Looking at Nozomi's back as he walked away, Rita bit her lip and sank into deep thought.
Her heart was still racing from what she had just witnessed.
Shiina Mashiro… that girl… her technique was way too skilled! And Nozomi—he looked absolutely terrifying in that moment! The way they were together, so close, so natural—it was enough to make her imagination spiral.
Had Shiina Mashiro already been captured by him? Was it too late?
No. She couldn't let it end like this.
Mashiro's incredible talent couldn't be wasted on silly manga! Rita clenched her fists, a glint of determination flickering in her clear blue eyes.
Even if this turned into a long, drawn-out war, she was ready to fight it.
----
After breakfast, Nozomi headed off to school with the usual group of girls flanking him like it was straight out of a harem anime. Today's breakfast had been lovingly prepared by Shiina Mahiru—she even packed a bento for him.
As he slipped the lunchbox into his bag, Nozomi felt a rare sense of warmth bubble in his chest. Girls who could cook had a very unique kind of charm—especially sweet angelic ones like Mahiru. Honestly, it was hard not to fall for her.
By the time they arrived at school, the test results from yesterday had already been posted on the bulletin board.
Nozomi scanned the list casually. Yep—still ranked second.
Second place in the entire grade.
As expected, Shiina Mahiru and Yukinoshita Yukino were tied for first place. Again.
Suo Yuki landed third, and Hayama Hayato came in fourth.
Nozomi smirked inwardly. Though he didn't act like it on the outside, seeing his name near the top did give him a tiny swell of pride.
Of course, while some were basking in their success, others were clearly drowning in their sorrows.
As he stepped into the classroom, Nozomi spotted Yuigahama Yui hunched over her desk like a wilted flower. Her face looked like she was seconds from bursting into tears.
No need to guess. She'd failed.
Twice, in fact—both in English and math.
And she wasn't the only one. A few of Hayama's usual tagalongs also flunked, causing a minor panic.
With no other option, they cornered Hayama and begged him to hold a group study session.
Hayama, who cast a glance at Nozomi—the guy surrounded by beautiful girls like he was the reincarnation of some shoujo manga protagonist—sighed silently. Though his pride was a little bruised, he still forced a charismatic smile and agreed to tutor the others.
Even so, he couldn't understand it.
Nozomi was clearly a capricious guy, unpredictable and hard to deal with.
So why were girls like Yumiko still so drawn to him?
When did he lose the game?
---------
At noon, the moment class ended, Yuigahama Yui bolted straight for the Service Club room.
She flung the door open and lunged at Yukinoshita Yukino, latching onto her arm with the dramatic flair of a desperate heroine. "Yukino-chaaan, help me~! I'm so dead~!"
Yui was the only one in the club who had failed any subjects. While she was deeply embarrassed by it, she also saw this as a rare chance to bond with Yukinoshita and level up their friendship stats.
Yukino, exuding her usual cool and calm aura, let out a sigh. "I suppose I have no choice."
After all, the Service Club's whole purpose was to help others grow and improve.
Yui's request technically qualified as a commission.
Meanwhile, Nozomi had also dropped by the club for a bit but eventually made his way to the library.
There, he met up with Sanshokuin Sumireko.
The two sat across from each other in a cozy corner, sharing lunch together in companionable silence.
"Hey, Sumireko," Nozomi said suddenly, picking up a piece of his bento, "Where's Pansy?"
Sumireko raised an eyebrow and pouted. "Oh? Thinking about her now?"
"No, I was just curious," Nozomi replied, trying to sound casual. "You two look a lot alike… and I didn't see any of her family when I helped with her discharge paperwork."
Sumireko sighed, her voice softening. "After the accident, her relatives and friends disappeared from the picture. I've been covering her hospital bills this whole time."
She waved off his look of concern. "Don't worry, she still has a decent sum left untouched. Pansy's still secretly a rich lady, you know."
Nozomi chuckled. "So that makes you a rich lady too, huh?"
"Why, are you trying to become a gigolo?" Sumireko's lips curved in a teasing smile.
"Absolutely," he said with a straight face, grabbing her delicate hand and bringing it into his palm.
"Miss Sanshokuin, I humbly request something soft and delicious that melts in the mouth…"
Sumireko rolled her eyes, then picked up a juicy meatball with her chopsticks and brought it to his lips. "Keep dreaming, gigolo. All you get is a meatball."
Nozomi grinned and bit into it.
"Meatballs are delicious too."
Sumireko smiled, her purple eyes softening. She couldn't hide how much she enjoyed moments like this—with him, here in their quiet corner of the library.
"Surprised you're not off somewhere with the Ice Queen. Don't tell me... you two have leveled up already?"
Her curiosity about Yukinoshita Yukino sparked a teasing glint in her eyes.
Nozomi gave a tired shrug. "We're still in the hugging-and-occasional-cheek-kissing phase."
"Eh?" Sumireko puffed up her cheeks and leaned in. "So you came to me instead because I'm easier to... 'advance' with, huh?"
"I-I would never!" Nozomi looked panicked as he gently squeezed her hand. "Sumireko, you know what's in my heart!"
"Oh, I know all right. A heart like a wind vane—always spinning in different directions."
She rolled her eyes but didn't pull her hand away immediately. Only after a few seconds did she gently tug it back. "Enough of that. We've got spectators today."
She was right. From the corner of her eye, she could spot a few peeking heads from behind the bookshelves, probably from another class. Girls and guys alike couldn't help but be curious about the popular—and unpredictable—pair.
Nozomi gave a small laugh. "Can't blame them. My Sumireko is too dazzling."
"Yeah, yeah. Flatter me more while you hand me that card."
He took a small protective talisman from his bag—one Frieren had given—and handed it to her. "For safety. Don't forget to keep this with you."
Her expression softened again, and she nodded. "Got it. Thanks, Nozomi."
A moment of silence passed before she brought up another topic.
"By the way, have you heard anything from Tsukimi or Cherry-senpai lately?"
Nozomi shook his head. "Not really. We exchanged contact info, but we haven't spoken much."
Sumireko rested her chin on her palm. "I heard those two don't even hang around Yasuo anymore. They barely talk to each other now. Just doing their own thing."
Nozomi let out a dry laugh. "Sounds about right. They both confessed to Yasuo and got flat-out rejected. That kind of blow... it's not easy to bounce back from."
"The longer the effort, the harder the fall," Sumireko said, eyes thoughtful. "Honestly, I respect them a little. All that dedication, all for one person…"
She trailed off before adding, "If we hadn't broken that weird deadlock back then, things might still be awkward."
"Yeah," Nozomi nodded. "Girls' youth doesn't wait forever."
Just as the mood was mellowing, Nozomi's phone buzzed with a new message. His eyes flickered across the screen, and his expression turned... peculiar.
"What is it?" Sumireko tilted her head.
He handed her the phone. "See for yourself."
It was a message from Sakurahara Momo.
"Nozomi, are you free this afternoon? Please meet me. It's urgent. I'm begging you!"
Sumireko blinked, then gave him a sideways glance. "Oho~ Is this a date invitation I'm seeing?"
Nozomi scratched the back of his head. "I honestly have no idea. So what do you think? Should I go?"
She smirked and nodded, crossing her arms. "Of course. Momo-senpai's a good person. A little unhinged back in the day, sure, but she did help me out when it mattered. So, as my boyfriend, this is your chance to pay her back."
With a dramatic sigh, Nozomi stood up and stretched. "Alright, alright. I'll go on this suspiciously urgent 'date.' Let's see what she wants."
Still, as he walked off, the memory of Sakurahara Momo's... assets, strained tightly against her school uniform, floated into his mind.
Zero. No thoughts. Just physics-defying proportions.
Anime logic was undefeated.