Everyone has their own troubles in life.
And right now, Kawasaki Saki—an undeniably beautiful high school girl with a silver high ponytail and a charming teardrop mole at the corner of her eye—was extremely distressed.
Her school bag still held the one million yen in "hush money" that Hozuki Nozomi had given her.
Originally, she had planned to find him after class and return the suspiciously large sum. After all, to her, this wasn't hush money. It felt more like... the price of keeping a mistress. A sleazy, transactional kind of payment.
Kawasaki Saki was a girl with pride. She wouldn't be working night shifts at an upscale bar, hiding her real age, if she lacked a sense of integrity. Every yen she earned was through her own hard work—money meant for her tuition, so her family wouldn't bear the burden.
So why would she accept money that was so... unclear?
Besides, in her eyes, Hozuki Nozomi was an incredibly dangerous, womanizing man. The last thing she wanted was to be caught up in his affairs. The safest option was to return the money and walk away.
However, fate had other plans.
Just when she gathered the courage to approach him after class, Nozomi had been whisked away by Miura Yumiko and her clique. No chance for a conversation.
Frustrated but left with no choice, Kawasaki Saki took the school bag—with its one million yen payload—home. The entire walk, she was on edge, constantly glancing around as if she were some shady character smuggling contraband.
No one must find out.
If her parents saw the money, they'd immediately assume she was involved in enjo kōsai.
Wait—would that even make sense? One million yen was way too much for compensated dating. Then… would they think she stole it instead?
Yabai! Either way, she'd be dead.
Her grip on the bag tightened as she gritted her teeth. "That damn Hozuki Nozomi…" she muttered under her breath, blaming him for her entire day of anxiety.
And the worst part?
She felt like a target of some relentless playboy. The very thought of it made her want to scream.
How the hell was she supposed to make him lose interest in her?
No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn't come up with a good plan.
================
Meanwhile, back at Sakurasou.
The moment Hozuki Nozomi returned to the dorm, he was met with a familiar sight—Shiina Mashiro trotting toward him, her expression as blank as ever. Without a word, she stretched out her snow-white hand.
"Uh, Mashiro? What are you asking for?"
"…Baumkuchen."
Her voice was flat, but the expectation in her eyes was unmistakable.
She was still thinking about it. Earlier, when he brought her back, he had bought a bag of the sweet, layered cake. But he had only given her two pieces.
Just two.
Mashiro puffed up her cheeks, staring at him with the silent pressure of a child denied their favorite snack.
With a helpless sigh, Nozomi reached out and poked her puffed-up cheek. "It's in my room. Come in with me."
Shiina Mashiro followed him without hesitation. As soon as she got her hands on the Baumkuchen, she plopped down on his bed, unwrapping the package and taking small, delicate bites.
The way she ate, so utterly absorbed in the taste, combined with her petite figure, golden hair, and naturally doll-like face, made her look ridiculously adorable.
Nozomi felt like he was feeding a pet.
He shook his head in amusement before shifting his focus to the desk. There, placed neatly in the corner, was an ancient-looking box.
It was the reward he had received from the system—the Mysterious Treasure Chest.
The chest's ability was simple yet fascinating: toss something inside, and it would exchange it for another item. Like a gacha pull in real life.
Of course, there was also a 1% chance of pulling out a treasure chest monster, but that only meant better rewards.
Intrigued, Nozomi grabbed a piece of Baumkuchen and casually tossed it inside the chest before closing the lid.
One second later—
The box trembled.
[Ding! The Mysterious Treasure Chest has generated a reward.]
Oh? It even came with a system prompt? That was convenient. At least this way, he wouldn't accidentally trigger a treasure chest monster and give himself a heart attack.
But realistically, what were the odds of getting a jackpot-tier reward from a simple Baumkuchen?
Taking a deep breath, Nozomi grabbed the lid with both hands and flipped it open.
A golden glow burst out from the chest, and something appeared inside.
A bottle?
[Ding! You have received: Clothes-Dissolving Potion.]
Nozomi stared at the system notification. His eyebrow twitched.
"…Nani the hell?"
What was the use of this? Clothes cost money, damn it! Who in their right mind would randomly dissolve someone's clothing with a potion?!
But then again… a simple Baumkuchen had earned him a magical potion. That wasn't exactly a bad trade.
Curious, he tossed in another piece of cake.
[Ding! The reward has been generated.]
With anticipation, he opened the box again.
[Ding! You have received: X-ray Vision Potion.]
"…Oi."
[Effect: Upon consumption, allows the user to see through clothing.]
Nozomi's expression turned deadpan.
Shiina Mashiro blinked curiously. "Nozomi, what is this?"
Hozuki Nozomi chuckled, reaching out to gently pat her head. "This is my family heirloom. As long as you put something inside, you'll get something else in return. Mashiro, wanna give it a try?"
"Mm."
The girl nodded with an air of seriousness, then—without any hesitation—her delicate fingers reached under her school uniform skirt.
Nozomi's brain short-circuited.
With a completely expressionless face, Mashiro hooked her thumbs onto the waistband of her panties and, without a shred of hesitation, pulled them down along her slender legs.
"W-Wait! Mashiro! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Panties."
"I KNOW IT'S PANTIES! I'M ASKING WHY YOU'RE TAKING THEM OFF RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME?!"
Nozomi was utterly dumbfounded. This girl—was she completely defenseless?! Did she not understand how dangerous this was?!
Mashiro tilted her head slightly, her golden hair shimmering under the light, looking as if she genuinely couldn't understand his distress. With a deadpan expression, she calmly explained:
"Because this one isn't cute."
Nozomi: "..."
Before he could say anything else, Mashiro had already turned away and tossed the supposedly "uncute" panties into the treasure chest.
The box trembled.
[Ding! You have received: Angel's Blessing.]
"...Angel's Blessing?" Nozomi muttered, feeling a bad premonition rising.
Mashiro, on the other hand, had already opened the chest. Inside was a fresh, pristine pair of soft white panties with delicate lace trim.
Mashiro picked them up and inspected them briefly. "This one is cuter."
Then, without a care in the world, she slipped them on.
Nozomi: "......"
A pair of panties… called "Angel's Blessing"?
Was this some kind of joke?!
Suppressing the urge to hold his head in his hands, Nozomi quickly checked the item's description.
[Angel's Blessing (Panties): Enchanted by an angel's divine magic, the wearer has a chance to teleport to any location instantaneously.]
Nozomi was silent for a long moment.
For some reason, his mind immediately conjured up the image of a certain lazy angel named "Gabriel" slacking off somewhere in heaven.
Teleportation… through panties?!
This had to be one of the most ridiculous things he had ever seen.
But in the end, it was Mashiro's item. Since she exchanged her own panties for it, she could do whatever she wanted with it.
Seeing how delighted she looked over her new "cute" panties, Nozomi let out a helpless sigh. "Just so you know, the treasure chest can only be used three times a day. I've already used it twice. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to try again. Also, you can't tell anyone about the box, okay."
Mashiro nodded obediently. "Mm. Mashiro understands."
She then stared at him blankly, her golden eyes unwavering.
Nozomi smiled and asked: "I haven't asked yet. What does Mashiro want to do after coming all the way from England?"
"Manga."
"Manga? You mean, you're drawing manga? Can I see what you've been working on?"
"Mm." Without hesitation, she grabbed his hand and pulled him up to the third floor.
They arrived at her room, which was surprisingly neat and tidy. The clothes were all properly stored in the closet—probably thanks to Ogiwara Sayu.
Mashiro rummaged through a pile of notebooks and handed one to him.
Nozomi flipped it open and began reading.
"Hmm… A guy and a girl meet on the street… they bump into each other… and then immediately fall in love?" His brow twitched slightly. "Wait, and now a rival appears to steal the heroine… but then suddenly, the two main characters are getting married?! What happened to the love rival?!"
Nozomi stared at the pages, utterly speechless.
The artwork was undeniably beautiful—detailed and expressive, just as expected of an internationally renowned painter like Mashiro. However, the story...
The pacing was completely chaotic! The events didn't flow naturally at all! It was like watching a romance anime that skipped half the episodes and jumped straight to the wedding!
Nozomi let out a deep sigh and glanced at Mashiro.
For the first time, she looked slightly… frustrated.
"It doesn't look good, does it?"
"The artwork is amazing, but the story... it has some issues."
"The editor said the same thing."
"My manga submissions keep getting rejected."
Shiina Mashiro's normally blank expression showed the slightest trace of frustration. Seeing her like this, Hozuki Nozomi felt his heart soften. He reached out, gently ruffling her silky blonde hair before offering her a reassuring smile.
"It's not a big deal," he said. "Mashiro's art is top-tier. If anything, it's too beautiful. The only problem is the plot."
"You're trying to create a romance manga, right? But Mashiro, do you actually know what couples do when they date?"
"Rita said they kiss."
"Yeah, but... is that all?" Nozomi asked, raising an eyebrow.
"..."
Mashiro fell silent, her mind drawing a blank. All she knew about romance came from Rita's explanations, but none of it made sense to her.
Seeing her lost in thought, Nozomi chuckled. She really was as pure as a blank canvas.
"How about this?" he suggested. "Instead of forcing a story, why don't you just draw what happens in our daily life? I can help check it for you."
Mashiro's amber eyes flickered with interest.
"You mean like the treasure chest in your room?"
"Exactly!" Nozomi nodded. "If you start by drawing things you actually experience, it'll be easier to create a natural story."
Mashiro pursed her lips in thought before giving a firm nod. "Okay. Nozomi, you have to help Mashiro."
"Of course. But on one condition."
"Condition?"
Nozomi crossed his arms. "From now on, no taking off your panties in front of others. If you do, I'll be really mad—and I won't help you anymore."
Mashiro's expression grew serious. "And you won't give me Baumkuchen either?"
"Exactly."
Faced with such severe consequences, Mashiro frowned deeply. After a moment, she looked up at him. "Then... can I take them off in front of Nozomi?"
"Wha—!" Nozomi coughed, nearly choking on air. "That's not the point!"
"But... you seemed happy."
Nozomi covered his face. "It's fine when we're alone, but definitely not in front of other people! Got it?"
Mashiro nodded obediently. "Got it."
"And not just panties—clothes, too. No taking them off in front of anyone."
"Yes. Only Nozomi can take them off."
"AHEM! That's not what I meant!" Nozomi practically choked on his words. Seeing Mashiro's innocent expression, he decided to drop it before he lost his sanity.
Ruffling her hair again, he sighed. "Just start drawing. Sketch what happened today, and little by little, you'll understand how to shape a story."
Mashiro nodded. "Okay."
Satisfied, Nozomi turned to leave. But before he could, he found himself pausing. Unable to resist, he leaned down and lightly kissed her cheek.
"I'll leave you to it. Come down for dinner later."
Mashiro sat still, her fingers brushing her cheek as she stared at the door Nozomi had just walked through. Slowly, she placed her hand over her chest.
"...This feels weird."
Nozomi kissed my cheek.
Does that mean… we're dating?
Rita said that only people in love kiss each other...