During dinner that evening, Frieren and Fern kept their heads down, quietly eating their meal. They didn't dare to look at Nozomi at all.
Though Frieren had claimed she wasn't bothered by what happened earlier, that was far from the truth. How could she not care? She had been kissed on the lips, touched in ways she had never expected, and seen in an utterly compromising state by a man.
Even Fern, who usually maintained a composed demeanor, was struggling to keep her cool.
After dinner, both of them practically fled to their shared room, leaving Nozomi to ponder what to do next.
A few minutes later, he made his way to their door and knocked.
"Come in," came Frieren's calm yet slightly tense voice.
Stepping inside, he was greeted by the sight of both women sitting on their beds, their faces tinged with the lingering embarrassment of earlier events.
Frieren was the first to speak, patting her cheeks as if trying to shake off the awkwardness. She took a deep breath before meeting his gaze with her usual collected expression.
"Nozomi, if you came here to apologize for what happened earlier, there's no need."
She crossed her arms, acting as though it was no big deal.
"The whole situation arose because of the dragon horn I gave you. What happened wasn't entirely your fault."
She paused briefly before adding, "So, you don't have to take it to heart."
Nozomi shook his head firmly.
"How could I not care?"
His gaze was serious as he continued, "I ended up putting both of you in an... intimate situation. Regardless of the cause, I still feel responsible. And I intend to take responsibility. Of course, I respect your wishes on the matter."
Frieren blinked at him, slightly taken aback by his straightforwardness.
"That aside, I came here for another reason. Do you have a general understanding of this world now?"
Frieren nodded. "More or less."
"Good," Nozomi said as he pulled out a bank card and a file folder, placing them on the small table in the room.
"There's 2 million yen in this card. If you need to buy anything, you can visit the convenience store down the street or order online and have it delivered."
He then tapped the file folder. "This contains your identity documents. With these, you won't run into any trouble while moving around."
Frieren and Fern exchanged glances before Frieren picked up the items, her expression unreadable.
"This money isn't just a gift," Nozomi continued. "Consider it payment for protecting Sakurasou. More specifically, for protecting me."
"A commission, huh?" Frieren mused, before smiling lightly. "Fern and I accept."
Fern nodded beside her, though her expression remained a little conflicted.
Frieren's eyes flickered with amusement. "But you really didn't have to pay us. We didn't even charge you for letting us study your treasure chest."
"No, you have to take it." Nozomi's tone was firm. "I want you to get to know this world, to experience its wonders. And hopefully... to stay."
Before either of them could respond, Nozomi suddenly leaned in and planted a quick kiss on Frieren's cheek. Then, before Fern could react, he did the same to her.
In the next instant, he bolted out of the room.
Both of them sat frozen for a few seconds, their faces burning red.
"...Nozomi really wants us to stay," Fern murmured.
Frieren let out a small chuckle. "Seems like he's willing to take responsibility... well, that's pretty admirable."
She then turned to Fern with a teasing glint in her eyes. "So? Not considering marrying him?"
Fern's face turned even redder. "If Lady Frieren marries, I will too."
She had always feared that one day, Frieren would disappear from her world. She wanted to learn powerful magic to stand beside her mentor, to protect her.
And yet, part of her wished she could always remain weak—so she would never have to be left behind.
Hearing Fern's words, Frieren sighed.
"We'll think about that later. For now, let's focus on learning about this world."
Her voice was calm, but a subtle hint of emotion lingered in her gaze as she glanced toward the door Nozomi had just left through.
====================
Meanwhile, Nozomi found himself pacing around his room, feeling oddly restless.
The magic dragon's baptism hadn't just strengthened his body—it had heightened his senses, amplified his desires.
As he was deep in thought, the door suddenly opened, and a familiar figure stepped inside.
Shiina Mashiro.
"Nozomi, take it off."
Her voice was soft yet direct.
Nozomi blinked, utterly baffled. "...Huh?"
Mashiro, unfazed, stepped closer and tugged at the hem of his shirt. "Your clothes. Take them off."
His heart skipped a beat. He quickly grabbed her hands, stopping her movements.
"Mashiro... what are you doing?"
"I want to see."
"See what exactly?"
She tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "Nozomi is being difficult. Just take it off."
"No, no, no! Not until you explain!"
Mashiro frowned. "Are you shy? I see. Then I'll take mine off too."
Before he could react, she let her dress slip down to the floor.
At that exact moment, the door swung open again.
Standing there, wide-eyed, was Shiina Mahiru.
"Nozomi... Mashiro... what are you two doing...?"
"It's a misunderstanding, Mahiru!" Nozomi nearly choked.
Mashiro remained unfazed as she turned to Mahiru and calmly stated, "Nozomi asked me to take off my clothes."
A silence fell over the room.
Then, just as Nozomi felt things couldn't possibly get worse—
"Pervert!" Mai Sakurajima's voice cut in from the hallway. She had been passing by and had seen just enough to jump to the worst conclusion.
She shot Nozomi a disgusted glare before pulling out her phone. "I'm calling the police."
"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT—THIS IS A HUGE MISUNDERSTANDING!"
Mashiro blinked and continued in her usual monotone, "Nozomi asked me to take off my clothes... so he could take his off too."
Both Mahiru and Mai stared at them, speechless.
Nozomi felt like crying. Mashiro, if you're going to explain, do it properly!
Sighing, he reached out and patted the girl's head. "You're going to be the death of me, Mashiro..."
"Then why do you want me to take off my clothes? Does it have something to do with your manga?"
"Hai. My editor said that the male characters I draw are too vague—only their faces look right, but their bodies lack structure. I haven't really observed a male body before, so I can't draw them properly."
Ah, so that's what this was about.
Mashiro wanted to see his body to use it as a reference for her manga.
Nozomi sighed before pulling off his shirt without hesitation.
The moment his upper body was exposed, the air in the room changed.
Chiseled muscles, well-defined lines, a physique honed to near perfection.
His eight-pack abs stood out prominently, making both Mai Sakurajima and Shiina Mahiru involuntarily blush.
Mahiru even let out a small gasp before clamping her legs together.
Was it just an illusion, or had Nozomi's body become even more refined?
Mai Sakurajima gulped subtly, muttering to herself, This guy... has an amazing body.
No wonder he's so confident.
Despite herself, she found her gaze lingering on him for a moment longer than necessary.
Shiina Mashiro, however, remained as composed as ever, directly reaching out towards him.
Her small, cool hands landed on his chest, gliding down as if she were analyzing every detail of his musculature.
Nozomi immediately grabbed a pillow to cover his lower body.
"Pervert!"
Mai Sakurajima spat, her face flushed as she fled back to her room in a panic.
Shiina Mahiru, meanwhile, merely blinked at him, her expression unreadable, yet somehow teasing.
"So this is a boy's body... it's really different from a girl's."
Mashiro observed him with the same curiosity as a scholar studying a new subject.
However, her gaze soon shifted to the pillow he was clutching over his lap. She frowned slightly.
"Move that away."
Nozomi's face twitched. "Not happening."
"Move it."
"Let's just not."
Mashiro puffed out her cheeks slightly, looking genuinely displeased. "You lied. Liar."
"Hah? How did I lie?"
"Nozomi said he'd help me draw, but now he won't let me see."
That face—those big, dejected eyes—made his resolve waver.
Damn it.
With a heavy sigh, Nozomi relented, tossing the pillow aside.
Mashiro wasted no time.
"Nozomi, this feels so strange…" she murmured, tilting her head. "It's warm."
Nozomi let out a deep sigh at her completely unfiltered curiosity. Reaching out, he gently patted her head.
"Oi, Mashiro. You can't just touch other people's things like that. Got it? I'll get mad."
She blinked up at him before giving a slow nod. "Wakatta. Mashiro will only touch Nozomi's things."
Why does that sound even worse?!
Nozomi sighed again, rubbing his temples. "Good girl. But don't put this in your manga, okay?"
"I know. Nozomi's so naggy." She pouted slightly before folding her arms. "Mou~! So annoying."
"Who do you think I'm nagging for?!"
Annoyed, Nozomi suddenly pulled her into a firm embrace, his irritation seeping into his grip.
Mashiro, however, only blinked before wrapping her arms around his waist in return.
"Oh… so this is what a hug feels like. Can I draw this?"
"Go ahead."
Nozomi could feel his frustration rising as he held Mashiro—who, despite being a genius, remained completely clueless about the situation.
After Mashiro was satisfied with the material, he rushed into Mahiru'sroom.
Shiina Mahiru exclaimed as he held her in his arms.
Her cheeks turned red.
But she would not refuse. .
-----And that my kids, is the story of how I met your mother!!!!