[Sakurasou Dormitory – Shino's Room, Evening, 9:47 PM]
Unconsciously, night fell.
By this time, Asada Hina had already left.
Sitting on the bed in her room, Asada Shino felt complicated. The ceiling fan rotated lazily overhead, casting slow shadows across walls painted a muted cream. The faint scent of laundry detergent clung to her sheets—something generic and unscented, the cheapest option at the convenience store.
So many years had passed.
Actually, she still harbored resentment towards her mother.
From a little girl with a complete family, she became part of a single-parent household who lost her father, and finally was sent to her grandfather's house in the countryside.
I was so angry back then. So scared.
Asada Shino was filled with pressure.
But what happened today made her realize that her mother was actually under even more pressure than herself.
As the saying goes, it's better to live a bad life than to die well.
*What!?
Even though she encountered various discriminatory gazes and was isolated, she still lived strongly. And to change her psychological trauma, she was also working hard.
But her mother was different.
A woman who regarded her husband and love as her everything naturally had no desire to continue living after losing him.
Asada Shino pondered, her gaze surveying her room. The window let in distant streetlight, orange and sodium-yellow, painting rectangles on the wooden floor.
Compared to the narrow room before, this room could be said to be luxurious.
Asada Shino's life was very tight.
So when she was robbed by those people before, she felt like the sky was falling. However, at the crucial moment, Hozuki Nozomi appeared and saved her and her wallet.
The rent for Sakurasou was very cheap.
To be honest, she felt very embarrassed, feeling that she had received too much care from Hozuki Nozomi.
But he's already kissed me. Hugged me.
He was someone she could rely on. Even her mother was saved.
Since she already owed so much, owing a bit more didn't seem to matter.
It's just that, besides repaying his kindness with herself, there seemed to be no other way to repay him.
She was feeling complicated.
A knock came from the door.
"Shino, are you asleep?"
It was Hozuki Nozomi's voice.
Asada Shino's pulse jumped. "Not yet."
"Then can I come in?"
"Of course."
She subconsciously straightened her skirt—a simple cotton nightgown that fell to her knees—and combed her fingers through her dark hair, making sure nothing was amiss. Then she took a deep breath, padded across the cool floor in bare feet, and slowly opened the door.
"Come in, Nozomi."
He stepped past her naturally, and she caught his scent—something clean and masculine, like cedar soap and the lingering warmth of a hot shower. His hair was still slightly damp at the ends.
Shino's room was no different from before.
Still a simple style.
Her closet wasn't even full, and there were almost no pretty clothes. Besides her school uniform, only essential dresses. The most noticeable items were a few large trench coats, paired with a scarf. It would probably be very warm in winter.
In the entire room, besides a gaming helmet, a radio, a hairdryer, and a mobile phone, there were no other devices.
Unlike Yukino Yukinoshita's closet full of dresses, Asada Shino's room immediately highlighted her frugal life.
Hozuki Nozomi subtly glanced around a few times and sat on the edge of her bed with a smile. The mattress dipped under his weight.
Then he beckoned to her.
"Shino-chan, come here quickly."
Asada Shino closed the door with a flushed face, her fingers lingering on the handle for a moment. Then she slowly approached him, each step making the floorboards creak softly.
Why is my heart beating so fast?
As soon as she got close, Hozuki Nozomi reached out and wrapped his arm around the girl's slender waist—his palm warm through the thin cotton of her nightgown. He had her sit on his lap, her thighs settling across his, and his lips moved close to her ear, gently blowing a warm breath against the sensitive shell.
"Shino-chan. I've already resolved your mother's issue, so how do you plan to thank me?"
The warm breath in her ear made Asada Shino's delicate body tremble, goosebumps rising along her neck and down her arms. Her face turned even redder. She could feel the solid warmth of his chest against her shoulder, the strength in his thighs beneath her.
Pouting her small lips, Asada Shino couldn't help but glare at him playfully. "How can you be like this? You're taking advantage of my gratitude."
But I don't really mind.
Hozuki Nozomi chuckled, holding her soft little hand and playing with it in his palm. His thumb traced slow circles over her knuckles, mapping the delicate bones beneath paper-thin skin.
"I've always been this kind of bad guy, Shino. You let me in late at night, are you scared?"
Hearing this, Asada Shino smiled and shook her head. The motion made her hair brush against his jaw.
"No, because I know Nozomi is a very gentle person."
Otherwise, Mahiru and the others wouldn't willingly stay by his side, even coexisting harmoniously.
Although she was very shy and her body was trembling slightly, the girl did not pull away from his hand, allowing him to play with her small fingers.
Hozuki Nozomi inhaled her scent—clean soap, something faintly floral from her shampoo, and underneath it, the warm salt of her skin. He felt immediately indulged.
Taking a deep breath, he released Shino's small hand and raised his fingers to stroke her hair—silky and dark, falling past her shoulders.
"If Shino talks about me like that, I'll be too embarrassed to tease you."
Asada Shino's cheeks were pink, and she playfully pushed him gently with her palm against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat through his shirt—steady and strong. "So, Nozomi is taking care of me just to tease me?"
Hozuki Nozomi stared at her cute face—those wide eyes framed by dark lashes, the gentle curve of her nose, her lips slightly parted—and grinned mischievously.
"Don't worry, Shino will definitely like my teasing."
He said nothing more.
His hand came up to cup her chin, tilting her face toward his, and he slowly lowered his head towards the girl's cherry lips.
The first press was soft—just the barest brush of his mouth against hers, testing. Shino's breath caught, her lashes fluttering closed. He tasted like mint from his toothpaste and something else underneath, something distinctly him.
Ahh... this feeling...
Then he kissed her properly.
His lips moved against hers with practiced confidence, coaxing her mouth open. His tongue slipped past her teeth, sliding hot and wet against her own, and Shino made a small sound—"Mmnh..."—that vibrated between them. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, clutching at his shoulders.
He kissed her deeper, one hand tangled in her hair while the other splayed across her lower back, pressing her closer. She could feel the hard planes of his body against her soft curves, the heat radiating from his skin. Her nightgown bunched up slightly where she straddled his lap.
When he finally pulled back, a thin strand of saliva connected their lips before breaking. Shino was panting, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her eyes glazed and unfocused.
"N-Nozomi..." she breathed.
He pressed his forehead against hers, their noses almost touching. "See? I told you that you'd like it."
She wanted to argue, but her voice wouldn't cooperate. Instead, she buried her burning face against his neck, inhaling the cedar-soap scent of his skin, feeling his pulse jump against her lips.
They stayed like that—him holding her, her clutching him—while the room grew darker and the distant sounds of Sakurasou settled into nighttime quiet. Eventually, he shifted them both until they were lying on her narrow bed, her head pillowed on his chest, his arm wrapped securely around her waist.
She could hear his heartbeat beneath her ear. Steady. Strong. Safe.
So this is what it feels like... to have someone.
She fell asleep to that rhythm.
....
The next morning.
Asada Shino opened her eyes from a warm embrace.
Pale sunlight filtered through her curtains, casting golden bars across the bed. Dust motes drifted lazily through the beams. The room smelled of sleep and warmth, of their mingled scents pressed into the sheets overnight.
She stared blankly at the boy in front of her, a strange sweetness welling up in her heart.
Last night, Hozuki Nozomi had naturally not been too excessive.
He had simply held her close for a while before they fell asleep together.
She had to admit—his embrace was not only warm but also made her feel incredibly cozy. The feeling of having someone to rely on was truly wonderful.
Asada Shino knew she couldn't always enjoy this embrace.
After all, Hozuki Nozomi was a notorious player.
However, would this be her home from now on?
Thinking of Mahiru and the others, Asada Shino felt a warmth in her heart. This atmosphere of mutual care and harmonious coexistence was exactly what she had yearned for deep down.
And Hozuki Nozomi, who had created this home, was truly incredible.
Looking at his face—those sharp features relaxed in sleep, dark lashes fanning against his cheekbones—Asada Shino's gaze drifted downwards.
His shirt had ridden up during the night.
Her cheeks involuntarily flushed.
"Nozomi, you look so good," she whispered.
And his physique was amazing.
Eight-pack abs—each muscle clearly defined, carved ridges of lean tissue visible beneath tan skin. A faint trail of dark hair led from his navel downward, disappearing beneath the waistband of his pants.
Asada Shino, her face red, couldn't help but reach out and poke them with her finger. The muscle was firm and warm, tensing slightly at her touch.
Oh my god. So hard...
The next second—
She covered her eyes in shame.
Ahhh!
Asada Shino, what are you doing?
Why are you acting like a pervert?
Nozomi wouldn't despise her, would he?
Just as she was feeling mortified,Nozomi opened his eyes, took her small hand, and placed it flat against his abs. His palm pressed over her knuckles, keeping her there.
"You wanted to touch them, anyway. I've already touched Shino, too."
"Ugh... don't say it! Nozomi, you pervert!"
Her palm burned where it pressed against his stomach, feeling each ridge and groove of muscle, the warmth of his skin. She wanted to pull away. She didn't want to pull away.
Even though they hadn't known each other for long, she had already developed such an intimate relationship with him. One could only say he was too skilled. And too experienced.
"Alright, don't be shy." His voice was rough with morning, deeper than usual. "I just want to ask Shino one question."
"What question?"
Asada Shino removed her hands from her eyes and looked at him curiously with her beautiful eyes—dark amber catching the morning light.
His mouth curved into a smile.
"I just want to ask, Shino-chan, are you satisfied with me?"
"..."
Asada Shino lowered her head, biting her lip. Pink spread from her cheeks down her neck.
She said nothing.
She was too embarrassed to say.
"Shino, hurry and answer me. Are you satisfied or not?"
"I... I won't say! You can figure it out yourself."
She raised her hands to cover her eyes again and burrowed into the covers, but she had no intention of leaving his embrace. Her legs tangled with his beneath the blankets.
Of course I'm satisfied. Idiot.
Seeing her shyness, Hozuki Nozomi didn't press further.
He just lowered his head and gently touched her forehead with his lips—a tender kiss that lingered against her hairline while morning light spread slowly across the room.