Holding the hand of Shiina Mashiro, Hozuki Nozomi slowly walked in the direction of Sakurasou.
Generally speaking, it was quite abrupt—and honestly, a little impolite—to hold the hand of a cute girl he had just met for the first time. But Mashiro was different. She had the natural air of a "pet," and after being fed Baumkuchen by Nozomi, she had already decided that he was her "owner."
So, in her mind, there was nothing strange about him holding her hand. In fact, she thought it was only natural.
An owner should always hold their pet's hand, right? Otherwise, what if she got lost?
As they walked, Nozomi took the time to introduce the surrounding area to Mashiro.
"See over there? That's a konbini. You can buy snacks there. And over there is a public restroom—self-explanatory, I hope."
Whether she understood or not, he explained everything anyway.
Mashiro nodded from time to time, but her blank expression never wavered. More than that, her golden eyes kept flickering toward the bag of Baumkuchen in his other hand, completely ignoring the scenery around her.
It was obvious. She still wanted to eat it.
Mashiro really, really liked Baumkuchen.
But Nozomi, pretending not to notice, held firm. Even if she gave him those puppy-dog eyes, he wouldn't cave. He had already told her—there was going to be a feast later.
Mashiro had a slim figure, almost worryingly so. Nozomi was beginning to suspect that she had been living solely on Baumkuchen as a staple food. That would explain why she barely ate proper meals and never seemed to gain weight.
"Shiina-san, do you see that building over there? That's Suimei University of the Arts High School, for short. That's the school you'll be transferring into."
"You're wearing the same uniform as Suimei, so you should already know that."
"Shiina-san? Are you even listening?"
Nozomi stopped and waved his hand in front of her face, feeling exasperated.
Seriously, stop staring at the Baumkuchen! You're not getting any more!
Mashiro frowned slightly at his hand before looking him straight in the eyes. Then, in a serious tone, she said:
"Mashiro."
"Huh?"
"Call me Mashiro."
She emphasized it again, and Nozomi finally understood.
He smiled and nodded. "Got it, Mashiro. So, did you hear what I just said? Try repeating it back to me."
"Suimei… the school I want to transfer to."
Still, at least she was listening. Nozomi chuckled and reached out to ruffle her hair. Surprisingly, she didn't resist at all. Instead, she let out a soft hum of contentment, leaning slightly into his hand.
She's already this comfortable around me? Not bad.
Feeling a little proud of himself, Nozomi resumed walking toward Sakurasou with Mashiro in tow.
Halfway there, his phone suddenly rang.
"Moshi moshi, this is Nozomi. Mahiru, what's up? Calling me all of a sudden?"
Shiina Mahiru's voice came through the speaker. "Nozomi, Chihiro-sensei said to bring back a dozen beers. Also, she told me to emphasize: 'more, not less.'"
Nozomi twitched. "Does she want to turn into a beer barrel? She's drinking way too much."
Chihiro-sensei, who was clearly within earshot, immediately snapped back.
"Oi, brat! Bring me my beer, or I'll sleep in your room tonight!"
Nozomi blinked.
"...That sounds like a win to me."
"Huh?!" Chihiro choked on her own words, her face instantly turning red. "You—!"
"Ahem." Nozomi quickly backtracked before she hit him over the head. "I mean, I'll bring the beer, okay? But seriously, Chihiro-sensei, you should take care of yourself. Drink in moderation."
His concerned tone caught her off guard.
The anger in her voice dissipated almost instantly, replaced by an awkward cough.
"Hmph. You cheeky brat. I'm an adult, I can handle myself. But... fine, I'll try to drink less."
A pause.
"Anyway, I didn't ask you to bring more beer just to get wasted. Today, we're not just welcoming Mashiro to Sakurasou—we're also sending off Ryunosuke."
Nozomi blinked. "Send him off? Wait, he's leaving Sakurasou?"
That shut-in was actually going to step outside for once?
"Yup. He got invited by some high-level developers from a big game company. They want him to work on AI development."
"Oh? Which company?"
"Ever heard of Argus? The president's name is Kayaba Akihiko."
Nozomi froze.
"...Kayaba Akihiko?"
The name sent a jolt through his brain.
He had paid little attention to the game company at first, but now it all clicked. Kayaba Akihiko was in this world? The man responsible for Sword Art Online?
If he was here, did that mean Aincrad was coming soon? And if SAO existed, that meant Asuna did too.
Nozomi rubbed his chin in thought.
"Interesting. Alright, then we're eating well tonight! Beef, lots of beef!"
If Ryunosuke was leaving, Nozomi would be the only guy in Sakurasou. That wasn't a bad thing.
Besides, he still had Ryunosuke's contact info. If he ever needed him for a game or animation project, he could just call him up. If the project was interesting enough, Ryunosuke would probably even help voluntarily.
Still… this was getting weird. Kayaba Akihiko was here.
Which meant Asuna—also known as Honkona, the perfect waifu—existed too.
And if anime logic applied, there was one more rumor he wanted to confirm.
People often said that Yuigahama Yui's mom, Mrs. Yuigahama, looked exactly like Yuuki Asuna. Some even claimed her name was Yuigahama Asuna.
Nozomi smirked.
"If I ever get the chance, I have to see this for myself."
After pondering for a moment, Hozuki Nozomi turned to the girl beside him.
"Mashiro, I still need to buy some ingredients. Do you want to head to Sakurasou first, or come with me?"
The girl tilted her head slightly, her golden strands swaying with the motion. Then, in a soft whisper, she responded.
"Together."
So, Nozomi took Mashiro back to the convenience store. Fortunately, it wasn't far.
After purchasing the necessary ingredients and beer, they made their way back to Sakurasou. As soon as he pushed the door open, he called out.
"Tadaima!"
"Oh, welcome back, Nozomi-kun! And this must be little Mashiro—kawaii!"
A lively voice rang out, and before Mashiro could react, a certain energetic upperclassman rushed forward.
"Hehe, little Mashiro, welcome to Sakurasou! I'm Kamiigusa Misaki, a proud second-year! Let's get along well from now on!"
"I'm Shiina Mashiro." The girl responded in her usual calm, airy tone.
"Ahhh, so cute! Really, so cute! I love you already, Mashiro-chan!"
Misaki latched onto her, rubbing her cheek affectionately against Mashiro's.
Meanwhile, a more composed voice spoke up.
"Welcome back, Nozomi-kun. The food is all prepared—we were just waiting on your fresh ingredients."
Ogiwara Sayu took the shopping bags from Nozomi's hands with a smile and started setting up the meal.
Across the room, Shiina Mahiru greeted her cousin Mashiro warmly, though her gaze quickly flickered toward Nozomi. Her cheeks flushed slightly as the memory of their earlier interaction surfaced in her mind.
Noticing this, Nozomi grinned and walked over. "Yo, Mahiru, aren't you forgetting something?"
The girl rolled her eyes before huffing lightly. "Didn't Sayu already welcome you back?"
"Sayu is Sayu. You're you."
Smirking, Nozomi casually took Mahiru's hand, causing her to jolt slightly. She instinctively glanced around, her gaze landing on Chihiro-sensei, who was watching with a knowing smirk. Embarrassed, Mahiru quickly pulled her hand back and glared at him.
"D-Don't mess around! Today's about welcoming Mashiro to Sakurasou—or, well, it's also a farewell party for Akasaka Ryunosuke."
Hearing that, Nozomi blinked in confusion. "Speaking of which, where is he?"
As if in response, his phone screen lit up. A tiny animated maid character popped up on display, scanning the surroundings before giving a cheerful bow.
"Master Ryunosuke has a message for you!"
The little maid's voice was lively as she relayed his words.
"Ryunosuke-sama says he won't be attending the dinner. His portion of rice and blanched beef should be wrapped in plastic and left outside his door. Also, under no circumstances should there be green onions included, or else your phone may mysteriously acquire a few extra viruses."
The animated maid spun around before continuing.
"Additionally, Ryunosuke-sama thanks you for your hospitality. He's off to further his studies in advanced programming with like-minded individuals. He'll be departing early tomorrow morning. However, he has already installed an upgraded security system for Sakurasou. If you need anything, feel free to contact him."
With that, the tiny maid character disappeared in a flurry of sparkles.
Chihiro-sensei scoffed. "Hmph, who eats beef hotpot without green onions? What a strange shut-in."
Nozomi chuckled helplessly. "Well, geniuses tend to have their quirks. Besides, Sakurasou is practically a sanctuary for problem children."
"Tch, that's only because of someone's reputation!" Misaki pouted.
That 'someone' likely referred to Mitaka Jin, the infamous playboy.
Nozomi smiled and ruffled Misaki's hair, his tone playful. "Alright, alright, no need to dwell on unpleasant things. Tonight, let's just enjoy the hotpot!"
"Ohhh! That's the spirit!"
Just like that, Misaki was reinvigorated, her previous complaints forgotten. She immediately turned to Mashiro, intent on imparting some of her 'special knowledge.'
"Hey, Mashiro-chan, look at this ingredient! If you bite into it just right, the delicious juice will burst out instantly!"
Nozomi was about to intervene when, unexpectedly, Chihiro-sensei decided to demonstrate the 'proper' way to eat it.
With a bold chomp, the juice from the food shot out—directly onto Nozomi's face.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, Nozomi wiped his cheek, his expression blank. "…Sensei, that was on purpose, wasn't it?"
Mahiru stifled a giggle and quickly offered him a tissue. Meanwhile, Sayu pouted at the interaction, feeling a little envious.
Chihiro-sensei smirked. "Oh? You don't like it? Then why don't you return the favor? Go on, Nozomi-kun, spray me back."
Nozomi: "…"
What kind of dangerous statement was that?
Mashiro, who had been silently watching the exchange, blinked in curiosity. This was the first time she had been surrounded by so many warm, lively people. It was strange yet… not unpleasant.
As she absentmindedly accepted a bite of beef from Misaki, her gaze landed on Nozomi's palm. A peculiar thought crossed her mind.
He touched Misaki-senpai's head… but he didn't touch mine.
Isn't that unfair?
Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Nozomi was still debating whether to lecture Chihiro-sensei on proper table manners when he noticed Mashiro staring at him. Her expression was unreadable but somehow… dissatisfied.
"Mashiro?"
Though puzzled, Nozomi picked up a piece of blanched vegetable and placed it into her bowl.
"Mashiro, you can't just eat meat. You need a balanced diet—meat and veggies together for proper nutrition."
Then, he turned to the others.
"Misaki-senpai, Mahiru, Sayu—you all too."
He wasn't about to let anyone slide.
Because, if he only singled out Mashiro, he had a feeling that a full-on Shuraba* was just waiting to be unleashed.
(*Shuraba = "Battlefield of Love" or a chaotic love rivalry scenario.)
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Attached is Asuna from SAO