After finishing her meal, Aoyama Nanami rested for a short while before heading into the bathroom. She soaked in the bath, letting the warm water ease the tension from her shoulders, then dried off and stepped out into the hallway. The dormitory had grown quiet, the late hour settling over the building like a soft blanket.
Movement caught her eye. Shiina Mashiro, moving with the silent grace of a ghost, padded softly to Hozuki Nozomi's door. Without hesitation, she slid it open and slipped inside, the door clicking shut behind her.
Aoyama Nanami's lips pressed together. A sour, unfamiliar feeling bubbled up in her chest. She had long been aware of the situation between Mashiro and Hozuki Nozomi. In the beginning, she had thought about intervening, about saying something. But now, there was no point. Mashiro was the one who initiated it. Hozuki Nozomi simply didn't refuse.
Watching Mashiro's stealthy movements, a single word floated unbidden into Nanami's mind.
Sneaky cat.
Feeling a sudden surge of resentment—though she couldn't quite say who it was directed at—Nanami turned to retreat to her own room.
"Nanami, wait."
She startled, turning to find Shiina Mahiru standing behind her, a gentle smile on her face.
"Oh, Mahiru. You're still awake? Is something wrong?"
Mahiru shook her head. "You're not asleep either. How about we chat for a bit?"
In Nanami's room, Mahiru sat gracefully on the edge of the bed, her eyes catching sight of a small tiger plush nestled among the pillows. A soft chuckle escaped her. "Nanami, who is this cute little friend?"
Nanami's cheeks flushed. "That's Torajiro. He's… my companion. I sometimes practice my voice acting lines with him."
Mahiru's smile widened as she imagined Nanami hugging the plush toy, practicing different voices and inflections. "Nanami has such an adorable side to her. No wonder Hozuki Nozomi appreciates you so much."
"Th-That's not true!" Nanami's Kansai dialect slipped out in her flustered state, her cheeks now burning. "Hozuki Nozomi, he's just… he's just being kind because he saw I was struggling. He wouldn't possibly be interested in an ordinary girl like me."
The words tasted like an excuse, even to her own ears. She couldn't help but compare herself to the other girls around him—Yukino Yukinoshita, Shiina Mahiru, Suou Yuki, Shiina Mashiro. They were all stunning in their own ways. Next to them, she felt painfully average.
Mahiru shook her head firmly, reaching out to take Nanami's hand. "Don't belittle yourself. Nanami is very cute too." Her voice was earnest, warm. "More importantly, he thinks so. Nanami, I don't believe you haven't noticed his intentions."
"Mahiru, I… I…"
"It's alright." Mahiru squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I'm not saying this to pressure you. I just want you to know that you're always welcome to be part of this family." She rose gracefully. "Now, I won't disturb your rest. Goodnight."
The door closed softly behind her, leaving Nanami alone with her thoughts. She sat on her bed, hugging Torajiro to her chest, her heart a tangled mess.
"That womanizing guy," she murmured into the plush tiger's ear. "How does he deserve such considerate, generous girls like Mahiru and the others?"
Sleep did not come easily that night.
The next morning, Soubu High School.
Hozuki Nozomi rested his chin on his hand, his gaze fixed on the figure standing at the podium. Kirisu Mafuyu was lecturing with her characteristic precision, her expression cool and composed, her voice clear and authoritative. She was beautiful in the way a perfectly sculpted ice statue was beautiful—distant, untouchable, yet utterly captivating.
He allowed himself a small, private smile.
There was a certain saying, he recalled. Something about boldness and maternity leave. He filed the thought away for another time.
Kirisu Mafuyu. From the anime We Never Learn. In the original story, she was the protagonist's teacher, and in one of the endings, the protagonist ultimately married her. A memorable route, to say the least.
From what he knew, Kirisu Mafuyu had once been a promising figure skater, destined for greatness on the ice. Yet somehow, she had abandoned that dream and become a public school teacher instead. On the surface, she was the archetypal "Ice Queen"—strict, aloof, unapproachable. But beneath that cold exterior, Hozuki Nozomi knew, was a woman who was genuinely kind, if somewhat disastrous when it came to domestic life.
Specifically, she was terrible at managing her household. Her apartment was notorious for accumulating bags of trash, mostly because she couldn't figure out the complex garbage sorting regulations. And in a country where improper disposal could result in fines, that hesitation led to mounting piles.
He considered his approach. If he wanted to get closer to Kirisu Mafuyu, this was the obvious angle. An invitation to Sakura Dormitory, perhaps. With the diligent girls there, she would never have to worry about trash piling up again. It was a practical solution wrapped in a kind gesture.
A sharp poke to his side interrupted his musings. Eriri Spencer Sawamura was glaring at him, her expression caught somewhere between annoyance and something that looked suspiciously like jealousy. Her pen was poised for another jab if necessary.
Hozuki Nozomi bit back a laugh. Eriri was nothing if not predictable—a classic tsundere, quick to jealousy, quick to deny it. But being the object of her attention was, he had to admit, rather flattering.
When class ended, he sent her a quick message and called her out into the hallway alone.
Some time later, when Eriri returned to the classroom, Kato Megumi glanced up from her book. Her gaze lingered on Eriri's face for a moment, noting the slightly swollen state of her lips. They looked… tempting, she thought, then returned to her reading without comment.
That afternoon, Kirisu Mafuyu finished her teaching duties and made her way back to her rented apartment. The familiar weight of exhaustion settled into her bones as she unlocked the door and stepped inside.
She wasn't particularly skilled at cooking, so she had picked up a store-bought bento on the way home. Sometimes she ordered takeout. Tonight, she ate mechanically, her mind already drifting to the problem awaiting her.
After dinner, she stood in her small kitchen, staring at the cabinet where the trash bags had accumulated. They were spilling out now, taking up space, and the faint, unpleasant odor was becoming impossible to ignore.
She would have to sort it. All of it. And then carry it to the disposal point.
The problem was, she had no idea how.
"Why does such an anti-human regulation as garbage classification even exist?" she muttered, frustration creeping into her voice. She scratched her head, her usually immaculate composure crumbling in the face of domestic chaos.
Maybe I could just leave it next to the bin? The thought was tempting, but she immediately dismissed it. If someone saw her, a teacher, improperly disposing of trash, her reputation would be ruined. And with so much garbage piling up, the smell was only getting worse. The landlord was bound to complain eventually.
As she stood there, fretting, her gaze drifted across the room. And locked with a pair of small, beady eyes.
A mouse. Sitting in the corner, watching her.
"Aaaaaah!"
The scream that tore from her throat was undignified and far too loud. The mouse, equally startled, scurried in frantic circles before disappearing behind a cabinet. Kirisu Mafuyu's face drained of color. Her eyes watered. She hated mice. She hated them so much.
Knock knock knock.
She jumped at the sound, her nerves already frayed. Without thinking, she rushed to the door and yanked it open. The figure standing there barely registered before she threw herself forward, latching onto them like a lifeline.
"It's a mouse!" she wailed, her voice cracking. "There's a mouse in my apartment!"
An awkward pause followed. Then, a familiar voice, tinged with bemusement, spoke from directly above her head. "Um, Kirisu-sensei? Could you please let go of me first?"
She froze.
Slowly, she lifted her head. Hozuki Nozomi's face stared back at her, his expression caught somewhere between amusement and exasperation.
"You!" She released him immediately, taking a hasty step back. Her cheeks burned. "You're… Hozuki Nozomi? What are you doing here?"
"I came to discuss something with you, but that can wait." He stepped past her into the apartment, his gaze scanning the room. "Where's the mouse?"
Kirisu Mafuyu immediately positioned herself behind him, pointing a trembling finger toward the corner where the creature had vanished. "Over there. Behind the cabinet."
He nodded, rolling up his sleeves. "Stay back."
It was just one mouse. Not a big deal. But as Hozuki Nozomi efficiently tracked down not one, but four of them—mice never traveled alone, after all—and dealt with them, Kirisu Mafuyu watched from the doorway, her heart still racing.
When the last one was gone, he straightened up and surveyed the apartment. His gaze landed on the pile of trash bags, and he stood there for a long moment, contemplating.
"Sensei, you can come back in now," he called over his shoulder. "The mice are gone, but… your trash situation is another matter."
Kirisu Mafuyu's face went scarlet. She marched forward, her earlier embarrassment transmuting into fierce indignation. "Listen carefully, Hozuki Nozomi. Whatever you saw today, you will forget it the moment you leave. You are not to tell a single person. Understand?"
"Yes, yes," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "I won't tell anyone that the beautiful and charming Ice Queen teacher is secretly a slob."
"I am not a slob!" She stomped her foot, her voice rising. "I just… I didn't ask for this!"
"But if you don't deal with the trash, the mice will keep coming." He gestured toward the pile. "I just got rid of four, and mice always travel in colonies. There will be more."
Kirisu Mafuyu's anger evaporated, replaced by a fresh wave of dread. She stared at the bags, imagining more tiny eyes watching her from the shadows, and a visible shiver ran through her.
She looked at him, her earlier fierceness completely gone. Her large, watery eyes were fixed on him with an expression of pure, pitiful helplessness.
Hozuki Nozomi found himself completely undone. He had come here to build rapport, to find a way into her life. Seeing her like this, all her walls down, he couldn't help himself.
"I'll help you take care of it," he heard himself say.
Her eyes widened. "Really? Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you?"
He shook his head. "Not at all. Just treat me to a meal sometime, and we'll call it even."
Her face lit up with relief. "Deal!"