At this very mont, Yukinoshita Yukino was anything but calm.
I an, how could she possibly stay calm?!
A certain shaless rogue—yes, that would be Hozuki Nozomi—was peacefully resting his head on her lap, all while clutching her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.
anwhile, she was sitting stiff as a statue, her heart pounding like taiko drums before a festival. The tension was unbearable.
If soone from school walked by and caught this scene? Rumors would spread faster than a Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Even though Yukino prided herself on not caring about trivial things like gossip, the thought of being seen in this position still made her cheeks flare a deep crimson.
She lowered her head slightly, her gaze quietly falling on the boy whose head now rested against her thighs.
Nozomi...
Even asleep—or pretending to be, knowing him—he had this infuriatingly handso face. Yukino found herself thinking that if he ever took the ti to properly groom himself, he'd probably outshine most of those flashy idols on TV. Maybe even give Sanshokuin Sumireko a run for her money.
Usually, Nozomi dressed like he couldn't care less about appearances. But under the right lighting, and with that slight smirk he wore when teasing her... it was dangerous.
It hit her again—this was her first ti letting a boy get so close. In all her sixteen years, no other guy had ever laid his head on her lap, much less held her hand. What was she even doing?
Was it just the engagent? Or...
Was it sothing deeper?
Normally, she would've karate-chopped any idiot who dared invade her space like this. But when it ca to Hozuki Nozomi, all she could muster was a tiny pout and a half-hearted pinch to his waist. Tsundere, much?
"Why... am I like this?" she muttered under her breath, lips pressed into a thin line.
The contact was ssing with her. His steady breathing, the warmth of his hand, the rhythm of his heartbeat—it was too much. Her cheeks were burning, and her mind spiraled into chaos.
anwhile, our so-called sleeping prince? Yeah, he wasn't actually asleep.
Nozomi lay there quietly, eyes shut, pretending to nap because he knew all too well that Yukino would get flustered if she caught him staring.
"Yare yare daze... she's just too cute when she's panicking," he mused inwardly.
Still, his thoughts weren't entirely full of mischief. The mory triggered by Yukino's earlier question had shaken sothing loose. The arrival of Suoh Yuki had stirred up a complicated storm within him.
Truth be told, he was happy to know that Yuki hadn't forgotten about him. Despite everything, she rembered.
As for the Suoh couple, he bore them no ill will. After all, when he first arrived in this world—as a literal baby, mind you—they were the ones who took him in and raised him. His gratitude ran deep.
He had risked his life to save Yuki once, before the system had fully activated. That reckless act had cost him his mory and intelligence, turning him into what everyone assud was just a "stupid" child.
Even so, the Suoh family had taken care of him, gone as far as to gift him Sakurasou as so form of compensation. All things considered, they hadn't treated him poorly.
And now Yuki was here.
...But she probably still thought of him as her real brother. Worse, she might still be holding onto that whole "German orthopedics" fantasy he had jokingly planted in her head.
"Ugh... I really was a degenerate oniichan back then," he groaned ntally, smirking to himself.
It made sense that the Suoh family had kept Yuki away from him. After all, he had corrupted their precious daughter with tales from ero-ani like Yosuga no Sora. Not exactly big-brother-of-the-year material.
Still, the shrine had once given him the title of "Son of God," a tradition ant to keep power and wealth in the family. With only one daughter—Yuki—the Suoh family had essentially chosen him as a future son-in-law when he was adopted.
He was the Son of God. She was the Shrine Maiden.
It had been all but decided.
...Until the kidnapping incident changed everything. His intellect dulled, his mories locked away, the Suoh family chose to protect their daughter by removing him from her life.
The Suoh family had no choice but to give up on him—and so, they concealed Hozuki Nozomi's condition from Suoh Yuki.
That poor girl must be feeling the weight of guilt now. After all, she had no idea her older brother had been in such a state for so long. It's no wonder she's struggling with her emotions. But honestly? Nozomi didn't really feel like he lost out.
As he lay there, thoughts swirling, the school bell's echo in the distance reminded him: it was almost ti for class.
Thankfully, Yukinoshita Yukino had already ssaged Sumireko to close the door to the club room in advance. Had she not, they'd be in so serious trouble.
Yukino poked his cheek gently with her free hand. "Hey, sleepyhead. Ti to get up—class is about to start."
Nozomi slowly opened his eyes, his expression reluctant as he sat up. "Man, ti really flies when your pillow's this comfy."
"Who knows," Yukino replied, her tone indifferent, though she subtly turned her face away as she reached down to rub her thigh. The sensation of pins and needles made her frown. It was a little numb.
"Want to help you rub it?" Nozomi grinned playfully.
"Like hell you will! Keep your hands to yourself, you degenerate!" Yukino huffed, slapping his mischievous hand away with a furious blush.
"Alright, alright, let's head back," she muttered.
But Nozomi wasn't done yet. He caught her hand with a gentle but firm grip. "Hey Yukino… when can I rest on your lap again?"
Her heart skipped a beat. "W-We'll talk about that later!"
Despite the words, she didn't imdiately pull her hand away. The fact that she allowed the contact lingered longer than expected spoke volus. Deep down, it wasn't disgust she felt—just embarrassnt. A flustered warmth.
Let's face it: the innocent Second Lady was no match for a veteran flirt.
Nozomi softly played with her fingers and pressed a bit. "Later when? I totally regret not enjoying the full lap pillow experience."
"Regret it all you want! I'm going back now!" she stamred, finally pulling her hand back and bolting down the hallway like a startled deer.
Nozomi watched her with a pout. If he wanted Yukino to reach the level of Mahiru—obediently indulging his whims—it looked like he had a long way to go.
After returning to class, Yukinoshita Yukino imdiately felt a stare drilling into her.
Suoh Yuki.
For so reason, she felt a strange sense of guilt. But why should she feel guilty?
She had rely fulfilled her promise to a childhood fiancé. That's all.
Alright, fine. Maybe the lap pillow was a bit too much sweetness.
But they were practically engaged. Wasn't it natural to build up a bit of rapport?
Yuki Suoh's clinginess wasn't her fault.
This was all that man's fault. That infuriating Hozuki Nozomi—he was just too good at attracting girls.
Even Sumireko had been corrupted because of his influence...
Once class ended, Suoh Yuki approached Yukino with a serious look in her eyes. "Yukinoshita, co with . I need to ask you sothing."
They walked until they reached a quiet spot in the hallway, out of earshot.
Yuki stared her down.
She had to admit it: Yukinoshita Yukino was stunning. Her doll-like face, cold but delicate, could even sway the hearts of other girls. While she still had modest curves, her elegance and aura more than made up for it. Her brother always said small cups were cute, and besides, with proper nutrition and ti...
Cough! That wasn't the point.
The important thing was that Yukino checked all the boxes for her brother's taste.
Yukino broke the silence first. "Suo-san, if you don't speak, we'll be late. What is it?"
Yuki took a deep breath, then placed a hand on Yukino's shoulder, locking eyes with her.
"Yukinoshita… do you like my brother?"
Yukino blinked. "I—"
"Don't lie," Yuki interrupted. "I saw it. You pretended to go to the bathroom, but then you gave him a lap pillow!"
Yukinoshita Yukino's face went crimson in an instant.
Busted.
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