Back at her seat, Tsukimi still wore that cool, composed expression. But deep down, her heart was a swirling storm of emotions.
Just like Hozuki Nozomi had said.
If you truly like someone… there's no way you wouldn't notice their feelings.
But as she sat back down, recalling how she had left the room alone with a boy—one who wasn't Hose-kun—Hazuki Yasuo hadn't reacted at all. Not even a hint of jealousy. Not even a frown.
Was it because he was too confident? Did he think that she and Cherry-senpai would just stay by his side forever, loyal and silent?
No. That wasn't it.
Because when it came to Mishikiin Sumireko, Hazuki Yasuo wasn't like that at all.
Even though he knew Sumireko had a boyfriend, he still clung to hope. Still chased after her with the stubbornness of a shounen protagonist refusing to give up.
But what about her? What about Cherry-senpai?
They were always hiding their feelings, always playing the role of the reliable friends—the wingmen to the boy they liked.
Why?
Why did they have to be so humble? So self-sacrificing?
Were they just waiting for the perfect chance to confess their feelings to Hose-kun, only to be shot down like some background character in a tragic romance?
Why did they keep hurting themselves like this—for someone who never even noticed their pain?
Tsukimi clenched her fists under the desk.
Hose-kun was sick. Not physically, but emotionally. And it was a sickness that had seeped into everyone around him.
But she and Cherry never tried to heal him.
Instead, because of their blind trust, they just kept enabling him, kept waiting like NPCs in a dating sim for him to choose them—hoping he'd come to his senses one day and marry one of them.
That hope was the real sickness.
And maybe… just maybe, they were the ones who were really unwell. Caring too much. Always walking on eggshells.
Because once you confess, there's no going back. If you fail, you lose everything—the friendship, the bond, the shared memories.
It was safer to stay silent.
But it was also agonizing.
Hose-kun didn't notice their pain, but he had no problem falling in love with another girl without even telling them.
She and Cherry-senpai looked like complete fools. Openly competing behind polite smiles. Laughable.
But at noon, Tsukimi made a decision.
She sought out Cherry-senpai.
They needed to talk.
They needed to stop this madness before it consumed them both.
They couldn't let Hose-kun—and their own cowardice—drag them into this abyss any longer.
Meanwhile, completely unaware that his perfectly balanced harem-friendship was about to collapse, Hazuki Yasuo approached Hozuki Nozomi with the innocence of a clueless side character.
"Nozomi-kun! Mind if I hang around the Service Club again today? I want to see how it works. I might even want to join!"
Nozomi deadpanned. "You're from another school. You'll be gone eventually. Why bother joining?"
Yasuo scratched his head. "Can't I join temporarily and quit later? What's the harm?"
Nozomi narrowed his eyes. "Cut the crap. You just want to be around my Sumireko. Not happening. Give up already and stop pestering her."
Yasuo gave a bitter smile.
"I'm not trying to pester her… I just want to know the truth. Am I really that terrible of a person? Is that why she avoids me?"
Nozomi let out a sigh. "You still haven't given up, huh? Fine, listen to this."
He pulled out a small recorder and hit play.
Yasuo blinked. "What's this?"
"Something Sumireko said to me. I recorded it just in case you kept clinging to false hope. She won't tell you this herself out of kindness… but you need to hear it."
Sumireko's voice came through, clear and pained:
"Just being around Hazuki Yasuo is exhausting. He doesn't see how much Cherry-senpai and Tsukimi suffer, but he keeps chasing after me. Even when I try to hint at it, he doesn't get it. It drives me crazy. That's why I ran away the moment I graduated."
Yasuo stood frozen, eyes wide. It felt like a lightning strike.
"T-this has to be fake… You're lying! That's not something Sumireko would say!"
Nozomi shrugged. "Keep telling yourself that if it helps. But if you approach her again, I will introduce you to my fists. Got it?"
He turned away without another word.
Yasuo stood there, fists clenched, despair etched across his face.
"I… I can change... Why has no one ever told me the truth before?"
He was spiraling now.
That recording crushed his self-image. If just being around him made Sumireko miserable… What kind of person was he really?
He thought of Tsukimi and Cherry-senpai.
They'd been by his side all this time… and yet he'd never even considered dating them.
And now, even that seemed like it was slipping away.
...
After knocking some sense into Hose-kun, Nozomi headed straight for the Service Club.
Gotta treat the sister-in-law well, right? Otherwise, how could he ever hope to make things work in the future?
Well... that could wait. Right now, Sumireko was there too.
When he arrived, he saw Sakurahara Momo and Kusami Tsukimi already sitting inside, deep in a conversation about the differences between their schools. Yukinoshita Yukino, as always, was leading the discussion with her usual sharp and elegant tone. Momo took notes with a focused expression, and Tsukimi chimed in occasionally with her own opinions.
Sumireko smiled gently as she responded, and the atmosphere… surprisingly peaceful?
"Eh? Should I not have come?" Nozomi muttered as he slid open the door.
Yukinoshita rolled her eyes at him.
"Perfect timing. Move those two desks over here."
"Oi, am I just a glorified搬運工 (hanyuunkou – mover) now?"
Nozomi gave her a look of mock grievance.
"Less talk, more lifting. This is your rare chance as the only male in the Bijin Kurabu (Pretty Girls Club). Usefulness level: labor."
"Tch… what a humiliating position."
Nozomi grumbled under his breath, but still obeyed, dragging two desks into place with minimal protest.
Sumireko chuckled, her voice as soft as a spring breeze. "Yukinoshita, bullying Nozomi like this… Aren't you worried he'll retaliate one day?"
Yukinoshita's cheeks flushed just a bit. Of course she understood what kind of 'retaliation' Sumireko was implying.
Still, she turned her nose up and replied with forced calm, "I'm merely giving him a chance to demonstrate his 男らしさ (otokorashisa – manliness). Definitely not bullying."
Sumireko grinned. "Oh? Then his revenge won't be bullying either, just a romantic counterattack."
"Ugh, annoying! I regret letting you join the club, Sumireko."
"Too late. Just like Nozomi, I'm already dependent on our lovely kaichou~"
The banter flew back and forth like fireworks. Momo and Tsukimi exchanged smiles, clearly enjoying the lighthearted atmosphere.
"Sumireko, you seem really happy here," Momo said with a soft smile. "You have Yukinoshita as a friend… and a boyfriend like Nozomi-kun. I'm seriously jealous."
Sumireko's eyes sparkled as she replied, "We're all friends here. Nothing to envy."
Then, looking between them with sincerity, she added, "Momo-senpai, Tsukimi-san, I want to support you both too. But please… don't force yourselves to stick around someone who doesn't see you."
Momo waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry, we've given up on Hazuki. Tsukimi and I decided—we're going to confess today."
"Heh? So sudden?" Nozomi blinked.
"What, is it a problem?" Momo stood up, hands on her hips, pouting defiantly. "Didn't you tell Tsukimi to value herself and stop playing support for Hose-kun? Well, here we are. We've decided to chase our own happiness."
Nozomi tilted his head. "Isn't throwing yourselves into rejection just another way to hurt yourselves?"
Momo paused, momentarily caught off guard. Okay, that… was fair.
But she quickly retorted, "You don't know we'll fail! Tsukimi and I have been with Hose-kun forever. There must be some feelings, right?"
Nozomi shrugged with that usual calm smirk.
"I wish you both success."
Momo pouted harder. "That didn't sound sincere at all!"
"Ahem. I said it, didn't I?"
Though in his heart, he was pretty sure they'd be rejected. But at least this would be a clean break. No more silent suffering.
"Sumireko! Your boyfriend is attacking us with sarcasm again! Say something!"
Momo wrapped herself around Sumireko's arm in mock protest.
Sumireko giggled, covering her mouth. "Nozomi, be nice. How can you bully your senpai like this?"
Nozomi stood straight, put on a serious expression, and declared: "Whether the result is love or rejection, what matters is the courage to speak your truth. Senpai, Tsukimi-san, you've got this. Sumireko and I will be cheering you on."
"Arigatou..." Momo's voice softened. Tsukimi gave a rare smile, nodding in quiet agreement.
As they looked at Nozomi and Sumireko, standing so naturally beside each other, something struck both of them.
This atmosphere… it was completely different from when they were with Hose-kun.
Warmth. Safety. A feeling of being seen.
In that moment, both girls couldn't help but feel curious.
About Hozuki Nozomi.
After knocking some sense into Hose-kun, Hozuki Nozomi headed straight for the Service Club.
Gotta treat the sister-in-law well, right? Otherwise, how could he ever hope to make things work in the future?
Well... that could wait. Right now, Sumireko was there too.
When he arrived, he saw Sakurahara Momo and Kusami Tsukimi already sitting inside, deep in a conversation about the differences between their schools. Yukinoshita Yukino, as always, was leading the discussion with her usual sharp and elegant tone. Momo took notes with a focused expression, and Tsukimi chimed in occasionally with her own opinions.
Sumireko smiled gently as she responded, and the atmosphere… surprisingly peaceful?
"Eh? Should I not have come?" Nozomi muttered as he slid open the door.
Yukinoshita rolled her eyes at him.
"Perfect timing. Move those two desks over here."
"Oi, am I just a glorified搬運工 (hanyuunkou – mover) now?"
Nozomi gave her a look of mock grievance.
"Less talk, more lifting. This is your rare chance as the only male in the Bijin Kurabu (Pretty Girls Club). Usefulness level: labor."
"Tch… what a humiliating position."
Nozomi grumbled under his breath, but still obeyed, dragging two desks into place with minimal protest.
Sumireko chuckled, her voice as soft as a spring breeze. "Yukinoshita, bullying Nozomi like this… Aren't you worried he'll retaliate one day?"
Yukinoshita's cheeks flushed just a bit. Of course she understood what kind of 'retaliation' Sumireko was implying.
Still, she turned her nose up and replied with forced calm, "I'm merely giving him a chance to demonstrate his 男らしさ (otokorashisa – manliness). Definitely not bullying."
Sumireko grinned. "Oh? Then his revenge won't be bullying either, just a romantic counterattack."
"Ugh, annoying! I regret letting you join the club, Sumireko."
"Too late. Just like Nozomi, I'm already dependent on our lovely kaichou~"
The banter flew back and forth like fireworks. Momo and Tsukimi exchanged smiles, clearly enjoying the lighthearted atmosphere.
"Sumireko, you seem really happy here," Momo said with a soft smile. "You have Yukinoshita as a friend… and a boyfriend like Nozomi-kun. I'm seriously jealous."
Sumireko's eyes sparkled as she replied, "We're all friends here. Nothing to envy."
Then, looking between them with sincerity, she added, "Momo-senpai, Tsukimi-san, I want to support you both too. But please… don't force yourselves to stick around someone who doesn't see you."
Momo waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry, we've given up on Hazuki. Tsukimi and I decided—we're going to confess today."
"Heh? So sudden?" Nozomi blinked.
"What, is it a problem?" Momo stood up, hands on her hips, pouting defiantly. "Didn't you tell Tsukimi to value herself and stop playing support for Hose-kun? Well, here we are. We've decided to chase our own happiness."
Nozomi tilted his head. "Isn't throwing yourselves into rejection just another way to hurt yourselves?"
Momo paused, momentarily caught off guard. Okay, that… was fair.
But she quickly retorted, "You don't know we'll fail! Tsukimi and I have been with Hose-kun forever. There must be some feelings, right?"
Nozomi shrugged with that usual calm smirk.
"I wish you both success."
Momo pouted harder. "That didn't sound sincere at all!"
"Ahem. I said it, didn't I?"
Though in his heart, he was pretty sure they'd be rejected. But at least this would be a clean break. No more silent suffering.
"Sumireko! Your boyfriend is attacking us with sarcasm again! Say something!"
Momo wrapped herself around Sumireko's arm in mock protest.
Sumireko giggled, covering her mouth. "Nozomi, be nice. How can you bully your senpai like this?"
Nozomi stood straight, put on a serious expression, and declared: "Whether the result is love or rejection, what matters is the courage to speak your truth. Senpai, Tsukimi-san, you've got this. Sumireko and I will be cheering you on."
"Arigatou..." Momo's voice softened. Tsukimi gave a rare smile, nodding in quiet agreement.
As they looked at Nozomi and Sumireko, standing so naturally beside each other, something struck both of them.
This atmosphere… it was completely different from when they were with Hose-kun.
Warmth. Safety. A feeling of being seen.
In that moment, both girls couldn't help but feel curious.
About Hozuki Nozomi