When Kotomi Izumi asked that question, Akina Izumi gave a faint, knowing smile.
"Oh, nothing—just slipped out, that's all. Anyway, let's get back on topic. I'm still simmering the pork rib soup here. So tell me—who are you planning to go on a date with at the culture festival tomorrow?"
"Then focus on your soup first…" Kotomi muttered helplessly. She knew her mother wouldn't let her off so easily without answering, so she came up with an excuse on the spot.
"Actually, I hadn't planned on staying over tonight. But little Yuka was so clingy. The moment I said I was leaving, she started crying. And, well, you know me—I can't stand to see tears from someone small and helpless. So, I stayed the night."
"'I can't stand to see tears from someone small and helpless,' huh? You've been saying that same chuunibyou line since you were a kid, and you still haven't gotten tired of it, have you?"
"Doesn't it sound cool, though?" Kotomi asked, still half-proud of her old catchphrase.
Even though she no longer went around blurting it out every day like she used to, she still thought it sounded pretty cool. The only difference now was that instead of saying it constantly, she waited for the perfect dramatic moment.
Akina chuckled. "Well, if you're really staying over because of the little Yuigahama girl, I have to say, your attitude toward her is rather interesting."
"Eh? What's strange about it?" Kotomi asked, genuinely confused.
"You always call her Yuka, right? Then I'll call her that too. How should I put it… every time you mention her, your tone, your expression, even the way you treat her—it's like you're talking about your own daughter."
Then, half-jokingly, Akina added, "Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you've secretly given me a granddaughter without telling me."
Pfft—!
Kotomi had just taken a sip of soda after dinner, and hearing that, she nearly spat it out. Actually, she did.
Mom, what do you mean by 'granddaughter'? Can't it be a grandson?! Why do you sound like you've already decided I'll be the one getting married off someday?!
She grumbled inwardly.
Hearing the commotion, Akina just chuckled. "Anyway, next time you bring Yui over to visit, make sure to bring Yuka too. That little one might look a bit silly, but she's actually clever, thoughtful, and such a sweet girl."
"Alright..." Kotomi replied, smiling wryly.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Kotomi handed the phone over to Mrs. Yuigahama. The two mothers exchanged polite pleasantries—things like, 'My daughter's bothering you again tonight,' and 'Not at all, she's such a polite girl.'
Once that was done, Akina and Tomoka Yuigahama started reminiscing. They had been close friends back in middle school but hadn't seen each other for years.
And when two mothers started chatting, it was never a short talk. Even something as simple as a recipe—like how to make a dish taste better—could easily stretch into a half-hour conversation.
Knowing full well how long that could go on, Kotomi took the opportunity to slip away and take a bath.
Having stayed at the Yuigahama house several times before, Kotomi was completely used to using their bathroom—it felt almost like her own home.
But what surprised her this time was that they had even prepared a personal laundry basket for her. When she asked Yuka about it, she learned that during their last trip to the supermarket, the Yuigahama trio had passed by the bath goods section. Yuka had pointed at a pink basket and said, "Let's buy this! That way, when Penguin Onee-chan stays over again, she can use it!"
In truth, Yuka hadn't really expected her mom and sister to agree. She had just mentioned it casually after spotting it on the shelf.
But before Yuka could even react, by the time she realized what had happened, the pink laundry basket she had just pointed at on the shelf was already sitting inside their shopping cart.
She looked at her mom and sister—one pretending to be seriously comparing two bottles of body wash, trying to decide which one smelled better, while the other pretended to be choosing between fruity and mint-flavored toothpaste. Neither of them admitted to being the one who put the basket into the cart.
Yuka looked from her mom to her sister, then couldn't help but exclaim in her heart:
"Waku waku!"
Of course, she didn't tell Kotomi any of this. As much as Yuka wanted to play matchmaker and help Kotomi marry into their family sooner, she also knew that meddling in such things might cause problems later.
After all, if Penguin Onee-chan did marry into their family, should she call her "Mom," or "Sister-in-law"? Yuka hadn't figured that out yet.
She found herself caught in a little spiral of logic over the matter.
Tomoka Yuigahama was her biological mother. But if Kotomi ended up together with her mom, what would Yuka call her then? Mom No. 2? Mother Superior?
The thought made her tiny head spin. And since she couldn't just come out and ask something like, "Mom, if you end up with Penguin Onee-chan, what should Onee-chan and I call her?"—she decided to simply wait and see.
She'd watch quietly from the sidelines to find out in the end whether Penguin Onee-chan would end up with her mom or with her sister.
...
Kotomi didn't take a bath that night—she only showered.
It wasn't that she disliked soaking in the tub. In fact, Kotomi loved baths whenever she had time for them. The only exceptions were when it was too late or when she was too tired.
And tonight, she was tired. Even though she had napped for hours in the afternoon, she still felt drained. If she took a bath now, she worried she might fall asleep in the tub.
Better just finish quickly and head upstairs, she thought.
"Penguin Onee-chan, I left your pajamas outside the door!"
"Mm, thanks!" Kotomi called back.
She hadn't brought any sleepwear with her, so the pajamas Yuka had prepared were clearly Yui's.
So they're the dumpling's...
Kotomi thought for a moment about the size difference between herself and Yui. Though Yui's figure was quite good, compared to Kotomi's, she was still a bit smaller.
So, if Kotomi wore those pajamas, the chest area would probably feel a little tight—but she could bear it. After all, it wasn't like she planned to sleep in the pajamas.
When it came to bedtime, Kotomi Izumi still preferred to sleep wearing absolutely nothing at all.
After finishing her shower, Kotomi Izumi pushed open the second door of the bathroom. The Yuigahama household's bathroom had two doors—one that led into the changing area, and another that opened to the bathing space itself. That was quite standard for most Japanese homes.
Kotomi glanced at the pajamas Yuka had left for her on the rack and froze for a moment. She had assumed Yuka would bring one of Yui's pajamas, already expecting it might feel a bit tight around the chest.
But the one on the rack was a warm white set that looked oddly familiar—and it was definitely not Yui's. From the size alone, Kotomi could tell that the owner of these pajamas had a fuller figure than Yui.
Just considering that one detail, the answer was clear.
No wonder it looked familiar... Kotomi thought, holding the soft, silky fabric in both hands. The material felt smooth and luxurious to the touch. She lifted it gently to her nose and breathed in softly. There was a faint, pleasant scent lingering there—clean, comforting, and unmistakably familiar.
After a few quiet seconds, she realized why she recognized it. These pajamas belonged to Mrs. Yuigahama.
Kotomi had seen them once before—back when she had hidden in Mrs. Yuigahama's wardrobe. That explained the sense of familiarity. They had already "met," in a way.
Though the pajamas had clearly been freshly washed and folded neatly into the wardrobe—only taken out today by Yuka—just that faint lingering scent was enough for Kotomi to know whose they were.
"Such a shame to wear these... I almost want to just keep them as a souvenir," Kotomi murmured softly, half to herself.
If she were at home, she might have folded them with care and tucked them away as something precious, just to treasure quietly.
Still, she spoke barely above a whisper—she didn't want Yui, Mrs. Yuigahama, or Yuka to overhear.
Thinking that Yuka had been the one to fetch these for her made Kotomi's heart soften completely. She really wanted to scoop that little bean up and kiss her chubby cheeks right then and there. What a sweet, thoughtful girl—truly worth all the affection in the world!
She smiled to herself. Next time, I'm definitely buying her a whole box of chocolate cookies.
As Kotomi slipped into the pajamas, she could feel her heart thumping faster. Her movements were slow and careful, as though she were handling something fragile and precious. Once she had them on, she noticed they were indeed a bit snug across the chest—but not uncomfortably so.
After all, Mrs. Yuigahama's build was fuller than Yui's, and the size reflected that.
"Guess I'll sleep in pajamas tonight after all…" Kotomi said with a contented smile, feeling almost blissfully lightheaded.
When she returned upstairs to Yui's room, she found Yui sitting by the bed, humming softly to herself. The tune was Liblume—gentle and full of emotion.
Kotomi didn't interrupt. She simply sat quietly to the side, listening.
"Just like this…"
"Just like in a dream, we draw closer again and again."
"And in the end, by your side…"
"Softly whispering, 'I love you.'"
"Meeting you was the happiest thing in my life."
"I want to tell you…"
"—Please stay with me, always."
When she finished singing, Yui let out a long sigh of relief. After all the practice and her recent performance on stage, she had come to love the feeling of singing her heart out.
She had been so focused, and Kotomi's footsteps so quiet, that she hadn't even realized she had company. It wasn't until she got up to go downstairs for a glass of water that she spotted Kotomi sitting nearby, smiling as she listened.
"K-Kotomi!" Yui's face instantly flushed bright red, coloring faster than a sunset.
Seeing that adorable reaction, Kotomi couldn't help but think, If I pinched those cheeks just a little, would they turn even redder?
The thought made her fingers twitch slightly in temptation—but she quickly stopped herself, stifling a laugh.
"Taking a shower and then hearing my lovely girlfriend singing—that's such a lucky thing~! It almost makes me want to write songs just for you from now on," Kotomi Izumi said with a soft laugh.
"Mmm… my singing isn't nearly good enough for that. If you only wrote songs for me, that would be such a waste of your talent," Yui Yuigahama said quickly, her face growing redder by the second.
Kotomi could never get tired of that shy, adorable expression on Yui's face. No matter how many times she saw it—even a thousand times—she would never grow bored of it.
With a teasing smile, she said a little playfully, "If you know you're still not that great at singing, then practice more, okay? Because I really do want to write songs just for you someday."
"I'll work really hard!" Yui said earnestly, nodding with enthusiasm.
Kotomi noticed that all three members of the Yuigahama family shared that habit—whenever they got serious, they'd nod firmly like that.
Using that as a springboard, Kotomi began explaining a few tips and techniques about singing—things that related to her own music skill level.
While talking, she quietly raised her own musical proficiency by a few more levels. Lately, she had accumulated quite a good amount of reputation points. Since Kazumi was still sound asleep and not actively earning points herself, Kotomi had been doing most of the work.
Still... if Kazumi ever woke up again, Kotomi would gladly give her all of those points without hesitation—even if it didn't grant her any extra power in return.
As long as Kazumi could wake up.
Yui listened to Kotomi's explanations with sparkling, admiring eyes. "It feels like you know everything, Kotomi."
"Not really, just the basics," Kotomi replied modestly in words, though her tone and expression said otherwise.
Then, as if to add emphasis, she said, "You know why Yukino was able to teach you so much during your last rehearsal? Half of what she taught you, I taught her first—and then she passed it on to you."
"Thank you, Kotomi!" Yui said sincerely. Ever since they started dating, she believed every word Kotomi said without doubt.
Then, curious, she asked, "But why didn't you just teach me directly? Wouldn't that have been faster?"
Kotomi smiled calmly. "You don't get it. I wanted to teach both you and Yukino at the same time. Plus, letting Yukino teach you helps you learn not to depend on me for everything."
"I see… I get it now. As expected, meeting you was really the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me!"
"Oh? And what about falling in love with me—and actually becoming my girlfriend?" Kotomi asked with a mischievous grin.
"That's double the luck!!!" Yui declared proudly.
Kotomi chuckled warmly. "Good girl. Come here—let me give you a kiss."
She pulled Yui gently into her arms, and just as their lips were about to meet—
Bang!
A sudden burst of energy broke the moment.
Yuka burst through the door with an excited cheer. "Onee-chan! Penguin Onee-chan! I came to play with you!"
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