In a quiet little garden tucked behind the school building, where the fragrance of sakura petals danced softly through the air, Yukinoshita Yukino came to a stop. The afternoon sunlight glimmered faintly through the branches as she gracefully took a seat on a wooden bench beside the flower bed, her usual cool composure hiding the turmoil within.
Her gaze—sharp, clear, and as cold as a winter morning—landed squarely on the boy who had followed her.
"Pervert... Why are you following me?" she said flatly, trying to mask her embarrassment with irritation.
She had clearly said she was going to the restroom.
But Hozuki Nozomi, ever the shameless one, had simply plopped down beside her on the bench with a big grin on his face.
"Lap pillow!" he announced without hesitation.
Yukinoshita Yukino's face turned a bright shade of crimson, her delicate hand instinctively brushing back a lock of hair to conceal her flustered expression.
"Why are you in such a hurry, huh? Are you scared I'll back out of our little deal?"
"Hehe, it's not that I think you'll break your promise... I just can't wait anymore!" Nozomi leaned closer with sparkling eyes, aiming for the prize—those flawless legs wrapped in black over-the-knee socks.
But just as his head was about to reach heaven, Yukino raised her hand and pressed it against his forehead to stop him.
"Wait a second! I have a question for you first!"
"Eh~? Can't you just ask while I'm lying down?" he whined.
"No! If I don't like your answer, there's no lap pillow for you."
"You're cruel, Yukino-chan~!"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "This is punishment. For not dodging Suou's attack yesterday. I saw it, you know. Her chest—pressed flat against you! How shameless!"
Nozomi froze. So she had seen that...
Still, he straightened up and raised his hand in surrender. "Fine, fine. Ask your question. I'll answer truthfully. Anything to rest on those divine legs of yours!"
Seeing how sincere he looked, Yukinoshita softened a little, though her pride still clung to her tone.
"Suou Yuki said she's your sister. What do you think about that?"
Nozomi scratched the back of his head. "I'm not entirely sure. I mean, I've got zero memories of that. But she told me I lost my memory in some childhood accident."
His tone carried doubt, though, and it wasn't just ordinary skepticism.
After all, he wasn't exactly your average high school student.
He was a player in a 2D world, bound by the Game Life System—a world where reality and fantasy blurred. Even his so-called parents were part of the setting he'd landed in.
Yukinoshita Yukino's brows furrowed. "But she knew your childhood habits. Like your obsession with otaku culture... and how you were the one who pulled her into that world. That kind of detail doesn't sound fake."
She leaned in slightly, her expression serious. "One more question: Do you recognize the name Suou Masachika?"
As soon as she said it, Nozomi's mind reeled.
[Ding! Keyword detected: Suou Masachika. Identity module unlocked.]
The world spun for a second.
And then—memories surged forward like a flood breaking through a dam.
His eyes widened. "Damn..."
[Current Player Identity: Owner of Sakurasou, Adopted Son of the Suou Family, Shrine Keeper's Heir.]
It all made sense now.
He hadn't just been transported here.
He had been reincarnated—reborn as a baby in this world, found at the gates of the Suou family shrine. Suou's father and wife had taken him in, raising him as their own.
He remembered now. Yuki had been kidnapped when they were kids.
And he—tiny and powerless—had somehow managed to rescue her. No system, no cheats, just raw determination. But the cost had been steep. He had overdrawn all his energy and sealed away his memories.
He'd been... simple, even dull, for years.
Until the Game Life System finally rebooted, his memories of his past life returned. From that moment on, he thought he had just arrived in this world.
But by then, the Suou family had already given up on him.
They placed him with a couple—the husband bearing the surname Hozuki. That's how he became Hozuki Nozomi.
He was no longer Suou Masachika. A fool couldn't inherit the family name.
Later, Sakurasou was officially registered under Hozuki Nozomi's name, granting him the right to inherit the dorm when he came of age. Even if he lived a lazy NEET life collecting rent from tenants, he'd still never starve. A pretty sweet deal, if not for the complicated baggage attached to it.
The real reason the Suou family treated him like this? Well… it had to do with Yuki.
Nozomi had "led her astray," or so the elders believed. Apparently, it was his fault that Yuki became obsessed with otaku culture, got caught smuggling anime merch into class, and started quoting famous seiyuu lines during family dinners. The blame naturally fell on him, making him the family's eternal scapegoat. And thus, the Suou clan forbade Yuki from ever visiting him again.
All of this came flooding into his mind as the identity module in his system finished loading. The memories of his childhood with Yuki Suou now felt vivid—almost painfully so.
It had all started because of a keyword—Yukinoshita Yukino's voice, and her mention of a certain name.
Seeing Nozomi frozen in thought, Yukino leaned forward, concern flickering across her expression.
"Hey, Are you okay? Did you remember something?"
Nozomi groaned, rubbing his temples, a pained expression contorting his face. "Ugh... Suou Masachika... that name is giving me a major migraine. It's like a shadow on the edge of my mind."
He glanced up with exaggerated puppy eyes and opened his arms wide. "Yukino~ I need a hug. Hug me, onegai! It's the only way to heal this suffering!"
Without warning, he lunged forward and embraced her tightly.
"Wha—?! Let go, you hentai! This is still school property, baka!" Yukino yelped, her cheeks going crimson.
She thought he was genuinely in pain. But the relaxed expression plastered on his face betrayed his deception.
"Oi, if you squeeze any harder, I'll become a monk!" he whined as she pinched his waist.
"You deserve it for lying!"
"Itai, itai, okay okay! I give up!" he cried, letting go and sliding down into her lap like a smug cat claiming its territory.
His head landed on her thighs—wrapped in black over-the-knee socks and deceptively soft. Yukino flinched at the ticklish sensation of his hair brushing her skin. But seeing how peaceful he looked, she sighed, brushing her bangs aside.
Well, a promise was a promise. Might as well get it over with.
Still, a faint sense of guilt gnawed at her, so she glanced around cautiously, like a ninja checking for hidden enemies.
Nozomi, meanwhile, had the best seat in the house. From his angle, he could see her beautiful face framed by sunlight, her cool expression unable to hide the flustered warmth in her eyes. The scent of her shampoo—sweet, like sakura petals—wafted through the air.
Unable to stop himself, he smiled.
"Stop looking at me like that! If you keep staring with those ero-eyes, I'll poke them out with my pencil!" Yukino snapped, placing her hand over his eyes.
"So fierce... is this what they call tsundere charm?" he muttered.
"Tsu—!? Hmph! Baka."
A moment of silence passed.
Nozomi's voice came softer this time.
"When you mentioned Suou Masachika... I really did feel pain. And I remembered some things. Turns out, I was adopted by the Suou family... but later abandoned. I guess saving Yuki back then didn't make me worthy enough."
Yukino's expression darkened. She looked down, her bangs hiding her eyes. "So... my question really brought all that back?"
"Yeah. It was like unlocking a sealed door."
Without warning, Nozomi grabbed her hand and held it tightly. Her skin was cool and soft.
"So now you have to take responsibility, Yukino! You opened the trauma gate!"
"Hah?! You blame me for being unwanted? Don't twist it like that—you're unwanted because you're a giant pervert!"
She didn't pull away though.
Nozomi smirked, but didn't push further. He simply lay there, his head cradled in her lap, enjoying the moment.