I Really Don’t Want a Girlfriend Anymore

The sedan slowly drove into the shopping mall's basement.

"So Yukino-chan doesn't ruin our date, I switched bookstores. And I heard there's an event here today—pretty interesting."

While speaking, Haruno parked the car, unbuckled her seatbelt, and stretched gracefully, accentuating her full chest.

"Ugh~ Yuu-chan, next time it's your turn to drive, okay?"

"Haruno-san, I'm still in high school." With an emotionless smile, Yuu dismissed the system's reward notification, then opened the door and stepped out.

"The event you mentioned, is it this?"

Looking at the sign near the elevator, Yuu's lips twitched, his expression complex.

Haruno nodded, excitedly taking a few photos, then reading the details aloud:

She blinked her wide eyes, cheerfully waving her small fist at Yuu:

"Yay! This is perfect for us to join!"

"…" Yuu was speechless.

(Do you have to go back on your word this fast?)

The bookstore was on the third floor. They took the elevator up. The crowd was sparse, the atmosphere quiet, with the scent of books mingling with warm yellow lighting, softly filling the air.

"Come on." Haruno whispered. Yuu glanced at her, then suddenly offered:

"Want to hold hands?"

"Huh?" Her steps halted. Haruno looked at him in surprise. "Did I hear that right? Yuu-chan, suddenly asking to hold hands?"

Yuu nodded silently. He'd learned a lot yesterday and needed to put it into practice.

Seeing he wasn't joking, Haruno looked up at the sky—though she could only see the elegantly decorated ceiling lights—still pretending to be scared and clutching his shoulder.

"This building won't collapse later, will it? So scary~"

"If you don't want to, it's fine. I don't like forcing people." Yuu slipped his hands into his pockets.

His approach differed depending on the person, and with someone like Haruno, he might never truly be kind to her.

In the realm of a rental boyfriend, superficial kindness—he still couldn't match Mizuhara Chizuru's level.

"Wait, I didn't say I don't want to. Just a bit surprised." Haruno smiled, extending her smooth, fair hand. "But if we're holding hands, I have a small request…"

"Romantic, right?" Like a soldier receiving orders, Yuu stepped forward, taking the initiative to grasp her hand, intertwining their fingers somewhat awkwardly.

Lovers' hand-holding style.

His movement was so firm and swift that Haruno only reacted after, lowering her head to stare blankly at their tightly clasped hands, as if there wasn't a single gap.

"This is really…"

His palm wasn't too large, but his knuckles were distinct, warm, and solid. Faint green veins on the back of his hand looked subtly sexy.

And her smaller palm, gripped tightly by his, felt like a princess caught in the clutches of an evil dragon, with no room to escape.

"Too noble," Haruno couldn't help but exclaim.

"Noble what?" Yuu only knew it was a trendy term but didn't grasp its meaning.

Haruno shook her head, swinging their joined hands, her face slightly flushed as she laughed.

"Well~ Being held like this for the first time, it does feel a bit shy. My heart's racing."

She even deliberately puffed out her chest, saying with a teasing gaze: "Wanna check?"

Yuu had no doubt—if he dared lower his hand, Haruno would boldly turn and leave, letting him walk home while complaining about sexual harassment of a female client, then refuse to take his calls.

So he pretended not to notice, pulling her forward.

"If you're not in a rush to buy books, let's check out the creative hub next door first."

"Ah, a dominant boyfriend-kun, so handsome—" Exclaiming like a fangirl, Haruno couldn't help but giggle.

Instead of resisting, she followed him, clearly enjoying it.

Holding the soft hand of the college girl, honestly, Yuu was enjoying it too.

Whether her reaction was fake or real, as long as it was just the two of them, it was part of their "rental relationship."

Something that would vanish sooner or later, so no need to get too attached—just enjoy it.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

After wandering the third floor, they finally entered the bookstore, splitting up to find books they liked.

Insisting on holding hands now would be a bit annoying—in male-female relationships, distance is a crucial lesson.

Yuu picked a few classics he wanted to read but hadn't had time for, like Snow Country, A Thousand Cranes, The Dancing Girl of Izu, and Love Letter. Not wanting to carry too much, he settled on Snow Country and A Thousand Cranes, then went to find Haruno.

Haruno was at the business book section, choosing seriously.

Yuu didn't disturb her, instead sitting on a long bench behind, slowly flipping through Snow Country, still unwrapped.

"Through the long tunnel at the prefectural border lies the snow country…"

The air was perfect for reading, the lighting ideal for getting lost in a book.

With the help of his Study skill, Yuu quickly absorbed Yasunari Kawabata's writing style. Though only at an advanced level, pairing Study with another advanced skill—Writing—yielded unexpected results.

Specifically, it might be enough to help someone continue writing without it feeling jarring.

If he could write faster, he might become a ghostwriter for novel sites.

Yuu flipped through the book with interest. About ten minutes later, long, slender legs stood before him, the captivating scent of a mature woman cutting through the book's aroma, clearly reaching his nose.

"Picked out the books you want to buy?"

"Yep." Yuu stood, closing the book. "Let me carry them for you."

He took three thick business books. Though they might mean nothing to Haruno, Yuu still wanted to show a gentlemanly side.

Haruno didn't refuse. After handing him the books, she walked to the cashier first.

"I'll pay, it's just two books." At the counter, she pulled out a card, turning with a rich woman's smile… ahem, a very generous smile.

"I'm covering all your expenses today. If your wallet's not as fat as mine, don't bother pulling it out."

Yuu nodded obediently, pocketing his wallet, surrendering to the rich woman's intimidation.

Though the cashier's glance, as if he were a gigolo, stung a bit, Haruno didn't care, so why should he?

In today's society, in a "kept" and "keeper" relationship, women usually face more criticism—so don't talk about "feeling cold and shivering." If you're going to shiver, shiver together.

Leaving the bookstore, Yuu carried a plastic bag with five books in one hand and held Haruno's hand with the other.

Choosing books took about an hour, and it was nearing noon.

"Want to eat at the restaurant upstairs?" Yuu asked.

As if proud of something, Haruno chuckled twice.

"I found online that there's a restaurant here so spicy it'll make you never dare eat spicy food again…" Showing him the page on her phone, she said with a bright, eager face.

"The first stop of our culinary journey, decided!"

Yuu stared at the sky, speechless.

(Culinary journey? More like a masochistic stomach-torturing trip.)

(And this woman, is she really going to make me finish her leftovers like last time?)

(Really trying to make me achieve enlightenment through my anus and ascend to heaven?)

Thinking this, Yuu wasn't panicked at all.

As a transmigrator from China, he was just a Japanese high schooler who'd never ventured to America.

Now was the time to play his final ace—

(System, help me!)

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

[Spicy Food Lover (Status) One-Time Use]

So much had happened this morning, and one of Haruno's rewards was this item.

Though it only applied to this lunch, while the status was active, Yuu would be the Sun Wukong of spicy food eaters—not only could he down a whole jar of raw chili sauce, but even real fire wouldn't scare him, let alone worrying about sitting on the toilet contemplating life afterward.

And so, in a room filled with the aroma of spices…