Placing the cat in her arms down near the school gate, Yukinoshita Yukino hesitated for a moment, her fingers lingering on its fur as if reluctant to let go.
"Since you like cats so much, why not just keep one?" Hozuki Nozomi's voice broke the silence.
Yukinoshita's expression immediately turned cold. "I like them, but that doesn't mean I have to keep one."
"Is there some other reason? Like, maybe someone in your family is allergic to cat fur?"
Her sharp gaze flicked toward him, arms folding across her chest. "Are you always this nosy?"
Nozomi smirked, unfazed by the cold reception. "Just curious. I doubt there's a guy in Sobu High who wouldn't be at least a little interested in you."
Yukinoshita raised an eyebrow before lifting her chin slightly. "Well, that's only natural. I am quite adorable."
The sheer confidence in her voice made Nozomi's lips twitch.
"You're not even going to deny it? That level of narcissism is almost impressive."
"It's not narcissism if it's true," Yukinoshita countered without missing a beat. "Since I was a child, boys only ever approached me because of my looks. They never actually wanted to know me as a person."
Her voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable sharpness beneath the surface.
"From elementary school to junior high, my indoor shoes and recorder were stolen dozens of times. Sometimes by jealous classmates, sometimes by so-called admirers who wanted a 'souvenir.' Even a teacher once took my things."
Nozomi raised an eyebrow. "A teacher? That's messed up. What happened to them?"
Yukinoshita's expression didn't change. "Ruined. He lost his job and his reputation."
Nozomi nodded. "Sounds like social death. Harsh, but deserved."
"Exactly." Yukinoshita sighed, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Though, I still don't know why a stray dog once took off with my indoor shoes."
Nozomi held back a laugh. "Maybe they smelled... interesting?"
"Oi!"
With a huff, she lifted her foot and lightly stomped toward him, as if to retaliate. "That's rude! I wash my shoes regularly, you know. You shouldn't just blurt out things like that!"
Nozomi chuckled. "Relax, I was just messing with you. But I have to admit, you look cute when you're flustered."
Her movement paused for half a second before she scoffed. "If that's your attempt at flirting, let me stop you right there. I don't appreciate cheap compliments. If you're trying to get close to me, I suggest you give up now."
Nozomi held up his hands. "You've got the wrong idea. I just figured we'd be running into each other a lot in the future, so I wanted to establish a decent relationship. If you're not interested, that's fine too."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, leaving Yukinoshita momentarily speechless. The abruptness of his departure threw her off guard.
Was that it?
She had expected some weak excuse, maybe an attempt to prolong the conversation. But he had just... left.
She frowned slightly. "So he wasn't trying to get close to me because of my looks?"
She glanced toward the school building, where Nozomi had already disappeared from view.
Now that she thought about it, he already had Shiina Mashiro by his side. If he were truly fickle, wouldn't that girl be upset? Nozomi didn't seem like the type to juggle relationships like that.
But what did he mean when he said they would be meeting often?
A sudden thought struck her.
"...Could it be that he's planning to join my club?"
She blinked, considering it. She had instinctively turned him away, but thinking back, Nozomi hadn't actually done anything wrong.
In fact, if she had to admit it, he was easy to talk to.
A small sigh escaped her lips. If he really did want to join, maybe she should've heard him out. Her club didn't exactly have a long line of applicants. And...
Her gaze drifted toward the cat that was still rubbing against her leg.
If Nozomi joined, she'd have an excuse to spend more time with cats.
Yukinoshita clicked her tongue in mild irritation. "Hmph."
For some reason, the thought of him walking away so nonchalantly left her slightly annoyed.
Did I say too much?
But it was also his fault.
She had been willing to share something personal about herself, but then he just had to ruin it by saying her indoor shoes had a smell, and that was why the dog took them away.
How absurd!
She prided herself on being a clean and meticulous girl. She washed her indoor shoes regularly!
Any girl would be mad if someone suggested her things were dirty, let alone implied they smelled bad.
Nozomi probably had no idea.
That one careless remark had left Yukinoshita Yukino both angry and conflicted.
If he did know, though…
He'd probably just laugh.
And that would be even more infuriating.
But still, this frustration meant she was thinking about him, didn't it?
If she truly didn't care, she would have ignored it completely.
That would have been the worst outcome—because it would mean he had no way of making an impression on her.
=================
Back to Yukinoshita Yukino.
She couldn't get his words out of her head.
She thought of how her older sister had come to their school to see him twice already.
Unable to shake her curiosity, she sent a message.
Yukinoshita Yukino: Onee-san, are you there?
Yukinoshita Haruno responded immediately.
Yukinoshita Haruno: Oh? What a rare occasion! Yukino, messaging me first? I'm so touched!
Yukinoshita Haruno: What's up? Your beloved onee-san will answer anything~
Her teasing tone was unmistakable.
Yukinoshita Yukino sighed.
Having been on the receiving end of countless of her sister's pranks since childhood, she had long since learned not to let Haruno's pampering lull her into a false sense of security.
Yukinoshita Yukino: What do you think of Nozomi?
She decided to test the waters first.
If her sister was truly interested in him, then Nozomi was doomed. Haruno would definitely toy with him just for fun.
Yukinoshita Haruno's lips curled into a smirk when she saw the message.
That guy really had skills.
He'd actually managed to make the ever-distant Yukino take the initiative to ask about him.
Yukinoshita Haruno: Hmm… He's a good-looking guy. I like him quite a bit. But… if Yukino likes him too, I suppose I can let you have him~
Yukinoshita Yukino nearly dropped her phone.
What nonsense was she spouting now?!
Yukinoshita Yukino: Onee-san, stop saying such weird things! I don't like him!
Yukinoshita Yukino: But he did say something strange. He mentioned wanting to build a good relationship with me because we'd be meeting often in the future. Do you know what he meant by that?
Yukinoshita Haruno: Ohh, Yukino's intuition is sharp as ever. Nozomi-kun is right. You two will be seeing each other often. I can't tell you the details yet, but you'll understand by the end of the month~
Yukinoshita Haruno: Oh, and by the way, kaa-san told me to remind you to try your best to get along with him.
Yukinoshita Yukino froze.
Her mother, too?
Why was her family so fixated on her relationship with Nozomi?
But thinking back to their earlier conversation… she had practically driven him away.
A twinge of guilt crept into her chest.
Not that she wanted to just follow her mother's wishes blindly.
Her relationships were hers to decide, and she wasn't about to let anyone else dictate them.
But…
She did have a bit of a soft spot for Nozomi.
Especially for his ability to attract cats. It was almost unfair.
So… perhaps it wouldn't be the worst thing to try talking to him a little more…?
Just a little.
Her face warmed at the thought.
How embarrassing.
Hadn't she just been acting all high and mighty, claiming she had no interest in being his friend?
And yet now, here she was, considering it.
Yukinoshita Haruno: That's just kaa-san's opinion, though. In the end, it's your decision, Yukino. If you're really against it, you can ignore her. But personally, I still like Nozomi-kun~
Yukinoshita Yukino: He's already close with Shiina Mahiru. Don't stir up trouble.
Yukinoshita Haruno: Oh? Worried about him, are we? Yukino, you're being suspiciously tsun-tsun right now~
Yukinoshita Yukino: I don't know what you're talking about.
Yukinoshita Haruno: Aww, so stubborn. You're adorable when you're like this, you know?
Yukinoshita Yukino ended the conversation abruptly.
This annoying sister!
What was she even imagining?!
She was simply looking out for Shiina Mahiru, that was all!
Because Haruno was the type to stir up drama just for her own amusement.
That was the only reason she cared about Nozomi's relationship with Shiina.
Really.