The clock on the wall ticked relentlessly, its hands converging on the fateful moment. It was only two minutes before the start of class.
In the storage room adjacent to the classroom, Hozuki Nozomi finally ended his "reward" for Eriri Spencer Sawamura. The golden-haired girl was still caught in a daze, her cheeks flushed a deep, telling crimson, her amethyst eyes glazed over as if she hadn't quite recovered from the recent stimulation. Her breathing was a little shallow, her shoulders rising and falling softly beneath her disheveled uniform.
Hozuki Nozomi gazed at her adorable, bewildered expression and couldn't help but smile gently. With practiced, skillful movements, he reached out and began to tidy her clothes, straightening her collar and smoothing the wrinkles on her blouse.
"Class is about to start, Eriri. You need to fix your appearance," he reminded her softly.
At his touch, Eriri finally snapped back to reality. "Ugh... And just whose fault is it that I look like this?" she retorted, unable to stop herself from shooting him a resentful glare. Then, overwhelmed by shyness, she batted his hands away and began adjusting her school uniform herself. She had no choice—his hands seemed to possess some kind of strange magic. Whenever he touched her, her strength would simply evaporate, leaving her weak and pliant. Perhaps, she thought, her cheeks burning, this was a unique phenomenon that occurred when a girl faced the boy she truly liked?
After taking a few deep breaths to compose herself, Eriri slipped back into the classroom. She cast a quick, guilty glance toward Shiina Mahiru and the others before immediately straightening her posture. She sat primly on her chair, the very picture of a refined, golden-haired, twin-tailed mixed-race beauty with an outstanding temperament. Several boys in the class couldn't help but sneak admiring glances in her direction.
But Shiina Mahiru wasn't so easily fooled. The red-haired girl turned around, her playful gaze landing on Eriri. Leaning in close to her ear, she whispered with a knowing smile, "Eriri, your lips are a little swollen."
"Ah! Th-this... I..." Eriri's face ignited, her hands instinctively flying to cover her mouth.
"Hehe, no need to explain. I understand perfectly," Shiina Mahiru said with a light laugh. She patted Eriri's hand reassuringly, then turned back to face the front, ready for class, leaving Eriri sputtering in embarrassed silence.
Eriri Spencer Sawamura wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole. She knew instantly—her and Hozuki Nozomi's little secret rendezvous had been discovered by Mahiru. And the way Mahiru acted, with that air of experienced understanding, it was clear that pervert Hozuki had probably done the same thing to her at some point. Thinking of this, Eriri couldn't stop herself from glaring fiercely at the back of Hozuki Nozomi's head, right in front of her. Her eyes were filled with a complicated mix of resentment and shyness. Why was that guy so skilled, anyway? Just how many girls had he set his sights on? If they weren't in the middle of class right now, Eriri felt she might really whip him with her twin-tails.
One class period passed in the blink of an eye.
Soon, it was time for the afternoon club activities. Hozuki Nozomi, ever mindful of maintaining his delicate web of relationships, reached into his "cat bag" prop and summoned several helper cats. He scooped up a pure white cat, while two tabbies trailed obediently at his feet, and set off toward the Service Club. Bringing the cats was a calculated move, primarily to coax Yukino. After all, he had just spent his lunch break on a date with Kasumigaoka Utaha, leaving little time for his recently engaged fiancée, Yukino Yukinoshita. Relationships, after all, required constant nurturing. He couldn't afford to be complacent just because the girls tolerated his philandering; when necessary, he had to spread his affection evenly.
Holding the white cat, with the tabbies padding along behind him, Hozuki Nozomi casually pushed open the door of the Service Club.
And then he froze.
Inside, Yui Yuigahama, Asuna Yuuki, and Yukino Yukinoshita were all standing there in various states of undress, clad only in their underwear. Yui, her face flushed with exertion, was in the middle of helping Yukino pull a skirt up over her legs.
For a single, stretched second, Hozuki Nozomi stood paralyzed in the doorway.
"Ahhh! Hozuki Nozomi, why did you just barge in without knocking?!" Yui Yuigahama shrieked, her face turning the color of a ripe tomato. In her panic, she snatched up the nearest object—a pair of black over-the-knee socks—and hurled them directly at his face.
Hozuki Nozomi's reflexes kicked in, and he calmly caught the flying sock. His gaze, however, lingered for a fraction of a second longer than appropriate, sweeping across the scene before instinctively focusing on Asuna Yuuki's flustered, embarrassed face. "Sorry," he managed to say, his voice remarkably steady.
Then, like lightning, he pulled the door shut and waited quietly in the hallway.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no! He saw me!" Yui Yuigahama wailed, her small hands flying to her burning cheeks. Her ample curves, barely concealed, heaved with each panicked breath, a sight that drew a flicker of envy from Yukino Yukinoshita.
Yukino, for her part, remained remarkably calm. "Not entirely," she corrected, her voice serene. "We're still wearing underwear."
"Ugh... Anyway, he saw me, Yukino-chan! We have to give him a serious talking-to later!"
Yukino Yukinoshita opened her mouth as if to respond, but then chose to remain silent. Truth be told, she didn't really mind. They were engaged now, after all; she had long since considered herself Hozuki Nozomi's. There was nothing wrong with him seeing her.
Asuna Yuuki was just as embarrassed as Yui, her cheeks burning and her heart hammering against her ribs. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to blame Hozuki Nozomi. It had clearly been an accident. Sanshokuin Sumireko, who hadn't been changing and was simply sitting on a chair reading a book, remained entirely unruffled. Her identical twin, Nichiji Sumire, however, poked her sister's slender waist with a grin.
"Yui's so pure, even though she looks so mature. But, judging by his reaction... has that guy still not made a move on her yet?"
Sanshokuin Sumireko gave a slight nod, confirming her sister's suspicions in a low whisper. "Probably not."
Misaki Mei, sporting her usual eye patch, stared intently at the chests of Sanshokuin Sumireko, Nichiji Sumire, and Yui Yuigahama. Her expression mirrored the one on Yukino Yukinoshita's face: undisguised envy.
Asuna Yuuki quickly finished dressing, pulling on her skirt and buttoning her blouse with trembling fingers. Her cheeks were still burning. She had definitely noticed Hozuki Nozomi's gaze lingering on her a few times, and the realization sent a strange, fluttering feeling through her chest.
After a few moments, a hesitant knock sounded on the door. "Ahem, um, Yui? Yukino? Is it safe to come in now?"
"Hmph~! Pervert!" Yui Yuigahama grumbled under her breath, still red-faced. She glanced at the others, who seemed to have composed themselves, and finally yanked the door open. "...Come in."
Hozuki Nozomi stepped inside, offering an apologetic smile. "Hehe, sorry about that... I really had no idea you were changing in here."
Yui opened her mouth to unleash another round of scolding, but Yukino Yukinoshita interjected smoothly. "It's fine. Just remember to knock next time. After all, you're the only male member of the club."
"I understand. I've reflected deeply on my actions," Hozuki Nozomi said solemnly, stepping forward and presenting the white cat to her like a peace offering.
Yukino's expression immediately softened, her lips curving into a pleased smile as she accepted the fluffy feline. Still, she shot him a knowing look. She understood exactly what he was doing—using the helper cats to sweet-talk her after his lunch date with Utaha.
Seeing Yukino so easily appeased, Yui Yuigahama could only puff out her cheeks in frustration, her intended scolding dying on her lips. If the club president herself wasn't going to press the issue, Yui couldnvery well throw a tantrum. Of course, she'd never admit it, but a tiny, secret part of her was actually a little pleased that he had seen her. After all, it was a chance to showcase her feminine charms to the boy she liked. She wasn't genuinely angry; her outburst was purely out of embarrassment.
"Speaking of which," Hozuki Nozomi said suddenly, holding up the item Yui had thrown at him earlier, "whose over-the-knee socks are these?"
Asuna Yuuki's face immediately ignited once more. "M-mine," she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
"Oh, they're Asuna's." Hozuki Nozomi looked at them, then back at her. "Do you want them back?"
"Of course she wants them back!" Yui Yuigahama snatched the socks from his hand before he could say another word. "Were you planning to take them home as a souvenir or something? Pervert!" She thrust them awkwardly toward Asuna. "Um, sorry, Asuna. I panicked and just grabbed the first thing I saw, so..."
"It's fine," Asuna said quickly, waving her hand. She took the socks, her face still burning, and stuffed them deep into her backpack. The thought of Hozuki Nozomi's hand holding them just moments ago made her heart race with a strange, unfamiliar feeling.
Hozuki Nozomi watched the socks disappear into the bag with a look of exaggerated regret. "I thought they might have been yours, Yui."
"What are you even saying?! Even if they were mine, I wouldn't give them to you, you h-h-huge pervert!" Yui Yuigahama's face went scarlet again, and she began hammering his chest and shoulders with her small fists. Hozuki Nozomi quickly raised his hands in surrender, begging for mercy, and only after several solid hits did she finally relent, huffing indignantly.
Taking advantage of the momentary lull, Hozuki Nozomi cleared his throat, eager to change the subject. "Ahem. So, speaking of which... do we have any requests for the club today?"