The next morning dawned with a soft, honeyed light filtering through the curtains of Hozuki Nozomi's room. He was nestled deeply in sleep, the serene expression on his face a testament to a night of peaceful dreams. The calm was first broken not by sound, but by a gentle, familiar weight settling upon his waist.
He stirred, consciousness drifting to the surface like a leaf on a pond. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he found himself looking into the bright, smiling face of Yuki Suo, who was perched beside him in her cozy pajamas.
"Good morning, Oni-chan~" she sang, her voice a cheerful melody in the quiet room.
Nozomi offered a slow, warm smile, his body still languid with sleep.
"Oh… it's morning already. Good morning, Yuki." He paused, a habitual thought crossing his mind. "But why isn't it Ayano-chan waking me up today?"
At his words, Yuki's expression performed a masterful transformation. Her lips quivered, and her large eyes instantly welled with shimmering, manufactured tears.
"Wuu wuu wuu," she pretended to sob, bringing her hands to her face in a display of exaggerated heartbreak. "It's so rare for me to come and wake you up, but you only think about Ayano! Eating from the bowl while looking at the pot… Oni-chan is a big dummy! Ayano, come in quickly! Brother needs you… wuu wuu wuu!"
Despite knowing full well this was one of Yuki's expertly performed mischievous acts, Nozomi felt a familiar, affectionate exasperation. Words, he decided, were an inadequate counter to such a performance. Instead, he shifted slightly and closed the distance between them, gently silencing her playful lament by pressing his lips to hers.
The theatrical tears vanished instantly.
Thus, when Ayano Kimishima quietly slid the door open a moment later, she was met with the sight of a now-flustered Yuki Suo, her cheeks tinted pink as she shyly clung to Nozomi's neck, sharing a tender moment. A faint, almost imperceptible pout touched Ayano's lips, but she possessed far too much grace to interrupt. With a soft sigh held in her heart, she retreated as silently as she had arrived, pulling the door closed behind her.
Some time later, the kiss ended—or more accurately, Yuki was the one who finally, reluctantly, pulled away, her earlier playfulness replaced by a dazed, happy glow.
"Hee hee, thanks for the treat, Oni-chan!" she whispered, the playful lilt returning to her voice.
Nozomi chuckled, raising a hand to ruffle her already-messy morning hair.
"I should be the one saying that," he countered, his tone fond.
Yuki departed with a skip in her step, utterly content. As she left, Nozomi's gaze drifted to the edge of the bed, where a pair of large, crystal-blue eyes were fixed upon him. Shiina Mashiro sat there, a plush bear clutched to her chest, emanating a silent, potent aura of profound grievance.
Right, Nozomi thought with inward amusement. There's still the pet to soothe.
Wordlessly, he reached out and lightly pinched Shiina's delicate chin, tilting her face upward. He leaned in, bestowing upon her a soft, deliberate kiss. Shiina's eyes fluttered closed, the resentment in her posture melting away like morning frost under sunlight.
Appeasement, however, required thoroughness. Following the established ritual, Nozomi proceeded to personally take care of her—guiding her to the bathroom, patiently washing her face and hands, and then selecting a suitable outfit for the day.
By the time Aoyama Nanami entered the common area, Shiina Mashiro was already sitting primly at the table, dressed neatly and looking unusually alert.
"Oh! Shiina, you're already ready?" Nanami exclaimed, her heart swelling with a sense of hard-won accomplishment. She felt a surge of pride, believing her persistent tutelage had finally borne fruit—that the genius painter had at last learned the basic life skill of preparing herself for the day.
She failed to notice the quiet, conspiratorial glance Shiina shot toward Nozomi.
"Mm," Shiina nodded, her voice a quiet hum.
A subtle difference about Shiina today gave Nanami pause. It wasn't just the prepared state. There was a new… quality. A softness to her usual blank gaze, a faint, lingering warmth at the corners of her mouth. How to put it… Nanami pondered. She seems to carry a bit more… feminine charm?
After breakfast, before Nanami could even begin her usual routine of gentle prodding, Shiina stood up and took Nanami's hand in her own.
"Nanami, let's go," Shiina stated plainly.
"Ah? … Oh, oh!" Nanami stammered, caught completely off guard. The Shiina she knew was a master of passive resistance, a monument to inertia who would sit and stare blankly until someone attended to her needs. This unprecedented initiative was deeply moving. "Y-Yes, let's go!"
Unbeknownst to the touched Nanami, a simple yet effective plot was unfolding in Shiina's mind: Be good in front of Nanami. Then, later, find Nozomi alone. He will continue to take care of me.
"Well, we're off!" Nanami called out, her eyes accidentally meeting Nozomi's gentle, observant gaze from across the room. A bolt of flustered heat shot through her. Her cheeks flushed, and she hurriedly tugged Shiina toward the door, her retreat slightly frantic. "L-Let's hurry, Shiina, or we'll be late!"
"Uh…" Nozomi watched the hurried exit, a wry smile touching his lips. Was there really a need to be that flustered? He mused. I haven't even made a proper move on her yet.
The day proceeded along its separate tracks. Aoyama Nanami shepherded her charge toward Suimei High School, while Hozuki Nozomi made his own way to Soubu High.
… … …
The atmosphere in Class 2-F was, as usual, a unique ecosystem of its own. Hachiman Hikigaya had already staked out his territory, his face bearing its customary dead-fish expression, which briefly flickered with a different kind of tension as he greeted the person who approached his desk.
"G-Good morning, Totsuka," Hachiman managed, his voice an awkward mix of nonchalance and something far more eager.
Saika Totsuka, radiant as a sunbeam, smiled back. "Good morning, Hikigaya-kun!"
To an observer, it was clear: Hachiman, fully aware of the dangerous allure, was nonetheless choosing to trek deeper into the metaphorical mountains. If his sister, Komachi, could witness her brother's expression at this moment, she might have been torn between facepalming and cheering him on.
"Yo, Hachiman," Nozomi's voice cut in smoothly as he entered the classroom. He glanced at the pair, a knowing glint in his eye. "Give my regards to Komachi, will you?"
Hachiman's head snapped toward Nozomi, his guard instantly slamming up to maximum. His eyes narrowed into a defensive squint.
"Don't even think about it," he stated flatly, his tone bordering on protective ferocity. "I won't be mentioning you in front of Komachi. Ever."
In Hachiman's mind, Hozuki Nozomi was less a fellow student and more a natural disaster wrapped in a handsome package—a succubus of legendary potency. While a deep, cynical part of Hachiman envied Nozomi's effortless popularity, a far stronger, brotherly instinct screamed for vigilance. His precious, pure little sister must be shielded from this gravitational field at all costs.
Nozomi merely smiled, offering no argument. It was then that Saika Totsuka turned his bright, friendly gaze toward Nozomi.
"Um, Hozuki-kun, good morning," Totsuka said, a light, becoming blush dusting his cheeks. His voice was soft, shy, and carried a gentle lilt that, sadly for Hachiman, sounded even more delicately feminine than Sagami Minami's affected tones.
Hachiman's accusing stare immediately transferred back to Nozomi, now loaded with a potent mix of resentment and betrayal. Is nowhere safe? his expression seemed to scream. You have a veritable harem at your disposal, and yet you still cast your net this wide?
Nozomi felt the weight of that stare and fought the urge to sigh. I have absolutely no interest in that direction, you paranoid loner, he thought.
In response to Totsuka's friendly greeting, he offered only a brief, polite, and decidedly cool nod before continuing past him to his own seat.
Hachiman watched the exchange, then turned back to Totsuka with a strange, scrutinizing look.
"Totsuka," he began, his voice low with dubious concern. "You haven't… by any chance, been charmed by him too, have you?"
"E-Eh?!" Totsuka's blush deepened, and he waved his hands in frantic denial. "How could that be?! It's not like that at all!" He glanced toward Nozomi's retreating back, his expression turning earnest.
"I just… I think Hozuki-kun is very manly. Composed and reliable. I want to become a manly person like him. Maybe then…" His voice trailed off, a shadow of worry crossing his face. "Maybe then everyone would stay in the tennis club."
With Hachiman as a captive and sympathetic audience, Totsuka began to pour out his troubles. As the president of the first-year tennis club, he felt more like a mascot than a leader. His skills were middling, his stamina lacking, and attendance was dwindling. He feared the club's dissolution was imminent, and he blamed his own inadequacy.
Seeing the genuine distress on Totsuka's usually cheerful face twisted something in Hachiman's cynic's heart.
"There has to be a way to improve," Hachiman muttered, his mind clicking into problem-analysis mode. "For instance… wasn't there a club going around recently? The one that claims to solve any problem… the Service Club, or something?"
… …
The school day eventually yielded to the afternoon. Instead of heading to his usual clubroom, Hozuki Nozomi left the school gates directly. He had a prior engagement—he was to be a guest at the Kosaka residence. Of course, he had informed Yukinoshita Yukino and the others beforehand. For Nozomi, transparency was the simplest policy; there was no benefit in sowing seeds of suspicion or misunderstanding through secrecy.
… …
Meanwhile, at the Kosaka household, a flurry of preparation was underway. Kirino Kosaka had returned home early, a buzz of nervous energy surrounding her. The importance of the upcoming visit had compelled her to wield her ultimate domestic weapon: her brother, Kyosuke.
"Kyosuke! The floor here is still dusty! Mop it again, properly this time!" she commanded, pointing imperiously.
Kosaka Kyosuke grumbled under his breath as he pushed the mop back and forth.
"Why the sudden royal treatment? Who's even coming over?" he dared to ask.
"That's none of your business! Just make sure the house is spotless!" Kirino shot back, her cheeks faintly pink. She checked her phone for the tenth time.
The waiting was interrupted by a melodic ringtone. Kirino snatched up her phone, and her entire demeanor transformed. Her voice softened, sweetened. "Hello, Ayase? You're already here? Okay, wait for me, I'll come right out to get you!"
The moment she ended the call, the sweetness vanished, replaced by a stern glare directed at Kyosuke. "You! Go back to your room! Now!"
"Huh? Why?" Kyosuke protested, mop in hand.
"Because you'll be an embarrassment!" Kirino declared, hands on her hips. "Just your face appearing will scare my friend away! So stay in your room and do not come out under any circumstances!"
"Am I some kind of troll? Just seeing my face is enough to cause psychological damage?" Kyosuke muttered the rebellion under his breath, lacking the courage to voice it aloud. Defeated, he slunk back toward his room, his frustration manifesting in a deliberately loud slam of his door.
THUD.
The sound made Kirino jump slightly. She stared at the closed door, a complicated frown on her face.
"So childish," she huffed to the empty hallway, though the remark lacked its usual venom.
Inside his room, Kyosuke slumped against the door.
"That sister of mine is completely unlovable," he complained to his four walls. "With that temper, she'll never get a boyfriend!"
His assumption was profoundly mistaken. Kirino Kosaka's "temper" was a highly specialized weapon, calibrated almost exclusively for her brother. Toward others, particularly those she respected or, in one specific case, held in complex regard, she could be surprisingly well-behaved, even charming.
Perhaps, at this juncture, Kirino herself hadn't fully discerned the contours of her own feelings. Beneath the formidable layer of a proud, accomplished little sister lay a hidden, unacknowledged vein—a latent brother complex.
However, since Hozuki Nozomi had already taken the initiative to step into the frame of her life, he had no intention of leaving any space for Kyosuke to discover this latent attribute.
The brother that Kirino Kosaka should be unconsciously concerned with, the one who could stir such flustered preparation and secretive excitement, could only be him—Hozuki Nozomi.