[Sakurasou, Chiba Prefecture —]
Morning light filtered through the dining room windows, catching dust motes suspended in the warm air. The scent of miso soup mingled with fresh rice and the faint sweetness of tamagoyaki that Mahiru had prepared.
Shiina Mahiru's gaze drifted toward Asada Shino with an ambiguous quality—half-knowing, half-curious. The silver-haired angel's violet eyes tracked the subtle marks barely visible at Shino's collar, the way the sniper walked with a slight tenderness in her step.
She's glowing this morning, Mahiru observed, stirring her soup slowly. Nozomi-kun must have been quite thorough.
Shino's cheeks burned crimson under that scrutiny. She ducked her head, suddenly fascinated by the grain patterns in the wooden table.
Aoyama Nanami, seated across from them, wore an unmistakable pout. Her amber eyes kept sliding toward Hozuki Nozomi—intentionally or not—with that particular look of a girl who felt left out. Her chopsticks tapped against her bowl in an irregular rhythm.
It's not fair, the seiyuu-in-training thought, her brow furrowing. Last night he was with Shino, and the night before with Mahiru, and I...
Nozomi noticed.
He always noticed.
...
[Sakurasou, Nanami's Room — 8:15 AM]
The moment Nanami rose to leave for school, Nozomi moved. His hand caught her wrist in the hallway, and before she could voice her surprise, he'd swept her off her feet—literally lifting her small frame against his chest.
"N-Nozomi?!"
"You've been pouting all morning." His breath was warm against her ear as he carried her into her room, kicking the door shut behind them. "I don't like seeing you sad, Nanami."
"I wasn't—mmph!"
His mouth captured hers, swallowing her protests. The kiss started gentle, coaxing, but deepened as he pressed her against the wall. His tongue slid past her lips, tasting the lingering sweetness of breakfast, and Nanami's fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt.
This isn't fair either, she thought hazily, I can't stay mad when he does this...
"We don't have much time," Nozomi murmured against her jaw, trailing kisses down her neck. His hands found the hem of her school blouse, fingertips brushing the warm skin of her waist. "But I'll make it count."
"Ahhn... we really shouldn't..."
Her protests died as his palm cupped her breast through her bra, thumb circling her nipple until it peaked against the thin fabric. Nanami's back arched, pushing herself into his touch.
He lifted her easily, her thighs wrapping around his waist as he carried her to the bed. The mattress creaked beneath their combined weight. Nozomi's mouth never left her skin—kissing her collarbone, the swell of her breasts as he pushed her blouse open, the sensitive spot just below her ear that made her gasp.
"Nozomi... haaah... I have class..."
"Then you'd better be quiet." His hand slipped beneath her skirt, fingers tracing the damp cotton of her panties. "Or should I stop?"
"D-don't you dare—nnh!"
He stroked her through the fabric, feeling her wetness soak through, her hips bucking against his palm. When he finally pulled the underwear aside, sliding two fingers into her slick heat, Nanami bit down on her knuckle to muffle her moan.
"So wet already." Nozomi's voice was low, approving. He pumped his fingers in a slow rhythm, curling them to find that spot that made her inner walls clench. "You've been wanting this, haven't you? Watching Shino this morning, imagining what I did to her..."
"Nngh—haaah—y-you're terrible..."
His thumb pressed against her clit, rubbing tight circles as his fingers worked inside her. Nanami's free hand fisted the sheets, her body trembling.
"Come for me, Nanami."
Her climax crashed through her in waves, her pussy spasming around his fingers as she cried out against her hand. Nozomi watched her face—the flutter of her lashes, the flush spreading down her chest, the way her lips parted in silent ecstasy.
He withdrew his glistening fingers, raising them to his mouth and licking them clean.
"You taste sweet."
Nanami's face went scarlet.
Twenty minutes later, she stumbled out of Sakurasou toward Suimei High , her legs unsteady and her lips noticeably swollen. The morning air felt cool against her flushed cheeks.
How am I supposed to concentrate on class now? She touched her tingling lips, still feeling the ghost of his mouth on hers. That scoundrel... he's too skilled at this...
Her heart refused to stop pounding.
...
[Soubu High School, Classroom 2-F — 9:23 AM]
Hozuki Nozomi sat in his usual seat, posture relaxed, expression calm. Sunlight slanted through the windows, warming the worn wood of the desks. The chalk-dust smell of the classroom mixed with distant sounds of club activities drifting from the sports field.
The row behind him felt conspicuously empty.
Eriri Spencer Sawamura, Kasumigaoka Utaha, and Kato Megumi had all returned to Toyonosaki Academy. Without the sensation of Eriri's flustered glare boring into his back, or Utaha's knowing smirk in his peripheral vision, the morning felt oddly incomplete.
Speaking of the tsundere...
He pulled out his phone.
Hozuki Nozomi: "Eriri, be good, come to Sakurasou by yourself tonight."
Eriri Spencer Sawamura: "!!!"
Eriri Spencer Sawamura: "Pervert, what do you want now?"
Nozomi could picture her perfectly—twin-tails bouncing with indignation, cheeks flushing pink, slender fingers jabbing at her phone screen with unnecessary force.
Hozuki Nozomi: "You'll know when you come. I've learned a new massage technique and want to teach it to you."
Eriri Spencer Sawamura: "You're full of it! Pervert!"
Massage technique?! Eriri stared at her screen, memories of his previous "lessons" flooding back—his hands on her shoulders, sliding lower, finding every knot of tension and turning it into liquid heat. That's definitely not what he means and he knows I know that!
Hozuki Nozomi: "If you don't come, then I'll call Utaha-senpai, and bring Megumi along too."
Eriri Spencer Sawamura: "No, I'll come, okay? You'd better really have that massage technique, otherwise... I'll bite you to death!"
Hozuki Nozomi: "Then I'll wait for you."
Eriri shoved her phone into her bag, ignoring the curious glances from her Toyonosaki classmates. Her heart hammered against her ribs.
I'm only going so he doesn't spend time with that annoying senpai, she told herself firmly. That's the only reason.
...
[Soubu High School, Classroom 2-F — Break Period]
Ebina Hina, Yuigahama Yui, and Miura Yumiko descended upon Nozomi's desk like a flock of excited birds.
*Images available
"Nozomi, let's go out and have fun this weekend!" Yui's pink hair bounced with her enthusiasm, her large eyes sparkling.
Nozomi raised an eyebrow. "Okay, where do you want to go?"
Unlike Hayama, he had no need to maintain a carefully cultivated nice-guy persona. These were his girls. Their requests were his to fulfill.
"Hehe, look at this!" Yui pressed a glossy promotional poster into his hands.
The paper smelled faintly of fresh ink. CHIBA SACRED HOT SPRING — GRAND OPENING proclaimed bold lettering above an image of steaming emerald waters. Soak in rejuvenating mineral springs! Ten years younger! Skin whitening and beautifying effects guaranteed!
Sacred... Nozomi's eyes narrowed slightly. That name suggests a connection to a divine artifact. Worth investigating.
"What do you think, Nozomi?" Yumiko flipped her golden hair over her shoulder, affecting casual disinterest while her eyes betrayed her hope.
"Of course we'll go together."
Yui's face lit up like the sun breaking through clouds. Ebina Hina adjusted her glasses with barely contained excitement—already, no doubt, imagining scenarios between various male bathers. Yumiko's lips curved into a satisfied smile.
I'll bring Shino, Yukino, Nanami, and the others, Nozomi decided. A relaxing trip during the holiday. No boys needed.
Just him and his girls in steaming water.
...
[Service Club Room — Lunch Period]
The familiar scent of Yukino's preferred green tea filled the small clubroom. Afternoon light painted golden rectangles across the floor. Outside the window, the distant shouts of baseball practice provided ambient rhythm.
Nozomi sprawled across the loveseat, his head pillowed on Sanshokuin Sumireko's soft thighs. The girl's fingers combed idly through his dark hair while Yukinoshita Yukino sat primly beside them, a bento balanced on her lap.
"Open up." Yukino's voice carried its usual cool precision, but her cheeks held a faint pink tinge as she lifted a piece of tamagoyaki to his lips.
He's like a spoiled cat, she thought, watching him accept the bite. So shameless. And yet...
"You're like a salted fish who's lost all his dreams," she complained, already preparing the next morsel.
"Mm." Nozomi chewed contentedly, entirely unrepentant. "But I'm your salted fish."
Yukino's blush deepened, but her hands remained steady as she continued feeding him. As his fiancée, she supposed she could tolerate this much.
"There's a hot spring trip this weekend," Nozomi mentioned between bites. "The Chiba Sacred. You'll come?"
"Mahiru already informed me." Yukino set down her chopsticks, dabbing her lips with a napkin. "It would be a shame to miss such a rare opportunity."
Besides, she added silently, if I don't go, who knows what trouble he'll get into with the others.
With Shuchiin Academy's expansion still incomplete, Shinomiya Kaguya hadn't yet transferred. But Nozomi could already visualize the inevitable confrontation—ice queen meeting ice princess, two formidable women circling each other like elegant predators.
It would be entertaining.
...
[Mihama Park, Chiba Prefecture — 4:47 PM]
Late afternoon sunlight slanted through the cherry trees, their late-spring leaves casting dappled shadows across the walking paths. The air smelled of fresh grass and distant food stalls—yakitori smoke and sweet dango.
Nozomi sat on a wooden bench near the park's central fountain, the water's gentle splashing providing white noise beneath the chatter of passing couples and the laughter of children on the playground.
He checked his phone. Still a few minutes early.
Then she appeared.
Asaka Mayama approached along the tree-lined path, and Nozomi's breath caught slightly. Her gyaru-blonde hair was gone, replaced by her natural black—soft and glossy, falling just past her shoulders. A white hairband kept it from her face, emphasizing her large, expressive eyes and delicate features.
She looked pure. Innocent. Nothing like the flashy kogal image she'd cultivated before.
Beautiful, he thought.
The girl stopped before him, fidgeting with the hem of her modest blouse. Her cheeks held a natural pink that no makeup could replicate.
"Nozomi..." She bit her lower lip. "Have you been waiting long?"
"No, I just arrived too."
He rose, drinking in the sight of her. The afternoon light caught the shine of her hair, the nervousness in her eyes, the slight tremble of her fingers.
"Sasanqua, you look so beautiful today."
"Really?" Joy bloomed across her face—pure and unguarded. She took a deep breath, her modest chest rising, and shyly confessed: "I thought you'd find it strange, since I suddenly dyed my hair back. I was worried you wouldn't recognize me."
He actually likes it, Mayama thought, her heart fluttering. He really came, and he's looking at me like I'm the only girl in the world...
Nozomi smiled, reaching out to slip his arm around her slender waist. She was warm beneath his palm, her curves fitting perfectly against his side as he guided her to sit beside him on the bench.
"The current Sasanqua is very cute." He raised his free hand, stroking her silky hair, letting his fingers trail along her scalp. "I'm completely smitten. Don't believe me? Listen to my heartbeat."
Her blush deepened to crimson. Still, she leaned in, pressing her cheek against his chest, one small hand gripping his arm.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
The steady rhythm against her ear made her own pulse race.
Behind a thick-trunked cherry tree, a middle-aged man ground his teeth so hard they creaked.
My Sasanqua! Mayama Youji's heart bled as he watched that boy's hands settle possessively on his daughter's waist. Where is that brat putting his paws?!
Nozomi's gaze flicked toward the tree. His lips curved.
Ah. The overprotective father.
In one smooth motion, he lifted Sasanqua and settled her onto his lap. Her small body fit perfectly against him, her thighs straddling his, her face suddenly inches from his own.
"Ah!" She gasped, hands flying to clutch his shirt for balance. Her skirt rode up slightly, and she felt the firm muscle of his thighs beneath her.
Nozomi tilted her chin up, meeting those wide, startled eyes.
"Sasanqua, have you missed me during this time?"
"Mm... I..." She squirmed, hyperaware of everywhere their bodies touched. "Why would I miss you? Anyway, you already have Runa-senpai and Tsukimi-chan."
She pouted, but her eyes kept peeking up at him through her lashes.
Tsundere mode, Nozomi noted fondly. She wants to be coaxed.
"Is that so?" He traced his thumb along her jaw. "I, on the other hand, really miss the cute Sasanqua. Chatting on the phone simply isn't enough for me."
Her resistance crumbled.
"Mm... you idiot." Her voice dropped to a whisper, shy and wanting. "Am I not right in front of you? Seeing how much you miss me, I'll reluctantly let you be a little excessive. But just a little bit, okay? M-mm—!"
Nozomi captured her lips mid-sentence.
The kiss started soft, chaste—just the press of his mouth against hers. But then he deepened it, his tongue sliding against the seam of her lips until she opened for him. He tasted her sweetness, felt the small moan that vibrated in her throat, and pulled her closer until her chest pressed flush against his.
Sasanqua's fingers tangled in his hair. Her hips shifted unconsciously in his lap.
Behind the tree, a roar of paternal fury.
"BASTARD! LET GO OF MY SASANQUA!"