I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Yukino asked, puzzled, "Even if you like other people at the same time?"

He stated firmly, leaving no room for argument: "I like you just as much, that's what my heart tells me."

The girl fell silent again, as if she didn't know how to respond to the sudden confession, or as if she was speechless at someone's shamelessness.

Her hands, holding the teacup, rubbed it gently as if afraid of burning it, her slender white fingertips and cheeks both flushed with a delicate, vibrant pink.

She lowered her head, pondered for a few seconds, then calmly replied, "I understand. So, about the clue you mentioned earlier..."

Yuuki Tenkuji kindly reminded her, "Miss Yukino, Miss Yukino."

"What?" Yukino replied without looking up.

"Where's the reply?"

"There is no such thing."

"Why?!"

"There's no reason." Her cheeks puffed out slightly, and she turned her face away as if throwing a tantrum, her tone deliberately cold. "Now is not the time for romance. If you have anything to say, we can talk about it after we've all regained our memories."

“Indeed, that’s for the best.” Tenkuji Yu nodded, but her actions didn’t match her words at all. “However, how you feel right now doesn’t necessarily mean that this is your final answer, so there’s nothing wrong with saying it, right?”

He brought his face close, his nose catching the scent of black tea, the fragrance of her hair, and the fresh, delicate fragrance emanating from the girl. He even tried to turn her body so that she was facing him.

"Yukino, I've only ever confessed to you when we met. At least give me some positive feedback—hmm."

Before she could finish speaking, something sealed her lips.

—Not the pink lips of a young girl, like cherry blossom dumplings, but the slightly damp rim of a teacup.

The rising wisps of white smoke obscured the view, blurring the delicate, shy face in front of her.

"You're so annoying... Besides you, would I ever like any other man?"

I had to say it out loud, that's why I said you deserve a beating, you don't understand girls' hearts at all...

The tea rippled slightly as Yukino Yukinoshita took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

The heat on her face finally subsided a little, and her hesitant and timid voice gradually returned to normal. She sighed helplessly, "What's the use of asking this? When it's time to confess, I'll say it myself without you having to say it."

"But if you keep pestering me like this, I'm not sure if I'll change my mind. Understand?"

Tenkuji Yu nodded obediently and took a sip of her black tea: "I understand."

"Very good." Only now did she chuckle with satisfaction and put the teacup away.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he placed it on the table, ignoring the slight raise of his eyebrows and the smile on his face. He then loosely clenched his fist in front of his lips and coughed lightly twice with a proper posture.

"Then, can you tell me now?"

"Of course." Having seen a beautiful view she had never seen before, Tenkuji Yu was already satisfied and naturally wouldn't be so foolish as to continue teasing him.

Returning to the topic of business, he picked up the book that Yukino had previously placed on the table and patted the cover.

"If I'm not mistaken, that's the key."

"This book is..."

Yukino's eyes widened in surprise. Having once fallen asleep while reading in the clubroom, she was used to putting the book on her lap aside or putting it in her bag after waking up. In addition, since Yuu Tenkuji was in her line of sight at the time, she naturally ignored the strangeness in the book.

Looking at it again, she noticed that the book was exquisitely designed, with the weight of a hardcover edition, but it didn't have titles like "The Old Man and the Sea" or "Falling in Love with My Book"—it was like a decorative prop, and she couldn't tell what kind of content it contained.

"I don't know either, but the only 'anomaly' that has appeared around us is this book."

Yuu leaned his leg against hers, and Yukino trembled slightly but did not pull away, letting him place the book on their laps and slowly turn to the first page.

The content is completely blank; nothing is written on it.

Before the two could even frown, ink suddenly smeared on the white paper, as if someone had cast a spell on it. A line of text accompanied by several pictures gradually became clear, until it filled the entire first page.

"After returning from the National Kendo Tournament, starting with Tenkuji Yu's inexplicable depression, the relationship between the three of you began to change..."

Chapter 183 Reasons for Liking You

Is it presented in a text and image format?

Yukino Yukinoshita opened her eyes wide in slight surprise, her fingertips unconsciously touching the picture of the group parting ways at the bus stop after they returned to Chiba.

Memories flowed from her fingertips into her mind, and she recalled what had happened back then—

The national tournament had clearly ended smoothly, and everyone was cheering for Zongwu High School to win the gold medal, but he looked rather listless.

Seeing through his forced smile, she kindly reminded him, "Tenkuji-kun, if you're in a bad mood, take a break. Don't put on that face and affect other people's moods."

As a result, he was still pretending to be stupid and showing off his unnecessary masculine arrogance!

Back then, they both considered each other invaluable friends...

Yukino Yukinoshita felt very unhappy when she recalled it, and immediately glared at him with a sharp look, her murderous aura palpable.

“I need to explain.” Tenkuji Yu quickly raised his hands, like a criminal trying to prove his innocence in front of the police, his tone very sincere, “At that time, I had just ‘broken up’ with Masuzu, and I was indeed in a bad mood, but I couldn’t tell you the reason.”

Yukino looked away and said stiffly, "I know, I'm not angry."

"Really not?" Tenkuji Yu refused to believe it.

"I'll get angry if you ask me again."

"Okay, okay, okay..."

Turn to the next page, and for the time being, there will be no more scenes featuring you.

Because from this point onwards, it becomes Yuu Tenkuji and Yui Yuigahama's private time.

"After being alone with Yuu Tenkuji, Yui Yuigahama mustered up her courage..."

Yukino hesitated, unsure whether she should invade their privacy, yet undeniably curious about what they had done after she left.

Yuu Tenkuji didn't think that much about it. Since it was all his personal experience, even if half of it was related to Yui, he felt he had the right to let Yukino know.

At worst, I can go back and apologize to Yui by kneeling down.

"It's an honor for me to be able to help my girlfriend understand me better."

As he said this, he forcibly placed Yukino's slender, soft fingers on the paper, and the memories flowed into both of their minds.

Yukino glanced at him subconsciously, then turned her gaze back as if she had been electrocuted, her ears burning slightly, and her upper lip gently pursed her lower lip.

"...You smooth-talking jerk. You just think that now that things have come to this, there's no point in continuing to hide it from me, right?"

"I don't care if you think that way." He blinked innocently, yet infuriatingly.

Yukino sighed, ignoring him, and carefully sorted through the memories flooding her mind.

After they parted ways, the two continued chatting, and this guy even said to Yui, "Yukino Yukinoshita? What does she know? We've known each other for almost three years, and she's only known me for less than three months. How could she possibly know me better than you?"

Yukino secretly noted this down, and then saw Yui Yuigahama muster up her courage and ask to visit her home.

Completely different from her usual harmless and timid self, a strong will emanated from her eyes, conveying a sense of acceptance and fearlessness no matter what might happen.

After hesitating for a while, since she was a good friend, Yuu Tenkuji didn't refuse and took her home.

Everything went smoothly here. Yui and Sora got to know each other, and their relationship improved. His expression also softened considerably, which made Yukino very happy...

Things took a turn when he took Yui back.

Do you still like me the same as before?

"I will cheat, at least twice."

"Yui, even so, will you still date me?"

Because it was Yuu Tenkuji's memory, Yukino Yukinoshita could feel how heavy and lonely his heart was when he said those words.

If he could, he wouldn't want to say such things to his friend; if he could, he wouldn't want to hurt the people who like him like this.

But now, he's almost at his breaking point—he wants to find companions, to find someone who's willing to support him, to find a girl who has absolutely nothing to do with any missions or girlfriends, but is simply someone he likes purely because she is Yuu Tenkuji.

That's why he refused the system's suggestion to set Yui Hihama as the next mission target—even though that would have allowed him to complete the fourth mission quickly.

Because Yui Yuigahama is just as special to him as Kasugano Sora.

He was special, completely different from his girlfriends who had forgotten him.

"...Oh, I see."

Yukino Yukinoshita smiled with satisfaction.

At first, I didn't quite understand why Yuu Tenkuji, who already had all these girlfriends, would still go and mess with Yui Yuigahama, who knew nothing about it. Was he the kind of terrible guy who didn't know how to refuse...?

But it's not.

Yuu Tenkuji seeks someone to rely on, yet he is unwilling to take advantage of Yui Yuigahama's feelings; Yui Yuigahama doesn't simply want to be with him, but wants to make Yuu Tenkuji fall in love with her through her own efforts.

They looked each other in the eye, seeking redemption, a pillar of support, and a reason to stand tall beside each other...

Perhaps this is the most ordinary, normal, and most suitable way for the two of them to date?

Without the system, they wouldn't have gone through so many hardships before finally reaching the point where they confessed their feelings to each other.

Even after that, Yuuto Tenkuji promised to fall in love with her as soon as possible, and the two of them kissed in the alley, Yukino Yukinoshita didn't feel jealous at all. She even thought that they should have been that close a long time ago—which was strange, since she did indeed like Yuuto Tenkuji.

If the object of my feelings were my sister or someone else, I would feel somewhat uncomfortable, something I experienced firsthand when I was a cat.

'If I had known back then that they were in this kind of relationship, I probably wouldn't have dated Tenkuji-kun no matter what...'

No, if their relationship had changed, it would have been impossible for me not to notice, given my understanding of Tenkuji-kun.

If that's the case, what was the reason that things ultimately ended up that way?

Snapping out of her reverie, Yukino Yukinoshita slowly opened her eyes and found him quietly watching her from the side.

"What's wrong?"

"Have you finished reviewing the memories? What are your thoughts?"

"Evaluation? You want to ask me what I have to say about that man who, in his desperation, grasps at any remedy, is as fragile as a child yet likes to put on a brave face?"

“I understand, you don’t need to say anything more.” Tenkuji Yu pressed his temples, looked up, leaned back and sighed deeply. “Back then… looking back now, I was really pathetic, I had no guts at all.”

"Isn't it fine?" Turning to the next page, Yukino said casually. "You are not a perfect saint. You make mistakes, you regret things, and you grow. Although you were forced to grow crooked, at least you didn't grow bad."

Is this a compliment?

"I don't care if you think that way." She winked sweetly and charmingly.