Pfft—
Even though Kotomi Izumi had already mentally prepared herself for the ridiculous fake name Shizuka Hiratsuka came up with as a child, when Haruno Yukinoshita actually said the words "Shizuka the Cool" out loud, Kotomi's expression twisted beyond control from trying not to laugh. In the end, she couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.
Beside her, Shizuka Hiratsuka covered her face with one hand. At this point, Kotomi wondered if Shizuka was already plotting how to silence the witness.
Kotomi laughed so hard her waist almost gave out, her stomach aching. In her mind, she could vividly picture little Shizuka saying that fake name with a self-satisfied, "cool" expression on her face—completely serious, utterly confident, and utterly chuunibyou.
Kotomi wished she had a time machine. She'd go back in time just to record that glorious moment with her phone—little Shizuka, striking a pose, declaring with full conviction: "My name is Shizuka the Cool!"
Shizuka the Cool… hahaha!
Kotomi thought she herself had been pretty chuunibyou as a kid, but she never expected Shizuka Hiratsuka to have been even worse. At least that so-called "cool" name didn't sound cool at all to Kotomi.
Haruno Yukinoshita continued, "That's just the first name though. If you add her family name, it becomes—Shizuka Hiratsuka the Cool! Honestly, I thought that was her real name for years. Once I entered elementary school, we didn't meet as often, so I never learned her real name. Until half a month ago, when I came to visit the culture festival and check on my stupid little sister. I called Shizuka to ask for a ticket. She mailed it to me, and when I saw the sender's name wasn't 'Shizuka the Cool' but just 'Shizuka Hiratsuka,' that's when I finally realized the truth."
"When you mentioned Shizuka Hiratsuka earlier, Kotomi," Haruno said, "I didn't react because I didn't know that was her real name. I was thinking, 'Wow, that name sounds a lot like Shizuka the Cool!'"
Hearing this, Kotomi once again burst into laughter, nearly out of breath.
As she laughed, Kotomi glanced at Shizuka Hiratsuka from the corner of her eye—only to freeze instantly.
A second ago she'd been laughing wildly, the next moment she stopped completely.
It wasn't fear of being scolded—quite the opposite. Kotomi had been laughing on purpose, trying to provoke Shizuka into getting angry and teaching her a lesson.
But when she looked at Shizuka now, she realized the older woman wasn't angry at all. Her face showed only resignation—the helplessness of someone whose embarrassing childhood secret had just been exposed. There was no sign of rage or the intention to scold her.
I laughed this hard for nothing? Come on, get mad! Pin me against the wall and lecture me like you usually do!
Kotomi had exaggerated her laughter precisely to "guide" Shizuka into scolding her, but now that she saw no reaction, she instantly lost interest.
She muttered inwardly: So boring!
Shizuka looked at Kotomi, puzzled by her sudden change in mood. "Why'd you stop laughing?" she asked.
"None of your business. You're no fun!" Kotomi huffed in frustration.
Shizuka blinked, confused. Just moments ago, Kotomi had been laughing so hard she could barely breathe, and now she was pouting like a sulking child. The change in attitude was so sudden it was almost comical.
Did I do something to upset her? Shizuka wondered. That can't be right…
She tried to figure out why Kotomi was angry, but soon gave up. I've overestimated my brain. I'll never understand what goes on in that little witch's head.
With a sigh, Shizuka stepped closer and gently patted Kotomi's hair, her voice soft as she said, "Aren't Yui and the others still waiting for you? Go find them. I sent you the performance schedule on Line this morning—didn't you check it?"
Shizuka had indeed sent the performance schedule earlier that morning. Kotomi and her group's music performance was set for 3 p.m. Originally, it had been scheduled for the morning, but the festival committee had rearranged several acts, changing nearly everyone's timeslots.
To make sure Kotomi and her friends had enough time to prepare, Shizuka Hiratsuka had deliberately sent the performance schedule to Kotomi early that morning. But after sending it, the message stayed marked as "unread."
That made Shizuka think Kotomi had forgotten to set an alarm before going to bed. Worried she'd oversleep, Shizuka drove straight to the school early and rushed to the second music room—only to find that Kotomi and her group had already left. Relieved, she turned around and went to take care of her own duties.
What she hadn't expected was to run into Kotomi here—and with Haruno Yukinoshita holding her hand, no less. Even if she racked her brain, she wouldn't have guessed those two knew each other.
"I forgot to check," Kotomi muttered before turning away without another word.
Even when she was sulking, her slender waist swayed gracefully with every step.
Watching Kotomi's retreating back and recalling her tone and expression just now, even a block of wood could have sensed that she was upset.
But that only made Shizuka more confused. Just a minute ago, Kotomi had been laughing so cheerfully—how had she gone from that to pouting in an instant?
As she watched Kotomi walk away, Haruno Yukinoshita smiled and said to Shizuka, "Your little cutie's gone off, and you're still staring after her. What's the matter? Turned into a love-struck stone statue?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Shizuka shot her a sharp glare, clearly annoyed.
"What nonsense? My metaphor's perfect. You clearly made little Kotomi upset just now and didn't even notice. Calling you a block of wood would be a compliment—you're more like a rock."
Hearing that, Shizuka was genuinely surprised. "You noticed Kotomi's mood change too?"
"Of course," Haruno replied casually. "Her little mood swing came out of nowhere, sure, but it wasn't without reason. You're the reason. You made her unhappy."
"I didn't even say anything, though. She was laughing so hard—I didn't scold her or anything."
"That's exactly why she's upset," Haruno said. "Get it now?"
"...No, I don't," Shizuka admitted after thinking it over for a long time, then shook her head in defeat.
Haruno stared at her, opened her mouth, and then just sighed helplessly. "Forget it. I give up. The less competition I have, the better for my foolish little sister anyway."
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