"Hello, classmates. My name is Hazuki Yasuo. People who are familiar with me call me by my nickname [Hose].
"As an exchange student from Toshobu High School, I hope to become friends with you all and grow together. Please take care of me!"
After writing his name on the blackboard, Hazuki Yasuo flashed his signature smile, instantly winning the favor of many classmates.
A girl named Sagami Minami's eyes lit up, hearts practically floating around her as she gazed at him with admiration.
Hikigaya Hachiman rolled his eyes and muttered to himself.
Great, here comes another normie king...
Even the boys couldn't help but appreciate Yasuo's friendliness and polite demeanor, giving them a good first impression.
However, Miura Yumiko only glanced at him briefly before losing interest.
The reason was simple.
After the whole ordeal of being used as a shield by Hayama Hayato, she had developed an instinctive aversion to these overly charismatic, "everyone's friend" types.
Hazuki Yasuo's dazzling smile only made her more wary.
Of course, that didn't include Hozuki Nozomi.
Ebina Hina's eyes gleamed with excitement, darting between Hayama Hayato and Hazuki Yasuo, undoubtedly weaving a fresh BL scenario in her mind.
Noticing this, Hayama Hayato let out a dry laugh, helplessly averting his gaze.
Sure, he enjoyed being around people like Yasuo, but that didn't mean he swung that way.
Ebina's overly enthusiastic fantasies made him break into a cold sweat.
After finishing his introduction, Hazuki Yasuo took a seat toward the back of the classroom, flashing another friendly smile. It was clear from the start—this guy was a natural-born socialite. He didn't show even a shred of nervousness despite being in a completely new environment.
Then, it was Kusami Runa's turn.
She silently walked up to the board, wrote down her name in precise strokes, and spoke in a cold, clear voice:
"I am Kusami Runa from Toshobu High School. Please take care of me."
After delivering her brief introduction, she bowed slightly before walking straight to the back of the classroom, taking a seat next to Hazuki Yasuo.
Despite her icy demeanor, she was undeniably a beautiful girl with an impressive figure. Many of the boys couldn't help but steal glances at the blue-haired beauty, their eyes filled with admiration and curiosity.
Of course, none of them dared to stare too openly.
Some of the guys in the class were practically in tears.
The school's most beautiful girls, even the legendary ones, were all somehow connected to Hozuki Nozomi—and just yesterday, they had even "married" him in that ridiculous game.
Now, a stunning new girl had finally arrived, and they felt a desperate need to keep her out of Nozomi's grasp. They couldn't let him monopolize every single beauty in the school!
So, naturally, Nozomi found himself the target of yet another wave of murderous glares.
Beside him, Shiina Mahiru giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Nozomi-kun, it looks like you'll never have any male friends."
Nozomi scoffed, completely unfazed.
"Let them be jealous."
Friends? Who needed those when he had beautiful girls around him?
Feeling rather pleased with himself, he turned to Mahiru with a playful expression.
"Mahiru, you have to stay with me forever. Otherwise, I'll get lonely."
"I know, I know," the blonde-haired angel rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the smile tugging at her lips. "I'll always be by your side."
Meanwhile, Hazuki Yasuo had been subtly observing Nozomi's interactions.
Seeing how he flirted so naturally with Sumireko yesterday and was now acting intimate with a blonde beauty, Yasuo's impression of him immediately soured.
Such a playboy wasn't worthy of Sumireko at all!
Similarly, Kusami Runa was also secretly studying Nozomi.
Sure, he was undeniably good-looking, but the way he casually flirted with an incredibly beautiful girl like Mahiru…
She just couldn't understand it.
Why would someone as smart and talented as Sanshokuin Sumireko reject a loyal and devoted guy like Hazuki Yasuo in favor of this shameless womanizer?
Curiosity sparked in her heart.
What was it about Hozuki Nozomi that made so many girls gravitate toward him?
Nozomi, however, paid no attention to their stares.
Mahiru was already his, and their conversations had a natural warmth to them.
More than just physical attraction, he enjoyed this genuine companionship.
His goal wasn't just to provide Mahiru with fleeting happiness—he wanted to give her a lasting home, a sense of belonging.
He would prove through his actions that he could be the stability she needed.
That he could be the reason she willingly chose to stay at Sakurasou.
"Alright, quiet down, everyone. I have an announcement."
Hiratsuka Shizuka clapped her hands, easily commanding the attention of the room.
Then, with a smirk, she pointed directly at Nozomi.
"Hozuki, as the class representative, it's your responsibility to take care of the new students and help Yasuo and Kusami Runa integrate into Sobu High. Make sure they appreciate the charm of our school. Any objections?"
Nozomi grinned.
"No problem, Sensei. This is my duty, after all."
Hiratsuka-sensei let out a satisfied nod.
Good, at least this brat wasn't giving her trouble for once.
But deep down, she couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed.
This damn kid was constantly flaunting his relationships with beautiful girls right in front of her, a perpetually single woman whose blind dates always ended in failure.
Seriously, could he not be a little more considerate?
She was jealous and wanted to find something for him to do.
Hozuki Nozomi naturally agreed, ready to deal with Hazuki Yasuo.
That guy was probably still under the delusion that if he got close enough to Sumireko, he could prove himself superior and win her over. What he failed to realize was that his flaws had already doomed him from the start.
And just in time—this would also serve to settle his bet with Yukinoshita Yukino.
Would Kusami Runa actually try to seduce him just because of Hazuki Yasuo? That remained to be seen.
Sakurahara Momo and Kusami Runa had both developed an unhealthy obsession with Hazuki Yasuo. The worst part? He had absolutely no awareness of it. His overly kind, almost manipulative nature had unwittingly ensnared their emotions, fueling their toxic attachment to him.
It wasn't intentional, but he had still hurt them deeply, all while remaining blissfully ignorant.
As Nozomi pondered this, Hazuki Yasuo glanced over and gave him a friendly smile with a polite nod.
Nozomi returned the gesture with his usual composed smile.
What was that saying?
Ah, right—
'Walk the path of others, leaving them with no path to walk.'
If it was just a matter of being gentle, then who couldn't do that?
In truth, Hozuki Nozomi was naturally easygoing and considerate. He didn't need to put on an act—he just needed to be himself.
As for the death glares he was getting from the other guys? He could only sigh.
It wasn't his fault that he was this charismatic. If they were jealous of his luck with women, that was their problem. No point in wasting energy on people who resented what they couldn't have.
At the end of the day, as long as he was happy, that was all that mattered.
Hazuki Yasuo was a loser. Unless he changed his personality, he would only continue to disappoint the girls who admired him.
That was why Nozomi didn't need to make a move against him. There was no need to play dirty. He simply had to carry on as usual, and everything would fall into place naturally.
Hazuki Yasuo's idea of proving himself would likely involve becoming an enhanced version of his current self—taking on more responsibilities, being even more admired at school.
But what good would that do?
Sumireko still wouldn't fall for him.
So, what would happen then?
Hazuki Yasuo would eventually turn to Kusami Runa and Sakurahara Momo for help. Scratch that—he wouldn't even need to ask. He just had to put on a troubled expression, and those two devoted girls would rush to his aid without a second thought.
And if that didn't work?
The only remaining option would be to try and tarnish Nozomi's image in Sumireko's eyes.
The easiest way to do that? Infidelity.
Which meant there was a chance that either Kusami Runa or Sakurahara Momo might throw themselves at Nozomi, hoping to create a scandal.
And then, Sumireko and Hazuki Yasuo would conveniently 'discover' them at just the right moment.
Hazuki Yasuo would take the opportunity to confess his love.
The whole situation played out in Nozomi's mind like the plot of a dramatic shoujo manga.
This was exactly why he had been so confident in betting with Yukinoshita Yukino.
Of course, nothing was ever set in stone.
Maybe Kusami Runa and Sakurahara Momo weren't as hopelessly obsessed with Hazuki Yasuo as he suspected. Maybe they wouldn't go that far just to 'prove' themselves.
And even if things didn't go as planned, the worst-case scenario? He'd just owe Yukinoshita Yukino a favor.
At the end of the day, it was a win-win for him.
The details of their bet didn't really matter.
What mattered was that their tangled relationship would only bring him closer to Yukinoshita Yukino.
Hozuki Nozomi smirked to himself.
Sure enough, he really was too cunning.
**************
"Walk the path of others, leaving them with no path to walk." This phrase conveys a meaning of outpacing or surpassing others by following their methods or strategies, ultimately gaining an advantage.
Attached is Minami Sagami, she appeared once in the early chapters when the class was doing their introductions. I got her name wrong but thanks to a guy on Wenovel, I corrected it in this chapter. She doesn't seem to be important, you can safely ignore her for now.