"Of course—"
"Enough! Stop your selfish talk!" Masuzu cut her off. Her expression was calm and rational, but her voice had unconsciously turned sharp.
"There's no point in us arguing with each other. What matters is what the person himself says. Otherwise, no matter how many fake girlfriends or good friends speak up, it'll just be a group of self-righteous people creating their own drama."
After speaking, she added, "If you've never heard the story of 'You Are Not a Fish,' I can specially tell it to you right now."
"...Alright."
Yuigahama was speechless. She could only turn her gaze—full of trust—toward Yuu and say sincerely, "Yuu, I know you're a good person... But back in middle school, when we were gossiped about as a couple, didn't you also find those stares and rumors annoying?"
"Now there's me, and Yukino too. As long as we in the club take the time to think of a way, we can definitely avoid this situation!"
Precisely because those things had happened in the past, Yuigahama could sympathize with Yuu now.
Are they dating? Have they done it? Must be nice to have a body like that...
In the turbulent teenage years, crude words like these weren't just whispered among boys—girls gossiped privately too, sometimes with even sharper, more mocking tones.
She didn't know if Masuzu cared, but every time she heard such vulgar remarks, she wanted to defend Yuu's integrity. She desperately wanted to tell everyone—
Yuu isn't interested in women at all—he's definitely still a pure virgin!
Though yesterday she had agreed to the mission, after returning home and tossing and turning under the blanket all night, Yuigahama finally realized it had only been a compromise she made as a club member.
But what about her, the one who liked him? What about her, his good friend?
—Of course she wouldn't agree!
Of course, it didn't matter if she disagreed.
If Yuu truly liked Masuzu, then Yuigahama would have no choice but to accept it, even if she felt sad and hurt. She'd smile and wish him well.
But the truth was, Yuu didn't like anyone right now. He'd only agreed to become someone else's fake boyfriend because Masuzu asked—his standard of judgment was simple: his gaze toward anyone, including her, showed no trace of intimacy.
Of course, there was also unbalanced jealousy. Even if it was just pretend, why could a girl Yuu had just met get this, while Yuigahama, who had known him for two years, had been cruelly rejected?
But most importantly, she didn't want Yuu tied down by a fake relationship like this, forced to be close to another girl.
In short, Yuigahama just wanted to tell Yuu—You don't need to demean yourself for something fake!
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
"You made a promise to me."
Unlike her, Masuzu only said this softly. Then she turned away indifferently, gazing at the clear sky outside the window.
She knew clearly that she, who had only officially spoken to him yesterday, no matter how many words she said, could never match Yuigahama, who had known Yuu for so long.
Fighting was pointless. Now, she could only place her hope in Yuu's character, praying that he wasn't the kind of man who broke promises or judged people by cup size.
...Of course, it was fine if she lost. It wasn't a matter of life or death.
It would just mean returning to her old life and gaining a bad reputation as a woman who'd been dumped.
—Even so, Masuzu didn't want to lose.
She didn't want to lose to the ponytailed girl in front of her. She didn't want to lose to Yuu's good friend. She didn't want to lose to the feelings they'd built over the years, nor to the kindness he'd shown her without any ulterior motive...
Even if she was just a fake, she wanted to prove she wouldn't lose to the real thing.
It was the determination and tenacity she possessed—the one thing she refused to let go of, as someone who could only live through lies.
"...Because, besides that, I have nothing."
Masuzu looked at her reflection in the window, showing a self-mocking, painful smile.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Yuu tilted his head, looking at Masuzu's profile.
It was an expression he'd only glimpsed briefly in the small grove—a fleeting glimpse of all her vulnerabilities.
Lonely and hopeless, like rootless water hyacinth. Her dim eyes seemed to express deep disappointment in everyone—including herself.
Her shimmering hair no longer glowed silver. She just stood there quietly, as if ready to accept any answer.
"...Seriously, you have moments like this too?"
Yuu couldn't help but sigh inwardly, finding it slightly amusing.
He remembered a few things and realized—he had little resistance to expressions like this.
Even without the system's mission, Yuu didn't think he'd make a different choice right now.
(But come to think of it, what's with this scene?)
(Why does it feel like I'm supposed to choose between two girls confessing to me, entering the same ending as in a dating game?)
(Should I save here, collect all the CGs, reload, pick the other one, and create a happy ending for everyone?)
(This is like the thinking of a long-time dating sim player.)
Of course, this minor scene—barely even a conflict—was no problem for Yuu. He only needed to speak the truth. He wasn't afraid it would affect his relationships with friends or his fake girlfriend.
First, he looked at Yuigahama, who was waiting for his answer.
"Yuigahama, thanks for worrying about me this much... You're right. The issues caused by a fake boyfriend are a bit annoying, and it'll make it harder for me to find a real girlfriend later."
Yuu shrugged.
"I don't want to end up only asking underclassmen to fill the void later. That'd be a bit sad."
Hearing these words of agreement, Yuigahama's anxious heart instantly calmed. She pressed her chest and exhaled in relief.
"Thank goodness... So I wasn't the only one feeling this..." She suddenly realized something was off and widened her eyes. "Eh? Wait? Why underclassmen? Aren't there better options?!"
Yuu pretended not to see her shocked, unhappy expression, then turned to Masuzu.
"Masuzu, stop sulking. I'm not done talking."
"Sulking? You're funny. How could I do something only a real girlfriend would do?"
Masuzu laughed, casually crossing her arms as she continued looking out the window.
"Don't worry. For a Tenkuji who breaks promises, I still know my place as frog urine... Please ignore me and continue cozying up with your good friend who likes you."
"...You're sulking so much you're even throwing in sarcasm."
Yuu took a deep breath. Masuzu smoothed her long hair, her tone now completely devoid of warmth.
"Oh, then what? Sorry for making you uncomfortable. I'll fix it later. But from now on, I'll try not to talk to Yuu, so it doesn't matter if I fix it or not. Wah wah wah, indeed, Yuu, effortlessly doing what others can't."
The corner of Yuu's lips lifted slightly. "Man, you're more stubborn than the mountain roads of Akina..."
Masuzu pressed her soft, cherry-colored lips. This time, her expression vanished, as if she might turn and leave at any moment.
"Good grief."
Yuu sighed. He knew in his heart that arguing with her now would only make things more complicated.
So, he chose to speak honestly:
"I already said it, didn't I? I'm a professional. I won't treat your problem as my own."
"..."
Silence. Masuzu turned, her deep blue eyes finally meeting his.
"As per yesterday's agreement, I'll continue being your fake boyfriend until your problem truly disappears and you no longer need my help."
After speaking, Yuu smiled. In front of Yuigahama, he proudly extended his right hand toward her.
"So, keep up your lies calmly, fake."
As if each word touched her heart, Masuzu stood frozen in place.
As if in a daze, or as if wanting to absorb him with her eyes, she kept staring at Yuu—so long that Yuigahama felt something was wrong and wanted to speak up to break the strange silence.
But just as she was about to,
She saw Masuzu slowly smile—a radiant, gem-like smile.
"I thought you'd say something more touching. Huh, that's all?"
"You don't need that kind of thing, right?" Yuu rolled his eyes.
"True. All of this is fake. It doesn't matter what you say!" Masuzu nodded proudly, her expression returning to its usual liveliness, as if the cold, lonely person who seemed destined to live alone till the end of the world wasn't her at all. "By the way, how was my acting just now? Did you think I was really sad because you didn't choose me?"
"Hehe, if you say so, then I guess that's that."
Masuzu smoothed her long hair and shrugged resignedly. "Refusing to face reality—a truly stubborn man."
"Trouble. This girl seems five times more annoying than before..."
Yuu shook his head with a sigh. At that moment, he suddenly felt a cold touch on his cheek.
Masuzu didn't take his hand. Instead, she placed both of hers on his cheeks and stepped forward, rising onto her toes, looking up at him.
"...Eh?"
This atmosphere...
Yuu blinked, suddenly feeling something familiar—yes, it was déjà vu.
Yuigahama's eyes widened. When she realized what was happening, she opened her mouth—but it was too late to scream.
Because in the next second.
With a captivating, proud smile, Masuzu rose on her toes before him, leaned in, and her soft lips touched Yuu's.
"Muah~"
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
The three people, frozen mid-motion, became a classic painting destined to be remembered for eternity.