I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

A cool, pleasant voice came from inside the room; Kasugano Sora answered his question with a question.

"That's alright then." Since nothing was lost, Yuu Tenkuji decided to put the matter aside for the time being and went downstairs. "Remember to come out for dinner."

"Okay~"

For some reason, my sister sounded relieved.

After dinner, Yuu Tenkuji returned to her room, and the first thing she did was turn on her computer to check the website for renting a boyfriend.

Although the information was not deleted, his personal page is now a 404 error, and his profile picture has disappeared. There is no trace of him ever being a rental boyfriend.

Yuu Tenkuji nodded in satisfaction, took out a brand new copy of the first volume of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure from the bookshelf, and said as he flipped through it:

"System, you're not entirely useless after all. Keep it up, and maybe in the future I won't let you turn into a human anymore, and I'll let you know the pain and pleasure of human women."

system:"……"

The system, now equipped with basic intelligence, also remains silent in the face of his trash talk, skillfully refusing to respond.

Once the system was finally cleared up, and Yuuki Koichiro told him that Asuna was doing well, could play games, and was even planning to join the fencing club, Tenkuji Yu was finally completely relieved.

Apart from the wooden comb in Yukino's hand, the first two missions should have ended perfectly, leaving no lingering problems.

As for Natsukawa Masuzu, he can only take it one step at a time for now. Only after he gets to know her better can he properly think about what it means to "fill the void in one's heart" and thus achieve his desired goal.

"Unfortunately, the essence of a fake boyfriend is completely different from that of a rented boyfriend..."

Thinking about this, Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but sigh.

Unlike Yukino Yukinoshita, Natsukawa Masuzu, who despises romance, would probably be extremely disgusted by anything related to boyfriends and girlfriends. She doesn't need him to actually do anything like a boyfriend; he just needs to act convincingly enough in front of others. So even something like having her boyfriend go on a blind date with other girls would be something she would agree to because she finds it interesting, while she plans to hide on the sidelines and watch the show.

The rental provided warmth, while the disguise concealed coldness. His past experience was probably useless, and even figuring out how to get closer to someone was proving difficult.

"But... experience doesn't seem to be that important?"

After all, he used to interact with girls based on instinct, and it was a natural process for them to fall in love with each other. He didn't use any strategies or dating tips. He was very skilled at adapting to situations and responding to situations as they arose.

Even the extremely troublesome Natsukawa Masuzu, given enough time, can eventually be found to be vulnerable and fragile, allowing for a decisive attack that completely breaks down her defenses.

Even if he doesn't genuinely want to date her, he can still make her fall in love and become inseparable from him.

Haha, this kind of thinking in dating games would definitely make him a jerk in real life, and he's really unacceptable.

Yuu Tenkuji shook his head with amusement, stretched to relax his body, cleared his mind, and stopped thinking about these things.

Looking at the first volume of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure—Phantom Blood—in his hands, a sense of anticipation suddenly rose within him, and he muttered to himself:

"If I were to collect all the rewards from the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga through the system before Araki finishes drawing Part 8, and then send him the final volume, wouldn't that cause a shift in the world line...?"

Furthermore, before the ending was even revealed, they made pronouncements about the direction of the ending to JoJo fans, confidently stating which characters would die, watching their incredulous yet doubtful expressions and reactions...

That's really exciting just thinking about it!

Tenkuji Yu doesn't want to be a scumbag, but he's quite happy to be a devil occasionally.

If he ever had that opportunity, the first person he would test his skills on would be none other than that high school girl who was a fan of JOJO—Natsukawa Masuzu.

"I don't know why, but I really want to see her expression break down..."

A sinister chuckle echoed in the room where the person was alone.

In the distance, a luxury apartment building.

Natsukawa Masaki couldn't help but shiver and rubbed the goosebumps on her snow-white arms.

"A bad feeling... Could it be that my 'boyfriend' is planning to use this identity to do something bad to me?"

Thinking of this, she took out her phone and sent a message.

Masuzu aka Love Dies: "What position do you picture me in right now?"

He replied to messages quickly, without leaving anyone waiting in front of their phone.

Sky Temple: "One hand on his hip, the other drilling into his brain, and letting out a crazy laugh."

"Very good." Natsukawa Masaki nodded in satisfaction and put down his phone.

Putting aside the fact that he was a fake boyfriend, and setting aside any factors related to romance, she actually quite liked Yuu Tenkuji.

The reason is also very simple.

JOJO.

I don't dislike Natsukawa Masuzu, even though I've watched and liked JOJO and don't just see her as a meme.

"It wouldn't be bad to be friends after the boyfriend/girlfriend relationship ends," she couldn't help but laugh happily.

But he knew that it was just a lie he told on a whim and shouldn't be taken seriously.

"Alright, let's go prepare the things we need for the 'social gathering'~"

Getting up, in the empty apartment where she was all alone, Natsukawa Masaki hummed a song and began rummaging through drawers and cupboards.

As for how to act as a couple tomorrow, or whether people will notice that things are not going well, she has never worried about it.

—After all, his accomplice was a professional counterfeiter.

Chapter 18 Mizuhara Chizuru's Hesitation

A little earlier, in an old apartment building.

After taking a shower, Ichinose Chizuru emerged from the bathroom, her body still warm. Her wet hair was wrapped in a towel, and her fair skin, tinged with pink, was visible beneath her thin, bare short-sleeved pajamas.

"Phew... Training was so tiring today too~"

He muttered complaints to himself, then collapsed onto the bed like a boneless rag doll, being careful not to let the slightly damp towel get on his pillow.

After resting for a while, Ichinose Chizuru picked up her phone, which was lying to the side, and started checking for job or audition notifications.

She is currently a trainee at an acting training center. She doesn't have an agent, and she has to find, beg, and compete for any opportunities to appear on screen.

Staying informed about this information and seizing opportunities before anyone else is crucial for the future.

Taking a deep breath, Ichinose Chizuru prepared herself.

He opened his email, but there was no job offer for his girlfriend—the start of the school year is the off-season for their industry, so it's normal that there isn't one. Anyway, he had enough money saved up for her to live on for the time being, and he had just paid the training center fees last semester, so he didn't need to worry about that for now.

Opening my inbox, the latest messages are phone bills and advertising text messages, followed by notifications of my most recent failed audition, always with the same old "Try again" and "Wait for the right role for you."

"Aha--"

Stretching her long, slender arms and legs, Ichinose Chizuru let out a long sigh as if she were trying to expel all her frustrations.

Even though I feel that my acting skills have improved, why can't I even get a supporting role?

Where exactly is the problem... well, I know perfectly well what that problem is.

"Next time, I'll try to audition with theater troupes where interpersonal relationships are less complicated and there are more opportunities for newcomers..."

Muttering to herself, Ichinose Chizuru put down her phone, spread her arms wide on the bed, and stared blankly at the light on the ceiling.

The hazy light and shadow spread through my pupils, and in a daze, the scene of recording a program by the riverbank resurfaced in my mind.

That day, when my acting was at its peak, that day, when I witnessed the most outstanding acting, I can never forget it.

Although she hasn't been in contact with director Morikawa since then, and hasn't had the opportunity to enter the entertainment industry... for 'Chizuru Mizuhara', it was because of that unforgettable experience that her world suddenly opened up, and she gained a deeper understanding of acting.

Unfortunately, in this highly competitive industry, good acting alone is not enough to get ahead.

Just like renting a lover, no matter how good the acting skills, how gentle the personality, or how beautiful the appearance, not every customer will fall for it.

One heartless colleague once said that his shortcomings were that he "could only last ten seconds in fighting games, couldn't play claw machines, could lose combos even in easy mode of music games, and was a complete liability in shooting games..." and so on.

Although I still gave it a five-star review in the end, the feeling of being constantly nitpicked, having flaws found in all sorts of strange places and being looked down upon was exactly the same as those auditioners who had already decided on the spots!

Thinking of this, Ichinose Chizuru gritted her teeth, swung her legs, and tapped the ground with her slender, fair heels, but then softened her touch for fear that the downstairs residents would protest.

After venting her frustration, she picked up her phone again and looked at the profile pictures of her friends whom she hadn't contacted in a long time.

"Tenkuji-kun... is he really just an ordinary person?"

Even now, Ichinose Chizuru still has doubts about this.

Although it had nothing to do with her, out of curiosity, she inquired and searched, but she had never heard of any genius actor or senior actor in the industry with the surname "Sky Temple". She could basically conclude that he was just an ordinary "S-class amateur".

Even if there is a gap in talent, the thought that they are the same kind of people as oneself cannot help but arise.

That's why Ichinose Chizuru exchanged personal LINE contacts with him after their last "date," planning to talk to him if she ever hit a roadblock and see if she could get any useful advice.

That's like a kind of hope—someone standing in front of you, telling you that there's still a road ahead.

A path that allows her to conquer everyone and all injustices with pure acting skills, a path that gives her the hope to continue striving for it.

...It's been dragged on since summer vacation, and it seems like it's almost time?

After clicking on the few remaining chat records, Ichinose Chizuru hesitated for a moment before finally sighing and tossing her phone aside.

"Try to try again on my own... Asking for help is so useless..."

She raised her arm to cover her eyes, lay motionless on the bed, and murmured in a soft voice, "If I fail the next audition, I'll quit my job as a rented girlfriend and focus on my acting training..."

"When that time comes, we'll go ask that guy if he has any good ideas."

The night is deep.

Dreams are like distant starlight, unattainable and always hidden in the deep black clouds, never to be seen again.

……

The next morning, Tuesday.

Tenkuji Yu and Natsukawa Masuzu made a promise last night to meet at the park near the school today, and then walk to school together, side by side, in front of everyone.

They would leave school together after school, creating the impression that they were already dating, thus eliminating the persistent pursuit of Natsukawa, like a cockroach, and the rumors of the "Yuyuki Party".

The person behind Tenkuji Yu didn't care. It was just a little annoying to hear it. As long as it didn't bother him, he would let it spread. Whether it was eliminated or not didn't matter.

However, Natsukawa Masuzu held a different opinion:

"These kinds of rumors about 'who is with whom' are very scary. They can easily affect the mental state of the people involved, causing people who would not normally be together to be influenced by the atmosphere and inexplicably start dating, sleeping together, breaking up, becoming a lesbian, or committing crimes of passion, thus leading to Ayou's life tragedy."

"...Please don't fill in the blanks with your own imagination, okay?"

After giving her a speechless glare, Tenkuji Yu prepared to leave the park, which was not crowded at the moment, and head towards Soubu High School.

Natsukawa Masaki didn't care about his attitude, and smiled to herself, then naturally hugged his arm.