"Sorry, Sumireko... I've been a bit careless lately and ended up neglecting you."
Nozomi's voice was tinged with guilt as he turned toward her, his brows knitted together in a rare moment of vulnerability.
"You've had your best friend lying unconscious in a hospital this whole time, and yet I… I let that slip my mind."
But Sanshokuin Sumireko, the bespectacled girl with twin braids and calm eyes, only smiled softly and shook her head.
"You didn't ignore me," she said gently. "You've been by my side every single day, haven't you?"
Her voice was warm, but firm—like someone who'd long come to terms with grief, only to find an unexpected warmth in its place.
"And besides," she added, her eyes softening, "what happened to my friend isn't your fault. You don't have to carry that burden for me."
Still, she hesitated—just a flicker—before continuing, "But... if you really can help her, if there's a way to bring her back… that would make me incredibly happy."
Nozomi gave a small, resolute nod, his gaze sharp as steel.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure she wakes up. I might not have healing powers myself, but Frieren does. She's an elf magician—and trust me, she can handle this."
A glimmer of hope lit up Sumireko's eyes. She didn't say it out loud, but inside, she felt a fragile hope start to bloom again. Maybe… just maybe…
If she hadn't met Nozomi, if she hadn't become part of this strange circle of friends, her world might still have been filled with guilt, loneliness, and silent hospital visits. But now—because of him—there was a chance her friend Nichiji Sumire might come back.
"Do you think Frieren would be willing to help?" she asked, unable to hide her nervous anticipation.
"She's totally free these days," Nozomi replied with a smirk. "Aside from grinding treasure chests and wasting time in online games, she's become a full-on neet elf."
"Eh?!"
"No joke," he chuckled. "If you're that anxious, we can go this afternoon. I'll have her check on Sumire's condition."
"Really? Then… I'll leave it to you, Nozomi."
"Leave it to me," he said with confidence. "When you've got strong bonds, anything's possible."
Of course, Nozomi had a bit of curiosity too. Nichiji Sumire—her comatose friend—was almost a mirror image of Sanshokuin Sumireko, both in beauty and figure. If you weren't paying attention, you'd think they were twin sisters.
The two of them strolled through the library, still chatting and laughing naturally, and in the middle of it all, a figure stood frozen.
A boy with short blond hair, eyes shadowed with jealousy, clenched his fists. He bit down on his frustration and silently left the room, unable to bear the sight of Nozomi and Sumireko being so close.
Meanwhile, the new shipment of books was almost sorted thanks to everyone's teamwork. Yukinoshita Yukino, Yuki Suo, Yuigahama Yui, and the others had all helped shelve and record the texts, including the rubbings from Toshobu High School.
Sumireko made sure to express her heartfelt gratitude to everyone. She could sense it clearly now: even Yukino, who once stood aloof like an ice queen, had slowly become part of this small, warm circle—pulled in by Nozomi's gravitational field of quiet charisma.
This peaceful, close-knit vibe was exactly what Sumireko had longed for.
That afternoon, Nozomi called out to Yukinoshita to let her know they'd be skipping club activities, then escorted Sumireko straight to Sakurasou.
It was time to check on Nichiji Sumire.
But the moment they stepped into the shared dorm, they were greeted by a bizarre chime:
[Ding! Mysterious treasure chest activated. Congratulations, player! You've opened the Chest Monster!]
"…Wait, what?"
Pushing open the door, Nozomi and Sumireko were greeted by a comically absurd sight.
Frieren—graceful elf, master magician, eternal beauty—was halfway inside a monstrous treasure chest, her long legs kicking helplessly in the air.
"Ahhh! It's so dark… so scary…!! Someone save me!" she cried, voice weirdly calm and unconvincing.
Nozomi's eye twitched. "You don't sound very scared."
He seriously suspected she did this just for fun.
A few feet away, Fern—her dutiful if long-suffering assistant—sighed and tugged hard at Frieren's legs, trying to yank her free.
With a violent tremble, the chest suddenly spat her out and regurgitated a pile of items.
Sumireko gasped and covered her mouth, stunned by the magical mess.
After Frieren gave her head a good shake—twice, to be precise—her golden eyes lit up with childlike excitement as she dug through the treasure pile.
"A magic book! Fern, look, I told you something good would drop today!" she beamed, clutching the worn leather tome like it was a lost artifact from an ancient elf kingdom.
Fern crossed her arms and let out a dramatic sigh, her long silver hair swishing with exasperation.
"You also almost got digested by the chest monster, my lady."
"Aha-ha~ don't sweat the small stuff! It's fine as long as the drop rate's good!" Frieren replied, her voice carefree as ever.
Turning to Nozomi, her eyes sparkled. "Perfect timing! Nozomi, come help identify the loot and analyze this beauty!"
"Sure thing," Nozomi grinned, stepping forward and motioning for Sanshokuin Sumireko to follow. "Sumireko, you coming?"
Sumireko gave a small nod and entered the room. She'd visited Sakurasou so often that she was already familiar with Frieren and Fern—there was no need for introductions at this point.
Nozomi knelt beside the spilled items and began sorting through the haul.
"This one's a healing potion," he noted, holding up a small crystal bottle filled with glowing blue liquid. "And here's a purification potion, a fireproof potion… and uh… deodorizing potion?"
Fern twitched. "Why is that even in there…?"
"And gold coins, of course. No need to explain those." Nozomi chuckled, setting the coins aside like a seasoned adventurer organizing loot drops after a dungeon crawl.
Then he held up the magic book. Its cover shimmered faintly, as though reacting to the mana in the air.
"This one's card-based magic," he said. "Looks like a grimoire that lets you store spells in enchanted cards, which can then be released in cycles."
Frieren's eyes lit up again, practically glowing. "That's amazing! I've always wanted to try card-based casting!"
"I figured you'd like that."
Then Nozomi turned toward her with the healing potion in hand, his expression sincere.
"Frieren, mind if I take this bottle of healing potion? I want to use it to help Sumireko's friend."
Frieren gave him a warm smile, her pointed ears twitching slightly in approval.
"Of course! The chests are all yours anyway—I only care about studying this beauty," she said, hugging the magic book like a treasure.
"Thanks," Nozomi said, and before she could react, he gave her a quick, grateful hug.
Frieren froze for a second. Her long ears turned bright pink, but she didn't pull away—just cleared her throat and regained composure like a dignified elf would.
"I'll be in my study with Fern. If you need anything, just ask."
"Got it."
As Frieren and Fern walked off, Sumireko let out a sigh, her eyes following their elegant forms.
"They really do feel like magical girls…"
Nozomi took her hand with a confident grin.
"Come on. Your friend's waiting. With this potion, she might just wake up today."
"Mm… let's go!"
They arrived at the hospital a short while later.
When they reached the ward, the atmosphere grew quiet.
There, lying in bed with a pale face and gentle breathing, was the comatose girl—Nichiji Sumire. Her hospital gown was a little too large for her thin frame, and the machines beeped softly around her.
Sumireko's eyes welled up with tears as she rushed to her side.
"Nozomi… please… Please help her wake up."
"Don't worry," he said gently, "She will."
Opening the bottle, Nozomi took a small sip. Then, without hesitation, he pulled out her oxygen tube and leaned forward, lips brushing against hers in a soft, determined kiss.
Sumireko blushed, flustered but didn't stop him.
This wasn't romance—it was a method. Transferring the potion directly was the safest way to ensure it worked.
Nichiji Sumire's throat moved slightly. She swallowed.
A radiant white light shimmered across her body.
Her pale skin regained its color, and her breathing deepened. Slowly… her long lashes fluttered, and her eyes—those clear, gentle eyes—opened.
"Sumireko…?" she whispered hoarsely. "Is that you… Sumireko?"
"Yes!" Sumireko cried out, taking her hand tightly. "It's me, Pansy! You're awake!"
"Pansy," Nozomi repeated casually. So that was her nickname.
The girl blinked a few times, then looked at him with curiosity. "Sumireko… who's this boy?"
Nozomi gave a small, gentlemanly bow.
"I'm Nozomi. Sumireko's boyfriend. Nice to meet you, Miss Nichiji Sumire."
"Oh… Hello…"
Nichiji blushed faintly, eyes lingering on his face.
Sumireko's boyfriend is kinda… really handsome…
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You can request any character image that you wish to see.
Also, I want to set up Unstability Diffusion on my laptop to generate custom images. Should I introduce a higher tier for the character art?
Pray for my laptop, that it does not blow up when I'm done setting up.