"Hey! Wait! Come back! What exactly did you just say?!"
Hozuki Nozomi's shout only made the retreating girl accelerate, her tearful sobs echoing down the hallway as she vanished around a corner. He stood there, utterly dumbfounded, before turning a slow, incredulous gaze toward Hayama Hayato.
Hayama met his look with an expression of profound, shared awkwardness.
Hozuki Nozomi clicked his tongue, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Hayama, where on earth did you find such a… uniquely imaginative person?" He shook his head in mock despair. "Did she genuinely just conclude you have feelings for me? That's bordering on horrifying. What am I supposed to do if rumors start flying tomorrow that my charm now extends indiscriminately across genders?"
Hayama Hayato could only offer a helpless sigh. "She… she seems to be acquainted with Ebina Hina."
Hozuki Nozomi paused. "…"
Ah. Case closed.
A friend from Ebina Hina's… particular circle of enthusiasts. The moment she saw Hayama and Hozuki together, her creatively shipping mind had instantly constructed an entire narrative.
He gave Hayama a look that was equal parts pity and exasperation. "You're as popular as ever, Hayama. Getting confessed to right in the middle of the school day. Don't you think you should at least consider it? It takes real courage for a girl to do that, you know."
Hayama rolled his eyes, a hint of his usual practiced composure returning. "You know perfectly well who I'm interested in."
Hozuki Nozomi shrugged, his tone deliberately casual. "I don't think you're a fool. You must realize Haruno-nee has zero romantic interest in you. It's a non-starter."
"How can I know without trying?" Hayama countered, a thread of stubborn hope in his voice. He straightened slightly, adopting the posture of his long-term plan. "I won't rush into a confession. I'll focus on bettering myself, becoming someone truly outstanding. Then, I'll stand by her side properly. Move her with sincerity and steadfast companionship."
He met Hozuki's gaze, a flicker of manufactured confidence in his own eyes. "Even if Haruno-nee doesn't pay me much mind now, she hasn't explicitly said she dislikes me, right?"
Hozuki Nozomi observed the performance of self-assurance and decided not to shatter the delicate glass just yet.
"Whatever makes you happy," he conceded, his tone noncommittal.
Next week is the engagement party, he reminded himself silently. Let's see how composed he remains then.
As Hozuki made to leave, Hayama spoke up again, a note of something resembling consolation in his voice. "Hozuki-kun, Haruno-nee hasn't come to school to see you in a while, has she?"
The implication was clear: See? She was just using you as a convenient shield to politely deflect me. The fact she chose such a gentle method proves I still hold a place, however small, in her considerations.
Hozuki Nozomi's expression turned peculiarly complex. Hayama was likely unaware of the deeper dynamics at play. Hayama's father served as the legal advisor to Yukinoshita Haruno's father.
That professional connection was the foundation upon which Hayama's childhood proximity to the Yukinoshita sisters was built. Haruno's previous gentle deflection was a calculated move—a diplomatic consideration for her father, who relied on Hayama's father's expertise to maintain his political position.
But the landscape had shifted. Yukinoshita Haruno now had Hozuki Nozomi. More importantly, she had decisively aligned herself with her mother's faction. Hayama's father's influence was no longer a factor she needed to delicately manage. Consequently, any future interactions with Hayama would not involve such carefully constructed shields. There would be no need.
The engagement next week would be the ultimate, unassailable statement. Barring catastrophe, Hozuki Nozomi would formally marry the Yukinoshita sisters after graduation. It was a settled matter. Hayama's feelings, however sincere, were now irrelevant. The engagement itself was the most elegant and final rejection imaginable.
Yet here Hayama was, clinging to the faint, misguided pride of having been 'gently let down' via a fake boyfriend. Hozuki Nozomi found himself at a loss for words. The boy was already metaphorically on the ground. Was there any need to deliver another kick?
He decided he wasn't quite that cruel.
Seeing Hozuki's continued silence, Hayama pressed on, his tone almost patronizing. "Hozuki-kun, you don't need to feel too disheartened. As I said before, that's simply Haruno-nee's way with people she doesn't hold in particular regard."
He paused, and a flicker of something genuine—a wistful envy—crossed his features. "Actually… I'm a little envious that you got to be Haruno-nee's shield."
After all, a 'shield' was still, nominally, a boyfriend. Even a fictitious one was an experience Hayama craved.
In many ways, Hayama Hayato was the epitome of a devoted lapdog to Haruno's whims. One couldn't deny the authenticity of his affection. But Hozuki Nozomi had no intention of relinquishing his fiancée.
After a moment of internal debate, he chose a middle path—not a crushing blow, but a firm nudge toward reality.
"I think you might be misreading the situation, Hayama," he said, his voice level. "Haruno-nee came to visit me at my residence before. She brought Yukino with her."
He let that image sink in—the two Yukinoshita sisters visiting him together. Then he delivered the closer: "I've also had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Yukinoshita. She left with a remarkably favorable impression of me."
He finished the statement while holding Hayama's gaze steadily. I've met the parents. What's your move now?
Hayama Hayato blinked, the information processing visibly on his face. "Mrs. Yukinoshita… is satisfied with you? Is that true?"
He had, of course, met the matriarch. His first impression had been of gentle dignity, elegance, and exquisite beauty. His second impression, however, was one of overwhelming, quiet pressure.
The aura Yukinoshita Masami projected was formidable. He vividly recalled his own father, a successful lawyer, sitting ramrod straight in her presence, reporting his work with a deference that bordered on subservience, never daring to let his gaze stray.
(She's never explicitly named thus the random name)
Would such a powerful, discerning woman truly be 'satisfied' with Hozuki Nozomi—a boy with a reputation as a notorious playboy? Hayato found it difficult to believe.
"Alright, enough with the skeptical look," Hozuki Nozomi waved a hand, deciding to end the conversation. "I'm heading to the club. You… carry on as you were."
He then pointed a finger at Hayama, his expression turning serious. "Also, if any of those 'strange rumors' start circulating, you're handling the cleanup. I don't mind a reputation for charming every girl in sight, but being accused of not sparing even the boys? That's a line even I find distasteful."
Hayama nodded rapidly, a shared disgust on his face. "I'll make sure to clarify! I find it revolting as well!"
The last thing Hayama needed was a label implying he had romantic interest in men. The thought alone was enough to make him shudder. Thinking of the confessing girl and her dramatic conclusion, a headache began to throb at his temples.
It wasn't just this one incident, either. Ever since Miura Yumiko had visibly shifted her attention and affection toward Hozuki Nozomi, Hayama had found himself on the receiving end of several confessions. It was as if a barrier had been removed. A faint, undeniable pang of regret twisted in his chest.
But regret was a useless emotion. Even if he could rewind time, he knew he would likely make the same choice—using Yumiko as a comfortable, convenient shield. The difference now was the lingering guilt. Because of how he'd used Miura Yumiko, he carried a weight of remorse. So, while part of him ached at her distance, he understood it. He had no plans to try and win her back.
Besides… it was probably far too late for that.
…
Hozuki Nozomi continued his journey toward the Service Club room, his mind already moving on from the Hayama interlude. However, fate—or a very determined blonde—had other plans.
He nearly collided with Miura Yumiko as she rounded a corner. The girl's eyes, which had been scanning the hallway, immediately lit up upon seeing him alone, with no other girls in his immediate orbit. A brilliant, unguarded smile broke across her face.
Without a word, she darted forward, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him with surprising determination toward the older, mostly abandoned teaching building. She led him into a dusty, sunlit empty classroom before finally releasing him.
Then, like a small bird finally finding its perch, she leaned into him, nestling her head against his chest with a contented sigh. Miura Yumiko was, at her core, a girl who loved to be pampered and doted on. Once she gave her heart, she gave it completely, holding nothing back for the one she loved.
Hozuki Nozomi looked down at the crown of her blonde head, at the utterly trusting and adoring expression she wore even in this clandestine moment. How could he possibly refuse her?
Moreover, Miura Yumiko was still incredibly cute. The fact that she could tacitly accept his complicated romantic landscape and still choose to stand by him spoke volumes about the depth of her feelings and the sacrifices she was willing to make.
To let down a girl who offered her heart so fully and unconditionally? He was fairly certain that would earn him a direct lightning strike from the heavens.