139. Can you?

Yukinoshita Yukino stood frozen, stunned by everything she had just heard. Her brain struggled to keep up with the weight of the truth dropped like a bomb from Yuki Suoh's lips.

She never imagined that someone like Yuki Suoh—cheerful, playful, bold—had such a tragic and emotional connection with Hozuki Nozomi. And Nozomi... he had paid such a steep price to save his sister. The pieces were starting to come together now. That mysterious strength he occasionally displayed, the almost supernatural way he could recover from situations... it all pointed to something beyond human.

He must've used that power—whatever it was—to defeat the kidnapper back then. But in exchange, he lost part of himself. Became a shell.

Yukino even recalled a ceremony from her childhood—the Suoh family's solemn funeral for Masaki Suoh, the so-called Son of God. She'd stood stiffly in that gathering, confused why a boy was being buried when there had been no body. Now she understood: Hozuki Nozomi had died that day—not in flesh, but in soul.

Faced with Yuki Suoh's heartfelt plea, Yukino felt an unfamiliar pressure tug at her chest.

"I... I'm sorry, Suoh-san," she said softly, eyes lowering with hesitation. "I'm not sure if I can be the one to keep him spirited... all the time."

Her gaze drifted—unwillingly—to Yuki's impressively endowed chest, forming an awkward contrast to her own modest figure. A pang of self-doubt flickered in her.

Yuki caught her glance and grinned knowingly.

"Don't be jealous, Yukinoshita. You'll grow up soon enough," she winked. "Besides, if I didn't believe you could keep my brother on his feet, I wouldn't have asked you."

Her expression turned mischievous.

"I mean, why else would Nozomi-nii be so obsessed with your lap pillow?"

Yukino's face turned crimson in an instant. Just thinking about it—the warmth of his head resting on her lap, the subtle scent of his hair—it was almost too much.

He wouldn't do all that if he didn't feel something, right? Nozomi wasn't exactly subtle. Even that suspicious cat incident—it was clearly orchestrated to make them meet.

She stared at Yuki with genuine curiosity. "Suoh-san, what about you? What do you plan to do now that your brother has recovered?"

Yuki Suoh rose with a swish, brushing imaginary dust off her skirt and flashing Yukino a bright, confident smile.

"What else? I'm going to stay by his side and help him reclaim the title of Son of God! Our family's so stuck in the past... they've already picked a replacement for him. I'm just a bargaining chip in their marriage game."

Her smile turned defiant.

"At first, I planned to make my own money and elope with him someday. But now? Now that my brother's back in top form—I'm not scared. The Suoh family? Just an obstacle he can crush with one hand. So I transferred to his school immediately!"

She puffed out her chest, eyes sparkling with fierce determination.

"With my brother here, I have nothing to fear!"

Her raw confidence, bordering on cocky, left Yukino speechless. Compared to Yuki's unwavering dedication, her own hesitation over something as simple as a lap pillow seemed... ridiculous.

Sensing the awkward silence, Yuki leaned in with a teasing smirk.

"Ne, Yukinoshita... how far have you and my brother gotten?"

Yukino flinched. "W-What do you mean by that?! W-We just held hands, that's all!"

"Pffft—just holding hands? You're so pure it's painful!" Yuki giggled uncontrollably. "Yukinoshita, if you don't level up soon, someone else will steal him away."

That puzzled her. "Why are you even warning me? Shouldn't you not want other girls near him?"

Yuki nodded. "You're not wrong. I've definitely thought about keeping him all to myself. But honestly... I can't handle him alone."

She tilted her head, eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Can you?"

Yukino opened her mouth to protest—then paused.

Yuki was like Shiina Mahiru, an athletic all-rounder. And if she couldn't keep up with Nozomi's insane energy, what hope did Yukino have with her frail, bookish constitution?

Yuki saw her expression and chuckled.

"Exactly. You get it now, don't you? The only way is to accept it."

Then, with a sudden softness in her voice, she added:

"As for why I told you all this... it's because you're someone my brother cares about. And honestly, you're adorable. I kinda like you too."

Yukinoshita Yukino's face twitched with exasperated lines.

"You really don't act like a refined ojou-sama at all... more like a rogue in a fancy dress."

Suo Yuki just grinned mischievously, twirling a strand of her silky hair with her fingers.

"That's for show. Why pretend when I'm with family? Yukinoshita, I seriously can't wait for the day you come live in Sakurasou."

...

Back in the classroom, Yukinoshita Yukino sat by the window, her chin resting on one hand, gazing absently at the passing clouds. Her heart was a swirling mix of emotions, and her usual calm was nowhere to be found.

Originally, she had felt a subtle tinge of jealousy—perhaps even resentment—towards Suo Yuki for her closeness with Hozuki Nozomi. But now... that resentment had vanished without a trace.

She had seen it.

Heard it.

Felt it.

Suo Yuki's love for Nozomi wasn't something superficial. It wasn't just closeness or possessiveness. It was devotion. The kind that a shrine maiden would give to a god. Willing to sacrifice everything—even to the point of preparing to elope with him, forsaking her family name, her future.

Compared to that... Yukino felt like a side character in her own story.

No, maybe not even a side character.

With the other girls around him—Mahiru, Mashiro, and now even Yuki—it was hard to tell where she stood. The fifth? Sixth girl in the rotation?

And yet...

He was the one who had provoked her first.

Always invading her personal space, stealing her attention, brushing fingers, whispering teasing words that left her heart fluttering.

It was absurd.

...And yet, her cheeks flushed the more she thought about it.

That shameless, greedy man…

She couldn't stay mad at him.

If Hozuki Nozomi ever found out what Suo Yuki had done for him, he would be touched. Maybe even swept away. And yet, Yuki had no intention of ever telling him. She simply wanted to stay beside him, in silence, in warmth.

Yukino clenched her fists beneath the desk.

Could someone like her—slow to understand love, clumsy in expressing it—truly win his heart?

She remembered Sanshokuin Sumireko's teasing words.

"He likes innocent types like you, Yukinoshita."

Was that really true?

Her face turned red again. Her heartbeat thumped like a taiko drum. And the thought of seeing him again this afternoon made her feel… jittery.

Completely out of sync.

…

Elsewhere, Hozuki Nozomi was oblivious to the emotional storms swirling around the girls in his life.

During the short break, he had sneakily pulled Shiina Mahiru out of the classroom. The two slipped into the empty science lab, and within moments, Mahiru found herself in his warm embrace.

Cradled on his lap, cheeks flushed, her soft hair brushing against his chin, Mahiru could barely meet his gaze.

"N-Nozomi-kun... is this really okay? Skipping out during break... just to... just to cuddle?"

Nozomi chuckled, his voice gentle but playful. His hand landed softly on her thigh, brushing over the white knee socks she wore with his fingers.

"It's not just cuddling. It's because Yuki-chan showed up last night. I didn't get to see you, and I missed you, Mahiru. Didn't you miss me too?"

Mahiru pouted, looking away with mock indignation, even as her ears turned red.

"Y-You're so shameless... That's such a cringe-worthy line. Think about your answer yourself."

Nozomi smirked, then leaned in, stealing a kiss from her lips.

"I think that means yes. Mahiru, help your boyfriend out, okay?"

"Y-You're the worst!"

Despite her protests, Mahiru leaned into him, her small hands clutching the fabric of his shirt. He gently patted her head, smoothing down her hair.

She slid off his lap, knelt down, and wrapped her arms around his waist, her head pressed against him.

"You always bully me like this... I'm supposed to be a top student, but whenever you do this... I just melt."

Her sweet voice trembled, but she didn't pull away.

Her lips parted slightly.

With every look, every stolen touch, her heart was swept deeper into the current of their secret world.

Nozomi stroked her hair with affection, his fingers threading through her silken locks.

There was no Mashiro around today.

No one to interrupt or compete.

In this fleeting moment, Mahiru had all his warmth to herself.

Even so, the bell was about to ring.

She blushed deeper.

Guess she'd just have to hurry… and give it her all.

***********************

Long story short, she gave him head.