I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Of course, the premise is that it won't be like before, where "she would be so excited that her heart would explode when she realized that Yang was her ex-girlfriend."

"Yukino, do you believe me?"

Yukino paused, but didn't turn around; she seemed to sigh softly.

"Don't use such a cunning way of asking questions... I can see through your lies right away anyway."

"Hmm." Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but smile, feeling slightly relieved.

Suddenly someone gave him a push, but it didn't move him; he regained his footing before he could stumble.

Patting his back, Yang Nai passed by him with the same easy smile on his face, but without the cold, intimidating, and oppressive feeling he had before.

"Little Youyou, I came prepared this time," she said, squinting her eyes meaningfully.

"What kind of awareness?"

"You'll find out soon enough. I hope you won't disappoint me." Yukino raised her eyebrows lightly and followed Yukino's steps. "I came all this way to interfere with your date, and it's not just because I'm jealous... You should be prepared."

Tenkuji Yu frowned slightly and walked to her side in a few steps: "I'm begging you, please don't do any more strange things."

"Hehe, my ex-boyfriend has no right to tell me what to do! I'll say that after we get back together!"

She tilted her head and made a face, her tone tinged with annoyance, but her smile was just like it was during summer vacation—innocent, straightforward, and affectionate.

"No matter what I do, my motivation is always the same—that is, I love you."

Chapter 128 Farewell to the Real Object, the End of First Love

The coffee shop, on the second-floor terrace.

"They're moving to a new location; they're starting to relocate."

Like a well-trained veteran, Natsukawa Masaki put down his binoculars and decisively turned to walk towards the stairs.

Yui Yuigahama quickly followed, still seemingly in a daze, her expression somewhat blank.

After hesitating for a moment, gazing at the figure with flowing silver hair ahead, she couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Liang, what exactly is the relationship between Xiao You and Xiao Xue...?"

"What you really want to ask is whether the relationship between Yukinoshita Haruno and Tenkuji-kun is as innocent as they said before, right?"

With nimble, fairy-like steps, Natsukawa Masuzu weaved through the crowd, a pleasant smile on her lips, and said unhurriedly, "The truth is, it's not that simple, unless Yukinoshita Haruno has mental problems. But as for the specifics, I don't know how to explain it to you."

"Then they said it was about you..."

"Hmm, maybe that's why I fell in love with Tenkuji-kun at first sight?" Natsukawa Masuzu said casually, raising her hand and subconsciously touching the curve of her lips, a thoughtful look appearing in her eyes.

In the past, even if she said this word in a joking tone, she would reflexively feel disgust and wish she could trample the fifty sounds that make up these words under her feet and spit on them.

In the past, Natsukawa Masuri had always loathed anything related to love.

...But now, someone has appeared who deserves her special treatment.

Even though she couldn't remember anything and didn't know much about him, Yuu Tenkuji occupied a very important place in her heart—so important that it unconsciously influenced the beliefs she relied on for survival.

Like a master key, it can easily open one's heart and freely change the contents inside.

And those three are probably discussing this reason right now—as one of the parties involved, Natsukawa Masaki believes he has the right to openly eavesdrop.

As for whether letting Yui Yuigahama know about these things would cause any trouble for Yuu Tenkuji... well, she doesn't care at all.

Whether she likes it or not, Natsukawa Masuzu only wants to regain her memories and use all means to satisfy her increasingly unfathomable desires.

"Miss Yang, and Ryo... what exactly happened..."

Yui Yuigahama, following behind her, was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information and surrounded by riddle-solving people. Her mind was in complete disarray, and she didn't know where to begin untangling the messy "red thread" entangled around her boyfriend.

They could only hurry towards the Ferris wheel together with Natsukawa Masuzu.

……

"Yonai, I need to tell you something first."

No honorifics were used; the tone was the same as it was during summer vacation.

Ignoring Yukino Yukinoshita's cold gaze from behind, Yuu Tenkuji looked at the female college student in front of him and said solemnly, "Although I still have memories of the past, all the feelings I had because of you have disappeared after you lost your memory."

"..."

As if she had already made this guess, Yukinoshita Haruno's expression was not too surprised. She rested her hand on her delicately curved chin, squinted her eyes, and pondered for a moment.

"So you're saying that you've been so heartless to me since I lost my memory, not because you wanted to escape the past, but because you no longer have feelings for me. So even though you still have my memories, you won't do anything to help me regain them or to bring us back to the close relationship we had in the past?"

Yuu Tenkuji nodded: "Just like childhood friends who haven't seen each other for a long time, I think since you've forgotten the past, let's just go our separate ways and not interfere in each other's lives anymore... Who knew you would suddenly regain your memories."

“Yes, the ‘God’s’ pranks are truly unexpected.” Yang Nai smiled in agreement, but her tone carried a hint of danger, as if a knife was hidden behind her smile.

"If I hadn't felt something was off ever since I lost my memory, and hadn't relentlessly pestered you for so long, I probably would have stopped caring about you by now and let you go live a wonderful life with my sister and her friend—ah, thinking about it now, did I do something to wrong you? I'm so sorry~~"

"Cough cough..."

What an incredibly intense level of sarcastic and unsettling tone!

Not only were the gazes directed at her from in front, but those behind her were also becoming increasingly piercing. Tenkuji Yu could only cough twice, managing a weak defense: "You can't say that. It's not like I wanted you to lose your memory..."

Yang shrugged and said noncommittally, "Yes, you didn't do it willingly. So it's my own fault for being hurt by your heartless attitude. Trying to rekindle our relationship would only cause you trouble, so I apologized. Please forgive me, Tenkuji-kun."

"..."

Such a strong and intense resentment suggests that she had at least tried to restrain herself.

Tenkuji Yu could somewhat understand her feelings, so she didn't say much, only sighed helplessly.

The victim-like appearance added to Yukino's irritation, and she subconsciously stood on tiptoe, taking a deep breath to suppress her emotions.

As for Yukino Yukinoshita behind Yuuki Tenkuji, she looked puzzled and seemed to want to ask something, but because of the promise not to interrupt before the conversation was over, she could only obediently purse her lips, cross her arms, and watch the two of them fight like a referee.

"Hmph... Oh well, what can I do? My boyfriend isn't normal. When something is abnormal, you have to deal with it in an abnormal way."

With that, Yukinoshita lowered her arms from her chest, let out a soft sigh, and looked calmly at Tenkuji Yuu.

"Although there are still many things I want to ask you, the most important thing for me right now is to confirm your attitude."

"That's my attitude. Since my feelings were taken away by 'God,' I'll just let it go. Even if I still have memories, you're just... Yukino's older sister to me."

Without wavering, Tenkuji Yu met that gaze, which was full of determination and affection.

Even if reality is cruel and heartless to her, he doesn't want to comfort her by giving her fragile, bubble-like hope with lies.

Because in this timeline, the people he loves are Yui Yuigahama and Yukino Yukinoshita, and the people he should be responsible for are them, not that once tender and sleepless romance.

“I’m sorry, Yang Nai… there are more people who are more important to you now, so I’m sorry I can’t rekindle our old relationship.”

Naturally, this is Yuu Tenkuji's attitude.

Yukino Yukinoshita stared at him silently, like a statue, without saying a word for a long time.

Suddenly, it seemed that Yuu Tenkuji could see the surface of a lake.

Her eyes were like a frozen lake in winter, clear and cold, all the light locked beneath the ice, sparkling and shining, yet not melting into water droplets.

Her face remained expressionless, yet from the deepest part of the lake, an indelible sadness and pain gradually surfaced.

She slowly bit her lip, and with a deep breath, Yukinoshita Haruno opened her mouth slightly—and revealed her usual cheerful smile.

"If it were you, that's exactly the answer you would give."

"As expected?" Tenkuji Yu was somewhat surprised.

"Well, although I don't want to imagine it, your attitude towards me hasn't changed since then, so of course I can guess what your answer will be." Like a mature adult, Yukino Yukinoshita spread her hands calmly, seemingly not caring at all about being ruthlessly rejected.

However, both his fingers and his voice trembled slightly.

Sensing the embarrassing reaction in Yuu's eyes, Yukinoshita Haruno clenched her fist, gently rubbed her nose, and gradually softened her breathing and voice.

"Memories without emotion are no longer important to you, are they, little Youyou?"

"..." Yuu Tenkuji subconsciously wanted to deny it, but before she could say it, a sentence popped into her mind and stopped her from speaking.

—Isn't it good to say goodbye to the past completely like this?

If you back down or soften your heart now, what will you do when other people regain their memories? Should you let them fight, and whoever wins can rekindle their relationship?

Isn't that an even crueler choice for them?

Things that are unacceptable can only be kept out of reach. In the end, as long as Yui and Sora are by my side, that's enough...

"So, no matter what, a rented boyfriend can never be 'real'?"

As if trying to grasp the last rope, she asked very seriously.

After hesitating for a moment, Yuu Tenkuji kept her mouth shut and silently lowered her head.

"Is that so..." Yukinoshita murmured softly, as if suddenly realizing something, still smiling.

No matter how bleak or bitter life may be, this mask must never be broken.

Because he once said that he liked her smile—she, who never easily gave away her feelings, would become less rational once she had someone she deeply loved, and would think that his feelings were more important than her own.

How stupid! You're about to be abandoned, why bother caring about his feelings?

—It is special because it is foolish.

Just like his seemingly ruthless yet actually gentler choices, it is precisely because of his journey that both of them have struggled and grown up amidst contradictions and scars.

That's why the emotions accumulated over time have become so strong that even when we're heartbroken and want to cry, we're unwilling to give up.

"Little Youyou, do you still remember?"

She smiled and suddenly took a step forward.

"I wanted to experience being in a relationship, so I asked you to be my rented boyfriend. We met when we didn't like each other at all—on July 24th, I still didn't like you."

Under Yukino's astonished gaze, she took another step forward.

"On our first date at the sports center, you were like God sent down to beat me. You completely crushed me in every event, passing all the 'trials' I gave you, making me realize that there are monsters like you in this world. On July 26th, I started to care about you, thinking that you could give me a good dating experience."

She took another step and stood in front of Yuu Tenkuji, looking up at his stunned face.

"I used to think that falsehoods could never become truths, and that lies and loneliness could only continue indefinitely. Someone like me should sacrifice my future for my family and the greater good for myself... I guess the only time I can fall in love is during an extramarital affair."

Yukino smiled brightly, as if all sadness could not leave a trace on her, her eyes bright and clear like the starry sky.

"You changed me before the gods changed the world."

"That's why I like you so much, just like I like this life with you in it, just like I like this world with you in it."