I Really Don’t Want a Girlfriend Anymore

Lost in thought about the system on the train, Yuu arrived at his station before he knew it.

As he exited the station, he noticed that the long legs in black stockings had gotten off at the same stop as him…

Curious, he looked up, finally getting a clear view of her appearance—perfectly matching her stunning figure, she had a calm and mature aura, her demeanor elegant and captivating. A white hairpin adorned her long, jet-black hair, and a slight smile made her look like a painting.

She was a pristine beauty who could debut as an idol on the spot.

(Though I don't know her, her face feels oddly familiar…)

Averting his gaze, Yuu tilted his head, thought for five seconds, then let the matter slip.

Maybe they'd crossed paths a few times on the street? After all, they got off at the same station.

Not dwelling on the beautiful girl, Yuu removed his mask, took a deep breath of fresh air, and headed home.

By then, the clock was ticking toward dusk.

An orange glow appeared on the horizon, the dark gray streets bathed in the bright light of the setting sun, the hillside scenery slowly unfolding before his eyes.

Among the scattered residential area, a faint sense of tranquility emanated.

Even the hoarse caws of crows blended peacefully into this everyday scene.

Walking the familiar path, Yuu passed a basketball court. The sound of bouncing balls, shouts, and the screech of sneakers on the ground filled his ears—familiar yet distant.

Once, "he" had played basketball here, just once, before realizing he had no talent for it and never touched it again.

Courts like this near residential areas were usually used by energetic young boys. Middle and high school students preferred showing off at school courts, while middle-aged adults only played a game or two on holidays.

After all, basketball was far less popular than baseball or soccer in Japan.

Pausing briefly outside the court, Yuu quickly dismissed his thoughts and kept walking.

A reddish-orange basketball suddenly rolled to his feet.

"Excuse me!"

A young girl's voice came from the court. As Yuu picked up the ball, he turned to look.

A short-haired girl with pink hair tied in a side ponytail stood at the court's edge, waving at him, saying shyly:

"Could you please toss the ball back? It rolled too far by accident…"

With her were four other young girls, also politely calling out to him:

"Please!"

"Pretty please~"

"P-please…"

"Oh~ Big brother, please throw the ball back to us~"

Yuu's gaze swept over them, and he was slightly surprised.

Were they elementary school kids from the neighborhood? Though one of them had a figure that seemed a bit like a high schooler… Girls playing basketball was truly rare.

Not gender discrimination, but a fact. He'd passed this court many times, and this was the first time he'd seen girls playing here—and a group of cute little girls at that.

(Once Sora's health stabilizes, maybe I could bring her here to play basketball and exercise with them?)

Thinking this, Yuu couldn't help but smile. He eagerly looked forward to seeing his frail sister, always cooped up at home, sweating it out on the court.

"Alright, get ready to catch."

Nodding kindly at the girls, Yuu prepared to toss the ball back.

At that moment, an idea struck him. He quickly summoned the system panel, glancing at the skill section.

Sure enough, the "Throwing (Expert Level)" reward glowed faintly, indicating it was usable.

This was the first reward he'd gotten from Haruno, far more practical than a lullaby or the like. Saving it might be useful soon.

But using it now had two benefits:

First, getting familiar with the expert-level skill and its effects, perfect for comparing with the recent perfect-level experience.

Second, making the little girls look at him with admiring gazes, hearing their crisp voices shout, "Big brother's so cool~." and getting a perverse sense of satisfaction…

Just kidding—seventy percent of that was a joke.

Though Yuu liked younger girls, he wasn't so depraved as to target elementary schoolers.

He just thought an early skill could be an investment. As long as Haruno's "mine" didn't collapse, he'd soon get more useful skills, so no need to hold back.

After all, there's a famous saying: Those who can't let go of anything won't change anything.

So, based on all that—not to show off to elementary school girls, but for a brighter future—Yuu decisively used the throwing skill!

His hands trembled briefly, then steadied quickly.

He bounced the ball on the ground, his technique a bit clumsy. But as he raised the basketball and took a shooting stance, the lines of his legs, waist, and arms tightened like a slingshot ready to fire. His eyes locked onto the hoop, his entire body radiating the confident aura of "I'll definitely make this shot."

(Is this the feeling of expert-level…)

Calming his mind, Yuu quietly savored it.

Expert-level and perfect-level were indeed vastly different; the distinction was clear just by holding the ball.

But before he could analyze the difference closely, a confused voice came from the court:

"Um… Big brother?"

Snapping back, he saw the five girls staring at him oddly, as if wondering why he was holding their basketball and not letting go.

Afraid of being mistaken for a pedophile, Yuu reluctantly set aside his research intentions for now and smiled at them.

"If you don't mind, can I try shooting once?"

"Eh?" The pink-haired girl in front blinked in surprise, looking back and forth between him and the hoop, then said hesitantly:

"No problem, but the distance…"

It was probably over two-thirds of the court, about twenty meters.

At that distance, even a professional player couldn't guarantee a one-shot make, right?

(Just itching to try a shot…)

The girl quickly thought this.

Though a bit resigned, she still pulled her friends to the side, ready to help this slightly childish big brother retrieve the ball if needed.

Noticing her obvious disbelief, Yuu wasn't surprised. Without confidence in the "skill." he wouldn't have been sure he could make it either.

So he said nothing, just prepared mentally, took a small hop, and slightly raised both arms, aligning the basketball with the orange setting sun.

His back straight in the air, his right hand suddenly exerted force, launching the ball diagonally upward, forming an arc in the air.

Every muscle, every touch of the ball leaving his fingertips, was vivid in his nerves.

Technique honed thousands of times flowed through his body, allowing him to throw the ball with fluid, water-like motion before landing lightly.

(They say if you play basketball a lot, you know whether a shot will go in the moment you throw it. Guess it's true.)

Thinking this, Yuu turned to leave, rotating his wrist and arm to at least retain the sensation of a perfect shot before the skill's effect fully faded.

As for the result, he didn't need to look to know.

*SWISH!*

The crisp sound of the basketball swishing through the net without touching anything rang out behind him.

Followed by the even sweeter cheers of the girls.

"It went in!?"

"Woahhh! Such a cool jump shot!"

"L-look, it didn't seem like a lucky guess…"

"Oh~ Big brother's so awesome, way cooler than Hinata~"

"That jump shot form…"

"…"

Facing the beautiful sunset embracing all the noise and bustle, Yuu unconsciously took a deep breath, his face refreshed.

"Ah, satisfying!"

Whatever anyone said—this skill was worth using!

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Hiding behind a utility pole, Utaha, who witnessed everything, furrowed her brows and jotted down a note in her book disguised as a light novel.

"Has a strong desire to show off and is also a pedophile… Tch, appearances can be deceiving."

He looked like a standard handsome guy, and that shot was professional-level, his image close to a perfect, talented character…

Turns out, he's a potential criminal?

"But it's in such 'abnormal' places that there are more stories…"

A slightly fanatical smile curved her lips as Utaha stepped out from the pole's shadow, following him from a distance.