The next morning.
Nozomi lowered his head and gently kissed Shiina Mahiru, who was still sleeping soundly in his arms, before carefully slipping out of the room. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he returned to his own bed, planning to catch a bit more sleep before the day truly began.
Just as he pulled the blanket over himself, his phone buzzed.
He squinted at the caller ID. Yukinoshita Haruno.
"Hehe, Nozomi-kun, want to guess what I'm doing right now?" Her voice, sweet and teasing, rang through the receiver, accompanied by the faint sound of dripping water.
Nozomi blinked, a flicker of excitement running through him.
"Haruno-san... You're not seriously taking a bath this early, are you?"
"Bingo~! Want me to send you a steamy picture of a beautiful girl bathing?"
Before Nozomi could even respond, another voice chimed in sharply.
"Sis! Cut it out and hang up already!"
"Aww, don't be shy, Yukino~. Nozomi-kun said he wants to see you~!"
"Haruno-san, you're really terrible," Nozomi groaned, a half-smile creeping onto his face. "Trying to mess with me this early in the morning... Do you want me to suffer?"
"Then how about I really show you what Yukino and I look like right now? Interested?"
"Absolutely! Send lots of pictures, please!"
A message came through with a cheerful beep. Nozomi opened it with anticipation—only to have his expectations dashed.
It was a photo of Haruno and Yukino brushing their teeth side by side in front of the bathroom mirror. Haruno wore a mischievous grin, while Yukino looked mildly irritated.
Still, her pouty glare had its own charm.
"Haha, got you! See? Without a certain pervert around, Yukino and I can actually get through our morning routine in peace."
Nozomi chuckled. "Then bring Yukino to Sakurasou today. I'll make sure you both can bathe with me tomorrow morning."
"No can do! We're officially under lockdown today. Mom says it's time for bride training, so we can't go anywhere. Try not to miss us too much~!"
"I already do... (Gulp.)"
Hearing the sound of his obvious gulp, Haruno laughed even harder. "Here, Yukino wants to talk to you."
The phone went quiet for a beat.
"Yukino? You there?"
"Yes... I'm here."
Nozomi smiled. "Your training doesn't interfere with school, does it?"
"Of course not," Yukino replied with practiced calm, though a slight tremble in her voice betrayed her nerves. "But I won't be allowed out on weekends for now. Mother's orders."
"Then wait for me at the Service Club tomorrow."
"Why should I?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
He smirked to himself, already planning to pin her against the wall with a classic kabedon.
After a bit more teasing, the call ended.
Nozomi exhaled slowly, a little exasperated at being toyed with so early. Still half-drowsy, he closed his eyes.
Just then, he heard the door creak open.
A small, shy presence stepped into the room.
Kimishima Ayano, the resident maid of Sakurasou, approached the bed in her crisp uniform. She kneeled beside him, her gaze nervously flickering to the distinct shape beneath the blanket.
Her cheeks turned a soft pink.
Nozomi continued pretending to sleep, wondering what she would do.
Ayano leaned forward, her voice a whisper. "Yuki-sama said... this is the best way to wake up the master."
Before he could react, a warm, feather-light sensation brushed his lips.
His eyes fluttered open in surprise.
Ayano, flustered yet earnest, was still leaning close, her eyes fluttering shut as she gently kissed him again.
"Ayano..."
Her face turned bright red, but she didn't move away.
Faced with her clumsy movements, Nozomi decided to give her a little guidance—as a proper master should.
The tips of Ayano's ears turned red, her body twitching slightly from nervous tension. Her breath came in short, uneven bursts. Her eyes were glassy, as if her mind was floating somewhere far away, lost in the moment.
She didn't come back to her senses until Nozomi gently released her.
Still panting, Ayano sat quietly on his lap, like a kitten that had just played too hard. Her normally stoic face was now a mess of flushed cheeks and wide, uncertain eyes.
Nozomi let out a light sigh and brushed her soft hair aside, his voice lowering into a gentle murmur.
"Ayano... why would you do something like that so suddenly?"
Ayano blinked slowly, as if gathering her thoughts. "Is that not allowed? Yuki-sama said that as a maid, you must use soft methods to gently wake up the master."
Nozomi coughed. "Ahem... Yuki is technically your mistress."
"Yes, Yuki-sama is the mistress... but Nozomi-sama is the master."
He stared at her in disbelief. The way she answered so earnestly—with that same deadpan expression—only made things worse. Or better. Depending on how one looked at it.
Nozomi felt his last strand of composure snap.
If this was how Ayano was going to act, then as her master, it was his duty to... instruct her properly.
He gave her a little coaching, nothing too wild—just enough to make sure she understood the dangers of her own cuteness. After all, it would be tragic if this silly, serious little maid got herself into trouble by doing things like this for someone less... refined than him.
Nozomi wasn't about to let such an innocent treasure go to waste. She was officially recognized as part of his growing household. That was final.
...
Later that day, Nozomi had an appointment with Kasumigaoka Utaha to meet with her editor. They were submitting the manuscript for Magical Girl Misaki—the latest work born from their creative collaboration.
Given that the game adaptation was already gaining a decent fanbase, even a half-decent editor would understand its potential.
Strangely enough, Utaha had chosen to meet at a well-known maid café.
Nozomi wasn't really into the typical moe maid thing... unless the maid happened to be someone like Minami Kotori.
Not that it mattered. He hadn't seen μ's in this world. But given the crossover chaos of this anime reality, he wouldn't rule anything out.
On the way to the café, he passed a narrow alley.
Inside, a girl was being harassed by a loud, aggressive boy.
"Oi, come on! Just one date!"
"I told you already—no! We've only met once, why would I agree to that?!"
The boy scowled, eyes darkening with petty rage.
"Tch... you're really saying no? You know what, I'll take a photo of you, stick it in my pants, and fart on it every day! You're dead to me!"
The girl's jaw dropped, then flushed with fury. She smacked him hard across the cheek and stormed off.
"You're crazy!"
Nozomi, who had stopped briefly, winced at the sheer absurdity of it all. He shook his head and briskly walked away.
There was only so much cringe one could handle before breakfast.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a short-haired girl walking calmly in the opposite direction. Her gaze was flat, distant—yet somehow familiar.
...Wait.
Wasn't that Kato Megumi?
He didn't stop her. Didn't say anything. Just passed by with a small glance.
Today was Utaha-senpai's day, and he didn't want to be distracted.
Still, as he walked away, the quiet girl slowed her pace. Then, curiously, turned around.
Someone had been looking at her.
People often forgot about her, even her own family at times. They'd leave her behind during trips, or forget to make enough dinner portions. Her presence was that subtle.
But just now… someone had really looked at her.
Will he not ignore me?
Kato Megumi tilted her head slightly in thought.
Then, quietly, she followed in the direction Nozomi had gone.