Shout out to Ty Unknown, my latest Patreon!!!!!!!
I'm really grateful for all the support!
*********************8
Hazuki Yasuo was in a terrible mood.
The twin-tailed girl in front of him, nestled in another guy's arms, looked incredibly familiar.
She bore a striking resemblance to Sanshokuin Sumireko.
Though she wore glasses and had a modest chest, coupled with the kind of twin-tail hairstyle one would associate with a countryside girl, his instincts screamed at him that it was indeed her.
Beside him, Sakurahara Momo and Kusami Runa shared his surprise. They, too, thought she looked like Sumireko, but given the current setting, confirming it wasn't easy.
As soon as they got off the train, Hozuki Nozomi swiftly led Sumireko and Mahiru away. By the time Hazuki Yasuo squeezed his way through the crowd, the three of them had already disappeared without a trace.
But he wasn't going to give up so easily.
After all, he had already noted their school uniforms—it was just a matter of time before he confirmed it.
=======================
Shiina Mahiru, noticing Sumireko's unusual silence, turned to her with concern.
"Sanshokuin-san, daijoubu?"
Sumireko forced a bitter smile.
"I ran into someone I really didn't want to see."
Mahiru blinked in surprise before taking her hand reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Nozomi-kun is here."
"I'll help too," she added with quiet determination.
Sumireko felt warmth spread through her chest. Unlike Sakurahara Momo and Kusami Runa, who desperately tried to push her towards Hazuki Yasuo, Mahiru's words felt genuine. She wasn't acting out of obligation—she truly cared.
Nozomi reached out and ruffled both girls' heads with a light chuckle.
"It's fine. I'll handle everything."
With a grin, he gestured towards the large banner hanging above the school entrance.
"I think I know why we ran into students from Toshobu High today. Look up."
Both girls followed his gaze to read the bold lettering:
'A Warm Welcome to Toshobu High's Cultural Exchange Representatives!'
Sumireko groaned. Now it all made sense.
Sakurahara Momo was the Student Council President of Toshobu High, while Hazuki Yasuo was the secretary. Kusami Runa, being Momo's close friend, naturally tagged along. This explained why they were here—representatives for a cultural exchange between their schools.
At the same time, Sobu High's own Student Council had sent a few students to Toshobu High as part of the exchange.
Sumireko sighed in frustration.
She could even run into them on the train? The world was way too small.
But...
Her gaze drifted to Nozomi, and she felt reassured once more.
================
Nozomi, on the other hand, wasn't particularly concerned about Hazuki Yasuo's presence.
At his core, Yasuo was an annoyingly good-natured guy, even more so than Hayama Hayato. The problem? He was dense—painfully so.
Hints? Roundabout words? Social cues? Yasuo was utterly incapable of picking up on them.
So the best way to deal with him? Let the people around him expose themselves.
Sumireko couldn't be upfront because of the promise she made to Sakurahara Momo and Kusami Runa, but Nozomi had no such restrictions.
Leaving Yasuo aside, though, Nozomi had other matters to focus on.
The moment they stepped into their classroom, both he and Mahiru were swiftly caught by Hiratsuka Shizuka and dragged into the office.
The stunning teacher, donning her signature white lab coat, crossed her arms and glared at Nozomi.
"You little brat. Did you forget you're the class rep? You actually ran off right after class yesterday?!"
"The class activity was still being organized by Shiina and Miura!"
"Uh…" Nozomi scratched his cheek. "Didn't you, sensei, tell me to join the Yukinoshita club? I had to attend club activities."
"Don't give me that crap! Next time, don't slack off! You need to make Class F stand out! Got it?!"
Nozomi raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what exactly is our class activity?"
He turned to Mahiru.
The girl's cheeks turned slightly pink as she answered hesitantly, "It's... a wedding dress experience event."
"...Hah?"
Nozomi's jaw nearly hit the floor.
"This kind of event is allowed?!" he exclaimed, turning to Hiratsuka-sensei.
Shizuka's face soured immediately. "Don't look at me, you brat! It's not like I had a say in this! Ugh, dammit…!"
She suddenly burst into tears.
The mention of weddings had clearly struck a painful nerve.
As she sobbed, Nozomi inexplicably heard a dramatic narration playing in his head:
'Somebody marry her already! If no one will… I'll do it!'
After the narration, Hiratsuka Shizuka finally stopped crying, though she still looked somewhat emotional. Shiina Mahiru, on the other hand, was staring at Nozomi with a mix of shock and disbelief.
Hiratsuka Shizuka's face suddenly turned red before she scowled, her embarrassment quickly transforming into fury.
"You little brat! Do you think I'd ever choose you, even if I had no other options? What the hell are you thinking?! No shame at all!"
"Eh? Nani? What's wrong with me?" Nozomi asked, feigning innocence.
Shiina Mahiru tugged on his sleeve, her cheeks flushed. "You just blurted out what's in your heart, Nozomi-kun. You actually said you want to marry Hiratsuka-sensei…"
Nozomi let out a quick laugh. "Just kidding, Sensei! Don't take it so seriously."
"OUT! Get out, you damn brat!" Hiratsuka Shizuka roared, delivering a swift kick that sent both Nozomi and Mahiru stumbling out of the office.
Standing outside, the two glanced at each other before breaking into laughter.
Mahiru covered her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles. "Ne, Nozomi-kun, maybe we went a little too far this time. Hiratsuka-sensei is actually pretty pitiful."
"Our event is a bit too cruel for her, huh?" Nozomi mused.
Hiratsuka-sensei was almost 30 years old, still unmarried, and here her own students were excitedly planning a wedding dress experience event. Just imagining her frustration made Nozomi shake his head in sympathy.
Feeling curious, Nozomi turned to Mahiru. "So, when I wasn't around yesterday, was it you and Yumiko who came up with this event? And the guys just went along with it?"
Mahiru rolled her eyes. "Because they can take wedding photos with the girls they like, the boys got all excited like they'd been injected with adrenaline."
Nozomi's expression darkened slightly. "Wait… you're saying they can take pictures with any girl?"
Mahiru smirked and held back a laugh. "Baka. Of course not. The girls have to agree first. So at most, they'll just get to see the girls in wedding dresses."
"Haa… yokatta. I was about to start swinging if random guys could take pictures with you." Nozomi sighed in relief.
Mahiru's face turned slightly red. "Idiot… If I don't take pictures with you, who else would I take pictures with?"
Nozomi smirked. "Well, Yumiko and the others seem interested too, huh?"
"That's true," Mahiru admitted.
"Then we'll just take pictures together when the time comes," Nozomi declared confidently.
Mahiru didn't object. Instead, she gave him a sidelong glance before quietly muttering, "Mou… you really don't hold back, huh?"
After leaving the office, they returned to the classroom to organize the event details. The main concern was the rental fee for the wedding dresses, which had to be crowdfunded.
The school was providing part of the venue and props, but if they wanted the event to be extravagant, students had to pitch in.
In other words, whether or not the girls could wear beautiful wedding dresses depended on how deep the boys' wallets were.
Fortunately, Nozomi didn't even need to say anything before Hayama stepped up, grinning as he placed money on the table. "I got this one, guys."
With that, other boys followed suit, eager to see their crushes in elegant gowns.
Due to the event, there would be no classes for the next three days.
According to Hiratsuka-sensei, this was a cultural exchange event with Toshobu High School. Sobu High was showcasing its diverse clubs, as well as the unity and camaraderie of its students. The wedding dress experience was meant to symbolize students' dreams for the future.
Meanwhile, Yazuki Hasuo and the others were being guided on a tour by the Student Council. Yazuki had immediately requested to visit the library, wanting to check out Sobu High's collection since he'd be staying for a week. However, the librarian was on leave, forcing him to give up.
Though, he was increasingly convinced that the librarian was actually Sanshokuin Sumireko in disguise.
-------------
Back to Nozomi's side.
After gathering the funds, he, Mahiru, Yumiko, and a few others left school to visit a wedding dress rental shop. They also had to rent formal suits for the boys.
By the time they returned to school, it was already noon.
Nozomi sent a message to Sumireko, asking her to meet him on the rooftop.
However, when he arrived, someone was already there.
Kawasaki Saki.
She had been assigned to handle registrations for the event and, now free, had come up to the rooftop for some fresh air and a quiet lunch.
Noticing Nozomi's arrival, she gave him a brief nod before preparing to leave.
But before she could step away, Nozomi grinned. "Oi, Kawasaki. For the wedding dress experience… make sure to take a picture with me."
Kawasaki Saki's body stiffened. She turned around, giving him a sharp glare. "And what if I refuse?"
Nozomi chuckled. "Then I'll give you another hundred thousand yen! And I'll hand it to you in front of everyone."
Kawasaki's composure cracked instantly.
It wasn't that she was afraid of Nozomi ignoring her—if anything, she'd actually prefer that. But what she feared most was him giving her more money.
The one million yen he had previously given her was already used up.
Her mother, who worked out of town, had been hospitalized due to a leg injury, and all the money had gone toward her surgery.
Now, Kawasaki had no way of returning the funds she had originally set aside for him.
Letting out a small sigh, her face turned slightly red as she mumbled, "…If you win, I'll take pictures with you in a wedding dress."