Hozuki Nozomi did not give the ingredients to Kirisu Miharu; instead, he sidestepped her outstretched hands and walked straight into the kitchen, the plastic bags rustling against his hip.
"No need, I'll do it. Miharu-chan, just wait to eat. Mafuyu-Sensei is more used to me assisting her."
Kirisu Miharu was immediately displeased, her lower lip jutting forward.
She could be a good assistant to her older sister too, alright!
Why does Onee-chan always let him take over? I'm perfectly capable...
However, Kirisu Mafuyu directly pulled out her older sister's aura, chin lifting as she turned to face Miharu with that practiced sternness she used on struggling students.
"Miharu, go sit in the living room. Tonight, I'll let you witness my cooking skills again."
"From now on, if you're staying here, cooking will be your responsibility, okay?"
"No problem!"
As long as she could live with her older sister for a while, cooking and all that were minor issues. Perhaps she could even get guidance from her older sister and improve her cooking skills. Miharu retreated to the couch, phone already in hand, the blue glow catching on her cheekbones.
…
After fooling Miharu for a bit, Kirisu Mafuyu finally breathed a sigh of relief. The tension eased from her shoulders—visible even through her cream-colored blouse.
She put on a pink apron, the fabric worn soft at the edges from washing, and quickly went into the kitchen, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
She felt a little guilty.
I'm a terrible liar. But it's better than her knowing I can't even boil water properly...
Deceiving her younger sister was wrong. But this was a white lie. For her splendid image in her younger sister's heart, she could only continue to hide it.
"Mafuyu-Sensei, please wash the vegetables for me. I'm counting on you."
"No problem, leave it to me!"
Upon receiving Hozuki Nozomi's instruction, Kirisu Mafuyu was immediately full of energy. She wasn't good at cooking—that much was painfully clear—but washing vegetables was no problem for her. Cold water splashed over her fingers as she scrubbed dirt from the daikon, the earthy smell mixing with garlic as Nozomi began mincing beside her.
Then, it was time for Hozuki Nozomi to show off his skills again.
Oil sizzled in the wok. Steam curled toward the ceiling. He moved with practiced efficiency—tossing vegetables, adjusting flame, adding sauce in quick splashes that hissed against hot metal.
…
Before long, the fragrant dishes were ready.
The tempting aroma—soy and ginger and caramelized onion—made Kirisu Mafuyu subconsciously swallow, her appetite greatly increasing. Takeout couldn't even compare!
But, from now on, would he stop cooking for her?
Thinking of this, Kirisu Mafuyu's mood became a little heavy. She suddenly regretted taking the initiative to clarify things and then persuading him to give up.
…
After finishing the meal, Hozuki Nozomi bid farewell at the door, slipping his shoes back on.
Before leaving, he looked deeply at Kirisu Mafuyu—held her gaze for three full heartbeats—finally flashing her a brilliant smile.
Kirisu Mafuyu, however, felt a little guilty. Her fingers curled against the doorframe.
Why does he look at me like that? Like he knows something I don't…
…
That night, Kirisu Mafuyu couldn't sleep.
Moonlight slanted through the blinds, painting silver bars across the ceiling. Beside her, Miharu's breathing came soft and steady, her younger sister's warmth radiating through the shared blanket. She'd insisted on sleeping together—"Just like when we were kids, Onee-chan!"—and Mafuyu hadn't the heart to refuse.
But now, staring at the shadows, Mafuyu couldn't stop her thoughts from circling.
Tomorrow, would that guy ignore her?
After all, they had already had their farewell meal.
She turned onto her side, sheets whispering against her skin, and watched the gentle rise and fall of Miharu's shoulder until exhaustion finally pulled her under.
…
Hozuki Nozomi had already returned to Sakurasou.
The dormitory smelled like home—old wood, someone's abandoned cup of green tea, and the faint chemical sweetness of Misaki-senpai's paint supplies drifting from upstairs. Evening light filtered amber through the windows, catching dust motes suspended in the air.
As soon as he stepped through the entrance, he saw Asada Shino and Aoyama Nanami sitting on the sofa, heads bent close together, whispering something. Shino's hair caught the lamplight, and Nanami's chestnut waves spilled over one shoulder as she leaned in conspiratorially.
So, he quietly crept behind the two of them.
"What are you two chatting about? So enthusiastically?"
"Kya!"
Both girls were startled by his sudden voice, jumping nearly in unison. Upon realizing it was him, they couldn't help but roll their eyes at him in perfect synchronization.
Then their small fists rained down on him—Nanami's quick jabs to his arm, Shino's softer punches against his chest.
"Ow, stop hitting me! You're murdering your husband!"
"Bah, you're still spouting nonsense! Who told you to scare us?" Nanami's cheeks flushed pink with indignation.
"Shino, don't go easy on him! Let's teach him a lesson together!"
Aoyama Nanami, who had been a female knight several times now, was getting bolder and bolder. Her amber eyes sparkled with challenge as she put on airs and started lecturing him.
Nozomi looked at the somewhat tsundere Nanami—fists still raised, chest heaving slightly—and the soft-spoken Shino, whose eyes darted away shyly even as her lips curved into a small smile.
He couldn't help but grin mischievously.
"Let's see who teaches whom a lesson!"
He moved fast—one arm hooking beneath Nanami's thighs, the other scooping Shino against his chest. Both girls squeaked in surprise, hands scrambling for purchase against his shoulders.
And carried them to the room.
Aoyama Nanami gasped, her face flushed crimson, as she was tossed onto the bed. The mattress bounced beneath her, her chestnut hair fanning across the pillow. Shino landed beside her a heartbeat later, pale and breathless, fingers clutching at the sheets.
"N-Nozomi, wait—"
He didn't wait.
His mouth found Nanami's first—hot and demanding, swallowing her protests. His hand slid up Shino's thigh simultaneously, fingers tracing the hem of her skirt until she whimpered against his shoulder.
Clothes came off in stages. Nanami's blouse, buttons straining, then giving. Shino's cardigan pushed down slender shoulders, revealing the delicate architecture of her collarbones. His own shirt, pulled overhead impatiently.
"Ahhn... N-Nozomi..."
Nanami arched beneath him as his palm found her breast through the thin cotton of her bra—small but perfectly shaped, her nipple already stiffening against his touch. He rolled it between thumb and forefinger, watching her bite her lip.
He's so unfair... touching us both at once...
Beside them, Shino trembled as he traced the dip of her waist, the gentle swell of her hip. Smaller than Nanami, more delicate—her body a study in pale curves and soft shadows. Her bra was simple white cotton, and he unclasped it with practiced ease, watching the fabric fall away to reveal small, pink-tipped breasts that rose and fell with her quickening breath.
"Shino," he murmured against her ear, "you're beautiful."
"D-don't say embarrassing things..."
But her thighs parted slightly, inviting.
He stripped them both completely—Nanami's underwear sliding down toned legs (she'd been running more lately, he noticed, her calves defined and firm), Shino's plain panties revealing the pale thatch of hair between her legs, already glistening.
His own pants followed. His cock stood rigid against his stomach, thick and flushed dark with blood, the head already slick with precum.
Nanami's eyes widened. No matter how many times she saw it, the sight still made her pulse race.
"Nanami first," he decided, positioning himself between her thighs. "Shino, come here."
Shino crawled closer on trembling limbs, and he guided her to straddle Nanami's face.
"Wh-what—"
"Just relax," Nanami breathed from below, her warm exhale ghosting across Shino's exposed folds. "I'll make you feel good."
This is so embarrassing... but...
Shino's thought dissolved into a moan as Nanami's tongue traced her slit.
"Aahhhnn...!"
Nozomi thrust into Nanami at the same moment—one smooth stroke that buried him to the hilt. She was tight and wet and scorching, her walls clenching around him immediately.
"Mmph—!"
Nanami's muffled cry vibrated against Shino's cunt, making the smaller girl jerk and gasp.
He set a rhythm then—deep, rolling thrusts that rocked Nanami's body, that made her tongue slip and slide against Shino's folds with each impact. The wet sounds filled the room—his cock squelching in and out of Nanami's soaked pussy, Shino's arousal smearing across Nanami's chin.
"Haaah... hah... N-Nozomi... so deep..."
"Nnnh... Nanami... your tongue... ahh...!"
Their moans tangled together, soprano and alto, a harmony of pleasure.
Nozomi gripped Nanami's hips hard enough to leave marks, watching the place where their bodies joined—her pink folds stretched around his girth, cream gathering at the base of his shaft with each withdrawal.
"You're squeezing so tight," he grunted. "Both of you—you're both so good."
Shino came first, unable to hold back—her small body tensing, thighs clamping around Nanami's head as she cried out, her release coating Nanami's tongue.
"Hiiiinnn~!"
Nanami swallowed what she could, the rest dribbling down her chin, mixing with her own saliva.
Then Nozomi's hand found her clit—rubbing firm circles that made her back arch clean off the bed.
"Cum for me, Nanami."
"Ahhh—! Nozomi—! I'm—I'm—!"
Her orgasm crashed through her, walls spasming wildly around his cock, dragging him over the edge with her. He buried himself deep and held, cock twitching as he spilled hot and thick inside her, filling her until it leaked around his shaft and dripped onto the sheets below.
"Nngh..."
After a while, breathing slowly returning to normal, Nozomi raised his hand to stroke Aoyama Nanami's beautiful hair, damp with sweat at her temples. Then he stroked Shino's little head, her pale strands disheveled and tangled.
"You can tell me now," he asked curiously, voice still roughened. "What were Nanami and Shino talking about just now?"
Aoyama Nanami leaned softly in his arms, her body still trembling with aftershocks.
She had been thoroughly bullied.
She had no strength left at all.
Hearing his words, she couldn't help but give him a cute glare, her amber eyes hazy.
He just... and now he wants to gossip? Unbelievable...
"It's girl talk, why should I tell you? Nozomi, you're so gossipy."
Hozuki Nozomi straightened his face and spanked her bottom—the sound sharp in the quiet room, her flesh still sensitive and pink.
"What do you mean I'm gossipy? Aren't I just concerned about you?"
"I'm asking you because I want to provide help in time when you encounter problems."
"Ugh... I'm sorry, don't be angry, I'll tell you, okay?"
Seeing his stern face, Aoyama Nanami's tone immediately softened.
"That's more like it, quickly tell me about your girl gossip!"
"Pfft~! Nozomi, you still say you're not gossipy?"
Aoyama Nanami and Asada Shino couldn't help but burst out laughing, their giggles bright against the lingering musk of sex in the air.
Nozomi chuckled and said, "I'm just concerned about you, hurry up and tell me, let me be happy too."
Aoyama Nanami looked at him helplessly and didn't hide anything.
"It's Shino. Misaki-senpai and I found her voice to be super nice, with great potential to be a voice actress, so we invited her to voice a Magical Girl character."
"So that's how it is. So, is Shino willing to give it a try? There will be royalties."
Hozuki Nozomi tempted her.
Asada Shino's eyes immediately lit up, irises catching the lamplight.
"Really? Then... I'll try my best."
Aoyama Nanami was instantly speechless.
"Oh, you, Shino!"
"Misaki-senpai and I talked for ages and you wouldn't agree, but when Nozomi says it, you agree?"
Asada Shino was instantly a little embarrassed, burying her face against Nozomi's shoulder.
It's different when he asks... I can't refuse him anything...
Hozuki Nozomi smiled, leaned over and kissed Aoyama Nanami's cheek, explaining:
"Because Shino-chan, like Nanami-chan, is a bit tight on money."
"She usually has to work hard on tutoring to keep up with her studies, and she already doesn't have enough time, and she still has to work part-time..."
Aoyama Nanami suddenly understood.
"So that's how it is. Then Shino, you should have said so earlier! When it comes to part-time jobs, I am undoubtedly the veteran in Chiba!"
"From now on, we'll go to part-time jobs together, and then do voice acting together. What do you think?"
"The voice acting work is from our studio, so there will be royalties when the work sells. What do you think, Shino?"
How could Asada Shino refuse?
She immediately nodded and agreed, her hair swaying with the motion.
Nozomi also felt a little relieved to see this.
"So, which character will Shino be voicing?"
"It's the Magical Girl from the future in the Magical Girl crossover story you wrote, Nozomi."
"I see. Then, good luck, Shino."
"Yes, I will, thank you."
Asada Shino was very moved.
Nozomi didn't need to be mentioned. He was already her support.
And the other residents of Sakurasou were also super nice.
"What are you being polite for? We're all family."
Aoyama Nanami glared at Asada Shino, though her eyes held only warmth.
If it were her in the past, she probably wouldn't have been willing to accept kindness. With her strong self-esteem, she generally wouldn't accept help from others, because it would make her feel indebted.
But now it was different.
She herself belonged to Nozomi.
And she was very satisfied with this home, so she was also willing to work with Sayu and Mahiru to maintain the harmony of Sakurasou.