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The next morning.
WhenNozomi woke up, Fern was already gone. Frieren, on the other hand, was still sleeping soundly, using him as a pillow as she unconsciously nuzzled her cheek against his chest.
Just as Fern had said—Frieren wasn't afraid of the heat, but of the cold. Nozomi's warmth must have been too comforting, making her reluctant to wake up, looking like a lazy neet refusing to leave her futon on a winter morning.
Nozomi chuckled softly, watching her peaceful sleeping face. He had to admit, there was something oddly cute about this side of Frieren—so different from the usually cool and aloof elf.
But as much as he wanted to let her stay like this, he had school to attend.
With a smirk, he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before carefully prying her arms off him. She murmured in her sleep but didn't wake up as he finally freed himself and got out of bed.
As he made his way downstairs, he happened to cross paths with Fern, who was already dressed and ready for the day.
"Yo, good morning." He greeted her with a lazy smile.
Fern's cheeks reddened instantly. She hesitated for a moment before stiffly nodding. Then, as if realizing she was acting weird, she quickly turned on her heel and hurried back into the room she shared with Frieren.
Watching her retreat, Nozomi raised a brow. "Huh, what's up with her?"
Inside the room, Fern pouted as she looked at Frieren still fast asleep, comfortably bundled up in warmth.
"Lady Frieren… you're way too defenseless." She muttered under her breath. "You're letting a man hug you all night and sleep next to you… I suppose that means you don't hate Mr. Nozomi."
———
After washing up, Nozomi made his way toward the living room, but before he could reach it, he bumped into someone familiar.
"Yo, my ever-so-famous senpai, good morning." He greeted with an easygoing grin.
Mai Sakurajima turned to him, arms crossed. "Good morning, perverted kouhai."
Nozomi's lips twitched. "Are you seriously sticking with that name?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Mai smirked. "It suits you perfectly. One day you're hugging one girl, the next day another. Tell me, where exactly am I wrong?"
"Can we not exaggerate things, Senpai?" Nozomi sighed, rubbing his temple. He decided not to bother arguing with her about it.
Instead, he changed the topic. "Anyway, how did things go with your mom yesterday?"
Mai's expression shifted slightly, and Nozomi noticed the small smile that formed on her lips. She seemed satisfied that he was asking.
Taking a step forward, Mai's long legs—wrapped in black stockings—brushed against his. "Oh? Curious, are we?"
"Of course. What happened?"
"No supernatural phenomena, if that's what you were wondering." She shrugged. "But my phone? Absolutely bombarded with calls. Fans kept asking about you, wondering if I finally had a boyfriend."
"Must've been a real headache," Nozomi said sympathetically. "So, what did your mom say?"
Mai's smirk widened slightly. "She wants to meet you this afternoon."
Nozomi didn't hesitate. "No problem."
Before Mai could react, he casually grabbed her by the ankle, moving her leg aside as he stepped past her. His hands lingered slightly, feeling the softness of her thighs through her stockings. He gave her a cheeky smile. "I'll make sure to win over my mother-in-law."
Mai's face turned red instantly. "Baka! Who said you could call her that?! I haven't even acknowledged you as my boyfriend!"
"It's only a matter of time." Nozomi grinned.
Mai rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Dream on. As long as you don't change your womanizing ways, you'll never have a chance."
Nozomi shrugged. "Noted. I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
He turned to leave, and behind him, Mai clenched her fists.
"Tch… this guy…" she muttered.
She had only meant to tease him, but the way he casually accepted her words and moved on left her feeling oddly frustrated.
But then, she remembered something that made her tense up again—her mother's words.
Was Nozomi going to say something outrageous when they met?
Before she could dwell on it further, Nozomi suddenly turned back to face her.
"Oh, by the way, Mai-senpai."
"Hm?"
"If your mom wants to see me, tell her she has to wait in line."
Mai blinked. "Hah?"
"I already made plans with some classmates to go karaoke this afternoon, so the meeting has to be postponed."
A vein nearly popped on Mai's forehead. "Are you saying a meeting with my mother isn't important?"
"No, no, it's important." Nozomi smiled. "That's why I'm suggesting she come to Sakurasou tonight instead."
Mai let out an exasperated sigh before nodding. "Fine, I'll tell her."
With that settled, Nozomi gave her a teasing grin. "So, Mai, what exactly did you tell mother-in-law?"
Mai turned red again. "D-Don't call her that! It's embarrassing!"
"But you told her we're dating, didn't you?"
Mai crossed her arms, avoiding his gaze. "I… I just told her that I'm currently staying at Sakurasou and that I don't want to leave yet."
"Well, if you put it that way, won't she get the wrong idea?" Nozomi smirked.
Mai shot him a glare but ended up sighing. "It's fine. I'll handle it. You just make sure not to screw things up."
"Leave it to me."
Nozomi patted his chest confidently. "I can already picture the scene where my future mother-in-law throws a stack of cash at me."
Mai Sakurajima tapped her chin in thought. "Yeah, with her personality, she'll probably name a price for you to break up with me."
Nozomi rolled his eyes. "And then what? Report me to the police for extortion?"
"Hmm… that probably won't happen. My mom still cares about my feelings… maybe?"
"Are you seriously ending that sentence as a question?" Nozomi deadpanned. Even Mai herself didn't seem entirely sure about her mother's personality.
"How do you two even get along?"
Mai sighed. "How else? To her, I'm more of a cash cow than a daughter. I've been acting since I was a kid. She just kept pushing me forward in my career."
"She even booked me a role in a movie without asking me first. Now I won't be able to come to school for a whole month."
Nozomi suddenly placed his hands firmly on her shoulders. "If there's a kissing scene, turn it down."
Mai blinked in surprise, then pouted. "You actually care about that? And under what authority are you telling me this?"
"Obviously, as your most devoted and handsome fan."
"Tch… no sincerity."
Though she pretended to be annoyed, Mai still gave him an answer. "Don't worry. I don't do kissing scenes. I love acting, but that doesn't mean I accept shady industry deals."
"So, are you satisfied with my answer, you perverted junior?"
"Very."
Nozomi grinned and, without warning, pulled her into a hug.
"Oi… are you finally making a move on me?" Mai asked, slightly stiffening in his arms.
"Nah, I just wanted to hug you. After all, I won't be able to see you for a month."
He squeezed her gently before adding, "Remember, if you need anything, call me. As your landlord, I can't just abandon my most beautiful tenant!"
"Are you serious? I can totally call the cops on you, you know."
Despite her teasing words, Mai slowly raised her arms and wrapped them around his waist, savoring the warmth of the embrace.
"Thanks, Nozomi."
"No problem. After all, I totally took advantage of you."
Hearing that, Mai stepped down hard on his foot with her heel.
—
After breakfast, Nozomi followed his usual morning routine, waking up Shiina Mashiro and walking her to Shuchiin Academy alongside Mahiru.
On the way, they ran into Nanami Aoyama. Nozomi asked her to look after Mashiro, and Nanami agreed without hesitation. She was still planning to move into Sakurasou at the end of the month, so she wouldn't refuse a favor for her future landlord.
Mai had already gone ahead to her school. After showing up to take attendance, she was heading out to film an advertisement her mother had arranged.
Meanwhile, Nozomi and Mahiru boarded the train.
They happened to run into Sanshokuin Sumireko along the way, and the three of them ended up commuting together.
However, today seemed to be a day of bad luck—there were no available seats, forcing them to stand in the packed train.
The morning rush hour seemed even worse than usual, with more office workers cramming into the train. Nozomi quickly positioned Mahiru and Sumireko against the wall, using his body as a shield to protect them from the pressing crowd.
Just then, Sumireko tensed beside him. Her body shivered slightly before she suddenly lunged forward, burying her face into Nozomi's chest.
"Oi, what's wrong?" Nozomi asked in confusion. He followed her gaze and immediately spotted the cause.
Standing a few feet away was a delicate-looking boy—Hazuki Yasuo.
Beside him were two girls, both eye-catching beauties. One had pink hair and an impressive bust, while the other had long blue locks framing an elegant face.
Sakurahara Momo and Kusami Runa,
At the moment, Yasuo and the two girls were also staring at Nozomi, their expressions a mix of surprise and hesitation, as if unsure whether to approach him.
Nozomi took one glance at them before turning his attention back to Sumireko.
He had a vague idea of why Yasuo was here…