Shiina Mahiru placed her hands on her hips, staring at Hozuki Nozomi with narrowed eyes, her expression filled with righteous indignation.
"So? Are you happy now? Getting kissed on the cheek by a super beautiful onee-san?" she asked, her voice laced with faint irritation.
Nozomi quickly waved his hands in defense.
"No, no! You've got it all wrong! That wasn't because she likes me or anything. I was just being used as a shield!"
He gestured subtly in the direction of Hayama Hayato, who stood frozen in place, his usual friendly smile completely wiped off his face. Instead, his expression was dark and brooding, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
Mahiru followed Nozomi's gaze, her golden eyes flickering with curiosity as she caught sight of Hayama's uncharacteristically sullen face. A glimmer of realization crossed her features.
"Wait, Nozomi... are you saying Hayama actually likes Yukinoshita Haruno? And she deliberately used you to make him give up?"
Nozomi gave a slight shrug. "Looks that way."
Mahiru blinked, processing the situation before narrowing her gaze at him again. "But how did you figure that out so fast?"
"Hmm, I wonder?" Nozomi replied cheekily, avoiding her glare.
"Oi, don't play dumb! Be honest with me—are you into Yukinoshita Haruno?" she pressed, puffing out her cheeks in mild jealousy.
Nozomi scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I mean… can you really blame me? She's beautiful. I doubt there's a guy alive who wouldn't find her attractive."
Mahiru let out a small sigh, rolling her eyes. She couldn't argue with that. Haruno was undeniably stunning—someone with charm so natural that even women found themselves drawn to her. And it wasn't just her looks; she carried herself with an effortless charisma, a social finesse that made her captivating. Mahiru bit her lip slightly. Even if she wasn't truly mad, a twinge of jealousy still remained.
"Fine," she huffed. "But tell me, what exactly did you dig up when you secretly looked into Yukinoshita Haruno?"
The sudden shift in her tone to something more conspiratorial made Nozomi chuckle. It seemed like she was more interested in the gossip than actually being mad at him.
"Well, I might've found out a few things," Nozomi admitted with a smirk. "For example, did you know that Haruno, Hayama, and Yukino were all childhood friends?"
Mahiru tilted her head, intrigued. "Go on."
"Back in the day, both Yukinoshita sisters and Hayama were always together. But Hayama was more like Haruno's follower than her equal. She used to play pranks on him all the time, made him cry more than once. Kinda ironic, right? Now he's all smiles, but back then, he was the bullied one."
Mahiru snorted at the mental image of a younger, teary-eyed Hayama. "I mean, she does seem the type to tease people mercilessly. But if they were that close, why doesn't she like him?"
Nozomi shrugged. "Probably because he's always been imitating her rather than being himself. You saw how polished her social skills are, right? She's a master at playing the perfect onee-san. Hayama tried to copy her, but he never quite got it right. He turned into a 'nice guy'—friendly to everyone but never truly letting anyone in."
Mahiru's brows furrowed slightly. "So, what? She got tired of him?"
"Not exactly. More like she never saw him as an equal in the first place. And there's another reason Haruno would never go for him." Nozomi leaned in slightly. "In elementary school, because of Hayama's so-called 'nice guy' act, Yukinoshita Yukino ended up isolated by her classmates."
Mahiru's eyes widened. "Wait—what?"
"Yeah. Hayama tried to be a peacemaker, but in doing so, he made things worse for Yukino. She got ostracized, and Haruno—who's a massive siscon, by the way—definitely never forgave him for that. Since then, any chance he had with her was completely nuked."
Mahiru nodded, processing all the new information. "And their families?"
"Hayama's father is the Yukinoshita family's legal advisor, so the two families have been close for a long time. That's why Hayama and the Yukinoshita sisters have this weird dynamic."
Mahiru crossed her arms, deep in thought. "Then what about Yumiko?" she asked suddenly. "Doesn't she have a huge crush on Hayama?"
Nozomi smirked. "You're quick. Yeah, she does. But think about it—have you ever seen Hayama actually reciprocate her feelings?"
Mahiru frowned as she thought back to their interactions. It was true that Yumiko Miura openly showed her interest in Hayama, but he never seemed to fully acknowledge it. Whenever she invited him out, he always found an excuse to bring other people along or avoid spending time with her one-on-one.
"Now that you mention it… he never does give her a real answer, does he?"
"Bingo. He's doing to Yumiko exactly what Haruno did to him—keeping her at arm's length, using her as a shield." Nozomi smirked. "It's actually kind of ironic."
Mahiru let out an exasperated sigh. "So basically, Hayama is just a knockoff version of Haruno? And he's stringing Yumiko along just like Haruno strung him along?"
"That about sums it up. Oh, and if you really want some next-level drama, apparently, there are girls from other schools who also have crushes on Hayama. Girls who went to middle school with him and never got over it."
Mahiru narrowed her eyes. "Wait… does that include…"
Nozomi grinned. "Yup. Remember Hachiman Hikigaya's tragic backstory? The girl he confessed to in middle school who brutally rejected him? Turns out she had a thing for Hayama the whole time. Poor guy never even had a chance."
Mahiru sighed dramatically. "Jeez, and I thought our school was just full of honor students. Turns out it's just a giant soap opera."
Nozomi chuckled. "That's high school for you. And the best part? We're just getting started."
Shiina Mahiru's expression darkened. "If Hayama is just using Yumiko as a shield, then isn't that really cruel to her?"
She genuinely saw Miura Yumiko as a dear friend. She still remembered that time when they were surrounded by some delinquents—Yumiko's legs were trembling, and she was clearly terrified.
But even then, Yumiko had stepped in front of her and Yui, trying to shield them despite her fear.
A friend like that, someone so brave and selfless, didn't deserve to be hurt like this.
Hozuki Nozomi shrugged, his tone indifferent.
"What else is there to say? It's her misfortune for falling for Hayato Hayama, a guy who never intended to reciprocate her feelings."
He sighed dramatically, shaking his head.
"Five years. That's five whole years of wasted youth. If Hayama doesn't accept her confession after graduation, Yumiko's gonna be devastated."
Shiina Mahiru bit her lip, her expression filled with frustration.
If Hayama didn't like her, it would be one thing. But the fact that he knew how she felt and still led her on, just using her as a buffer against unwanted confessions—that was despicable.
It was even worse than a womanizer. At least with a scumbag, the girl gets a response, even if it's fleeting. And when she realizes he's a player, she can break things off and move on.
But Hayama wasn't even giving Yumiko that chance. He kept her hanging, never rejecting or accepting her feelings—just stringing her along endlessly.
"Tch, what a spineless bastard," she muttered under her breath.
"Alright, don't think too much about it. Let's head to class," Nozomi said casually, as if all this drama didn't concern him in the slightest. He walked back with Shiina Mahiru, his hands in his pockets.
After greeting Miura and the others, Mahiru returned to her seat, her thoughts still lingering on the conversation.
Yumiko was a genuinely good person, especially as a friend. She wasn't manipulative or deceitful—quite the opposite. A few words of praise from Yui or Hime, and she'd believe them wholeheartedly.
And when it came to her friends, she was fiercely protective.
It was precisely because of Miura Yumiko's sincerity that Shiina Mahiru had chosen to be part of their small friend group in the first place.
But now, knowing that Yumiko was unknowingly chasing after heartbreak, Mahiru couldn't just stand by and watch.
So, during the break, she brought up a seemingly casual question.
"Yumiko, what would you do if a girl really liked a boy, but it was obvious that he would never return her feelings? How do you think her friends should help her let go of that impossible love?"
Ebina Hime's eyes gleamed with understanding.
So, Shiina had noticed it too, huh?
That Hayama was only using Yumiko as a shield?
Meanwhile, Yuigahama Yui nearly jumped in shock.
Wait—was Shiina talking about herself?!
And was the person she liked… Nozomi?!
Her mind spiraled into a completely different misunderstanding.
On the other hand, Yumiko Miura remained blissfully oblivious.
She took the question at face value, assuming Shiina was asking about some other friend.
So, she waved a hand dismissively and answered without hesitation.
"It's dumb to keep chasing after a love you know won't happen. If it were my friend, I'd make sure she gives up before she gets hurt."
Shiina Mahiru nodded vigorously, eyes shining with determination.
She thought the exact same thing.
That was why she had asked Yumiko's opinion—just to be sure.
"But what if my friend really, really likes that boy? How should I convince her to move on?" she pressed further, her gaze fixed on Yumiko.
It was time to see if Yumiko would take her own advice.
Yumiko Miura flashed a confident smile. "Isn't it simple? Just introduce her to a better guy. There's more than one amazing guy in the world. No matter how much she likes him, if he keeps ignoring her, she's not dumb. Sooner or later, she'll notice someone who actually cares for her."
Shiina Mahiru's eyes lit up. If she had to name someone better than Hayato Hayama—someone truly outstanding—there was only one name that came to mind.
Hozuki Nozomi.
Wait.
Hozuki Nozomi?!
Shiina Mahiru suddenly found herself in a dilemma.
She had already come to terms with Nozomi's… slightly questionable romantic philosophy, but that didn't mean she was ready to let him gather more girlfriends right now! How was he supposed to have enough arms to hold so many girls?
She still wanted to keep him to herself for as long as possible.
But...
Besides Nozomi, who else could even compete with Hayato Hayama in terms of charm and presence?
Shiina Mahiru spent the entire morning pondering this, until finally, during the break, she turned to Nozomi with a determined expression and declared:
"I have a mission for you, and you have to do it."
Hozuki Nozomi blinked. "Huh?"
"Make Yumiko fall for you and forget about Hayama."
Nozomi's jaw dropped. "Mahiru, are you… are you trying to get rid of me? Have you grown tired of me already?"
The sheer horror on his face made Mahiru giggle. Seeing his panic reassured her—he really did care about her. That alone lifted her mood significantly.
"Baka." She poked his forehead lightly. "Of course not. I'm not leaving Sakurasou. But… don't you want to prove to Sayu and me that you can make us both happy? That your… greedy idea is something we can accept?"
She leaned in, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "If you can make Yumiko fall for you wholeheartedly—and make her okay with what's going on between you and me—then I'll…"
She paused, then smirked. "I'll do whatever you want."
Nozomi swallowed hard. "Mahiru… are you serious?"
Mahiru giggled. "What, does that sound too good to be true? I'm just an ordinary girl who wants to be loved, you know."
"Then why are you pushing me toward another girl? And…" Nozomi rubbed his temples. "Miura-san has been in love with Hayama since middle school. How am I supposed to make her fall for me?"
This was an insane request.
It was one thing to snatch a girl away from another guy, but convincing a girl to let go of an unrequited love that had lasted years? That was next-level difficulty.
"I don't care," Mahiru said firmly. "Yumiko is my friend, and I don't want to see her heartbroken after chasing a hopeless dream for so long."
She clasped her hands together and gazed at him pleadingly. "Nozomi… please help me?"
Nozomi exhaled heavily. How could he say no when she was looking at him like that?
"Fine. But I have one condition."
Mahiru perked up. "What is it?"
"Tonight, I want a lap pillow."
A playful glint flickered in Mahiru's eyes. She smiled knowingly, understanding that this was his way of saying yes.
"Deal."
"Tch… You're such an idiot." Nozomi sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know why I put up with you."
Mahiru giggled. "Because you're my man."
Hearing that, Nozomi let out a dramatic groan. "Ugh, don't say that here. If this wasn't a classroom, I'd hug you right now."
Mahiru's cheeks flushed slightly. She glanced around and then leaned in closer, her voice a soft whisper. "Wait until we get back."
He paused, staring at her.
"You can hug me all you want then."
Her smile was gentle, filled with warmth. Nozomi could feel his heart skip a beat.
As for her earlier request—getting Miura Yumiko to fall for him—it was just an excuse.
Because deep down, Shiina Mahiru already knew.
No matter how much she tried to act like she was in control…
She had already fallen for him completely.
***************
Yumiko Miura y'all. I can't have you forgetting the characters.