I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

So, omitting the massage scene that was inconvenient to describe, Tenkuji Yu finally withdrew his hand, letting the girl slump limply on the table, her fair skin flushed with an alluring blush, looking extremely healthy.

"Your hands and shoulders feel much more relaxed now, right?"

Ignoring her seemingly exhausted appearance after strenuous exercise, Yuu Tenkuji used "Refreshed" to wipe away the smell and dandruff from her fingers and casually asked a question.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's habit of going commando in her pajamas made things much easier for him, as he didn't have to press her shoulders and constantly adjust the straps—he had already seen everything he needed to see from above while she was in a daze. However, compared to the breathtaking snowy mountain scenery that drove men crazy, he was more concerned about the dandruff rubbed off her shoulders and neck.

No matter how fragrant or beautiful a young girl is, the dirt she rubs off is still dirty!

"By the way, besides relieving your recent fatigue, I also massaged a few acupoints that are a bit dangerous."

"A bit dangerous?!" Upon hearing this, Kasumigaoka Utaha abandoned her pretense of being dead and immediately widened her eyes, pressing her hands on the table as she stood up.

Her skin was smooth and firm, like earth that had just been moistened by rain, radiating the feeling of spring... with a healthy rosy glow.

Although she still looked a bit weak and powerless, her stiff joints completely relaxed, and the fatigue accumulated in her eyes vanished instantly, as if she had become younger and radiated the vitality of a sixteen-year-old girl.

Sixteen-year-old Kasumigaoka Utaha stared at him warily, her hands subtly covering her chest: "It's not some kind of pressure point that will instantly arouse you when you touch a specific spot, is it?"

Thinking she was going to question his "dangerous medical practice," Tenkuji Yuu smirked speechlessly, "Isn't there anything else in your head? All you do is have lewd thoughts all day..."

"The more serious you are, the easier it is for people to think that way!" Kasumigaoka Utaha said matter-of-factly. "And it's largely due to your massage technique, isn't it? You touched my whole body, and you still dare to question my wild thoughts..."

"Oh yes, yes, you're right." Yuu Tenkuji was too lazy to correct her anymore.

Anyway, with the review in place, he swore that he did not touch any part of the girl's body except for his shoulders and hands.

She can be described as a very dedicated massage therapist.

"The acupressure points I press can boost your spirits and improve your physical fitness in a short time, making you energetic and tireless, with effects similar to stimulants. The reason it's considered dangerous is because, like stimulants, it has side effects. The next day, you'll feel even more tired and uncomfortable, as if you've overdrawn your future energy. In severe cases, you might even need to sleep for several days."

Yuu Tenkuji looked at her radiant appearance, very satisfied with the result of his own work, and nodded to continue:

"It's a good thing you don't have a tomorrow, so even if the effect is a little stronger, it doesn't matter. I'm not worried about it affecting my body in the real world. Simply put, it's a buff with no side effects... It's a pity that this is also the first time I've used this special skill. The effect will probably fade around 11 or 12 at night, right?"

"There's no tomorrow or anything, that's a really endearing way to put it..." This time it was Kasumigaoka Utaha's turn to retort, squinting at him with a reproachful look, "You actually used my body as an experimental subject, didn't you ever consider the possibility of really damaging me?"

"Of course not, I have plenty of confidence."

Tenkuji Yu shrugged slightly, not caring about her reproach: "You should feel an endless flow of energy surging through your body right now, like a brand new car with all the parts replaced, and you really want to release this energy immediately, right?"

"Now that you mention it..." Kasumigaoka Utaha clenched her fist, her expression somewhat dazed, "The effect is really ridiculously good! I couldn't muster any strength at all just now, and I felt like I was about to melt..."

Yuu Tenkuji sighed helplessly: "I could tell from your voice, no need to say more."

If he hadn't been so engrossed in the massage, he would have loved to record all her moans so she could hear what a cat in heat sounds like.

This guy no longer pretended to be reserved in front of him, and he shouted without restraint when he wanted to, to the point that it even felt like he was deliberately shouting for him to hear.

—Next time, if there is a next time.

Yuu Tenkuji decided to press her down until she couldn't make a sound, only able to groan helplessly, allowing him to do as he pleased.

"Well, anyway." Putting aside her joking tone, Kasumigaoka Utaha sat back down at her computer, her fingers tapping the keyboard smoothly, a smile unconsciously spreading across her lips. "Thank you for giving me the strength to fight to the very end. Right now, I really feel like I'm invincible..."

Yuya Tenkuji smiled and said, "It's just a little trick. You can make it to the end with your own willpower, can't you?"

"Perhaps, but who told you to come and help me without permission?"

"Hey, who asked me to massage her shoulders first?"

"It looks like it's me? Oh well, it's nothing~" Kasumigaoka Utaha tilted her head innocently, her cascading black hair falling down the curve of her shoulders.

She gazed into Tenkuji Yu's eyes, her smile confident and calm, her tone gentle yet slightly playful.

"How about the reward is my body, or a really good novel? You can choose one."

Sky Temple Yu chuckled and sighed, "Two choices? You're only saying this because you know I won't choose randomly, aren't you?"

"I can't say for sure, but I won't lose out no matter which side you choose."

Her crescent-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, and Kasumigaoka Utaha met his gaze with moist eyes, parting her lips slightly to exhale a breath of hot air.

"Or do you want them all?"

Nevertheless, there was no shyness on her flushed face, only a straightforward trust as if she already knew what answer he would give.

Tenkuji Yu slapped her head and rubbed it hard.

"I just want you to focus on writing your novel and stop trying to 'give' me everything—I'm a scumbag who's two-timing!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha slapped his hand away, her expression returning to composure as she calmly tidied her hair.

"Of course I know, so I didn't expect you to take it seriously."

"But it's a really good novel, so it's something to look forward to, right?"

"Of course, you can wash yourself clean and wait for me tonight. I will give you a visual feast made of words!"

She looked at the document on the screen, her eyes sparkling with confidence, and then she spoke.

At this moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha possesses an even more captivating charm than her alluring and seductive appearance just moments before.

At least that's what Yuu Tenkuji thinks.

"Go for it, I'm looking forward to it."

As he felt his heart pounding slightly faster, he looked away from the girl's face, shook his head with a wry smile, and turned to walk into the kitchen.

Chapter 145 On This Last Night

It was past 10 p.m.

Yuu Tenkuji leaned against the headboard, closed the copy of "How the Steel Was Tempered" in his hand, and turned to look out the window.

The curtains obscured the night view, but he reached out and pressed the remote control. With the sound of the electric blinds rolling up, the view outside the window was now fully reflected in his eyes.

Under the dim night sky, snowflakes, as soft as cotton, danced and gradually covered the entire city.

It wasn't the comforting white snow; it looked dirty and gray, like dust drifting from the dirtiest corner.

It's not the season for snow yet—the temperature hasn't dropped, but these snowflakes suddenly fall from the darkness, showing no sign of melting, and just keep piling up on the streets and rooftops.

Yuu Tenkuji had no interest in getting closer to look, and instead took out her phone to check the internet.

Perhaps the base station has disappeared, because the signal has been showing zero bars for the past hour; not to mention going online, I can't even make an emergency call.

The apartment building was like an isolated island in a vast ocean, while the rest of the building was gradually swallowed up by a deep, bottomless darkness.

"Is this the world-ending scene that Itoko was talking about?"

Yuu Tenkuji murmured, still remembering what the silver-haired girl had said two days ago.

"The winter snow will fall directly, and the world will begin to collapse from the edges. As your physical strength and memories gradually decline, you will return to the timeline of seven days ago... Kasumigaoka Utaha's memories will be reset, while Yuu will retain a faint impression. This process will continue until you use the key to open the door."

This is not the future they might face if they ventured into Toyonosaki Academy unprepared.

Before leaving this world, Yuu Tenkuji would experience this feeling of "the end of the world" every seven days.

Not long ago, Itoko told him that these snowflakes would deprive others of consciousness and physical strength; even if they stayed at home, as time went by, those who were still awake would become more and more sleepy, just like those who had encountered a snow disaster, losing consciousness in loneliness and fear.

This is the system's setting for this world, designed to constantly wear down the host's mind and find an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. No matter how strong-willed a person is, they cannot withstand dozens or hundreds of times of despair. Once they break down in this repeated torment, the system will be the final victor.

It's a very simple, yet very useful plan.

Yuu Tenkuji didn't know if he could find a way to leave before he collapsed, since he hadn't contacted Kasumigaoka Utaha or obtained any information from the notebook.

He also didn't want to think about a future that would never happen.

After all, now, his only enemy has turned against him, and he has a beautiful black-haired giant cat living with him.

The formula for victory has already been determined, and a brand new future is stretching ahead. How could we possibly restart the cycle in loneliness and fear?

Therefore, at this moment, Yuu Tenkuji only needs to uphold one sentence as his guiding principle—

Wait and hold onto hope!

"Even though that's what I say, I'm still a little nervous..."

Turning her gaze away from the dirty snowscape, Yuu tossed her useless phone aside and silently watched the clock tick.

There's only one minute left until 11 o'clock.

The cycle of reincarnation begins at midnight. Although he did intend to witness firsthand how this world would come to an end, he was now waiting for someone else.

Just as the minute hand was about to point to the top, the knocking sounded as expected.

"Please come in."

It wasn't Kasumigaoka Utaha who opened the door.

The silver-haired girl quietly pushed open the door and walked in. Whether intentionally or not, she did not close the door. A little light from the corridor shone through the crack in the door, and her eyes, backlit, resembled the twinkling stars of Vega in the night. Her silver hair, like a galaxy, obediently draped over her slender neck.

"There is one thing that must be done before the cycle of reincarnation begins."

"What is it?" Tenkuji Yu raised an eyebrow.

Why not say it after dinner, but instead choose to say it an hour before reincarnation?

As an android created by the system, she wouldn't be so forgetful as to only remember things now.

Was she deliberately choosing this time? Why? What is her purpose?

Her face didn't change much, but Tenkuji Yu's mind started working frantically the moment she stepped into the room.

The silver-haired girl walked to the bedside and got straight to the point in a calm tone: "As I said before, after entering the next cycle, Kasumigaoka Utaha's memories will be overwritten, and Yu-ge will only have a faint impression of what happened in this cycle—because of past experiences, the system understands that memory issues are a weakness for the host, and as long as it is handled properly, it can easily break through the host's psychological defenses."

“I know that.” Tenkuji Yu frowned slightly. “I thought that with you here, we wouldn’t have to worry about this problem.”

"I came here precisely to solve this problem." She looked at Tenkuji Yu, who was sitting leisurely on the bed, her eyes calm and serene. "Through kissing, I can use my abilities to preserve your memories for the next cycle—the main system didn't develop this function for me, but with my perfect-level 'learning' skill, I can do some things that this clone is capable of."

"..."

Listening to her earnest explanation, Tenkuji Yu fell silent for a long time.

He was surprised, but not astonished; he was puzzled, but not panicked.

After thinking it over, I asked, as if to confirm:

"Only through kissing?"

"Only through kissing."

Like a broken record, she said firmly.

"Where is Kasumigaoka Utaha?"