After confirming that Akina would attend the parent-teacher meeting tomorrow, Kotomi Izumi told her mother the location of her classroom and her seat.
Akina had always had an excellent memory. This was evident in the fact that, even though Kotomi was almost seventeen now, Akina could still recall the exact year, month, and day of the first time Kotomi wet the bed as a child.
After explaining everything once, Kotomi didn't need to worry that her mother would forget.
"I still remember, back when you were in elementary and middle school, you always tried everything you could to avoid telling us about parent meetings. I didn't expect that after starting high school, you'd tell us so openly."
"Akina, don't bring up such embarrassing things again!"
After chatting idly with her parents for a while, Kotomi stood up, planning to take a bath before going to bed.
Of course, before sleeping, she would definitely watch two episodes of anime.
Speaking of which… why hadn't she seen Aimi in the living room?
She was probably upstairs doing homework.
Third-year middle school students really had it tough~
Kotomi gently turned the doorknob and pushed open the bathroom door.
"Ah…"
"Hm? Onee-chan?"
In front of her stood Aimi Izumi, who had just finished taking off all her clothes. She had neatly folded them and placed them in her personal laundry basket.
The piece of purple-and-white underwear on top—Kotomi had picked that one for her before.
Aimi's well-proportioned and graceful figure came fully into view as Kotomi accidentally opened the bathroom door.
"S-sorry! But why didn't you lock the door?!" Kotomi quickly turned her gaze away and apologized. Even if she was the big sister, she had to maintain her dignity as one! She absolutely couldn't let Aimi think she'd opened the door on purpose to peek!
"I was just about to lock it when you came in. If we take a bath together, the tub will feel pretty small," Aimi said.
Wait, wasn't the real issue that now that they were older, they shouldn't be bathing together anymore?! Kotomi thought to herself.
But instead of blushing like some heroine in a romantic comedy and yelling, "Onee-chan, you idiot!" while throwing something at her, Aimi merely opened the second door of the bathroom, looked at the bathtub inside, and smiled helplessly.
Her expression seemed to be calculating how they could both fit in the tub if they were to bathe together.
The Izumi family's bathtub was the perfect size for one person to stretch out comfortably, but with two people, it inevitably felt cramped.
That was why, although they had often bathed together when they were little, they rarely did so anymore.
She didn't even get mad that I walked in on her… But come to think of it, it'd actually be stranger if she did get mad, Kotomi thought inwardly.
When it came to Kotomi, Aimi's personality was nothing like the typical tsundere little sister you'd see in romance manga or anime.
Not only was she not tsundere—she only knew how to go straight for the target.
No detours. No hesitation.
Aimi firmly believed: "Forget fancy tricks or manipulation—no matter how low my attack power is, I'll never stoop to playing cheap. I'll just charge straight ahead. If I'm straightforward enough, someday, Onee-chan will become my beloved wife!"
To put it simply, Aimi played Soulsborne games like she lived her life—always choosing melee classes and rushing in with a greatsword.
If my attack power's high enough, I can slay the boss before it kills me! Just one swing—wait, huh? Where did my HP go?!
When she first played Dark Souls III, Aimi and Kotomi had a conversation like this:
Aimi Izumi: "Onee-chan! I can't beat this boss!"
Kotomi Izumi: "That's not a boss, that's an elite enemy."
Even if she never said it out loud, Kotomi knew better than anyone how Aimi felt about her.
"Alright then, you go first. I'll head out," Kotomi said, her face slightly flushed as she turned to leave.
Even though they had grown up together, seeing Aimi's maturing figure still made Kotomi's cheeks flush slightly.
"Even if the bathroom's a bit small, I can still help you wash your back, Onee-chan. Shall we bathe together?"
"N-no need! I just remembered I forgot to save the document I was working on. I'll go upstairs and save it first. You go ahead and take your bath—just tell me when you're done."
Without looking back at Aimi's confused expression—one that seemed to ask, "Why not bathe together?"—Kotomi hurriedly left the bathroom.
If she met that gaze, she knew she'd have no defense left. So she fled.
"Should I say Aimi completely lets her guard down around me… or… something else?" Kotomi muttered helplessly as she returned to her room, practically running away.
She didn't sigh in nostalgia like, 'The little shadow who used to follow me everywhere has grown into a beautiful young lady.'
It wasn't that Aimi wasn't clingy. On the contrary—she had always loved sticking close to Kotomi, never leaving her side, even now.
It was just that, back when they were younger, their caretaker roles were reversed.
The younger sister, Aimi, often had to take care of her useless and clumsy big sister, Kotomi.
So if there was anyone who should be sighing, it should be Aimi, thinking, "My silly big sister has finally become a little more dependable."
Still…
"Even if we did grow up together, I'd really appreciate it if she could at least show a little shyness in front of me," Kotomi said with a wry smile.
After a short while, Aimi came to Kotomi's room after finishing her bath.
"I'm done bathing."
"Mhm, go get some rest. I don't have school tomorrow morning, but you still do~"
It wasn't often Kotomi had a free morning, so of course she had to make the most of it.
"Sigh…" Aimi let out a soft, helpless laugh—the same kind of sigh one gives when indulging a spoiled child. "Onee-chan, seriously. You've already told me fifteen times since getting home that you don't have school tomorrow morning."
"Alright, alright. Ugh~ I'm so jealous, Onee-chan. I wish I didn't have to go to school tomorrow either~ Are you happy now that I've said it?"
After finishing, Aimi looked at her with a warm smile.
So cute… So unbearably cute… Please, Aimi, I know you're adorable, but could you not be this ridiculously adorable?! Kotomi screamed internally, her heart in chaos.
"I'm going to take a bath!" Kotomi grabbed her nightdress and hurried toward the bathroom.
"Want me to help wash your back?" Aimi teased again with a grin.
"No! Honestly, you're impossible! Once you're done, go back to your room, or you'll catch a cold," Kotomi scolded lightly before grabbing Aimi's hand and escorting her back to her room.
After that, Kotomi went downstairs to take a quick shower—no soaking, just a brief rinse under hot water.
When she finished, she dried her hair, put on her nightdress, and sat on her bed, aimlessly scrolling through her phone.
Like before, she opened the browser, social apps, and forums, searching for the name Kazumi—or any variation that sounded similar.
But as always, there were no results.
Aside from the seas on Earth, there was another vast, deep ocean in the world—the Internet.
You could find almost anything there if you searched long enough.
But Kazumi—had left no trace in this digital ocean.
It was as if she never existed in this world at all.
She had called herself a "system" when she appeared inside Kotomi's body. A being straight out of a web novel—but one that never gave missions, never rewarded experience points, and never assigned tasks. Her levels and abilities just sat quietly on the interface, waiting for Kotomi to level up or earn enough fame to unlock new tiers.
No other "cheat-like" abilities were ever granted—because, truthfully, Kazumi herself didn't even know how to give them.
Her favorite pastime was playing games inside Kotomi's mental space. Most of the time, she would just hang around inside, chatting endlessly with Kotomi—about everything from the east to the west—and sometimes, they would even argue.
The things they argued about were often so trivial yet oddly entertaining—each could go on for days without end. There was no need to list them all.
"Haa…"
Kotomi placed her phone on the bedside table, leaned back, and lay flat on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Once again, she had found nothing today. She truly didn't know how to even begin searching for the real Kazumi.
With no clues, no traces, no information to follow…
"Could it be that I've been thinking about this the wrong way?" Kotomi murmured as she stretched lazily and hugged her pillow close.
Knock, knock, knock.
A soft knocking sound came from outside her bedroom door.
For just a brief moment before opening it, Kotomi couldn't help but imagine—when she opened the door, she'd see Kazumi standing there, grinning smugly, saying:
Kotomi, did you miss me~? You didn't finish the task I left you before I fell asleep, did you? Hmph, so hopeless. You really can't live without me, can you? Well, I guess I'll have to spoil you. From now on, I'll walk beside you for the rest of the way~
But when Kotomi opened the door, there was no Kazumi.
Instead, standing there was Aimi, holding a cup of steaming milk in both hands.
Kotomi blinked, then chuckled at herself for the childish fantasy that had just crossed her mind.
"Aimi, what's up?" she asked with a smile.
"I made you a cup of hot milk—with sugar," Aimi replied softly.
She walked into Kotomi's room, carefully placed the warm, sweet milk on the bedside table, and after finishing, didn't leave.
Instead, she sat down gently on the edge of Kotomi's bed.
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