In Pursuit of Happiness, Starting from Sakurasou

This was the first time Hozuki Nozomi had received a prop reward. If his guess was correct, the one sitting inside the sleek black car was none other than Yukinoshita Yukino. Most likely, her mother, Mrs. Yukinoshita, and her older sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, were also present.

Since the "famous scene" of the school entrance was linked to Yukinoshita Yukino, it made sense that the reward was a "Cat Bag." A fitting irony.

At the moment, there were already three cats residing in Sakurasou. Now, the bag could fit seven more. When the time came, he could ask Kanda Sorata for help. That guy had an uncanny ability to pick up stray cats like a walking cat magnet.

Nozomi chuckled to himself. This was probably the one passive skill Yukinoshita Yukino envied the most.

Lost in thought, he barely noticed when the car came to a stop. The door opened, and an elegant woman dressed in a traditional kimono stepped out. Her posture was graceful, and her refined beauty carried an air of nobility. Even from a single glance, it was clear she was a woman of high standing.

"Are you alright, young man?" she asked, her voice gentle but carrying an undeniable authority.

Nozomi instantly recognized her—Mrs. Yukinoshita, the matriarch of the Yukinoshita family and the current head of their powerful chaebol.

Despite her presence, he wasn't the least bit intimidated. Instead, he casually waved his hand with a grin.

"I'm fine. But that guy over there?" He gestured toward a dazed-looking boy sitting on the ground, rubbing his sore chin. "He might need a hospital visit after the punch I gave him."

The boy in question—Hikigaya Hachiman—was still processing what had just happened. He absentmindedly cradled his jaw, wincing in pain.

Mrs. Yukinoshita turned her gaze toward him and sighed. "Since my car was indirectly responsible for the incident, we will ensure he gets the necessary medical attention."

Then, her expression softened slightly as she looked back at Nozomi. "Still, you prevented a terrible accident. Thank you, young man. May I ask your name?"

"Hozuki Nozomi," he answered with a shrug. "But really, there's no need to thank me. Avoiding a disaster is reward enough. That said, I should be heading inside to register."

He grabbed his schoolbag and turned toward the school gates. The last thing he wanted was to be the center of attention right now.

"Wait, young man—" Mrs. Yukinoshita called out, but Nozomi was already jogging away.

She exhaled softly and turned toward her eldest daughter, Yukinoshita Haruno, who had just stepped out of the car.

Haruno smirked knowingly. "Don't worry, Mother. I'll remember his name. I'll be sure to thank him properly later."

"For now, let's check on the injured boy," Mrs. Yukinoshita said.

Meanwhile, Hikigaya Hachiman was still on the ground, wondering why the hell he had risked his life for a dachshund. Was he crazy? Did he have some kind of death wish?

At least he wasn't hit by the car.

"Saber! I'm so glad you're safe!"

A high-pitched, bubbly voice interrupted his thoughts. A pink-haired girl with twin buns rushed over, scooping up the trembling dog in her arms. She held it close to her chest, her eyes sparkling with relief.

Then, she turned toward Hikigaya, gratitude written all over her face. "Thank you so much for saving my Saber!"

Hikigaya, still reeling from the whole ordeal, blinked at her. She was cute—way too cute for someone as miserable as him. But he quickly shook off the thought and weakly waved his hand.

"Don't thank me. If anything, I was the one who got saved." He groaned as he gingerly touched his chin. "You should really be thanking the guy who punched me."

Just saying it out loud made his jaw hurt even more. What a ridiculous situation.

But the pink-haired girl was unfazed. "One thing doesn't cancel out the other!" she insisted. "You still helped Saber, so thank you! And…" She lowered her head, bowing deeply. "I'm really, really sorry! My Saber caused so much trouble for you!"

Now properly realizing her mistake, Yuigahama Yui turned to Mrs. Yukinoshita and bowed again. "I'm so sorry! I should've held onto the leash better!"

Mrs. Yukinoshita, ever composed, simply smiled. "It's alright. No one was seriously hurt, so let's put this behind us. Just be more careful next time."

Yuigahama nodded furiously. "Yes! I will! I promise!"

With that, the crisis was over. The chaos at the school gate had settled.

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

After Hozuki Nozomi finished his registration, he made his way to the bulletin board, his eyes scanning the class lists.

Class F, huh?

He couldn't help but let out a small sigh. What a cliché.

If anime and manga had taught him anything, it was that Class F was always the gathering place for "interesting" individuals—whether it was the protagonist, the eccentric genius, or the school's biggest troublemakers.

Unfortunately, Sanshokuin Sumire wasn't in Class F. That was a bit of a letdown.

Time passed, and soon enough, the students and their parents gathered for the opening ceremony. The first-year students were already arranged by class, waiting in neat rows for the speeches to begin.

Under the eyes of hundreds, Yukinoshita Yukino stepped onto the stage.

Cold and beautiful, with strikingly delicate features, an elegant school uniform draped over her slender frame, and a natural air of nobility—she truly looked like a perfect ojou-sama.

As she stood at the podium, her icy gaze swept across the crowd before she began speaking in a refined, composed tone.

Nozomi half-listened, already expecting the usual "work hard and strive for excellence" type of speech. But just when he thought it was over—

Another first-year representative stepped onto the stage.

His eyes widened slightly.

This girl—she was also ridiculously cute.

Unlike Yukinoshita's regal, untouchable aura, this girl radiated a gentle warmth.

Her waist-length golden hair shimmered under the sunlight, framing a delicate face with soft, kind eyes. She stood with effortless grace, exuding a calm and soothing presence.

And when she spoke—

Her beautiful, bell-like voice carried across the assembly, clear yet gentle, like the refreshing breeze of early spring.

Even Nozomi could hear the sound of several boys gulping, followed by whispers of admiration.

Not that he could blame them.

Of course, the same thing had happened when Yukinoshita was speaking—but with a different kind of energy.

Yukinoshita's beauty made people feel nervous, as if getting too close would leave them frostbitten.

This blonde-haired girl, on the other hand, gave off the feeling of a warm hikari no tenshi—a radiant angel that made people want to bask in her presence.

And her name—

Shiina Mahiru.

Nozomi blinked.

Wait, Shiina?

A name like that immediately triggered something in his mind.

Could she be related to Shiina Mashiro, the "pet girl" who hadn't arrived at Sakurasou yet?

Was this just a coincidence, or… something more?

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

By the way, you can view all character images on my Patreon for free.

The first 3 images are Shiina Mashiro

The next 3 are Shiina Mahiru

Followed by Yuigahama Yui

Followed by Yukinoshita Haruno

Finally we have Yukonoshita Yukino