I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Her fair cheeks glowed with a delicate rosy hue, as if even the roots of her ears were burning hot.

She stared at Tenkuji Yuu, who was washing a kitchen knife, as if looking at a future that was far, far away, flashing before her eyes like a dream bubble.

One holiday afternoon, he smiled and told himself that he would cook a French set meal that was no less delicious than a Michelin-starred restaurant to reward a couple who worked hard every day.

She just smiled expectantly, quietly preparing the gift for him after dinner, thinking about their unborn child, their annual honeymoon trip, and growing old together in a rocking chair under the warm sun...

Thinking of so many happy memories related to him, I can't wait to embrace every moment of the future.

"very nice……"

A serene and peaceful smile appeared on her lips as Yukino Yukinoshita slowly closed her eyes, taking in every moment of the present, so as not to forget the feelings of resentment, pain, unease, and fear.

After all, that is the driving force that urges me forward.

Even if the future is uncertain, we must overcome these obstacles to meet that ideal future.

"We will leave one day, but we will meet again one day."

The murmur rippled the surface of the water, which was only half full, creating waves that resembled a bitter smile.

"People who can truly believe like this are really amazing..."

……

Once the ingredients were ready, they were put in the refrigerator, and the soup base was simmering on the stove over low heat.

Having nothing to do for the time being, the two went to the living room. On the table were two cups of freshly brewed black tea. Just like the two on the sofa, they faced each other in silence.

After a long silence, Tenkuji Yu took a deep breath and said with a rather solemn expression:

"It's only a little past four in the afternoon, and we'll have dinner around six. What should we do to pass the time?"

With her hands resting on her knees, Yukino Yukinoshita leaned back gracefully like a young lady, her back straight and her eyes gazing at him tenderly.

"Oh dear, isn't it obvious what we should do now?"

She tilted her head slightly, and her thin, soft lips slowly curved into a captivating and alluring smile.

"I can't wait any longer. Please get started, Tenkuji-kun."

Chapter 182 What kind of weird play is this?

So that afternoon, Yuuko Tenkuji told her a story.

From the moment he first met Yukino Yukinoshita during summer vacation, he tried to tell them things he hadn't told them that day at the amusement park.

For example, in terms of emotions—the excitement and trepidation when first receiving the "rent a boyfriend" mission, the helplessness and dissatisfaction when secretly complaining about Yukino Yukinoshita, and the relief and excitement of actually getting the money.

He could finally save a lot of time working and give his sister a comfortable living environment where she could stay at home without having to wait for him to come home late every day, and where she could spend money on games at will.

At that time, he was undoubtedly very grateful to the "gods".

Now, Tenkuji Yuu has thought that if he didn't fall in love with those "girlfriends," he might not have so many worries and struggles, and he wouldn't be thinking about trampling the dog system under his feet and turning it into an R○Q every day. Everything would be much easier and more carefree than it is now.

"So, do you regret it?" Yukino Yukinoshita, who had been listening quietly, looked at him with warm eyes and asked.

"If you regret it, you won't continue to do it knowingly, right?" Tenkuji Yu spread his hands and sighed. "If you like something, you like it. I'm not good at denying myself. Blame it on how charming you guys are."

“We…” Yukino Yukinoshita narrowed her eyes slightly.

"You made me say it, so I won't tell the truth if I'm angry."

She gave a gentle smile: "How could I? Do you think I'm the kind of person who would get jealous and sulk just because you praise another woman?"

I think so.

"...Stop talking nonsense and continue."

For example, there are all sorts of little things that happen in life—when they go on dates, they go to various Sichuan restaurants to try spicy food, and each time Yukino only eats one or two bites, and then she watches him eat until his mouth is all red.

The two also went to places like the aquarium and ski resort, playing and strolling around like an ordinary couple. Just when he thought their happy time would continue, Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly disappeared, forcing him to go to the amusement park to make a final choice.

“From this point of view, you two really are worthy of being sisters…” At this point, Yuu Tenkuji couldn’t help but sigh, “You both used some little tricks to get me to a certain place, and then guided the mission to the end with your own will… The difference is that you know what you are doing, while she just wants to have a serious relationship with me.”

"What you said may be true, but saying it without considering my feelings really makes me unhappy." She took a sip of her black tea, her tone calm, but it seemed she had already made a mental note of this. "Also, Tenkuji-kun, there's something that bothers me."

Tenkuji Yu was stunned for a moment, then raised his hand and swore: "I promise, I didn't do anything more than kiss her! I left before we crossed that line at the hotel, and I didn't even see the scene of her coming out of the bath."

“I’m not talking about that… although I do care about it, I believe you’re not the kind of person who’s controlled by your lower body.” Yukino Yukinoshita put down her teacup and looked at him with a hint of helplessness.

"Do you remember where we went besides the amusement park?"

"Where have you been?" Yuu Tenkuji asked, tilting her head in confusion. "You mean places outside of school?"

"...Of course."

"Autumn outings and train stations don't count?"

"Was my way of expressing it wrong? Then let me ask again." Yukino Yukinoshita's eyebrows twitched slightly, as if she was suppressing her rising anger. She slowly clenched her fist on her knee, but her tone still managed to remain calm.

"Since we started dating, have we gone anywhere else together besides that day at the amusement park?"

The last half of the sentence was almost uttered through gritted teeth; it was the best hint she could give.

Tenkuuji Yu, however, seemed completely oblivious to the message conveyed by her gaze and voice. After pondering for a moment while pinching his chin, he frowned and asked:

"And that doesn't include this apartment building, Yui's house, my house?"

"..."

The warm and elegantly decorated living room suddenly fell into a frozen silence.

Not long after, Yukino Yukinoshita took a deep breath, breaking the tranquility.

"Tenkuji-kun, your brain is even more useless than I thought. How about we cut it off and use it as hot pot ingredients today?"

She flashed a bright, almost convulsive smile and said in a kind tone, "Although I'll flush it down the toilet after cooking, I'll carefully divide up the rest and store it in the refrigerator."

The voice, seemingly speaking the truth in a plain manner, concealed a chilling killing intent.

"After all, humans can't survive without brains."

Even though she knew the other person was just bluffing and had no intention of doing anything so cruel, Yuu Tenkuji still couldn't help but tremble a couple of times, hugging her arms, as the image of herself after being divided into five parts flashed through her mind.

Three ex-girlfriends and two current girlfriends are just enough... no, if we include Sora, it would need to be divided into six equal parts.

Limbs plus head, then torso; each person enjoys their leisure, the girl's joy is endless...

Yuu Tenkuji quickly shook off the dismemberment image in his mind—an image that was not only not bloody but also somewhat comical—and coughed awkwardly twice.

"Ahem... Darling, I was just pretending to be stupid. Can you forgive me?"

"Yes, because I'm your darling." To his surprise, Yukino nodded in agreement quite readily. "But you owe me one more time, is that alright?"

"No problem at all, it's my own fault for being so reckless." Yuu Tenkuji shrugged and continued, "So, you're saying we haven't gone on enough dates, right?"

"Really?" At this moment, she turned her face away and began to pretend to be stupid.

He watched as the girl stared at the empty space with a cold expression, her eyes glancing at him from time to time.

Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but twitch her lips, and finally sighed with a bit of a laugh: "Okay, I think we haven't gone on enough dates. We've never been to the zoo, cat and dog shows, or the beach. It's such a shame."

"What a coincidence, I think so too."

Yukino immediately turned her head back, a reserved smile playing on her lips, but her eyes sparkled like a child looking forward to going out to play.

"I don't care about the beach or anything like that, and the zoo isn't that interesting either, but I'm quite interested in cat and dog shows... Please don't get me wrong, I don't particularly like cats and dogs, I just haven't seen any before and want to broaden my horizons."

"Okay." As if to etch the expectant and excited look on her face on the opposite sofa into her heart, Tenkuji Yu gently narrowed her eyes, and the curve of her lips became exceptionally soft.

"In that case, let's not even think about finishing the task today. Let's go on dates all over the winter break."

If the mission is accomplished, you'll forget me, and I won't like you anymore.

Dating and stuff... then we can't do that, can we?

Yukino Yukinoshita instantly understood his meaning, and therefore, she bit her lip and fell silent once again.

"..."

The two remained silent for a long time across a glass coffee table. Tenkuji Yu smiled faintly without speaking, while she slowly lowered her head.

The atmosphere that had just started to liven up gradually settled back to the ground, as thick and cold as snow, soaking over one's heels.

Suddenly, she spoke in an unyielding tone, as if giving a command: "Tenkuji-kun, come here for a moment."

At the same time, he moved his body closer to the corner, making room for other empty spaces on the sofa.

Yuu Tenkuji didn't act immediately, but remained seated, looking puzzled: "What are you going to do?"

"Just come over here."

Her clear, melodious voice remained calm, yet one could sense the heavy force within it: "You said you owed me so many times before, were you just saying it for nothing?"

"...Okay, whatever's past is past."

Relying on her confidence that she could turn the tables no matter what she did, Tenkuji Yu sighed and got up, sitting down in the still warm spot next to her.

It seemed that only when Yukino became willful did she continue with the order:

"Lie on my lap with your body facing that way."

"……What did you say?"

Startled, looking as if he had misheard, Tenkuji Yu stared in astonishment at her delicate face hidden in the shadows of her hair.

But there was no trace of disappointment or gloom on her face. She casually took out an ear pick with its packaging still intact from the drawer under the table, and while unpacking it, she slightly curled the corners of her mouth, seemingly quite happy.

"What are you hesitating about?" Seeing that he was still standing there without making any move, her moist, soft lips quickly pursed into a straight line, and her stern, cold gaze carried a warning. "Or is it that my boyfriend is the kind of person who doesn't keep his word, promising his girlfriend something but not even being able to do something as small as this?"

"No, lying on your lap is a reward, not a punishment. I didn't say I couldn't do it..."

Looking her up and down at the ear cleaner, Tenkuji Yu opened his mouth as if to speak but then stopped, his mind unusually confused and unable to make sense of the situation: "But Yukino, could it be... you want to clean my ears?"

"So what if it is?" she admitted without batting an eye.

He asked, bewildered, "Now? So suddenly? After I said those things?"

Yukino said indifferently, "That kind of talk? Do you mean the kind of talk that comes from losing hope in the future and having no confidence whatsoever, like a defeated dog in life?"

"..."

Before Tenkuji Yu could react, she pulled down his collar and half-forced him to lie face down on her lap: "Idiot, I made so many preparations today to change you, so of course I can't be swayed by just a few words."

The reason it's described as semi-coercion is that if Yuuma Tenkuji wanted to resist, she would now be lying face-in-face on his lap.