Chapter 21

Hozuki Nozomi thought about it, but in the end, he decided not to bring up the age issue.

After all, this was the world of anime—age was just a number.

Chihiro Sengoku was still incredibly beautiful, with a mature charm, an amazing figure, and an air of effortless intelligence. But right now, sitting on his waist and whining like a spoiled kid, she wasn't much different from a brat throwing a tantrum. The self-proclaimed "eternally 29-year-old beauty" was in full force.

Chihiro smirked mischievously.

"So, what do you think, brat? Marrying me is a steal for you! From now on, my car is your car, your house is my house, and we can just laze around together!"

"Chihiro-sensei!"

A sharp voice cut through the air, making Chihiro freeze.

Ogiwara Sayu stood behind them, her arms crossed, one eyebrow twitching.

With the grace of a professional actor, Chihiro quickly got up from Nozomi's waist, pretending as if nothing had happened.

"Ah, Sayu, you're here. By the way, this guy's got a pretty firm waist. You're gonna be blessed in the future."

Sayu pouted, her cheeks puffing out like a hamster.

"I was just calling you to eat! And really, if you're going to do something like that, at least take it to a room! Is this what adults call 'playing around'?"

Both Nozomi and Chihiro turned red in an instant.

Awkward.

Too embarrassing.

Wait, why was he embarrassed?!

He was the victim here!

Nozomi quickly pulled himself together. A thick skin was the key to survival.

When Shiina Mahiru entered the room, she saw Chihiro suddenly sitting at the table, pretending to be composed.

"Yo, Mahiru! Come sit over here. Sayu's cooking is actually pretty good."

Mahiru hesitated before nodding slightly.

"Ah… okay. Thank you."

"Hello, I'm Sayu Ogiwara. I live in Room 201. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Mahiru Shiina from Room 203."

"Alright, alright, let's eat before the food gets cold!"

"Wait for me!"

A loud voice rang out as Kamiigusa Misaki made her grand entrance, dramatically sliding into the seat next to Mahiru.

"Ohh! Is this the newcomer? She's so cute! Hey, I'm Kamiigusa Misaki! You can totally just call me senpai!"

The dinner atmosphere was warm and lively.

For Mahiru, it was a completely different experience from the emptiness of her home. The people here, despite being weirdos, were genuinely kind. She found herself feeling… comfortable.

Well, mostly.

Mitaka Jin, as usual, was missing in action, answering a call and saying he wouldn't be back tonight.

As for Akasaka Ryunosuke, he was practically a cryptid, refusing to leave his cave. Instead, his AI assistant, Maid-chan, sent a robotic greeting on his behalf.

Mahiru didn't mind.

What she did notice, though, was how popular Nozomi seemed to be.

Sayu kept stealing glances at him.

Misaki-senpai would occasionally blush and look at him shyly, which was surprising considering her usual chaotic energy.

And then there was Chihiro—well, she had already started drinking again.

Somehow, the conversation had shifted back to Chihiro's failed blind dates, and now she was once again drunkenly insisting that Nozomi should just marry her.

Nozomi sighed, excusing himself to drop off a meal at Akasaka's door before returning to the table.

"Oi, Chihiro-sensei, are you seriously using me as your backup plan again?"

Chihiro waved her chopsticks dramatically, already several drinks in. "What, you got a problem with that? If my blind date fails again, you're legally obligated to take responsibility!"

Nozomi chuckled dryly.

Well… he wouldn't exactly mind.

But if he was going to get married, he wanted all the girls he liked.

…Not that it was realistic. That kind of thing only happened in light novels.

Still, with his No Game No Life system backing him up, why not aim for the happiest life possible?

Otherwise, what was the point?

After dinner, Nozomi found himself carrying a completely wasted Chihiro back to her administrator's dorm before making sure Sayu got back to her room safely. He even had to peel Misaki off of Sayu, since she had latched onto her in a sleepy hug.

His gaze fell on Mahiru.

"…You're next. Let's get you back to your room."

Mahiru immediately shook her head, taking a step back.

"No, I didn't drink. I don't need you to carry me."

Nozomi rolled his eyes. "What are you even thinking? I meant it's time to clean up."

"Oh."

She looked embarrassed for jumping to conclusions.

"Sayu cooked, so we should handle the dishes," Nozomi added, already rolling up his sleeves.

Mahiru smiled slightly.

That made sense.

The two of them worked quickly, though the sheer number of beer cans left behind by Chihiro made Nozomi sigh.

"Seriously, Chihiro-sensei can really drink."

Mahiru nodded as she wiped the counter. "She probably has a lot on her mind. Everyone has their own troubles."

Shiina Mahiru couldn't help but sigh as she continued sorting the garbage. Her delicate fingers brushed against a discarded beer can, her mind elsewhere.

Hozuki Nozomi remained silent, his usual smirk absent. He was aware that Mahiru was waiting for a response, but he deliberately let the silence stretch.

Mahiru frowned, turning to face him. "At this point, shouldn't you ask me what's troubling me?"

Nozomi took two steps back, dramatically shielding his crotch with both hands. "I'm afraid if I ask, you'll think I have feelings for you and use some violent technique to make sure I can never stand it up again."

"Pfft, are you stupid?" Mahiru scoffed, crossing her arms. "As long as you don't do anything shady, I won't go that far."

She glared at him with those deep, ocean-blue eyes, but there was no real hostility in them. Nozomi had a way of getting under people's skin, twisting conversations in ways they didn't expect. But that was part of his charm—or at least, it was something Mahiru had started to accept.

She ended up laughing despite herself.

Nozomi, seeing her reaction, grinned. "As expected, Shiina-san looks best when she smiles. Even the sakura blossoms outside the window pale in comparison. Frowning doesn't suit you."

Mahiru blinked, surprised.

Has he noticed?

Just as she was about to say something, Nozomi casually snatched the garbage bag from her hands. "I'll go throw this away. Shiina-san, you should get some sleep."

As she watched his retreating figure, Mahiru touched her cheek. It was warm. Her thoughts were a tangled mess.

"Does my smile really look that good...?"

She pouted slightly. "Before, he told me my smile looked like one of those fake customer service ones. What's with this sudden change?"

Even as she muttered complaints, there was a faint sense of happiness blooming in her chest. Despite only just moving in, she could already tell—Sakurasou was a good place. The people here were good.

Well, except for Mitaka Jin, the infamous playboy juggling six girlfriends at once. That guy was just beyond comprehension.

====================

Meanwhile, at a certain hotel, Mitaka Jin lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with a gloomy expression.

Earlier that day, Kamiigusa Misaki had sent him an animation project proposal—one that wasn't his. Instead, it was from Hozuki Nozomi.

A younger rival.

A direct challenge.

Jin gritted his teeth. What was she trying to say? That Nozomi was a better match for her? That his work wasn't needed anymore?

He knew deep down that he wasn't good enough yet. That's why he had planned to go to another school, improve his craft, and then return to Misaki as someone worthy of standing beside her.

But was she telling him not to bother waiting?

He clenched his fists. His six—no, five—girlfriends came to mind. The married one, Mieko, had left him just last week. Maybe she saw through him in a way he hadn't.

Then there was Nozomi. The guy was already popular. Ogiwara Sayu clearly had feelings for him, and now Misaki seemed to be getting closer to him too.

Was this the end of the road for him?

His gaze drifted to the animation project he had been working on for weeks. With a bitter laugh, he grabbed the stack of papers and tossed them into the trash.

He had to admit it. Nozomi's plan for the magical girl anime was leagues better than anything he had produced.

If Misaki and Nozomi teamed up, what was the point of all the effort he had put in?

A part of him wanted to return to Sakurasou, to demand answers from Misaki. To ask if she really liked Nozomi.

But he was terrified of the answer he might receive.

He told himself that his years of effort meant something. That Misaki should've waited. But deep down, he knew he had done nothing to earn that loyalty.

While he had been out partying every night, indulging in meaningless relationships, he had assumed Misaki would just always be there, waiting.

Instead, she had found someone else. Someone who wasn't content to sit around and take things for granted.

========================

The next morning, Mitaka Jin returned to Sakurasou.

He knocked on Misaki's door, but there was no response.

Frowning, he pushed the door open slightly. The room was empty.

"Not here...?"

Shaking his head, he turned to head downstairs and ask someone where she was. But just as he reached the staircase, he froze.

Kamiigusa Misaki was tiptoeing out of Nozomi's room.

She was wearing an oversized men's shirt. Nozomi's shirt.

Her face was flushed, her expression a mix of embarrassment and something softer—something warm.

Jin felt like he had been stabbed in the heart.

The pieces clicked into place instantly. Nozomi had won.

Misaki was his now.

Without saying a word, Jin quietly turned around and went back to his room.

The next thing he knew, he was staring at the ceiling, tears slipping down his face.

There was no need to ask Misaki how she felt.

The answer had already been given.

==========================

At noon, Chihiro Chisaki received a set of keys and a check-out slip.

Jin Mitaka's face was pale, his usual carefree smile nowhere to be seen. He simply handed over the documents without a word.

Chihiro glanced at him, but didn't pry. She simply counted the remaining rent and returned the excess amount to him.

With that, Mitaka Jin left Sakurasou.

And Hozuki Nozomi received a notification in his system.

[Mission Complete: Clean Up Sakurasou!]