I Really Don’t Want a Girlfriend Anymore

"Didn't I already say? Coach and student."

Haruno swiftly shut down Kouichirou's question. Her next sentence instantly turned his disbelieving expression into a sour grimace.

"Information exchange should be based on equality between both parties. If you want to know more, give me something more interesting than the fact that you're an otaku."

The corners of Kouichirou's lips twitched twice. He lowered his head, sighing as if his fighting spirit had drained away.

"…Fine, I just want to stay far away from you. We agreed—I help you this time, and you won't tell my mom about that."

Haruno waved her hand casually. "Relax, I have that much credibility. For this can of drink, I'll pretend I never met you today, Yuuki-kun."

"Thank goodness for that."

Kouichirou pouted dejectedly.

He glanced at Yuu, his expression shifting as if to say, 'Haruno's a ruthless witch who kills without blinking.'

Yuu wholeheartedly agreed, nodding in acknowledgment.

The two simultaneously raised their Pepsi and coffee cans, drinking as if in mutual respect.

Only Haruno drank alone, watching their friendly, understanding interaction from the side, rolling her eyes in slight annoyance.

"Tenkuji-kun, we should go."

"Alright." Yuu tossed the empty can into the trash, then stood up.

Kouichirou stood as well, pulling out his phone. "Tenkuji-kun, let's exchange contacts. If you've got free time, we can hang out—you're an interesting guy."

Yuu glanced at him, then smiled. "You too. You've got great potential as a comedic character."

"That's perfect—comedy characters are the strongest," Kouichirou said proudly, without a trace of senior-like demeanor.

They exchanged email addresses and LINE Ids. Yuu also sent his home address.

"The virtual reality helmet can be sent here… By the way, if the console hasn't been released yet, can the games be bought separately?"

Since the supplier was right here, he might as well buy the game too, so Sora wouldn't have to spend her pocket money shopping online.

"For now, there's only one, Sword Art Online—it's the game used to test full-dive status, and every helmet comes with it pre-installed," Kouichirou shrugged.

"The official version is still in development, and it might not use that name later… It's pretty fun, though. You can try it once you get the helmet. But once you're in the game, that terrifying strength of yours won't be useful."

He grinned mischievously. "Hehe, I'm really looking forward to seeing you get rammed by a level-one boar. Record it and show me later, alright?"

Yuu responded with a relaxed smile.

"Don't worry, that'll never happen."

After all, it was just for his sister to play.

*CLANG!*

The sound of an empty can hitting the trash bin rang out.

"See you, Yuuki-kun."

Haruno's smile was bright, her tone soft.

"Alright, alright, I'm going. I won't disturb you two." Kouichirou's shoulders shuddered twice. He glanced at Yuu, then raised his hand.

"See you again, Tenkuji."

"See you, Yuuki-san."

Though older and acting like they were peers, Yuu still added a respectful suffix.

Kouichirou nodded, feigning satisfaction, then turned and walked toward his friends still waiting in the game center.

"And so, Yuuki-kun embarked on a journey of unknown risks. He didn't know how much cruelty awaited him in the future…"

Like reading a holy scripture, Haruno sighed solemnly, watching his retreating figure.

Yuu glanced at her.

"You really hate him that much?"

"No, he's way better than the Young Master Yuuki I imagined," Haruno said casually, a smile returning to her face. "Getting engaged to an interesting guy like him wouldn't be too bad, actually."

Yuu asked curiously, "Weren't you not planning to resist?"

Haruno nodded gracefully.

"Exactly, so I said it on purpose to make you jealous!"

"Huh? You're overthinking it. No rent-a-boyfriend gets jealous over their employer."

"That's true~" Haruno stepped ahead, walking toward the elevator. "Besides, Yuu-chan really hates me, this evil woman."

Yuu froze for a moment. Could this woman read his mind? How did she know he secretly called her an evil woman?

Without overthinking, he followed her, saying half-jokingly, "If you just explain what your plan was today, I won't hate you."

"No can do."

Haruno suddenly stopped, then, in public, turned and hugged Yuu's arm, nearly half her soft, mature body pressing against him.

Yuu's body stiffened, feeling her warm softness like shackles, locking him in place, unable to move.

"Hey, you—"

"Because now it's really starting—this dating experience."

Her body coiled like a snake, her voice as sweet as honey yet laced with danger like poison.

She brought her lips close to Yuu's ear, her teeth and tongue softly blending, speaking in a coy whisper.

"Even though I have power, wealth, and social status far above you, you could easily destroy me, like you destroyed that machine… So, we stand at the same height."

At some point, her nails left crescent-shaped marks on his arm.

"And you hate me, and I absolutely won't like you… Don't you think this is the most perfect romantic relationship?"

Haruno concluded with a proud tone.

"…Huh?"

Seeing Haruno's flushed face, as if drunk, yet laughing gleefully from the corners of her eyes, Yuu genuinely couldn't grasp her thinking. He only knew she was dead serious.

"Perfect, my foot… You misspoke, right?"

"Hm?"

Haruno looked up, her smile fading, staring into his eyes as if asking, 'You really don't get it?'

After a few seconds of staring, she suddenly loosened her grip, only leaning her shoulder against his arm, letting their hands lightly intertwine.

"Reality is the front, lies are the back."

She pursed her lips, speaking casually as if it were 'just that.' "So, for us, it's just right."

"…"

Yuu could only see the swirl of her hair, feeling the cool sensation of their touching skin and the unexpected elastic softness.

After a moment, he sighed, as if at a loss for words.

"So, that's the conclusion you reached today?"

Haruno suddenly laughed.

"When we first met, didn't I already say it?"

"'I want to enjoy the feeling of love'… If you can't even meet the standard I want, how can you give me the feeling of enjoyment?"

She hugged him intimately, like a lover, then walked casually toward the elevator, speaking in a soft, cheerful voice:

"In the end, isn't a man-woman relationship like merchandise? If it doesn't fit, swap it out. If it fits, use it till the end. If you have a choice, it's only natural to pick what doesn't make you uncomfortable, right?"

"But for the sake of the Yukinoshita family's reputation, I can't just casually find a boyfriend… That's why I chose to rent one."

"Spending money and time until the person who best matches my desires shows up, like buying a slice of meat nearing its expiration date and grilling it on the stove, trying to feel as much of the love a girl should experience in this relationship as possible."

"That way, I can be matched without regrets~"

Haruno touched his arm. "As for what comes next, you hate me, and I don't like you either. When our money-based relationship ends, we can both quickly and cleanly forget each other."

"How's that? My 'calculations' are perfect, aren't they?"

She leaned her head on Yuu's shoulder, looking up with a proud smile, like a smug little girl.

Yuu roughly understood her thinking, staring at her with a look that said, 'Though I think you're really weird, I have to admire you in this regard.'

Then he raised his finger, gently brushing aside the slightly messy hair on her forehead.

Yuu wouldn't do that for Haruno.

But in this relationship, he wasn't Tenkuji Yuu—he was just a 'boyfriend.'

Starting now, an official boyfriend who could do intimate things.

This was the 'lie' Haruno wanted.

"…"

Haruno's eyes widened, stunned for a moment, then a bright smile bloomed, even the corners of her eyes filled with joyful laughter.

"That's my Yuu-chan! I love how responsive you are~"

Said the woman who, seconds ago, claimed she didn't like him.

"What a woman full of lies…"

Yuu let out a long sigh, his body no longer stiff, naturally letting her softness and elasticity press against him.

"Whether it's just my imagination or not, I always feel like I'm being kept by a rich woman."

"Hm? You are being kept by me. Two hundred ten thousand yen, you know!"

"I'm only 17… That's a crime."

"It's fine~ In life, the important thing is to be happy!"

Yuu paused for a moment.

"…Haruno-san, are you really treating me like your boyfriend?"

"Of course! This onee-san only does these things with her 'boyfriend,' you know~"

As she spoke, Haruno smiled mischievously and leaned closer, making his arm feel her feminine softness clearly, trying to see his embarrassed expression.

But Yuu didn't waver at all, only nodding thoughtfully, his eyes staring blankly.

There, he saw a line of text only he could see.

[The boyfriend task will end when the other party is 'satisfied,' the system will adjust the boyfriend identity, and then proceed to the next task target.]

[Task: Not yet completed.]

That meant Haruno wasn't satisfied yet.

But the rewards were plentiful.