147. A little smug satisfaction never hurt anyone, right?

That night, Suou Yuki drifted into sleep with a heart full of warmth and peace.

Being cradled by Hozuki Nozomi's scent, his steady breathing brushing against her skin—it gave her a comforting sense of security, like a protective barrier against all the uncertainties of the world. For her, all the schemes, all the little tricks, and even the shameless seductions... it was all worth it.

Just being beside him like this made her heart swell with happiness.

Nozomi didn't do anything else. He simply treated her like a soft, fluffy pillow and slipped into slumber. Perhaps, deep inside, he knew Yuki had a unique place in his heart. And maybe, just maybe, that's why he didn't act on impulse. Instead, he held her gently, as if cradling something too precious to harm.

Early morning light barely crept into the room when the door creaked open.

A delicate figure with golden hair tiptoed inside like a ninja from a slice-of-life anime. With quiet mischief, she crouched down and slowly lifted a corner of the warm quilt before slipping inside.

Yuki stirred.

Her half-asleep mind registered some strange rustling. She blinked groggily and squinted through the dim light.

There was a distinct bulge under the covers.

And then... unmistakable, repetitive movements. Something like—eating?

What the heck was happening under there?!

Her heart skipped a beat. She felt something tighten in her chest.

No way... Who is it?!

So early in the morning, and someone had the gall to sneak in here, to be so shameless?!

She flung the covers back in a panic—

"Mashiro?!"

Shiina Mashiro raised her head from beneath the quilt like a curious cat. Her big eyes blinked, calm and unbothered.

"Good morning, Yuki," she said serenely, then promptly lowered her head and resumed her actions.

"Aaaaaaaaah!! Mashiro! What are you doing?! Who told you to come here and eat all by yourself!?"

Yuki's face turned bright red, steam practically rising from her head like a flustered anime heroine. She gawked at her brother, stunned.

Seriously, big brother... You have such a perfect body. No wonder these girls are throwing themselves at you...

Mashiro blinked again, this time with confusion. "You want it too, Yuki? I can give it to you."

Then, as if this whole situation were completely normal, she gently touched her belly and gave Yuki a thoughtful once-over. After imprinting her rival's generous curves in her memory like an artist collecting references, she slipped out of the room as quietly as she entered.

Apparently, she had come here only to taste something good and gather... materials.

Yuki Suou's face was on fire.

This boldness, this unshakable calm... she had been completely outdone by Mashiro!

She clenched her fists.

No way! If Mashiro, a pet, can be this daring, then so can I! I can't lose my place in Onii-chan's heart!

———

Hozuki Nozomi groggily reached out and patted her head, pinching her puffy cheeks gently with a teasing smile.

"Your throat okay? You were acting all tough last night."

Yuki beamed up at him, her voice laced with sweet affection.

"It's fine, as long as you're staying energetic, Onii-chan. That's what matters most."

He chuckled softly. Of course, he knew what she meant. The dragon-blood physique he bore was a double-edged sword. Too much energy used too fast, and he'd once become a mindless husk, memories wiped clean. She was referring to that painful past.

He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into a warm embrace.

"Sorry I made you worry. Yuki... I know it's a bit late, but—I'm home."

Yuki's eyes welled up.

"Welcome back, Onii-chan."

A single tear slid down her cheek. It wasn't sorrow—it was joy. Her big brother, her guardian, her warmth—he had truly returned to her.

With that realization blooming in her chest, she didn't feel angry at Mashiro anymore.

After a few more cuddles, Nozomi nudged her gently.

"Alright, time to get up. Can't miss school."

Yuki pouted but eventually obeyed, rising and freshening up before donning her neatly pressed Sobu High uniform.

———

At Sobu High, Class F was as chaotic as ever.

As soon as Nozomi stepped into the room, he spotted Hikigaya Hachiman chatting animatedly with the ever-gentle Totsuka Saika.

Ah. Hachiman-san is walking further and further down the road of misunderstood BL.

He didn't feel like interfering, so with a light-hearted wave, he made his way to his seat.

On the way, he passed Miura Yumiko and casually reached out to ruffle her hair.

Every male student watching practically choked on air.

Yumiko—the glamorous, icy beauty of their class—let him touch her hair?

What shocked them even more was that she didn't explode in rage. Instead, she actually blushed and gave Nozomi a coy, almost flirty look.

Tobe Kakeru's jaw practically hit the floor.

This... this wasn't the Yumiko he knew!

What about her obsession with Hayato Hayama? Had that been replaced?

Tobe jabbed Hayato with his elbow, whispering urgently, "Hayato-kun, what's going on? Yumiko and Hozuki—seriously, no drama?"

Hayama sighed, his smile laced with subtle bitterness. "No drama. Yumiko just bonded with Hozuki over something a while back."

Tobe stared. "Bonded?! He touched her hair and lived to tell the tale! That's not bonding, that's sorcery!"

"Besides," Tobe added dramatically, "even you, Hayato, haven't touched her hair, right?"

Hayama chuckled, trying to brush it off. "We're just friends. I wouldn't touch a girl's hair without permission."

Tobe Kakeru was speechless. You do know that touching a girl's hair is kind of a big deal, right? And yet, here was Hayato-kun being all calm and rational about it. Tobe couldn't help but grind his teeth a little.

"Hayato-kun, you're too nice! Nozomi's totally taking advantage of that and—he stole Yumiko from you!" Tobe muttered bitterly, his gaze narrowing as he watched Nozomi casually give Hayama a cheeky thumbs-up across the classroom.

His mood turned sour. Tobe considered himself both Hayato Hayama's loyal bro and a long-time supporter of Yumiko. That said, he wasn't dumb enough to openly antagonize her—or brave enough. Still, this frustration had been building up for a while.

And seeing Ebina Hina now practically orbiting Nozomi like a curious satellite only twisted the knife deeper. That girl was supposed to be his crush!

"Hayato, seriously, don't you think Nozomi's going overboard? He's clearly playing the field. We should expose him—let Yumiko see who he really is! Maybe then she'll come back to you!"

Hayama blinked.

"…Huh?" he said dumbly at first, then sighed, running a hand through his silky anime-protagonist hair. While he did envy Hozuki Nozomi, he'd never had the heart to actually resent the guy. Not after everything.

He remembered how Yumiko had forgiven him—without drama, without bitterness—after he used her to dodge a romantic confession from someone else. She hadn't made a scene, just quietly distanced herself. It was… gentle. Painful, but gentle.

Yumiko was always like that.

"No,Kakeru," Hayama said with a firm shake of his head, "You've got it all wrong. Nozomi and Yumiko are just… close. That's all. And besides, even if they were more than that, it's not our place to interfere. Yumiko's free to like whoever she wants."

Tobe puffed out his cheeks. "But what about Ebina?!"

Hayato chuckled. Ah, so that's what this was really about.

"Nozomi's not just some smooth talker," he said. "He fought off a whole gang of thugs to protect Yumiko, Yui, and Hina. The guy's got guts. If you want to impress Ebina, maybe try doing something equally bold?"

Tobe deflated instantly, the image of Nozomi soloing street punks making him break into a sweat. "Wait—he saved Yumiko and the others? Man, I'm the worst! I totally misjudged him!"

With a dramatic slap to his own cheeks, Tobe straightened up and grinned. "Okay, okay! I get it now. Let's forget all that dumb talk. Hey, since we haven't gone out as a group in forever, how about inviting everyone to a movie this weekend? That new film starring Sakurajima Mai-senpai is finally out!"

"Sure," Hayama replied.

Of course, just because they planned the outing didn't mean Yumiko would go.

But to their surprise, when Hayama casually extended the invitation after class, Yumiko's eyes lit up.

"Of course I wanna go!" she beamed.

…Though in her heart, it was more about going with Nozomi. Hayama and Tobe? Just background characters.

Yumiko had her reasons. Being close to Nozomi didn't mean she was cutting ties with Hayama entirely—at least not socially. In their class dynamic, appearances still mattered.

Take Yukinoshita Yukino and Sayu, for example. Both had been isolated at school, but for very different reasons.

Yukino had the power of ice-cold beauty and an influential family backing her. The Yukinoshita name carried weight, and her mother, the formidable Mrs. Yukinoshita, led both the high school and junior high parent committees. No one dared openly mess with the second daughter of such a clan.

Sayu, on the other hand, had no such shield. Her home life was… fragile. Divorced parents. A neglectful, scolding mother who saw her as a burden. A brother who obeyed his mother without question. Sayu grew up walking on eggshells, and learned early on that talking about her problems only led to more pain.

Once, she simply turned down a boy's confession. The girls who liked that boy made her life hell.

So yes, social standing in class mattered.

Yumiko understood this better than most.

She knew how to balance her connections—to keep her position stable. And she was smart enough to know that having a close relationship with Hayama, even as friends, helped her maintain her influence in class.

That's why, after agreeing to the movie, she didn't go alone. She immediately invited Sayu, Mahiru, Yui, and of course, her bestie Ebina Hina.

And most importantly—Nozomi was coming too.

Their closeness had just been solidified yesterday, and now Yumiko was clinging to it like a precious treasure. Hozuki Nozomi had accepted her invitation with his usual calm smile, and that made her heart race.

Still… she did wonder how Hayato would react.

If she stuck close to Nozomi at the theater, would it be like… rubbing it in Hayama's face?

Not that she'd do it on purpose… probably.

But a little smug satisfaction never hurt anyone, right?