Faced with Yukinoshita Yukino's question, Ogiwara Sayu smiled softly, tilting her head slightly as she studied the elegant girl before her. Then, with a knowing look, she finally spoke.
"Because, Yukinoshita-san, I think Nozomi-kun must have been captivated by your beauty."
Yukinoshita Yukino's brows furrowed slightly at the unexpected statement, but Sayu continued without hesitation.
"And besides… I have this feeling that we'll be a family in the future, so I thought it best to tell you in advance."
"There won't be such a family," Yukinoshita replied sharply, folding her arms as she cast a skeptical glance at the cheerful girl. "Miss Ogiwara, do you really think his fickleness is acceptable?"
Sayu sighed softly, resting her chin on her palm. "What else can I do to stop it? I don't want to leave him, and I don't want Mahiru to be heartbroken either."
Her voice was calm, but there was a trace of helplessness in her eyes.
"So, I talked to Mahiru about it, and we came to an understanding. The result… wasn't too bad."
Yukinoshita Yukino found herself at a loss for words. Was this really okay? Before she could react, Sayu suddenly leaned in closer, cupping her hand to whisper into Yukino's ear.
A few seconds later—
"W-What?!"
Yukinoshita Yukino abruptly shot to her feet, her cheeks burning as she clenched her fists. Her usually composed demeanor shattered in an instant.
"Shameless! What kind of nonsense are you saying?! Are you trying to tell me that he's some kind of pervert?!"
Ogiwara Sayu giggled, amused by Yukinoshita's unexpectedly flustered reaction. She had merely been trying to warn her in advance about Hozuki Nozomi's capabilities in certain aspects…
Yukinoshita's anger boiled over. She couldn't handle this absurdity. Not only was Nozomi surrounded by multiple girls, but now this?! She turned sharply on her heel.
"I'm leaving!"
She stormed out of Sakurasou, not even sparing the cat another glance.
===========================
As she walked through the quiet streets, her thoughts were in complete disarray. This engagement… it's ridiculous.
If Nozomi had only been involved with one girl, Mahiru, she might have tried to come to terms with it. But knowing that he had multiple girls and hearing Sayu talk about it so naturally… How am I supposed to accept that?!
She was so caught up in her frustration that she barely noticed her surroundings. By the time she realized where she had wandered, she found herself in a dimly lit alleyway.
Huh?
A chill ran down her spine as the sound of footsteps echoed behind her.
Turning around, she saw them—six delinquents, their hair dyed in every color imaginable, sitting atop motorcycles. Their predatory smirks sent a shiver down her back.
"Well, well, look at what we have here," one of them sneered, his eyes raking over her from head to toe.
"A schoolgirl, huh? Damn, she's a real beauty," another whistled, his grin widening.
"Oi, ojou-chan, why don't you come hang out with us? We'll show you a good time."
The air was thick with ill intent. The way they looked at her made her stomach churn. Yukinoshita Yukino took a step back, keeping her expression cold and unreadable despite the fear creeping in.
"I don't know you. Leave, or I'll call the police."
Her voice was sharp, but she knew the reality of her situation. She had trained in aikido, but against six men—on motorcycles, no less—how was she supposed to win?
One of them, a blond with an ugly smirk, laughed crudely. "Oh, I like this one. Cold girls like her are always the most fun in bed."
Yukinoshita's hands clenched into fists. She quickly moved to open her phone's contacts, her heart hammering in her chest.
"Oi, boss! She's calling the cops!"
"Tch, looks like we'll have to teach her a little lesson first. Grab her!"
The moment she saw them move, she instinctively braced herself. If they tried to lay a hand on her, she would fight back—
But before they could reach her—
Thud! Crash!
A sudden whirlwind of movement.
The delinquents were sent flying.
A familiar voice rang out amidst the groans of pain.
"Seriously, what kind of idiots pull this crap in broad daylight?"
Yukinoshita Yukino's wide eyes darted toward the voice. Hozuki Nozomi stood there, rolling his shoulders as he stared down at the groaning delinquents with a bored expression.
Before they could react, he moved again—swift, precise, and utterly merciless.
Another thug hit the ground.
And another.
In less than a minute, all six of them lay sprawled out on the pavement, completely out cold.
Nozomi clicked his tongue. "Tch. Not even a decent warm-up."
Yukinoshita Yukino could only stare, dumbfounded.
He turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't I just tell you this area was dangerous? Why the hell did you run off alone?"
"I… I'm sorry…" Yukinoshita mumbled, lowering her head slightly.
Before she could say anything else, Nozomi grabbed her hand.
"Oi, wait—what about those guys?!"
"Already called the cops. Let them deal with it. I'm not wasting my time with these losers."
Yukinoshita Yukino blinked. "You… don't want to deal with their parents suing you?"
"Exactly," he replied, smirking. "The best strategy is to leave now."
She fell silent, allowing him to lead her away.
The two walked side by side, heading toward Sakurasou. The cherry blossoms overhead rustled in the breeze, their soft petals drifting through the air.
As they neared a bench, Nozomi gestured for her to sit.
Once she did, he studied her carefully. "Yukinoshita, why did you leave so suddenly?"
She looked away, refusing to meet his gaze. "I don't want to talk about it."
Nozomi let out an exasperated sigh. "So you never actually wanted me to join the club, huh? In that case, I'll quit."
She snapped her head up. "You're not allowed to quit! I am the club president."
"Then why'd you leave without saying anything? What if something had happened to you?"
Yukinoshita clenched her fists. "I… I don't know."
But deep down, she knew exactly why.
She felt betrayed. This guy—her fiancé—was a shameless womanizer. How was she supposed to accept that?
Even as she thought that, she glanced at their still-entwined hands, her cheeks heating up ever so slightly.
This is going to be complicated…
===================
Just as Nozomi was about to explain himself, a sudden alert rang in his mind.
[Ding! The special effect of Spirit Eye Attack is fully charged.]
He instinctively turned around and was greeted by a disturbing sight—the delinquents from earlier, their movements jerky and unnatural, like puppets being controlled by an unseen force. Their tongues lolled out grotesquely, their vacant eyes fixed on him and Yukino with an eerie intensity.
Without hesitation, Nozomi pulled Yukino close, his arm wrapping tightly around her slender waist as he stood up. The sudden contact sent an electric jolt through Yukinoshita Yukino, who let out a startled yelp. But when she followed his gaze and saw the "zombies" behind her, her eyes widened in horror.
"Nozomi-kun... w-what is going on?!" she stammered, her normally composed demeanor cracking.
"Tch. Seems like I got cursed by something nasty."
Nozomi's sharp gaze analyzed the situation. The six delinquents were engulfed in an ominous black aura, the foul stench of malevolence thick in the air. His expression darkened.
[Ding! Quest Triggered: Revenge of the Evil Spirit.]
[Remember the evil spirit on the train that had its teeth shattered when it tried to attack the player? Turns out, it's very vengeful. After a period of grueling training, it's back for revenge!]
[The six delinquents who triggered the Spiritual anomaly were already half-dead, making them the perfect vessels for possession. The evil spirit devoured their souls and is now seeking retribution against the player.]
[Objective: Exorcise the vengeful spirit. Rewards: A random skill or item + fixed reward of 1,000,000 yen.]
Nozomi clicked his tongue. "So it's that damn thing from before, huh? Figures. I scared it off last time, so now it wants payback."
"Nozomi-kun... what should we do? Those people—they're not normal! Should we call the police?!" Yukino's voice was laced with unease.
"No need. Just hold on to me."
"H-Hold on to you?!"
"Yeah. Don't let go, no matter what happens."
Yukino hesitated, her pride at war with her fear. But when she saw the serious look in Nozomi's eyes, she gulped and nodded.
"Close your eyes."
"B-But—"
"No buts. Just trust me, okay?"
His unexpectedly gentle tone made her heart skip a beat. Yukino, who always prided herself on keeping her composure, now found herself trembling slightly. Supernatural phenomena weren't exactly her expertise, and while she tried to maintain her icy exterior, deep down, she was terrified.
Still, she did as he asked, pressing closer to him. His warmth was oddly reassuring, his steady heartbeat grounding her. She shut her eyes tightly, gripping onto his sleeve with both hands.
Nozomi smirked at her reaction. Adorable.
Now, it was time to deal with this pest.
Activating his Spirit Eye, he immediately spotted the source—a grotesque, many-eyed wraith lurking behind the delinquents, its hideous mouth stretched wide in a twisted grin. Without hesitation, Nozomi unleashed a precision attack, targeting the core of its malevolent energy.
A shrill, agonized scream pierced the air.
Yukino, startled, buried her face in Nozomi's chest, clutching onto him tighter. She didn't dare open her eyes.
"I-It's real... There's really something there..."
Nozomi didn't respond. His left hand flipped over, summoning a small orb of dark flame-the Yin-Yang spiritual flame. Without wasting a second, he hurled it directly at the wraith. The sinister flames latched onto the spirit, engulfing it instantly. The entity let out one final, blood-curdling screech before disintegrating into ash.
The possessed delinquents collapsed to the ground, unmoving.
[Ding! Quest Complete.]
[Reward: Random skill entry or item acquired. 1,000,000 yen deposited.]
Nozomi let out a breath, satisfied. "Tch. That's what you get for coming after me."
The battle was over, but Nozomi wasn't in a hurry to let go of the beauty in his arms. Yukino was still holding onto him, her slender waist fitting perfectly in his grasp.
Damn, she's soft.
She seemed to notice the lack of movement and hesitantly asked, "Nozomi-kun... is it over?"
"Yeah. But if you want to hold onto me a little longer, I won't complain."
"A-Ah?!"
Yukino jolted as if electrocuted, immediately pushing herself away from him. When she opened her eyes and saw the teasing smirk on Nozomi's face, her cheeks turned scarlet.
"Y-You did that on purpose! You pervert!"
Nozomi chuckled but didn't deny it. "Alright, alright. Let's get out of here before anything else weird happens."
Before she could protest further, he grabbed her hand and started leading her back toward Sakurasou.
Yukino's heart pounded as she glanced at their intertwined fingers. Her mind was in turmoil, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away.
For the first time, she understood why Ogiwara Sayu and Shiina Mahiru didn't want to leave his side.
Because when he held your hand like this...
It felt like nothing in the world could ever harm you.
********************
At this point it feels like it's the MC's plot armor vs the world. Convenient situations for hero saves beauty tropes, a ritual to bring the MC closer to Frieren and Fern,,,, and more.....
Lemme stop using my brain from here on.....For real this time.
Tomorrow, I'll update 'Heartbeats and Illusions,' see you on Wednesday for the next updates for this book.
Have a great week ahead!!