I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Therefore, during this loan relationship, if Yukinoshita Haruno kisses him forcibly, he should be prepared to be kissed back forcibly at any time.

There is no idea that "being kissed by a woman is an honor for a man, and he should just accept it obediently," nor does there feel that "if a woman kisses him, he should treat her well and be responsible for her."

Regarding the act of kissing alone, if necessary, he can accept it without feeling and do it without feeling—of course, there will still be a moment of excitement and the necessary physiological reactions.

If you don't put your feelings into it, kissing, or a first kiss, is nothing more than a mere physical contact.

Therefore, it can be used as a tool to shut Yukino Yukinoshita's mouth.

"In this respect, we're truly a match made in heaven."

Yukino Yukinoshita spoke with a smile, then quickly steered the conversation back on track, her clear, deep eyes looking directly at him.

"Little Youyou, do you know that girl from earlier?"

Chapter Sixty-Six: Yesterday's Mistakes Continue

Yuu Tenkuji nodded, got into the car, put the miscellaneous items in the back seat, and placed the cage on his lap.

"She was my classmate, Yui Yuigahama, one of the few girls I could get along with."

“I see~” Yukino Yukinoshita said meaningfully as she closed the car door and started the engine, “That child is really cute, and seems to have a good figure too.”

With a slight smirk, Yuu Tenkuji knew exactly how to respond.

No matter how cute someone is, they're not as pretty as you; no matter how good their figure is, they're not as good as you.

Yukino raised an eyebrow: "So you compared me to her, and even secretly paid attention to her figure?"

"...I didn't, I just heard it from you."

She feigned anger: "You said I'm prettier than her without even seeing her? If you're going to be perfunctory, at least don't be so careless."

"I've learned a lot." Tenkuji Yu sincerely clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, admitting defeat.

He was far too inept at dealing with women; he didn't even have the right to smirk like that.

Yukinoshita raised her chin smugly, tapped her fair and beautiful fingertips on the steering wheel, and then asked casually:

"You're just friends?"

“We’re not even friends. Usually, she’s the one who comes to talk to me, and I just reply to her a few words… I’m rather quiet at school.”

"She likes you?"

“Maybe so. Every year, someone likes me.” Tenkuji Yu glanced at her but didn’t say anything more.

Because of that one glance, Yukinoshita Haruno wanted to kiss him again.

But the car was already in traffic, and anything she did could easily cause an accident, so she simply rubbed her slightly hot ears, drove with one hand (good kids, please don't imitate this), and casually continued to ask:

"I've already introduced you to Yuki-kun and the others, but you're acting like you're afraid of being caught cheating, pulling me away from her. That's so unfair!"

"Huh? Where's the unfairness? Isn't this perfectly normal?"

Yuu Tenkuji sighed and rubbed her forehead, truly admiring her selective amnesia.

"Yono, we're renting a relationship, so we should avoid stepping into each other's real lives unless absolutely necessary, to avoid causing trouble... Didn't you know that from the beginning?"

“Last time…including the time with your sister, those were all exceptional circumstances, and I had no choice. If I can avoid this situation in advance, why would I insist on introducing you to a classmate I’m not even close to?”

The car drove quietly along the road. Yukino looked at the scenery ahead, her smile unchanged: "Hmm, that makes a lot of sense."

"And yet you deliberately tried to attract her attention... Please, I beg you, don't do that next time." Yuu Tenkuji sighed.

He thought she would at least reflect on her actions.

Unexpectedly, Yukino Shino simply smiled and replied coldly:

"Don't worry, I'll do it again next time."

Tenkuji Yu paused for a moment.

"...Are you angry?"

Yukinoshita replied with great surprise, "No. Why would I be angry?"

"Just like getting angry at Newton's first theorem, you can't be in a good adult's mind and get furious about something that is taken for granted."

Without even looking at her expression, Tenkuji Yu was able to say with such certainty as the words had fallen:

"You really are angry."

So Yukino stopped speaking.

She silently pressed the accelerator harder, as if she wanted to take him into the sea and commit suicide together, accelerating continuously on the long, seemingly endless road.

Yuu Tenkuji was pushed back against the chair by the inertia, hugging the cage with a pale face, and it took her a long time to squeeze out a sentence.

"Yang, Yang Nai!"

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Her voice was gentle and cheerful, but this time her face was expressionless.

After a brief, intense thought, Tenkuji Yu's lips twitched slightly, and he called out in a helpless tone, as if he had no choice but to give in:

"Some other time! Could you come visit Xue Nong at my house as 'a friend from where I work'?"

Although his sister might question or suspect him, he didn't care about that now; saving his life was the priority.

—Yukino Yukinoshita is a crazy woman; whoever is her boyfriend is doomed!

"Is it a deal?"

"It's a promise!"

"I'm sorry, little Youyou, I don't know why I suddenly got so excited~"

Yukino Yukino spoke innocently, while simultaneously easing off the accelerator and maintaining a normal speed.

Tenkuji took a few breaths to calm his racing heart, then glared at Yukinoshita Haruno with annoyance.

"You're hopeless."

She nodded earnestly, agreeing wholeheartedly: "Yes, Yukinoshita Haruno was beyond saving long ago."

Frowning, Yuu Tenkuji asked again, "Do you like me that much?"

She suddenly smiled and answered in a sweet, cheerful voice without hesitation.

"Yes, Yukino Yukinoshita really likes Yuuyu!"

"..."

Faced with her joking attitude, Yuu Tenkuji could only lean back in his chair, completely speechless.

"Congratulations, host, you have received the reward: Acceleration (Status) (once)."

"Congratulations, host, you have received the reward: Ventriloquism (Proficient Level)."

So, what does this mean?

△

After a brief silence in the car, Yukinoshita Haruno brought up the topic again.

"By the way, Yuuyu, your Yuihama classmate... the dog she's holding seems to have lost its appetite for some reason. Do you know why?"

Feeling mentally exhausted after spending more than an hour together, Yuu Tenkuji half-closed her eyes and spoke casually:

"I know. But why are you asking me this?"

"Can't you communicate with animals?"

"Do you believe?"

"I didn't believe you could break a boxing machine with one punch either."

“It makes perfect sense.” While stroking the cat’s head to soothe her weary heart, Tenkuji Yu sighed, “It’s just because it’s in heat.”

"Heat period!?"

Yukinoshita Haruno turned around in surprise. He quickly waved her hand, telling her to look ahead and drive, and then explained:

"That's right. I guess some dogs lose their appetite when they're in heat, right? Anyway, I heard that guy named Sabre shouting things like, 'I don't want food, give me a male! I don't want food, give me a male!' as soon as he walked in."

"I don't know any other reasons, after all, I don't know anything about veterinary medicine."

I might understand later, but I won't now.

"I see, I really didn't realize that." Yukinoshita Haruno nodded in realization, her curiosity satisfied, and continued driving.

After a moment of silence, Yuu Tenkuji suddenly spoke up: "By the way, Haruno, I need to discuss something with you."

Without turning her head, Yukino Yukinoshita said, "What is it? If you're asking for a loan, I only have three or four million yen available at the moment."

"No, I don't need the money... By the way, don't lend money to your rented boyfriend!"

His cheek twitched twice, and Tenkuji Yu looked down at the gray-spotted kitten that was gently snoring under the stroking of his hand.

"Can I help Xue Nong change her name?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Hmm... I feel that other names are more in line with its personality."

Hearing the kitten babbling in its sleep, "Master, I'm hungry, I want to eat three bowls of cat food," Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but have a complicated expression.

"For example, Saber or Artoria... Also, I'll probably need to stock up on a few bags of cat food at home."

Yukinoshita Yono: "???"

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Since I'm going to pursue distortion, then I'll see it through to the end.

The drop-off point, as always, features a red brick wall, posters of local candidates from ten years ago, and a few children's graffiti.

"Are you free tomorrow? Let's go eat spicy food again!"

"Okay, nothing's planned for the next few days."

He had originally planned to rent a new girlfriend, Sakura Sakurazawa Sumi, but after careful consideration, he realized that he had already learned the trick of "renting a boyfriend" from Mizuhara Chizuru, so he probably didn't need to spend money to gain experience anymore.

Although newcomers are much cheaper than top stars like Mizuhara, Tenkuji Yu still chooses to save money... no, he chooses to free up his time so that Yukinoshita Haruno can easily make an appointment with him.

If you can earn tens or hundreds of thousands every time you go out, who wouldn't want to stay home and wait to be chosen?