I Really Don’t Want a Girlfriend Anymore

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, host has received a reward: 15,000 yen.]

[Congratulations, host has received a reward: Shooting (Expert Level).]

[Congratulations, host has received a reward: Minor enhancement to physical fitness (explosive power and endurance).]

Three rewards at once—this generous haul stunned Yuu.

Stealing a glance at Haruno, who was driving, Yuu tried to guess which part of their earlier conversation touched her heart while analyzing the rewards.

Fifteen thousand yen broke his record for monetary rewards. Perhaps Haruno was extremely pleased, or his likability in her eyes was gradually increasing, boosting the reward level.

Physical fitness, as usual, wasn't immediately noticeable. If it kept accumulating, maybe he'd become a superman someday?

Then there was the skill reward… Shooting? Did it have anything to do with what just happened?

Did Yuu pierce her heart with his handsome appearance and warm words, earning this reward?

No way—he hadn't said anything remotely nice from start to finish…

Yuu had to dismiss the idea that "skills gained are tied to the moment's events". It seemed rewards were either randomly drawn or selected from the skills of the person involved, not something he could deliberately aim for.

Speaking of which, Haruno was weird too.

When Yuu treated her like a proper boyfriend (sending a goodnight message), her mood was worth only fifty yen. But when he acted like himself, arguing with her, stepping on multiple landmines, and speaking bluntly, she gave him a massive reward, even saying, "This suits me better"…

Good grief, was this woman a masochist?

Used to hearing sweet words from others, did only unfiltered insults fill the void in her heart?

Unable to hold back a sharp breath, Yuu instinctively shrank toward the car door, a creeping chill making him feel like he was in the same car as someone dangerous.

"What's wrong?"

Noticing his unusual movement, Haruno glanced over.

"Nothing… Haruno-san, can I ask you something?"

Yuu shifted his gaze back to the road, signaling a left turn.

"As long as it's not too hard to answer, sure~ Body measurements and such are fine."

"Not interested in that." Replying instinctively, Yuu asked hesitantly:

"You don't have any weird hobbies, do you? If you do, please tell me first. As a 'rent-a-boyfriend,' I need to consider whether to go along with them or refuse…"

Though that was his excuse, his real goal was to adjust his "mining strategy" based on her answer.

She was his "first mine." Though he didn't know how long it would last, before it collapsed, he'd dig as much and as deep as possible, squeezing out every bit of value the system offered.

The cost was merely accompanying her, saying a few words. Even if her personality was hard to handle, Yuu wouldn't give up mining over trivial preferences like "sadist" or "masochist."

"Hobbies? Let me think…"

Her pink-painted nails lightly tapped the steering wheel. Haruno paused, then suddenly shifted the topic:

"Yuu-chan, that girl I saw on your phone earlier—she's your sister, right?"

Yuu froze briefly, reflexively frowning, sensing she wasn't about to say anything good.

But after confirming no malicious expression on Haruno's face, he answered cautiously:

"Yeah."

"I have a little sister too."

At this, Haruno suddenly grinned, showing a slightly different smile from before.

Yuu didn't understand her thoughts or why she brought up her sister out of nowhere. He could only keep the conversation going:

"You mean… Yukinoshita Yukino from our school?"

"Oh? You know her?"

Haruno tilted her head, looking at him with interest: "Is her name that famous at Sobu High? Or are you also in the International Education class?"

The International Education class was Class J, made up of elite students returning from abroad or preparing to study overseas—Yukino's class.

Haruno seemed to know Yuu also attended Sobu High, unsurprised by their shared school… Yuu suspected she'd already investigated his basic information.

After all, kids from big families were cautious, having subordinates dig into someone's background before deciding whether to associate further.

"I'm in a regular class." Yuu shook his head, speaking honestly. "I've never met her and don't know her, but there's probably no second-year who hasn't heard of Yukinoshita Yukino."

"She's the top student in our grade, often praised at morning assemblies, and she's beautiful too."

"Heh~ Is that so?"

Haruno chuckled meaningfully.

"So, she's only remembered for good grades and looks, and hasn't done anything else?"

"She keeps saying she wants to change, but there's been no progress at all."

Yuu: "…"

(Why's she suddenly throwing shade at her own sister?)

Though it was odd, Yuu had no interest in their sibling drama, so he kept quiet, pretending not to hear.

But Haruno seemed suddenly eager to talk, continuing enthusiastically:

"Even though she's still growing, she's super cute, you know? Not just her looks—her glare, like a cat lounging on a wall, makes you want to keep teasing her~"

As she spoke, Haruno even slowed the car, one hand on the wheel, the other pulling out her phone, quickly tapping the screen to show him a photo:

A beautiful girl with long black hair walked down the street, her cold face turning back with an awkward, dissatisfied glare, as if trying to pierce the person behind the camera.

"How's that? Pretty stunning, right?" She looked at him expectantly.

"Haaa…"

With a wry smile, Yuu looked away from the photo.

Not knowing if the question was a trap, he could only answer vaguely: "You could say both of you are beautiful… Also, please watch the road while driving."

Putting her phone away, Haruno finally looked forward, saying with a bright smile:

"We're sisters, after all~ Though she can't compare to me, that's exactly why her effort to try twice as hard is more interesting than any TV show!"

"…"

(Saying her sister's struggles are more entertaining than a TV show—how dark is this woman's heart?)

Yuu couldn't help but click his tongue, while Haruno, ignoring his expression, kept recounting her childhood nonstop.

Nothing too personal—just the history of "Yukinoshita Yukino's" failures, told in a familiar tone. She occasionally laughed heartily, slapping the steering wheel, filling the car with cheerful laughter.

Yuu no longer knew whether Haruno genuinely loved her sister or secretly hated her.

On one hand, when talking about Yukino, Haruno's face lit up with a natural smile, her expression radiant, her hands and feet animated. The system even kept dishing out rewards of tens or hundreds of yen, clearly showing her heartfelt joy.

At that moment, Yuu thought she might be an even bigger siscon than him.

On the other hand, Haruno was like a tabloid company leaking a female celebrity's scandals, relentlessly recounting her sister's dark history and openly mocking her.

Her sarcastic tone was almost too much for even Yuu to bear.

(Not just a siscon—a distorted siscon…)

Comparing her to himself, he couldn't help but sigh.

After the label [woman with a bad and pitiful personality], another tag was added to Haruno in his mind.

—A distorted siscon.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Time passed unnoticed, the scenery outside the window speeding by. It seemed they'd exited the highway and arrived in the next town.

"Huuu… This is the first time I've felt so relieved sharing stories about Yukino with someone."

Finally tired of talking, Haruno pursed her lips, letting out a satisfied sigh.

With a happy, relaxed smile on her lips, she brushed her shoulder-length black hair behind her fair ear, glancing at Yuu in the passenger seat with a teasing tone:

"Too bad you're just a rent-a-boyfriend. Otherwise, if I introduced Yuu-chan to Yukino, I bet I'd see a really interesting expression on her face."

A classmate becoming her sister's boyfriend—such a plot would surely unsettle Yukino.

If she already knew Yuu, and they were even on good terms, that reaction—just imagining it made Haruno almost act impulsively.

Of course, it was just a thought.

Teasing her sister was just a hobby. Something like a rent-a-boyfriend, which could affect her reputation, couldn't be shared with Yukino or other family members.

Compared to this calculated woman, Yuu only felt immense relief:

"Right, thank goodness I'm just a rental."

Being called "brother-in-law" by a classmate? No way.

Yuu didn't bother asking why Haruno suddenly shifted to her sister. Seeing her pause after one story and having earned nearly ten thousand yen in rewards, he asked the question he'd wanted to ask from the start:

"Haruno-san, where are we going this time? A sports center? Or…"

"Yeah, a sports center."

The mature woman in a sexy suit, pressing the gas with her high heels, nodded in confirmation.