"I came this morning," Kotomi Izumi replied with a soft laugh. "Yui told me yesterday that most of her time lately has been spent on rehearsal, and she's worried about falling behind in her studies. There were a few topics she hadn't quite grasped, so she asked me to come over and tutor her today. We're calling it a two-person study session~"
Her gentle tone carried a playful air—the 'study session' excuse was one she'd used countless times, and it never failed her.
Hearing that, Tomoka Yuigahama didn't think much of it. She nodded in understanding, then noticed Kotomi standing there chopping vegetables. Alarmed, she quickly hurried over.
"You came over to hang out, so how could we let you cook for yourself? Honestly, that girl Yui—she's so inconsiderate! Once she comes downstairs, I'll be giving her a good talking-to. Leave lunch to me, Kotomi. You must try Auntie's cooking today."
Kotomi didn't refuse. Given her current physical state, it was difficult to describe exactly how she felt—not that she was exhausted, but rather that her body felt oddly light, almost ethereal.
As if, even if a group of little angels descended from heaven this very moment and circled above her head to carry her away, she wouldn't find it strange.
Because right now, Kotomi felt… transcendent.
In a fantasy novel, this sensation would be called ascending to the divine realm.
In a cultivation story, it would be becoming immortal.
Unfortunately, this was neither of those.
Still, Kotomi did enjoy both genres—and more than once, she had stayed up all night just to finish a book.
"Still, Aunt Tomoka," Kotomi said with a polite smile, "could I be in charge of just one dish for lunch today? Yuka's been wanting to eat it for quite some time, and I even went out of my way to learn how to make it."
"Oh? What dish is that? Yuka never mentioned it to me. Goodness, I really have been too lenient with her lately," Tomoka said as she took the apron from Kotomi's hands and tied it around herself. Her tone grew slightly stern. "That child… I should give her a good spanking! You're too kind to her, Kotomi—she's going to start climbing all over your head at this rate."
Tomoka sounded genuinely irritated, already thinking about how hard she should scold—or even discipline—her youngest daughter.
It was understandable. If Yuka wanted to eat a certain dish, she could've told her mother or her older sister. But instead, she'd gone straight to Kotomi.
Tomoka had always taught her daughters not to trouble others unnecessarily. So upon hearing that Yuka had gone to Kotomi with her craving, she couldn't help but feel a bit cross, thinking it was rather impolite of her.
Kotomi, noticing Tomoka's growing displeasure, hurried to explain.
"Haha, kids will be kids—it's normal for them to get cravings."
"That may be so, but she still shouldn't be so forward… it's rude—"
Before Tomoka could finish, Kotomi gently interrupted her.
"No, no, not at all. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The reason Yuka told me directly isn't because she's impolite—but because she's so considerate. She knows both you and Yui are busy, and she's already grateful that you make meals for her every day. So of course, she'd feel embarrassed to ask for something special."
Kotomi's eyes softened as she continued, her tone tender.
"But no matter how sensible she is, she's still just a little girl in kindergarten. When she heard about curry omelet rice from her friends at school—something that sounded so delicious but that she didn't know how to make—she naturally started craving it. At that age, when a child wants to eat something, it's hard for them to just keep it to themselves."
"So what could she do? She asked someone she knew who could cook—and that happened to be me."
"When she first brought it up, she didn't even say it outright. She just asked very shyly, 'Penguin Onee-chan, are you busy lately?' I told her I wasn't, and when I asked why, that's when she finally admitted she'd been wanting to try curry omelet rice but didn't want to trouble you or her sister by asking."
As Kotomi spoke, a warm smile spread across her lips—one full of affection and fondness for the little girl.
"To be honest, when Yuka asked me for that favor, I didn't feel burdened at all. On the contrary, I was happy—because it meant that she's started to see me as part of the family. And of course, I can't let her down."
"So, once I found out that Yuka wanted to eat curry omelet rice, I went and learned how to make it right away. It's really not a difficult dish—just a simple, hearty meal you can master after watching a video once or twice."
"But still…"
Tomoka Yuigahama's irritation upon learning that her youngest daughter had asked Kotomi to make her a dish was easy to understand.
If Kotomi Izumi were considered an outsider to the Yuigahama family, then it would make perfect sense. No matter how kind she was to Yuka, she was, after all, only Yui's friend.
When they first met, Tomoka had regarded Kotomi as her daughter's friend—and also as the light novel author she collaborated with.
Even that first meeting had felt unusually special. Before that day, Tomoka had never met any of the authors whose novels she illustrated for. She always received each volume's illustration brief from Haruno Yukinoshita, completed her drawings, and sent them back.
So why did she agree to meet Kotomi in person this time? Tomoka couldn't really explain it herself. When Haruno called to tell her she'd be illustrating for a new author named Itsuki Izumi, she'd felt an odd, unexplainable pull.
When Haruno asked, as usual, whether to send the reference materials by email or arrange an in-person meeting at Dengeki Bunko, Tomoka instinctively answered, "Let's meet in person."
That response had left Haruno Yukinoshita stunned on the other end of the line. Tomoka had never chosen to meet her collaborators before, and Haruno even let out a long, surprised "Eh—?" before recovering.
Perhaps it was fate's gentle tug that brought Tomoka Yuigahama and Kotomi Izumi together.
From that moment on, through small, ordinary exchanges, their relationship slowly deepened—and Kotomi's place in Tomoka's heart became something far from ordinary.
The feelings Tomoka held for Kotomi had grown—subtle, layered, and complicated.
At this point, even Tomoka herself didn't know how she should see Kotomi.
Or rather, perhaps deep down, she did know what Kotomi meant to her—but she couldn't bring herself to admit it. Because if she did, she feared that she could no longer interact with Kotomi simply as "Yui and Yuka's mother."
Especially after realizing that Yui had feelings for Kotomi… but that Kotomi, in turn, had feelings for her.
Ever since then, Tomoka had been avoiding the thought altogether. She didn't dare face it—didn't dare ask herself what Kotomi really was to her now.
—Tomoka, haven't you noticed that the girl named Kotomi likes you?
Those words, spoken long ago by the bookstore owner, would echo in her mind whenever her thoughts drifted too deeply toward Kotomi.
She knew it was true. Kotomi liked her. That much was painfully clear.
But Tomoka couldn't respond to that affection—not even with a simple look—because she was afraid. Afraid that if she ever faced it head-on, she might not be able to stop herself from wanting something more.
And if she ever truly became involved with Kotomi, it would undoubtedly break Yui's heart.
Tomoka had always believed herself to be an inadequate mother—one who hadn't given her daughters the carefree, happy childhood they deserved. That was why she wanted, more than anything, for Yui and Yuka to live happy lives now and in the future.
If she were to be with Kotomi… wouldn't that mean stealing away the happiness that should have belonged to Yui?
And beyond that, there was one undeniable, impossible-to-bridge gap between her and Kotomi—age.
Tomoka was in her thirties, a woman with two daughters. Kotomi was still a high school girl, the same age as Yui.
That difference—the sheer number of years between them—weighed heavily on her mind.
Because of that, Tomoka couldn't allow herself to acknowledge Kotomi's feelings. She constantly reminded herself: Kotomi is Yui's friend. Kotomi is someone Yui likes. Until Kotomi and Yui formally start dating, Kotomi is still an outsider to the Yuigahama family.
Even though, in her heart, Tomoka had long since stopped seeing Kotomi as an outsider.
Somewhere along the way, Kotomi had quietly found her way into Tomoka's heart.
Tomoka Yuigahama wanted to return Kotomi's feelings—truly, deeply wanted to—but as the mother of two daughters, she knew all too well… she couldn't afford to be selfish.
Kotomi Izumi looked at Tomoka Yuigahama. Perhaps she didn't yet understand the turmoil in Tomoka's heart, but she still offered a warm, soothing smile.
"It's alright, Aunt Tomoka. I just wanted to make Yuka the dish she's been craving for so long. And besides, it's not hard at all, and I like it too—it's the perfect comfort food. I came here brimming with confidence after learning it, so you can't tell me not to cook now~"
"Well… alright then. But Kotomi, you really shouldn't spoil Yuka so much next time," Tomoka said after a brief pause, finally nodding in agreement.
"Okay~ got it~" Kotomi replied brightly. "I'll help with lunch a little later. For now, I'll go upstairs to keep Yui company."
Since Tomoka was handling most of the lunch preparations, Kotomi wasn't about to waste the chance to head back upstairs and get some proper rest.
Even though her strength had mostly returned, there was still that quiet voice deep inside her whispering: Go back to bed and lie down.
It wasn't exhaustion, exactly—just a simple, irresistible urge to curl up under the covers.
When Kotomi returned to the second floor, Yui quickly scooted over to make room for her, even lifting the blanket to share it.
Kotomi didn't hesitate. She slipped off her shirt, her skirt, and her stockings before lying down beside Yui.
The moment she sank back into the bed and pulled the blanket over herself, she felt a comforting drowsiness wash over her—like the feeling of lying under a warm comforter on a rainy summer afternoon, listening to the sound of raindrops outside while idly playing on her phone.
Kotomi loved the feeling of being under a blanket with the air conditioner running. Even during the summer, she rarely switched to a thin quilt—she'd just spread it on the bed and still cover herself with her usual blanket at night.
"When I was just about to start chopping vegetables, Aunt Tomoka woke up and came out of her room. I wanted to show off a bit in the kitchen, but I couldn't win against her insistence, so I let her handle lunch. Once she's almost done, I'll go downstairs and make Yuka's curry omelet rice—it's quick to cook anyway," Kotomi said softly, sharing the pillow with Yui.
"Kotomi, you're so good to Yuka. She better make sure to treat you well when she grows up! If she ever dares talk back to you, I'll pin her to the ground and teach her a lesson," Yui said, hugging Kotomi tightly.
"Do you two fight that often?" Kotomi chuckled, resting against Yui's chest like a gentle, affectionate cat.
"When we were little, we basically fought once a day. She could never beat me. Every time she lost, she'd puff her cheeks and say, 'Just wait till I start kindergarten—I'll beat you then!' Now it's more like three times a week, and she still can't win. But she keeps saying, 'Once I start elementary school, I'll definitely beat you!'" Yui said proudly, unable to hide the smugness in her voice.
Kotomi burst out laughing. She had a younger sister too, and they'd often had their own "fights" growing up.
Though calling them fights was a bit of a stretch—because back then, Kotomi never fought back. It had become a sort of strange, funny ritual between them.
Little Aimi used to love pouncing on Kotomi out of nowhere—pinching her cheeks or even playfully nibbling them.
Or sometimes, when Kotomi sat on the tatami floor watching TV up close, Aimi would suddenly scoop her up and move her to the sofa instead.
Kotomi never resisted. For one, she didn't really know how, and for another, Aimi never used much strength. Even when she squeezed her cheeks, it didn't hurt—just tickled.
Eventually, Kotomi even started treating it like a kind of "massage." More than once, she'd fallen asleep while Aimi was "bullying" her. Afterwards, she'd still pat her little sister's head proudly, praising her for doing such a good job.
Remembering Aimi's clumsy "bullying," Kotomi couldn't help but laugh.
That silly girl never even realized she wasn't actually bullying me at all…
"Kotomi?"
"Mm? What is it?"
"Um… could you stay over tonight?"
"Eh~? It's only noon, and you're already thinking about getting me to stay the night? My little dumpling, if you say you don't have some kind of thoughts in that head of yours, I'm not going to believe you~ Come on, tell me honestly—were you thinking…" Kotomi teased with a mischievous grin.
Yui's face turned bright red, and she hurriedly shook her head. "N-No, it's not like that! It's just… Yuka got a bunch of assignments this week. Some to write, some to preview. I'm worried I won't be able to help her properly, so I thought maybe you could stay and help me tutor her."
She sighed, adding helplessly, "Don't be fooled by how well-behaved she looks. Helping her with homework makes me want to lose my mind in less than ten minutes! Even when I keep reminding myself, 'She's my little sister, I can't beat her to death,' I still get so mad."
Kotomi blinked in surprise. "Is teaching Yuka really that hard?"
Yui nodded pitifully, leaning against Kotomi to seek comfort.
Kotomi hugged her, gently stroking her light peach-colored hair as she comforted her.
"Actually, teaching kids homework just takes the right approach. You must be using the wrong one. Tell you what—I'll stay tonight. I'll teach Yuka myself, and you can sit beside me and watch. You'll see for yourself how easy and fun it can be~"
"Kotomi, have you ever taught her before?" Yui asked curiously.
"Nope," Kotomi said with a smug grin, "but with my skills, I can handle any problem—no matter how tough—and make sure Yuka learns it with a smile."
She ended her sentence with a proud little laugh, her confidence shining through.
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