The shrill bell signaling the end of first class had barely faded when a shadow fell over Hozuki Nozomi's desk. Looking up from the textbook he'd been pretending to read, he found three girls looming over him, their presence a deliberate invasion of his personal space.
They were dressed for attention, not for school. Each wore heavy, mature makeup that seemed out of place in the morning light. Their hair was permed into identical golden waves, and their eyelashes were thick with fake extensions. They stared down at "Miyamizu Yotsuha" with expressions that were anything but friendly.
Hozuki Nozomi regarded them with calm, unreadable eyes. A flicker of confusion passed through him. He didn't have Yotsuha's memories, so the dynamics of her classroom life were a mystery. Was this a social call? A request for help? Or was this the legendary school bullying he'd heard so much about? The possibility that Yotsuha, Mitsuha's bright and capable younger sister, could be a target seemed absurd. But the hostile energy radiating from the trio was undeniable.
He wasn't worried. He'd faced down far more intimidating foes than a trio of middle schoolers. Still, he remained silent, waiting.
The leader of the trio, a girl with sharp features and a confident sneer, placed a manicured hand on her hip. "Miyamizu," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "Come with us to the restroom."
Hozuki Nozomi's brow arched slightly. "For what purpose?"
The girl's sneer deepened. "Don't play dumb. Just come with us. Or… you know what'll happen."
With a final, pointed glare, she turned and strode out of the classroom, her two companions flanking her like obedient guards. From the corner of his eye, Hozuki Nozomi saw Kosaka Kirino, a girl with earnest eyes, bite her lip and frown deeply. So, it was bullying. A classic setup.
A slow, cool smile touched his lips. He rose from his seat, moving with a fluid grace that was entirely Yotsuha's but imbued with a quiet, unshakeable confidence that was all his own. The transformation was subtle but profound. As he followed the trio out, the chatter in the classroom dimmed. Boys who had previously only given Yotsuha a passing glance now watched her with rapt attention. She had always been cute, but now she carried herself with the elegance of someone who knew exactly who she was. It was a captivating sight.
The golden-haired leader noticed the shift in the room's atmosphere and her jaw tightened with envy, her resentment towards the "country girl" solidifying into something uglier.
The moment they entered the restroom, the two lackeys moved with practiced ease, blocking the door and cutting off any chance of escape. The leader spun around, her hand shooting out to grab a fistful of Yotsuha's ponytail and yank her down a peg.
Pa.
Her hand was caught in mid-air, held in a grip of surprising strength. Hozuki Nozomi's eyes, cool and unwavering, met hers. "What is it you intend to do, classmate?"
The girl's eyes widened in shock. Her wrist was trapped. "Miyamizu, you little slut! How dare you—" she hissed, raising her other hand to deliver a sharp slap to the cheek that dared to look so composed.
But Hozuki Nozomi was faster.
He let go of her wrist, his own hand arcing through the air with a speed and precision born from countless battles. A sharp crack echoed off the tiled walls as his palm connected with her cheek. The girl yelped, the force of the blow spinning her around before she crumpled to the floor. Before she could even process the pain, a firm kick to her midsentence sent her skidding back, clutching her stomach and wailing. One of her fake eyelashes had come unstuck, dangling precariously from her lash line as she glared up at him, tears of rage and pain blurring her vision.
"Xiaochun! Hezi! What are you waiting for?!" she screamed, her voice shrill. "Get her! This little bitch is insane!"
Hozuki Nozomi's expression hardened. His mood, which had been merely curious, plummeted into icy fury. This pathetic excuse for a human had just called Yotsuha—Mitsuha's sister, a good kid—a slut. That was unacceptable. The consequences would be severe.
He didn't give them a chance to coordinate. As the two other girls lunged, he met them head-on. There was no martial art to this; it was raw, efficient, and devastating. The next few seconds were a flurry of movement, punctuated by the sharp smack-smack-smack of open palms striking soft flesh. Their clumsy attempts to grab his hair or scratch his face were met with swift, stinging retaliation. He didn't resort to pulling hair or clawing like they would have. That was beneath him. Instead, he simply taught them a brutal lesson in respect, one slap at a time.
When the chaos subsided, Hozuki Nozomi was sitting squarely on the leader's back, pinning her to the cold floor. He had one hand clamped over her mouth, his thumb and forefinger squeezing her jaw.
"What did you just call me?" he asked, his voice a silken whisper that was far more terrifying than any shout. "I dare you to say it again."
The girl's muffled sobs were the only response. Her bravado had completely evaporated. "Mmm… mmph… I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I won't do it again!"
She was trembling, her carefully constructed facade of a tough city girl shattered. She had expected meek submission, not this. This was a monster in a cute girl's body.
Hozuki Nozomi leaned closer, his eyes narrowing. "You're sorry now. Where was this apology five minutes ago?" He pulled back his fist and slammed it into the floor beside her ear.
BOOM.
The sound was deafening in the enclosed space. The two other girls, who had been huddled against the wall nursing their red, swollen cheeks, froze. Their tear-filled eyes went wide as dinner plates as they stared at the fresh crack that now spider-webbed across the tile, inches from their leader's head.
A slow, chilling smile spread across Hozuki Nozomi's face. "I've had some training," he said conversationally, leaning in so only the girl beneath him could hear. "I simply chose not to engage with you before. But now… if you ever feel like causing me trouble again, ask yourself this: do you think your face is harder than this floor?"
The girl, Nagase Miko, swallowed hard, her throat clicking audibly. She shook her head frantically, her remaining fake eyelash falling off in the process. "No! No, I won't! I'm sorry!"
From the corner, the other two girls joined in a chorus of tearful apologies. "We're sorry! We were wrong!"
Hozuki Nozomi tilted his head, not moving from his perch. "Apology accepted. But forgive me if I don't fully trust your character. You seem like the type to hold a grudge." He reached into Yotsuha's skirt pocket and pulled out a small recording pen, holding it up for them to see. With a click, the device began to play.
Their own voices filled the restroom, trembling and tearful as they confessed to their jealousy. They spoke of how they resented Yotsuha for being cuter, for being from the countryside yet stealing their spotlight, for everything they were not. The three girls' faces, already red from the slaps, drained of all color, turning a sickly pale.
Hozuki Nozomi smiled, a triumphant glint in his eye. "I have everything you just said recorded. Your motive, your actions… it's all here."
He stood up, stepping off Nagase Miko's back. He let the silence stretch, watching their expressions crumble.
"From now on, if anyone so much as looks at me the wrong way, if I have a single moment of trouble, I will make this recording public. I'll let the whole school see just how ugly you are when you're jealous."
"No!" Nagase Miko scrambled to her knees, her face a mess of tears and ruined makeup. "We won't! We swear! But if others cause you trouble, that's not our fault!"
Hozuki Nozomi shrugged, his expression indifferent. "I don't care about the specifics. You called me in here to bully me. So, as far as I'm concerned, you're responsible for my well-being now. If someone else causes me trouble, I'll still blame you."
"That's not fair!" one of the other girls cried out, her voice cracking with hysteria.
"Life isn't fair," Hozuki Nozomi replied simply. Seeing the fresh wave of tears and the utter despair on their faces—they were, after all, just middle schoolers—he relented slightly. His voice softened, losing its edge of menace. "Alright, stop wailing. I'm not a demon. As long as you behave yourselves and stay out of my way, I won't come after you."
He then walked over to Nagase Miko, who flinched as he raised his hand. But instead of a slap, he gently pinched her swollen cheek. A soft, cool glow emanated from his fingers—the healing magic he'd acquired from Frieren. Nagase Miko gasped as the stinging pain vanished, replaced by a soothing coolness. When he released her, she quickly fumbled for her compact mirror. Her cheek was smooth, unblemished, as if she'd never been hit.
She stared at her reflection, dumbfounded.
Hozuki Nozomi stood up, his expression now one of cold, mysterious authority. A small, knowing smile played on his lips. "I forgot to mention," he said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I am the heir to the Miyamizu Shrine, the current shrine maiden. In the future, I suggest you be very careful who you try to intimidate." He looked at each of them in turn, letting the weight of his words sink in. "Or else… I might just curse you."
With that, he healed the other two girls' injuries with a wave of his hand, leaving them staring at him with a mixture of terror, awe, and instant, profound regret. How could they have ever thought to target her? All they had wanted was to scare her, to tell her to tone down her cuteness so she wouldn't overshadow them. Now, they had been beaten, recorded, and threatened with a curse by an actual shrine maiden. Nagase Miko could only watch her retreating back, a fresh wave of tears welling in her eyes. Provoke her? Not a chance. They couldn't afford to.
Hozuki Nozomi had just stepped out of the restroom, the door swinging shut behind him, when he saw Kosaka Kirino running towards him, a frantic homeroom teacher in tow.
Kirino skidded to a halt, her eyes wide with concern as she looked him over. "Eh? Miyamizu-san? Are… are you okay?!"
Hozuki Nozomi blinked, genuinely puzzled. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Um… I saw Nagase and her friends call you in there," Kirino explained, wringing her hands. "I was worried they were going to bully you…"
A look of serene understanding crossed his face. "Ah, no," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "They just asked me to come pee with them."
The homeroom teacher, who had been catching her breath, immediately rolled her eyes in exasperation. She placed her hands on her hips and fixed "Yotsuha" with a stern glare. "Miyamizu-san! You are a young lady! Please use more polite language!" She shook her head, turning to Kirino. "Since it was a misunderstanding, I'll head back."