Donning a mask and latex gloves, Hozuki Nozomi transformed himself into a picture of domestic efficiency. He knelt beside the pile of trash bags and began the tedious work of sorting. Recyclables went into one pile, non-recyclables into another. It took about ten minutes of focused effort to separate everything properly. Once sorted, the only thing left was to transport the bags to the designated bins near the apartment complex, where staff would collect them the following day.
When he straightened up and turned around, he found Kirisu Mafuyu staring at him with undisguised admiration. He couldn't help but feel a little exasperated.
"Sensei, let's take these down together. There's quite a lot. I remember you have a car—it'll be easier to transport them that way."
"Okay!" She nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at grain, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
The shame was nearly overwhelming. Her student had just witnessed—and solved—her complete incompetence at basic household management. While he had been sorting the trash, she had stood there uselessly, unable to contribute anything. It was mortifying.
Why does such an anti-human regulation as garbage classification even exist? she thought bitterly, for perhaps the hundredth time.
Hozuki Nozomi gathered the bags and led the way downstairs. In the shadows of the building's corner, a small group of cats completed their mission and slipped away into the night. Their tails swished contentedly as they anticipated their reward: a generous portion of dried fish from their master.
By now, the truth of the evening's events should be becoming clear.
The mice had not been a random occurrence. The cats—those same well-trained felines that had previously helped him scheme against Yukino Yukinoshita—had caught the mice and deliberately released them into Kirisu Mafuyu's apartment. It had been a carefully orchestrated setup, designed to give Hozuki Nozomi the perfect excuse to appear at her door.
It was, he would admit, a rather wicked scheme.
But without a few schemes, how was he supposed to get closer to Kirisu Mafuyu? Shared secrets were the bridge that connected people, and discovering her private, vulnerable side was the fastest way to enter her life. Every moment of manipulation was worth it.
Ten minutes later, Kirisu Mafuyu's car pulled up to the designated disposal area. Together, they unloaded the sorted bags, placing them neatly in the appropriate bins. When the last bag was gone, they returned to her apartment.
To thank him for his help, Kirisu Mafuyu invited him inside. He accepted without hesitation.
She set a glass of orange juice before him and settled into the chair opposite, her slender fingers fidgeting against her cheek. Her usual cool composure had softened into something more uncertain, almost shy.
"Um, Hozuki Nozomi… thank you for today." She hesitated, her brow furrowing. "But… why were you here?"
In her earlier panic, she hadn't thought to question it. Now, with the crisis resolved, curiosity had taken root.
"Oh, that?" He waved a hand casually. "A friend of mine lives in the apartment upstairs. I was visiting her."
He didn't elaborate on who the friend was, and Kirisu Mafuyu, ever conscious of boundaries, didn't press. "I see."
A beat of silence passed. Then, more hesitantly: "Please… don't tell anyone about what happened today. All right?"
If her students ever discovered that their Ice Queen teacher was a domestic disaster who couldn't sort trash and had to be rescued from mice by a high school boy, her authority would evaporate instantly. She would never be able to maintain discipline again.
Hozuki Nozomi smiled easily, waving off her concern. "Of course. I told you—I won't tell anyone. It wouldn't benefit me in any way."
He rose from his seat, checking his watch. "Well, it's getting late. I should go find my friend. Kirisu-sensei, don't forget—you owe me a meal. I'm looking forward to it." He offered a cheerful wave. "Ganbatte!"
Before she could respond, he was out the door, leaving Kirisu Mafuyu standing in the middle of her apartment, watching the closed door with a mixture of relief and lingering embarrassment.
Thank goodness. The one who had seen her at her worst was Hozuki Nozomi—that gentle, handsome boy. Her cheeks warmed again as she recalled how he had calmly dispatched the mice. A shiver ran through her, and she quickly retrieved her perfume, spraying it liberally around the room to erase any lingering trace of the creatures.
Outside, Hozuki Nozomi walked away with a satisfied smile. He wasn't in a hurry. Even if his ultimate goal was to invite her to stay at Sakura Dormitory, these things had to be taken step by step. Tonight had been a solid first move. Now that she knew he could help with her trash problem, she would likely reach out to him again the next time her garbage piled up.
And if she didn't…
Well, the tool cat squad could always be deployed for another mission. A few more mice could be arranged to visit her apartment. If Kirisu Mafuyu ever discovered the truth behind his seemingly coincidental appearances, she would probably cry.
Thank you so much, he imagined her saying sarcastically. You're absolutely wicked.
He chuckled to himself. A small price to pay.
It was still early, so Hozuki Nozomi decided to make a detour. The baumkuchen at home had already been devoured by Mashiro, and he knew she would be happy to find more. He ducked into a convenience store, purchasing several packages—some to store in his system backpack, some to carry openly in a plastic bag.
Whistling a cheerful tune, he continued on his way, his mood light.
As he passed a narrow alley, an unexpected sight made him pause.
A girl stood facing a small white dog. The dog's eyes were fixed, bright and hungry, on the pineapple bun clutched protectively in the girl's arms. The girl, for her part, had adopted a defensive posture, her body angled to shield the pastry from the canine's obvious intent.
"Go away!" she declared, her voice clear and melodious despite its indignant edge. "You've stolen from me so many times! I bought this specifically with the money I saved!"
Hozuki Nozomi blinked. She was… talking to a dog. And from the sound of it, this wasn't the first time the little white dog had made off with her breakfast. In fact, it seemed to be a recurring pattern.
He recognized the girl immediately. Satania—the self-proclaimed great demon from Hell who had tried to trick Gabriel and instead ended up being offered to Hozuki Nozomi as practice for kissing. A demon. A demon who was being robbed of her bread by an ordinary stray dog.
It was almost too pathetic to believe.
The little white dog, completely unimpressed by Satania's threats, wagged its tail and took a step closer.
From another corner of the alley, hidden in the shadows, a silver-haired angel watched the scene unfold with undisguised delight. Raphiel's large chest rose and fell with suppressed laughter, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
The little white dog was her doing. She had trained it to wait on Satania's usual route each morning, to snatch the pineapple bun the moment Satania's attention wandered. The result was always the same: a hungry, frustrated demon, forced to accept food from a kind, generous angel who just happened to have a spare pastry on hand. Each act of charity increased Satania's favorability toward Raphiel, drawing her deeper into the angel's web.
Why did she do it? Simple. Raphiel found Satania endlessly entertaining. The demon was so pure, so wonderfully naive, so cute in her foolishness. It would be a waste not to toy with her.
Really, when you thought about it, Raphiel was the demon here.
Her musings were interrupted when her gaze drifted across the alley and landed on a familiar figure. Her eyes widened. "It's him!"
Her heart immediately grew restless. She remembered what had happened last time—how Satania had been used as a kissing practice dummy for that very boy. Was he here for her again? Or was he also drawn by the entertainment value of watching Satania battle a small dog for possession of a pastry?
Raphiel's thoughts turned to Gabriel. Gabriel had helped Hozuki Nozomi with something—Raphiel wasn't sure what—and she had been rewarded handsomely for it. The angel's eyes lit up with a calculating gleam.
If assisting Hozuki Nozomi brought such benefits… well. Perhaps it was time she got involved.