In Pursuit of Happiness, Starting from Sakurasou

When Hozuki Nozomi and Shiina Mahiru entered the classroom, all eyes immediately turned to them. The two walked in one after the other, naturally drawing attention and sparking hushed whispers among their classmates.

"Are they dating?"

"They look really good together, don't they?"

Beautiful girls always attracted attention, and Shiina Mahiru was the very definition of a school idol. But Nozomi wasn't particularly fazed by the stares. Instead, after placing their schoolbags on their respective seats, he followed Mahiru as they both made their way up to the podium.

Shiina Mahiru spoke first, her voice calm and composed.

"Minna-san, yesterday, Hiratsuka-sensei assigned Nozomi-kun and me as class representatives and asked us to organize the classroom duty schedule. Here's what I propose: Today, since it's the first day, Nozomi-kun and I will handle the cleaning. From tomorrow onwards, we'll take turns in pairs according to the seating chart. Does that sound fair to everyone?"

"That works!" someone immediately agreed.

"Yeah, I think that's fine! But what if it's one of you two rep's turn?" another asked.

Shiina Mahiru smiled gently, as if she had already anticipated the question. "If our names come up, we'll just do our duty as usual."

Nozomi nodded. "I have no objections. It's just cleaning, and neither of us are in clubs, so it won't take too much time."

With that, the matter was settled.

Being a class rep seemed troublesome at first, but for those looking to improve themselves, it was a great opportunity. It allowed for more interaction with teachers and could even earn some favor points for later use. And in this case, the homeroom teacher was none other than the beautiful and sharp-tongued Hiratsuka Shizuka. Given that, Nozomi didn't mind at all. Having more opportunities to be around a stunning onee-san wasn't exactly a downside.

Once that was taken care of, another question immediately popped up.

"Shiina-san, are you and Hozuki-kun dating?" someone boldly asked. "We saw you two walking together this morning."

The entire class turned to Shiina, waiting for her answer. As high school students, the love lives of top-tier beauties were always a hot topic.

Shiina Mahiru, unfazed, merely chuckled softly and waved her hand dismissively. "Ara, it's nothing like that. Nozomi-kun and I just happen to live nearby, so we walk to school together. That's all."

The boys in the class collectively sighed in relief, while Nozomi remained completely unbothered. No one had even asked him for confirmation, so he simply went back to his seat, pulled out a light novel, and started reading.

It was Love Metronome, written by none other than Kasumigaoka Utaha.

The plot was… well, predictable. A classic rom-com filled with dramatic misunderstandings and tsundere antics. But what made it stand out was the writing. Kasumigaoka-senpai's prose had a certain charm, an elegance that made even cliché tropes feel refined.

Truly the work of a literary master.

Nozomi smirked to himself.

He had heard that Kasumi Utako would be holding a book signing event next month. Maybe he'd drop by and see for himself whether her infamous black stockings were as captivating in real life as they were in anime adaptations.

Between classes, a familiar figure approached his desk.

"Oi, Nozomi…" Hikigaya Hachiman muttered, his usual dead-fish eyes shifting around cautiously.

Nozomi raised an eyebrow. "Hachiman? What's up?"

With a sigh, Hachiman reached into his pocket and pulled out a small paper bag. "Here. This is for you."

Nozomi accepted it with a curious expression. "What's this?"

Hachiman hesitated, as if debating whether to explain, but after another sigh, he finally spoke. "My sister wanted to thank you for helping me out the other day. She made these cookies herself. They're supposed to be the best in the world, or so she claims."

A soft chuckle escaped Nozomi's lips. "Didn't take you for a siscon, Hachiman. Alright, I'll accept the gift. Thank her for me, will you? By the way, what's her name?"

Hachiman's lips twitched, his reluctance clear. "Her name's Hikigaya Komachi. She's not cute, so don't get any weird ideas."

Hikigaya Hachiman felt that Hozuki Nozomi's ikemen face was simply too dangerous—especially for girls. Instinctively, he didn't want his sister anywhere near this guy.

Seeing Hikigaya's conflicted expression, Nozomi flashed him a grin, his sharp white teeth gleaming mischievously.

"You know, Hikigaya-kun, this is the first time I've met a guy who badmouths his own little sister like this. Since you have a sister, I've decided—we're friends now!"

Hikigaya twitched, his dead fish eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Oi, why is your friendship with me based on the fact that I have a sister?!"

"Oh? You don't get it? It's the natural order of things," Nozomi declared dramatically. "That said, since you're such a devoted older brother, don't worry—I won't steal Komachi away." His grin turned sly. "But if I do get the chance to meet her, I'll definitely tell her how much you complain about her."

Hikigaya's expression turned sour. "Tch. As if I'd ever let that happen."

While the two bantered, a girl with soft, bun-like hair on the other side of the classroom kept stealing glances in their direction. Yuigahama Yui clutched the hem of her uniform nervously.

She had been trying to find the right moment to talk to Nozomi all morning. Ever since he saved her dog at the school gate on the first day, she had wanted to thank him properly.

Yesterday, she planned to, but Yumiko had invited her and Ebina to karaoke, so she missed her chance. Today, she was determined—but for some reason, the atmosphere around Nozomi seemed… unapproachable.

Aside from Hikigaya, no one really talked to him. He didn't seem to mind, but Yui couldn't help but hesitate.

Seeing Hikigaya gift him cookies made by his little sister, she suddenly realized that simple words of gratitude weren't enough. If she wanted to express her sincerity, she should prepare something too. But what would make Hozuki Nozomi happy?

All morning, Yui wrestled with this thought.

On one hand, she had to keep up with Yumiko and maintain the group's energy. On the other, her attention kept drifting to Nozomi, who sat at his desk reading a light novel, seemingly in his own world.

Ugh. Paying attention to everything like this is exhausting!

By the time lunch arrived, she still hadn't found a good opportunity. Just as she considered skipping out on Yumiko's invitation to eat together, Shiina Mahiru, who had somehow seamlessly integrated into Yumiko's circle, joined them.

Yui watched in awe. Mahiru, with her elegant demeanor, chatted with Yumiko so naturally, making everyone around her comfortable. She even made Yumiko laugh without trying.

I wish I could be like that… Yui thought wistfully. Unlike Mahiru, she always felt like she had to work hard to keep up, to make sure Yumiko was happy with her.

Meanwhile, Nozomi didn't even eat lunch in the classroom. He had already slipped away to the library, where Sanshokuin Sumireko was on duty as the librarian.

Since Sumireko was a super-beautiful girl who hid her allure behind thick glasses and an intimidating presence, Nozomi naturally saw it as a challenge to get closer to her.

But just as he greeted Sumireko and settled into a seat with his bento, a bizarre sight crossed his vision.

A stunning black-haired girl in a bunny girl costume sauntered past him, moving leisurely between the bookshelves.

For a moment, Nozomi froze.

Her eyes flickered toward his lunchbox before she came to a stop, staring directly at it.

Wait… a bunny girl?

Nozomi's brow twitched.

What's with this overwhelming sense of déjà vu?

***************

In the images, we have Kasumigaoka Utaha, pen name Kasumi Utako.

Followed by Hikigaya Komachi

Finally, you can already guess the last character. If you can't, find out in the next chapter!