I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Having been in the industry for almost a year, Mizuhara Chizuru only just found out.

These days, there are people who pay to compete with rented girlfriends for jobs...

Chapter Fifty-Two: The Significance of Renting a Lover

"Tenkuji-kun, can I tell you the truth?"

Around 4 PM, on the Ferris wheel.

Chizuru Mizuhara shook the sports drink in the bottle, listlessly looking out the window at the scenery.

"What truth?" Tenkuji Yu didn't care that she had already abandoned her role as his girlfriend before the time was up.

I've had enough of the past three hours, so this more natural feeling is actually more comfortable.

Mizuhara Chizuru sighed and turned her gaze to his expression.

"You're better suited to be a rented boyfriend than a rented girlfriend customer."

Tenkuji Yu was taken aback: "Do you even pick and choose your guests?"

"That's not what I meant." She shook her head, pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and then said:

"What kind of person do you think would want to rent a girlfriend? Excluding exceptions like you."

"What kind of person..."

Yuu Tenkuji lowered his eyes and pondered, "Is it someone who can't find a girlfriend, doesn't want a girlfriend but wants to experience the feeling of being in love, or wants to satisfy their vanity?"

"That's roughly it, but here's how I sum it up—people who are dissatisfied with their relationships, feel lonely in life, and want to find someone to lean on to help them get back on their feet."

Chizuru Mizuhara looked at him intently.

"It's not just about renting girlfriends; 'renting lovers' mostly caters to customers like this."

"..."

With her eyes slightly widened, a figure flashed through Yuu Tenkuji's mind.

Hiroyuki under the snow.

She once said that renting a boyfriend was simply to enjoy the feeling of being in love and to ensure she had no regrets.

So, does the system's claim of "fulfilling her wish" simply mean making up for her regret of not being able to freely fall in love?

"...Tenkuji-kun, let me share my feelings."

Seeing his expression as if he had thought of someone, Mizuhara Chizuru smiled slightly and turned her gaze to the overly gentle sky outside the window.

"Although renting a girlfriend means you can do far fewer things than having a real girlfriend."

She said softly:

"But I still want to be like a band-aid that can protect wounds—I have this thought every time I see those customers who are insecure, afraid to reach out, but have not given up completely."

"Reality is already so difficult, at least let them have enough fun in these few short hours, right?"

Tenkuji Yuya gazed at the slowly approaching city streetscape.

The neon lights shone brightly in the city, yet there was an inexplicable sense of unreality about them.

"...Even if it's a lie, make it the most beautiful lie?"

He mimicked Yukinoshita's tone, expressing his feelings in this way.

"It's quite meaningful."

Chizuru Mizuhara glanced at him in surprise, then smiled and said, "But it's not all that wonderful. After all, we're just doing our jobs for money, so of course we have to be responsible for our profession. Beyond that, everyone will have different experiences and everyone will get a different sense of accomplishment from it."

"Getting back to the point, the reason I said you're suitable to be a rented boyfriend is because you're attentive, straightforward, and naturally kind to girls. With the right acting skills, you can meet most of a girl's requirements for a boyfriend."

Mizuhara Chizuru looked him up and down, then shrugged helplessly.

"But you have no flaws in your relationships. You are strong and self-reliant, and you always have someone in your heart who can support you to keep going—a person like that probably doesn't even need a girlfriend, let alone rent one, right?"

She said the last sentence in a teasing tone, but unexpectedly, Tenkuji Yu put on a serious expression and nodded thoughtfully.

"Indeed... taking care of my sister is tiring enough, and I also have to take care of my girlfriend."

"So, making my sister my girlfriend is really the best solution?"

Mizuhara Chizuru took out her phone and made a gesture as if calling the police: "Excuse me, how old is your sister?"

"Just kidding."

Tenkuji Yu chuckled and said to the beautiful girl in front of him, who was about two years older than him, "So, in conclusion, are you saying that my idea of ​​spending money on tutoring was a complete waste of effort?"

"Sorry, you said that yourself, please don't blame it on me."

Mizuhara Chizuru chuckled dryly twice, then sighed helplessly.

Her smooth legs, folded beneath the skirt, perfectly concealed the dark space.

"Alright, I've shared my experience and thoughts with you. What you gain from this is none of my business... After all, I spent the whole afternoon with you."

Her eyes suddenly narrowed into cat-like pupils, and she clutched her bag tightly, staring at him with extreme vigilance.

"If you hadn't kept using the 'rent a boyfriend' tactic to retaliate against me, I wouldn't have lost my temper like that later. So, this money won't be refunded to you, okay?"

"I'm not that stingy." Tenkuji Yu pouted and leaned back lazily in her chair. "What you said just now did give me some inspiration. Although it sounds like a motivational quote trying to recruit people, I'm paying for it willingly, so you can rest assured and accept it."

"That's good." Mizuhara Chizuru breathed a sigh of relief, not caring about his words, and looked back at the scenery outside the Ferris wheel.

Suddenly, she asked softly, "Did you enjoy the date?"

Yuu Tenkuji closed his eyes, recalling the scene of him making her squat on the ground, and couldn't help but smile, answering with a cheerful expression:

"Ah, I'm so happy. She truly lives up to her reputation as a five-star rental girlfriend."

"That's good."

Looking out the window, Mizuhara Chizuru chuckled twice, and her little braid on the side bounced lightly.

"Please give me a five-star review when you get back!"

"Five stars is fine, but can I offer some feedback?"

Mizuhara Chizuru turned around in surprise: "Huh? What's your opinion?"

Yuu Tenkuji cleared his throat, raised his finger, and began to speak eloquently:

"She gets wiped out in ten seconds in fighting games, can't play claw machines, loses combos even on easy mode in rhythm games, and is a complete liability in shooting games. Although she's cute and talkative, she doesn't understand anime references and isn't nearly as perfect as the website describes..."

"..."

A vein bulged on Mizuhara Chizuru's forehead, her cheeks twitched, her face darkened, and her gaze towards him gradually turned fierce.

His slender shoulders trembled slightly as if he were enduring something. Before he could finish speaking, his reason snapped, and he shouted, revealing his true nature:

"The kind of girlfriend you're looking for, you won't find anywhere in Japan, or even the whole world!"

No, there are.

"Where!"

"Anime/Manga".

"That's not from this world, okay?!"

Sky Temple Yu nodded in satisfaction.

"Just ignore my previous comments, considering this rant."

Slowly raising the corners of her mouth, Mizuhara Chizuru revealed a kind smile, and said gently, "I've decided. Go back and I'll rent you out for just one hour. I'll write down every single, complete, and detailed account of my true feelings today."

Just you wait!

"I'll be waiting for your arrival anytime." Tenkuji Yu shrugged and smiled.

He's been kept by a rich woman for a week, so if Mizuhara Chizuru wants to settle accounts with him, she'll have to wait at least four or five more days. She's not worried at all.

The Ferris wheel slowly descended.

The hatch was opened, and staff prepared to help them down.

Just as Yuuki Tenkuji stood up, he received a message on LINE from Yukino Yukinoshita.

—Come with me to the bookstore tomorrow, and we'll have spicy food for lunch. Is that alright?

Oh, so this is supposed to be a spicy butt... a spicy food adventure?

"No problem, just tell me the time and place."

After receiving such a swift reply, Yuu Tenkuji put away her phone and looked towards the distant afternoon sky, where clouds drifted and the breeze was slightly cool.

Will tomorrow be just as sunny?

He was somewhat looking forward to it.

Chapter 53 Haruno x Yukino, a strange way of flirting

Before parting, Mizuhara Chizuru hesitated for a moment, then took out her personal contact information, wanting to exchange it with him.

"The rules don't allow this... but... it should be okay if we're in the same industry, right?"

Her face was slightly flushed, as if she felt very shy, and she glanced diagonally downwards.

Yuu Tenkuji knew what she wanted to say, and without beating around the bush, he spoke directly:

"You're lusting after my acting skills and my body, aren't you?"

"She has no body."

Her shy expression vanished instantly, and Mizuhara Chizuru answered with a smile, her attitude unwavering:

"Without a body or a soul—don't worry, I won't like boys younger than me."

Yuu Tenkuji blinked: "Wow, this is the best news I've heard today."

"..."

Gritting her teeth, Mizuhara Chizuru took a deep breath—she couldn't get angry for the sake of a five-star review!

The fact that the two of them became this familiar in just four hours proves that they have strong communication skills, doesn't it?