"Ugh..."
The soft light of early morning filtered through the curtains as Yukino Yukinoshita slowly opened her eyes, still caught in that hazy state between sleep and wakefulness. The moment her gaze landed on the person sleeping beside her, fragments of the previous night flooded back with startling clarity.
A delicate blush, like cherry blossoms tinged with dawn, spread across her exquisitely beautiful features. She pressed her lips together, unable to stop herself from murmuring softly at him.
"What a pervert."
The Second Miss's tone carried no real reproach—if anything, it was laced with a coquettish warmth, a certain attachment, and even a hint of admiration that she couldn't quite hide. Her words inadvertently revealed just how thoroughly satisfied she was with her fiancé's performance.
She continued murmuring to herself, her gaze drifting to Shiina Mahiru's sleeping face beside him. The red-haired girl's cheeks still held a faint flush, and the sight made Yukino's own embarrassment flare anew.
Her eyes traveled downward.
Someone's blanket was slightly raised, as if something—or someone—was resting atop his lower body. A realization struck her, and Yukino gently lifted the corner of the quilt to peek inside.
There, curled peacefully, lay a girl with long golden hair, her delicate cheek pressed intimately against his lower abdomen, sleeping soundly without a care in the world.
Good heavens.
It was one thing for him to hold both her and Mahiru through the night. But this pervert Hozuki Nozomi had even stolen a corner of the blanket to indulge himself with someone else entirely.
Yukino Yukinoshita let out a faint, resigned sigh.
Strangely, she found she wasn't actually jealous. After all, Mashiro had likely been with him long before she herself entered the picture. And she, Yukino, was now his officially engaged fiancée—she had already claimed a significant advantage in this complicated arrangement.
Her gaze lifted to Hozuki Nozomi's handsome, sleeping face. Despite her earlier thoughts, she couldn't resist pouting slightly as she gave his arm a gentle pinch.
"Womanizer," she whispered resentfully. "Just how many more girls are you planning to get involved with?"
After voicing this complaint, she simply stared at him with complicated feelings swirling in her chest—but made no move to leave the warmth of his embrace.
Hozuki Nozomi's eyes opened. A gentle smile curved his lips as he lowered his head to press a kiss against her smooth forehead.
"It's still early, Yukino. Go back to sleep."
"I can't sleep," she replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't understand it. After being so exhausted last night, I should be completely worn out, but instead I feel strangely energetic."
Hozuki Nozomi understood the reason instinctively. His magic power—or perhaps more accurately, the vital energy within him—was quietly working to improve Yukino's physical constitution. The Second Miss had been born with certain deficiencies that left her body somewhat fragile compared to others. Now that she had truly become his, those innate weaknesses were gradually being repaired by the energy flowing between them.
Soon enough, he suspected, Yukino would be able to match her sister Haruno in physical stamina. She might even become a durable female knight in her own right.
He gazed at his fiancée with tender eyes, unable to resist leaning down to capture her delicate lips in another gentle kiss.
"If you can't sleep, then let's talk," he suggested when they parted. "But we should keep our voices down. We don't want to wake Mahiru and Mashiro."
Beside them, Shiina Mahiru's eyelids twitched almost imperceptibly. She was, in fact, very much awake—but after a moment's consideration, she decided to keep quiet. She was genuinely curious about what the pure and often shy Yukino would discuss with Hozuki Nozomi in these private moments.
Gossip, after all, was human nature. Even a little angel like Mashiro couldn't entirely escape its pull.
After the kiss, Yukino Yukinoshita's cheeks remained warm. She looked up at him and replied softly, "Alright. But... what should we talk about?"
Unlike her outgoing older sister or the bubbly Yuigahama, Yukino often struggled to find conversation topics when interacting with others. She was quietly self-conscious about her reserved, sometimes clumsy social nature. Watching him chat easily with Haruno, or laugh and joke with Yuigahama and the others, occasionally stirred feelings of anxiety within her—a quiet fear that she might not be interesting enough to hold his attention.
Hozuki Nozomi shifted his arm, wrapping it more securely around Second Miss Yukinoshita's slender waist and drawing her closer until she was pressed fully against him. He could feel her slightly hurried breathing against his chest as he began to speak slowly.
"Let's talk about the future," he said. "Yukino, we're already engaged. So when do you think we should get married? Right after high school graduation, or would you prefer to wait until after college?"
The question made Yukino's face flame anew. "Getting married immediately after high school... wouldn't that be too soon?"
"Hehe, not at all. In fact, I'm hoping you'll move into Sakura Dormitory quickly so we can live together properly."
At his words, Yukino's delicate form trembled slightly. They weren't even married yet, and he was already bullying her like this. Remembering the previous night—all the strange positions he'd guided her into—sent waves of indescribable shame washing over her. She silently cursed him for being such a hentai. If he was this clingy and demanding before marriage, what would he be like afterward?
As these thoughts swirled through her mind, that rogue leaned in again.
"Yukino, I need an answer. After high school, or after college?"
Yukino lowered her head, unable to meet his burning gaze. After a long moment of consideration, she finally whispered her response.
"After high school graduation... let's discuss it then."
Living with Mahiru and the others did have its appeal, she admitted. But Yukino Yukinoshita also cherished the idea of having personal space—a place where she could be alone with him, just the two of them. The luxurious villa she currently occupied would be perfect for that purpose.
She had accepted his flirtatious nature, had made peace with sharing him. But that didn't mean the Second Miss didn't occasionally wish she could be his one and only.
Hozuki Nozomi studied her conflicted expression with perceptive eyes. "Yukino... you don't really want to move in, do you?" A hint of sadness colored his voice.
Yukino quickly shook her head. "No, that's not it at all. Moving in would be fine—I am your fiancée, after all. It's just that... even though I've tried to change, I still don't adapt well to crowded places."
She was admitting, quietly, to her slight social anxiety and her famously terrible sense of direction—the traits that made navigating shared living spaces genuinely challenging for her.
Hozuki Nozomi's expression softened. He gently stroked her hair, his voice serious and warm. "That's completely fine. I respect all of Yukino's thoughts and feelings. If you don't want to move in, then I'll simply come to you instead."
Warmth bloomed in Yukino's heart. She opened her mouth to respond—
And felt a small, soft hand reach out to take hers.
She looked over to find Shiina Mahiru's eyes open, fixed on her with earnest sincerity.
"Yukino, move in," the red-haired girl said seriously. "Live with me."
Hozuki Nozomi blinked, a strange expression crossing his face. "Wait, Mahiru... you haven't developed feelings for my Yukino, have you?"
Shiina Mahiru turned to him, mischief dancing in her eyes as she smiled playfully. "Why not? Your Yukino is also mine now, isn't she?"
"Uh... I mean, technically, but..." Hozuki Nozomi's expression grew increasingly conflicted.
Shiina Mahiru and Yukino Yukinoshita exchanged glances—and simultaneously burst into laughter.
"Pfft!"
"You idiot, are you actually getting jealous of us girls?"
"Mahiru and I having a good relationship only benefits you in the end," Yukino added, her laughter softening into a gentle smile. "Unless... you're actually afraid that two girls might fall in love with each other?"
Shiina Mahiru unceremoniously poked at the heart of his anxious thoughts, her grin widening at his flustered expression.
Hozuki Nozomi laughed awkwardly, then tightened his arms around both girls, pulling them securely against him. His voice was firm, carrying a note of playful possessiveness.
"I'm not jealous of girls," he declared. "But regardless... Mahiru and Yukino can only ever be mine! I'll make sure you're both so infatuated with me that you never even think about anyone else!"
Yukino rolled her eyes at him, though the gesture was undermined by the smile tugging at her lips. "I really don't know what goes through your mind sometimes. My entire being is already yours—the engagement is settled. Where could I possibly run to?"
She paused, then added with mock seriousness, "However, if you're not good to me and Mahiru, you won't be allowed to touch us anymore—mmph!"
She got no further, because Hozuki Nozomi decided that since sleep was clearly impossible anyway, he might as well demonstrate exactly how good he intended to be to them both.