"Experiment? How so?"
Hozuki Nozomi folded his arms, tilting his head slightly as he continued observing the girl in front of him with keen interest.
Mai Sakurajima cast him a glance, her lips curving slightly as if she were debating whether to answer.
"Before I say anything, I want to know your name."
"Hozuki Nozomi. First-year, Class F. And you, of course, are Sakurajima-senpai."
Her eyebrows raised ever so slightly at the mention of her name, but she quickly regained her composure. Given her career as an actress, it wasn't surprising that someone would recognize her.
"Oh? Hozuki Nozomi, huh? I'll remember that."
She turned slightly, her body language signaling that their conversation was over.
"Class is about to start. You should get going."
Despite her casual dismissal, there was a subtle warmth in her tone. Perhaps she was amused by his straightforwardness.
"So you're just going to leave me hanging? What about your experiment?" Nozomi pressed, watching her reaction closely.
Mai gave him a sidelong glance, her violet eyes gleaming with intrigue. "Would you even believe me if I told you?"
"How would I know if you don't tell me?" he countered with a smirk.
She exhaled softly, shaking her head as if laughing at his persistence. Then, without another word, she stepped past him, her long, silky black hair brushing against his face as she moved.
A faint, pleasant fragrance lingered in the air.
Nozomi froze for a moment before rubbing his cheek. Did she just… hit him with her hair?
Mai Sakurajima disappeared into the hallway, leaving him standing there, utterly bewildered.
With a sigh, Nozomi shook his head and turned toward his classroom. He needed to hurry—he was going to be late.
—
As soon as he entered the classroom, he felt someone's eyes on him.
Glancing in the direction of the gaze, he found Kawasaki Saki looking at him with an expression that was hard to decipher.
Huh. That's new.
She wasn't the type to pay much attention to him. Then again, after what had happened earlier on the rooftop, maybe she had something to say.
Of course, if there was one person who had been paying him the most attention lately, it was Yuigahama Yui.
Speaking of which…
Nozomi couldn't help but sigh internally.
It had been nearly a week since he had saved that dog, and Yuigahama still hadn't come to thank him.
At this point, the sincerity of her gratitude was definitely depreciating with time.
Unless she decided to hand herself over as a token of appreciation—now that would be sincere.
He chuckled at the thought before shaking it off. Yuigahama would definitely come to him sooner or later. He just had that kind of confidence.
Right now, his main focus was Sanshokuin Sumireko, Shiina Mahiru, and Yukinoshita Yukino.
Adding too many people to the equation could lead to chaos. Best to take things slow and steady.
Though, Sakurajima Mai… well, she was a pleasant surprise.
Nozomi had a feeling she would come to him again.
In the original work, Mai's condition was a result of "Adolescence Syndrome," a strange phenomenon where she slowly began to disappear from people's perception.
But thinking about it logically, wasn't this basically a supernatural occurrence?
Perhaps, at some point, Mai had inadvertently come into contact with some unknown existence. And in some kind of karmic exchange, her wish to not be seen, to not be stalked or harassed, had been granted.
But at a cost.
A cost that led to her gradual erasure from everyone's memories.
If no one in the world remembered her, she would eventually become something akin to a mere observer—an invisible entity unable to interact with the world.
It sounded cool on paper.
But from a practical standpoint, it was terrifying. She would be completely isolated, watching others live their lives while being unable to participate in anything herself.
—
Before he knew it, the school day had ended, and it was time for club activities.
Of course, Nozomi was a proud member of the "Go Home Club."
So, naturally, his plan was to go straight home.
Shiina Mahiru had accepted Miura Yumiko's invitation to go out for karaoke, so he didn't have to wait for her.
With nothing better to do, Nozomi decided to head over to Sumireko's classroom instead.
When she saw him standing outside her classroom door, her violet eyes widened in surprise.
"Nozomi… are you waiting for me?"
He smiled slightly. "Well, you're the only one I know in your class. Who else would I be waiting for?"
She blinked, a faint pink hue dusting her cheeks.
"Shall we walk home together, Sumireko?"
The way he said her name sent a small shiver down her spine. She hesitated for only a moment before nodding.
"Okay."
Her voice was soft, but there was unmistakable joy in her tone.
The classmates around her were shocked.
They couldn't understand why Hozuki Nozomi, a handsome and aloof boy, had come to look for Sanshikiin Sumireko, the gloomy girl who always kept to herself.
Nozomi ignored their stares.
He and Sumireko walked side by side down the corridor when suddenly, a boy with golden hair ran up to them. His eyes were filled with excitement as he fixed his gaze on Sumireko.
"Um, Sanshikiin-san, there's a baseball training match tomorrow. Will you come watch?" he asked eagerly.
Sumireko instinctively recoiled, clearly uncomfortable with the way he looked at her. Without thinking, she reached out and gripped the edge of Nozomi's sleeve, as if clinging to a lifeline.
"Sorry, Oga-kun, but I don't really like baseball," she said flatly. "And I have other plans tomorrow."
Her tone was firm, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
Oga Taiyo's enthusiasm visibly deflated. His gaze flickered toward the boy whose sleeve Sumireko was gripping. For a brief moment, something dark flashed in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared behind his usual bright smile.
"Oh, I see…" he said, before turning his attention to Nozomi. "Nice to meet you! I'm Oga Taiyo from Class 1-C. What about you? Are you interested in baseball? Will you come watch?"
"Hozuki Nozomi, Class 1-F," Nozomi replied indifferently. "And nah, I'm with Sumireko on this one. Not interested."
"Ah… I see." Oga scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Sorry to keep bothering you, but… may I ask, Nozomi-kun, what exactly is your relationship with Sanshikiin-san?"
It was clear from his expression that this question had been bothering him the most.
Before Nozomi could answer, Sumireko suddenly smiled and intertwined her fingers with his, looking up at Oga with a shy but firm expression.
"Actually, Nozomi-kun and I are trying to date," she said sweetly. "We already made plans to go out tomorrow, so I'm really sorry, Oga-kun, but we won't be able to cheer for you."
Oga stiffened. His face paled as if he had been struck by lightning, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
"Ah… is that so? S-sorry to bother you…"
He turned around and fled without another word.
Nozomi watched him disappear before glancing down at Sumireko, who still had her fingers wrapped around his.
"Sumireko, are we dating now?"
She hesitated, her fingers fidgeting against his but not letting go.
"I just lied to get him off my back," she admitted with a sigh. "I really don't want to deal with him anymore."
"Hmm… then should I let go of your hand?"
"…Do you want to?"
"Not really. It's comfortable to hold."
His bluntness made Sumireko roll her eyes.
"I don't mind, but can you handle the consequences? A gloomy girl suddenly having a cool boyfriend will definitely make me a target for the other girls."
"If that's the case, why not just drop the gloomy act? Or are you afraid I can't protect you?"
She fell silent, a bit taken aback by how easily he saw through her.
"…I'm not ready yet," she admitted softly. "I don't want to attract attention for now."
"Alright," Nozomi nodded. "Just let me know when you are. I'm ready to fight anytime."
Sumireko giggled. "You make it sound like you're going to war for me."
"Aren't I? Didn't I just fend off one guy for you? Come on, admit it, I'm awesome."
"Yes, yes, you're the best." She smiled, shaking her head. "But that guy is the ace of the baseball team. He won't give up so easily. Can you still be 'awesome' next time?"
She gazed at him expectantly.
"Of course," Nozomi said without hesitation. "It'd be an honor to be your shield."
Sumireko smirked. "Can't you be a potential boyfriend instead?"
She poked his waist teasingly, laughing at his flustered expression.
After the playful exchange, Nozomi's curiosity got the better of him.
"So, how do you even know Oga Taiyo?"
Although he had knowledge of the original plot, this world was an amalgamation of different anime settings, making things slightly unpredictable.
Sumireko didn't bother hiding anything.
"I don't know him well. I just saw him crying and punching a wall backstage after losing a big game. I was watching the regional baseball tournament with my friends at the time."
"And?"
"One of my friends comforted him a little."
"That friend being?"
Sumireko's gaze darkened slightly. "Nijiki Sumire."
The name hung in the air between them.
Nijiki Sumire—who was currently lying unconscious in the hospital.
Oga Taiyo had originally liked Nijiki Sumire, not Sumireko.
But there was something else.
Sumireko's current makeup style had been taught to her by Nijiki Sumire.
Their features, their figures, even their expressions—it was all eerily similar.
More than that, Nijiki Sumire had been the one to approach Sumireko first, forming a friendship that others might have mistaken for something more.
Nozomi narrowed his eyes slightly. "So, he sees you as a replacement for your friend?"
Sumireko frowned. "What replacement? That sounds awful! Can't it be my own charm that attracted him?"
She pouted, glaring at him in annoyance.
Hozuki Nozomi, however, didn't back down. Instead, he put on an exaggeratedly sour expression.
"So, Oga Taiyo has seen you without your disguise? And yet, I haven't? Isn't that a bit unfair for a potential boyfriend?"
Sumireko let out a giggle, covering her mouth with her hand. Seeing Nozomi sulking like a child was unexpectedly amusing.
"Alright, alright. Since you're pouting like that, I'll let you see it—just this once. Consider it a reward for making my day entertaining."
She leaned in slightly, hooked her arms around his neck, and, without hesitation, removed her glasses herself.
With the lenses no longer hiding her features, Nozomi was momentarily stunned.
A delicate face, flawless and radiant, was now fully visible to him. Her large, aquamarine eyes gleamed with a soft, ethereal glow, reflecting the light like the surface of a pristine lake. For a brief moment, he found himself unable to look away.
Sumireko smirked, evidently satisfied with his dumbfounded reaction, and swiftly put her glasses back on.
"Satisfied now, my dear 'prospective boyfriend'?"
Nozomi exhaled, shaking his head in exaggerated regret. "I'd be even more satisfied if I could kiss you."
"Tch. Wishful thinking. That's a privilege for an official boyfriend. You're still a long way from that!"
With a smug grin, Sumireko quickened her pace, walking ahead of him with a victorious air. Nozomi watched her retreating figure, chuckling to himself.
She really thinks I'm fickle, huh?
Well, she wasn't exactly wrong. He had always been fond of beautiful girls, and Sumireko was no exception. The difference was, she was sharper than most—she could see through his playful nature, yet still tolerated him.
Sumireko, on the other hand, was lost in thought as she walked.
She wasn't oblivious. She understood that Nozomi had an interest in Shiina Mahiru. And why wouldn't he? Mahiru was practically the ideal girl—beautiful, intelligent, athletic, kind, and an excellent cook.
Who wouldn't be drawn to her?
But understanding and accepting were two different things.
She wasn't about to let Hozuki Nozomi entertain ridiculous harem fantasies, no matter how charming he thought he was.
What Nozomi didn't know was that Sumireko's room was on the second floor, positioned perfectly to give her a clear view of his room through her telescope.
And that one time… when Uegusa Misaki had visited Nozomi's room…
Even now, just thinking about it made Sumireko's face heat up in embarrassment.
Hmph. He better not get any weird ideas…
***********************
VERY IMPORTANT:
First, Nijiki Sumire is the older sister of Nijiki Touga otherwise known as Asaka Mayama. I believe she appears in the manga later on, can't remember if she appeared in the anime.
Taiyo Oga had 2 crushes on him namely: Aoi Hinata and Sakura Akino.
Tsubaki Sayuki, a friend of Pansy, was the one who comforted Taiyo Oga when they found hm hitting a wall in frustration.
Finally, Sakura Akino is the girl who ends up in hospital from overworking.
Therefore, don't take the events in this fan-fic too seriously, they don't follow canon.
Attached is Kawasaki Saki, first 3 images, followed by Pansy.
I couldn't find Nijiki Sumire's images so I added her sister's, Asaka Mayama.