I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

With a slight raised eyebrow in surprise, Kasumigaoka Utaha watched him walk towards her with stiff steps, and felt inexplicably amused, suddenly feeling as if the misunderstanding had been cleared up.

Even if I'm so beautiful that people are intimidated and dare not approach me, since you've made up your mind to chat me up, how can you be so timid?

Does he have the talent of a male prostitute, but lack the mentality of one?

Keep it up, junior!

On the surface, she remained calm, but Kasumigaoka Utaha awaited his next words.

"I... saw the rabbit the day before yesterday, the deer yesterday, and you today."

He said this out of the blue.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was taken aback. Before she could even think about what he meant, she reflexively replied, "Dandelion Girl? Robert F. Young?"

"So you knew after all." He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and his movements became quite natural. He pulled out a chair in front of him and sat down, muttering to himself, "To be honest, I thought of a lot of things to say to you when we first meet... romantic, quirky, quirky, even like before, deliberately making you angry and then turning the tables on you."

"But thinking about it carefully, given our current relationship, there are only a few things we can say and that are appropriate to say. So why not start with something that suits us?"

He smiled, seemingly completely unaware that he was being given a strange look that seemed to say, "Who are you? Do we even know each other?"

"What is our relationship? And what happened before?" Kasumigaoka Utaha closed the book and asked two questions that concerned her.

Normally, she would have simply taken the book and left, too lazy to discuss the entanglements between them with strangers.

But perhaps it was his opening remarks that made her sense that he was a fellow intellectual, or perhaps it was that inexplicable "gigolo aura" that was influencing her judgment.

Since I don't have anything urgent to do, I might as well stay and listen to what he has to say. If I don't like it, I can leave. If I don't, it seems like it would be nice to be friends with similar interests.

Kasumigaoka Utaha wouldn't judge whether someone is worth getting to know based on a first impression.

She then rested her elbow on the table, propping her cheek in her hand, and waited for his reply with great interest.

"That's a long story, and I have something to do later, so I'll try to keep it short." He tapped the table lightly as if organizing his thoughts, looking rather endearing as he pondered the matter.

Cute my foot! Kasumigaoka Utaha wanted to kick herself for having such a thought, and then, to distract herself, she sneered at him in her heart.

—Pretend you're busy to pique a girl's curiosity, while simultaneously acting nonchalant and pretending you're not there specifically to chat her up?

Hmph, what a trick!

That was a terrible move, junior. To deal with a girl like me, the best approach is to directly express your passion and use your unwavering resolve to penetrate my thin-film defenses...

Kasumigaoka Utaha silently told him how to win her over, and not long after, the boy in front of her spoke in a serious tone:

"First of all, I come from the future, seven days from now, just like Julie Danvers, the protagonist of 'Dandelion Girl,' so I am a time traveler."

"Seven days later?" Finding it amusing, Kasumigaoka Utaha suppressed a smile, as if she believed him, and asked with a puzzled look, "Seven years would be more like it, what kind of time traveler is seven days?"

"Anyway, that's the gist of it. Don't fuss over such a small thing." He shrugged, his warm, bright black eyes looking at me with no hint of a joke in his tone. "By the way, you came back from seven days later, just like me, but you've forgotten what happened back then."

"..."

The story is getting more and more outrageous.

Kasumigaoka Utaha shook her head helplessly, mentally marking it as a no-go.

Did he really think that by making up a few fantastical stories, he could easily trick her into becoming like a literary girl who fantasizes about romantic encounters?

My interest has completely vanished; it's time to leave.

Hopefully, next time he'll approach someone in a way that fits the image of a male escort.

Thinking this, she showed no intention of leaving the chair, and her mouth opened uncontrollably:

"How could you forget? What happened seven days later? Was it the end of the world?"

Pressed relentlessly, Kasumigaoka Utaha gritted her teeth in secret regret.

Is this the power of a "gigolo aura"? It makes you instinctively want to keep talking to him. How many girls has he seduced with this trick...?

Oh well, consider it research! Wasting a few class periods for inspiration for Volume 4 is nothing to him!

She tried to comfort herself, but then suddenly remembered the strange feeling that had started that morning, as well as the growing sense of familiarity and reassurance she felt towards the boy in front of her.

It's just an ordinary, unchanging day, and he's a man I'm meeting for the first time, so why is everyone acting so strange today...?

Could it really be related to time travel?

"As expected of Teacher Xia Shizi, I've only said a few words, and you've already imagined thousands of words, haven't you?"

Watching her expression shift from mockery to stunned silence, and then to disbelief, the young man couldn't help but laugh and shrug, remarking, "No wonder novelists have such vivid imaginations; they're also quick to accept unusual events."

"I don't understand what you're saying." Kasumigaoka Utaha's face instantly turned cold, like a cat with its fur slightly ruffled, her eyes fixed sharply on him. "And where did you get the idea that I'm Kasumigaoka Utaha? Principal, Dean of Students, or librarian?"

He had absolutely no intention of honestly explaining things to himself.

"Once you regain your memory, I won't need to explain so much."

"is it?"

Since that's the case, Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't bother to keep him company—she hated talking to scheming people the most.

This time, she's really ready to leave; no matter how strong the male escort's aura is, it won't work.

She stood up, picked up her schoolbag and the half-read novel, and Kasumigaoka Utaha stopped looking at his faint smile and walked indifferently toward the stairwell.

Just then, he spoke from behind:

"Seven days later you told me that you would be the first person I came to find, and that I would do anything to make you regain your memory, whether it was to pin you against the wall or to humiliate you, even if it meant being taken away by the police."

"!?"

Upon hearing this, Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression changed drastically. As if a wolf was chasing her, she quickly quickened her pace and headed downstairs.

But when she glanced back slightly, she found that he was still standing by his seat and had no intention of rushing over to pounce on her and grope her. So she involuntarily slowed down.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, making sure she could get downstairs to call for help before he grabbed her, Kasumigaoka Utaha stopped, her brows furrowed, and turned to look back.

"What exactly do you want? You made up a nonsensical story, didn't properly explain your motives, and used that threatening tone... If this is how you pick up girls, then I suggest you buy a book called 'Love Metronome' and study it carefully."

"Okay, okay, I'll buy it when I get back."

The handsome and charming junior, with a warm and pleasant voice, sighed and strolled towards her leisurely, his eyes casually scanning the surrounding bookshelves, never once focusing on her.

"After all, it's always others who approach me; I rarely approach others. Please forgive me for that, senior."

"Don't call me senior... wait, if you want to talk, stand there and say it, don't come any closer!"

Before she could even process what she had just said, Kasumigaoka Utaha saw him getting closer and closer, and her heart tightened. A strange panic welled up in her face, and her heart started beating faster again.

She instinctively shouted to stop him, while simultaneously turning to the side as if she were about to run downstairs for help—there was no one in the library right now, and her voice wouldn't reach the librarian on the first floor. If something happened, no one would know except for the security cameras, and no one could save her.

But he was fearless, as if he was certain that she would not put up any resistance, and continued to walk slowly and naturally toward the stairwell.

"Kasumigaoka Utaha, I'll only say these words once. Unless you beg me, I will never say them again, even if you kill me."

"what?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was about to grit her teeth and rush downstairs, stared at him in surprise with wide eyes.

Tenkuji Yu took a deep breath, slowly closed his eyes, but continued walking straight toward her.

"I think I developed feelings for you from memories."

He lowered his voice, his profile hardening, and began to speak to himself:

"Pretending to be your boyfriend and dating you while you pretend to be your girlfriend, I thought I wouldn't be affected by your acting skills."

"But unfortunately, after just one day at the amusement park, my impression of you has changed a lot... Mainly because your unwilling look, your coquettish look, and the way you tried to seduce me while suppressing your shyness were all completely different from when we first met. Not many people can resist such an undisguised contrast, and I just happen to be one of them."

"Besides, have you ever heard of the principle of reversal of affection? Feelings that turn from hatred to love are often much deeper and stronger. Although we haven't reached that point yet, this is probably why we started to care about each other, right?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha was gradually drawn in by his words, though her face still showed a confused and bewildered expression: "What are you talking about...?"

Yuu Tenkuji did not answer, but simply took measured steps, passing through one bookshelf after another.

The morning light outside the window shone on his flowing black hair, like stardust in the night sky, a gentle hue.

"The cohabitation we'll experience after that is a process of turning this feeling of attraction into everyday life and gradually accepting each other."

"In order not to become a scumbag, I placed you in the position of friend and comrade-in-arms, and rejected all kinds of temptations from you... Thinking about this makes me feel a little uncomfortable. You probably hadn't fallen for me yet, right? You were so unguarded in front of a man you hadn't even fallen for, and you just gave him freebies whenever you wanted. I really want to give you a few moral education lessons."

"Huh?! What do you mean by that—"

As usual, Yuu Tenkuji ignored her reaction.

"But I have to admit that although I don't seem to be affected by your temptations on the surface, I've actually had the idea of ​​just pushing you down in my head many times... Even if we can't be girlfriends, there are other options, right?"

"Not a girlfriend, then is it a one-night stand..." Despite being completely bewildered by his words, Kasumigaoka Utaha naturally followed his line of thought, staring at him incredulously, "You scumbag, could it be—"

"Unfortunately, even at the very end, I still couldn't bring myself to do it."

Before she knew it, the tall younger man stood in front of her, slowly opened his eyes, and gazed at her calmly yet gently.

After a long pause, Kasumigaoka Utaha finally realized what was happening. She wanted to quickly go downstairs and create some distance, but her heels seemed to be frozen in place by his gaze, completely unable to move.

"Even though we've only known each other for a few days, we have an unwavering trust in each other."

"Exploring Black Lily Academy, going on dates at shopping malls, eating at restaurants, reading at bookstores... and even sitting at the same table like family to eat breakfast and dinner, it seems like it took us a long time to get used to each other's presence so quickly."

Yuu Tenkuji lowered her eyes, her voice as soft as the moonlight on a summer night.

Even now, I'm still like you, unable to say the words "I like you"... Perhaps you're shy, but I'm not sure.

"But there are some things I need to tell you now."

He opened his arms and pulled the girl, whose pupils had suddenly shrank and who was still in shock, into his embrace, gently holding her close.

Then he lowered his head and whispered in her ear:

"I'm so glad I met you. I'll never forget those days. Those memories, which I can't quite describe as happy or reassuring, will forever be a part of my life."

"So, you should wake up soon, Shiyu."

"Didn't we agree to witness the perfect ending together?"

Chapter 149 Mingming, there couldn't be anything happier than this.

That's the kind of strength that would allow you to easily push him away.

If a man you've just met hugs you, you should push him away, slap him, kick his balls, and then call the police.

Kasumigaoka Utaha did not do that—not because she was captivated by his good looks, but because her mind went blank and she was completely unable to react.

Like a sailor bewitched by the siren's song, she was immersed in the gentle whispers and hadn't yet come to her senses when a warm, thick chest pressed against her cheek, the comforting scent like a warm stove dispelling the cold air.