Yuu 231-235

Title: Mizuhara Chizuru’s Doubt

Some time earlier, in an old apartment.

After finishing her shower, Ichinose Chizuru stepped out of the bathroom with her body still warm, her wet hair wrapped in a towel. Beneath her thin, short-sleeved pajamas, her pale skin flushed a soft pink.

“Hah... Today’s practice was exhausting~”

She complained to herself, collapsing onto the bed like a boneless doll, carefully making sure the slightly damp towel didn’t touch the pillow.

After resting for a moment, Chizuru reached for her phone beside her and began checking for job offers or audition notices.

She was currently a trainee at an acting academy, without a manager. If she wanted performance opportunities, she had to seek them out herself—request them, compete for them.

Constantly monitoring this information and seizing chances before others was crucial for her future.

She took a deep breath. Chizuru prepared herself.

She opened her email inbox—no messages about rental girlfriend jobs. At the start of the school term, it was the off-season for their work, so it was normal. Besides, her savings were enough to cover living expenses for now, and she’d just paid her training fees, so she didn’t need to worry about that yet.

She opened her message inbox. The newest messages were a phone bill and promotional ads. Below them was the latest audition rejection notice, always with the same line: Keep trying, and wait for the role that suits you.

“Haaah—“

She stretched her long arms and legs forcefully, letting out a long sigh as if trying to expel all her frustration.

Even though she felt her acting had improved, why couldn’t she land even a supporting role?

What’s wrong... Well, she knew the problem.

“Next time, I should try auditioning for theater groups with less complicated member dynamics, where newcomers have more opportunities...”

Muttering to herself, Chizuru set down her phone, stretched her arms across the bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling light.

Blurry light spread across her pupils. In her confusion, the scene from that day—filming by the riverside—replayed in her mind.

That day, when her acting had been at its peak, when she had witnessed acting at its peak—she couldn’t forget it.

Although she hadn’t contacted director Morikawa again afterward, and she hadn’t received any opportunities in the entertainment industry... For Chizuru, precisely because of that unforgettable experience, her world had broadened, and she gained a deeper understanding of acting.

Unfortunately, in this fiercely competitive industry, great acting alone wasn’t enough to become famous.

Just like being a rental girlfriend—no matter how skilled your acting, how gentle your personality, or how beautiful your face, not every client would be impressed.

Like that conscienceless coworker of hers, that man once listed her flaws: losing in 10 seconds in fighting games, failing to win claw machine toys, breaking combos on easy mode in rhythm games, and being a burden in shooting games... and so on.

Though in the end, he still gave her a five-star rating, the constant feeling of being criticized, having flaws picked out from every odd angle, and being looked down upon—was exactly like audition judges who had already decided on a winner!

Thinking about this, Chizuru couldn’t help grinding her teeth. She shook her legs, tapping the floor with her slender, pale heels—then slowed down, afraid the tenant below might complain.

After venting her frustration, she picked up her phone again, staring at the profile picture of a long-uncontacted friend in her contact list.

“Tenkuji-kun... Is he really just an ordinary person?”

Even now, Chizuru still doubted this.

Though it had nothing to do with her, out of curiosity, she’d once tried to look him up. But she’d never heard of a genius actor or experienced senior in the industry with the surname Tenkuji—so that man was definitely just an S-rank ordinary person.

Despite differences in talent, he was still of the same kind as me—the thought arose unintentionally.

That’s why, after their last date, Chizuru had exchanged private LINE contacts with him. She planned to chat with him if she ever hit a dead end one day, to see if she could get some useful advice.

It was a kind of hope—that someone stood ahead of her, telling her there was still a path forward.

A hope that she could conquer everyone with pure acting, overcome all the absurdities, and keep striving.

...She’d postponed it from summer break until now. Maybe it was time?

She opened the chat with only a few messages. Chizuru hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she sighed and tossed the phone aside.

“I’ll try once more on my own... Asking others for help is too useless...”

She raised her hand to cover her eyes, lying motionless on the bed, murmuring in a very soft voice: “If the next audition fails again, I’ll completely quit the rental girlfriend job and focus entirely on acting training...”

“When the time comes, I’ll ask that person if they have any good ideas.”

The night grew deeper.

Dreams felt like distant little stars—unreachable, vanishing behind dark clouds at any moment, leaving no trace.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

The next morning, Tuesday.

Yuu and Masuzu had made plans the night before. They would meet at the park near school, go to school together, and walk side by side through the school gates in front of everyone.

After school, they would also return home together, creating the intimate scene of a couple, to dispel rumors about Yuu and Yukino’s relationship and to deter Masuzu’s bothersome admirers—those cockroach-like pests from America.

Yuu didn’t particularly care about the latter. He was only slightly annoyed when he heard about it. As long as they didn’t bother him, he didn’t mind if the rumors spread. Whether they disappeared or not was of no concern to him.

But Masuzu had a different opinion:

“Gossip about who’s dating whom is terrifying. If you’re careless, it can affect people’s mental states—making those who shouldn’t be together become couples, have sex, break up, get abortions, and even kill each other, just because of the atmosphere. In the end, it causes tragedies in your life.”

“...Don’t go imagining the second half of the story yourself.”

After giving her a resigned glare, Yuu prepared to leave the quiet park and walk toward Sobu High.

Unfazed by his attitude, Masuzu smiled proudly, then naturally linked her arm through his.

Something soft, warm, and elastic—almost wire-free—pressed tightly against him, leaving no gap at all.

“Does it have to be this close?” Yuu asked, not blushing, only curious.

“When acting, you must go all-in, understand?” Maintaining a perfect smile, Masuzu spoke with a mocking tone. “Couples who enjoy physical contact—inside their heads, there’s only the urge to reproduce and fear of loneliness... Just skin touching skin, no real happiness at all.”

Yuu was stunned. “You just wanted to know this?”

Masuzu didn’t answer. She only gave him a flirtatious glance and smiled meaningfully.

-

Title: Can You Massage My Shoulders?

Yuu had never before experienced the sensation of going to school with someone tightly clinging to his arm.

Was this what people called being “social”?

No—probably even the most social people wouldn’t act this arrogantly, being this affectionate in public in the morning...

“This is exactly what sets us apart from ordinary couples.”

“As long as we don’t feel guilty, doing things like this in public won’t make us feel ashamed—let alone embarrassed.”

With an oddly proud tone, Masuzu leaned her head against his shoulder. As she glanced at the onlookers, the soft corners of her lips suddenly lifted, and a perfect smile bloomed.

Yuu looked at her from the side and couldn’t help but think:

(How many men has a smile this captivating already sent straight to hell?)

At the very least, plenty had already bumped into others, trees, or even power poles, completely entranced.

The sight of a fairy-like beauty leaning against a man had already shattered the hearts of many innocent young boys, leaving only sorrowful sighs echoing along the path.

Unfortunately, they didn’t know that aside from her chest still feeling slightly warm, this kind of leaning wasn’t warm or romantic at all—it was simply two foreign bodies pressed together.

Neither of them felt their heart racing because of it.

As expected, all the way to the school gates, they remained the center of attention, like monkeys paraded down the street.

Yet both of them were already used to it. They walked calmly under the stares of others, their expressions unchanged, and with intimate gestures, they passed through the school gates—only to be stopped by the disciplinary committee.

“BEEP—Although there’s no official ban on dating at school, please refrain from such physical contact in public to maintain a proper school atmosphere!”

“Oh, I see? I’m a transfer student from overseas—I don’t fully understand Japanese school rules.”

Masuzu said apologetically. She released Yuu’s arm and smoothed out the wrinkles in her uniform.

“May I ask—why doesn’t this school ban dating? It’s supposed to be a high-achieving institution.”

The disciplinary committee member crossed her arms and replied seriously: “Of course, because for students capable of entering this high school, dating usually helps improve their studies!”

“Hah, nonsense.”

“...What?” Masuzu’s words, spoken so quickly they sounded like a single syllable, seemed like a spell cast too fast, leaving the committee member blinking in confusion.

Masuzu smiled sweetly. “It’s nothing~ Thank you for the answer. I’ll head to class now.”

“See you at lunch, Yuu.”

After bidding Yuu farewell, Masuzu walked away lightly toward Class J.

Though her face was full of smiles, Yuu could see the cold, disgusted look in her eyes.

...This girl was definitely already thinking about transferring schools.

After leaving the still-confused disciplinary committee behind, Yuu returned to his classroom.

As expected, people immediately turned to look at him, then began whispering among themselves about yesterday’s events.

Would these whispers and discussions turn into something else once news of them walking to school together spread through the class?

High schoolers really did have a lot of free time.

“Yuu, want to play table tennis with me this afternoon?”

Totsuka, who had returned home early yesterday, immediately ran over as soon as Yuu sat down at his desk, asking enthusiastically.

“Maybe for half an hour, then we can eat at the cafeteria. There’s a new pudding I want to try...”

Before he could finish, Yuu replied resignedly: “Sorry, Totsuka. I have lunch plans with someone today. If everything goes smoothly, let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

“If everything goes smoothly?” Totsuka tilted his head slightly, seemingly not understanding why the other party would say that. “Can I ask? Are you having lunch with Yuigahama-san, or… Yukinoshita-san?”

As if embarrassed for gossiping, his fair, cute face turned red, and he awkwardly scratched his cheek.

“There’s no need to hide anything.” Yuu shrugged, far more straightforward than he’d been when talking to Iroha yesterday. “Today, I’ll be having lunch with Masuzu, the transfer student from Class J.”

“Eh? You mean, Natsukawa-san!?” Totsuka’s lake-blue eyes widened. He immediately covered his mouth, afraid his loud voice would attract attention.

Then he stared at Yuu in shock and asked carefully:

“...Yuu, so you actually know Natsukawa-san?”

Yuu replied flatly: “Not just know her. She’s my girlfriend now.”

“...”

The impact of that sentence was too great, leaving Totsuka momentarily speechless.

(Not Yuigahama-san, whom he’s known since middle school, or Yukinoshita-san from the same club—but Natsukawa-san, who transferred from overseas just a month ago and whom he’s barely interacted with?)

(I’m completely shocked...)

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

After the rumors of Yuu dating Yukino, and the speculation about Masuzu boldly chasing after him to Class F, possibly to confess her feelings—

By lunchtime, it was all confirmed: Masuzu had successfully confessed, and the two had walked to school arm-in-arm, flaunting their affection, becoming a fresh topic of conversation among students during lunch. Some even imagined elaborate, tangled love stories.

Yuu’s staunch supporters offered their congratulations.

Those who secretly liked Yukino felt relieved.

Yuu-Yukino shippers asked each other, “Is the wind blowing from the cold rooftop? Should we jump?”

Masuzu’s admirers stomped their feet in frustration but dared not comment, afraid of being beaten with bamboo swords until severely injured.

As for supporters of the Yuu-Masuzu pairing… this was too shocking—there weren’t any yet.

Sobu High didn’t ban student relationships, as long as rules weren’t broken. So students were more interested in romance than at other schools, and even members of the press club tried to interview them.

“Of course we have to refuse. Maintaining a mysterious image is more convincing. Our goal is the same as celebrities—to perform.”

Masuzu said logically, leading Yuu through the crowded cafeteria until they finally sat down in a stone pavilion nestled among the trees.

The surrounding atmosphere was peaceful and quiet, with only the soft rustling of leaves accompanying them.

“If we do this again after school, it should be enough, right?”

Masuzu sighed wearily, pressing her shoulder with her hand. She twisted her slender, pale neck, her tone growing increasingly sour.

“Ah~ah~ Dealing with lovey-dovey people is truly exhausting. Can’t they just mind their own business? Their eyes only see gossip. How pitiful—people living such empty lives.”

After venting her frustration, Masuzu rolled her eyes, then smiled sweetly at Yuu, speaking in a cutesy, girlfriend-like tone:

“Yuu, can you massage my shoulders?”

Sitting on the cold stone bench, Yuu initially wanted to refuse—but suddenly, he remembered something, and his gaze turned strange.

Then, he smiled back at her.

“It’s no problem for me… as long as you don’t mind.”


-

Title: Massaging Natsukawa Masuzu’s Body

“Hm? Why did you agree so easily?”

Masuzu raised an eyebrow, instinctively sensing that something was off.

Though they had only officially known each other for two days, she had been observing him for a while now. She knew for sure that this guy wasn’t some kiss-up or nice guy—on the contrary, he always remained relaxed and kept his distance from women.

Even if she had just jokingly asked for a shoulder massage, Yuu should have scoffed and flatly refused.

Her fake-boyfriend instincts screamed at her: There’s a hidden motive!

(Could it be... he wants to take the chance to grope my body, accidentally massaging his way up to my chest?)

When that thought crossed her mind, Masuzu smiled faintly and shook her head—after all, if Yuu really wanted to do that, he had plenty of chances this morning when she was clinging to his arm.

This was a test—a test of his ability to overcome base desire—and he had accepted it.

Only by conquering the pure, virgin instincts of a man could one truly grow...

Diavolo would give a thumbs-up for this.

She stopped her JOJO-style thinking, and Masuzu gave him a faint smile.

“If you don’t mind, then I won’t trouble you.”

After all, since she knew there was a hidden motive, she wouldn’t foolishly get closer to him.

Thinking this, as Masuzu pulled out her lunch—a highly nutritious jelly drink—and prepared to sip it, she suddenly noticed a pair of hands that had somehow already settled on her shoulders. His thumbs gently pressed into her spine.

Perhaps because her uniform was thin, or perhaps because of his high body temperature, his palms felt like warm water bottles. As they pressed against her, the muscles around her shoulders quickly relaxed, like slipping under a blanket on a cold winter day—so comfortably warm that she couldn’t help but half-close her eyes.

Masuzu froze slightly, then snapped back to reality and instinctively tried to resist.

“Don’t touch me randomly. Didn’t I already say not to bother?”

“When you clung to my arm this morning, I didn’t refuse you. This is just payback.”

He completely ignored her protest. Yuu pressed his palms firmly, like holding down a restless young lion, pinning her in place beneath his hands.

Masuzu had no choice but to stop resisting. She could only tilt her head up and look into Yuu’s eyes, which gazed down at her.

“I’m warning you—sexual harassment definitions are very broad these days, you know?”

Her blue eyes narrowed, and she warned him with a smile that wasn’t entirely sincere.

To her surprise, Yuu didn’t just remain unafraid—his fingers pressing into her shoulders even seemed to experiment mischievously.

“You brought me to such a secluded place. You should’ve been mentally prepared—scream as loud as you want, Masuzu. No matter how loudly you scream, no one will come.”

Hearing that, Masuzu actually panicked. She opened her mouth to scream.

“Wait, you... Ah?~”

Before she could finish, the man’s fingers suddenly applied pressure, making her emit a soft, melodious moan.

She immediately clamped her mouth shut. A blush quietly crept across her pale skin. Then, angry, she tried to twist around toward the man behind her who was carelessly doing strange things to her body.

“I said stop... Ngh?~ Tch!”

Masuzu bit her lip hard, but unfortunately, her voice still slipped from her throat.

Her breathing grew faster. A strange sensation spread from the spot being massaged.

Yuu behind her ignored her resistance, like an impatient old man. His fingers moved firmly and slowly.

Masuzu instinctively clenched her fists and tightened her thighs, struggling with all her might not to make any embarrassing sounds.

But she couldn’t help it. It felt too good.

The varying pressure—deep and shallow—released the tension in her shoulders that had built up over time. Acupressure points along her shoulders and neck were continuously kneaded, as if a warm current were slowly flowing from the top of her body down to her toes, gradually draining her resistance and slowly relaxing her entire body.

“Ah... I said st—ngh... don’t... haah... do you not... ha-uh... understand language... sshh...”

Seductive, breathy sounds echoed continuously through the small grove.

In the end, Masuzu could only grit her teeth and fall silent. She lay limply in his arms, allowing Yuu to massage her shoulders, lymph nodes, and acupressure points, struggling to regulate her breathing to appear calm.

“My massage technique is pretty good, right?”

Seeing her blank expression—unable to resist, forced only to accept—it was only then that Yuu smiled and asked deliberately.

Masuzu closed her eyes. Her face was red. She answered with a flat expression: “Good enough for a rapist.”

“Hey, why am I the villain? In that case, every massage parlor in the world should shut down.”

“Massage parlors that force their customers onto beds—shouldn’t they be shut down immediately? That’s illegal.”

“Just tell me—was it comfortable or not? If it wasn’t, you can sue me. I’ll turn myself in.”

Masuzu fell silent for a moment, then turned her face away. Her tone was casual and light.

“Of course it wasn’t comfortable. Fine, you can go home early and head to the police station.”

[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host has received a reward: 1000 yen]
[Congratulations, host has received a reward: Proficient Dessert Making]

A thousand yen...

It was said that most massage parlors in underground station alleys charged per ten minutes—1000 yen for ten minutes... He hadn’t even massaged her for five minutes yet.

This customer was clearly very satisfied.

“Liar.”

Yuu smiled, then finally removed his hands from the girl’s warm, soft shoulders.

His massage skills had already been upgraded to Expert Level during the second mission, and the system had granted him knowledge of human acupressure points and various massage techniques.

Combined with his perfect muscle control, if he worked as a masseur, he might open a parlor beloved by girls and young women—making them soar to heaven with just a single touch.

Of course it felt good. More importantly, it was good for Masuzu’s body.

For example, muscle stiffness, slouching, and shoulder and neck pain caused by the weight of her chest—while massage couldn’t cure these directly, at least it provided temporary relief, making her feel reborn.

Though the area Yuu touched wasn’t very large, his skilled, professional technique was worth at least two or three times the price of an underground alley massage parlor. Thinking about it, Masuzu should have been thanking him.

Considering this, Yuu generously said:

“No need to thank me. Think of it as me itching to find someone to practice on.”

After all, he also enjoyed the sensation of massaging a beautiful girl beneath his palms, and he got to hear her clear, soft breathing. So it was fine to call this a mutually beneficial result.

Seeing his shameless attitude, Masuzu could only sigh. She smoothed her shimmering silver hair, the blush on her face gradually fading.

“My boyfriend randomly massaging me... What can I even say, and who can I even complain to? I’m the one who chose the wrong person.”

Unexpectedly, she didn’t put up any real resistance, nor did she flirt back even once.

...Maybe she was afraid Yuu would apply more pressure and not let her walk out of the grove.

-

Title: Yes, I Am—Natsukawa Masuzu

“What are you writing?”

Beside the stone pavilion, the two sat facing each other.

Yuu opened his lunchbox, glancing at Masuzu, who was scribbling something.

“Just a kind of diary. Don’t worry about it.” Masuzu closed her black-covered notebook and spoke casually. “By the way, this isn’t revenge, okay? I just have a habit of writing down grudges—this will definitely be repaid.”

“If this isn’t considered revenge, then what is?”

“Pouring frog urine into your lunchbox.”

“That’s a serious revenge.”

There was absolutely no atmosphere of a couple. After exchanging a few sentences, they began eating their meals in silence.

To avoid the silence becoming too heavy—or perhaps simply out of boredom and a need for conversation—after a brief pause, Masuzu spoke again while sucking on her jelly drink:

“Did you make your lunch yourself?”

“Yeah, I did.” Yuu replied while slurping his chopsticks, barely looking up.

Because he’d deliberately chosen side dishes that tasted good even when cold, his lunch still looked, smelled, and tasted delicious despite being prepared that morning.

“Oh? You’ve got quite the feminine soul.”

Masuzu stared at him for a moment, then quickly looked away, uninterested, returning to sucking her jelly drink from the silver pouch.

Yuu’s chopsticks paused slightly. He laughed. “You feel offended?”

“Not at all. Since I don’t like eating, there’s no point in me learning to cook.” Masuzu pouted, speaking with boredom. “They say girls learn to cook to attract men... How foolish. Even if they were like Ratatouille himself, the person they like might not return their feelings if they lack sufficient appeal.”

“Can you give a human-related example?” Yuu sighed. He looked at the tiny jelly drink, barely the size of a palm, in her hand. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “Are you full just eating that? Are you on a diet, or have you given up on being human?”

Masuzu completely ignored the word “diet.” Her attention was caught by the JOJO joke—her blue eyes sparkled, and the corners of her pink lips lifted into a smile.

“I’ll eat a small bread too. But this is more convenient—I can get full with just srrp~ srrp~, like a vampire.”

As if to demonstrate, she straightened her back, gripped the pouch with both hands, and inserted the straw into her small, cute lips. As she slowly sucked, her pale cheeks slightly hollowed, and the pouch began to collapse.

“Ngh...”

Her glossy lips, as if lightly coated with lipstick, tightened around the cylindrical straw. A faint sucking sound echoed, and her throat, hidden beneath her long silver hair, moved slightly.

She seemed to have accidentally sucked too much and struggled to swallow. Her brows furrowed slightly, looking a bit strained.

From any angle, the scene was intensely erotic—and clearly, she was doing it on purpose.

Yuu watched her while eating.

“Puhah...”

Only when it seemed no single drop remained inside the pouch did Masuzu finally pull the straw from her lips. She leaned her head back, eyes slightly glazed. The silvery liquid clinging to her lips and the straw quickly broke apart, leaving only glistening droplets on her pink lips and the now-clean white straw.

Yuu continued enjoying the show while eating.

“Hehehe, the Joestar bloodline is quite compatible—really gets me excited~”

After saying this in an odd tone, her expression quickly returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. Masuzu casually set down the empty pouch, ending the conversation with a serious tone.

“Done.”

“What’s done?”

Masuzu tilted her head, confused. “I’m finished. What about you?”

Yuu rubbed his temple. “I get your joke, but I truly don’t understand your logic.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear. Masuzu narrowed her eyes, her smile as beautiful as a blooming flower.

“You don’t need to understand—it’s fine. I like that you get my jokes, Yuu~”

The words sounded sincere, her tone bright and happy.

[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host has received a reward: JOJO Volume 2]

“It seems you really don’t have many friends...”

Yuu couldn’t help but sigh. He picked a piece of bacon-wrapped cabbage roll from his lunchbox and offered it to her. “Want to try? This is the first time I’ve shared a side dish from my lunch with someone.”

Except Totsuka—don’t ask why.

The reason he did this so suddenly was simple. Seeing Masuzu uninterested in his cooking, he wanted her to taste it herself. If she remained unimpressed, he could get feedback and think about what needed improvement.

After all, most of his cooking was for his younger sister—he took this very seriously.

Whatever she was thinking, Masuzu raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Why? Did the scene just now move you, so you want to feed me...?”

Gulp.

She had originally intended to tease him and then refuse.

But as the bacon-wrapped cabbage roll drew closer, the glistening oil and its aroma reached her. She couldn’t help but close her mouth, saliva forming, and she swallowed.

...It smelled delicious.

It looked incredibly appetizing.

It was just a cold-packed lunch dish—why did it still look so mouthwatering?

Yuu observed the change in her expression. He confirmed Masuzu didn’t have anorexia or stomach issues, then forcibly pushed the chopsticks into her slightly open mouth. After pulling them out, he took a tissue and wiped her lips.

“How is it?”

“...”

After briefly snapping out of her shock, Masuzu lowered her head, covering her mouth. She chewed for a moment, then spoke resignedly.

“Delicious. Compared to this, my jelly drink tastes bland. I could even eat a whole bowl of rice with this.”

After honestly sharing her opinion, she licked the oil from her lips and looked at Yuu.

“The downside is your feeding style is too rough—too forceful, without any mental preparation.”

“Alright, I’ll be gentler next time.”

Yuu said casually, continuing to eat his lunch, with no intention of feeding her a second bite.

Trying hard to look away from her longing gaze, Masuzu picked up her notebook again. After writing a few lines, she wiped her cheek and frowned in annoyance.

“Annoying. Want another time? Do you really like touching my mouth?”

Yuu replied without looking up. “If you can’t make a dirty joke properly, don’t make dirty jokes. It has no artistry at all—just ruins the image. If you really want to say it, learn from how the high school students in Seitokai Yakuindomo do it.”

“Seitokai Yakuindomo? Is there an organization like that at Sobu High?” Masuzu asked, confused, then shrugged indifferently.

“Well, since you said that, to avoid being annoying, I’ll restrain this side of me.”

“Good. I like this obedient side of you, Masuzu.”

“That’s an obvious lie—and completely uncreative.”

Masuzu rolled her eyes, too lazy to say anything more. She propped her cheek with one hand and poked the empty jelly pouch with her finger.

She kept watching him eat seriously, slowly waiting for lunchtime to pass—

In her plan, after this opening performance, all she needed to do was go home with him at a fixed time. That way, she could escape the hell of constant confessions, and no one would doubt their relationship.

Of course, she didn’t need to have lunch with him every day—doing things only close friends and lovers did.

So, could this be the last time?

(The last time I see Yuu eat... (sniff sniff))

(Hehe, just kidding~)

(Regardless of whether it’s the last time or not, most of what he says and thinks are lies. He won’t show much truth to others—or even to himself.)

(Then, who is this beautiful, aggressive, annoying, invincible girl destined for loneliness?)

(Yes, I am—Natsukawa Masuzu.)

“Hey, you’re voicing your inner thoughts.”

Yuu was forced to stop eating, looking at her with resignation as she read those words with an innocent face.

Masuzu shook her head, then looked back up at the sky, her tone full of pity.

“Please don’t mind me. Continue eating!”

“You’re my girlfriend, yet you’re telling me not to pay attention to you?”

“Oh, I’m just a regular fake. Why interfere with each other’s private lives? That’d be cheating.”

“Hah, how bold of you to say that. Lady, who’s currently interrupting my private lunchtime?”

“No, this is our date time now... Hmm, it feels so ridiculous saying it, it makes me nauseous.”

As she said that, for some reason, Masuzu actually smiled contentedly.

Autumn sunlight shone brightly. The dappled shadows of the trees, cut and woven, looked like a summer tapestry.

-

Title: Sudden Confrontation

After school.

In the bustling Class F, Yuu casually packed his school bag, seemingly in no hurry to leave.

Totsuka carrying his school bag and tennis racket bag, came over to Yuu’s seat before heading out.

“Yuu, are you waiting for Natsukawa-san?”

“Congratulations. You guessed correctly.” Yuu glanced at his classmates, who kept glancing his way with curious eyes. He scoffed and replied with resignation.

“From today on, it seems I have to go home from school with her.”

Totsuka blinked.

“Why does it feel like you’re not really okay with it…?”

Yuu immediately flashed a bright smile.

“How could that be? I’m thrilled! Wuhu~ I’m so excited I wanna fire a Poison Drill into my temple!”

“Ahahaha…”

The smile was a poorly hidden falsehood. Totsuka could only return a bitter smile.

Seeing that Yuu didn’t seem enthusiastic about walking home with his girlfriend, though it felt strange, he didn’t intend to ask further.

Unless it involved his friend’s safety, excessive curiosity would only be intrusive.

“Then, good luck. I’m heading home first.” Giving him an encouraging look, Totsuka smiled gently, waved his pale, clean hand, and turned to leave.

Yuu dropped the fake smile. “Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

After their farewell, as if seizing the perfect moment, Yuigahama’s voice came from behind.

“Um, Yuu.”

“What is it?”

Yuu turned. The pink-haired girl slightly bit her lip, the hand gripping her school bag strap tensed slightly—she looked hesitant.

“There’s something I want to talk about. Can we step out into the hallway for a moment?”

After speaking in a voice too low for others to hear, Yuigahama turned and fled the classroom like she was running away. The thighs beneath her skirt looked soft and elastic.

Yuu rubbed his face, placed his school bag on the chair, and followed her out.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Though the hallway was crowded with students leaving school, Yuigahama still found a suitable spot to talk—one that wouldn’t draw too much attention—and stood facing Yuu.

Silence fell for a moment.

“...How’s the mission going? Is there anything I can help with?”

After a long pause, she finally spoke. A blush appeared on her pale face, her gaze shifting restlessly.

She emphasized the word mission—clearly, she didn’t care much about helping, but was far more concerned about how close the two of them had become.

After yesterday’s incident, Yuu already knew what was on her mind, so he replied with a neutral expression:

“Going pretty smoothly. Now, we just need to walk home together. Once no one bothers her or confesses anymore, the mission should be complete, right?”

“...That’s good.”

Even so, Yuigahama didn’t look relieved. Instead, there was a hint of worry in her eyes. “But if the mission ends, that means you’ll break up, right? What if someone else starts chasing Natsukawa-san again? You can’t possibly stay her fake boyfriend until graduation, can you?”

It seemed like a question she’d been pondering all night for this mission.

“As long as Natsukawa-san doesn’t change herself, no matter when or where, there will always be people who like her and try to pursue her... Just like with Yuu—can that really be stopped?”

“...You have a point.”

Yuu rubbed his chin.

Honestly, he’d been thinking about this too.

If there weren’t a system altering the world’s storyline, he wouldn’t just become someone else’s fake boyfriend—unless he truly had no intention of dating at all during his three years of high school.

What Yuigahama said was the thinking of a normal person. Yukino probably thought the same, but she’d been too angry to say it.

Unfortunately, no one knew that in this world, something like a system even existed.

With different premises, Yuu’s perspective and theirs were naturally different. He didn’t need to worry too much—after the mission, the future was just another side path the system would play with.

But since Yuigahama was asking as a club member, Yuu had to give her a perfect reason—one that would also satisfy that cold female club president.

To preserve his image as a calm, well-planned individual, Yuu was currently trying to think of a way to fool both of them.

“And also...”

Seeing her words made Yuu think deeply, Yuigahama felt a flicker of hope rise from the depths of her heart. She firmly cast aside the shame and guilt of talking behind someone’s back, gathered her courage, and said:

“If Yuu falls for someone else during this mission... wouldn’t Natsukawa-san’s mission essentially be blocking Yuu’s freedom to date?”

Yuu stopped his thoughts, looked up, and stared at her serious face.

When their eyes met, that soft courage seemed to melt under the sunlight. Yuigahama collapsed into a resigned, hollow bitter smile.

“...I know. Maybe I have no hope, and it’s already too late to say this.”

Her voice was very soft, her eyes fixed on Yuu.

Then slowly, her gentle gaze brightened, her tone growing firmer.

“But even as just a friend, I don’t want to see Yuu bound by a fake relationship!”

“Even if it’s underhanded, has hidden motives, or is misunderstood by others—I don’t care. I just want to say this—“

Yuigahama clenched her fists. No longer looking down like yesterday, she stared straight into Yuu’s eyes and spoke word by word:

“Seriously, being fake lovers—this kind of mission is just too weird! It’s completely not okay!”

“Even if Yuu agreed to her request for the club’s sake, you don’t have to stick to someone you don’t like because of it, and endure strange looks from teachers and classmates, right? This is just a club activity. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice your school life!”

“So there must be another way! As long as—“

Just as she passionately declared this, her face flushed with emotion,

A soft yet cold voice slowly came from behind her.

“Sorry, Yuigahama-san.”

“May I ask—what were you whispering to provoke my boyfriend?”

Yuigahama’s entire body froze. Then she suddenly turned around.

Masuzu crossed her arms, smiling gently—but cold, displeased glints flashed in her eyes.

“I…”

Yuigahama opened her mouth, speechless like someone caught in the act. She even reflexively averted her gaze.

But the feelings she’d long suppressed inside suddenly surged up—becoming her backbone, supporting her to puff out her chest and lift her head.

Her clenched hands slowly relaxed, hanging loosely at her sides.

Yuigahama’s eyes burned with determination as she stared straight at the beautiful girl before her, shining like a gem.

“Natsukawa-san, I wasn’t whispering anything provocative.”

Masuzu touched the corner of her lips, intrigued. “Really? What I heard just now didn’t sound like that.”

“By the way, you’re too careless. If our mission details were overheard by others, that’s the club’s fault—and yours, okay?”

As she said this, her eyes narrowed slightly, her tone turning subtly dangerous and sharp.

Yuigahama shook her head, her expression unchanged. “If that really happened, I’d take full responsibility. I’d do anything you ask as compensation...”

“But I believe, as long as Yuu is here, our conversation won’t be overheard by anyone. So that just won’t happen!”

Masuzu was momentarily stunned by that unwavering trust, then scoffed.

“...How amusing.”