I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

"Next, here are my own thoughts."

"..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha remained silent, but the look of surprise and astonishment gradually faded. She gently bit her moist lips with her pearly teeth, and her slender fingers curled into fists on her knees, wrinkling a corner of her clothes.

Her watery eyes were wide open, staring intently at him as if scrutinizing him, with occasional flashes of contemplation in them—she was probably wondering when she had given herself away.

Since she didn't speak, Yuu Tenkuji continued talking on his own.

"Although I don't hate acting, and I think I've played someone else's fake boyfriend in other worlds... but when it comes to actually acting like your boyfriend and being all lovey-dovey with you, it still feels pretty off-putting."

"After all, I've only known her for a few days... she's the ghost behind you. It's really unlikely that I would betray my girlfriend who's currently out of sight for her, and then genuinely enjoy the process of dating you."

"But to say I'm forcing myself, it doesn't seem like I hate you to that extent... You're beautiful, have a great figure, and while your personality is troublesome, it's still quite interesting. Basically, as long as you speak properly, it's hard for any man to dislike you, right?"

"I'm just an ordinary guy who was given a weird mission, pretended to be your boyfriend, went to play around with you at the amusement park, and... thought dating you was pretty good."

Tenkuji Yu sat down opposite her, his posture upright as he looked directly into her eyes, his gaze calm and clear.

As night slowly descended outside the window, the two people in the cramped car, having escaped the ambiguous atmosphere, quietly looked at each other.

Kasumigaoka Utaha unconsciously hugged her arms, as if she suddenly felt all the cold air rushing towards her, and the thought of regaining the warmth from just now popped into her mind.

However, he quickly came to his senses, hurriedly let go of her hand, and casually rubbed the fabric on his leg.

"You finally said it, didn't you? You told me to genuinely consider you my girlfriend."

Her gaze was fixed on the slightly upturned corners of his mouth.

"Even setting aside the time in front of the arcade, just starting with that sentence, it was a date that simply belonged to 'me' and 'you'—"

Seeing the slight surprise on her face, Tenkuji Yu smiled like a child, and said with force and absolute certainty:

"It all made me so happy! I swear to you, today is a happy time that I will remember for a very long time!"

"—!"

As if she had never expected him to make such a "heartfelt confession," Kasumigaoka Utaha once again stared blankly at his relaxed smile, which was completely genuine.

The girl's surprised reaction was exactly what Yuu Tenkuji had expected.

Although she didn't know why, an embarrassed blush gradually appeared on her cheeks, and she even inexplicably avoided his gaze, as if she was a little afraid to meet his eyes.

But this didn't matter to him at all, since he thought he was about to send the "adult version of Kasumigaoka Utaha" away.

To allow that wisp of consciousness to dissipate with satisfaction, and also to give her an ending without regrets.

With utmost sincerity, Yuu Tenkuji poured out the hottest and most passionate feelings from the depths of his heart to her:

"Thank you for giving me this unforgettable experience."

"Thank you for liking me as I was."

"Kasumigaoka Utaha, you are not a loser, but a 'girlfriend' that everyone should cherish."

"The Tenkuji Yu in your heart would definitely agree with this!"

The words fell.

The Ferris wheel cabin, which was about to land slowly, suddenly stopped in mid-air.

The faint tremor completely disappeared, and the second round of fireworks outside vanished without a trace, the colors of the night and neon lights merging into a backdrop.

Yuu Tenkuji immediately realized—this was Kasumigaoka Utaha, deeply moved by his words, finally bringing the game to a complete end.

As he breathed a sigh of relief, he could also feel himself gradually leaving his body, like his soul leaving his body, a feeling that was indescribably wonderful.

But it's better than continuing to be a jerk.

Floating above the empty shell, Tenkuji Yu looked at his semi-transparent hands with some emotion. Even though he had no sense of touch in his spirit state, he couldn't help but clench his fists and swing them back and forth in and out of the scumbag Yu's head.

"You got her pregnant...you had a messy and promiscuous love life...you let others down..."

After muttering a few words in frustration, he finally raised his gaze and looked towards Asakagaoka Utaha.

Then, just then, he saw her, with her long, smooth black hair, slowly float out of her body, just like him, and hover in mid-air.

She gently twirled a strand of hair by her cheek, glancing at herself with an expression that was a mixture of embarrassment, shyness, happiness, and relief—in short, a very complex one.

Then, she coughed twice, her long, curled eyelashes drooping, and glanced away casually before speaking:

"Well, we're in the same boat, junior."

"Thank you for giving me such a happy date experience."

Yuu Tenkuji: "...?"

Chapter 118 The Things About Light Novel Titles Being Too Long

Yuu Tenkuji blinked, her face maintaining a stiff smile.

As if he could hardly believe what was happening before his eyes, he blinked twice more, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Miss Ling behind him and Kasumigaoka Utaha's body below, his eyes twitching incessantly.

Seemingly feeling a little uncomfortable under his 'burning' gaze, Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes darted around for a moment before she finally tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, turned her beautiful face to the side, and said shyly:

"Hey~ Don't stare at me like that, it'll make me shy~"

"..." Yuu Tenkuji was speechless.

"By the way, there's no need for us to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend anymore. This tone seems a bit too intimate."

After pondering for a moment, Ms. Kasumigaoka pinched her chin and suddenly raised an eyebrow at him with a smile, completely losing her previous shy demeanor.

"It's an honor that I, your 'girlfriend,' can satisfy you. But don't fall in love with me just because of that, okay?"

"No, don't worry."

When it comes to emotional regulation, Yuu Tenkuji probably does it better than anyone else in the world.

After answering Kasumigaoka Utaha instantly, he took a deep breath, pressed his throbbing temples—he thought he actually pressed them, rather than feeling a translucent finger pierce his skull—and began to analyze what had just happened.

First of all, the person he was dating was not the adult version of Kasumigaoka Utaha, but the one who was originally a spirit like him.

Furthermore, not only did he guess the wrong person, but he also sincerely said a lot of things to this girl who would return to reality with him, which sounded like a confession, with an attitude that was almost nauseatingly enthusiastic.

—Great, I've sent it. Now let's do a make re-run.

Tenkuji Yuu never imagined that her lifelong reputation would be ruined here, leaving her with a stain on her life that outsiders could laugh at for the rest of her days. Perhaps every moment from now on, she would be slapped in the face by those words, "You said I was a girlfriend you should cherish~", in front of Iroha or others...

I hate this feeling!

"Wait a minute..."

He suddenly realized something, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. His expression darkened as he muttered, "If we just send this guy away with the adult version of her, then there won't be any problems... That's right, once we're out of this place, opportunities will be everywhere. Let me think of which Conan episode I can use as a reference..."

"Don't think about murder plans in front of the victims!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression also darkened, and she gritted her teeth as if she wanted to kick him, but unfortunately, being in a spirit state behind him, neither she nor Tenkuji Yu could touch each other.

He seemed to have just woken up, his eyes filled with innocent confusion, and he tilted his head with a puzzled look: "What's wrong? Did I say anything strange?"

"It's too late to play dumb now, Yoyo-kun."

With a cold laugh, Kasumigaoka Utaha crossed her arms and bluntly exposed his pretense, then pressed her advantage, saying, "If you don't want me to bring up these 'wonderful memories' we've shared every now and then, I suggest you change your attitude towards me."

"You're overthinking it, Shiyu."

With a cold laugh, Tenkuji Yu mimicked her aggressive posture and retorted defiantly: "I admit that I felt extremely ashamed to have mistaken you for someone else, so ashamed that I genuinely intended to make you and your adult self just memories, but that was based on my confidence in my observation and analytical abilities... As for what happened on today's date? Ha, to be frank, it wasn't even as embarrassing as accidentally splashing water on the toilet seat while peeing."

"What a tasteless analogy..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's cheeks twitched slightly. Her confident and domineering demeanor was about to crumble. She could only glare at him intently, trying to intensify her sense of pressure: "Then what were you staring at just now? Wasn't it because you felt ashamed, afraid to face the truth, and unsure of what to say to your 'girlfriend whom you truly acknowledge from the bottom of your heart' that you were so embarrassed and speechless?"

"I'm sorry, even I would be stunned by an unexpected development."

As if looking down on her weak argument, Tenkuji Yuu raised her chin and scoffed dismissively: "Let me be blunt with you—I am willing to take responsibility for everything I have said, and I will not regret anything I have done voluntarily, nor will I feel ashamed of the choices I have made based on my own will."

"My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror, and all my deeds are righteous... You may not understand the meaning of this sentence, and I am too lazy to explain it to you."

"You just need to understand that anyone who thinks they can use this to their advantage, to order me around and do whatever they want with me, is just delusional!"

As the words fell heavily, Tenkuji Yu looked over with sharp eyes, his imposing aura seemingly conjuring a whirlwind out of nowhere.

But the girl on the other side was no longer aggressive. Instead, she sighed helplessly, as if she had been punched by a little boy who was arrogantly talking about conquering the world in the future. She was almost rolling her eyes at him.

"I just said it casually, I didn't expect you to imagine so much... This is paranoia."

She shook her head, seemingly unwilling to continue arguing with him about this matter.

After a slight pause, as if remembering something noteworthy, Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes subtly shifted, her lips pursed, and she asked casually:

"So you mean, even if those words weren't said to my adult self, but to my current self... you still don't intend to take them back?"

"Is there any need to take it back?" Yuu Tenkuji retorted irritably. "Even though the tone and purpose were specially designed for 'that you,' you were the one who went on a day date with me, weren't you? You were the one who played games terribly but still insisted on challenging me, weren't you? You were the one who played the Pocky game with me on the Ferris wheel and was only two centimeters away from kissing me, weren't you?"

His true identity didn't matter at all; he simply thought that the time he spent on the date with the girl named Kasumigaoka Utaha was very happy and memorable.

I will neither deny it nor change my mind.

Tenkuji Yu looked directly at her, his gaze straightforward and earnest.

"I don't lie unless absolutely necessary, and I especially don't lie about my true feelings... So please accept my praise, Kasumigaoka-senpai."

"..."

Under his righteous gaze, Kasumigaoka Utaha fell into an awkward silence, blinking frequently, her fingers unconsciously curling the ends of her hair that hung down to her chest, lowering her eyes and head, unable to meet his gaze.

Tenkuji Yu quickly noticed her unusual behavior. After raising an eyebrow slightly, he slowly curled the corners of his mouth into a wicked smile and chuckled with amusement.

"Huh? Senior, why are you blushing? Are you shy? Did you accidentally fall for me?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha turned her head away defiantly, letting out a cold snort, but she had completely lost her previous imposing manner; instead, she gave off a sense of sophistry.

"Don't talk nonsense. Even I would blush if someone said those kinds of sweet nothings to my face. You can only blame yourself for not having your thick skin, right?"

"So that counts as a love confession to you? Then what you just said—" Yuu Tenkuji deliberately mimicked her tone from before, adding a touch of coyness, "'Thank you for giving me such a happy date experience'—isn't that the same as saying a love confession to me?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha glared at her angrily, her beautiful wine-red eyes showing even more embarrassment and annoyance: "That's because you're overly self-conscious! Junior."

Yuu Tenkuji smiled and continued to tease, "You can't feel your cheeks getting hot in this state, right? I really want to show you just how red your face is right now, Kasumigaoka-senpai."

"Don't think I'll believe you. More than that, I want you to see the passionate look on your face when you confessed to me just now, Yoyo-kun."

"Speaking of which, you blushed a lot when you played Pocky. Were you wondering if we would just kiss like that? You're so easily embarrassed, Shiyu."

"By the way, don't you have a girlfriend? Why don't you let her hear about your 'Sky Temple Family' plans, you scumbag?"