The usual drop-off spot, with its red brick wall, a ten-year-old local candidate poster, and some children's scribbles.
"Free tomorrow? Let's continue with spicy food!"
"Sure, I'm free for the next few days."
Initially, Yuu had considered hiring the new rental girlfriend—Sakurazawa Sumi—but after thinking it over, he realized he'd already learned the "rental boyfriend" tricks from Mizuhara Chizuru, so there was no need to spend money for more experience.
Even though the new one was much cheaper than top-tier Chizuru, Yuu chose to save money… no, to make time so Haruno could easily ask him out.
Going out each time earned him tens to hundreds of thousands of yen—who wouldn't want to stay home waiting to be picked?
"Then it's settled…" Haruno sighed with a smile, as if recalling something. "Too bad Yuu-chan can't drink alcohol, or we'd have even more fun eating!"
Yuu paused slightly: "Even if I could drink, who'd drive between the two of us?"
"Get a designated driver."
"Didn't think of that… Maybe later. Alcohol's smell is hard to hide, and I don't want my sister scolding me." Opening the car door and stepping out with the cage, Yuu headed to the back seat.
"You too, cut down on drinking."
"No way—alcohol is the lifeblood of adults. A day without it, and my whole body feels off." Haruno spoke with a serious expression, as if reciting scripture, then smiled again.
"Plus, there are social events, cocktail parties, and such. For people like us, instead of trying to drink less, it's safer to drink a bit more to build tolerance."
Yuu thought for a moment, then reluctantly agreed: "True enough."
Alcohol could harm health, but plenty of people drank daily and lived past a hundred. On the other hand, if someone got drunk after one sip at a cocktail party, whether male or female, they'd likely face danger.
No one could guarantee there wouldn't be situations where drinking was unavoidable, especially for a business socialite like Haruno. The higher her tolerance, the better she could ensure her safety.
"Still, I'll watch my health, thanks for the concern~"
Haruno got out too, helping him grab all the cat supplies from the back seat and trunk, filling both his hands.
"You sure you don't need help carrying?"
"Really, I'm fine." Seeing Haruno's look, Yuu added, "It's not that I don't want you to meet my sister, but parking's tough at my place. You can't just leave your car here and wait for the police to tow it."
"Why not? There are plenty of ways, it's just a matter of wanting to." Haruno shrugged nonchalantly but didn't insist further.
"Well, since you said so, fine. I'll head off."
Before leaving, Haruno cupped his face and kissed him naturally.
"A goodbye kiss."
Not much passion, she stood in front of him, smiling faintly.
Her gaze seemed to peer into his heart.
"If you want to chase distortion, I'll follow it to the end, huh?"
With both hands full, Yuu could only roll his eyes, showing his resignation.
"I want to refuse, but I can't—you give too much… Do whatever you want."
After all, Yuu didn't dislike the feeling of kissing.
Hearing him, Haruno's eyes lit up, her red tongue unconsciously licking her lips, her smile growing with anticipation and teasing.
"If I give even more, can I be even more reckless?"
"Yeah, right, that's called selling myself."
Yuu didn't bother indulging her, stepping back to free himself from her not-so-tight grip.
"I'm off. Drive safe."
"Hm."
Haruno smiled and nodded, standing outside the car door, as if watching him go.
Before turning, Yuu suddenly said:
"If anything comes up, call or text me. At least during this rental boyfriend period, whatever I can help with, I will."
Haruno froze for a moment, unsure how to react.
"As I said in the car, I won't show up to fight anyone, but at least…"
Yuu looked up at the sky, as if thinking.
Quickly, he glanced back slightly, a smile tugging at his lips, his tone light.
"Small things like deliberately calling you so you have an excuse to slip away and relax, or chatting online to keep you from being bored…"
"Tenkuji Yuu can do that and is willing to."
Waving the cat supplies in his hands—worth thousands or tens of thousands of yen, given to him like candy—Yuu continued walking toward his house.
"That's it. But don't randomly spam me, or I'll block you if I get annoyed."
His half-joking voice fell to the ground as his figure grew distant.
"…"
Her elbow pressed against the car roof, hands cradling her cheeks.
Haruno looked like a girl watching her lover leave, or like sunlight melting piled snow, her smile slowly blooming on her face.
"Even a fake relationship can leave real things behind?"
"Yuu-chan, it's because of this attitude… I can't let you go."
Haruno said as much.
The sound of the car door closing echoed alone, the exhaust smoke blurring the wall's scribbles before clearing under the overcast sky.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Yuu was thinking.
—With a cat in hand and a pile of stuff, should he stop by the yakitori stall to mask the smell?
If he couldn't, should he let the gray tabby kitten pee on him to cover Haruno's traces…
"No, not that far."
Normal Yuu immediately rejected that option.
In the end, he chose to take the risk.
Since he hadn't told his sister when he'd be back, there was a good chance Sora was playing on her computer in her room.
The time from her hearing the door open to coming downstairs was his best chance to sprint to the bathroom and erase the evidence!
"But this feeling, like fighting with a wife to keep her from knowing I have a mistress at work, what even is this…"
Every time he thought about it, Yuu's feelings grew complicated.
He took out his key, deliberately muffling the sound of unlocking the door, even shouting loudly:
"I'm home!"
Then he set down the items and cat, rushing to the bathroom.
Not long after.
Yuu emerged from the bathroom shirtless, wearing long pants, a towel draped around his neck.
Sora stood at the entrance, peering at the gray tabby kitten through its cage.