It was a peaceful afternoon, the golden sunlight filtering through the windows as Nozomi strolled towards the clubroom. In his hand, he held the freshly stamped club application form, a necessary formality. But more importantly, tucked inside his bag was a well-behaved little neko.
Bringing a cat along when visiting the esteemed second lady? Of course. It was common sense.
Reaching the door, he gave a few polite knocks.
A crisp, almost melodic voice answered from within. "What is it?"
"It's me, Nozomi. I came as promised.~"
"Come in."
Taking that as permission, Nozomi pushed open the door and stepped inside, greeted by an unmistakably iconic scene.
Yukinoshita Yukino, poised and elegant, sat by the window, a book held delicately in her hands. Her posture was straight as a ruler, her jet-black hair falling smoothly over her shoulders, adorned only with two small red bows. The standard Sobu High uniform should have been plain, but when worn by her, it exuded a refined aura of nobility.
Her delicate features, her slender frame, and those long legs wrapped in black knee-high socks—she was a walking, breathing work of art. Nozomi felt his heart skip a beat.
"Don't just stand there looking stupid. Hurry up and come in."
Nozomi smirked but didn't comment. He shut the door behind him, grabbed a chair from the stack behind her, and placed it exactly two meters across from where she sat before taking a seat.
Yukino frowned. "Why are you sitting so far away? And opposite me?"
Nozomi spread his hands in mock helplessness. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea and think I'm interested in you, so I'm keeping my distance."
A faint flush colored Yukino's cheeks. She immediately recalled their conversation from the morning.
"I hold grudges, you know," she said suddenly.
"Oh? Noted. And?"
"And... I want to ask you something. What exactly is your family's situation? Why did my mother ask me to get along with you?"
Nozomi arched a brow. "Didn't you see it for yourself?"
"I live in Sakurasou. I own the place. I collect rent. My parents are gone. That's it."
"......"
Yukino fell silent.
"If you think your family forced you into this, I can just leave," Nozomi added nonchalantly.
"Wait! I didn't invite you to join the club because of that."
"Oh? Then why? Based on what you said this morning, I was under the impression that Yukinoshita hates me."
Yukino visibly stiffened. Then, without hesitation, she stood up and bowed deeply.
"I was wrong about what I said this morning. I apologize."
She straightened up and continued, "But you did slander a girl's indoor shoes and claimed they smelled. I think it's understandable that I got upset, right?"
Nozomi chuckled. "So that's why you were mad? I was just curious. I wasn't implying anything."
"I really couldn't figure out how someone as dignified as you managed to have a dog chase after your shoes."
Yukino sighed. "Someone put dog food on them as a prank."
"Ah, I see. So, because you've been targeted before, you assumed I was approaching you for the same reason?"
"Not exactly… I just… I'm not good at socializing. To be precise, I have trouble distinguishing between jokes and sincerity."
Seeing her serious expression, Nozomi suddenly grinned. "So, let me get this straight. You handed me a note, asked me to come to the clubroom, and even got Hiratsuka-sensei to intervene and make me join. What exactly are you trying to do?"
Yukino's cheeks turned crimson. She hesitated for a moment but ultimately stood her ground.
"I simply believe you are too uneducated when it comes to taking care of cats. As a classmate, I feel it is my duty to correct that."
"Oh? In that case, here you go. You can hold the cat."
Nozomi pulled the little feline out of his bag and gently placed it into Yukino's arms.
Yukino's eyes widened. "You brought another cat into the school?!"
Nozomi shrugged. "Neko magnet, I guess."
Yukino, now clutching the small cat, found herself easily swept into its soft warmth. Her elegant composure melted as she let herself enjoy the moment. Before long, she had completely forgotten the original purpose of their meeting.
She never even got around to explaining the details of her club or its name.
But did it really matter?
Nozomi didn't particularly care about formalities. As long as Yukino was comfortable around him, everything else was secondary.
For now, they could just be clubmates.
Heh. Though once she became his sister-in-law, things would get even more interesting.
Later that evening, when Shiina Mahiru returned home, she found Yukino still in the common area, completely absorbed in the joy of petting cats.
Mahiru, recognizing her as Haruno's younger sister, was immediately intrigued. With her natural angelic aura, she effortlessly struck up a conversation with Yukino. Before long, the two of them were chatting like old friends.
As expected. Mahiru really was the ideal waifu type.
Yukino, on the other hand… she was charming in her own way, but she seemed like the type who'd need constant coaxing. Definitely more of a "difficult but rewarding" kind of relationship.
Mahiru would spoil him gently.
Yukino would need to be spoiled in return.
Haaah… decisions, decisions.
Sitting beneath the cherry blossoms, two beautiful girls, each with a cat in their arms, smiled softly. The scene was almost too picturesque.
"This place is beautiful," Yukino murmured in admiration.
"Of course," Mahiru agreed with a smile. "After all, it's called Sakurasou."
"With all these cats around, we might as well rename it Neko House."
Mahiru giggled, her gaze lingering on Yukino with amused curiosity.
"Yukinoshita, I heard that Nozomi joined your club?"
"Yes..." Yukinoshita Yukino immediately became nervous. "Shiina-san, don't get me wrong. I invited him to join, but..."
"You just want him to take better care of the cats?" Shiina Mahiru tilted her head slightly, her golden eyes sparkling with amusement.
"This reason sounds a little suspicious." She chuckled softly. "But don't worry, I won't misunderstand. It's natural to be concerned."
"Although Nozomi-kun is liked by cats, he doesn't like them running around indoors too much. He says it makes the room too messy with all the fur." She placed a hand on Yukino's shoulder and continued with a teasing smile. "So, Yukinoshita, you'll have to visit often to keep an eye on them. Otherwise, who knows what kind of 'wild beast' Nozomi-kun might turn them into?"
Yukinoshita Yukino straightened her back and nodded with a serious expression. "I will! I won't let him raise them into unruly strays."
Shiina Mahiru merely smiled in response. Yukinoshita had unknowingly walked right into Nozomi's carefully laid trap.
Of course, Mahiru knew Nozomi's real intentions. But she had no intention of exposing them.
After all, she admired girls like Yukino—beautiful, elegant, and capable, much like herself. Since Nozomi had his eyes set on Yukino, she saw no reason not to help things along.
======================
Time passed, and though Yukinoshita Yukino was somewhat reluctant, she had to leave.
As usual, Nozomi offered to walk her home.
This time, the second lady did not refuse.
As they walked along the quiet street near Sakurasou, both of them seemed lost in thought. The cherry blossoms overhead swayed slightly in the breeze, their petals occasionally drifting down onto the pavement.
"Hey, Nozomi-kun, what did you mean when you said we'd be seeing each other often in the future?" Yukino finally broke the silence, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.
Nozomi smirked. "You don't know? The Yukinoshita family intends to bring me in as a son-in-law. At the end of this month, we'll have an official meeting to finalize the engagement."
"Eh? Engagement? With who?" Yukino stopped in her tracks, staring at him in shock.
Nozomi turned to face her, his smirk deepening as he deliberately looked her up and down. "The Yukinoshita family only has two daughters. Who do you think it would be?"
Yukinoshita Yukino's face paled.
There was only one possible answer—her.
Her older sister, Haruno, was already set to inherit the Yukinoshita family. Her future husband would have to be someone of equal status, a chaebol heir from a powerful family.
But Yukino… Yukino had never been as exceptional as her sister. Could it be that their mother, frustrated with her rebellious nature, had decided to arrange a marriage for her?
Her mind raced, but she couldn't find an answer.
Nozomi, of course, understood her misunderstanding completely.
But he wasn't going to correct it.
After all, the second lady had given him quite the attitude that morning. A little payback wouldn't hurt.
"Well, let's go, Yukinoshita-san." He turned and continued walking.
Yukino hesitated before following. After a moment, she bit her lip and asked, "Are you... willing to marry into the Yukinoshita family?"
Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she stared at him, waiting for his answer.
She didn't know why, but the thought of being engaged to Nozomi made her feel strange. It was frustrating, confusing, and… slightly nerve-wracking.
She wanted to know how he really felt.
"Of course, I'm willing. Why wouldn't I be? The Yukinoshita family is rich, and their daughters are both beautiful and talented." Nozomi grinned. "I only own Sakurasou, so marrying in and living a relaxed life sounds like a great deal."
Yukino's eye twitched. "No ambition whatsoever!"
Nozomi shrugged. "I'd say I'm doing pretty well. Otherwise, your mother wouldn't be considering me as a candidate."
Yukino clenched her fists, her lips pressing into a thin line. "But if you're engaged, what about Shiina-san?"
"Mahiru and I aren't dating. Engagement and dating don't have to be mutually exclusive."
Yukino let out a dry laugh. "That's the most shameless thing I've ever heard."
"I don't see the problem." Nozomi smirked. "Besides, your mother made the decision. It's not like your opinion matters."
Yukino ground her teeth. "Can't you be more ambitious?"
"I am ambitious. I've started an anime and game studio with my senpai. Your mother must've seen my potential and decided I'd be a good investment."
"Nonsense!" Yukino snapped, refusing to believe it. "There's no way my mother would use that as a reason to give away her daughter."
"Believe what you want." Nozomi smirked, hands in his pockets. "But if you don't believe me, ask her yourself. I was the one who got the offer."
Yukino fell silent.
She knew exactly what kind of person her mother was.
If she had really decided on this, then Yukino's protests wouldn't change anything.
Her heart sank.
Compared to her sister, was she really so unimportant? Was she only worth using as a bargaining chip?
Yukino stared at the ground, feeling powerless.
Nozomi, on the other hand, simply enjoyed watching her squirm.
As long as no one corrected the misunderstanding, Yukino would spend the rest of the month believing she was engaged to him. And even though she might be reluctant, she'd eventually accept it as reality.
In other words, this was the perfect trap.
Yukinoshita Yukino had fallen right into it.
And Nozomi had no intention of letting her escape.