I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Snapping out of her reverie, she followed Yukino Yukinoshita into the station. While waiting for the train on the platform, Masuzu Natsukawa suddenly struck up a conversation with her.

"Yukinoshita-san, have you thought about the future?"

Looking up from her paperback, Yukino Yukinoshita frowned slightly as she looked at her, somewhat puzzled as to why she would suddenly ask such a question.

"Are you referring to career prospects? I'm planning to go to university first..."

“Sorry, I’m not interested in that.” Natsukawa Masuzu politely interrupted her. Since the other party had already seen through her true colors, she was too lazy to beat around the bush and said bluntly, “You will become the next Yukinoshita Haruno and me. Although I don’t know if you will remember this in the future... this experience of dating Tenkuji will be erased by that ‘God’ sooner or later.”

"No matter how deeply in love you are now, once the mission is over, the two of you will become like strangers. You will no longer like him, and he will turn his back on you."

"..."

Calmly gazing at Natsukawa Masaki who had uttered those words, his dark blue eyes, like the surface of a frozen lake, emanated a deep chill.

There seemed to be no fluctuation, but Yukino Yukinoshita's fingers, which were gripping the pages of the book, were unconsciously tightening slowly.

Xia Chuanzhen calmly accepted her glare; the chilling aura felt like a gentle spring breeze, and she smiled indifferently.

"Don't be so angry. I have no intention of ruining your relationship, I just want to know what you think... Or are you saying you're not going to face reality? Then just pretend I didn't say anything."

"The train is about to arrive at the station. Passengers, please stand behind the yellow line and stay away from the tracks..."

The red lights on the ground flashed, and amidst the pleasant announcement, Yukino Yukinoshita withdrew her gaze from her face, her cherry-colored lips pressed into a line, her profile indifferent and calm, her thumb gently turning to the next page of the paperback.

"I will not be like you."

"Why should I?" He had intended to speak politely, but seeing her arrogant and disdainful demeanor, Natsukawa Masaki couldn't help but sneer, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Did you know the truth beforehand? Or were you mentally prepared, believing you could protect your memories from the gods through so-called 'love'?"

"I don't need to explain to you." Without looking up, Yukino Yukinoshita said coldly, "I will find out what the future looks like with Tenkuji-kun and Yuihama-san."

A strong wind whipped her smooth, straight silver and black hair behind her.

The tram suddenly cut through the air in front of me, filling my ears with the sounds of wind and brakes, but the girl's voice pierced my eardrums as clearly as an icicle, carrying a will that seemed to penetrate everything.

"I won't let him repeat the mistakes of the past..."

"Before becoming his girlfriend, I was his department head. And fulfilling the requests of my department members was my responsibility!"

"..."

Unable to comprehend it, Natsukawa Masaki opened her eyes wide, staring at her in bewilderment and astonishment.

She didn't waver at all. As the tram doors slowly slid open, she put away her paperback and followed the crowd, looking like she wasn't going to say anything more to me.

Natsukawa Masaki stood there for a long time, until the announcement that the doors were about to close came on, before she finally stepped onto the tram.

She glanced at Yukino Yukinoshita, who was leaning against the other car door and continuing to read, then bit her lip slightly, looked away with a complicated expression, and turned to look at the scenery slowly receding outside the window from the other car door.

"The difference is that we've been thinking about our own feelings from beginning to end, while you're the only one thinking about his situation..."

Natsukawa Masaki sighed unconsciously.

She found it laughable, yet couldn't laugh—whether it was enlightenment or just bravado, she honestly didn't know.

But right now, Yukino Yukinoshita looks like a little deer rushing headlong off a cliff, because there is someone she must save at the bottom of the cliff, so she is not afraid of being shattered to pieces...

While it is touching, was she truly prepared for the corresponding consequences?

Can we truly face the cruel future where all the beauty we have today will be reduced to ashes?

……

Stared at by Tenkuji Yu's sharp gaze, Natsukawa Masuzu quietly clenched her sweaty palms, but her smile didn't fade; instead, it deepened, and she said with a hint of sarcasm:

"What's wrong? Am I wrong? Isn't this how you're treating me and Miss Yang Nai right now?"

—Oh, I'm such a fool, why did I have to tell the truth?

Before receiving a response, Natsukawa Masuzu couldn't help but sigh inwardly, feeling so regretful that she wanted to burst into tears.

Won't that just make him hate me? The distance we finally managed to close is about to widen again.

That's how unrequited love is. A few simple words can undo all your past efforts, and you have to put in several times the effort to win them back.

...but she couldn't stand it.

I was so angry, my chest was full of resentment towards him that I had to vent, and I really wanted to pounce on him and bite him a few times.

—Is it all my fault for apologizing to you first? And what responsibility should I bear?

Haha, that's hilarious.

They said so many nice things on the surface, and then planned to pretend that nothing had happened once everyone's memory had faded.

Don't forget, there's a 'victim' here! It's unbelievable that he can say these things so matter-of-factly.

What good is it to seem so affectionate now? After all, once our feelings have been taken away by the gods, we're all strangers to them. All those vows are just empty words, aren't they?

Her awareness and her stubbornness are like the pages of a paperback book; even if you've turned the pages, you'll still remember them, but you'll never linger on them again.

So, you should know that.

The intelligent and emotionally intelligent Tenkuji must understand how upset these "girlfriends" would be after finding out about this, right?

Since that's the case, even if I tell the truth, you have no reason to be angry with me, right?

"..."

Staring at the perfect smile on Natsukawa Masuzu's face, Tenkuji Yu fell silent, his expression seemingly suppressed and unchanged, making it impossible to tell whether he was angry or not.

However, upon hearing these words, Kasugano Sora reacted like a powder keg that had been ignited, completely bristling with anger.

—I just said I would protect Yu from those bad women, and now a villain has jumped out and is asking for a beating?

Very well, how dare you say that Yu is a heartless scumbag who dumps his girlfriend? His girlfriend can tolerate it, but his sister absolutely cannot!

I'll show you my online fighting skills and verbally abuse you, you persistent silver-haired nymphomaniac!

Filled with righteous indignation, Kasugano Sora grabbed Tenkuji Yu's hand, separating him from Natsukawa Masuzu, and bared her teeth angrily at her.

"You idiot, you idiot, you idiot! Who do you think you are?! Get out of my way! I knew I shouldn't have let you into our house!"

Well, in reality, she has never cursed anyone other than her brother; that's the harshest statement she could make.

It certainly doesn't seem to have any lethality whatsoever.

"Me? Just a mere ex-girlfriend I have no memory of. She's really insignificant to him."

Natsukawa Masaki shrugged and said casually, "But little sister, if you knew the inside story, you should understand that I'm telling the truth."

She looked up at Tenkuji Yu, her face devoid of any smile, but her sapphire-like eyes shone with a serious light.

“Ayou, logically speaking, you have done nothing wrong, but a girl’s feelings are not a matter of right or wrong.”

"What may be insignificant to you is precisely the future they fear most."

As soon as she finished speaking, Natsukawa Masuzu didn't give Kasugano Sora a chance to say anything harsh to her. She quickened her pace and left their side, heading towards the teaching building without looking back.

"That wretched woman, she ran so fast... and she even dared to call your name!" Kasugano Sora stomped her foot and muttered through gritted teeth, glaring at her retreating figure.

Sensing something was wrong, the two people behind them stopped whispering and stepped forward, looking at them with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong? Did you have a fight?"

“We didn’t argue!” Kasugano Sora snorted and hugged Tenkuji Yu’s arm, saying expressionlessly, “It’s just that that woman suddenly said some strange things that made me feel uncomfortable.”

"What kind of strange things might Ryo say... uh, it seems like she really does..." Yui Yuigahama looked at the silver-haired girl's departing figure, hesitating, unsure whether she should chase after her.

Yukino Yukinoshita observed Yuu Tenkuji's expression, seemingly wanting to reach out and hold his hand, but considering the people around, she reluctantly put her hand behind her back.

Finally, she asked softly, "In the morning, she also said some strange things to me."

Yuu Tenkuji, who hadn't spoken since the beginning, suddenly turned his gaze away from the distance and asked in a normal tone, "What is it?"

"Tell me what she said to you first."

"Hmm... I'm not quite sure either, but I guess it's trying to tell me to be nicer to my girlfriend?" Yuu rubbed her temples and sighed with a hint of distress.

"She would say something like that?" Yukino frowned, somewhat incredulous.

"More or less." Yuu Tenkuji didn't elaborate, quickly steer the conversation back on track, "So, what did she say to you this morning?"

"..."

Yukino Yukinoshita stared at him silently for a long while, then suddenly pursed her soft, cherry-colored lips and turned her head away.

"I always felt that you weren't telling the truth, so I didn't tell you."

"Huh?" Yuu Tenkuji's mouth dropped open. "My dear Yukino-san, what's wrong with you right now?"

"There was no argument; you were the one who kept things from me first."

With her cheeks puffed out slightly, Yukino crossed her arms and looked at the school gate, saying coldly but with a hint of grievance, "When you're willing to tell me everything the truth someday, I'll tell you everything you want to know... Until then, let me be unhappy for a while."

Trust is the most fundamental element in human relationships.

Even though he knew what she cared about most, he still habitually used ambiguous statements to fool himself.

What's the use of being able to see through lies?

Even now, she still can't gain Tenkuji Yu's complete trust.

"To avoid being wrongly accused, let me ask one more question—were the things she said the kind that you couldn't say yourself?"

"……no."

Without changing her expression, Yukino Yukinoshita nodded, and then, under his hesitant gaze, she pulled Yui Yuigahama along and quickened her pace.

"Yui, let's go first and let that guy reflect on his mistakes."

"Huh? Huh?!" Yui Yuigahama looked back and forth between the two of them with a confused expression, her steps hesitant, her face full of bewilderment.

"What happened? Did you two have a fight too?"

“It wasn’t an argument.” Yukino glanced at Tenkuji Yu and said lightly, “It’s what a boyfriend should do to understand his girlfriend’s dissatisfaction… and it’s also the responsibility he just said he should take on.”

"So what's the reason? How am I supposed to understand if you don't explain clearly... And Xiaoxue, Xiaoyou and I are in the same class. Even if you pull me away first, it won't make a difference..."

"...Then I'll go back to the classroom by myself."

"Wait, wait, wait, I'll go with you! You'll have to explain things to me properly later!" After saying this to Yukino, Yui Yuigahama turned to Yuu Tenkuji and waved, calling out, "That's it then! Yuu, Sora, I'm going into the classroom with Yukino now!"

"Okay, I'll take Qiong to the Service Department later. We'll meet there after the opening ceremony."

Composing her complicated expression, Yuu Tenkuji stood still, quietly watching them walk away before taking Kasugano Sora's hand again.

"Let's go, I didn't expect it would take so long just to get into the school gate."