After sending Shiina Mashiro off to her art class, Nanami Aoyama turned gracefully and made her way back toward her own homeroom. The gentle rays of morning sunlight streamed through the school corridors, casting a warm glow on the glossy floors. Her steps were steady, her expression calm, but her mind swirled with lingering thoughts of her morning walk with Mashiro—and of Nozomi.
"Hey, good morning, Aoyama."
"Morning, Miyahara-san."
The one greeting Nanami with an awkward smile was a boy with close-cropped black hair and a subtle blush on his face—Miyahara Daichi.
"I told you, you can just call me Daichi," he mumbled to himself, too nervous to say it aloud. His crush on Nanami was as clear as day to anyone who paid attention, but like many timid high schoolers, he kept his feelings locked away in the cage of adolescent insecurity.
Confession? That was something for shounen manga protagonists, not average guys like him.
"Morning, Aoyama!" another cheerful voice called out. Kanda Sorata, with his usual easygoing grin, raised a hand in greeting.
"Good morning, Kanda-san."
The moment Nanami took her seat, Kanda leaned over curiously. "Hey, I heard you recently moved into Sakurasou. What's it like living there?"
Nanami smiled politely. "It's going well. The landlord is really gentle, and everyone gets along well. The atmosphere's... unique, but surprisingly warm."
Despite her mixed feelings about Nozomi getting a bit too close to Mashiro, she couldn't bring herself to badmouth him. After all, it was Nozomi who had invited her into Sakurasou when she had nowhere else to go. He had even helped her move and rescued her—twice—when she fainted from exhaustion.
And besides… it wasn't Sakurasou's fault that it was full of weirdos.
Kanda gave a sheepish chuckle. "That's not what I meant! I know the people there are nice, but I was wondering if there's any juicy info on those super beautiful girls who've been showing up there."
Nanami instantly gave him a deadpan look.
"Kanda, you're thinking with your hormones. Do you seriously expect me to gossip about the girls?"
"Come on, I was just curious! Everyone's been talking about it lately."
The surrounding classmates—especially the boys—leaned in, their eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Yeah, Aoyama! We're dying to know! Is Sakurasou turning into some sort of gorgeous girl harem? We heard that Mitaka-senpai used to live there! What's it like now?"
"Tell us the truth! Are all those pretty girls we saw coming and going Nozomi-san's harem?!"
Nanami's eye twitched. Her fingers curled slightly as she tried to keep her temper in check.
"First of all," she said sternly, "Mitaka-senpai moved out a long time ago. Right now, only the landlord lives there with us."
The class erupted in scandalized whispers.
"Wait, so there's just one guy living with all of you? Isn't that even more suspicious?!"
"Exactly! And you're defending him like crazy, Aoyama. Could it be there's more to this story? Something youthful... something lucky? Maybe even romantic?!"
Nanami's face flushed bright red. "N-No! There's nothing going on between me and Nozomi! Besides, he already has a girlfriend, okay?! So stop jumping to conclusions!"
As she said that, memories flashed in her mind—being carried by Nozomi when she collapsed, the gentle way he spoke to her, how he always seemed to be there when she needed him…
Was that really just coincidence? Or was it… fate?
"But Aoyama, your face is beet red right now! Are you sure there's nothing between you and your mysterious landlord?"
"I... I said stop it! You're all so annoying!"
Miyahara Daichi watched anxiously as Nanami flailed in a mix of embarrassment and frustration. When she emphasized that Nozomi had a girlfriend, he let out a small sigh of relief.
Just as things were about to settle down, a girl suddenly gasped.
"Wait a second! Aoyama-san, did you say your landlord's name is Nozomi?!"
"Yes...? What about it?"
Everyone turned toward the girl, curiosity piqued.
"I remember now! There's a legend going around Sobu High about a super handsome guy named Nozomi. People say he's a genius with top grades, amazing reflexes, and even scary good fighting skills!"
"They call him the 'Succubus of Sobu High'!"
"W-What?! Succubus? Isn't that a bit much?" Nanami stammered.
"That's what the boys started calling him! Because apparently every gorgeous girl who meets him falls for him—actresses, idols, honor students, even transfer students! And wasn't there a rumor about him and Mai Sakurajima?!"
The classroom buzzed with excitement.
"They say he's so dangerous that girls fall for him at first sight and end up totally smitten! A heart-thief! A master of romance!"
Miyahara Daichi's heart sank. The more he heard, the more he realized the competition was leagues above him. He looked toward Nanami again, eyes full of dread.
Could she be next?
But Nanami, despite the absurdity of it all, couldn't help but smile wryly.
"Where did you hear all that nonsense, Takako? Nozomi-san is not a succubus. He's just... really nice."
"Then tell us, Aoyama! What kind of person is he?" asked one of the girls, practically bouncing in her seat.
Caught off guard by their intensity, Nanami hesitated, her cheeks slowly turning pink. After a moment of thought, she answered honestly, "I think... Nozomi is actually a really gentle person. Of course, there's nothing like what you're thinking going on between us! But... he's helped me a lot. He's solved many of my problems when I didn't even know how to ask for help."
Her voice was calm, but tinged with quiet emotion. That morning, she'd been frustrated with him because of Mashiro, convinced he was taking advantage. And yet, Nozomi hadn't gotten angry, hadn't lashed back. He just accepted it and even made sure she could take care of Mashiro smoothly.
If he was truly a pervert, or a manipulator like the rumors painted him to be, wouldn't he have fought back?
Aoyama Nanami wasn't someone who blindly believed whispers in the hallways—she believed in her own eyes, her own experiences. She'd collapsed twice on the roadside. Each time, it was Nozomi who found her, who brought her back to safety.
If he had been a real predator, would she still be here, laughing with her classmates?
"That whole 'succubus' thing is probably just a nasty rumor spread by jealous boys who can't handle how popular Nozomi-san is," she said with conviction. "So please, don't go spreading baseless gossip."
She crossed her arms and gave them all a serious look. "Besides, if you're that curious, you can go talk to him yourself. He lives in Sakurasou. It's not like he's hiding."
"You're right, Aoyama," one of the girls agreed. "Rumors like that are really unfair."
Nanami's clear stance seemed to quell the excitement, and the buzzing questions started to fade away. Even Kanda Sorata, standing nearby, let out a relieved sigh.
Now that Nanami lived in Sakurasou, maybe his classmates would finally stop pestering him with questions about the parade of beautiful girls coming and going. They were always trying to dig up juicy details, like he was some sort of gossip column!
He still remembered that day—not long ago—when he'd passed by Sakurasou and caught sight of Nozomi holding a girl with long black hair and porcelain skin. She wore black thigh-high socks that made her look straight out of an anime dream. Sorata had frozen in place, stunned by how cute she looked.
Honestly, Sorata was envious of Nozomi. But not in a bitter way. Nozomi had something other people didn't. Sorata was just an ordinary student, trying to live his best life day by day.
Unlike Miyahara Daichi.
Daichi had been quiet all this time, but now his heart was storming. Every time Aoyama spoke about Nozomi, her voice softened. Her eyes seemed gentler. The ache in his chest tightened like a vice.
Could it be? Was there already something going on between them?
But… she said Nozomi had a girlfriend.
Daichi clung to that like a lifeline.
......
Back at Sobu High School, Nozomi let out a sudden sneeze in the middle of class.
Someone must've been talking about him.
And indeed, they were. Because today marked the arrival of a new transfer student at Sobu High.
At first, she didn't attract much attention. A country girl with pigtails and glasses? Definitely not the type to stir up rumors.
But by the afternoon, Nichiji Sumire was causing a stir.
She'd barely made it to lunch before boys started whispering in the halls. By the end of the day, she had no choice but to hide in the library with her partner-in-crime, Sanshokuin Sumireko.
At first, no one connected the dots. But then someone mentioned Sanshokuin Sumireko, and suddenly, it all clicked.
The resemblance was uncanny. Too uncanny.
"Don't tell me… Nichijii Sumire is also a disguised beauty?"
In the library, Sumire glanced at Sumireko with a faint grumble.
"Sumireko, this is all your fault. My disguise was totally working this morning!"
Sumireko couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth like a noble lady. "It's not my fault boys nowadays are into girls with pigtails. You're a victim of modern taste."
"Ugh, this is the worst," Sumire puffed, shaking her pigtails defiantly. "Not all girls with pigtails are secretly pretty, you know. But I guess… we are."
"Speaking of which," she added, narrowing her eyes. "I saw someone familiar today."
"Oh? Who?" Sumireko tilted her head curiously.
"Taiyo Oga. From the baseball team. Remember him?"
"Ah, yes. The guy who pretends to read but keeps sneaking glances at me."
"He confessed to me back in middle school," Sumire muttered with a sigh. "I turned him down, but now he's probably projecting all his feelings onto you."
Sumireko opened a book and started flipping pages casually. "It doesn't matter. I have a boyfriend now. I'm not accepting any new applicants."
Sumire giggled and leaned over, grabbing her hand. "Then can I borrow half of him?"
Sumireko didn't even look up. "If you want him, go get him yourself. That pervert's waiting to be delivered anyway. Last time, he even mistook you for me."
"Oh? Are you two talking about me behind my back again?"
A warm, teasing voice cut through the air.
Nozomi strolled into the library like a prince on a casual walk, his school blazer fluttering with the breeze. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he looked at the twin girls sitting together.
Sumireko's smile deepened. "What do you think, Mr. Pervert?"
He took a seat right between them, boldly throwing his arms around their slender waists like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I'd say it's definitely not me. After all, I'm Sumireko's boyfriend, remember?"
Sumire, who also found herself within his embrace, side-eyed him with mock annoyance, even as her heart skipped a beat.
(If you're her boyfriend, then what the heck are you doing hugging me too, huh… pervert Nozomi?)