Yukino Yukinoshita settled onto Hozuki Nozomi's lap, her body relaxing as she felt his gentle fingers running through her hair with the hairdryer. The warm air cascaded over her scalp, but it did nothing to cool the heat rising to her cheeks as she contemplated what was soon to follow.
She stole a glance toward Shiina Mahiru, who caught her eye and responded with an encouraging smile and a playful wink. Yukino's blush deepened considerably.
Mahiru was so generous, so open about all of this. Compared to her, Yukino felt almost petty—she still struggled with jealous pangs from time to time, despite logically accepting the situation.
After a while, Yukino's hair was completely dried. She actively extracted herself from Hozuki Nozomi's embrace, then took Mahiru's hand and gently pushed the red-haired girl toward him. The message was clear enough: now it was Mahiru's turn.
She refused to be outdone by Shiina Mahiru in matters of thoughtfulness.
Hozuki Nozomi naturally had no objections whatsoever. If anything, he was the greatest beneficiary of this harmonious arrangement. As a man, seeing his fiancée and his beloved get along so well filled him with immense satisfaction and pride.
Shiina Mahiru, for her part, didn't engage in any coy protests. She sat generously in Hozuki Nozomi's arms, tilting her head back slightly as she enjoyed the sensation of his fingers gently working through her damp tresses.
Her willingness to let Yukino go first stemmed from practical circumstances—she lived in Sakura Dormitory and could spend every day with Hozuki Nozomi, while Yukino, as his official fiancée, could only visit occasionally. Yukino, meanwhile, felt a small measure of guilt toward Mahiru for holding the formal title of fiancée despite being the newer addition to his life.
"All done, Mahiru. Your hair is dry now."
Hozuki Nozomi set aside the hairdryer and rubbed his hands together, his gaze growing noticeably warmer as he glanced between the two girls. "Well then, Mahiru, Yukinoshita... it's already night."
Yukino Yukinoshita let out a soft exclamation and quickly reached for the light switch, plunging the room into darkness. If it was too bright, she would be far too embarrassed to proceed.
Hozuki Nozomi didn't object. The moonlight filtering through the window provided ample illumination to appreciate Yukino's adorable, flustered expression. Without wasting further words, he shifted his arm and drew Shiina Mahiru down onto the bed beside him, his other hand finding its way to Yukino's slender waist.
Time passed—how much, none of them could precisely say.
Eventually, Yukino Yukinoshita found herself resting in her fiancé's arms, her blue eyes glistening with a certain crystalline moisture in the dim light. Hozuki Nozomi wore a thoroughly satisfied expression as he raised a hand to gently stroke her sweat-dampened hair.
"Yukinoshita, are you alright?" he asked softly.
Yukino nodded shyly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm... I'm fine, but... my hair is damp again."
"That's easily fixed. I'll dry it for you shortly. I don't want you or Shiina Mahiru catching cold." Both girls were covered in a fine sheen of perspiration, and the temperature shift could easily lead to illness if they weren't careful.
Yukino bit her lip and affectionately wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hozuki Nozomi... I'm a little tired."
He lowered his head to press a gentle kiss against her lips. "Then rest now, Yukinoshita. You've earned it."
True to his word, he carefully lifted Yukino and carried her to the bathroom, cleaning her up with tender efficiency. A subtle application of magic dried her hair completely before he settled her onto the bed beside the still-sleeping Shiina Mashiro.
Then his gaze turned toward Shiina Mahiru, whose cheeks were still flushed a lovely pink.
"Shiina Mahiru," he called softly, arms open. "Come here."
Mahiru's delicate form trembled slightly, but she shyly nestled into his embrace without hesitation. Hozuki Nozomi didn't delay, lowering his head to capture her lips.
He couldn't possibly neglect his little angel Mashiro either. With the abilities he possessed, why wouldn't he use them to bring happiness to the ones he loved?
Inside the ornate box in the corner, Suigintou had her hands pressed firmly over her eyes.
"Lewd!" she cursed inwardly. "Shameless!"
She shouldn't have given in to curiosity and peeked. That was her first mistake. But watching the man she was contracted with being intimate with other girls sent a strange, aching sensation through her chest—something she didn't understand and couldn't name.
Hozuki Nozomi was the first person who hadn't feared her. The first to actively form a contract with her. The first man to ever kiss her. All of these things made him uniquely significant in her existence, despite her protests.
Suigintou knew, logically, that she was a Rozen Maiden—a doll. There was no true path to being with a human in that way. But knowing this didn't ease the uncomfortable tightness in her heart.
She covered her ears, trying to block out the strange sounds filtering through the box's walls. Yet the ache only intensified.
Suigintou had never experienced love before. She couldn't identify this emotion, couldn't name the discomfort roiling within her. Part of her wanted to burst out and teach that insolent human a lesson. Another part, however, was genuinely curious.
Those two girls... judging by their voices, they didn't sound like they were in pain. If anything, they seemed to be enjoying themselves? She simply couldn't comprehend why humans would engage in such activities.
Suigintou spent the night with insomnia, her thoughts a tangled mess she couldn't unravel.
Elsewhere, back in her own room, the demon girl Satania lay sprawled across her bed like a salted fish drained of all life and ambition. Tears pooled in her eyes as her mind relentlessly replayed certain memories.
Being held in the arms of that human named Hozuki Nozomi. The intimate press of his lips against hers. The taste of—
"Ahhh!" She sat up abruptly, face burning. "Damned Gabriel! Damned Hozuki Nozomi! This is a disgrace! A stain on the entire life of the Great Demon Satania!"
Despite her simple nature, Satania wasn't completely ignorant. She understood that things like kissing were meant to be shared with someone you liked—someone special. Yet because of Gabriel's cruel orders, she had shamelessly allowed Hozuki Nozomi to kiss and hold her as he pleased.
She had no face left to show anyone!
Wuwuwu...
Satania couldn't stop crying, tears streaming freely down her cheeks.
"I'm not going to class tomorrow! I'm going to fully embrace the demon's code!"
In Satania's unique value system, arriving late to school was an A-rank demonic act. Using all the toilet paper without replacing it was S-rank. But deliberately skipping class entirely? That was an SS-rank demonic behavior!
If she followed through, her demon points would increase substantially, and her monthly allowance would rise accordingly. That was precisely why she always had funds available to purchase questionable demon tools—her commitment to minor wickedness was unwavering.
Back in Hozuki Nozomi's room, Shiina Mahiru had finally succumbed to exhaustion, drifting off to sleep in his arms. While her physical endurance surpassed Yukino Yukinoshita's, Hozuki Nozomi's capabilities were frankly inhuman. His natural power, combined with his undying skill and the application of certain enhancement techniques, created an experience that was simply overwhelming.
However, he maintained sufficient self-awareness to ensure Mahiru received the most perfect experience possible—the kind that would leave her with no desire to ever seek such pleasures elsewhere.
Just as he was settling in to finally sleep, a small movement stirred beside him.
Shiina Mashiro, who had apparently awakened at some point, was gazing at him with slightly dissatisfied eyes. Without invitation or hesitation, she crawled into his arms, pressing her soft small hands against his chest before winding her arms around his neck.
She pressed a kiss to his chin—a silent request.
Hozuki Nozomi looked down to find her expectant gaze fixed upon him, those usually vacant eyes now holding a clear, unmistakable desire.
"Hozuki Nozomi," she stated simply, her voice soft but insistent. "Mashiro wants to do what Mahiru and Yukino got to do."