I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

After settling down, like a kitten snuggling, Yukino rubbed the back of her head against his chest, covered his hands which were resting on her lower abdomen, and slowly closed her eyes.

"Let's just spend the time like this before dinner."

"it is good."

She sighed softly, and he responded softly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He gave his pretty and lovely girlfriend a tight hug, his chin resting against her forehead, and occasionally stroking her fragrant hair affectionately.

The living room fell into a brief silence.

Then, Yuuya Tenkuji closed his eyes, imagining all the scenes of their encounters from the past to the present, and hummed them out as he pleased.

“?～～”

The simple melody, the unaccompanied notes, carry a warm and emotionally upbeat feeling, accompanying the two people embracing.

Boundless happiness rippled outwards, swirling around our hearts with our synchronized breaths and clinging to our touching skin.

As if she might fall asleep at any moment, Yukino Yukinoshita gently nodded her head, but the corners of her mouth naturally curved into a smile, and her delicate little face radiated a happy and peaceful glow.

Tenkuji hummed a song, occasionally turning his head to admire her face.

A gentle and elegant ice-like girl, when she feels genuinely happy, her smile is as if the whole sky has cleared up for her.

He couldn't bear to see his smile, as fresh as the first snow after a storm, disappear, so he hummed a little tune that seemed to never end, making time slow down for him, and an indescribable happiness overflowed from the melody.

I don't know how much time has passed.

If you don't look at the clock on the wall, only the deeper darkness of the night outside the window tells you that time is moving forward.

"It's so strange... Even though we only did something that went beyond kissing, I feel so much closer to you, and you're not so far away anymore."

Beneath her delicate, long eyelashes, her dark blue eyes slowly opened, clear as lake water.

She turned around, glanced at him indifferently, then wrapped her arms around his neck and changed her position to continue lying down.

Was it originally very far away?

Asking this casually, Yuu Tenkuji simply pulled the girl onto his lap and kissed her forehead.

Yukino slowly tightened her arms, her fragrant breath brushing against his neck: "Yes, it's so far away that I've always been afraid of losing you at any moment."

"Such times will eventually disappear, such happiness will eventually be forgotten... I only wanted to fulfill your request, but without realizing it, I became increasingly unable to be satisfied. The fear of losing you makes it difficult for me to convince myself to let go..."

Her tone was very calm, as if she were simply stating her thoughts, without any regret or disappointment.

Even so, Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but hug her tighter, wanting his heartbeat to be clearly transmitted to her.

But because he felt guilty, he couldn't utter a single word.

Thus, only the girl's gentle and melodious voice became the main melody in the quiet air.

“I know you’re going to say that I like you so much anyway, and I’ll remember you like my sister did sooner or later, so there’s no need to make it seem like a life-or-death separation… But that’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”

"I don't want to have a one-sided love for you, nor do I want to ask Yui, who knows nothing about this, to share her boyfriend, and I don't want to take the initiative to find you only to hear you say, 'Sorry, I don't like you anymore'... Rather than that, it would be happier not to think about anything at all and not to like you."

Yukino Yukinoshita let go of his hand and cupped his cheeks.

Her eyes were slightly moist, and she smiled weakly as she said, "But I think that as long as you're still by my side, I'll fall in love with you again no matter how many times it happens, right?"

"Tenkuji-kun, I am more fragile and useless than you think. The thought of such a tragic future makes me want to avoid facing it."

Even though she had confessed her feelings countless times, even though she didn't mind sharing a boyfriend with Yui, even though her mother no longer objected to their relationship, even though her determination to fulfill his request had never wavered, even though she genuinely believed there was no boyfriend more ideal than him...

Because she dared not let go, fate stopped and never moved toward a new timeline.

In other words, Yukino Yukinoshita is the one who should make the choice.

"I'm sorry, as long as I still love you, your request can never be fulfilled."

She looked into his eyes, and there was no longer the usual indifference, composure, or confidence, but a fragile vulnerability that seemed about to vanish at any moment, accompanied by a smile that was almost on the verge of tears.

"After all, it's obvious that someone who will abandon me sooner or later could not possibly become my 'ideal boyfriend'."

"Yukino..."

Only at this moment did Tenkuji Yu fully understand her feelings.

Despite his previous suspicions, seeing the girl's genuine emotions before him now, those conflicted, painful, unwilling, and helpless feelings still pierced his unsuspecting heart like a sharp awl.

She didn't shed tears, but her sorrow was deeper than a torrential downpour.

That was all for my own sake, and it's also what I harmed myself with.

Yuu Tenkuji bit his lip tightly, not wanting her to see his guilty and regretful expression. He could only take a deep breath and try to make his voice come out steadily from his throat.

"But you swore you'd end all this today..."

Yukino Yukinoshita never lies, and her confidence and determination at that time did not sound like a joke at all.

So, has she really found a way to break through that conflicted mindset?

"In a way, we have to thank them a lot."

She lowered her head again, rubbed her cheek against his chest, and suddenly changed the subject, speaking slowly.

"If it weren't for Natsukawa's performance, I might have continued to fear a future filled with emotions but without memories, and wouldn't dare to take any steps."

“…Yes, she never gave up no matter what. I was moved by her spirit several times.” After a moment of stunned silence, Yuu Tenkuji couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

With a slight smile, she continued in a nostalgic tone, "If it weren't for Yuuki-kun, perhaps I would have continued to let more and more things I didn't know happen, just because I wanted to be with you, and let you do things that you clearly cared about but forced yourself not to care for my sake."

Yuu Tenkuji said somewhat uncertainly, "It's not that I'm forcing myself not to care... Yuuki-san is avoiding me, I can't just corner her and force her to be honest and give up on me, can I?"

Yukino shook her head: "The fact that you transferred here for me and are reacting like this means there's a deeper reason behind it, doesn't it? That's what I want to know, and it's a problem that can't be solved without taking the initiative to change it."

"There's no need for her to know, is there? After all, it's her business..."

"I want to know everything that concerns you."

"……Understood."

Hearing her soft yet firm voice, Tenkuji Yu sighed as if giving up.

Yukino chuckled softly, inhaling the scent of his chest, and let out a satisfied breath.

“Furthermore, if my sister hadn’t brought our mother here, I might not have been able to make up my mind and take this step.”

"It's all related to them?" Tenkuji Yu scratched her chin in confusion, and she turned the tables and grabbed her fingers, rubbing her rough and hard knuckles, until their fingers were intertwined.

"It's a very simple reason—I don't want to lose to her, to Yukinoshita Haruno, who knows that the past is false and that the memories are only hers, yet still fights back against all that pain, resorting to so many underhanded tricks and even speaking ill of her sister in order to get you."

Looking slightly into the distance, Yukino murmured to herself, "What she can do, I can do better than her... So, I want to tell my sister that even if I forget Tenkuji-kun and Tenkuji-kun no longer likes me, we can get back together as quickly as possible and not end up in the same situation as her."

"...Just hearing that, people who don't know you might think you really hate your sister."

Tenkuji Yu smiled helplessly, with an expression that seemed to see right through her: "But actually, you only made the decision to force me to 'find the past and take responsibility' just so that she wouldn't continue to be sad, right?"

"Let me correct you. I just don't want to have to be on guard against a treacherous cat lurking behind me every day in my happy and bright future, and that treacherous cat is even my own sister."

Yukino spoke somewhat awkwardly, but gradually, the corners of her mouth drooped down, and her deep voice carried a hint of relief.

"Perhaps... it's just as you said."

"She is my favorite older sister, and also the rival I have been trying to surpass since I was a child... Even if it means making her cry loudly because of heartbreak, I don't want to see her give up her present and future for those irreparable past events."

She looked at Tenkuji Yu, her gaze shifting from fragile as paper to sharp as a knife, each word seemingly etched into the deepest recesses of his heart: "Therefore, I want to meet you in the future—if I don't even have this kind of confidence, how can I possibly defeat my sister and make her give up in shame?"

He remained silent for a while before suddenly speaking: "Asuna Yuuki also said that sentence earlier... and she almost did it."

If, at that time, Asuna Yuuki regained her memories and actually said to him, "You promised, I'm here..."

Can I still be as devoted to my girlfriend in my arms as I am now, and spend Christmas Eve with her without wavering?

Yuu Tenkuji cannot guarantee this.

After all, he had already wavered countless times over those ex-girlfriends.

“Is that so…” Yukino lowered her eyes and nodded thoughtfully. “In that case, if she really remembers the past, she might be even more difficult to deal with than my sister.”

The evidence is herself.

"What do you mean..."

Beep beep beep—!

Yuu Tenkuji wanted to say something more, but suddenly heard the timer beeping from the kitchen. He put his girlfriend on the sofa, got up, and went to the kitchen.

"The soup is ready. Let's talk while we eat. I'm actually a little hungry."

"Okay, I'll help."

He sighed silently, then picked up a hair tie from the table and tied his hair into a ponytail for easy movement. Yukino Yukinoshita followed him into the kitchen.

The two worked together to set up the induction cooker, the iron pot filled with hot soup, and various fresh meats on the table. They then added two bowls of white rice and sat down side by side, clasping their hands together in front of the sumptuous hot pot feast.

“We’re starting.”

Chapter 185 What is the Christmas present?

The night outside the window was dark, and the soup base, exuding the aroma of medicinal cuisine, was bubbling and boiling in the pot, with white steam swirling around it.

They talked and ate as they finished what they were saying, but neither of them spoke first during the process of putting ingredients into the pot, waiting for them to cook, and then eating them with sauce and rice. It was as if they were completely focused on eating and eating silently.

The sounds of movement in the pot, the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, and the chewing seemed to be shielded from the world. Only the excessively quiet air bound the two of them together, and they could vaguely hear the silent noise buzzing in their ears.

"..."

Swallow a slice of Wagyu beef that's been blanched for three seconds, wrapped in rice. The fat becomes refreshing as the starch absorbs it, and the rich meaty flavor spreads in your mouth. Your pores open up instantly, and every breath you exhale carries a satisfied sigh.

With her eyes closed, Yuu Tenkuji silently savored the explosive flavors, then quietly lifted her eyelids to look at Yukino Yukinoshita.

She ate her meal with elegance and quietness, remaining calm and composed even with delicious food in front of her, skillfully and quickly picking up slices of meat from the pot.

Then, her small mouth slightly parted, her lips glistening with a tempting sheen, and she tucked her loose hair behind her ear with her fingers, her moist, bright red mouth reaching for the rice and meat slices on her chopsticks.

She took it in her mouth and swallowed it, her small hand gently covering her lips. A strange blush rose on her face, and her whole body trembled slightly as if she were being electrocuted. After a long while, she relaxed her body, squinted her eyes, and revealed a comfortable smile.

It seems she likes the taste. Even though she only made the soup herself, she still managed to recreate the effect of a spring dish...

No, now is not the time to worry about that!

Yuuki Tenkuji had no idea what Yukino Yukinoshita was thinking right now.

Logically, he should have been the one to restart the conversation since he was interrupted by the timer before he could finish speaking. However, once they started eating dinner, he found that he could find the answers to all the questions he had wanted to ask her based on his understanding of her.