I Really Don’t Want a Girlfriend Anymore

As those words left her mouth, Haruno stared intently at Yuu's face.

Yuu displayed an expression of barely concealed surprise, his brows slightly furrowed, as if pondering how to respond.

After a moment, he finally answered:

"No, and I've never tried it."

Haruno immediately let out an amused scoff, extending her slender index finger, its cool, soft pad tapping his forehead twice.

"Such a dishonest kid~ Your lying expression needs a lot more practice."

"Huh?" Yuu's mouth fell slightly open, staring at her in confusion. "When did I lie?"

(This woman, what did she read from my expression?)

"Here we go again, here we go~ This Onee-san is a master of deception, skilled at both lying and exposing lies, you know?"

Like a cop catching a seasoned thief, Haruno chuckled proudly, then crossed her arms under her chin, her eyes narrowing into beautiful crescent moons, and declared in a clear voice:

"It's decided—the third trial is table tennis!"

Yuu: "…"

Ignoring his irritation, Haruno straightened her slender upper body, tapping the table with her fingers, and said slowly:

"Did you know?"

"A person's time and energy are ultimately limited. It's impossible to excel in every field. Especially your utterly unscientific strength—one or two fields might still be understandable…"

At the same time, her gaze bore into him meaningfully.

"If you excel in a few more fields, all at a level beyond professional, that's no longer something explainable by talent."

"At least, among all the geniuses, experts, masters, and teachers I've seen, or that the Yukinoshita family has ever encountered, not one could hone two completely unrelated skills to your level."

"Seriously, you're too abnormal."

"And the most abnormal thing is, you're here as a rent-a-boyfriend."

Her voice suddenly lowered, accompanied by a sweet yet dangerous chuckle.

"So… can you tell me who you really are and what you're trying to get from me?"

"Tenkuji Yuu, just 17 years old."

She spoke as if joking, but also like a venomous snake suddenly tensing from slumber, launching a probing attack without warning.

The air seemed oppressed and intimidated by that cold, piercing gaze, even the slightest sounds slowly fading from their ears.

"…"

Pressing his brow, Yuu slowly closed his eyes, sighing inwardly.

How to put it? It felt like a scene from a blockbuster movie, where a cop interrogates someone with superpowers who accidentally revealed a trace of their ability.

Haruno was the cop who found evidence of the super-powered "crime," now digging for information with a poppy-flower smile, using every trick to make him come clean.

Unfortunately, it didn't scare him at all because Yuu was prepared.

Having been interrogated like this by Sora before, Yuu had already thought it through. If he faced a similar situation in the future, especially with a mission target like Yukinoshita Haruno, how should he handle it?

Preparing for rain before it falls—Yuu was always like that, and even with the system, that wouldn't change.

So, he answered:

"Normal or not, what's it matter?"

"Knowing too much isn't good for you. Besides, we're just in an ordinary 'rental' relationship."

His grandma once said to counter deception with deception.

Was Haruno the only one allowed to be unpredictable?

If Yuu wanted, he could craft a mysterious persona for himself, specifically to deal with overly curious people like Haruno.

Thus, the current him was just a rent-a-boyfriend with many untold stories, devoid of emotion.

"Haruno-san, I don't ask about your business, so please don't ask about mine… Didn't you do the same when we chatted at McDonald's that day?"

"If you don't like it, you can cancel the order anytime. And weren't you the one who deliberately chose me as a newbie? Now you're saying I'm trying to get something from you—that's too weird, isn't it?"

Yuu looked out the window with a cold expression, his words laced with distance.

"Anyway, besides money, I don't want anything."

"And I'm not omnipotent—I just happen to be good at the things I'm good at."

After those words, the atmosphere froze again, as if called to the podium by a teacher for a scolding.

Though slightly nervous, Yuu maintained a cold expression, calmly awaiting her response.

"…"

After a brief silence, Haruno pursed her lips, her brows slowly lowering.

"I see…"

Her fingers unconsciously traced the table's pattern, her lips curling slightly as if hiding disappointment, forcing a friendly smile:

"I just thought, beyond the rental relationship, we could at least be called friends now… Hmm, sorry for pushing you to reveal your secrets like that."

Yuu shifted his gaze.

"No problem. Personally, I actually enjoy interacting with you, Haruno-san."

Haruno blinked sadly, her tone soft and cute: "Really?"

Yuu nodded seriously.

"Yeah, though I didn't feel that way at all in the beginning."

"…"

Her face twitched briefly. Haruno took a deep breath, her smile blooming brightly again, her hand clutching her chest in relief:

"That's great then… Honestly, at first, I just thought you were kind of interesting and didn't really see you as a person… Cough cough, as a man."

Pausing, Yuu returned a smile to [Yukinoshita—Mine. Haruno].

"It's fine, I felt the same."

As if not hearing, Haruno kept her friendly, radiant smile.

"Then let's pretend nothing happened just now and keep getting along harmoniously?"

Without hesitation, Yuu grasped her outstretched hand.

Slender and long, perhaps due to her cold body, it felt like ice cream daifuku—cool and soft.

He said, "That's my job."

[It was a lie.]

[Both knew their words were just for show—anyone who believed them was a fool.]

[Every sentence was a line from a scripted drama, devoid of sincerity—which is why they could smile at each other.]

[For her, nothing was more comforting and reassuring than a fake relationship built on pure lies.]

[For him, it was simply the right way to mine.]

They locked eyes, their reflections mirrored in each other's gaze, as if etching the moment into their minds.

Then, smiling, they released each other's hands with mutual understanding.

With nothing more to say, Haruno pulled out her phone, leaning lazily against the chair's backrest, and said casually:

"While waiting for the food, let's just play on our phones~ Looks like you don't want to chat with me either."

"That's helpful."

Without the slightest awareness that as a "rent-a-boyfriend" he should proactively talk to his "girlfriend," Yuu took out his phone, scrolling through unread messages.

Two or three minutes later, Haruno shoved her screen in his face, pointing to someone playing the piano with beautiful, elegant fingers dancing gracefully.

"Is this you?"

Yuu set down his phone, looked up, and smiled at her.

"Guess?"

"…"

Staring at him, Haruno clicked her tongue loudly.

[Ding!]

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

[Congratulations, host has received a reward: Short Story Writing (Proficient Level) one-time use.]

[Congratulations, host has received a reward: Presence Suppression (Status) one-time use.]

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

[Congratulations, host has received a reward: Minor enhancement to Will (Mental).]

Closing the system panel.

Yuu grew more certain—the better his relationship with this woman, the more rewards he received.

July 26, morning, only two or three days into being Haruno's rent-a-boyfriend.

What if he could keep "mining" this vein for half a year?

Thinking of that possibility, Yuu couldn't help but draw a cold breath, contributing to global warming.

(My dear sister… Your brother might rely on a rich woman to become an almighty monster.)