Yuka had always been a well-behaved child—so much so that at this very moment, she was being too well-behaved, to the point where Kotomi Izumi almost wanted to put her down.
Holding the little note in her hand, Kotomi had initially been overwhelmed with warmth and gratitude. Her palm felt like it was holding a tiny piece of sunshine. She couldn't wait to see what kind of encouraging words Yuka had written for her, her heart swelling with affection. What a thoughtful little angel, she thought fondly.
But now… upon realizing that the string of numbers written on the note was actually Ms. Shiro's phone number, Kotomi forced herself to stay calm. Glancing around at the others, she pretended to act clueless and, with an innocent tone, asked Yuka:
"Ms. Shiro? Oh~ I get it! You mean Shiro from Crayon Shin-chan, right? Mm-hmm, I also think that little white dog is super cute. Especially the old art-style version of Shiro—so cute that my LINE icon was once a picture of him for quite a while."
Kotomi was inwardly quite proud of her response—it was practically textbook-level damage control. Not only did she make it sound like she had no idea who "Ms. Shiro" was, but she even managed to steer the potentially disastrous topic toward an entirely harmless one—anime.
However, feeling the looks from Megumi Kato and the others, Kotomi couldn't help but internally wipe away a cold sweat. She hadn't expected Yuka's "gift" to be Ms. Shiro's contact information—and more shockingly, that Yuka had actually managed to get it!
Thinking back, Kotomi realized she had only met Ms. Shiro once—the first time she went to pick Yuka up from Hanamaru Kindergarten. Ms. Shiro had walked Yuka out that day. Her gentle, refined demeanor and soft, beautiful features had left a strong impression. Out of simple curiosity and playful teasing, Kotomi had casually asked on the way home, "Yuka, do you happen to know Ms. Shiro's contact info?"
At the time, Yuka didn't know, and Kotomi hadn't thought anything more of it. She'd assumed that was the end of it.
She never imagined that Yuka would not only remember but actually go and get Ms. Shiro's contact information—and now, present it to her as a congratulatory gift.
If it had just been the two of them, Kotomi would've instantly tucked the note into her pocket, patted Yuka on the head, praised her for being such a good girl, and then taken her out for ice cream and toys.
But of course, Yuka had chosen to give her the note now, in front of everyone—and said it loud enough for everyone to hear, drawing all of Megumi and the others' attention.
To make matters worse, Kotomi had never mentioned Ms. Shiro to any of them before…
If Yuka hadn't just said it, none of them would even know that such a person existed.
Yuka, my dear little cotton jacket, Kotomi thought helplessly, you really are my most thoughtful sweetheart—but right now, you're being a little too thoughtful. You're turning up the heat so much, I'm about to melt...
Kotomi could only hope that her quick response earlier would at least divert some of the attention away, even if it didn't fully explain things.
But of course, Yuka couldn't possibly understand Kotomi's current predicament. With her innocent mind and simple worldview, she had no idea that the "big sisters" standing before her all had ambiguous relationships with her beloved Penguin Onee-chan.
In Yuka's understanding, only two people liked Penguin Onee-chan—her mom, and her big sister.
And what Yuka was thinking right now was this:
I said out loud, in front of Mom and Onee-chan, that Penguin Onee-chan wanted Ms. Shiro's contact info, and now she's got it. Mom and Onee-chan will probably feel upset seeing Penguin Onee-chan asking for another woman's number. What did the TV dramas call that feeling again? Oh right—jealousy!
In the shows, when the heroine gets jealous, it always leads to something emotional—something that makes the love progress!
Mom, Onee-chan, don't waste my efforts! I spent a whole three seconds coming up with this perfect plan! Either one of you—hurry up and marry Penguin Onee-chan already!
Whether she becomes my new mom or my sister-in-law, I'm all for it!
But... why does Penguin Onee-chan look so unhappy after getting Ms. Shiro's number? Wasn't she the one who wanted it so much before?
Yuka nibbled on her finger softly, confusion clouding her face. She was still waiting for Penguin Onee-chan to smile, pat her head, and praise her for doing such a good job. But why wasn't she reacting at all?
Did Penguin Onee-chan really forget about Ms. Shiro?
The thought made Yuka pout a little. After all, it was Penguin Onee-chan who had first asked her if she knew how to contact Ms. Shiro.
She had taken that question seriously, and just a few days ago, she finally saw her chance—when Ms. Shiro was alone in the classroom, putting up the children's drawings from art class one by one on the wall.
"Ms. Shiro, let me help you!"
"Eh? Yuka, why aren't you outside playing with your friends on the playground?"
"Um, I came back to get my water bottle, and then I saw you working. I want to help too!"
"Thank you, Yuka. But the glue is dangerous, so let me handle sticking the drawings. You can help me by handing me the ones on the table, okay?"
"Okay!"
"By the way, Yuka, during this art class, the theme was 'family.' I just looked at your drawing—it's really good! Can I ask who you drew? I can see you, your mom, and your big sister having a picnic in the park. But there's also another girl in white and pink crayon—who is she?"
"She's Penguin Onee-chan! I love Penguin Onee-chan the most!"
"Oh~ so that's the 'Penguin Onee-chan' you always talk about. You really do adore her, don't you?"
"I love her so much! Penguin Onee-chan is the kindest, prettiest big sister in the whole world! Whenever she hugs me, I feel so safe, just like when I'm in Mommy's arms."
"I thought so too. The few times I've seen her, she struck me as a kind and gentle girl."
"Right? Right, Ms. Shiro, can I ask you for a favor?"
"Of course, Yuka. What is it?"
"Can you give me your phone number?"
"Eh? My phone number? All the parents already have it…"
"It's for Penguin Onee-chan! She wants it!"
And just like that, Yuka had gotten Ms. Shiro's phone number for Kotomi.
To be honest, Yuka had been a little surprised herself. She thought it would be nearly impossible to get—after all, Penguin Onee-chan wasn't her parent, so Ms. Shiro had every reason to say no.
But instead, Ms. Shiro had calmly taken out a piece of paper, written down her number neatly, and handed it to Yuka with a gentle smile.
Remembering all that, Yuka couldn't stand the idea of Penguin Onee-chan forgetting about Ms. Shiro—not after all the effort she had put in to find a moment when Ms. Shiro was alone, not to mention how readily Ms. Shiro had given her number after learning it was for Penguin Onee-chan.
"Ms. Shiro is Ms. Shiro!" Yuka said innocently. "She's a teacher at our kindergarten—and she's super pretty! Penguin Onee-chan, don't you remember? When you first met her, you really wanted her contact info."
After Yuka finished speaking, the atmosphere instantly turned awkward. Even though they were at the lively culture festival, the space around Kotomi felt so silent that the faintest sound of a needle dropping in the distance might have been heard.
Kotomi Izumi: "Heh heh…"
Megumi Kato: "For a female teacher to make little Kotomi want her contact info that badly, she must be quite the beauty, huh? Come on, Kotomi~ tell me more about her~ It's okay~"
Yui Yuigahama: "Mmm… next time, let's not let Kotomi pick Yuka up again."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "To ask a child for her teacher's contact info—you really are capable of anything."
Aimi Izumi: "Wow, so you really can't resist a pretty face, huh?"
Iroha Isshiki: "Senpai~ hand over the note. I'll 'take care' of it for you."
Tomoka Yuigahama: "Kotomi, you…"
Kotomi didn't explain—mainly because she didn't even know how to. But she did know there was something she had to do right now.
"Eh?"
The sudden movement startled Yuka, who had been comfortably nestled in Kotomi's arms. Kotomi gently lowered her to the ground.
"Penguin Onee-chan, why aren't you holding me anymore?"
Yuka pouted, unhappy. The last time she hadn't been able to answer Penguin Onee-chan's question about Ms. Shiro's contact info, Kotomi had set her down too. But this time, she had gotten the number—and Penguin Onee-chan still put her down?
She puffed her cheeks in protest. All she wanted was to stay in Penguin Onee-chan's arms for a little while longer. Why was that so hard?
Yuka was a talkative, clingy little girl—maybe lazy too—but she especially loved being held by Kotomi. After walking for a bit, she would inevitably stretch out her arms again and demand a hug. With her soft baby fat and growing weight, even with the physique of a so-called "Queen of All Females," Kotomi was starting to struggle a little.
Ironically, though Yuka was the one who had unintentionally sparked this love-rival chaos, she was also the one who now offered Kotomi a chance to defuse it.
Faced with all the teasing and probing stares, Kotomi didn't know what to say. Then, a sudden idea struck her. Pretending to be tired, she bent down and patted Yuka on the head.
"Yuka's really growing up fast. I used to be able to lift you so easily, but now you're starting to get heavy. That means you've been eating well every day. Good job."
Hearing Kotomi mention she was tired, Tomoka Yuigahama quickly stepped in.
"Yuka, don't make your Penguin Onee-chan carry you anymore, okay? Come on, walk on your own."
"Yuka, I've told you before," Yui Yuigahama added, lightly tapping Yuka's head, "you can't take advantage of how much Kotomi spoils you and push your luck."
Ha, Mom hides it better, but you, Onee-chan, your jealousy is showing all over your tone, Yuka thought with a tiny sigh. So stingy… it was just a hug, and you're already getting jealous? She's not even officially your girlfriend yet! If you don't make a move soon, and Penguin Onee-chan ends up with Mom instead, you'll have to call her 'Mom' too—and then you'll really cry!
Though her mind was full of such grown-up thoughts, Yuka's mouth stayed obedient as ever.
"Mm… okay. Penguin Onee-chan, can I at least hold your hand then?"
It wasn't just Yui and Tomoka—even Megumi and the others couldn't help but envy her. Children had it so easy; they could ask for hugs and hand-holding without a second thought, and Kotomi would always agree.
Thankfully, Kotomi sensed the subtle mood in the air and didn't immediately reach out her hand. Instead, she crouched down and said with a smile:
"Yuka, do you want me to hold your hand, or carry you?"
"I want Penguin Onee-chan to carry me… but since you're tired, let's just hold hands!"
"Such a good girl," Kotomi said warmly. "Sometimes I think, if I ever get married and have kids, I'd want a child as sweet and thoughtful as you." She gently pinched Yuka's cheek, then continued, "But if you really want me to carry you, there's an easy way. Walk on your own for a bit, and when I count to three, I'll scoop you up. How's that sound?"
"Really?! Penguin Onee-chan, you're the best!" Yuka's eyes sparkled as she bounced happily in place, her joy as bright and pure as sunlight.
Yuka was almost ready to enter elementary school now, and she was quite confident about numbers under ten. That made Kotomi a little envious. She remembered that when she had been in kindergarten, she'd been a total airhead—by the time she was in the senior class, she still couldn't recognize numbers under three, let alone do addition or subtraction within five.
Yui Yuigahama and Tomoka Yuigahama were just about to tell Kotomi to let Yuka walk on her own when they suddenly heard her clear her throat and call out:
"March in step! One-two-one, one-two-one, one-two-one, one-two-one, one-two-one…"
Yuka followed behind her in confusion, wobbling slightly, her adorable face full of puzzlement.
She was matching her steps perfectly with each number Penguin Onee-chan called out, and it felt like she'd already taken quite a few steps—so why hadn't they counted to three yet? What was going on?
She was utterly bewildered.
Iroha Isshiki couldn't help but chuckle when she saw the scene. Shaking her head, she whispered to herself, "Senpai always says I'm the little devil who likes to tease her, but look at her now—she's just as bad, tricking a kid like that."
After a while, Kotomi finally let out a small sigh of relief. The elaborate roundabout she had just pulled was all just to defuse the simmering tension of the impending love-rival chaos.
"Yui, why don't you hold Yuka's hand? I'm going to make a quick call," Kotomi said casually, using it as an excuse.
"Oh, okay!" Yui nodded cheerfully.
Kotomi pretended to pull out her phone and stepped aside, deliberately slowing her pace until she was at the back of the group.
Then, spotting her chance, she suddenly quickened her steps and grabbed Megumi Kato by the wrist.
"Eh?" Megumi blinked in surprise, caught off guard.
Kotomi simply smiled—a quiet, mischievous smile—and gave her a look that was both playful and full of unspoken intent. Then, still holding Megumi's wrist, she broke into a light run, pulling her toward the school building.
Even though the campus was crowded for the culture festival, Kotomi knew there was a place that would be quiet.
"Kotomi, where are we going?" Megumi asked between breaths.
"Shh, don't talk. Just follow me. Besides the sports equipment storeroom, I know another quiet 'secret base,'" Kotomi replied, turning to flash her a smile—one so radiant and warm it felt like a summer flower blooming, the kind of smile one might want to protect forever.
Kotomi led Megumi up to the second floor of the school building, down a deserted hallway. By the time they reached it, Megumi had a faint guess where Kotomi was taking her.
Once she confirmed there was no one around, Kotomi pushed open a door.
Beyond it was the second floor of the gymnasium.
During the culture festival, the gym was closed off and empty—but apparently, whoever was in charge of locking up had forgotten to lock the door connecting the second floor of the school building to the gym balcony.
The door wasn't very noticeable, and Kotomi, on a hunch, had decided to check it. Sure enough, it wasn't locked. With a small grin, she led Megumi through it effortlessly, stepping into the quiet, echoing stillness of the gymnasium's second floor.
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven