In Pursuit of Happiness, Starting from Sakurasou

Until now, Ogiwara Sayu had never told Hozuki Nozomi about her past. She never spoke of why she ran away from home.

But Nozomi could see it—the nervous glances, the quiet hesitations, the way she clung to him like he was her last anchor in a storm.

Seeing her still looking restless, Nozomi lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Sayu, if you want, you can stay at Sakurasou forever."

His voice was low, reassuring. His words wrapped around her like a warm embrace.

"As long as I'm here, I won't let anyone take you away."

Sayu's breath hitched, her hands gripping the fabric of his shirt tighter.

"I don't know what your past was like, nor do I know why you ran away from home, but you're my woman. I won't just sit idly by."

Her eyes widened slightly, lips parting in surprise. Nozomi simply smiled and continued.

"I don't want you to live in fear, worrying about whether you belong here or if you'll lose what you have. That defeats the purpose of why I let you stay in the first place."

His fingers brushed against her cheek, wiping away a tear she hadn't even realized had fallen.

"Do you remember what I said?"

Sayu sniffled and nodded.

"I want to be happy, and I want the people I care about to be happy too," Nozomi repeated. "So, I won't ask about your past. All I hope is that you can think about your future, about what kind of life you want to live from now on."

Sayu bit her lip, eyes glossy with unshed tears. "Nozomi-kun... you're really unfair."

"Heh, what do you mean?"

"You always know just what to say to make me feel safe." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "You make it so easy to rely on you."

Nozomi grinned. "That's just my natural charm."

"Baka," she muttered, but a soft giggle escaped her lips.

She poked his cheek with her finger. "Sometimes, I wish you were a bald ojisan."

Nozomi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why is that?"

"Because then, I wouldn't have to worry about other girls trying to take you from me."

A smug smirk curled at Nozomi's lips. "Are you sure about that?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Sayu suddenly remembered last night—remembered just how inhuman Nozomi's stamina was. Her face turned beet red.

"I-I take it back!" she sputtered, burying her face in his chest.

Nozomi let out a hearty laugh, holding her close. Her warmth against him felt like something he didn't want to let go of anytime soon.

If someone who knew Sayu from before saw her like this—clinging to Nozomi, pouting and acting spoiled—they would be absolutely floored.

She had always been known as a cold beauty. A girl who kept her distance from others, especially men. Her icy demeanor had left her somewhat isolated.

But here, with him, she was different.

Perhaps it was because Nozomi had pulled her back from the edge, had warmed the heart she had thought was frozen solid.

In any case, she was willing to let down her walls for him.

And a girl's smile was always the most healing thing.

======================

By the time afternoon rolled around, Kanda Sorata had finally returned to Sakurasou.

His expression was lighter than before, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"I handed over the cats to Ishihara-san," he announced happily.

Nozomi nodded. "Good. And?"

"I... kept a few. Just as mascots."

Nozomi smirked. "Of course you did."

Later that evening, Sorata found himself in front of Nozomi, shifting awkwardly.

Nozomi raised an eyebrow. "Spit it out."

Sorata scratched his cheek. "I... want to leave Sakurasou."

"Ah, so you've made up your mind."

Sorata lowered his head slightly, guilt flashing across his face. "I'm sorry, Nozomi-san. I just... I think I'd feel more comfortable in the school dorms."

Nozomi waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine. I respect your choice. After all, Sakurasou has a bit of a reputation thanks to certain people."

"Eh?" Sorata blinked, confused for a moment—until realization struck him.

"Oh... You mean Mitaka-senpai?"

The infamous playboy of Suimei University's art department. Even a regular student like Sorata had heard the rumors—six girls, all thinking they were the only one. It was almost impressive in a way.

Nozomi shrugged. "It's not for everyone, I get it. Don't feel guilty about wanting to fit in."

His words struck something in Sorata, making him bow deeply. "Thank you for everything, Nozomi-san."

Nozomi simply gave a lazy wave. "Just don't forget to say goodbye to Chihiro-sensei."

"Of course."

That night, the residents of Sakurasou held a farewell party for Sorata.

Nozomi even took over the kitchen, cooking up a feast in his honor.

Misaki-senpai, ever the chaotic spirit, kept the mood lively. But there were moments—when her eyes lingered on Nozomi—where a faint blush dusted her cheeks.

Girls always developed complicated feelings for the man who took their first time.

Sorata felt a pang of reluctance. He had grown attached to this place, to these eccentric seniors. But he had made his decision.

He wasn't like them. He wasn't a genius. And living among them only made him feel his shortcomings even more.

Leaving was the right choice for him.

Before heading out, he made sure to express his gratitude to Chihiro-sensei.

If not for her, he wouldn't have ended up at Sakurasou in the first place.

And then, there was Nozomi.

Sorata was more grateful to him than anyone else. Without Nozomi, he never would have found the perfect way to rehome the cats. 

Chihiro Sengoku got drunk again.

Such a beautiful sensei, yet where did she get such an insane alcohol tolerance? Probably another failed gokon. Again.

To Nozomi's surprise, Kamiigusa Misaki wasn't drinking too much tonight. Her cheeks were flushed, though, and every so often, she'd steal a glance at him and Ogiwara Sayu, her expression a mix of curiosity and something else—hesitation, maybe?

As for the notorious playboy Mitaka Jin, he was MIA, likely tangled up in yet another romantic disaster. He had only managed a quick farewell to Kanda Sorata before dashing off to deal with his latest mess. The guy had the worst luck—or maybe the worst taste. Nozomi wasn't sure which.

Akasaka Ryunosuke, the shut-in tech genius, naturally skipped the farewell party. If he had it his way, he'd probably never leave his room again. His farewell message was delivered through Maid-chan, his ever-reliable AI assistant, via the electronic screen in the common area.

"Oh, right," Nozomi suddenly remembered. Before Kanda left, he handed him a small package. "Here, take this to Ryunosuke. He'll appreciate it."

Kanda peeked inside. "Tomatoes?"

"Yeah, he practically lives off them."

Kanda gave him a knowing look but didn't argue, tucking the bag under his arm before heading off.

Nozomi smirked. Ryunosuke was a reclusive genius, but someday, his skills would be in high demand. If they ever worked together on a game project, Ryunosuke would be the one handling all the programming. The guy was a prodigy—someone even the biggest gaming companies would kill to have on their team.

The farewell party wrapped up smoothly, but meanwhile, in some part of town, Mitaka Jin's life was imploding spectacularly.

One of his many girlfriends—the married one—had just confessed she wanted to divorce her husband and marry him instead.

That was not part of the deal.

To make matters worse, her husband had also shown up, his expression a thunderstorm of fury.

"You stupid woman, do you get it now?" The man's voice was a mix of rage and triumph. "This guy was never serious about you! If he really loved you, he'd have already married you himself!"

And before Mitaka could so much as blink, a fist was flying straight at his face.

BAM!

The force sent him staggering backward, pain exploding across his cheek. And that was just the beginning. The furious husband didn't hold back, unleashing a barrage of punches while his wife screamed for him to stop.

Mitaka Jin didn't fight back. He knew he had no right to. This was the price he paid for messing around with a married woman and getting caught.

After several blows, the woman finally pried her husband off him, tears streaming down her face.

"It's over," she whispered to Mitaka. Then, without another word, she turned and walked away, her husband gripping her wrist tightly.

Mitaka lay there, battered and broken, staring up at the night sky. His pride was shattered.

He had always prided himself on his ability to juggle multiple relationships without a hitch—six girlfriends, six perfectly balanced affairs, all without any major drama.

Until now.

Tonight, reality had smacked him in the face, both figuratively and literally.

Humiliated, injured, and emotionally wrecked, Mitaka had no intention of returning to Sakurasou. The last thing he wanted was for Misaki to see him like this.

He dragged himself to a cheap hotel instead, licking his wounds and contemplating the animation project he had planned with Misaki.

That, too, would have to wait.

Meanwhile, back at Sakurasou, the farewell party had finally wound down.

As Nozomi was cleaning up, Kamiigusa Misaki suddenly grabbed his hand, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Nozomi! Did you make this game plan?" She practically shoved a thick bundle of papers in his face.

"Huh? Oh, that? Yeah, I wrote it up last week."

Misaki's eyes were shining as she flipped through the pages. "This is amazing! But… the story's kinda depressing, don't you think?"

Nozomi smirked. "That's what makes it interesting."

Misaki read aloud, "'The magical girl who saves the world is actually part of a grand conspiracy… In the end, she becomes the very thing she fought against, a witch of destruction… Meanwhile, her best friend, Kosaki, keeps reincarnating just to try and save her…'"

She shivered in excitement. "Uwaaah! It's dark, it's tragic—it's perfect! If we can finish the game and adapt it into an anime, it'll be legendary!"

Nozomi chuckled. "That's the plan."

As Misaki continued gushing over the project, Nozomi watched her with an amused smile. He wasn't sure what the future held, but with a team like this, one thing was for sure—

Life at Sakurasou was never going to be boring.