I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

"But you can pick it up, right?" Kasumigaoka Utaha asked confidently, her expression unchanged.

Tenkuji Yu hesitated for a moment: "It is possible, but aren't you going to compete?"

"Yes." The girl smiled slightly, stepped aside, and confidently raised her hand to welcome him. "Come on, let's see how many times it takes you to get it."

Unable to figure out what she was planning, Yuu Tenkuji could only shrug helplessly, take a coin and walk to the machine, glance at the location, and drop the coin in.

As the cheerful music played, the clip moved without hesitation to the diagonal front of the Ditto doll. Yuu Tenkuji turned the joystick forcefully, and the clip swayed almost imperceptibly twice.

Then it fell straight down, only managing to flip Ditto over, and thus returned empty-handed.

"This grip strength... it should cost around two thousand yen."

A look of understanding flashed in his eyes, and without hesitation, Yuu Tenkuji dropped in three 500-yen coins.

It costs 500 yen per transaction. Although electronic payment is more popular now, there are still many people who are used to using coins.

The screen displayed three counts, the starting music started playing again, and Yuu Tenkuji calmly repeated the same steps twice: lowering his claws, adjusting Ditto's position, and trying to get it closer to the cave entrance, only to return empty-handed.

On the last attempt, I grabbed the Ditto's butt, which was upside down and leaning against the hole, and successfully flipped it into the hole.

Tenkuji Yu bent down to pick it up and waved it in front of Kasumigaoka Utaha: "You got it for 2,000 yen, how about it? Do you want to try another machine that's similar? Or is it that the rules aren't actually that whoever grabs the toy first wins?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha pointed to the doll in his arms: "No, the rule is that whoever gets that thing wins."

Yuu Tenkuji looked down at Ditto's face, then looked up at her with a puzzled expression: "...So, you're planning to admit defeat?"

Just a moment ago you were saying 'I will definitely beat you,' but now you're admitting defeat without even having a chance to compete?

"No, the real battle is just beginning!"

With her palm gently resting on his chin, Kasumigaoka Utaha tilted her head slightly, revealing a sly smile full of pleasure, like a little fox whose scheme was about to succeed.

"YuYu-kun, I'm your girlfriend, right?"

Faced with her question, Tenkuji Yu was taken aback and subconsciously replied, "That's right..."

"So, that means you like me the most?"

She winked mischievously, her voice sweet to the point of being affected, but she didn't pounce on him like a spoiled child; it was obvious she was just trying to fish for him.

Having come this far, how could Tenkuji Yu not realize what mischief she was up to? He was filled with helplessness and admiration.

A novice can beat a master with a flurry of punches, but a woman's fist can... cough cough, I can't say for sure.

In short, if she's determined to play these little tricks, then I guess I'll just have to play along.

Even the most clueless straight man knows to pamper his girlfriend at this time.

Yuu Tenkuji squeezed the doll in her hand and sighed.

"...Of course, I like you the most."

"Hmph~" Seeing his defeated expression, Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't help but laugh out loud, raising her chin like a victor, but for some reason her cheeks were flushed.

"So, can I say, 'I like that doll, please give it to me as a gift'?"

"Of course." Tenkuji Yu handed over the doll in his hand, letting her hold it in her arms, and gave a wry smile. "Really, you actually used such a method as a final blow... Didn't you think I would refuse?"

"You came to the arcade to make me happy, didn't you?" Pressing her face against Ditto's body, revealing only a pair of bright eyes narrowed into crescent moons, Kasumigaoka Utaha explained cheerfully, "If it weren't for my request, you would have deliberately lost to me long ago. Why would you refuse me now just to win this last round?"

"...Unless, you're planning to 'break up' with me."

When she said this, she still had a smile on her face, but her voice lowered slightly, carrying a deeper meaning.

Tenkuji Yu's expression remained unchanged as he exchanged a smile with her.

"Don't overthink it. If I really wanted to break up, I wouldn't have enjoyed today's date so much."

Kasumigaoka Utaha raised an eyebrow: "Is this what you call enjoyment—completely crushing your girlfriend in various games?"

Tenkuji Yu spread her hands innocently: "Fair competition, I know you won't care about such a small thing."

"Well, that's true. I'm not the kind of petty and competitive woman who's troublesome—accepting your own weakness and acknowledging the strength of others is nothing to be ashamed of."

She quietly exhaled, then casually lowered her arm and slowly turned around.

"Using this little trick at the end is just to tell you that no matter how all-powerful you are, you still have to abide by the simple truth that 'men conquer the world, and women conquer men.'"

"As long as I'm still your girlfriend, you'll never beat me."

His tone was light and cheerful, and he seemed quite proud.

Tenkuji Yu paused for a moment before saying uncertainly, "You're actually quite competitive, aren't you? That's why you wanted to beat me in this 'sure-win' way, without being deliberately let off the hook."

"Oh dear, what strange things are you saying? My lovely Yu-Yu-kun."

Kasumigaoka Utaha turned around in surprise and asked blankly, "We're inseparable. What's yours is mine, and your victory belongs to me. As long as you still love me, why should I be unwilling to admit defeat?"

Tenkuji Yu silently observed her expression, and after a long while, he smiled and said, "You're right, you've defeated me."

Kasumigaoka Utaha clapped her hands, as if she had been waiting for these words, and her tone suddenly rose.

"In that case, let's begin the punishment for defeat!"

Tenkuuji Yu's smile froze, and he said dryly, "...What defeat punishment? I've never heard of it?"

"Because I just made the decision." Kasumigaoka Utaha said matter-of-factly, even arrogantly tossing her long hair over her shoulder. "After all, it's the most important final battle, so it's only natural that there would be a punishment for losing, right?"

"What happened before that..."

"Are you the kind of petty man who dwells on the past? Face the present and show me your masculinity!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes widened, she took a step forward and stared back with a righteous and awe-inspiring expression.

"That's incredibly unreasonable..." Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Arguing with a capricious girl is the stupidest thing to do, especially since she happens to be your "girlfriend." Turning around and walking away during a date is definitely the worst option and goes against the ultimate goal of your trip.

What else can we do? We can only stroke it in the direction of its fur.

"What do you want to do to me? I'll hear what you want to say first, and then I'll consider whether I want to accept this punishment."

He asked cautiously, afraid that the girl in front of him might suddenly become mischievous and want him to experience all sorts of socially dangerous scenarios.

As if deep in thought, Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly fell silent.

I don't know what she was thinking, but her expression gradually softened and became more natural, like a flower blooming in May and the June sun shining just right, a comforting and relaxed smile.

Lifting my eyes, I saw two deep red pools reflected in them, as if I could see the clarity and transparency of my own heart.

"From now on, treat me as your real girlfriend and take my hand."

As she spoke, she extended her delicate, lightly painted white hand toward him, like a princess at a ball waiting for a prince to invite her to dance.

"In return, I will treat you as my real boyfriend and like you from the bottom of my heart."

Yuu Tenkuji stared at the long, slender fingers hanging in mid-air, waiting for him to grasp them. He paused for a few seconds, seemingly not quite understanding, before asking her with some confusion, "Why...?"

Before he could finish speaking, the girl interrupted him directly: "Our relationship was fake, wasn't it? From beginning to end, we were never really together."

"..." Tenkuji Yu frowned, struggling to find a suitable response, "Even so..."

However, Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't seem to have any intention of letting him finish speaking.

"On this memorable first anniversary, can't I just have a sweet dream?"

Her tone was very serious, and she stared intently at his somewhat complicated expression.

He took a step forward, his aggressive aura was overwhelming, but his eyes held an uneasy glint.

"Or do you have some reason to refuse me?"

“You should understand my feelings, just like I know what you're thinking... If you refuse, I will take it as you've already given your answer and immediately change my approach.”

Despite the vague wording, Tenkuji Yu understood what she was implying, and from the slightly trembling fingertips, she could tell that she was just putting on a brave face and acting.

The real Kasumigaoka Utaha doesn't seem to be as strong or courageous as he imagined.

...Perhaps, she didn't discover that the scumbag You was cheating on her with his junior.

She just wanted to confirm the feelings of that scumbag You, to force him to end this ambiguous and fake relationship, and to stop being tormented by this uncertain love. That's why she gave off an abnormal and strange feeling today, and why she suddenly and forcefully brought it up, forcing him to make the first choice.

Yuu Tenkuji saw that determination.

Whether the answer is acceptance or rejection, Kasumigaoka Utaha will not allow herself to continue to cling to this happiness in the cracks with that begging, groveling manner.

She wanted to take a step forward, towards a new and ideal future; she wanted to shout it out loud, to raise her head and declare to the whole world, "Yuuka Tenkuji and Utaha Kasumigaoka are boyfriend and girlfriend"; she wanted to make a change—

Only a proud, strong, and confident girl, yet with a heart more vulnerable than anyone else, can gain the powerful awareness to make this choice.

Yuu Tenkuji was speechless. He was not only stunned by the scene before him, but also by the constant flashes of blurry images in his mind. The sense of déjà vu was like bubbles on a Sprite, constantly surging into his heart.

Who is that?

Who did something similar to me? Who forced me to make a choice based on her understanding?

That day, at that amusement park...

And how did I answer?

"..."

The stinging pain of memories relentlessly tormented her brain. Even after trying the "Mirror of Still Water" technique, Tenkuji Yu was unable to quell the sudden surge of emotions...

All he could do was use his perfect acting skills and "muscle control" to forcefully freeze his expression so that the girl in front of him wouldn't notice anything strange.

"You only have ten seconds to choose."

Kasumigaoka Utaha spoke softly, then took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress her rapidly beating heart, and to prevent him from noticing her unease and fear, she gently turned her face away, letting her pure black hair cover her pale face.

Her black hair fell silently, and the girl looked as beautiful as a painting.

She bit her dry lips, paused awkwardly for a few seconds, and then spoke with a resolute determination, as if she would never regret it:

"Give me a straight answer, like a man!"

"..."

Looking at the small hand she stretched out in front of him, he should have immediately grasped it for his own purposes, but for some reason, Tenkuji Yu hesitated.

"Why……"

It was just a memory.

It was just a replay.

He was convinced that agreeing to something would change things, and at that moment, he was convinced of it without any reason.