When he arrived at the school gate, a sleek black luxury car idled by the roadside. The tinted windows reflected the midday sun, exuding an air of prestige and exclusivity.
Standing beside it, Yukinoshita Haruno waved at him with a dazzling smile. Dressed in an elegant white coat that contrasted beautifully with her long, flowing dark hair, she had the aura of a refined yet mischievous onee-san. A white headband adorned her head, adding a touch of innocence that only accentuated her natural charm. With her striking beauty and cheerful energy, it was hard not to be drawn to her.
In contrast, her younger sister, Yukinoshita Yukino, had a colder, more distant beauty. She was like an unapproachable snow lotus atop a frozen peak—enchanting but perilous to those who dared get too close. Their opposing temperaments only served to highlight the stark contrast between them: one a warm and playful spring breeze, the other a chilling yet mesmerizing winter storm.
"Nozomi-kun! You came out so quickly, I'm so happy!" Haruno chirped, trotting up to him before wrapping her arms around his.
Hozuki Nozomi stiffened at the sudden closeness, feeling the softness pressing against his arm. He wasn't used to this level of intimacy, especially from someone as dangerously playful as Haruno.
"Uh… Haruno-neesan, what exactly do you need from me?" he asked, his voice slightly awkward.
"Fufu~, don't be so nervous. It's just a small favor, I promise I won't bite." Haruno grinned, tightening her hold on his arm just slightly.
Her tone was lighthearted, but Nozomi couldn't ignore the way his heart skipped a beat when her warmth seeped through his sleeve. Too close! We've only met twice!
Haruno, clearly amused by his reaction, had a hint of triumph in her eyes.
"It's like this—our Yukinoshita family hasn't properly thanked you for what you did last time. So, my mother sent me to invite you over for tea. She wants to meet you."
"Eh? It was just a small thing, no need for something so formal." Nozomi scratched his cheek, feeling slightly overwhelmed.
"No, no, no, this is a matter of etiquette. Besides, my mother is very interested in meeting you," Haruno said, her usual teasing tone making way for something more serious.
Nozomi narrowed his eyes slightly. "Meet me? Why? I'm just an ordinary high school student. I don't think I've done anything worthy of the Yukinoshita family's attention."
Haruno chuckled. "Ordinary? Nozomi-kun, you have a very skewed perception of what 'ordinary' means."
She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice as if to share a secret.
"I'll be frank with you—my mother is looking for a son-in-law."
Nozomi froze. His brain stalled. "...Does this have anything to do with me?"
Haruno's playful expression didn't change. "Of course."
A pause. A deep breath. Then Nozomi finally found his voice again. "Wait… Are you saying she's looking for one for you?"
Haruno's smile widened. "Bingo."
Nozomi exhaled sharply. "You're joking, right?"
"Not at all." She tilted her head, amusement twinkling in her eyes. "You'll understand better when you come over."
Nozomi studied her face carefully. She wasn't lying.
"So, when are you free?" she asked sweetly.
"The end of this month. I'll be in Hokkaido next week."
"Oh? For the Ogiwara family's daughter?" Haruno mused, tapping her chin knowingly.
Nozomi blinked. "You know about that?"
Haruno smirked. "Come on, Nozomi-kun. The Yukinoshita family is one of the most prominent chaebols in Kyoto. Investigating someone like you is a breeze."
Nozomi's eyebrow twitched. "Even after knowing all that, you still want to recruit me as a son-in-law?"
"Why not?" Haruno shrugged, her expression unreadable.
"Alright, fine. End of the month then." Nozomi sighed in resignation. "I'll come by."
"Perfect!" Haruno beamed. "You'll get all the details then."
Before he could react, she stood on tiptoe and chu~—a light kiss landed on his cheek.
Nozomi stood frozen as she released his arm and gracefully slipped back into the waiting car. The vehicle pulled away, leaving him standing in the aftermath of what just happened.
His thoughts swirled chaotically. Does Hayama know about this? The guy practically idolized Haruno, and now she had just casually kissed Nozomi on the cheek right in front of the entire school.
And what was up with the Yukinoshita family suddenly taking an interest in him? Did it have to do with the recent political shift?
His thoughts darkened as he checked his phone. A new notification popped up—
Breaking News: Kyoto Prefecture Councilman Takayama has been replaced by Councilman Yukinoshita Haruhiko.
Bingo. Nozomi sighed. He had figured as much.
That councilman had a certain illegitimate son who, not too long ago, had found himself on the receiving end of a rather brutal lesson courtesy of Nozomi. Soon after, both father and son had mysteriously disappeared—likely due to their bad luck with cats.
Sakurasou, after all, had a lot of cats. And Kanda Sorata, the dorm's self-proclaimed cat rescuer, had an uncanny knack for attracting strays.
Still, Nozomi wasn't particularly worried. If anything, this whole situation had just become a huge opportunity.
Marrying a rich ojousama? Not a bad deal.
It didn't even have to be just Haruno. Yukino had her own charm as well.
His lips curled into a smirk. He'd wait for the official meeting at the end of the month to decide how to play this game.
Besides, Haruno had just offered her help with Ogiwara Sayu. That was invaluable.
(Huh, when did it happen?)
He wasn't one to refuse a golden opportunity.
As he made his way back to the classroom, he barely noticed the pair of burning eyes watching him.
Hayama Hayato sat stiffly in his seat, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His usual easygoing expression was gone, replaced by a stormy mix of shock and anger.
He had just witnessed Haruno—his Haruno—press her lips against Nozomi's cheek. And she smiled while doing it.
For the first time, Hayama felt something he had never experienced before.
Pure, unadulterated panic.
============================
After the first class, Hayama Hayato walked over to Hozuki Nozomi's desk, his expression composed but his eyes betraying a hint of tension.
"Nozomi, do you have a moment? I need to talk to you about something that's been bothering me."
Nozomi tilted his head slightly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Of course."
He had expected this confrontation sooner or later. Hayato wasn't the type to ignore things that unsettled him. And Yukinoshita Haruno had definitely come with the clear intention of rattling Hayato, likely to make him give up.
To Hayato, Haruno was someone special. Maybe even the one person he had always admired but could never truly reach. After all, their families were connected—his parents being legal advisors for the Yukinoshita family meant he had known Haruno since childhood.
But that was where their relationship ended. The son of a mere legal advisor had no chance with the eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita family.
Haruno's future husband? That person would have to be someone powerful. A politician, perhaps—someone willing to even change their surname to Yukinoshita, just like Haruno's own father had done.
And what did Hayato have to offer, aside from an imitation of Haruno's way of handling things?
Nozomi sighed internally, but outwardly, he remained relaxed, following Hayato as they exited the classroom.
Meanwhile, within the class, a certain fangirl's excitement hit dangerous levels.
"Oh my god, did you see that? Yumiko, Yui, Mahiru!" Ebina Hina practically squealed, her nose nearly bleeding from sheer excitement. "Hayama-san is finally making a move on Nozomi-kun!"
"H-Hina, what are you even talking about?!" Miura Yumiko blushed furiously, shooting a glare at her perverted friend. "Hayato-kun wouldn't… Nozomi wouldn't… Ugh, stop your weird fantasies!"
"But just imagine it! The school's two most charismatic guys, in a tense confrontation, emotions running high, until one of them just—"
"Ebina, shut up!" Yumiko clamped her hands over her friend's mouth, desperately trying to suppress further degeneracy.
Yuigahama Yui, however, had a different take. "Hmm… could it be that Hayato-kun saw us hanging out with Nozomi-kun yesterday and now wants to interrogate him?"
Miura Yumiko's blush deepened. Was Hayato-kun actually concerned about her?!
…Yeah, she was definitely overthinking things.
======================
In an empty corridor, Nozomi leaned against the wall, arms crossed as he studied Hayato's hesitant expression.
"Alright, Hayama-san, what's on your mind?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
Hayato hesitated, then ran a hand through his hair. "Nothing major… I just wanted to ask about the woman who stopped by the school gate earlier."
Nozomi blinked innocently. "You mean Haruno-nee? What about her?"
"Your relationship with her… What exactly is it?" Hayato pressed.
Nozomi let out a soft chuckle. "It's complicated. I've only met her twice, but she's… very enthusiastic."
Hayato's brows furrowed. "Only twice? Are you sure?"
"Positive." Nozomi nodded earnestly, then smirked. "Let me guess—you want to know if we're dating?"
Hayato hesitated, then sighed. "Yeah, you got me."
Nozomi shrugged. "I mean, I get it. Haruno-nee is beautiful, smart, and has an amazing personality. I don't think any guy could resist her." He paused, then smirked. "So, what's the deal, Hayama-san? Are you asking because you're worried about me, or because you're warning me to back off?"
Hayato clenched his fists, then sighed again, his voice dropping to a serious tone. "I just want to warn you… Haruno plays with things until they break."
Nozomi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Talking bad about her behind her back—aren't you worried about her finding out?"
"I'm telling the truth." Hayato's eyes darkened slightly. "You've only met her twice, and she's already kissed you on the cheek. Don't you think that's strange?"
Nozomi flipped his hair back lazily. "What's strange? I mean, I'm handsome. Maybe she just likes my face."
Hayato nearly choked.
"Oi, oi, are you serious?"
"Why not?" Nozomi shrugged nonchalantly. "I mean, I can't blame her for having good taste."
Hayato groaned, feeling an incoming headache. This guy was infuriatingly confident.
After taking a deep breath, he patted Nozomi's shoulder. "I'm just saying… be careful. I've known Haruno since we were kids. She gets interested in people, plays with them, and when she gets bored—"
"She moves on?" Nozomi finished, smirking. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience, Hayato. Were you one of her playthings too?"
Hayato stiffened slightly before forcing out a laugh. "I'm just warning you. That's all."
"Duly noted." Nozomi gave him a mock salute. "Thanks for the advice, Hayama-san."
Hayato sighed again. "Alright, let's head back."
As they returned to the classroom, Nozomi immediately felt the weight of multiple eyes on him.
Miura Yumiko and the others were staring, their curiosity practically radiating off of them.
Ignoring them entirely, Nozomi calmly took out his textbook and began flipping through it. He wasn't the least bit concerned about Hayato's warning.
After all, it wasn't as if he needed to be cautious—if anything, it was the Yukinoshita family that had their eyes on him, not the other way around.
Besides…
He could tell that Haruno was serious. There was a sincerity in her actions, a hidden depth beneath the teasing smiles.
If things went according to plan, by the end of the month, he would officially be Haruno's fiancé.
And what would that make Yukinoshita Yukino?
A small grin crept onto his face as he imagined the cold and dignified Yukino calling him 'brother-in-law.'
Yeah… that was a fun thought.
This month was going to be very, very interesting.