Watching the two of them practice volleyball, hitting the ball back and forth with practiced ease, Eriri Spencer Sawamura, who was teamed up with Shiina Mahiru, couldn't help but pout.
That big idiot, Hozuki Nozomi! Why didn't he invite me? Instead, he invited that Katou girl. What does that mean? Does he think I'm less charming than her? Losing to a background character—she was absolutely unwilling to accept that!
The consequence of being distracted during volleyball practice was getting hit squarely on the head by the ball.
"Ouch!"
Eriri Spencer Sawamura cried out in pain as the volleyball bounced off her head.
"Ah! Eriri-chan, are you alright?" Shiina Mahiru quickly trotted over, helping her up with a worried look.
"Ah, I'm fine," Eriri said, forcing an awkward smile and waving her hand dismissively.
"That's good. Let's take a break. You look a bit unwell; you must be tired."
"Alright."
Shiina Mahiru guided Eriri Spencer Sawamura to sit down in the shade of a nearby tree. Observing the pouting blonde, Mahiru couldn't resist a playful tease. "What's wrong, Eriri-chan? Are you jealous because Nozomi didn't invite you to practice with him?"
"How is that possible?!" Eriri shot up like a startled cat, instinctively retorting. Her fair complexion, however, instantly flushed a brilliant scarlet all the way to the tips of her ears. She glared fiercely in the direction of the still-practicing pair, her tone a classic mix of defiance and denial. "I would never be jealous of that scumbag! I don't even like him! On the contrary, Mahiru, do you really not mind? That guy is engaged to both Yukino and Haruno-senpai!"
Eriri Spencer Sawamura was thoroughly confused. Why were all the girls around him so… tolerant? And herself included… Could he truly be some kind of succubus incarnate? Were they all charmed by him?
Seeing Eriri's stubborn expression, Shiina Mahiru gently took her hand and pulled her back down to sit.
"Of course I get jealous too," she admitted softly. "But… there's no helping it. Nozomi is just… too much for one person to handle. I alone could never fully satisfy him as a boyfriend. So, I can only look for helpers, right?" She squinted her eyes at Eriri, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "What, you don't know just how amazing he is?"
"I… how would I know that?!" Eriri's cheeks burned even hotter. She truly hadn't expected Mahiru's acceptance of his philandering to stem from that reason. He really was a pervert through and through!
"Pfft, it's fine if you don't know now. You'll find out eventually," Shiina Mahiru said with a smile, giving Eriri a meaningful wink full of unspoken understanding.
Eriri Spencer Sawamura let out a classic tsundere hmph! "I don't want to know such things! And I'm not upset because he didn't team up with me!"
Shiina Mahiru: "Yes, yes, of course. How about I go switch places with Katou-chan for you?"
"Hey, Mahiru! What are you saying?! Don't you dare! I don't want to practice with him!" Eriri protested, yet her eyes still followed as Shiina Mahiru cheerfully went over and swapped positions with Katou Megumi.
Hozuki Nozomi walked over, a beaming smile on his face. "Eriri-chan, does your head still hurt from getting hit? Do you need me to carry you to the infirmary to rest?"
Noticing the slightly intense look in his eyes, Eriri Spencer Sawamura's previously annoyed mood instantly evaporated, replaced by a flustered blush. She glared at him fiercely. "I'm not that fragile! It was just a light tap from the ball! Don't even think about using this as an excuse to do anything perverted to me!"
Hozuki Nozomi clutched his chest in mock pain. "Eriri-chan, that hurts. In your eyes, am I only capable of doing bad things to you?"
"Otherwise?" Eriri crossed her arms in a classic tsundere pose, squinting one eye at him judgmentally. "Besides bullying me and doing lewd things to me, what else do you do?"
Fortunately, they were speaking in hushed tones. If their classmates overheard, Hozuki Nozomi would undoubtedly be scorned by both boys and girls alike.
Hearing Eriri's disdainful words, Nozomi didn't get angry. After all, he had bullied her—though she always half-heartedly gave in in the end.
Thinking this, he replied aloud, "How is that bullying? I'm clearly helping Eriri-chan gather valuable life experience for your art! Isn't it thanks to me that your drawing skills have improved? That your understanding and portrayal of emotional and… physical dynamics have deepened?"
"Deepened my foot! How can you say that with a straight face?!" Eriri Spencer Sawamura was filled with utter contempt for him. "Watch me smash your head with this volleyball! Go to hell, you scumbag!"
Yet, after saying all that, didn't she still end up practicing volleyball with him? She must have been jealous after all, Hozuki Nozomi decided. He resolved to find an opportunity to properly comfort the tsundere girl later that afternoon. A tsundere required careful, dedicated coaxing.
Watching Eriri Spencer Sawamura, now smiling excitedly as she practiced, and Hozuki Nozomi, whose gaze held a gentle warmth, Shiina Mahiru's own gentle gaze shifted to Katou Megumi across from her.
"Katou-chan, are you getting used to Soubu High?"
"It's alright. It doesn't feel too different, just… more unfamiliar faces."
"I see. Well, if you have any difficulties, Katou-chan, remember you can come to me anytime. Of course, you can also go to Nozomi, since he's the class representative as well."
"I will," Katou Megumi nodded in agreement. He did take my first kiss. If I don't make him do something for me in return, wouldn't I be at a great loss? Of course, she definitely wouldn't bother him over trivial matters.
Katou Megumi appeared indifferent to most things; in truth, she didn't possess strong desires. Perhaps because of this, she was always subconsciously overlooked. If I were an assassin, my success rate would probably be incredibly high, she mused idly.
For now, Katou Megumi chatted amiably with Shiina Mahiru. She sensed Mahiru's genuine kindness and was naturally disarmed by her angelic smile. Unlike her perfunctory attitude toward Sagami Minami, Katou Megumi sincerely exchanged information with Shiina Mahiru.
By the end of the class period, the two had become friends. It could only be said that Shiina Mahiru's charisma was exceptionally high.
Through her conversation with Mahiru, Katou Megumi learned a great deal more about Hozuki Nozomi. For instance, the fact that both Ogiwara Sayu and Shiina Mahiru were currently living with him.
So, Hozuki Nozomi really is a scumbag, isn't he? He's already living with two beautiful girls, yet he's also involved with Utaha-senpai and Eriri Spencer Sawamura. It seemed she herself had now become one of his "victims"—hadn't she just lost her first kiss to him?
Thinking this, Katou Megumi's heart raced for a moment before her expression settled back into its usual calm. She didn't intend to distance herself because of Hozuki Nozomi's scoundrel behavior. After all, he was the boy who had actively approached her, who remembered her, and who had been gentle with her. For a girl like her, so often overlooked, how could she possibly bring herself to reject such a handsome, charming boy who was willing to pay attention to her and include her in his world?
Moreover, there was the beautiful Kasumigaoka Utaha, Eriri Spencer Sawamura, Shiina Mahiru, Ogiwara Sayu… and from her observations, even Miura Yumiko, Yuigahama Yui, and Ebina Hina looked at him with unusual emotions in their eyes.
A boy who could gain the approval and affection of so many exceptional girls… he must be an exceptionally outstanding person in his own right.