While Kotomi Izumi and Yui Yuigahama were waiting near the school gate for their families, Kotomi's phone vibrated slightly—she had received a message.
Kotomi took out her phone and glanced at the screen.
Iroha Isshiki: [Senpai, get ready!]
[Stand firmly on both feet, adjust your breathing, and be ready for a surprise!]
[You must stand firm, you must stand firm, you must stand firm! I don't know why saying something three times makes it feel more important, but it sounds pretty convincing, so I'll say it three times!!!]
Reading the three consecutive messages Iroha sent, Kotomi was momentarily puzzled—what was she talking about?
She scrolled up the chat history and realized that Iroha had sent her a "Good morning" message earlier that day. But at that time, Kotomi had been completely absorbed in chatting with three upperclasswomen, and naturally... she had forgotten to reply to Iroha's greeting.
Could it be that, because she hadn't replied, this mischievous little devil decided to bare her fangs and play a prank to get even?
Hmph. Little Iroha, after spending so much time with you, if I still let you fool me, then I'd truly be hopeless. When we meet later, no matter what you try to say, I'm one hundred percent confident I can steer the conversation safely.
After being pranked by Iroha several times before, Kotomi had already developed a very detailed set of countermeasures—she'd even come up with additional prank ideas and ways to respond to them.
Kotomi felt utterly invincible now.
Even a little devil like Iroha Isshiki couldn't possibly trick her anymore.
Maybe this time, she could even turn the tables and prank Iroha instead!
Just as Kotomi was daydreaming about how she'd make Iroha behave, a faint yet hurried sound of footsteps came from nearby. Though it wasn't loud, Kotomi's enhanced hearing—thanks to her Queen of All Females physique—instantly recognized that those steps were heading straight toward her.
In that very moment, Kotomi suddenly understood why Iroha had told her to stand firm.
Although she had initially taken Iroha's message as some kind of cryptic joke, Kotomi subconsciously adjusted her stance anyway.
The next instant, a small, adorable figure threw herself into Kotomi's arms. Kotomi instinctively took a few steps back and raised her hands to catch her.
And just like that, Kotomi Izumi and Iroha Isshiki found themselves embracing.
"Senpai~ Your reflexes are great! Not bad, not bad—you really did what I said and stood firm." Iroha raised her head from Kotomi's embrace, her lovely face blooming with a smile that seemed to contain all the sweetness in the world.
When Iroha had dashed forward, her hands had already moved behind Kotomi's neck. She knew her senpai could be a bit slow at times—if Kotomi hadn't reacted quickly enough and lost balance, Iroha wanted to be ready to catch her immediately.
Playful and noisy like a little devil, yet always showing her care through her actions—Kotomi was well aware of this side of Iroha. Looking at Iroha's mischievous grin and feeling her hands resting gently behind her neck, Kotomi couldn't help but smile faintly.
She didn't scold Iroha for her dramatic "surprise attack" entrance. Instead, she lightly tapped the back of her own neck—where Iroha's hands were—and teasingly asked:
"Tell me, are you a little devil or a little angel?"
"Ah! Senpai, that's so mean! I thought you always saw me as a sweet and thoughtful little angel, but you actually think of me as a devil!"
"Of course. There's no such thing as a little angel who loves to prank me all the time." Kotomi spoke in mock anger, though her eyes never left Iroha's face.
Was it just because they hadn't seen each other in a while? Kotomi felt that Iroha looked even prettier than before. She wore light makeup today—the cosmetics Kotomi herself had once recommended to her.
Back then, Iroha had asked: "Senpai, what kind of makeup products do you like? Can you recommend a few? I want to try something new."
And Kotomi had replied confidently, "Piece of cake!"
Kotomi rarely wore makeup, because her natural beauty alone was already breathtaking enough. If she ever did, there would definitely be girls crying out, "She's already this gorgeous and still puts on makeup?! How's that fair to the rest of us?!"—while secretly taking out their phones to ask for her contact information.
Even some girls who had always been straight as an arrow would momentarily question themselves after seeing Kotomi, thinking, Maybe girls really aren't so bad...
Of course, the real reason Kotomi rarely wore makeup wasn't modesty—it was because putting on makeup in the morning would take up valuable time.
And what time was that? Naturally, her precious sleeping time.
If Kotomi wanted to do her makeup every morning before leaving home, she'd have to wake up an hour earlier.
An entire hour—that meant losing a whole hour of sleep!
If she lost just ten minutes of sleep, she'd already wake up grumpy. If she had to give up a full hour... she might just blow the roof off the house.
Just the thought of waking up early was enough for Kotomi to give up the idea of daily makeup. Most of the time, she went out bare-faced. Occasionally, when she was in the mood or hanging out with other girls, she'd apply light makeup.
That didn't mean Kotomi didn't know how to do makeup—quite the opposite. It was one of her special talents.
And it wasn't a system-given ability, but an innate gift. Even back in elementary school, she had already mastered makeup techniques to a remarkable degree.
If makeup were a skill on a game system, Kotomi's would've started at max level right from the beginning.
Based on Iroha Isshiki's personality, aura, and face shape, Kotomi had carefully chosen the most suitable cosmetics for her. She happened to have all of them herself, so she gifted them to Iroha.
When she handed Iroha those products, Kotomi had already imagined how Iroha would look if she followed her suggestions. She was confident in her taste and recommendations.
Now, seeing Iroha in front of her, Kotomi couldn't help but think that her earlier imagination had been far too conservative. The little devil in light makeup was absolutely deadly—so charming it should've been a crime. She hated to admit it, but that little devil was just too cute.
At the same time, Kotomi suddenly recalled a saying: The beauty of light makeup lies in how its subtle changes reveal new charms when you least expect it.
By the time Kotomi realized she had been staring at Iroha for too long—and that her gaze might be giving people the wrong idea—it was already too late.
Iroha, who had been gazing at Kotomi almost the entire time, had clearly noticed that longing look.
Her lips curved into a mischievous smile, yet her eyes glowed with the pure delight of a child receiving candy.
"Senpai~ The way you just looked at me was exactly like a little wolf eyeing a fluffy white rabbit. Were you thinking about how to eat me up~?"
Kotomi's cheeks immediately turned pink. "When did you get this full of yourself? Eat you... Fine, I was thinking about eating you—just deciding whether to sprinkle cumin or chili powder."
"Senpai, I honestly can't tell sometimes—are you actually this dense, or just pretending to be?" the little devil sighed helplessly.
"What dense or not dense? What are you even talking about? I don't get it," Kotomi said, feigning ignorance.
"Ha! You're pretending again—but you're doing a terrible job at it. Just wait, Senpai. One day I'll fix that bad habit of yours—always saying one thing but feeling another!"
"Alright, alright, stop clinging to me already," Kotomi said softly, trying to pry Iroha off her. "We're still at the school gate. Hugging like this makes it look like we're glued together. Don't you want to apply to Sobu High? What if people start pairing your name with mine before you even enroll?"
"Being paired with Senpai sounds pretty nice, actually," Iroha replied cheerfully—and instead of letting go, her hands around Kotomi's neck tightened, shifting from protective to affectionate.
As the distance between them closed once again, Kotomi noticed that Iroha Isshiki's ears were gradually turning red.
Oh? So even the little devil could get shy.
Kotomi felt as though she had found a weak spot. Just as she was about to seize the chance to turn the tables and show Iroha who the real boss was—
—Iroha, sensing that Kotomi had noticed her reddened ears, quickly let go. Yet, unwilling to admit defeat, she tugged at the hem of Kotomi's uniform and muttered in a small, embarrassed voice:
"Senpai, you're so sneaky... peeking at me like that."
"Peeking? You think I did that on purpose? You came in so close that I couldn't help but notice your ears turning red. I just didn't expect you, little devil, to actually blush~."
Kotomi felt like she'd struck gold—what an easy and unexpected chance to reverse the situation! She was ready to use this opening to 'counterattack' and teach the mischievous little devil a proper lesson.
But before she could speak—
"K-Kotomi..."
A timid voice reached her ears. It was Yui Yuigahama.
Kotomi froze. Crap! The dumpling's still here! She had been so distracted by Iroha's antics that she'd completely forgotten Yui was standing right beside her.
Kotomi immediately turned her head toward Yui, and Iroha, hearing the voice, turned as well.
Yui Yuigahama stared at the two of them—still half-embraced—with a complicated expression. Who knew what was running through her mind right now?
Kotomi felt a pang of guilt. She had originally planned to introduce Iroha to Yui, Megumi, Yukino, and Shizuka Hiratsuka during the cultural festival later that day. But she hadn't expected Iroha to literally jump into her arms the moment she arrived, catching her completely off guard.
And to Yui, who didn't know Iroha at all, it must have looked... strange. A completely unfamiliar girl with chestnut hair had just run up and thrown herself into Kotomi's embrace, arms looped around her neck. No wonder Yui's heart felt like someone had tipped over a jar of vinegar—bittersweet and stinging.
As Kotomi tried to think of how to explain everything, Iroha suddenly stepped forward confidently and extended her hand with a bright smile.
"Hello, Senpai! Are you Kotomi-senpai's friend?"
"Eh?"
Caught off guard, Yui blinked. She was a first-year, yet this girl had just called her Senpai. For a moment, her brain couldn't process it. Still, out of politeness, she automatically reached out and shook Iroha's hand.
After all, even if she didn't understand what was happening, it would've been rude to leave someone's hand hanging midair.
Seeing Yui's dazed look, Kotomi decided to explain.
"This is Iroha Isshiki—my little sister's friend. She's a third-year in middle school right now, and she's planning to apply to Sobu High next year. So calling you Senpai isn't wrong."
Yui finally understood. Ah, so this is the Iroha Isshiki Kotomi mentioned before...
Now that she saw the girl in person, Yui realized why Kotomi's lips always curved into a faint smile whenever she talked about her. Kotomi herself probably hadn't noticed it, but Yui—who paid close attention to details—certainly had. Earlier that morning, when Kotomi mentioned Iroha's name to her and Yukino, her lips had unconsciously lifted ever so slightly.
It was as if just saying "Iroha Isshiki" brought to mind a girl made entirely of light and warmth.
"H-hi, I'm Yui Yuigahama. Welcome to Sobu High!"
Yui's brain refused to think too deeply about it. Unsure of what else to say, she simply defaulted to the typical greeting seniors gave to new students during entrance ceremonies.
Iroha blinked, then laughed sweetly. "Thank you, Yui-senpai! Even though I haven't taken the entrance exams yet, I'll do my best to get into Sobu High."
"By the way, where's Aimi? She's not with you?" Kotomi asked, noticing that her younger sister was nowhere to be seen. "Don't tell me she hasn't left home yet?"
"Uncle, Auntie, and Aimi are still in line behind me," Iroha said. "I came a bit earlier, so I ended up near the front. But since there aren't too many people in line, I wanted to go back and wait with Aimi. She told me to go ahead first. And the moment I entered the gate, I saw you, Senpai. Glück—lucky me~!"
"The little devil's showing off her German now, huh?" Kotomi teased lightly.
"I'm not! I was just reminiscing. Back then, every time we talked on the phone, you'd chat with me in German to help me practice. But lately, you haven't even been calling me... sometimes when I message you, you barely reply anymore..."
Iroha's tone softened with a faint trace of melancholy.
Kotomi immediately realized that she was right. Over the past few weeks, she had been so busy with cultural festival rehearsals that she hadn't called Iroha much. And with the flood of messages constantly coming through her Line app, it wasn't uncommon for her to accidentally overlook some of Iroha's texts—or see them and forget to reply later.
"Sorry, I've just been—"
Before Kotomi could finish, Iroha interrupted her gently.
"No apologizing, okay? You've been working hard for your performance at the cultural festival—it must've been exhausting. So even if you haven't called as often, or sometimes forget to reply, of course I feel a little lonely... but that doesn't mean I'm upset. You have so many things you want to do, Senpai. How could I be selfish enough to try and keep all your time for myself?"
Her voice grew even softer, tinged with affection. "What I said just now... was just me being a little spoiled because I haven't seen you in so long~"
As she spoke, Iroha reached out and gently ran her fingers through Kotomi's hair, her usual playful smile carrying a rare warmth.
"Senpai, you've worked so hard preparing for the cultural festival's performance. You're amazing. Now the real show's about to begin—so do your best, okay? Before you go on stage, I'll be cheering for you as loud as I can. And when it's over, I'll be the loudest one applauding you!"
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