IMPORTANT:
As I said earlier, my patreon account got deactivated. If you wish to support me and read advanced chapters, find me on ko-fi.com/shunsuke_uchiha
I currently only have this and a Naruto fan-fic listed there but the rest are gonna be listed within the week!
Happy reading and thank you for the continued support, especially the powerstones!!
*****
The sight that finally registered sent Eriri Spencer Sawamura's mind into a tailspin. Her jaw went slack, and she pointed a trembling finger at the two figures on the bed. "You… you two! What is this?!"
Hozuki Nozomi offered a perfectly innocent shrug, holding up the cotton swab between his fingers like exhibit A. "It's exactly as it appears, Sawamura. I'm assisting Utaha-senpai with a bit of personal grooming. Ear cleaning, to be precise." His tone shifted to one of mild curiosity. "More to the point, what brings you here in such a dramatic fashion? And why would you immediately assume something… untoward was happening?"
From her comfortable perch on his lap, Kasumigaoka Utaha tilted her head back to smile up at the flustered intruder. "Yes, Sawamura-sani, do enlighten us. Even if we were engaged in something indecent, what concern would it be of yours?"
"I—It is absolutely my concern!" Eriri sputtered, scrambling for justification. Her cheeks burned beneath her cap. "Hozuki Nozomi is Misaki-san's boyfriend! I'm… I'm acting as a lookout for her! If the club president's personal affairs fall into chaos, it could jeopardize the entire future of Meow Star Company!" She struck a pose, attempting to inject her words with righteous conviction. "I came here for the stability of the club! Kasumigaoka Utaha, don't you dare think about disrupting our harmony!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha's smile deepened, taking on a distinctly smug quality. "How unfortunate for your narrative. You see, I've just joined the Meow Star Company myself. Hozuki Nozomi here pleaded quite earnestly for me to come aboard."
"W-What?!"
Eriri's wide, disbelieving eyes shot to Hozuki Nozomi. "Is that true?"
He gave a single, confirming nod. "It is. I did ask her. Utaha-senpai's literary elegance is an asset we lack. With her refining my scripts, the final work will reach a different tier of quality entirely."
Eriri opened her mouth, a fresh torrent of protest on her lips, but Hozuki Nozomi cut her off, his voice dropping to a practical murmur.
"Sawamura, are you quite certain you want to continue this discussion with the hotel room door wide open? You're inviting an audience."
"Ah—! R-Right!"
The girl yelped, spinning around to shove the door shut with more force than necessary. Once the barrier was securely in place, she whirled back, crossing her arms defensively over her chest and fixing him with a look of profound grievance. A petty, hurtful thought prickled at her: Before, he called me 'Eriri Spencer Sawamura'… intimately. Now, after kissing her, it's just the distant 'Sawamura.' What a scumbag!
"As you can see, no scandalous activities were underway," Hozuki Nozomi continued, his expression turning wry. "So, Sawamura… how much longer did you plan to grace us with your presence?"
The implication—that she was the unwanted third wheel interrupting a private moment—stoked Eriri's indignation into a fresh blaze. So I did interrupt your cozy little date! She planted her hands on her hips, adopting her most authoritative stance.
"Hozuki Nozomi, don't let this black-stockinged, voluptuous witch deceive you! She's the one who lured me here with her brazen talk! She's that type of wicked woman—the kind who collects love letters daily but heartlessly rejects every boy who gathers the courage to confess! I'm here tonight to teach her a proper lesson! You should go home now, before Misaki-senpai starts to worry!"
With that declaration, she marched forward and forcefully hauled Kasumigaoka Utaha up from Hozuki Nozomi's lap.
Utaha let out a sound of protest, her pout returning in full force. "Sawamura-san, be reasonable! Who was it that received more confession letters at school? The title of 'popular girl who cruelly rejects boys' fits you far better than me! You're the real wicked woman here!"
"D-Don't spout such nonsense! How could I possibly accept confessions from strangers? Refusing is the normal, sensible thing to do!"
"And isn't it just as normal and sensible for me to do the same?" Kasumigaoka Utaha shot back, rolling her eyes heavenward.
"Nozomi, look! She's deliberately slandering me out of jealousy!"
"Who's slandering anyone?!" Eriri's voice rose, fueled by a sudden, desperate inspiration. She threw all caution to the wind. "Nozomi, fine! I'll tell you the truth! Actually… this woman and I… we're a couple!"
Before a utterly stunned Kasumigaoka Utaha could react, Eriri Spencer Sawamura wrapped her in a tight, dramatic embrace. Then, to seal the outrageous lie, she planted a firm, audible kiss on Kasumigaoka Utaha's cheek.
"We're going to sleep now! You should leave quickly! I've already messaged Misaki-senpai telling her to expect you!"
Hozuki Nozomi watched the spectacle for a long, silent moment. Then, a soft sigh escaped him. He rose from the bed, offering a slight, resigned smile. "I see. Then, I'll leave you two to… get along. Take care, Utaha-senpai. Eriri Spencer Sawamura, I'll see you next time."
He turned and walked out, closing the door gently behind him.
Eriri Spencer Sawamura stood frozen, her cheeks flaming. Now he remembers to call me 'Eriri Spencer Sawamura'? Hmph! Scumbag!
"Wait, Hozuki Nozomi, I—mmph?!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha, finally breaking from her stupor, tried to call after him, but Eriri's hand slapped firmly over her mouth, muffling the words.
The click of the hotel room door closing was a definitive period at the end of the evening's chaos. Kasumigaoka Utaha let out a long, slow exhale, then turned a look of profound exasperation toward the blonde girl who had single-handedly dismantled her research.
"Well, this is certainly illuminating. Apparently, Sawamura-san and I are now in a romantic relationship. I must have missed the memo."
Eriri Spencer Sawamura jerked her head to the side, a faint flush visible on her neck. "Hmph! It's his fault for pestering me about drawing yuri doujinshi before! This… this just presented itself as the perfect cover!"
She tried to inject bravado into her voice, but it wavered. Then, as if struck by inspiration, her expression shifted. The awkwardness melted away, replaced by a glint of artistic—and distinctly perverse—curiosity. She even made a show of wiping imaginary drool from the corner of her mouth. "Now that he's gone… perfect timing. Kasumigaoka Utaha, come here. Let me have a proper look for… reference purposes."
Her delicate, pale hands reached out with exaggerated slowness.
Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyebrow twitched in disbelief. "Sawamura-sani, I'm beginning to think you might have some genuine yuri tendencies."
"A-As if!" Eriri yelped, snatching her hands back as if burned. "I just didn't want you tempting him and ruining the club's delicate ecosystem! I fabricated a scenario to make him leave! That's all!"
Her words, delivered with flustered righteousness, still hung in the air when the door handle abruptly turned.
Click.
The door swung open.
"So that's how it was. I had a feeling something was off and decided to circle back. Eriri Spencer Sawamura, Utaha-senpai… I'm home!"
Hozuki Nozomi's figure reappeared in the doorway, a knowing smile playing on his lips, effectively short-circuiting both girls' brains.
Eriri Spencer Sawamura let out a tiny shriek, reflexively crossing her arms over her chest and stumbling backward. "Wh-What are you doing back? What do you want?!"
"What do I want?" he chuckled, the sound low and mischievous as he stepped fully into the room, closing the door behind him. "I believe a punishment is in order. Deceiving your club president is a serious offense, you know."
He advanced slowly, deliberately, his gaze fixed on Eriri as he began to corral her toward the nearest wall.
Panic overtook her.
"W-Wait—!" she stammered, backpedaling in a flurry. In her haste, the back of her calf caught sharply on the edge of the plush hotel bed. With a soft oof, she lost her balance completely, tumbling backward onto the mattress in a graceless heap.
Hozuki Nozomi didn't miss a beat. He seized the opportunity, moving with a fluid, practiced ease that belied his playful tone. In an instant, he was over her, one knee on the bed, his hands capturing her wrists and pinning them gently but firmly above her head.
"Eek! Pervert! Let go!" Eriri flailed, trying to kick out with her long, slender legs.
He simply shifted, his own leg sliding forward to apply gentle pressure, effectively stilling her struggles. The resulting position was undeniably compromising: Eriri beneath him, her legs instinctively falling to either side of his hips as she lay sprawled on the bed.
"Ah! Y-You degenerate! What are you planning?!" she squealed, her face now a brilliant scarlet. "Kasumigaoka Utaha! Help! He's assaulting me!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha, however, remained a silent observer by the dresser. She made no move to intervene, her arms crossed. Instead, she fixed Hozuki Nozomi with a gaze that mingled resentment with a touch of wry amusement. "I see. So when it comes down to it, Hozuki Nozomi, you prefer Eriri Spencer Sawamura after all, don't you? Is that why you came back?"
The words sent a jolt through Eriri. He… prefers me? The thought was immediately chased by outrage. This big, shameless pervert!
Hozuki Nozomi didn't bother with denial. His attention was wholly on the flustered girl trapped beneath him. He slowly lowered his head, his face inching closer to hers.
Eriri's cerulean eyes widened into saucers. She shook her head in frantic, tiny motions. "N-No… don't you dare—!"
Bo~
The sound was soft, almost chaste. He didn't kiss her lips, but planted a brief, firm kiss on her burning cheek instead. Then, just as suddenly as he had pinned her, he released her wrists, pushed himself up, and stood calmly beside the bed.
"Consider that your punishment for so rudely interrupting my research with Utaha-senpai," he stated, his tone shifting to one of mild reproof. "I know I'm troublesome. I know my methods are questionable. But understand this, Eriri Spencer Sawamura: no matter what, I would never let you leave our club. That's all I wanted to say. I'm leaving for real this time."
His gaze then shifted to Kasumigaoka Utaha, meeting her complex, lingering look. His voice softened, becoming almost a murmur meant only for her. "I'm not in a hurry, Utaha. There's no need to rush. The future is long, and opportunities will be plentiful." A faint, self-deprecating smile touched his lips. "I am not Sayuri's male protagonist, bound by narrative purity. I am far more shameless than that. We'll see each other soon, Utaha."
He reached out, gently stroking her dark, still slightly damp hair once. Then, without further ceremony, he turned and walked out of the room, pulling the door shut with a quiet, final click.
For a long moment, the room was silent. Then, Eriri Spencer Sawamura scrambled up from the bed as if electrocuted. She stared at the closed door, a storm of conflicting emotions raging in her chest. Gritting her teeth, she marched over, yanked the door open, and leaned out into the hallway, shouting at his retreating back:
"Hozuki Nozomi! You big, filthy pervert! I hate you the most!"
Damn him! she seethed internally, slamming the door shut again and leaning against it. Her heart hammered against her ribs. The most infuriating part wasn't the kiss itself, but her own involuntary reaction. In that suspended moment when he'd leaned in, she had subconsciously squeezed her beautiful eyes shut… and felt a treacherous flicker of anticipation. And he'd only kissed her cheek! The utter gall of him! He was truly, utterly detestable!
Watching Eriri stomp her foot in a frustrated little dance, Kasumigaoka Utaha finally let out the laugh she'd been holding back, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Kasumigaoka Utaha! What's so funny?!" Eriri whirled on her, pointing an accusatory finger. "You didn't help me at all! You just stood there and watched him bully me! What kind of friend are you?!"
"Why should I have helped?" Utaha countered, her smile not fading. "Hozuki Nozomi was right. You did barge in with the specific intent of disrupting our 'research.' A little punishment was warranted." She tilted her head, her eyes glinting with mischief. "And besides… I saw it. You looked very expectant just now. You secretly wanted him to kiss you, didn't you? Was it jealousy, after seeing the photo I sent you?"
"Hah?! What kind of lunatic logic is that?! How could I possibly be jealous?! I don't like that big pervert at all!" Eriri's denial was immediate and vehement. She glared at the alluring older girl before her, her gaze inadvertently dropping to the generous swell of Utaha's chest beneath the bath towel. A familiar, petty sense of inadequacy washed over her, fueling her irritation.
Hearing the denial, Kasumigaoka Utaha brought her own hand up, fingertips lightly brushing her own warm cheek where his lips had been earlier. "Honestly… I'm not entirely sure what I want to do either."
Eriri was momentarily speechless. "You're taking this 'research' thing too far! You don't have to go this deep! What would you have done if I hadn't come?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha considered the question seriously for a moment before answering with unsettling calm. "I likely would have given myself to him. As I said, I don't dislike the way I feel when I'm with him."
"You're hopeless!" Eriri groaned, dragging a hand down her face in despair. "You're so beautiful! You could have any normal, devoted boyfriend you wanted! Why does it have to be that insatiable playboy? Misaki-senpai is already on that pirate ship of his; do you really want to board it, too?"
A slow, knowing smile spread across Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips. "Not just me," she said, her voice a silky tease. "I want to pull Sawamura-san onto the pirate ship with me."
"Go jump in a lake!"
Eventually, and after much more squabbling, Eriri Spencer Sawamura decided to spend the night. Officially, it was twofold: first, a grudging admiration for Utaha's figure, which provided excellent reference for future character designs; second, she had already told her mother she was staying at a friend's, and it was too late to travel home safely.
Lying side-by-side in the queen-sized bed in darkness, a complex silence enveloped them. Kasumigaoka Utaha stared at the ceiling, her thoughts a tangled web.
In the quiet, Eriri's voice suddenly piped up, small and uncertain. "…Hey. Are you really serious about him? About… liking him? And about joining the club?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha's smile was invisible in the dark, but it softened her voice. "I am serious, you know. About all of it. And… Hozuki Nozomi isn't quite the monster you make him out to be."
"Hmph."
"Think about it. If he were truly the irredeemable super-pervert you claim, do you believe either of us would have left this room untouched tonight?"
"..."
Eriri had no immediate rebuttal. Her mind flashed back to the feeling of being pinned beneath him, the warmth of his body, the surprising gentleness of his hold despite her struggles. Her face burned anew in the darkness. She didn't refute Utaha's point.
Emboldened by the silent concession, Utaha continued softly. "Don't you think… he's rather like a light novel protagonist in his own way?"
"Hah! He's the protagonist of an H-manga, at best!" Eriri shot back, the familiar insult returning automatically.
"Pfft," Utaha giggled quietly. "See? The one who's constantly imagining naughty things with him… it's actually you, isn't it, Sawamura-senpai?"
"No way! Don't talk nonsense!"
"But you really did look so expectant. I even managed to snap a picture of your expression."
"Wha—?! Delete it! Delete it right now!"
"Alright, alright."
"…Wait. L-Let me see it first…"
"..."
A new, companionable silence fell, this one tinged with the faint, shared acknowledgment of a chaotic, confusing, and undeniably compelling boy who had just thoroughly disrupted both their evenings—and perhaps, something more.