I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Tenkuji Yu stared at her blankly for several seconds, the air seeming to freeze in that instant.

He quickly realized what was happening and asked the cat directly, "Can you understand human speech? Are you a human in disguise? Have you seen a cat around here that looks similar to you but isn't as well-nourished?"

"..."

Whether it couldn't understand him or was thinking about how to answer, the red-eyed cat blinked and remained silent for a long while before innocently replying:

"Meow~ (Human, I don't know what you're talking about.)"

"Can you understand it now?" Tenkuji Yu frowned.

Looking back, that meow was probably just a meaningless response... Just like humans often cry out when they're not sick, animals occasionally make a sound not because they have a problem, but simply because they want to make a sound, for no other reason.

For example, the cat in the infirmary made a meow that it couldn't understand when questioned, which clearly indicated a problem.

Now that I can understand what this rather fat cat is saying, it means that it is a real cat, not a human-turned-cat trying to attract attention with its meows.

"As expected, I don't have the luck to come across two clues in one day."

With a regretful sigh, Yuu Tenkuji continued holding the cat and asked it the same question again.

"Meow~ (I only understand what you're saying. I'm a cat, and I've never seen a poor cat so skinny it's practically skin and bones. Can you put me down? I don't like this position.)"

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Tenkuji Yu quickly put the cat on the ground and rubbed its ears as an apology.

The cat quickly narrowed its bright red eyes, began to purr comfortably, and wagged its tail happily, enjoying itself as it rubbed against his hand again.

For some reason, when Yuu looked at her cat-like eyes, he suddenly felt like he had seen that color of eyes somewhere before.

Even with his excellent memory, he wouldn't remember things he didn't care about—like someone's eyes.

Let alone cats, you can see more than ten different colors of human eyes on the streets of Tokyo. To leave a deep impression on someone based on that alone is probably something only A Certain Magical Index can do.

Putting aside this brief moment of doubt, Yuu Tenkuji looked down and asked it, "Would you like to come to my house as a guest?"

Although she didn't know if her little gray cat was still there, or if she had cat food and litter, she didn't mind bringing a beautiful and friendly cat into her home.

After all, we're not short of money right now, and no one in my family would object to having a cat...

Yu's heart clenched as if it were being squeezed. She pressed her knees as she stood up, trying not to let the cat see her suddenly darkening expression.

"If you want to come, follow me. There's nothing to eat at home, so I'll take you outside to find something to eat."

Chapter 87 Thank you for sending the white-haired loli from the shadows (34/55)

With the ease of a middle-aged man leading a runaway teenage girl back to her apartment, Yuu Tenkuji swiped his key card, and the glass door slid open to the sides.

Only after confirming that the cat had followed him into the apartment with elegant and composed steps did his expression gradually relax, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

Yu entered the elevator with the cat. Luckily, there was no one else around. Yuu didn't care whether there were any rules against keeping pets in the apartment building, and she and the cat easily made their way to the tenth floor.

Stepping out of the elevator, the first thing you see is your own apartment number, which is indeed "Sky Temple".

As Yu took out his key and was about to unlock the door to enter, he noticed that the cat that had been following him was now slowly backing away, its body slightly hunched over, extremely wary.

The soft fur standing on end on its back shows that it is in a state of tension and anxiety, just like the reaction of encountering a natural enemy.

"What's wrong?"

Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but ask a question, following its gaze to look at the unfamiliar front door.

Did the cat see something it couldn't see and possess this door?

But the angel had given him the blessing of "seeing what is unseen," so logically he should be able to see what the cat can see... Could the buff have been refreshed after one reincarnation?

Gabriel, you weakling angel!

"Don't be afraid, I'm all alone at home right now."

Having appeased it for the time being, the cat vanished the moment Yuu Tenkuji opened the door, abandoning its elegant cat-like gait.

"Hey! Seriously, why are you running..."

While complaining like this, before she could even go and find the cat, Tenkuji Yu turned around and looked.

In the dark entryway, a girl stood there in the darkness, staring at him expressionlessly.

Half of her body was shrouded in shadow, only her eyes, the same color as his, seemed deeper than the darkness, exuding a strong presence without blinking.

Her expression, as inorganic as a robot's, and her flawless, exquisite face were gradually illuminated by the light filtering through the crack in the door.

Tenkuji Yuu stood frozen in place, his breath caught in his throat, his muscles stiff. He stared blankly into her deep black eyes, unable to come to his senses for a long time.

There was shock and bewilderment—but the biggest shadow looming over his heart was the other person's inhuman, emotionless, indifferent gaze.

Only when he felt his body being freed from immense pressure did he slowly exhale, take a step back in the most natural posture, like a taut spring, and then reveal a perfect smile.

"Excuse me, this... this should be my home, right?"

At that moment, those eyes blinked once, suddenly gaining a touch of humanity, instead of the lifelike robot that would trigger the uncanny valley effect.

"Answer: This is indeed your home."

The sound is pleasant, but it lacks any variation; it's like a synthesized electronic sound, only more natural and fluid.

Yuu Tenkuji politely pointed to himself, then to the doorway, and said awkwardly but politely, "Could you... please let me through?"

The girl didn't say anything, but simply stepped aside to let people pass through the entrance.

It wasn't until this moment that Yuu Tenkuji realized that she had long, straight white hair that was just as good as Sora's and Kanade's, flowing smoothly down to her waist like snow, making one want to hold it in their hands and caress it gently.

Of course, no matter how majestic and imposing a lion's mane may be, no one would dare to actually touch it before confirming there is no danger.

Taking a deep breath, Yuu Tenkuji maintained her composure as she stepped into the unfamiliar house and turned on the light switch next to the door.

The darkness from the entrance hall to the corridor was illuminated by the lights. He looked around and found that the layout was not much different from his original home, which immediately put him at ease.

"At least there's some conscience behind this shady dealing..."

Muttering to herself, Tenkuji Yu deliberately left the door open and began to familiarize herself with the layout of the residence as if nothing had happened. She even turned on all the lights along the way, letting the light in the room dispel the thick, ink-like darkness.

He quickly found his room, which was on the second floor near the stairs—many luxury apartments and detached houses are designed as duplexes.

While the rooms in this apartment building aren't as extravagant as the floor where the Nakano quintuplets lived in The Quintessential Quintuplets, the space is still large enough that even with four bedrooms across the entire building, it doesn't feel cramped. The overall design is understated yet luxurious, exuding grandeur, and you can tell at a glance that it must have cost a fortune to buy.

Unfortunately, Yuu Tenkuji still preferred the house where she and Sora had lived for several years—that was home, not just a place to stay.

Opening the door, the furnishings inside were almost identical to her original room. Tenkuji Yu put down her schoolbag, glanced around briefly, and then walked out, closing the door behind her.

In the hallway, he glanced at the bedroom next door. There was no "Kasugano Sora" nameplate on the door, which broke his room and made him feel depressed.

But he had long told himself that being down for a second was enough, because somewhere in the world, there must be someone who wanted him to smile immediately.

Shaking off her gloomy mood, Yuu walked towards the door, intending to open it and see if the layout was the same as Sora's room.

"Hint: That's my room."

Before he knew it, the girl who had been standing motionless at the door like a guardian deity appeared behind him and said this sentence without any inflection.

Sky Temple paused, turning her head to quickly glance at the gate—which had been closed and locked at some point, as silently as her footsteps.

Even though she was so close to him, he couldn't sense her presence as long as she didn't make a sound.

For the first time, Yuu Tenkuji felt a sense of fear akin to an ordinary person encountering a ghost.

He quickly suppressed his racing heartbeat and looked strangely at the petite girl in front of him who had no expression.

"Your room? You mean, you live here?"

"Yes, I will live with you."

"why?"

The girl replied matter-of-factly, "Answer: This is what the underworld demands. I will take care of you until you leave this world."

"???"

Suppressing her shock, Tenkuji Yu raised an eyebrow and asked, seemingly puzzled, "Would the mastermind really be so kind? Why didn't he also give me a hint on how to leave this world?"

“Answer, because he trusts you, there’s no need for that.”

Like a robot, the girl answered him without hesitation.

'He believes in me.'

They successfully extracted two pieces of information from the other party. Although the girl spoke of them so easily, the information was probably not crucial, but it was at least a breakthrough compared to the initial situation where they were completely clueless.

Chapter 88 A white-haired loli maid who calls you "Brother" (35/55)

To avoid conflict with the other party, Yuu Tenkuji temporarily abandoned his idea of ​​inspecting the girl's room and headed downstairs.

"Let's eat first, no matter what. Is there any food left at home?"

The girl followed behind, her small feet in white stockings stepping on the wooden corridor without making any sound.

"The answer is that we have made the most of the refrigerator's space, so please rest assured, brother."

Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but click his tongue: "This is too generous... Wait, what did you call me?"

He suddenly stopped and looked at the girl in surprise.

The girl stopped, tilting her delicate yet cold face, as if sculpted from ice, and spoke each word earnestly:

“Answer, elder brother.”

Yuu Tenkuji took a deep breath, took a step back, and covered his face as if resisting something. His voice came from under his palm in a low voice: "...Is this also a requirement of the mastermind? Does he have some misunderstanding about my preferences?"

The girl continued to look at him directly, as if to expose the hypocrisy of human nature and the distortion of XP, and calmly concluded:

"No, this is the way I've chosen to shout after observing and judging my brother, and it's the one that's most suitable for me and will excite you the most."

Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but look up at the sky: "...You've only seen me for less than five minutes, right? Where did you get your observations and judgments from?"

"The answer is the images and information provided by the cover-up."

"……oh?"

His frivolous demeanor vanished quickly, and Tenkuji Yu lowered his head again, raising an eyebrow at the girl as he spoke with a beaming smile: "So the black curtain is the system itself? Only that bastard would keep the footage that made me so horrified."

"Similarly, only it can do something similar to Qiong."

The girl did not show any surprise.