Unconsciously, the night faded into morning.
The weekend stretched ahead, offering another day free from the confines of school. The gentle rays of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting soft golden hues over the room.
Early in the morning, Ogiwara Sayu stirred and quietly slipped out of bed.
Hozuki Nozomi groggily blinked at her, his voice still thick with sleep. "Nn… Sayu, why are you leaving so early? Don't want to sleep in with a little longer?"
Sayu rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the smirk tugging at her lips. "Baka. I'm doing this for Shiina's sake. If she wakes up and sees still in your room, she'll definitely get jealous."
Nozomi chuckled at her logic. "Oh? And Sayu isn't jealous?"
Sayu flipped her hair back dramatically. "Of course, I'm jealous. That's why I punished you so thoroughly last night."
Nozomi raised an eyebrow. "Punished? Is that what we're calling it? Because from what I rember… soone was the one begging for rcy."
Sayu's face turned scarlet, but she huffed and stomped toward the door. Before she could leave, Nozomi reached out, pulling her into a warm embrace.
She hesitated for only a second before lting against him. He pressed a light kiss to her forehead before letting her go.
"Go on then," he murmured.
Sayu stuck out her tongue playfully. "Hmph, just make sure to coax Mahiru properly. Otherwise, I'll have to punish you again."
With that, she scurried out of the room to prepare breakfast, feeling secretly triumphant.
Nozomi sighed, running a hand through his ssy hair. "Coax Mahiru, huh? Since when did those two get along so well?"
His lips curled into a smirk as a thought crossed his mind. Maybe if he had pushed a little further last night, he wouldn't have to worry about coaxing her at all.
But he imdiately dismissed the idea with a shake of his head.
Compared to fleeting physical pleasure, the bond they were building was far more aningful. He could tell—last night, Mahiru had just been caught up in the mont. If he had taken advantage of that, she might have regretted it, and he never wanted her to feel like he was only after her body.
Because that wasn't what drew him to her.
Mahiru was like a little angel, soone who had unknowingly brightened his life.
Besides, it wasn't as if they hadn't already crossed plenty of lines. They had held each other. Kissed each other. Touched each other. Everything short of that final step.
And when she had looked at him with those misty eyes, breathlessly whispering, "My hands are sore…"
(It seems she gave him a handjob in the previous chapter. Should I write it's scene?)
Nozomi swallowed, feeling heat creep up his neck.
He needed to get up and solidify their relationship properly before his mind wandered too far.
=================
In the next room, Shiina Mahiru was already awake.
But she refused to move from her bed, burying herself under the covers as mories from the previous night replayed in her head.
It was too much.
How could she have been so shaless…?
Acting spoiled, clinging to Nozomi, refusing to let him go.
And then…
Her hands shot up to her face as she let out a tiny, muffled scream into her pillow.
She kissed him.
And… she used her hands…
Waaaah! What was she thinking?!
Would Nozomi think she was an easy girl now? A casual fling?
But… but she had at least held her final line of defense!
That was sothing, right?
He had been so gentle with her, carefully respecting her limits. He had held back for her sake, even when he was obviously struggling.
And yet, when he had reached for her hand, unable to hold back any longer, she had willingly—
Mahiru groaned and buried herself deeper under the covers. She just wanted to disappear.
Knock, knock.
"Shiina-san, are you awake?"
Mahiru's entire body tensed at the sound of that familiar voice.
"I-I'm not awake!" she blurted out in panic.
A beat of silence.
Then, an amused chuckle. "Oh? Then who just answered in Shiina-san's voice?"
"Th-That wasn't ! You… you're so annoying this early in the morning!"
"Oh? I just wanted to see you. Can I co in?"
"No!" she squeaked imdiately.
She wasn't ready to face him. Absolutely not.
"No? That's so an… I'm feeling pretty heartbroken right now…"
Mahiru bit her lip. She knew he was just teasing her, but what if he actually thought she was rejecting him? That she regretted everything?
That wasn't it at all.
She was just… embarrassed.
Overwheld.
Panicking at the idea of facing him so soon after last night.
But what if he misunderstood?
Before she could talk herself out of it, she threw off her blankets and rushed to the door, yanking it open—
Only to find him standing there with that sa mischievous smile.
"Good morning, Shiina-san."
Mahiru's breath hitched. "G-Good morning, Nozomi-san…"
She had been ready to explain herself, to tell him that she wasn't avoiding him because she regretted it, but now, standing in front of him, words failed her.
She averted her gaze, fumbling for sothing to say—
Then, suddenly, warmth.
A gentle hand resting on her head.
Her eyes widened as she slowly looked up, only to see Nozomi gazing at her with an unreadable expression.
Before she could react, he pulled her into his arms.
"Don't hate , okay?" he murmured softly.
Her heart squeezed at the quiet vulnerability in his voice.
How could he think that? She didn't hate him. She just… didn't know how to deal with these emotions yet.
Without thinking, her arms reached up, wrapping around his neck, holding onto him tightly.
She didn't know what to say.
So instead, she simply held him close, hoping he understood everything her words failed to express.
"I... don't hate you."
The words she had struggled to say earlier now slipped out easily within the warmth of his arms.
"Really? But just a mont ago, you said you didn't want to see ," Nozomi teased, tilting his head with a feigned look of hurt.
Mahiru panicked. "No! I... I just wasn't ready to see you! I don't hate you, really!"
"Hmm, I don't know..." He narrowed his eyes playfully. "Unless Shiina proves it to ."
"Eh? H-how do I do that?"
Nozomi smirked, leaning in slowly. Mahiru's breath hitched, and before she could react, his lips brushed against hers, capturing them in a soft kiss.
"This is how."
Mahiru felt the warmth of his lips spread through her entire body, making her face flush an even deeper shade of red. Instinctively, her hands pressed against his chest, but her resistance was weak. Instead of pushing him away, her arms trembled before sliding up to wrap around his neck.
She lted into him.
It wasn't that scary.
Ever since she t him, this person had been nothing but kind to her.
Even when she was being difficult, even when she was acting selfishly, Nozomi always treated her with patience. He teased her, but never cruelly. He was warm, but never overbearing.
It was unfair how easily he could break down her defenses.
She liked him. And she had no strength left to deny it.
Eventually, their lips parted, leaving Mahiru breathless.
Nozomi gently brushed her golden hair with his fingers. "It's ti to get up, Shiina-san."
She huffed and gave him a light smack on the chest. "How am I supposed to get up when you're holding like this?"
He chuckled. "Ah, my bad. I thought you were still half-asleep. Are you awake now? If not, I wouldn't mind continuing..."
"I-I'm wide awake! Don't bully !"
She pouted, glaring at him, but the effect was ruined by how quickly she averted her eyes. She looked more like a flustered little bird than soone trying to be intimidating.
Nozomi chuckled again, pleased by her reaction. Satisfied that she no longer seed troubled, he carried her over to the bed and set her down gently.
"Then hurry up and co out. Sayu's almost done making breakfast."
"I know, I know. I'm not a child. I don't need you to remind ," she grumbled, puffing out her cheeks.
Hearing Sayu's na, however, made her stomach twist with guilt.
She had told herself she wouldn't fall for Nozomi.
Yet just monts ago, she didn't resist his kiss at all.
She had even—
Mahiru groaned internally. She was hopeless.
She shook her head, took a deep breath, and finally mustered up the courage to get out of bed. She changed into a soft beige dress and stepped out of her room, trying her best to appear calm.
After washing up, she walked into the kitchen and found Ogiwara Sayu still busy preparing breakfast. Without hesitation, she grabbed an apron and put it on.
"Sayu, I'll help too."
Sayu turned to her with a bright smile. "Sure!"
Then she added mischievously, "Looks like Nozomi gets to eat another one of Shiina's loving als today."
Mahiru froze, her face instantly heating up. But surprisingly, she didn't deny it.
Sayu's sharp eyes didn't miss that. A smirk played on her lips as she leaned in close, whispering just as the soup started simring.
"So? How did Nozomi perform last night?"
"Ah—?! Sayu! W-What are you saying?!"
Mahiru nearly dropped the spoon in her hand, her whole body trembling from the embarrassnt.
Sayu rolled her eyes. "Oh, co on. Don't tell you two didn't do anything? The first ti usually hurts a little, right? You can't tell it didn't at all."
Of course, Sayu already knew that Nozomi hadn't actually crossed that line. She just wanted to see Mahiru's reaction—her innocent, blushing face was too fun to tease.
Mahiru's cheeks were practically steaming. "W-we… didn't do that!"
Sayu pouted dramatically. "Tch. Then he really must like you. I an, to be able to hold back like that? Impressive. I was sore for a while after our first ti, you know?"
"I-I-I'm sorry!" Mahiru stamred, not knowing what else to say.
Sayu giggled and gently pulled Mahiru into a hug. "Baka. Why are you apologizing? I told you from the start—I don't mind."
Mahiru was stunned by Sayu's sincerity. She hesitated for a mont before slowly wrapping her arms around her in return.
"You and I… we're similar," Sayu murmured. "Neither of us had a family that truly loved us. But we're lucky, you know? We t Nozomi. So, let's get along, okay?"
Mahiru's eyes widened. For the first ti, the unease in her heart settled.
She nodded softly. "Okay. Please take care of from now on."
The two girls shared a small, unspoken agreent as they finished making breakfast together.
But just as Mahiru thought she could finally breathe, Sayu leaned in again, whispering sothing outrageous.
"Are you really sure you don't want to try it with Nozomi soon? My senpai and I can barely keep up with him."
"W-wha—?! I-I don't understand what you're talking about! I'm taking the dishes out!"
Mahiru bolted out of the kitchen like a startled rabbit, her face burning.
Sayu snickered behind her, watching her flee.
"So innocent," she mused to herself.
Nozomi really had a type, huh?
Maybe she should try playing the innocent girl next ti, too.
==================
While eating breakfast, Shiina Mahiru kept her head down, quietly nibbling on her toast, refusing to et Hozuki Nozomi's gaze. Her cheeks still carried the faintest hint of pink, betraying her inner turmoil.
Nozomi, sensing sothing was off, raised an eyebrow and turned to Ogiwara Sayu, who was sitting across from him with an amused expression.
"What's up with her?"
Sayu, ever the troublemaker, smirked and leaned forward slightly, her voice teasing. "Guess."
Nozomi rolled his eyes. "Too much effort."
Whatever it was, as long as he wasn't on the losing end, he could let it slide. Besides, watching Shiina flustered like this was kind of entertaining. That morning's kiss had made one thing very clear—she didn't hate him. In fact, she was starting to rely on him more than she realized.
After finishing breakfast, Nozomi leaned back into the couch, patting his stomach in satisfaction. Sayu and Kamiigusa Misaki decided to go shopping, while Chihiro Chiishi was still dead to the world, snoring away in her room.
Shiina, on the other hand, had retreated to her own room, her mind a tangled ss.
She had always despised philandering n.
So why had she agreed to this strange arrangent with Sayu?
Shiina hugged her teddy bear, resting her chin on its head as she sighed heavily. Her emotions were all over the place.
Love was supposed to be selfish.
Now that she had confird she didn't hate Nozomi—didn't even mind kissing him—she was forced to confront the possibility of actually being with him.
But could she really accept sharing him?
Before, when the distance between them was greater, she could turn a blind eye to what he did. But now, now that she had let him in—
The thought of him giving his attention to other girls made her heart ache.
She wanted him to only look at her.
Yet Sayu had already warned her—
Even with both of them, he was still too much to handle.
Shiina frowned, sneaking a glance at herself in the mirror. She was petite, delicate, almost doll-like. Could she even keep up?
A small groan escaped her lips, and she buried her face in her hands.
Ugh. Why was she thinking about this so much?
After several minutes of internal struggle, she finally gathered the courage to leave her room. Quietly, she peeked into the living room, where Nozomi was lounging lazily on the couch.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and sat down beside him.
Nozomi cracked one eye open and gave her a sidelong glance.
"Yo."
Shiina pursed her lips, not replying. Her heart was still in turmoil, but she knew Sayu had left to give them so alone ti.
She didn't understand.
Why couldn't he just be satisfied with one girl? Why couldn't he just be hers?
Nozomi watched her curiously, noting the conflicted expression on her face. Before she could overthink things further, he suddenly reached out, grabbed her by the waist, and effortlessly pulled her onto his lap.
"Ah—!?"
She let out a small yelp, startled by the sudden movent. When she ca back to her senses, she found herself sitting directly on his thighs, his arms wrapped securely around her.
A deep chuckle rumbled in Nozomi's chest. "What, you scared?"
His warm breath tickled her ear, sending shivers down her spine. The heat in her cheeks intensified as she reflexively raised her hands, lightly smacking his chest.
"You suddenly pulled ! Of course I was scared!" she huffed, glaring at him.
"Hmm… my bad." His voice was anything but apologetic. "But you were staring at so intensely. I thought you wanted to do sothing."
Shiina's breath hitched, and she quickly looked away. "I-I wasn't staring at you…"
Nozomi smirked. "Oh? Then why are you blushing?"
She pouted but didn't answer.
She couldn't exactly say she liked it. But she couldn't say she hated it either.
As she struggled with her emotions, Nozomi leaned in, closing the distance between them. His lips brushed against hers—soft, warm, unhurried.
A kiss.
Shiina's entire body stiffened, her eyes going wide before fluttering shut.
Her fingers instinctively clutched at his shirt, as if afraid he would pull away. The sensation was overwhelming, and yet—
She didn't resist.
She couldn't.
And she didn't want to.
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