I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

It was just a non-alcoholic beverage, but she tasted the elegance of Daiginjo sake.

Speechless, Yuuya Tenkuji pulled the tab and took a sip: "This is supposed to be a paid trip, right? How come there's only suffering and no enjoyment?"

"You guys have fun, I don't have anything." Shizuka Hiratsuka shook the half-empty can of drink and sighed. "We have to manage the upcoming schedule, keep an eye on your movements, and confirm all sorts of things with the driver and the park. How can we teachers have time to play? We might as well stay home, lie in bed, watch TV, and eat instant noodles."

"That must have been hard on you." Tenkuji Yu casually replied, ignoring her resentful expression, and turned to look at the scenery receding outside the window.

A bag of dried squid was handed to me.

"If you think I'm working hard, we'll eat together. If we have nothing to do, we'll chat. The car is a rare time for me to relax."

"I just can't do anything with you..." Life is tough, he sighed softly.

He tore open the package of dried squid, placed it between his own and Hiratsuka-sensei's ample thighs, and then mumbled something while chewing:

"Teacher, Yuihama's grades have improved by leaps and bounds. I got first place in the whole school again this time. Will you get a reward from the school?"

"Hmm? Probably." Hiratsuka Shizuka took a sip of her drink and said uncertainly, "The performance bonus might be a little higher, but not by much... What, you want a piece of the pie? Aren't my ramen discount coupons more appealing?"

"..." Tenkuuji Yu's lips twitched slightly, but he didn't answer.

Hiratsuka Shizuka didn't mind, and after chewing a few pieces of squid strips, she quickly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, Tenkuji."

"It's clearly not going to rain today, yet you still brought an umbrella and a raincoat. Aren't you being overly cautious?"

Tenkuji Yuu glanced at the folding umbrella and brand-new lightweight raincoat placed on the side of his bag, and suddenly smiled meaningfully.

"Who said it won't rain?"

Chapter 42 Yang's Great Failure (Part 2)

Meanwhile, at Yukinoshita's house.

"They've already set off... Good, it's time for me to make my appearance!"

Putting away her phone, Yukino Yukinoshita stood up from the sofa with an enthusiastic smile on her face.

As a master of intelligence, she naturally knew even when the train would depart for the second-year students of Soubu High School's autumn outing today.

She didn't have much free time to care about such trivial matters, nor was she so perverted as to follow her sister when she went out to play. However, there was a certain little boy in the group who was becoming increasingly interested in her. After some deliberation, Yukino Yukinoshita decided to disguise herself and follow him, taking the opportunity to observe his every move.

She walked briskly into the dressing room, her thoughtful expression reflected in the full-length mirror.

"First, there was her reaction to the comb on the day of the performance; then there was her reaction to seeing him being intimate with a girl in front of the apartment; and then there was what Teacher Xiaojing said last time—"

"That guy said he was already used to dealing with twisted personalities back in the summer... I don't know if there's something wrong with my brain, but I reflexively thought of you. After all, not many people are more twisted than you, right? But he couldn't have crossed paths with you back then..."

The evaluation is both excessive and correct, perhaps also due to some kind of animalistic intuition unique to Teacher Xiaojing?

Indeed, asking her to help gather intelligence was the right choice...

Reaching out from under her coat, Yukinoshita adjusted her beret, fiddled with her sunglasses, and muttered to herself with a slight smile.

“I started acting strangely before the summer vacation ended, and Teacher Xiaojing said that my grades started to improve rapidly after this summer vacation, and I also showed extraordinary athletic ability. I also stopped caring about money as much as before…”

She couldn't help but chuckle, her heart inexplicably brimming with joy: "The timing is all so coincidental, how can I believe my change has nothing to do with you? Little brother Tenkuji~"

After expending tremendous effort to gather intelligence, we have finally achieved some initial results—the doubts that had been hanging over us are gradually dissipating, and rays of sunlight are about to pierce through the clouds.

"As long as I get one step closer to him, I'll eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel and find 'those things' I've lost!"

The usually calm and rational Yukinoshita is now like a child, stubbornly and willfully believing in this idea.

It doesn't matter if I end up with nothing, and it doesn't matter if the opportunity for my change has nothing to do with him.

—I was simply drawn to him involuntarily, like the Earth revolving around the sun.

"No, this girlish metaphor doesn't quite suit me... Perhaps it would be better to study him thoroughly, inside and out?"

She lightly licked her lips, gave herself a slightly seductive smile in the mirror, chuckled to herself, and turned around gracefully.

Hat, trench coat, sunglasses... the tracking suit is ready, now it's time to begin the stalking investigation!

"Yonai, where do you want to go?"

An elegant and gentle voice rang out from the doorway of the dressing room.

Yukino Yukinoshita's smile froze on her face.

He was frozen in place, unable to move under the gaze of the married woman, as if petrified.

"M-Sir, Mother..."

"It's too late to use honorifics now." Yukinoshita's mother gently placed her hand on the side of her cheek, her eyes curving into crescents as she tilted her head and smiled with extreme tenderness.

“My dear eldest daughter, you’re dressed like this, surely not to go to university?”

“…Why, why not?” Her bright gaze was like a scimitar, and her extremely cold eyes made Yukino Yukinoshita stutter. She looked away guiltily, trying to remain calm.

"You're just dressed a bit too conservatively. Is it okay to go to class dressed like this?"

"Really? Then could you please tell me why you've been skipping classes so often lately?"

"..."

Haha, of course it's to gather important information about handsome high school boys!

How could I possibly say such a thing to my mother!

"Speechless now?"

With a beaming smile, Yukinoshita's mother took a step forward towards Yukinoshita, whose face was covered in cold sweat.

“It’s understandable to refuse the engagement, but refusing to study… If you don’t come up with a good reason to convince me, you won’t be able to be so free from today onwards, Haruno.”

"Listen, let me explain!"

"Yes, yes, I'm listening~ Anyway, first take off that stalker's outfit, then come with me to the living room. I'll go make some tea."

"...Yes, sir."

Under her mother's unquestionable command, Yukinoshita Haruno dejectedly took off her hat, reluctantly giving up the idea of ​​going out.

Ah, this was clearly a perfect opportunity to follow him...

△

Sitting in his seat, Tenkuji Yu suddenly shuddered, a chill rising from his tailbone.

"Another treacherous subject is trying to harm me? System, confess now!"

system:"?"

"Oh, we're here." The bus gradually slowed down, and Ms. Hiratsuka leaned closer, peering out the window. "The weather's so nice! If it rains, how about I treat you to a super deluxe ramen?"

"You always have to be a little cautious..." Yuu Tenkuji looked at her proud chest, so close and fragrant, making his mouth water. "But since you've put it that way, teacher, then I won't hold back, okay?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand.

He rubbed his nose, frowned, and turned his face away.

"You're really confident." Hiratsuka Shizuka didn't see his disgusted expression. She shrank back, stood up, and picked up her bag full of things. "We're about to get off the bus. Clean up the trash."

"Okay, okay~"

Yuu Tenkuji sighed helplessly, then packed all the empty beverage cans and snack wrappers into a plastic bag from the convenience store, planning to sort and dispose of them in the park's trash cans after getting off the bus.

Hiratsuka Shizuka stood at the front of the bus, not even bothering with a microphone, and shouted directly at the students inside:

"Ladies and gentlemen, get ready to get off the bus!"

"oh!!"

Under the clear blue sky, ten buses slowly pulled into the parking lot of the Qingshui Scenic Area.

Before long, hundreds of high school students, like fish roe flowing out of a fish belly being cut open, left the bus, gathered in a shady spot for roll call, and then walked towards the square of the scenic area in a chaotic yet barely orderly manner.

After a long pre-departure briefing and the distribution of maps, emergency contact numbers, and other materials, the teachers began to announce the group assignments. The groups of students dispersed into smaller groups, some of which were deathly quiet, while others were bustling with festive activity. The temperature difference was evident everywhere.

After exchanging a few words with Totsuka Ayaka, Tenkuji Yu also headed towards Yuigahama Yui—the two of them were standing together, and he couldn't very well let the two girls come looking for him on their own.

"Xiaoyou~ Quick, quick, let's decide where to start our shopping!"

Holding a map in her hand, Yui Yuigahama waved excitedly at him, her pink buns shimmering with a warm and lovely glow in the sunlight.

Yumiko Miura, who was standing next to him, only glanced at him before focusing her gaze on the map. She then extended her manicured fingers and said crisply, "Let's go this way, to the shopping street."

"Eh~ Shopping in a scenic area?" Yui Yuigahama pouted, seemingly reluctant. "We can go there after we've finished shopping elsewhere, right? And having Yui accompany the two of us girls shopping, isn't that a bit too much..."

"Whatever he does, if he doesn't want to shop, let him go somewhere else to play."

"But Yumiko, the teacher said we have to do things as a group..."

"The teacher said she wouldn't interfere!" Miura Yumiko interrupted her impatiently, her eyes sharpening. "Yui, if you want to go shopping with him, just say so. I'll just find someone else to hang out with. It's a choice, it's that simple!"

"..."

Yui Yuigahama opened her mouth but fell silent, looking at her friend with some confusion, and then subconsciously glancing at Yuu Tenkuji who was walking towards her.

Oh no, Xiaoyou is angry!

Although he still had a smile on his face, there was no smile in his eyes at all. He looked like he was about to make the other person feel ashamed!

Yui Yuigahama instantly snapped out of her daze. Although she was happy that he was angry for her, she felt conflicted when the object of his anger was her friend.

Yumiko, why are you glaring back at me like that?!

Xiao You is terrifying when she's angry. I don't want to see you crying because of her scolding... Waaaaah, is this the battleground between my friend and the person I like?

"I remember your name was Miura-kun, right? You..."

"Ahhh! That's right, how about this!" Yui Yuigahama quickly stood up, blocking the sparks flying between the two, and shouted to cover up her embarrassment, "The three of us each choose a location, then we play rock-paper-scissors to decide who goes there, and then we plan a route from there that allows us to visit everyone once, so that no one will have any regrets!"

"Huh? Yui..." Miura Yumiko raised her eyebrows, wanting to say something, but Tenkuji Yu spoke up, drowning out her voice.

"Okay, if Yui thinks this is acceptable, I'm fine with going anywhere."

He sat down on the ground in front of the two of them, smiling as he looked at Miura Yumiko, whose expression had become even more terrifying, and said in a very gentle tone: "After all, I value my friends' feelings."

"I finally managed to be in the same group as my friends for an autumn outing. I'm not going to act like a child and throw a tantrum or act willfully on my own."

Yumiko Miura's lips twitched slightly, and she glared at him through gritted teeth as if she wanted to retort, but when she saw Yui Yuigahama next to her with a troubled expression and her fingers gripping the map tightly, she forced back her anger and snorted while swinging her blonde double-helix drill.

"...Whatever. I'm not really interested in autumn outings anyway, I can go anywhere."

"That's good... Thank you, Yumiko!"