I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

"Of course, you can choose the date location. But if you take me to any weird place, I won't let you off the hook!"

She had a smug look on her face, as if she knew he didn't know where to go on a date and was ready to watch the drama unfold, which annoyed Tenkuji Yu.

Do you really think he's never played a visual novel?

It's just taking girls to places like movie theaters, arcades, and bowling alleys, right? What's so hard to understand?

While it's not to the point where you can say "Nobody knows dating better than me," at least Yuu Tenkuji knows how normal people date.

"Then let's go first..."

Just as Yuu Tenkuji was about to tell her, a map of the surroundings appeared in his mind and he had chosen the nearest movie theater.

Yukino's phone suddenly rang.

She gestured to him, then walked a short distance away and answered the phone.

"Hello? It's me. Hmm... Now? Ah... um, it's okay, I'll be right there."

After finishing her brief explanation, Yukino Yukinoshita returned, waving her hand somewhat disappointedly:

"Sigh, something's come up, I have to go back now."

Tenkuji Yu nodded, looking regretful, and said, "There's nothing I can do about it. It seems we'll have to postpone our date until next time."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a finger poked his cheek; the feel of the manicured nail was a little uncomfortable.

"Boyfriend, were you relieved just now? Luckily, something came up and I didn't have to go on a date with you?"

She asked with a smile, but her tone was somewhat dangerous.

Tenkuji Yu did not answer her.

Because answering the question would mean certain death, and lying wouldn't end much better.

Yukinoshita Haruno is observant and loves to ask questions she already knows the answers to. Every word she says, and even every little gesture she makes, is like fishing, full of calculation.

That's how she gets to know everyone she meets.

Even if people noticed this, almost no one would dislike her because of it—her appearance, her speech, and her skills were all combined to form an outer armor to protect herself, which was Yukino Yukinoshita's brilliance.

Yuu Tenkuji had met people similar to her before.

So even though they'd only known each other for an hour, he could roughly guess what kind of scheme was hidden beneath that cheerful smile.

"Let's exchange contact information first," Yuu Tenkuji said, avoiding the main point, while taking out his phone.

“You’re the employer, you can call me out whenever you want, and I’ll try my best to make time for you.”

"What a cunning little devil."

Shrugging, Yukino Yukinoshita didn't dwell on the matter and opened the LINE QR code interface.

The two added each other as friends, and just as they were about to take their phones back, Yukinoshita Haruno suddenly reached out and very naturally took his phone.

"what are you doing?"

"Don't panic, it's just changing a nickname." After quickly typing for a while, she chuckled and flipped the screen so he could see the words on it.

"‘My beloved Lord Haruno’... What kind of weird nickname is this? Please change it back."

Tenkuji Yu's lips twitched slightly as he glared at her with a helpless expression.

If there weren't so many people around, and if Yukinoshita Haruno's resistance hadn't attracted attention, he would have snatched the phone back long ago.

"Hey~ I've been paying for your care for a week, can't you even do this little thing?" She pouted pitifully, her eyes gradually welling up with tears.

Yuu Tenkuji just chuckled and said, "Sorry, communication privacy is a private matter, and we do not offer that service."

Although he didn't know for sure whether it existed or not, he estimated that it didn't.

"Congratulations, host, you have received a reward of 100 yen."

Then, this was probably the signal that she had finished having fun... and finished her prank.

That's incredibly rare.

"Well, just kidding~ As a girl, I've also longed for things like exchanging cheesy nicknames with each other."

While changing her contact nickname back to "Yukinoshita Haruno" in front of him, she said with a sneer:

"After actually experiencing it, it was indeed more boring than I imagined, and completely meaningless."

With her other hand free, Yukinoshita Haruno casually showed him her phone.

I don't know when it was changed, but in the chat bar where there are no new records, the line "Rent a boyfriend, Xiao Youyou" appears.

"Wow... You know it's pointless, yet you still did it. Do you have to be so experimental?"

Tenkuji Yu couldn't help but glance at her with disdain, while rubbing his arms, which were covered in goosebumps.

What a disgusting little girl!

Seeing his expression, Yukinoshita Haruno smiled for no apparent reason—she was genuinely happy, as evidenced by the system's reward notification.

"Mmm, let's keep it up like this~ Maybe before the loan ends, I can let you see the adult world?"

"No need, I still want to be an innocent child."

Reaching out, Tenkuji Yu completely ignored her provocative words and actions, only wanting to get his phone back.

As if she had gotten tired of playing with it, she obediently placed the phone in his hand, and then, whether intentionally or unintentionally, her finger accidentally touched the HOME button.

A picture of a girl with flowing silver hair, leaning against a railing and gazing blankly at the sea, appeared on the phone's home screen and caught the eyes of the two.

Yuu Tenkuji quickly turned off the power.

But in that one second, it was enough for Yukinoshita Haruno to see clearly.

"What a cute girl." Yukinoshita Haruno looked at him with great interest.

"Is she your girlfriend? Let me make it clear beforehand, I don't want to be a third party."

"...My sister."

Tenkuji Yu's expression remained unchanged, seemingly unconcerned.

But those dark eyes were fixed on Yukinoshita Haruno, and the nonchalant attitude he had when joking with her was gone.

As if it were on guard against something, a deep sense of oppression emanated from it.

However, Yukinoshita Haruno seemed oblivious to everything and continued to ask in a casual, frivolous tone:

"Brother and sister? They don't look like them at all. And your hair color..."

"Sorry, this has nothing to do with you, right?"

Interrupting her directly, Tenkuji Yu suddenly smiled and spoke politely.

It was very similar to the smile that Yukinoshita Haruno had shown him not long ago.

Everyone has places they don't want others to touch, like landmines that explode if touched.

Yukino under the snow was like this, and so was Yuukokuji.

Kasugano Sora was his landmine, and this person in front of him was touching him with such an improper attitude, as if he was plotting something, so naturally he wouldn't give him a good attitude.

"If there's nothing else, I'll head back now. Take care on your journey."

What system's tasks, what are my boyfriend's responsibilities...?

He's too lazy to care about any of that now.

This is a boyfriend system, not a simp system. Does that mean he can't even throw a tantrum?

Regardless of what Yukinoshita Haruno thought or whether the mission would fail outright, Tenkuji Yu walked straight toward the station without looking back.

△

"..."

In front of the fast food restaurant, Yukino Yukinoshita stared at his departing figure, the annoying smile on her face gradually disappearing, and a thoughtful look in her eyes.

After probing, it's natural to gather intelligence.

"Well, it should be pretty safe... It has a lot of advantages, but also a lot of weaknesses. If you're just looking for a short-term rental boyfriend, you can go have some fun without worry..."

She murmured to herself, but the delicate breath she exhaled was somewhat cold.

The taxi that had been called in advance slowly stopped in front of her. Yukinoshita Haruno stopped thinking, waited for the driver to open the door, and stepped inside.

"But he has a younger sister too..."

Suddenly remembering this, her expression melted away like ice and snow, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Next time, let's talk about my little sister... I'll get him to admit that my Yukino is the best little sister in the world, and then tell Yukino about this. That would be really interesting!"

Of course, the fact that I rented a boyfriend who is the same age as my sister still needs to be kept a secret from everyone.

△

"Congratulations, host, you have received a reward of 200 yen."

"Congratulations, host, you have received a reward: one massage (proficient level)."

Not long after they walked, the system's notification stunned Sky Temple, leaving it speechless:

"After all that attitude, I still got a reward... Is he sick or a masochist?"

However, for many people, being a masochist seems to be a disease.

"Forget it, let's not think about that inexplicable woman for now..."

Knowing that deep thinking was a waste of time, Yuu Tenkuji put it out of his mind and his eyes gradually became serious.

Instead of heading towards the station, he turned in the middle of the way and aimed at the nearest ATM.

That's right, he's about to do something very important—

Confirm whether the monetary reward given by the system has actually been deposited into your account!

According to calculations, in the hour or so since meeting Yukinoshita and starting the mission, he has received a total of—

Chapter Nine: Call Me Onii-chan

21933 yen!