I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

△

After washing up, Yuu Tenkuji prepared dinner for the two of them, the portions being the same as usual.

Although he didn't have much of an appetite, he still finished his portion, told Qiong to wash the dishes quickly, and then went upstairs, moved a chair to the balcony.

There are air conditioner outdoor units, dark gray concrete floors, silver railings, and bonsai trees that he used to leave here and now are almost all dead.

Setting down her chair, Yuu Tenkuji leaned against the railing, gazing at the city streets outside, and slowly exhaled.

"Will it rain before noon?" he said softly.

A typhoon is coming. The wind isn't exactly comfortable, but it's not as hot and humid as usual.

It's still manageable.

After getting used to the environment, Yuu Tenkuji took out his phone and opened the notification sent to him by the agency again.

The words "Contract Termination" were clearly visible. He browsed the "Rent a Boyfriend" profile and found that he was indeed now "free" again, and anyone else who wanted him could place an order directly.

However, the price has changed from the beginner level to the general level, and a single five-star review has been added to the review section.

[Anonymous Customer 9527: I've had this before, the experience was excellent. He's a charming and considerate young man who makes you fall in love without even realizing it. I highly recommend renting him out.]

"This guy..."

A smile involuntarily crept up her lips, and Tenkuji Yu gently shook her head, finally feeling a little better.

"If he said that, why didn't he continue renting it... He really is a big liar."

After thinking for a moment, he tried to send a message to Yukino Yukinoshita through the website, but was notified that "the account has been deleted".

I then dialed her number, but the busy signal quickly changed to: "The number you dialed is currently switched off, please try again later..."

I opened LINE and sent her several obscure stickers, but they all showed "This sticker is already taken, so I can't send it"—this is a way to test if someone has added me to their blacklist.

It's obvious that if I can't send it, it means I've been blocked by her.

At this point, all of Tenkuji Yu's methods of contacting Yukino Yukinoshita became ineffective, and he had no idea where she lived... It was impossible to search for her all over this big city, was it?

So, should we give up?

"..."

Her gaze lingered on the last line of the chat history for a long time before Tenkuji Yu let out a soft sigh.

An unexpected calm.

"The system did give me a hint, but I just didn't dare to take it seriously... I kept thinking it would be soon, but I didn't expect it to happen today."

But it's okay.

As for being mentally prepared, he had already done so the day he combed her hair.

There's nothing to be sad about, just a little reluctant... reluctant that my first love, which has only just begun, is about to end.

Things that must eventually be abandoned are already doing quite well if they can linger on for almost a month.

Comforting herself with this thought, Yuu Tenkuji put her phone aside.

He looked up at the heavy, gray sky that, despite being morning, suddenly came to mind a line from the Manyoshu:

"A faint rumble of thunder, a gloomy sky, but I long for the wind and rain to come, so that you may stay here."

A faint rumble of thunder, a gloomy sky—if you wish to stay, even without rain, I will remain here.

As she softly recited the words, Tenkuji Yu pursed her lips and raised the corners of her mouth.

"Although there is no thunder now, the wind and rain... will probably be coming soon."

He could guess what Yukinoshita was thinking, and he knew what he should do.

only……

Is it really over?

"Has the lie run out of steam?"

"You always say you're a pitiful girl living in lies, but the deadline hasn't come yet, and you're the one eager to get rid of the lies!"

With no one in front of him, Tenkuji Yu kept asking the air, as if venting his inner dissatisfaction. Even his perfect acting skills couldn't hide the fluctuations in his expression.

However, he quickly calmed down, rubbed his cheeks, and calmed his slightly rapid breathing.

Even if only he knew, he didn't want to appear like a pathetic dumped wretch, making a fool of himself.

—That day, he made a promise with Yukinoshita.

The contract to rent out a lover should be extended until he graduates from high school.

He can cover all the expenses during this period, and on the day before graduation, he will agree to become her boyfriend and officially be with her.

This was Yuu Tenkuji's final delay.

He knew he probably couldn't hold out that long, but he still had to try... what if the system really let him hold out for a year or two?

What if the mission objective won't be achieved as long as the two remain in a rental relationship?

Yuuki Tenkuji doesn't want Yukino Yukinoshita to forget him, nor does he want to deliberately distance himself from or treat the person he likes coldly.

In the end, this was the only method we could use.

People stuck in a quagmire, even if it seems like a futile struggle to others, will still try to wave their arms and legs and keep trying to survive.

He gazed silently at the sky before him, lost in thought for a long time.

"However, we still have to move forward in the end!"

Suddenly.

Sweeping away the previous dejected atmosphere, Tenkuji Yu stood up, revealing a bright smile, and clenched his fist to cheer himself up.

No matter how gloomy the sky outside was, it had nothing to do with him, who had already made up his mind to face everything that was to come.

—And from this moment on, never pity yourself!

The so-called golden spirit is precisely the spirit of being able to accept reality calmly when faced with a cruel reality and make choices, and also having the courage to fight against it relentlessly.

"That's right, I'm a human with the Golden Spirit too! ...Oh no, it seems I've caught it from Brother Hao."

Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but smile bitterly, when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

The perfect plan quickly took shape. Without hesitation, he carried the chair back into the house and took out his phone again to call the man.

As for Yukino Yukinoshita? Forget it, let's not think about her for now.

Because now, it's Koichiro Yuuki's turn!

Chapter 87 Her Morning Light Pierces Through the Clouds

"Brother Hao, can we talk on the phone now?"

"Sure, I'm playing a game. Need something?"

You could hear the loud clatter of keyboard and mouse on the other end of the phone, accompanied by Yuuki Koichiro's occasional gritted-teeth curses: "Go back to your ○○ and eat ○○! You piece of trash!"

With the phone pressed against his ear, Yuu Tenkuji's cheek twitched twice. After calming down a bit, he continued speaking.

"I need your help with something."

"What kind of help do you need? Just say the word!" Yuki Koichiro said generously. "You're my brother, so I'll do anything you ask, except lend you too much money!"

Yuu Tenkuji reminded me, "Even if you help me, I still can't teach you how to use superpowers or Stand abilities, okay?"

"...It's alright, go ahead and tell me. I don't ask for anything in return when I help a friend." He said this, but his tone clearly became listless, and he seemed uninterested.

Tenkuji Yu pursed her lips and asked bluntly, "Can you still contact Haruno?"

"Yonai-san?" Yuuki Koichiro was taken aback. "What's wrong? Did you two have a fight?"

"I guess so, I can't get in touch with her."

"Okay, then wait a moment..."

A short while later, Yuuki Koichiro spoke up, completely baffled: "Strange, she blocked me? There's no need for that! I don't usually chat with her, why would she block me?"

Yuu Tenkuji had anticipated this.

“It must be my problem. Besides the contact information she gave me, you are the only way I can find her… If she really wanted to avoid me, she wouldn’t let you contact her.”

He complained, "What am I supposed to do? You two shouldn't drag me into your arguments. My mom's finally calmed down and stopped asking me to 'build a good relationship' with her. I don't want her to rekindle her hopes."

After the gathering at the resort, Kyoko Yuuki—Koichiro Yuuki's mother—felt that the Yukinoshita family had suddenly become less enthusiastic about the marriage alliance. She thought that her son had done something to offend the other side. After several failed attempts to resolve the issue, she simply gave up on the idea of ​​the two families becoming in-laws and focused on business exchanges between the two families.

That's why Koichiro Yuuki was free until she found her next blind date.

He didn't want to end this rare freedom prematurely just because he was helping out.

Knowing what he was worried about, Tenkuji Yu smiled and said, "Originally, I wanted you to contact the elders of the Yukino family through your elders, use the pressure from your parents to invite Haruno out, and then I would go in your place... But since you've said that, I'll change my plan."

"Thank goodness you changed..." Yuki Koichiro breathed a sigh of relief.

"Just tell me the address of Yukinoshita's house."

He was slightly taken aback: "Huh? You don't know where she lives?"

—Every time we meet, it's like underground party members making a rendezvous; it would be strange if anyone knew.

Thinking to himself, Tenkuji chuckled and said, "Sorry, I don't even know if she lives at home."

"I see..."

With a tone of pity, and perhaps due to some misunderstanding, Yuuki Koichiro suddenly became enthusiastic: "Then let me tell you! Anyway, I got the information from my mother."

"Both of Yukinoshita's daughters live at home now. The younger daughter has the idea of ​​staying out overnight and living independently, but it has never been agreed to. Although the older daughter sometimes goes to stay in the family's luxury apartment, she spends most of her time at home, seemingly too lazy to go back and forth between the two places."

Yuu Tenkuji sighed: "Thank you for the extra information. So, what's the address?"

"Don't rush me~ I'll give you the addresses for both places, but I don't know anything about Yang Nai-san's whereabouts. According to the information my mom found out, if you want to intercept her, you'd better..."

Yuu Tenkuji: "..."

This guy, rather than being overly enthusiastic, is more like someone who enjoys watching a good show and doesn't mind making things worse.

With a helpless expression, Yuu wrote down the two addresses that Yuuki Koichiro had given him. Once the addresses were no longer of any use to him, Yuu decisively said, "Thank you, I owe you a favor. I'll treat you to dinner another day," and quickly ended the call.

If they continued talking, he would probably bring up his poor, obedient younger sister again... Both of them have younger sisters and occasionally discuss this topic.