Late at night, there was still one person who couldn't sleep because of Kotomi Izumi.
Who was she?
It was Aimi Izumi.
That evening, Aimi Izumi went to pick up a delivery. After returning home, she noticed that Kotomi hadn't come back yet. Feeling a little sulky, she asked her mother, "When will Onee-chan come home?"
But her mother said that Kotomi wouldn't be coming home tonight and would be staying over at Yui Yuigahama's house.
Aimi's little sulk instantly deepened into something more, but after taking a shower, she managed to calm down a little.
Mainly because she still considered Yui to be one of the few women who didn't have any ulterior motives toward Kotomi.
So, even though she felt a little upset that Kotomi wouldn't be home tonight, she thought about it again and felt that Kotomi staying with Yui was still better than staying with Megumi Kato.
If Kotomi had stayed over at Megumi's house tonight, then in Aimi's eyes, that wicked woman—Megumi Kato, who was 'capable of all evil'—would surely have some devious scheme in mind. She might even use the entire night to push Kotomi into doing something irreversible…
Just thinking about it made Aimi grit her teeth in anger. That Megumi Kato really was too despicable! Thankfully, Kotomi wasn't staying at her place tonight but with Yui Yuigahama instead.
"The next time I see Yui-neesan, I'll definitely be extra polite to her. She's one of the few good women who doesn't have bad thoughts about my Kotomi," Aimi murmured to herself.
However… when it was time for bed, Aimi, who was used to sleeping beside Kotomi every night, found herself unable to fall asleep without her sister there.
She tossed and turned, but sleep just wouldn't come.
Sitting up in bed, she thought to herself that since tomorrow was Sunday, it wouldn't hurt to sleep a bit later. So she took a craft knife from her desk drawer and opened the package she had left in the corner of her room since bringing it home.
Aimi didn't even know what was inside the package—she couldn't remember buying anything recently.
After carefully removing the foam and other protective packaging inside, she opened the box and her eyes lit up at once!
It was the special edition of Flowers -Le volume sur hiver she had pre-ordered on the official website! Not only did it include the game itself, but also various limited-edition merchandise.
"Even though it took ages to ship, it was worth the wait! This wall scroll… hehe, I'm healed," Aimi said happily, arranging all the FLOWERS collectibles neatly on her desk before carefully opening the game itself.
"I've already played through the Winter chapter once… Oh well, I'll play it again. I can't sleep anyway."
Saying that, Aimi took her laptop and the game back to bed and started replaying the Winter chapter.
On this lonely night without Kotomi, Aimi could only rely on playing gal games to soothe her loneliness.
Ever since she first started playing gal games—something she had never touched before—Aimi had already gone through every gal game Kotomi had downloaded on her laptop. Recently, she had even become obsessed with buying physical copies and limited-edition merchandise.
In the past, when she scrolled through Twitter, Aimi followed her favorite singers and bands, keeping track of when they released new albums.
Now, when she scrolled through Twitter, she followed her favorite gal game studios instead—checking when they would release new titles, when merchandise would drop, and what collaborations were coming up.
Lately, she had even discovered that several of her favorite gal game heroines were getting figurines—so of course, she pre-ordered all of them.
Thinking about it, Aimi sighed contentedly.
"Pre-orders really are convenient. You just need to pay a small deposit, and it's like you already own the figure. Then once it's released, you just pay the remaining balance and wait for it to be delivered."
After discovering gal games, Aimi Izumi had opened the door to a whole new world, gradually becoming a full-fledged otaku.
The next day.
It was the final day of the Sobu High School cultural festival.
Naturally, Kotomi Izumi was going to attend.
Even without her phone's alarm, Kotomi woke up early as usual. But just as she was about to get up, her arms failed to support her, and with a thud, she collapsed back onto the bed.
"Ugh... my whole body aches... my head's all fuzzy... feels like I got run over by a truck. Maybe not completely shattered, but definitely all in pieces," Kotomi groaned weakly, lying face-down on the bed.
Of course, being "run over by a truck" was just a metaphor. She knew well enough that the real experience wasn't like this.
In fact, when it came to being "run over by a truck," Kotomi was, unfortunately, quite experienced.
Her movements as she tried to get up woke Yui Yuigahama beside her.
"Morning, Mama~ You're up early today, huh? Kiss~"
Still half-asleep, Yui murmured dreamily. She had just been dreaming that, after last night's passionate efforts, she had managed to get Kotomi pregnant—and so, without thinking, she called out softly: "Mama."
Even half-asleep, her instincts guided her as she turned over, ready to pin Kotomi down again.
"Yui! Calm down for a second!"
Kotomi pinched Yui's cheek, holding her back from getting any closer. In her post-climax "wise man mode," Kotomi felt both embarrassed and awkward—especially as she recalled the words she had let slip last night when her mind was hazy...
Her face flushed red like a ripe apple. She quickly turned away, unable to look directly at the still-drowsy Yui.
Feeling the pinch, Yui finally woke up a little more. She glanced at Kotomi, then down at herself—and instantly realized what she had just been about to do.
"Kotomi, if I said I was only joking just now... would you believe me?" Yui asked with an awkward grin.
"Get lost! You weren't satisfied from eleven last night until five in the morning, and after just a few hours of sleep, the first thing you do when you wake up is—wait, no, you didn't even open your eyes! When did you get so pervy, you dumpling?!" Kotomi exclaimed, eyebrows furrowing as her face burned even redder.
Seeing Kotomi a bit angry, Yui immediately bowed her head in apology.
"I'm so, so sorry!"
Kotomi sighed deeply, her heart still full of mixed emotions. It wasn't that she disliked being intimate with Yui—but at least give her a little warning first! She needed time to prepare herself.
Besides, Yui's hand had accidentally pressed down on Kotomi's hair earlier. That kind of pain wasn't something you could just ignore.
Looking at Yui's pitiful expression, Kotomi couldn't help but sigh again. Finally, she wrapped an arm around Yui's neck and muttered shyly, her face still red:
"I'm only letting you do this because you look so desperate... Don't get the wrong idea, okay? It's not like I want to or anything... Hmph! Just hurry up, I'll only let you—"
Before Kotomi could even finish saying "twice," Yui had already leaned in and kissed her hard.
...
Half an hour later...
"Hehehe..."
Yui Yuigahama held Kotomi Izumi tightly in her arms, a silly, satisfied grin spreading across her face. She hadn't been fully awake earlier—after all, they had only managed two hours of sleep.
Now, though, she was completely awake.
In one word—refreshed!
Kotomi Izumi panted weakly, her small eyes glancing over at Yui Yuigahama as she spoke in a faint voice:
"Are you satisfied now?"
"I'm so happy it feels like I'm dreaming!" Yui Yuigahama nodded enthusiastically, the excitement in her eyes clearly saying that she could go on for another hour without breaking a sweat.
Kotomi stared at her for a moment, then reached out and pinched Yui's cheek firmly.
"Mm—!"
Yui winced at the sudden pain, tears welling at the corners of her eyes, but she didn't resist. She had no idea why Kotomi liked to pinch her face so much—but if it made Kotomi happy, then this face of hers might as well exist for that purpose!
"Does it hurt?" Kotomi asked.
"It does..."
With teary eyes, Yui nodded pitifully.
"Then you're not dreaming," Kotomi said flatly before releasing her hand.
After thinking about it for a second, Yui realized that actually made sense. She rubbed her sore cheek while grinning like a fool.
Half an hour ago, Kotomi had been planning to get up and change clothes—but Yui had other plans...
"I'm completely drenched like I've just been pulled out of water. I'm borrowing the bathroom," Kotomi sighed, taking a deep breath before slowly sitting up. She avoided moving too abruptly—though she wasn't as sore as she had been that morning, the elevated rhythm of her breathing still reminded her to take it easy.
Once she sat up, Kotomi didn't get out of bed right away. Instead, she stayed sitting for a while, catching her breath.
When she glanced down at the bedsheet beneath her, her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red at the sight of two faint red marks.
Compared to yesterday, their color had faded slightly.
Yui's gaze had never left Kotomi's face. Seeing her blush, Yui followed her line of sight—and when she saw the same two faint red stains from yesterday morning, her own face immediately turned crimson.
Those two small red marks… they were the most precious thing shared between the two of them.
The air between them grew thick with a quiet, intimate tension.
After a short silence, Kotomi cleared her throat and broke the quiet first.
"The sheets... you didn't change them."
"I meant to yesterday afternoon, but then we kinda spent the whole day on the bed, so... I forgot," Yui replied with an embarrassed laugh.
Kotomi brushed her fingers lightly over the fabric, her face still pink. "These sheets need a proper wash..."
"Yeah..." Yui nodded.
Kotomi looked again at those faint red stains, feeling a mix of embarrassment and reluctance. Washing the sheets would mean erasing those traces completely.
It felt... a little bittersweet.
After all, they were the most precious marks of her bond with Yui.
"Kotomi, you think it's kind of a waste to just wash them away too, don't you?" Yui whispered suddenly, leaning against Kotomi's shoulder.
"Wah!" Kotomi nearly jumped—this silly dumpling had snuck up on her without a sound! Still, she nodded lightly. "Yeah... it'd be a little sad. They're our most precious marks, after all. I kinda want to keep them as a memory."
"How about taking a photo? I'll set it as my wallpaper!" Yui suggested.
"No, no—that's way too weird. Just use a normal picture as your wallpaper," Kotomi protested, shaking her head.
"My current wallpaper is a photo I took of you when you were taking off your pantyhose."
"Mm, that one's fine—wait, what?! You pervy dumpling! Has anyone else seen your wallpaper?!"
"Yuka. She often uses my phone to watch anime."
"...Don't let Yuka use your phone to watch anime anymore."
"Got it~"
In Yuka's bedroom.
Half-asleep, the little girl sat up groggily and rubbed her sleepy eyes.
"Are octopus aliens invading Earth again?"
After mumbling that, she flopped back down and drifted off to sleep again.
Kotomi Izumi and Yui Yuigahama were still staring at the two faint red marks on the bedsheet, unsure of what to do. They couldn't quite decide how best to preserve them as a keepsake.
Finally, Yui suddenly slapped her forehead, an idea striking her. "How about we just cut out these two spots? I've got scissors in my room. I'll give you mine, and you give me yours."
Kotomi thought about it for a moment—it really did seem like a good idea.
"But... the bedsheet," she hesitated, glancing down at it.
"It's fine! I've got three spares. Losing one won't matter," Yui said reassuringly. To her, the memory of last night was far more precious than a simple piece of fabric.
"Alright then, let's do that," Kotomi agreed after a brief pause. The idea truly wasn't bad.
Yui's ability to take action was impressive. The moment Kotomi finished speaking, Yui hopped out of bed, rummaged through the desk drawer, and pulled out a pair of scissors. She carefully removed the bedsheet and cut out the two spots marked with red.
Because of their placement, it was easy to tell which mark belonged to Kotomi and which to Yui.
To avoid mixing them up, Yui first cut out her own piece and handed it to Kotomi.
Then she cut out Kotomi's piece and kept it for herself.
After putting the scissors away, Yui hugged her piece tightly, rolling happily across the bed.
"Our very first treasure!" she cheered.
Kotomi couldn't help but smile helplessly. "You don't have to sound that thrilled about it."
Throwing on the borrowed pajamas she had worn last night—ones that originally belonged to Tomoka Yuigahama—Kotomi planned to take a shower. Naturally, she didn't bother changing into fresh clothes first.
But after just a few steps, she felt her legs go weak, like she was stepping on soft cotton rather than tatami.
Kotomi turned her head, her eyes glistening as she looked at Yui. That delicate, watery gaze made Yui freeze in place, completely mesmerized.
A few seconds passed. Yui just stood there, staring blankly, doing nothing.
Blushing furiously, Kotomi snapped in embarrassment, "You stupid dumpling! What are you spacing out for? Come help me to the bathroom already!"
"O-Oh!"
Yui finally snapped out of it—but instead of helping Kotomi walk, she scooped her up in a bridal carry, holding her tightly as she carried her into the bathroom for a shower.
—
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