I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

"Just as Iaha said."

"What do you mean, 'just as I said'?! Can't you guys communicate normally?!"

Then Iroha Isshiki frantically rubbed my cheeks until the phone call was connected, at which point she stopped.

"Next..."

Although I didn't really want to do it, I considered that the other person was also a member of the photography team, and even though I didn't have a role to play, I still worked hard for them.

Tenkuji Yuu still asked Natsukawa Masuzu, "Do you want to come along?"

Sitting quietly and dignified in the corner, like a doll, Natsukawa Masuzu blinked in surprise, then a bright smile appeared on her face.

"I thought you wouldn't ask me."

“Deliberately ignoring you is a sign that you have something to hide.” Tenkuji Yu shrugged and said calmly, “Let me make it clear beforehand, if you’re coming along, you’d better be prepared to be targeted by my sister.”

"That matter... after all, it was my impulsiveness first, so there's nothing to complain about." She gave a slightly sad, bitter smile, but as if she didn't want him to think she was feigning helplessness, she quickly put on a calm and composed expression and bowed her head slightly with dignified politeness.

"Then I will respectfully accept your invitation and participate in the wrap party."

"Okay, then it's confirmed that everyone will participate."

He picked up his schoolbag, preparing to call Qiong to let her know that many people would be coming over for dinner today.

Looking at Natsukawa Masuzu, who was humming a song and seemed very happy, out of the corner of her eye, Tenkuji Yu could sense that every move she made was an attempt to avoid giving him a reason to distance himself from her.

Forget about kissing him forcefully like before. During the filming of the service department, she behaved better than anyone else. Not only did she not do anything out of line, but she also kept her distance from him in front of her two girlfriends. She was like a snow fox cautiously surviving under the watchful eyes of a polar bear, her presence minimized to the extreme.

The only thing she did most often was sit in the corner, smiling, watching him quietly and contentedly.

Even though she hadn't regained her memory, and he had already been treating her with an attitude of "not wanting to have too much contact with her."

But after the incident at the amusement park, her obsession with following her own path did not diminish at all. Instead, she became more reserved and profound, like a venomous snake waiting for its chance to strike, unwilling to give up its prey no matter what.

Looking out the window at the gradually darkening twilight, for some reason, Yuu Tenkuji suddenly had a premonition—

Perhaps it won't be long, or perhaps it's just a matter of time.

The next person to regain their memories is Natsukawa Masaki.

...Luckily, Asuna wasn't at Soubu High School, otherwise he reasonably suspected that the system would restore their memories one by one in order, and then pretend it was due to the effects of long-term contact, so that he could experience what it meant to have a debt of love that is hard to repay.

△

Evening, at the Sky Temple's house.

Although she was unhappy about having a bunch of beautiful girls in her house, no matter how unwilling she seemed on the surface, Kasugano Sora still played with the girls, some the same age and some a year older, while Yuu was cooking in the kitchen. They were shouting and yelling with the controllers in hand, and their voices filled the living room.

After all, once you start, you'll start again. A closed heart is like a road; it's initially very narrow, just enough for people to pass through. But as long as you keep expanding, one day it will be able to easily accept anything.

Then, naturally, Kasugano Sora showed strong hostility the moment she saw Natsukawa Masuzu, a stark contrast to her attitude towards others.

There was no room for explanation; Natsukawa Masuzu was the wicked woman who tried to forcibly kiss her brother right in front of her—

If it weren't for Yuu Tenkuji bringing up the idea of ​​a wrap party, and Yukino, the helpful wife, diverting her attention in various ways, the "silver-haired pervert" might have been sent home before even stepping inside.

Although she managed to stay, Natsukawa Masuzu was in a very awkward situation because she was being targeted by the most prestigious person in the family. There was no tea to drink or a sofa to sit on, so she could only sit in a chair in the corner and admire the surrounding furnishings.

Seeing her pitiful state, and not wanting to blame his protective sister, Yuuko could only ask Yukino to greet her before entering the kitchen. He couldn't let a guest suffer such a treatment, showing no manners whatsoever.

As for Yui Yuigahama, she just needs to keep Sora entertained; the other two can handle everything else.

About an hour passed like this.

In the kitchen.

"Hmph, I made a little too much..."

With her impeccable culinary skills, she skillfully prepared a table full of delicious and visually appealing dishes, the subtle golden light of which seemed to soar into the sky.

Tenkuji Yu let out a soft breath, smiled with satisfaction, and casually untied his apron.

"Let's get started! Everyone, come and help!"

I opened the kitchen door, ready to call someone over.

Looking at the scene in the living room, Yuu Tenkuji subconsciously stopped speaking and stood silently at the kitchen doorway, unconsciously smiling.

In front of the TV, Kasugano Sora, Yuigahama Yui, Isshiki Iroha, and Tachibana Kanade are engaged in a tense and exciting car race. Various props are flying through the air, and the three lively characters' shouts never stop. Sometimes they cheer, sometimes they are proud, sometimes they complain, and sometimes they are arrogant, only to be immediately slapped in the face. It is simple, but it has the liveliness of a festival.

Beside the cabinet, Yukino Yukinoshita looked up at Yukino, who was looking down at her. Her expression was solemn, her eyes were slightly narrowed, and she looked serious as if she was about to go into battle. Then, she parted her cherry lips slightly and whispered "meow~". She also curled her hand into a cat paw and hooked it next to her head, as if she was greeting the gray kitten in front of her.

At the dining table, Natsukawa Masaki held a cup of hot tea, occasionally taking a casual sip, her gaze still wandering over the room's furnishings and the people playing in front of the television, looking quite content.

She was also the first person to notice Yuu Tenkuji leaving the kitchen.

Setting down her teacup and turning her gaze, Natsukawa Masuzu raised an eyebrow and smiled, "You find this scene so beautiful that you want it to last forever?"

"Is it that obvious?" Yuu Tenkuji touched his face and could indeed feel the upward curve of the corners of his mouth.

"Of course, although I don't know you well now, I can still sense your undisguised feelings."

She gently twirled a strand of silver hair behind her ear with her fingers, lowered her voice, and asked meaningfully, "People who have this kind of thought usually dream of having a harem."

"Yeah, I've got two girlfriends, so in a way I've already started a harem."

Tenkuji Yu shrugged, his expression unwavering.

"By the way, my sister already knows I'm two-timing, so you can't use that to threaten me."

"That's really hurtful."

While speaking in a joking tone, Natsukawa Masaki's eyes were very serious, gazing at him with a hint of sadness.

"I have never had any thoughts that could harm you, have I?"

Those sapphire-blue eyes were incredibly deep, like a lake, filled with immeasurable emotions and unwavering devotion.

She said softly:

Even if I lose my memory, my body, my soul, my instincts tell me that you are very important to me—

It's so important that even saying "I like you" won't make me feel any nausea or disgust.

For Natsukawa Masuzu, who viewed love as an enemy and hated it, this change almost distorted her values.

She believed that Tenkuji Yu, who had once dated her, understood just how important that mattered.

"...Yes, that's why I said so much on the day of farewell."

After a long silence, Tenkuji Yu shook her head and sighed in resignation, "Take all gains and losses lightly, don't dwell on them too much... but you didn't listen at all. So, after losing your memory, those words lost their effect?"

He still used "truth bullets" to deliver his message. Even if he reinforced his last words in this way, it ultimately couldn't change anything.

Yuu Tenkuji, having completed her mission, did not save the girls who had emptiness in their hearts, but instead brought them more pain and regret, expanding the void that did not exist before.

He withdrew his gaze from Natsukawa Masuzu, not wanting her to see his somewhat depressed mood, and walked into the living room.

"I remember."

His steps suddenly stopped.

Slightly surprised, I turned around and was met with her up close, her smile as beautiful and playful as a fairy.

"Take care of yourself while I'm gone... Did you say that?"

Even if I forget everything, your concern for me, my reluctance to part with you... have not disappeared from this world.

She smiled as she wiped away the tears that had silently streamed down her face, covering her slightly disheveled expression with her hand, her voice trembling slightly as she feigned impatience:

"Tsk, I wasn't planning on crying... This tactic of trying to gain sympathy is too obvious, it won't move you at all, will it? Ugh, what a failure."

"..."

Staring blankly at her, Tenkuji Yu opened his mouth, but suddenly found himself speechless, as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat.

Even though that feeling was taken away, something still pounded in his chest, shaking his heart.

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

Natsukawa Masaki took a deep breath, bowed politely to him, and turned to walk quickly out of the living room.

She had only taken one step when she suddenly stopped. Without turning around, she asked in a low voice, somewhat timidly.

"...May I know what I used to call you?"

“…Yu.” Unable to discern the emotion in his voice, Yu Tenkuji finished speaking and turned his head back.

"You used to call me Ayou, but now I have a girlfriend, so I hope you won't call me that anymore... Before we started dating, you called me You-tongxue."

"I understand, Yu-kun." As if she had found something precious, she let out a satisfied sigh, her voice lightening. "Thank you, that's very important to me!"

"..."

Without waiting for his reply, Natsukawa Masaki started walking down the corridor again.

“Xia Chuan,” he suddenly spoke.

"What's wrong?" she asked with a light laugh.

Neither of them looked at each other, but there was a certain unspoken understanding, as if they had crossed a distant and fragmented period of time and returned to each other.

Unconsciously, Yuu Tenkuji's lips curled into a smile.

Then his tone suddenly turned cold, and he commanded:

"You are only allowed to go to the toilet, but you are not allowed to rummage through my clothes in the bathroom, and you are not allowed to sneak upstairs... I believe you are still a normal person and won't rummage through my used toilet paper in the trash can."

"..."

"If I find out, I'll call a taxi to take you home right now, and I'll blacklist you from now on."

"Tsk...just a little short."

Natsukawa Masaki clicked her tongue in annoyance. Her previous sorrowful expression seemed like a joke, replaced by resentment and dissatisfaction vented from the bottom of her heart: "There was clearly no flaw in it, so how did you know? Did I do something similar before?"

"No, and I won't give you that chance."

Yuu Tenkuji rolled her eyes, waved at Yukino who was looking at her in front of the cabinet, and left with this sentence with a wry smile:

"Do you think I don't know just how awful Natsukawa Masuzu really is?"

"...Ha, that's true."

After leaving the living room, Natsukawa Masaki walked alone towards the bathroom.

Looking up at the fluorescent lights in the corridor, it seemed as if shimmering light was flashing across the sapphire, and her still-damp eyes blinked rapidly twice.