In Pursuit of Happiness, Starting from Sakurasou

Shiina Mahiru didn't want to ask. She really didn't.

But from the moment they left the office together after receiving Hiratsuka-sensei's guidance, Nozomi hadn't spoken a single word to her. Not a casual remark, not a question—nothing. It wasn't like she expected him to be overly friendly, but completely ignoring her? That was a first.

Logically speaking, with her looks and grades, she was used to people—especially boys—going out of their way to talk to her. Some tried to act cool, others were overly eager, and a few genuinely treated her normally. But this was different. It was as if she didn't exist.

And that was frustrating.

As the female class rep, she would have to work closely with Nozomi, the male class rep, managing the daily affairs of the class, organizing activities, and liaising with the teachers. If he was going to ignore her forever, it would make their job unnecessarily difficult.

She bit her lip slightly before finally breaking the silence.

"Hozuki-kun… do you hate me?"

As soon as the words left her lips, she realized how much weight they carried. Her heart pounded, and she clenched her fists unconsciously. Why did she even ask that so bluntly? It wasn't like her. But the way he had been acting…it bothered her.

Hozuki Nozomi blinked, looking at her with a hint of surprise before shaking his head. "No, why would I hate you?"

His response was calm, almost too nonchalant, as if the thought had never even crossed his mind.

"With your looks and top grades, I don't think there's a single guy in school who could hate you."

Shiina Mahiru pursed her lips, feeling an odd sense of frustration at his matter-of-fact tone. "Then why have you been ignoring me this whole time? You haven't even brought up how we should coordinate as class reps."

Nozomi scratched his cheek and let out a small sigh. "I wasn't ignoring you, I was just thinking."

"Thinking?"

"Yeah. I have no experience being a class rep, so I figured I'd observe how you handle things first. Then, once I get a feel for it, I'll start contributing more. I didn't expect my silence would make you think I hated you."

Mahiru blinked, taken aback. That was… oddly reasonable. And he even apologized. She felt her tension dissipate as she let out a small breath.

"So that's what it was. I thought maybe because I nominated you as class rep, you were annoyed and started resenting me."

"Not really," Nozomi said, waving a hand dismissively. "Honestly, working alongside a beautiful girl as class rep should be a good thing, right?"

Mahiru tilted her head slightly, her aqua-blue eyes narrowing. "Then why do you look like you're not happy about it at all?"

Nozomi's lips curled into a small smirk. "How do you know I'm not excited? Maybe I'm just really good at hiding it."

"…Hiding it?"

"Yeah. Maybe I don't want to come across as just another guy trying to impress you, so I'm keeping my cool."

Mahiru rolled her eyes, finally relaxing. "Well, if that was your goal, you failed. You left a bad first impression instead. I actually thought you hated me."

"Haha, my bad, my bad," Nozomi chuckled. "But, y'know, if I was too friendly from the start, you'd probably just see me as another background character."

"Background character?" Mahiru echoed, confused.

"You know, like how waiters in a restaurant smile politely at everyone, but they don't actually care who you are."

Mahiru stiffened slightly. He… saw through it?

She quickly masked her momentary shock with an exaggerated eye roll. "You're overthinking things. I don't see my classmates that way. Anyway, let's get along from now on, Class Rep Hozuki."

With that, she extended her hand toward him.

Nozomi wasn't about to leave her hanging. He reached out and shook her hand briefly, noting how soft and delicate it was before quickly letting go.

"You too, Class Rep Shiina."

She had obviously changed the subject, and Nozomi had no intention of prying further. He had already achieved what he wanted—to leave an impression. That was enough for now.

After a brief moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "By the way, Shiina-san, you actually knew my entrance exam score?"

Mahiru nodded. "Yes, I remember the top few."

"You must really like studying."

Mahiru smiled slightly, but there was a subtle sadness in her eyes. "Staying excellent is a responsibility to oneself, don't you think?"

She spoke as if it were a matter of fact. Yet, despite all her efforts, despite striving to be the best, she had never achieved the one thing she truly wanted.

Her childhood had been a lonely one. She was the product of a loveless, arranged marriage between two families who cared more about status than emotion. Her parents barely interacted with each other, let alone with her. She wasn't neglected in the traditional sense—her material needs were always met—but warmth? Affection? That was something she had never known.

Instead, she was raised by the family's maid, Yukishiro-san, who had been the closest thing to a parental figure in her life.

She had worked so hard to be an exemplary student, hoping—praying—that one day, her parents would acknowledge her. That they would look at her and feel pride, or at the very least, offer a word of encouragement.

But even after entering Sobu High as the top-ranked student, she received nothing. Not a smile. Not a "well done." Not even a glance of recognition.

Nozomi noticed the fleeting sadness in her expression. It was subtle—just the faintest wrinkle in her brows, the barest drop in her usual radiant energy. She hid it well, but he caught it.

But he didn't say anything.

They had only just met. It wasn't his place to pry, and sudden concern from a stranger would probably only put her on guard.

Still, he didn't want to let her linger in that somber mood.

As they continued walking, Nozomi glanced at her and suddenly asked, "Shiina-san, do you know someone named Shiina Mashiro?"

Mahiru's eyes widened in surprise. "She's my cousin! She's in England right now. Wait… how do you know about her?"

"I don't know her personally, but Sengoku Chihiro-sensei mentioned her once." Nozomi explained casually. "She said she had a cousin named Shiina Mashiro, a genius painter. When I saw that your name was so similar, I got curious."

Mahiru's eyes widened even more. Taking a deep breath, she barely managed to regain her composure.

"Wait, hold on. You're on a first-name basis with Chihiro-nee? And you call her 'sensei'? What's going on? How do you two know each other?"

Nozomi scratched his cheek, as if debating how to answer. "Oh, well… that's because I'm Chihiro-sensei's landlord. I live at Sakurasou."

Mahiru froze in place, her expression shifting to sheer shock.

"Sakurasou!?" she practically shouted.

Nozomi raised an eyebrow. "Uh… yeah? What's the big deal?"

Mahiru quickly composed herself, but there was a strange urgency in her expression as she stepped closer. "Hozuki-kun… can you wait for me after school? Please!"

Nozomi blinked. "Huh?"