On the way back, Hozuki Nozomi's lips kept curling into a somewhat mischievous smile.
Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't help but glance at him with disdain.
"What are you smirking about?"
"Hehe, nothing… nothing."
He feigned nonchalance and kept smiling.
Miss Yukinoshita snorted coldly.
"Hmph, stop grinning like that—it's obviously with ill intent!"
"You're definitely thinking perverted thoughts!"
"Cough, cough!"
Hozuki Nozomi immediately put on a wronged expression.
"Yukino, how can you think of me like that? Can't I be thinking about something beautiful?"
"And you actually don't like my radiant smile?"
Yukino Yukinoshita rolled her eyes at him.
"What else?"
"Every time you smile like that, nothing good ever comes of it. You'll definitely make some strange request."
Hozuki Nozomi shifted the shopping bag to his other hand, then took Yukino Yukinoshita's small hand and teased her.
"Then, Yukino, guess what request I'm going to make?"
Yukino Yukinoshita glanced at the bag containing the maid outfits and haughtily lifted her fair neck.
"No matter what you say, I'm not wearing that today. Don't even think about it."
"Huh?"
Hozuki Nozomi's jaw dropped.
"After all that trouble and expense to buy them, you're not going to wear them?"
"Because you're thinking perverted thoughts, that's exactly why I won't wear it!"
She said, without looking back.
Quite a temper.
At his wit's end, Hozuki Nozomi turned pitifully to Shiina Mahiru.
"I'm not wearing it either."
Shiina Mahiru replied with a soft smile.
Squashing his hopes flat.
When it came to forming a united front, she was surprisingly effective. This made Yukino Yukinoshita glance at him with unmistakable triumph.
Hozuki Nozomi fell silent.
He looked utterly deflated, like a frost-bitten eggplant.
Yukino Yukinoshita didn't soften in the slightest. This guy was the type to push his luck. If she indulged his desires today, tomorrow he'd only get more shameless.
Besides…
Keeping him in suspense wasn't a bad thing. If he got everything too easily, he wouldn't treasure it. When he had watched her and Mahiru in those maid outfits earlier, he'd practically been drooling.
Pervert.
...
Hozuki Nozomi's dejection lasted only a moment. He quickly took Yukino's small hand again and smiled—this time much more normally.
Yukino Yukinoshita glanced at him and whispered:
"Not thinking perverted thoughts anymore?"
"Cough cough. Yukino, how exactly do you see your fiancé? Do you really only see me as a man who thinks strange thoughts?"
"Aren't you? Do you dare say you haven't thought about doing bad things to me and Mahiru?"
"I've only ever thought about doing good things to you two—things good for you, good for me, good for everyone. Those are good things!"
He emphasized.
"That is a bad thing!" Yukino declared firmly.
"Exactly! Hozuki Nozomi, you're not being honest at all." Mahiru, in solidarity with Yukino.
Hozuki Nozomi smiled and dropped the argument.
Anyway…
Once they got home… once they were behind closed doors, he'd be the one calling the shots.
...
Feeling her hand cradled in his, Yukino Yukinoshita had actually already softened. She felt an urge to grant his wish. But she immediately forced herself to harden her heart again.
She couldn't spoil him too much. Otherwise, this guy would only get worse.As for the maid outfits—she'd wear one for him later, as a reward.
...
Soon after, the three returned to Sakurasou.
Yukino Yukinoshita and Shiina Mahiru began handing out the prepared gifts, one by one.
Suo Yuki, Sayu, and the others each received something.
Among the presents, Mashiro's gift turned out to be a pet leash.
Hozuki Nozomi was speechless.
The most speechless part was that Shiina Mashiro accepted it happily.
Oh, girl.
Do you even know what this is for?
Watching Shiina Mashiro fasten the collar around her own neck and then hand him the leash, Hozuki Nozomi was completely stunned.
Good heavens.
So you actually do know what a leash is for.
Are you just treating yourself as a pet?
How should he put it… strangely cute.
Hozuki Nozomi gently stroked Mashiro's small head in encouragement.
Yukino really knew how to pick a gift.
They were already back at Sakurasou, and of course Yukino Yukinoshita wouldn't be returning to her family home tonight.
….
That evening, after dinner, they rested for a while.
Hozuki Nozomi was itching for action and ready to launch a surprise offensive.
He was firmly rebuffed by both Yukino Yukinoshita and Shiina Mahiru.
The reason?
Their relatives had arrived.
Good heavens.
What a coincidence—both of your monthly guests showed up on the same day?
Left with no choice, he had to look elsewhere.
Hozuki Nozomi still respected Yukino and Mahiru, regardless of whether the excuse was real. Since they weren't in the mood, he'd simply grant them a day off.
And then—
Aoyama Nanami, who had just been about to slip back into her room, let out a startled little cry as he swept her up in one smooth motion.
Aoyama Nanami was gently laid on the bed.
The girl's cheeks flushed a rosy pink at once. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him with embarrassment.
"Mr. Hozuki, what are you going to do?"
Hozuki Nozomi chuckled mischievously.
"Nanami, what do you think?"
"I… I don't know. I still have voice acting lessons tomorrow…"
"As for voice acting practice—with our club, you won't lack opportunities to train."
"Ugh… I still have to work part-time…"
"I'll support you. Why bother working part-time? Being with me is the best job there is."
"I, I… Ugh, wuwuwu!"
Hozuki Nozomi pounced.
He lowered his head and kissed Aoyama Nanami's soft red lips.
The girl extended her slender arms, symbolically pushing him a few times before letting them curl softly around his neck instead.
Bashfully, she surrendered to him.
Only when he finally released her lips did she manage, cheeks burning:
"You're terrible… please, be gentle."
"No problem, Nanami. Just leave everything to me."
Aoyama Nanami slowly closed her eyes.
...
Sakurasou's daily life today—also exceptionally harmonious.
The night was destined to be eventful.
….
Yukino Yukinoshita, meanwhile, was sharing a bed with Shiina Mahiru.
They were whispering to each other, hatching certain plans.
What Hozuki Nozomi didn't know was that the two girls had slipped back into the maid outfits.
"Yukino, you look amazing in this. You don't look like a maid at all."
Shiina Mahiru couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"Not like a maid? Like what, then?"
"Like a princess! Your aura is incredible. No wonder that guy looked ready to devour you."
"Pah! He really is a pervert."
Yukino Yukinoshita grumbled about a certain someone, her gaze drifting over to Mahiru.
"You look wonderful too, Mahiru. Super cute."
"Pfft. It feels so strange—we're not even wearing them for Hozuki Nozomi to see, just admiring ourselves in here."
"He'll see them soon enough. We're only getting used to them first. It feels… a bit embarrassing to wear this."