I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

After finishing dinner, Qiong put her hands together, bowed her head, and recited a sentence.

Then she looked up, her eyes serious: "Yu, I want to learn how to cook."

"This is the twenty-seventh time you've said that." Yuu Tenkuji didn't react and started clearing the dishes. "Give up. I don't want to see you hurt the kitchen and yourself again."

"Hmm, putting the kitchen first... Is the kitchen more important than me?"

Qiong pouted, staring at him with slight dissatisfaction.

What else can be said?

Yuu Tenkuji doesn't always indulge his sister's advances; on the contrary, he usually maintains a dignified older brother demeanor.

"Anyway, I'm in charge of all three meals at home. If you feel guilty for not doing anything, then do some of the other chores instead of always sitting in front of the computer."

After giving the instructions, he tidied up the dishes and took them to the sink.

"...Just like an old woman."

Hearing this grumble, Yuu Tenkuji in the kitchen immediately raised her voice:

You're washing the dishes today!

"!! It was clearly your turn!"

The sound of the siblings arguing added a touch of warmth to the darkening sky.

△

"Yu, let's take a bath together."

"No."

"Then let me give you a massage. I recently watched a video about foot massage. Let's go to the room and try it out."

"Sora, no matter what you say." Patting her younger sister's slender shoulder, Tenkuji Yu walked past her, smiling gently.

"You're definitely washing this bowl today."

"Tsk!"

Yuu Tenkuji ignored her and went upstairs to get his clothes. After coming downstairs and confirming that Sora had resigned herself to her fate and was obediently washing the dishes, he went into the bathroom to take a shower.

Steam rose, water droplets fell, and the quiet bathroom was filled with the splashing sound of water.

"call……"

Letting out a long breath, Tenkuji Yu lay in the bathtub, letting the hot water soothe her tired body.

Then, on a whim, he opened the system panel.

Naturally, the panel remains as it was at the beginning; more information will probably be unlocked after we go to the "appointment" tomorrow.

"Yukinoshita, Haruno..."

Silently pondering the name, Tenkuji Yuu fell into deep thought.

I feel like I've heard this somewhere before.

Under the Snow in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture? No, it shouldn't be related to the place name.

"Ah, it's her."

A sudden thought struck him, and he remembered that there was indeed such a celebrity at his school.

Yukino Yukinoshita is a prominent figure at their high school. She's the typical rich girl from every school light novel, with the common persona of an aloof beauty and a top student excelling in both academics and athletics.

Since they had never spoken, Tenkuji Yu had no impression of her, only having heard some rumors about her.

Judging from the similarity of their names, there is a 90% chance that these two are related... It's hard to tell who is the older sister and who is the younger sister between Haruno and Yukino.

"But the 'target' happens to be the family members of a student from the same school...?"

Whether it's a coincidence or not, I really hope it doesn't lead to any troublesome situation.

Ultimately, I'm a lifelong single dog, so why did I have to attract this kind of system related to love?

Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but click his tongue, then buried his head in the water and blew a few bubbles.

It then spread its arms and legs wide, floating on the water in a U-shape.

"There's no point in thinking about it if you don't know anything."

Lazy echoes lingered in the steamy bathroom.

If the system lacks a punishment mechanism and its disadvantages outweigh its advantages, then Yuu Tenkuji could simply pretend the system doesn't exist.

Even without the system, he could support himself and Qiong with his own hands and feet.

Of course, this applies if the system provides generous rewards without causing too much harm...

If he could get rich easily, he wouldn't be foolish enough to insist on being self-reliant; he would always try to seize this windfall.

As he pondered, the distracting thoughts in his mind gradually dissipated, and Tenkuji slowly closed his eyes.

Just as I was about to settle down and enjoy the comfort of the hot water, I suddenly heard the sound of a doorknob turning at the door, along with a faint smacking sound.

"Tch, it's locked..."

"Qiong?!"

Water splashed up.

Tenkuji Yu reflexively sat up, covering her private parts, and stared in astonishment at the doorway.

What are you doing?

After a pause, she answered nonchalantly from outside the door:

"It's nothing, I just wanted to get the hairband I forgot inside."

"A hairband?" Slightly relieved, Tenkuji Yu looked around the bathroom and said strangely, "I don't see a hairband."

"Oh, it seems I remembered wrong. You can continue washing."

As soon as she finished speaking, the slender figure that was faintly visible through the glass door disappeared.

He seemed completely unconcerned whether the headband had fallen into the bathroom or not.

"That guy Qiong..."

Realizing what was happening, Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but twitch the corners of her mouth, her expression slightly subtle.

"Is it because he's going through puberty, or did he see some weird stuff online?"

If he hadn't habitually locked the bathroom door, his floating posture on the water would have been completely exposed to his sister.

Just now, she was already so old and still wanted to take a bath together and teased her older brother in various ways. This time, she even tried to barge into the bathroom while he was taking a bath—her thinking has probably gone astray, and it's time to correct it!

"Let's have a family meeting."

His expression immediately turned serious. Having made this decision, Tenkuji Yuu lost all interest in continuing his bath.

After getting out of the bathtub, drying himself, and changing into his pajamas, he went straight upstairs to find Kasugano Sora, intending to use his elder brother's authority to give her a good scolding.

I knocked on the door but before I could even go in, she shut me down with just two sentences:

"Wait, it's my turn to take a shower. I'm not dressed right now, so feel free to come in if you want."

"...Then let's meet in the living room after you've finished washing up."

"No, I won't change into my pajamas after showering. I want to try sleeping naked tonight. If you don't want to get arrested by the police, you'd better stay in your room and not come out... Oh, and you can play games with me again tomorrow."

"...You just don't want to listen to my lecture, right?"

"Hmph, who told Yu to be like an old woman, nagging on and on?"

Old mother Ziyou: "..."

Foolish sister, do you understand that this is your brother taking on the role of mother?!

With a long sigh, Yuu Tenkuji turned and left, no longer wanting to deal with her younger sister who was simultaneously going through puberty and rebellion.

……

Saturday, July 24, 1:50 p.m.

The weather was clear, and fish-scale-like clouds drifted slowly across the horizon.

Yuu Tenkuji canceled her original part-time job, changed into casual clothes, and waited for someone while scrolling through her phone in front of the Hachiko statue at Shibuya Station.

The system panel is on the left side of his field of vision, and because it is semi-transparent, it does not obstruct his view.

When the time on his phone reached 1:55, a woman who was undeniably beautiful walked towards him from directly in front of him.

A handsome face, glossy black hair, delicate and translucent fair skin, and a very approachable and cheerful smile.

Her figure was striking and slender, and she wore a white dress with lace embellishments that gave a soft and gentle impression. Her wrists and ankles seemed to be stretched out to emphasize that beauty.

Her fashionable and elegant temperament blended seamlessly, attracting the attention of many men along the way. Like a model walking proudly on a runway, she locked her gaze on him with her highly noticeable presence.

She paused slightly, then stepped forward and looked him up and down.

"Hmm, not bad at all~"

As if giving a score, the beauty smiled meaningfully, her long, curled eyelashes blinking playfully twice.

"Neat appearance, neat clothes, clean and tidy... Arriving early won't earn you extra points, since it's a basic requirement!"

Seeing the somewhat puzzled expression on Tenkuji Yu's face, she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and took a small step back.

Then, with a bright smile, like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, she spoke:

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, I forgot to introduce myself."

"You must be Tenkuji-kun? Nice to meet you, I'm Yukinoshita Haruno."

With her finger touching her lips, Yukinoshita Haruno narrowed her eyes slightly. Although she was deliberately trying to be cute, even this deliberate act seemed incredibly adorable.

However, I don't know if it's just my imagination.

That cheerful and sunny expression seemed to contain a strange emotion that Tenkuji Yu could not understand.

Chapter Four: Renting a Boyfriend

Yuu Tenkuji is not bad-looking.