Masaki sneered, "So you plan to use me to stir up trouble, and then kick me out sooner or later? You really don't hide your malicious intentions at all."

Yukino Yukinoshita smiled indifferently: "Please call it a shrewd scheme—after all, it just so happens that there's an opportunity to 'take the stage.' Even if I didn't tell you, you wouldn't just let it slip by, would you?"

"Wouldn't it be better if you just continued to be the mastermind behind everything? Aren't you afraid I'll tell him all of this?"

"Don't worry. He knows how much I love him, he won't hold this against me." As if boasting, yet also showing pity, Yukino sighed softly, "You're different, Natsukawa-kun, who remembers nothing..."

"If I were to rashly go and disturb him, or even try to interfere in the romantic relationship between those three in the Service Club, I'm afraid I'd only be met with a rejection even worse than a forced kiss, right?"

"It would be better to continue observing, but if you just watch like this, you don't know when you'll be able to get closer to him. Isn't it time you started to feel anxious?"

"Watching him get along better and better with Yuigahama and Yukinoshita, while you, who have nothing, can only hold onto that lingering feeling, like a rat lying on the ground looking at the cheese on the high platform, isn't that very sad and painful?"

Every word she spoke seemed to be tearing open her heart, ripping out the wounds, and then rubbing salt into them to torment her. The more she spoke, the more pleased she became, even laughing unabashedly, a chilling malice spreading with her voice.

Natsukawa Masuzu did not reply, seemingly speechless, or perhaps too lazy to pay attention to the aloof Yukinoshita.

She suddenly changed her tone, her voice becoming friendly and gentle: "But at least for now, you and I are on the same side."

"I'll give you a reason to get close to him. How far you go depends entirely on your abilities... Although I estimate you probably can't beat the two people around him, who knows what the outcome will be if you don't try?"

"If you really succeed, I might have to call you master instead."

As her voice faded, Yukinoshita and the others delivered her reply.

"Finished?" Surprisingly, Natsukawa Masaki's tone was not very expressive.

Yukinoshita raised an eyebrow: "Finished? How was it?"

"I can really relate to it, and I'm getting anxious now." She added, her tone very serious. "It's just like my own emotional journey. I don't want to repeat the same mistakes and end up in that tragic situation."

Yukino Yukinoshita gripped her phone tightly, telling herself to get used to it and not to get angry easily; she wasn't worth it.

"Stop talking nonsense. I'll take that as a yes. Remember to do as I say."

"Don't worry, this isn't the first time. I'm good at this." For some reason, Natsukawa Masuzu smiled meaningfully. "To be honest, at first I thought Ms. Haruno was a shrewd and cunning woman who had everything under her control. Even I would find it difficult to fall in love with someone like that. I even thought that the worst-case scenario might be that we wouldn't even be able to be lovers."

"So? Did I disappoint you?"

Yukinoshita Haruno's voice instantly turned cold, completely baffled as to where Yukinoshita got the audacity to speak in such a contemptuous tone.

Natsukawa Masaki continued in a teasing tone, casually saying, "How could I dare? After all, you can have my father take me back to Sweden at any time, while I have no means to restrain you."

"That's true, but you sound pretty confident. What, have you found some kind of leverage against me that doesn't even exist?"

Yukino slowly walked to the windowsill, gazing at the night outside the railing, her eyes sparkling like cold stars.

Immediately, Natsukawa Masaki's voice, still tinged with laughter, rang out through the microphone.

"We don't need that kind of thing, we just need to know one thing."

"Yukino Yukinoshita, you are ultimately just like me—'only this much'."

Yukinoshita Haruno subconsciously opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, she was interrupted for the first time, and the conversation was handed over to the other person.

"Since you're somewhat of a senior, I'll give you one last piece of advice."

Natsukawa Masaki calmly said, "There are people everywhere who scheme and plot but end up with nothing. You're laughing so smugly now, but the day you unfortunately become a loser, others will laugh even more excessively."

"Yeah, I will anyway. That's all, goodnight."

After saying that, she hung up the phone.

"..."

The cold wind seemed to freeze the hair on my shoulders, and the night was as dark and gloomy as if it could collapse at any moment.

After the call ended, Yukino Yukinoshita remained standing behind the balcony railing, silently standing like a statue for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time, the fair hand suddenly loosened its grip, and the phone fell straight down onto the grass below with a dull thud.

Without even glancing at it, and with no intention of going downstairs to pick it up, she turned around and went back to her room.

The floor-to-ceiling windows were tightly closed, the glass shutting out the desolate, cold wind outside, while the heater enveloped my cold fingertips.

—Now that I've taken the first step, I realize that the inside and outside of the house are like two different worlds.

Yukino Yukinoshita believes that the outside world has nothing to do with her.

Because the warmth of her memories was still fermenting in her heart, sooner or later, she would be able to take back everything that belonged to her.

She never doubted that other possibilities existed.

even so--

"As for being smug, I wish I could actually have that kind of leisure..."

The girl sighed softly as her breath fell to the ground.

On the grass, the shattered screen flickered, displaying the boy's image and the unpressed call button.

In the next moment, it was swallowed up by the starless and moonless night.

Chapter 101 A man even more handsome and powerful than the Blue-Eyes White Dragon?

Winter is not a season with frequent rain.

The next day, the clear sky covered the withered branches and leaves, and the cold, dry wind swept through the corridors and roamed every corner of the campus.

The teaching building seemed to have entered a hibernation period; it was quiet during class and even after class, it lacked its usual vitality and noise.

The corridors are filled with a dazzling array of items related to the cultural festival, all the result of the students' hard work for that day.

Class 2-J

The classrooms are not usually heated to serve the students. At most, the doors and windows are all closed tightly, allowing the natural heat radiated from the body to dispel some of the chill from the frozen fingers.

After the class monitor on stage finished announcing the notices related to the cultural season, the bell rang to end the class meeting. Quietness temporarily left this space. Even international education classes can't help but be noisy and boisterous when relaxing, and some people started to walk around.

The second to last seat in the last row.

Yukino Yukinoshita sat quietly, her long eyelashes drooping gently. Even the simple act of tucking her hair to the side made her resemble a lotus flower by a pond, radiating beauty amidst the morning breeze and evening glow, drawing glances from everyone who passed by.

She always maintained that innate calm and collected demeanor, as if she had become accustomed to being the center of attention. Her slender, fair fingers gently held the pages of the book, and her large, bright pupils moved up and down according to the words in the book, unaffected by any noise in the classroom.

Whenever Yukino Yukinoshita is engrossed in the contents of a book, her focus and seriousness always make the other students feel like they are in a different world from her. Even the air they breathe seems to have a rarer quality, as if she was born to be different from everyone else.

That's why she doesn't have many close friends, let alone casual acquaintances. Even though they are all elite students with international upbringing, everyone unconsciously keeps their distance from her. They don't even bother her, and when they pass by, they subconsciously lower their voices, afraid of disturbing that quiet and peaceful "other world".

Of course, there's also the reason why Yukino Yukinoshita is really difficult to get along with. Although most of the members of Class J don't dislike her, and even treat her with a kind of respect, like a mascot or a class symbol, throughout the entire day, aside from school affairs, no one really dared to come and talk to her for even a few words.

At most, they would secretly talk about things related to her at the back of the classroom.

"I heard it was just a misunderstanding, and Yukinoshita-san doesn't date him at all..."

"Really? Thank goodness, I thought our goddess Yukinoshita was going to be defiled by that stinky man..."

"But to dare to use a joke as an excuse to say that Yukinoshita is his girlfriend in front of so many people, I can't help but think that Tenkuji from Class F clearly has ulterior motives towards Yukinoshita..."

"Wait a minute, to be honest, as a complete outsider, I don't think Tenkuji is that kind of superficial man who only cares about looks, right? It seems like he treats everyone the same way. I hope everyone can give him a fair evaluation."

"You call yourself a passerby? You're obviously a member of the fan club, aren't you? You were definitely one of the people who upvoted the post yesterday!"

"And if we're really going to be fair, isn't it the person who calls everyone their girlfriend who's worse?"

"...Okay, let's be reasonable. With Tenkuji sa, cough cough, with Tenkuji-san's excellence, even if he really had ulterior motives towards Yukinoshita-san, it wouldn't matter, right? Are you really willing to watch your idols remain single forever and unable to find happiness?"

"Wow~ This guy is not only a die-hard fan, but also a shipper..."

"Stop hiding it, just show me your fan badge... Damn, you're actually a level 5 pro!?"

"Oh? You know a lot! Joining now gets you a discount on merchandise. Shall I introduce you to our handsome and powerful idol, Tenkuji-kun?"

"Ha, even more handsome and powerful than the Blue-Eyes White Dragon?"

"Come on, listen to me and you'll know whether your attack power is over three thousand..."

Yukino Yukinoshita stopped eavesdropping after that, as the preaching was rather unbearable to hear, and she couldn't understand anything about Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

The girl, her ears calming down and her fingers sliding down the pages of a book she hadn't turned in a long time, let out a soft breath.

"Looks like it was a success..."

Could one night's effort really achieve this level of success? Yukino Yukinoshita still found it hard to believe.

What was initially thought to be a rapidly spreading rumor has now shifted even faster. From the moment I arrived at school until the start of class meeting, virtually no one was looking at me with the same eyes that I was "Yuu Tenkuji's girlfriend."

Even nuclear wastewater pollution isn't this efficient.