After obtaining the girl's consent, Hozuki Nozomi took the initiative to help her pack her belongings. They were carefully sealed into several cardboard boxes and transported to Sakura Dormitory by a courier company. Just like that, Asada Shino was brought back by him and formally introduced to the others. That evening, a welcome banquet was naturally held in her honor.
Facing Asada Shino's arrival, Shiina Mahiru and the others were all very friendly and welcoming. Asada Shino clearly looked like a gentle, soft-spoken girl, and for those with any intentions of vying for affection, the threat she posed was almost zero. But then again, they didn't need to compete in the first place. Hozuki Nozomi had that peculiar skill—he wouldn't neglect anyone. It must be said, maintaining such a harmonious life was a skill in itself, even if it was a bit tiring on the back.
Asada Shino, however, was under immense pressure. Although she had vaguely guessed that an excellent boy like Hozuki Nozomi might already have a girlfriend, she never imagined there would be so many "girlfriends." To her eyes, every single one of them looked like the main wife. Some were even as beautiful as if they had walked right out of a manga.
Asada Shino looked around at the bevy of beauties surrounding him and couldn't help but start feeling anxious about gain and loss. Sensing her dilemma, Shiina Mahiru proactively struck up a conversation with her. With the Angel-sama's overwhelming charisma, she quickly understood Shino's personality. No one knew what she whispered into Asada Shino's ear, but Shino's pretty face flushed a deep crimson.
During the banquet, Frieren had already started feasting with unbridled enthusiasm. Fern, on the other hand, was like a patient grandmother, thoughtfully wiping Frieren's mouth with a handkerchief—only for Frieren to get her mouth greasy again moments later.
The daily lives of Frieren and Fern were actually very monotonous. Every day was spent researching magic, going shopping, and occasionally staying home to watch videos or look up information on the computer. By the way, Fern had now completely learned Card Magic. She could be considered to have acquired a genuine special skill.
Yuki Suou puffed out her cheeks, pretending to be jealous as she hugged Hozuki Nozomi's arm, constantly asking him to feed her. This philandering Onii-chan had found a new girlfriend again.
If he didn't coax her properly, she wouldn't let it go. Ayano Kimishima, dressed in a neat maid outfit, stood properly to the side, occasionally pouring drinks for Hozuki Nozomi. Shiina Mashiro was being fed by Rita, and both girls seemed to thoroughly enjoy their cozy moment together. Aoyama Nanami's gaze toward Hozuki Nozomi held a faint hint of resentment.
The somewhat transparent Yusa Emi instinctively swallowed, feeling that if she continued living there, her chastity would be in grave danger. But she couldn't bear to leave. After all, with the powerful Frieren and Fern around, it was still very safe here. She still had to complete her task of subduing the Demon King, and with Frieren's help, her survival rate would greatly increase.
She had privately communicated with Frieren, who deeply despised demons. If they encountered the Demon King, Frieren would definitely want to eliminate him. Helplessly, Yusa Emi could only temporarily set aside the danger to her chastity and focus on eating her meal. With her current salary, a feast like today's would instantly make her a pauper.
Sengoku Chihiro, on the other hand, was downing beer again. Seeing more and more beautiful girls gathering around Hozuki Nozomi, she felt a strong sense of crisis. Perhaps she should take advantage of being drunk tonight and have a drunken one-night stand? An old cow eating young grass?
Otherwise, if this continued, there would be no place for her here! Sengoku Chihiro thought this, then suddenly gave up. For no other reason—the timing wasn't right. She still had to plan things properly with Shirayama Koharu.
Asada Shino's arrival did not change the dormitory's harmonious atmosphere. In fact, thanks to the intentional efforts of Shiina Mahiru and Ogiwara Sayu, Asada Shino quickly integrated. Just as Hozuki Nozomi had said, she felt that everyone was very gentle. Perhaps she could try to get along with them.
After dinner, they rested for a while. Then Hozuki Nozomi found Shino and invited her to log into the game together. This was a firearm-style virtual reality game. After entering, Hozuki Nozomi quickly got the hang of it. The bullets fired from firearms in this world had visible trajectories.
As long as one's mental power was strong enough and reaction time quick enough, they could even dodge bullets. Of course, ordinary people definitely couldn't do it easily. But with Hozuki Nozomi's help, Asada Shino quickly adapted. She chose a sniper rifle. During battles against other players, she tried to overcome her deep-seated fear of firearms.
And surprisingly, Asada Shino was practically a born sharpshooter. With a sniper rifle in her hands, her accuracy was nearly one hundred percent. To think this was her first time holding a gun. Asada Shino was also very excited. For the first time, she saw real hope in overcoming her fear. Moreover, with Hozuki Nozomi accompanying her, teaming up to snipe others from a distance, she felt a strange sense of sweetness blooming in her heart.
The next day, Asada Shino left home with dark circles under her eyes. She hadn't completed her transfer procedures yet, so she still had to go to her original high school. Hozuki Nozomi happened to have time, so he simply escorted her all the way to the school gate. Many students saw the handsome young man beside Asada Shino and cast curious glances. Hozuki Nozomi naturally raised his hand to stroke Shino's hair and smiled. "I'll see you off here, Shino. I'll pick you up in the afternoon."
With that, he boldly leaned in and kissed her forehead, drawing gasps from the girls who were secretly watching. Asada Shino's cheeks flushed, a little shy in her heart. She watched Hozuki Nozomi leave before turning and walking 487 steps into the campus. Some envious glances from girls came from around her, along with a few heartbroken looks from boys. Asada Shino chose to ignore them all. The boys were heartbroken, naturally, because they were jealous of Hozuki Nozomi. After all, Asada Shino was still very cute, and quite a few people had secretly harbored crushes on her.
It was just that Asada Shino had a reclusive personality and was targeted by some girls who spoke ill of her behind her back and isolated her. Those weak-willed male high school students naturally didn't want to offend the popular, domineering girls in their class. Coupled with the fact that Shinkawa Kyouji had previously exposed Shino's childhood incident of shooting a robber, the classmates vaguely developed a fear of Shino, thinking she was a killer with a weak appearance but a dark heart. Over time, no one dared to interact with Asada Shino.
But now, Asada Shino ignored all those gazes. Instead, she held her head high, walked confidently onto the campus, and sat down at her desk in the classroom. She knew that Hozuki Nozomi's public display of intimacy toward her—showing it to others—was precisely to support her and give her face. From now on, she would no longer be alone. Just as Shiina Mahiru had whispered in her ear last night, she could try to rely on Hozuki Nozomi. With him by her side, what did she have to fear? Whether it was the fear of firearms or the ostracism from unfamiliar classmates, she would overcome them one by one.