The girl who had collided with him was now a picture of flustered dignity. She had short, neatly styled hair and wore a pair of modest, round glasses that framed her gentle eyes. While she might not be classified as a stunning beauty, there was an undeniable, understated cuteness to her features, amplified by the warm, approachable aura she carried—the kind of girl easily described as pleasant and kind.
Seeing her there, one hand still pressed firmly over her skirt, her cheeks flushed a brilliant scarlet, Hozuki Nozomi offered a slightly apologetic, dry chuckle. He extended his hand toward her. "My apologies, I wasn't paying enough attention. Are you alright, miss? Here, let me help you up."
The girl took a deep, steadying breath, the color in her face deepening as she accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet.
"I-I should be the one apologizing," she stammered, her voice soft and sincere. "I wasn't watching where I was going at all. It's completely my fault."
She was remarkably sensible. Despite the lingering ache in her backside and the mortifying knowledge that her underwear had been briefly exposed, she harbored no intention of blaming the young man before her. He had apologized first, and his demeanor was so gentle and composed that he didn't seem like a troublesome person at all.
As for his subconscious murmur of "white"… well, boys would be boys. While intensely embarrassing, she didn't find it malicious. In the end, the root cause was her own carelessness.
"I think if we keep apologizing to each other, we'll be here all day," Nozomi said with an easy smile. "It's a blind corner; these things happen. Well, I have an appointment to keep, so I won't delay you any longer. Excuse me."
He gave a polite nod and turned to continue on his way. He wasn't so indiscriminately eager that he felt the need to pursue an acquaintance with every girl he happened to bump into, no matter how pleasant.
The girl, Tamura Manami, nodded gently in return.
And so…
They both began walking in the same direction.
A few paces later, they stopped simultaneously, turning to look at each other with identical expressions of surprise.
"You're going this way too?" they said in unison.
"Uh…"
A moment of silence hung between them before Manami let out a soft, breathy laugh. "Pfft. What a coincidence."
She naturally didn't suspect this strikingly handsome boy was following her; she considered herself far too ordinary to warrant such attention.
Nozomi was similarly taken aback. After a brief moment of consideration, he decided there was no harm in making conversation with a girl fate had literally thrown in his path. "Hello. I'm Hozuki Nozomi, a first-year at Soubu High School. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Tamura Manami, also a first-year in high school, at Soft High. It's nice to meet you too."
"Manami-san, what a coincidence. Are you headed somewhere in this direction?"
"Yes, I'm going to meet a classmate for our book club."
"I see. If our paths align, shall we walk together? I'm visiting the Kosaka residence nearby. To be honest, I'm not very familiar with this neighborhood—do you know the way?"
"Oh! The Kosaka residence?" Manami's eyes widened slightly behind her glasses. "What a coincidence, I'm heading there too, to meet my classmate."
…
After a brief and amicable exchange, Hozuki Nozomi had a rough understanding. Tamura Manami was the daughter of the local Tamura confectionery shop owners and, more notably, Kosaka Kyosuke's childhood friend. She was indeed on her way to meet Kyosuke for their book club activities.
What an utterly perfect coincidence, Nozomi mused internally. He was going to see Kirino. Now, Manami could naturally occupy the troublesome Kyosuke, effectively removing him from the equation. That would leave the field clear for him to interact with Kirino-chan alone. The situation was arranging itself quite conveniently.
Soon, they arrived at the doorstep of the Kosaka household. Nozomi reached out and pressed the doorbell.
"Coming! Just a moment!" a voice chirped from within, barely containing its nervous energy.
The door swung open to reveal Kirino Kosaka, who had clearly been preparing for this moment. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Nozomi, but the smile forming on her lips froze mid-way as she registered Tamura Manami standing just beside him.
Her expression cooled noticeably.
"Why is it you?" she addressed Manami, her tone flattening.
"Hello, Kirino-chan," Manami replied with practiced calm, offering a small bow. "I came to see Kyosuke-kun."
Kirino had a long-standing, if mostly unspoken, displeasure with Tamura Manami. In her view, Manami's easygoing, indulgent nature was partly responsible for enabling her brother Kyosuke's shiftless attitude. However, with Hozuki Nozomi present, she couldn't afford to be openly hostile. She forced her features into a stiff neutrality. "He's in his room. You can go find him yourself."
Then, as if flipping a switch, she turned back to Nozomi, her entire demeanor transforming. A brilliant, sun-like smile bloomed on her face. "Nozomi Oni-chan, you're here! Please, come in, come in! Dad already told me you'd be visiting today."
"Then I'll be imposing," Nozomi replied with matching warmth. He presented a neatly wrapped small bag. "This is a little something for you, Kirino. I hope you'll accept it."
"Thank you so much!" Kirino accepted the gift, and her smile, if possible, grew even brighter. The old adage held true: a thoughtful gift never offended.
Tamura Manami observed this interaction with a quietly bewildered expression.
He can actually make Kirino-chan act this… enthusiastically? she wondered. Who exactly is this handsome boy? She'd never heard Kyosuke mention any relatives with the name 'Hozuki.' Stranger still, Kirino had called him 'Oni-chan.' Kyosuke certainly never received that kind of affectionate treatment.
Noticing Manami's curious gaze, Nozomi gave her a friendly, acknowledging nod before stepping into the genkan. If Tamura Manami is the daughter of the confectionery shop owners, then when Yumiko and the others come over on weekends, they're probably working part-time at the Tamura-ya, he reasoned. Building a good rapport here is definitely a sound strategy.
Manami watched their backs for a silent moment before murmuring a soft, "Excuse me for intruding," and entering herself. She made a beeline for Kyosuke's room, familiar with the house's layout.
Nozomi, meanwhile, was ushered by Kirino to the comfortable living room sofa. Just as he settled, another girl entered from the adjoining kitchen. She carried a tray with practiced grace, her long, lustrous black hair swaying with each step. She was no less beautiful than Kirino, her slender legs moving with a model's poise as she approached.
She set the teacup before him with careful elegance and offered a perfect, polite bow. "You must be Nozomi Oni-chan. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Aragaki Ayase, Kirino's classmate and best friend. Thank you for having me; I look forward to your kindness."
"The pleasure is mine," Nozomi replied smoothly. "May I call you Ayase?"
"Of course!" Ayase agreed with a radiant smile. After all, she was already calling him 'Oni-chan'; reciprocating with first names was only natural.
Simultaneously, she shot a subtle, triumphant glance toward Kirino that plainly said, See? I told you the 'Oni-chan' strategy would work.
Kirino secretly returned the look with a discreet thumbs-up of approval.
"I didn't realize Kirino's friend would be here as well," Nozomi continued, his tone light and conversational. "Since that's the case, I should offer a gift for you too."
With a smile, he made a pinching motion in the air with his fingers.
Poof.
A single, perfect red rose materialized seemingly from nowhere in his hand.
"Wow!" Ayase gasped, her practiced composure giving way to genuine surprise. "Oni-chan, is that magic?"
"Just a simple little trick," Nozomi demurred, his expression calm. "A flower for a beauty. I hope you like it, Ayase."
"Thank you! I like it very much," she said, accepting the rose. She brought it to her nose, inhaling its delicate scent, and her eyes sparkled with fresh delight. "It's even a fresh rose! Oni-chan, where were you hiding it just now?"
"Ah, now that's a secret," he replied, a playful glint in his eye. "If a magician reveals his secrets, the mystery vanishes, and with it, half the wonder."
"Oh, I'm sorry for prying!"
"Not at all. Curiosity is a perfectly natural thing."
He watched as Kirino fetched a simple glass vase and Ayase carefully arranged the rose in it. Once they were settled again, he seamlessly guided the conversation forward. "By the way, isn't Uncle Daisuke at home?"
Though he was fully aware that Kosaka Daisuke had orchestrated this exact scenario to create an opportunity, he couldn't possibly acknowledge it outright. Certain social scripts still needed to be followed.