I Really Don’t Want a Girlfriend Anymore

Tears gushing out like a fountain perfectly described the current situation.

As if a faucet had been turned on in his eyeballs, an unimaginable torrent of liquid poured from his eyes, instantly soaking his cheeks, shirt collar, and streaming downward.

"Damn it, why?!"

Only managing a quick curse, Yuu hurriedly lowered his head, letting all the liquid—whether tears or something else—flow into the sink.

At the same time, he calmed himself and began pondering the cause. Soon, he realized—this scene felt familiar!

In episode ten of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable, after Okuyasu Nijimura drank mineral water infused with the Stand Pearl Jam, his tears gushed out uncontrollably, even causing his eyeballs to briefly deflate.

But shortly after, Okuyasu's eyes returned to normal, clearer and more vibrant than before, instantly curing his sleep deprivation.

Connecting this to the system's mentioned status—Sharp Eyes—Yuu immediately felt relieved. Gripping the edge of the sink, he let the slightly murky tears flow into the drain.

Bone and marrow cleansing—those who get it, get it.

After all, his eyes weren't truly an Uchiha Clan product ready for immediate use. To physically enhance himself, this might be the only way.

About a minute passed like this, and finally, no more liquid came from his eyes. The sense of relief was like applying balm to his face.

He quickly washed his face, looked up at the mirror, and blinked in surprise.

A pair of large, gem-like eyes sparkled faintly, their whites pristine and clear, like finely carved works of art.

Squinting slightly, his gaze was as sharp as a sword, cold and commanding, boosting his handsomeness by ten points.

Moreover, his vision was far better than before. With a bit of focus, even the dirt in the corner of the wall was clearly visible.

The enhancement from his shooting skill was thoroughly outclassed.

He grabbed a toothbrush and tossed it upward, clearly seeing its spinning trajectory in the air.

As it fell due to gravity, his two fingers precisely caught the end of the toothbrush, returning it to the cup.

Confirming he truly had a pair of Sharp Eyes, Yuu couldn't help but rub his eyes and exclaim:

"System, you're amazing!"

For the price of just three less-than-useful rewards, he directly enhanced one of his five senses—vision. Was there a better system in the world?

For now, he absolutely loved the system.

"Gotta wash my face before gacha, or I'll have bad luck…"

Blinking his clear, large eyes, Yuu sighed, left the bathroom, and returned to his room to start today's basic training.

He was very satisfied with today's haul.

Not only did he gain a ton of money and skills, but he also discovered a new way to play with the system—no need to worry about how to use one-time rewards, and he could try his luck for skills or statuses he hadn't yet obtained.

It could even be said that he now held the future in his hands.

With these skills, even if the apocalypse came and zombies attacked, Yuu was confident he could protect Sora, letting her remain a himono-imouto (lazy, stay-at-home little sister).

—Still, his "side job" was far from over.

"I wonder when I'll see her again…"

Unconsciously, Yuu began to hope, missing Haruno's face, every expression of hers.

—Like a diligent miner, longing for a deep mine, eager to hear the crisp sound of a pickaxe swinging.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Tokyo, in an apartment.

"Utaha-chan, have you thought about how to write your second volume?"

"Almost done. Wanna see?"

Leaning over, Kasumigaoka Utaha invited her editor, Sonoko, inside. She closed the door, walked to the desk, and handed her a stack of manuscripts.

"I wrote an interesting character. The second volume should center on her."

"Let me see… Weird, it's not a digital document this time."

Sonoko pulled a chair and sat down. While taking the manuscript, she gave Utaha an odd look.

Utaha shrugged.

"Inspiration hit, so I wrote it directly. Too lazy to type it on the computer."

"Fine. I hope your second volume is more interesting, or the third will be canceled, and I'll get chewed out by the chief editor."

Speaking bluntly, Sonoko crossed her legs, clad in black stockings, and began flipping through the "character" Utaha mentioned.

During this, Utaha made herself a cup of instant coffee, stepping with her long, smooth legs covered only by athletic shorts, then sat on the bed.

Sipping hot coffee, she pretended to calmly watch Sonoko, who was deep in thought.

After a while, Sonoko put down the manuscript and looked at Utaha.

"Very… Why'd you only make coffee for yourself? Where's mine?"

"Can you focus on the point?" Utaha rolled her eyes in resignation, getting up to grab a cup by the kettle.

"What's your verdict? This is a character I crafted with a lot of effort and time under various coincidences. I've also thought out a fitting plot—it'll definitely leave an unforgettable impression on readers!"

"It's quite interesting, and the characterization is very rich." Taking the coffee Utaha made, Sonoko nodded, then gave her conclusion.

"Though she's a respected ojou-sama at school, she transforms into a street pianist disguised as a man after school and on holidays, trying to heal people weary and numb from life with her music."

"The all-capable (smart and martial arts-savvy) setup is a bit cliché, but her love for kids, even slightly pedophilic, adds a quirky twist."

"And when facing a stalker, her clever yet gentle response is her biggest charm, making her a perfect character readers will love."

"If she's the core character in the second volume, it might just soar."

Honestly, this was common in the light novel industry—characters were everything. Buying illustrations as bonuses for subpar books, or buying an entire work for one specific character.

Even if the plot was lacking, as long as readers loved a certain character, sales were guaranteed.

"But Love Metronome's heroines are still those two, right? Aren't you worried that making this character too good will overshadow the heroines?"

Thinking this, Sonoko couldn't help but ask anxiously.

After all, she had to consider longtime readers who loved the first volume and the story's main tone—as an editor and reader, Sonoko didn't want her favorite work to suddenly change flavor.

"No way," Utaha licked the coffee stain on her lips, answering calmly. "This character will eventually fall for the heroine, but the heroine only sees her as a good friend, even thinking she likes the protagonist, leading to complex, bittersweet feelings."

"The superior-inferior dynamic between them is set from the start, so the story's core won't shift—a standard love triangle. I'm an expert at this, so don't worry."

"…"

Sonoko pursed her lips slightly, calming her odd feelings, then stood with a resigned expression.

"Fine, write about thirty thousand words first and let me see. Though I trust your skills, this second volume is crucial for both of us, so I have to be strict in reviewing it."

"Got it, Kasumi Utako-sensei?"

Utaha narrowed her eyes, casually swinging her fair, toned legs at the bed's edge, her tone calm and confident:

"Do what you want. In the end, I'll make you cry and beg me to keep writing."

"Haha, I hope your confidence shows in your work." Sonoko waved, not letting Utaha see her out, and left the studio apartment Utaha rented to write in peace.

The room fell silent again. Utaha set down her coffee cup, got up to flip through the manuscript stack, then sat at her laptop, moving the mouse.

The screen lit up, a high-definition video paused at the final scene. She dragged the progress bar back slightly.

Then, a melodious piano sound played. The boy in the video moved his fingers, each key press like plucking heartstrings.

Accompanied by this piano, Utaha let out a slow sigh.

"I can write it, but somehow, it still feels imperfect…"

One hand lazily propping her cheek, she reached out with the other, pinching a piece of paper from the drawer with two fingers. Her beautiful eyes stared at the chicken-scratch but somewhat elegant handwriting, her red lips slowly pursing.

"I've circled around here a few times but never saw him once."

"The contact number's fine, but if only I knew his name…"

Her eyes seemed to search for stars in the daytime sky.

Utaha stared at the paper, lost in thought for a long time, then collapsed onto the desk as if drained, her soft, fair cheek against the table, letting out a long sigh like a girl in love.

"Then I could find a fitting name for my female supporting character—"

Clearly, Utaha was a perfectionist.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Midnight, at the Yuuki household.

"I'm home~"

Like a thief, Kouichirou slipped into his house, trying his best not to make a sound, avoiding waking his parents, who should be fast asleep.

His dad wasn't a big deal, but his mom was the main issue. If she knew he was out this late without a good reason, she'd lose it.

Luckily, their family favored boys over girls. If his little sister dared do the same, the lights would probably stay on until she got home, and she'd lose personal freedom for months.

Groping his way upstairs in the dark, confirming his parents' master bedroom was pitch black with no movement, Kouichirou quickly slipped into his room, not turning on the light, using only his phone's glow to illuminate the space.

He was used to this.

After turning on the desk lamp to widen his field of view, he set down his phone and scanned the room.

"I remember putting the VR helmet in… huh?"

Finding the box where the helmet should've been empty, Kouichirou froze.

He was sure the helmet was in the box before he left.

As a member of the VR helmet development team, his parents wouldn't take the helmet he used for testing. Even if they did, they'd send a message to let him know.

And the babysitter was out of the question, leaving only one person…

"Asuna? What's she doing with my helmet?"

Kouichirou looked puzzled.