Think carefully—what kind of normal high school student can casually pull 1 million yen straight out of his pocket?
The pockets of Sobu High School's uniform weren't particularly large, so where did he even take it from?
…Well, best not to dwell on such details.
The fact remained—Hozuki Nozomi had just handed over a ridiculous sum of money without so much as batting an eye.
This left Kawasaki Saki feeling an acute sense of unease. There was no way he hadn't planned this!
As if having an angelic girlfriend like Shiina Mahiru wasn't enough, was he now aiming for Miura Yumiko too? And Hayama was just letting it happen? How outrageous.
Wait—did that mean Nozomi was after her as well?!
Kawasaki sighed, rubbing her temples as she felt a headache coming on.
She had never been in a relationship before. Frankly, she had little interest in romance at all. The boys in their class all seemed so immature, prattling on about "youth" as if that was the pinnacle of life. What a waste of time.
After all, reality was much harsher. Most of them would graduate, become corporate drones, and live out their lives trapped in a monotonous cycle of commuting and working until retirement. None of them understood true hardship.
She glanced down at the thick wad of banknotes in her hands before hurriedly wrapping it in her school uniform jacket and making her way back to class. Anyone watching probably assumed she was just carrying a bento box. None of them even gave it a second glance as they continued to chatter about whatever mundane topics occupied their minds.
She hadn't planned on interacting with Nozomi much during class, but now things had become complicated. If she wanted to return the money, she needed an excuse to talk to him.
1 million yen—it was more than enough to cover a year's tuition with plenty left over. That sum alone was equivalent to nearly half a year's salary for her parents. There was no way she could accept it.
It felt like hush money.
She shuddered.
Nozomi, however, didn't seem concerned in the slightest. He sat at his desk, resting his chin on his hand, completely ignoring her gaze.
Hayama Hayato, on the other hand, kept sneaking glances in Nozomi's direction but seemed too hesitant to actually say anything.
Nozomi sighed internally. If you're going to stare, just ask already.
At a nearby desk, Ebina Hina's expression suddenly shifted. Her eyes gleamed with a suspicious light, and then—
"Uwaah!"
A sudden nosebleed.
She was definitely imagining something weird about him and Hayama again. That woman was dangerous.
Meanwhile, Mahiru, seated next to him, hesitated before speaking. She furrowed her brows slightly, clearly troubled by something.
Nozomi had a feeling she was regretting pushing him to go after Miura Yumiko. There were other, far simpler ways to prevent her friend from getting hurt by Hayama.
For instance, Hayama could just be upfront about his feelings, tell Yumiko directly that he wasn't interested, and let her move on. She would be heartbroken for a while, sure, but at least it would be a clean break.
However, Mahiru had chosen this method instead. Why?
Because she trusted Nozomi. She believed that he could make Yumiko fall for him and, in doing so, help her let go of Hayama completely.
That kind of trust was a heavy burden.
It wasn't that he lacked confidence, but…
He cared about Mahiru. He truly did.
Relationships went through rough patches. What if, after getting closer to Miura, Mahiru ended up feeling jealous or hurt? What if she wanted to break up with him because of it?
That would be an absolute loss.
Nozomi made up his mind—tonight, he would sit down with Mahiru and have an honest conversation. If she was only doing this on impulse for the sake of her friend, there was no need to drag him into it.
Mahiru deserved to be taken seriously.
And so did Sumireko.
At this point, their relationship was still in its early stages, but even so, she had gone out of her way to encourage him at lunch. He had a feeling she had been watching him—perhaps even using a telescope or something equally absurd.
She was paying attention to him. And honestly? He kind of liked that.
Getting along with Sumireko wasn't difficult. He just had to keep doing what he'd been doing—visiting her at noon, spending time together, and letting things unfold naturally.
That was the best way to handle it.
Yes, that was the plan.
Nozomi was still lost in thought when his system suddenly sent a notification.
[Ding! Congratulations, Player, for completing a hidden quest: "Sakurasou's Only Male Protagonist."]
[As the rightful owner of Sakurasou, how can you allow another man to exist in your harem's domain? Even a shut-in tech otaku with gynophobia must go!]
[Akasaka Ryunosuke has officially moved out.]
[Quest complete. Reward: Random Skill or Item, plus a fixed reward of 1 million yen.]
[Ding! Rewards have been issued!]
[Ding! Player has received a special item: Mysterious Treasure Chest.]
[Ding! Player has received 1 million yen.]
Nozomi's eyes sparkled.
Oho.
So the money he just handed over had already been replaced? Perfect.
More importantly—Akasaka's departure had triggered a hidden quest? The system was truly looking out for him.
Every reward and mission so far had been tailored to make his life better.
Excited, Nozomi immediately checked his new item.
[Mysterious Treasure Chest: A special storage chest located in the Player's room. Occasionally throwing an item inside will result in a random reward.]
[Warning: There is a 1% chance of summoning a Treasure Chest Monster, which will spit out a random item.]
"Oh, interesting."
Wasn't this basically a gachapon?
However, since the treasure chest was fixed in his room, he'd have to wait until he got home to test it out.
At the same time.
In a distant world, deep within an underground labyrinth, chaos unfolded.
A silver-haired girl with twin ponytails and a pair of elven-like pointed ears found herself in a predicament—half of her body was trapped inside a massive treasure chest, its jagged maw clamping down as she flailed her legs frantically in the air.
"Uwaaaah! Not another treasure chest mimic! It's dark in here! Phiren, help meee!"
The scene was observed by a purple-haired girl, who sighed helplessly before grabbing onto the struggling legs and attempting to pull her out.
"Master Furlian, why do you always fall for the treasure chest mimic?"
"Uuu, but what if there's a magic tome inside? Even if the chance is only 1%, I have to try! The temptation is just too strong! Phiren, hurry up and save me already!"
As Phiren strained to pull Furlian free, the treasure chest mimic suddenly swelled, growing wider and larger in an instant—before lunging forward and swallowing Phiren whole.
In the blink of an eye, silence returned to the dungeon.
(I'll need more information to clarify who these two are and their origins)
==================
Back in Nozomi's world.
The final bell rang, signaling the end of afternoon classes. Nozomi was soon intercepted by Shiina Mahiru, who led him towards a quiet flower bed behind the school. Waiting for him were three familiar figures.
Miura Yumiko, Yuigahama Yui, and Ebina Hime were already there, standing side by side with expressions of gratitude. The moment he arrived, the three girls bowed deeply before him.
"Thank you so much for saving us!"
"Nozomi-kun, this is our way of showing our appreciation! Please accept these gifts!"
One by one, they handed over small, neatly wrapped gift boxes. Even Mahiru, who had initially planned to stay in the background, joined in on the act, pretending to be just another one of the girls.
"You guys are being too formal." Nozomi chuckled, taking the gifts with a playful glint in his eye. "But since they're from such lovely ladies, I'll gladly accept. Hehe, this is actually the first time I've received gifts from multiple beautiful girls at the same time. Can I open them now?"
"Of course!" Mahiru responded warmly.
"No!" Yui suddenly blurted out, startling everyone.
All eyes turned to her, making her instantly flustered.
"Ah! I mean… wouldn't it be better to open them when you get home? That way, it'll be more of a surprise!"
"That's true, Yui. We don't want to embarrass anyone here, right?" Yumiko smirked, skillfully defusing the situation while giving Yui an out.
"Fair enough." Nozomi nodded, slipping the gifts into his bag. "I'll look forward to the surprise then. So, is there anything else?"
Yui hesitated, clearly wanting to say something but holding back.
Seeing this, Yumiko took charge once again.
"Actually, yes! We want to treat you to some milk tea! Just a small way to show our thanks. After all, gifts alone don't feel like enough."
"Yeah! You totally kicked those thugs' asses all on your own! You were like a hero! Yui's heart was totally pounding!" Ebina chimed in mischievously.
"H-Hime! Stop saying weird things!" Yui's face turned red as she panicked, sneaking a glance at Nozomi to gauge his reaction.
Nozomi merely grinned. "Oh? Then, Yumiko-san, was your heart pounding too?"
"Eh? Me? W-Well… just a little…!" Yumiko awkwardly gestured with her hands, but her reaction betrayed her flustered state.
Crap… she thought. Isn't Nozomi supposed to be interested in Yui? How did this turn back on me?!
Nozomi feigned disappointment, placing a hand over his chest dramatically. "Only a little? Looks like I still have a long way to go to be truly cool."
"Aha, um… you're plenty cool! Right, Mahiru?" Yumiko desperately threw Mahiru into the conversation for support.
Mahiru, ever the composed one, smiled sweetly. "Yes. Nozomi-kun is the coolest. So, will you honor us with your presence for milk tea?" She even added a slight pout for effect.
"Of course! If I rejected an invitation from four beautiful girls, the guys in class would drown me in jealousy." Nozomi smirked. "So, before they start targeting me, I might as well make them envy me even more."
"Pfft, Nozomi-kun, you're surprisingly smooth with words. Why didn't I notice before?" Yumiko chuckled, but the moment she said it, her face turned pink. Oh no, oh no, oh no! I was supposed to be helping Yui! Why did I just compliment him?!
She instinctively turned to Yui, only to find her friend looking dejectedly at the ground.
Crap. Yui's feeling self-conscious again…
Just as Yumiko was about to say something to fix it, Nozomi stepped in.
"It's an honor to make Miura-san laugh. Hmm, can I ask something?"
"Eh? What is it?" Yumiko blinked.
"Would you all be willing to be my friends?"
His words were casual, but the sincerity behind them was evident.
"I actually enjoy making friends, but for some reason, when school started, aside from Hikigaya and Hayama, nobody really talked to me."
He put on an exaggeratedly troubled expression, making Yumiko giggle.
"Of course, I'd be happy to be friends with a hero like you." She turned to the others. "Yui, Hina, Mahiru?"
"Definitely!" Yui nodded enthusiastically.
"Obviously! Also, Nozomi-kun, have you noticed Hayama watching you a lot today? That's a sign of a BL spark—mph!"
Ebina's words were cut short as Yumiko clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Hina, shut up!"
"Haha, don't mind her, Nozomi-kun," Yui giggled. "Hina just likes making weird comments."
"I can tell." Nozomi chuckled.
Then, without hesitation, he pulled out his phone.
Within minutes, he had added all four girls to his contact list.
Not only had he gotten their numbers fair and square, but this also meant he had officially become friends with them.
A small but significant step forward in his new life.
*************
I don't know how to feel about the rpg fantasy elements.