I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

"……Ugh."

After hesitating for a long time, Yuu Tenkuji finally sighed and stuffed the comb back into the paper bag.

Giving a gift was a whim, and choosing what gift to give was also a whim—but when I calmed down, I realized how stupid I was.

Anyway, I've already received enough rewards today. As a rented boyfriend, I've done more than enough. It wouldn't matter if I didn't do this, right?

"Huh? What's that? Is it a gift for me?"

As she was thinking this, her voice was cheerful and light, and upon closer listening, a gentle voice happened to come over.

Tenkuji Yu raised his eyes.

Yukino Yukinoshita walked over, put her hands on her knees and bent down, looking curiously at the two paper bags on the bench.

For some reason, all her previous hesitation vanished, and Tenkuji Yu subconsciously spoke:

"The one on the right is my sister's, the one on the left is for you."

"Okay~"

She squinted her eyes into crescents, grinned, took the paper bag on her left, and sat down against his shoulder.

Upon opening it, she found it contained a wooden comb and looked at him with some surprise.

Feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, Yu Tenkuji could only glance into the distance and casually say, "Just picked it up randomly, a cheap wooden comb for 998 yen. Give it back if you don't like it."

"When you receive a gift from someone, regardless of what you think, it's common sense to politely say 'Thank you, I really like this.'"

While saying this so casually, Yukinoshita placed the comb in his hand, her lips curving upwards into a slightly mischievous girlish smile.

"As for whether I really 'like' it, you'll know once you comb my hair! Come on!"

"what?"

She turned around, shook her head slightly, and looked quite pleased.

Yuu Tenkuji glanced at the wooden comb in his hand, then looked at her back, his mouth slightly agape as he fell silent.

Chapter Seventy-Six: Can an Echo Resound in the Empty Valley?

Yuu Tenkuji really wants to find out what it means when a girl asks a boy to comb her hair.

Even without investigating, he could probably figure it out—

Hair can be said to be a girl's life. Let's not talk about touching hair, but combing hair is something that only a beautician, a father or husband can do, right?

So this guy...

Looking at her shoulder-length, smooth short hair, Tenkuji Yu tightened her grip on the wooden comb in her hand, and finally leaned over, gently placing the comb teeth between her dark hair.

"I thought you would refuse."

Her voice came from ahead.

Yuu Tenkuji lowered her eyes and replied calmly, "There's no reason to refuse, is there? It's not like I've never combed someone's hair before."

"Your sister?"

"It's another girl."

"Really? I'll get jealous, you know." She replied with a smile, as if she had guessed he was lying, or as if she had sensed something from his clumsy handling, without feeling jealous at all.

Tenkuji Yu's lips twitched. Seeing that Yukinoshita Haruno had her back to him and didn't seem to have any intention of turning around, a bold idea suddenly popped into his head.

With one hand, he carefully combed through his hair, while with the other hand, he quietly reached into his pocket and pulled out...

Mobile phone.

With one hand, I quickly searched for "how to comb your girlfriend's hair," opened the webpage—the video had ads, which was too troublesome—and then activated my "learning" skill, my eyes quickly scanning the lines of "The True Explanation of Combing Hair," and a sense of realization gradually appeared in my eyes.

Before Yukino could realize something was wrong and turn around, he casually put his phone back in his pocket and spoke calmly:

"I was just a little clumsy just now, but I've remembered that feeling."

"Oh?"

Yukino raised an eyebrow. Before she could speak, she felt his five fingers penetrate her hair. The warm, rough touch swept across her scalp and then slid gently down her hair.

Like being electrocuted, the sensation tingled from her scalp all the way to her toes, and she couldn't help but tremble slightly, a blush rising on her fair face.

'Wait... this seems a bit bad?!'

Even though my head isn't a sensitive part like my ears, why do I feel so much sensation?

His eyes were fixed straight ahead, his fists clenched unconsciously on his knees, his heart was pounding, and his breathing was noticeably rapid.

Yukinoshita bit her lower lip, trying hard to hide her unusual behavior, not wanting him to notice.

"Yes, your hair is in great condition, so you don't need to worry about split ends. Just keep combing it like this."

Focused on combing her hair, Yuu Tenkuji didn't notice that her ears had turned red. She murmured to herself as the wooden comb gently touched her scalp from front to back and combed down without any resistance.

"Hmm..." He involuntarily made a strange sound.

Yuu Tenkuji blinked, snapping out of her reverie.

"Is it comfortable?"

"Ahem..." Yukino Yukinoshita was a little embarrassed, but thankful that she wasn't face to face with him, she said in a relaxed manner, "It's a little itchy, which made me laugh out loud."

"Is that laughter?" He looked unconvinced; he wasn't so easily fooled.

She immediately lifted the comb again, controlling her muscles and using the gentlest and most stable force to let the comb teeth glide lightly across her scalp.

"Pfft! Pfft, hahahahaha~"

Suddenly giggling, Yukinoshita Haruno bent over with her back to him, clutching her stomach and breathing softly: "It's so...it's really itchy! Never mind, I'm not going to comb it anymore, give me back the comb!"

"Oh?"

He paused for a moment, then slowly smiled.

Yuu Tenkuji held a comb in one hand and placed the other on her shoulder, his eyes crinkling with a kind smile: "No, please. I've only just gotten into combing my hair. Haruno, just let me comb it a few times, it won't hurt you."

"No!"

With a coquettish giggle, Yukino turned around and quickly snatched the comb away, then inexplicably stumbled into his arms.

She shifted from sitting to lying down, allowing him to adjust his position. She rested her head on his lap, held the wooden comb in her hand, and looked upwards.

Her eyebrows and eyes were like a painting, like a small lotus flower blooming in summer.

"This is the first time I've ever had a boy's lap pillow."

"Not just you, my first time was precious too."

"Okay, then we're even." She casually touched the spring-themed design on the comb with her fingers. "But when it comes to lap pillows, isn't it usually the girl who's the one using the pillow? It's the other way around here. Don't you feel like you're getting the short end of the stick?"

"There's no such thing as losing out when renting a boyfriend."

"That's true. If something bumps my head, I'll be the one who suffers."

"...Get down here."

"Just kidding~ If you can still get excited in public, you wouldn't have stopped at third base the first few times you kissed."

She chuckled like the Cheshire Cat, her cheeks slightly flushed from the sun: "So, is this because of the rented boyfriend, or is Xiaoyouyou just naturally such a gentleman?"

“That’s just who I am,” Tenkuji Yumiao replied, his gentlemanly character beyond question.

Yukino nodded thoughtfully.

"So it has nothing to do with the rented boyfriend?"

That's right.

"Then what is our relationship?"

"..."

Her question was so sudden that Tenkuji Yu opened her mouth slightly in surprise, without answering immediately.

Yukinoshita lay on his lap, her smile faint and calm, simply watching his changing expressions.

After a long silence, Tenkuji Yuu frowned slightly: "...You're going to talk about this kind of thing here?"

"What's wrong with that? They won't see it anyway, and I'm too lazy to walk right now. It feels great!"

She squinted lazily, then opened her eyes, her bright and calm gaze, like cold stars, continuing to stare at him, her full lips slightly upturned.

"I don't care at all how you got here or how you left the terrace. In my mind, Tenkuji Yu is an omnipotent hero; there are plenty of ways to do these things."

As she spoke, Yukinoshita raised her hand, her delicate, pink fingers, unpainted, poked his cheek, and then gently covered it with her palm.

The voice, suddenly softened, was like standing atop a desolate mountain peak, seeking an echo in an empty valley.

"I just want to know, besides the fact that you're renting a boyfriend, what are your true feelings towards me—what were you thinking when you came to me, and why are you being so nice to me?"

"Enough with the lies, let's tell the truth today."

She stared straight at him, her gaze unwavering, though a slight tremor emanated from it.

"..." Keeping her complicated thoughts to herself, Tenkuji Yu asked her in confusion, "Why now?"

Yukino Yukino pursed her lips.

"We've only known each other for a short time, and our relationship, which is based on renting each other out and keeps us company, can continue even if it's twisted but not cross any lines. A month, two months, even half a year... You shouldn't be short of money, right? Why are you asking me this question now?"

Aren't they afraid that once they tell the truth, they'll never be able to go back to how they used to be, and feel that way again, touching each other so freely?

Yukino Yukino sighed and said, "I just suddenly wanted to ask, is that not allowed?"

"You just said you were going to tell the truth."

"I've suddenly fallen for you and want to really date you; I can't hold back anymore—is this a good reason?"

"That's not all, is it?"

"..."

Silence fell again.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly. Yukinoshita Haruno slowly withdrew her hands, wrapped them around his waist, buried her face in his abdomen, and hugged him tightly as if she wanted to meld herself into him.

Sometimes, you're even more annoying than I am.