Nozomi leaned back slightly, arms wrapped around Yukinoshita Yukino as he admired her usual cool composure flicker into shy vulnerability.
"Hmm... Yukino, how are you going to thank ~?" he teased with a grin that could lt glaciers. "Thanks to my amazing self, you're finally getting closer to Yui."
Yukino sighed and rolled her eyes, refusing to let him have the upper hand. "Don't act all proud after fishing for complints. You're too smug for your own good."
Still, Nozomi wasn't backing down. He pulled her a little closer as he sat on the clubroom chair, mischief in his eyes. "Why don't you stay overnight at Sakurasou tonight? The cats miss you~"
Yukino blinked, already predicting his devious intent. Her cheeks tinged pink as she rejected him calmly. "I can't. Nee-san's been hovering around lately, acting like mom's spy. If I stay out, I'll never hear the end of it."
Nozomi pouted, hugging her tightly like a child who'd just been told there was no dessert.
Yukino caught on quickly. Despite her shyness, she raised her arms to wrap gently around his neck, her cool tone softening just a little. "Bad guy. You're not asking over for the cats, are you?"
"Yukino, how could you accuse like that? I'd never bully the girl I like the most!"
"Hmph. I bet you say that to every girl, don't you?" she shot back with narrowed eyes.
"Ehh!? No, no! I swear, you're the only one I've ever said such a cheesy, love-struck line to. Honest!"
She lifted her chin, smirking slightly. "You admit it's cheesy then. Disgusting."
"Ugh... Yukino, you're so cold..." Nozomi feigned defeat.
Watching his exaggerated reaction, Yukino couldn't help but smile. Her heart softened as she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.
"It's the weekend... I'll talk to Nee-san. If she agrees, I'll head over to Sakurasou and help... take care of the kittens."
Nozomi's eyes lit up like a shounen protagonist powering up. He grinned ear to ear. Deep down, he knew—taking care of kittens ant Yukino ending up curled up in his arms again.
They shared a warm embrace before she left, her scent lingering like the echo of a soft song. Nozomi watched her go, whispering dramatically to the heavens, "The power of love is unstoppable~"
—
The next day arrived like a fresh panel in a slice-of-life manga. The noonday sun poured into the Service Club room.
During lunch break, a new girl knocked and stepped inside.
"Hello, I'm Yuuki Asuna. Please take care of from now on!"
The room fell into stunned silence. Even Yukino raised an eyebrow.
But none were more shocked than Yuigahama Yui. Her eyes widened like saucers as she stared at the newcor. She blinked. Rubbed her eyes. Blinked again.
"...Mom?"
Yuuki Asuna froze, a little spark of confusion in her expression. "Eh...?"
Suoh Yuki, Sanshokuin Sumireko, and Yukino turned to look at Yui, equally puzzled.
"Classmate... did you just call 'Mom'?"
Yui darted forward and grabbed Asuna's hand, examining her face like a detective uncovering the truth. "Mom, are you pretending to be a high school student now? Is this your secret double life?!"
Asuna sweatdropped ani-style. "Wait, wait, I am a high school student. I'm not married! I'm single! Completely single!"
The other girls stared with renewed interest. Yukino leaned in slightly. Sumireko raised an eyebrow. Suoh tilted her head curiously.
Yui giggled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. "Ehe... sorry, my bad. You just look so much like my mom, I got confused."
They all blinked in sync. "...Really?"
Looking closely, it was clear—Yuigahama's mom had a mature charm, while Yuuki Asuna looked younger, a touch fresher, and perhaps even a little prettier in the right light.
"Why?" Asuna tilted her head, blinking with honest curiosity.
Sumireko Sanshokuin, Suo Yuki, and Yukinoshita Yukino all leaned in subtly, eyes gleaming with the sa question.
Under the heat of their collective gaze, Yuigahama Yui chuckled and casually took out her phone.
"Just take a look at this. That's and my mom. You'll get it right away."
A few taps later, she turned the screen toward the girls.
The screen showed Yui in a trendy outfit, smiling cheek-to-cheek with a serene, elegant beauty. Her mother had the sa face as Asuna—sa delicate features, sa warm eyes, even the sa braided hairstyle wrapped behind her head like a ribboned gift.
The girls stared, montarily stunned into silence.
Suo Yuki raised an eyebrow. "Asuna... you really aren't Yui's mom?"
"Absolutely not! I'm in high school, I haven't even had my first boyfriend yet!" Asuna protested, stamping her foot, her cheeks blooming red like a cherry blossom at full blush. Content originally cos from novel※fire
The skeptical stares didn't help.
Sumireko adjusted her glasses thoughtfully. "Well, doppelgängers exist. I know soone who looks 90% like —Sumire Nichiji. We're not even related."
After a mont more of awe and giggling, the girls refocused on why they were gathered.
Yuuki Asuna had co today to join the Service Club.
Her mother had gently encouraged her to build a rapport with the younger Yukinoshita sister. Suo Yuki had also extended a heartfelt invitation, which Asuna couldn't bring herself to decline.
With her naturally kind personality and elegant upbringing, Asuna was the type to harmonize well in a group—as long as soone gave her a hand first.
Yes, she and Suoh Yuki were already becoming fast friends. Yuki's friendly and assertive nature had helped Asuna ease into the unfamiliar halls of this co-ed school after transferring from a prestigious all-girls academy.
It was different here. There were boys. Boys who stared at her like she was a character who had stepped straight out of an ani.
She needed allies—connections.
So, she joined the Service Club.
After chatting and laughing with the others for a while, she felt the ice around her nerves begin to lt.
Then her eyes shifted.
"Um... President Yukinoshita," Asuna asked carefully, her gaze flickering toward the lone male in the room, "is Nozomi the only boy in our club?"
Everyone turned to look at him.
Of course she rembered Nozomi. Who wouldn't?
He looked ordinary at first glance, but her father—yes, the business titan Yuuki Shouzou—had once called him a peer and even exchanged business with him.
Just thinking about it gave her goosebumps. A high schooler that even her father treated with respect?
And if the rumors were true... wasn't he engaged to Haruno Yukinoshita?
Surrounded by beautiful girls in this club—wasn't that dangerous?
Yukino sipped her tea, expression unreadable. "Not everyone gets to join the Service Club. As for Nozomi... he's everyone's lackey. Miss Yuuki, feel free to use him as needed."
Nozomi's eye twitched. He gave her a slow, dangerously blank stare.
Yukino's heart skipped—but she maintained her composure, barely.
"Lackey? That sounds kind of harsh," Asuna said with a concerned frown.
Yukino pouted subtly. "I'm joking. Really. He's more like... our guardian. If you run into trouble, just call him."
To make up for the jab, Yukino turned to Nozomi and gently requested that he exchange contact info with Asuna.
Their eyes t, and she gave him a small, guilty smile—as if saying, You'll forgive , right? I just gave you a beauty's number.
By the ti the club activities wrapped up, Asuna was part of the group.
Yui, unable to resist, asked Asuna for a few selfies. Asuna relented with a light sigh.
"I'm going to show them to my mom," Yui declared with an impish grin. "She has to explain this!"
The resemblance was just too uncanny. Asuna and her mom—sa face, sa height—it was suspicious.
Nozomi, seated quietly nearby, tilted his head and muttered to himself:
"Hey, Yui... is your dad still around? Because if not... I an, I could take care of your mom."
But as fate would have it...
Yui's father really was gone.
Big oof.
****
Point of correction;
Yuki Asuna's father is Shouzou Yuuki in the Sword Art Online series. He is the CEO of RECTO Progress Inc., a powerful technology company. Shouzou plays a minor but significant role in the story, especially in the Fairy Dance arc. He disapproves of Asuna's involvent in video gas, particularly after the SAO incident, and initially supports her arranged engagent to Nobuyuki Sugou (the antagonist of the ALO arc). However, after the events of Fairy Dance, he cos to respect Asuna's choices more. Let know if you'd like more details about him or how he affects the plot.
This should clarify 2 nas.
Expect a total of 12 chapters next week. The remaining 2 chapters frm this week will be added to next week's 10 chapters making them 12.
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