Megumi Kato sat there blankly for a moment after hearing Kotomi Izumi's words. Then, lowering her head, she gently brushed her fingers against Kotomi's ring finger, her expression unusually focused.
Kotomi tilted her head in puzzlement. "Megumi, why are you so focused on touching my finger?"
Was she checking if I trimmed my nails? I did...
Before going to Yui's place yesterday, I already trimmed them, Kotomi thought silently.
She had always been in the habit of keeping her nails neatly trimmed—but ever since she got a girlfriend, she'd been even more diligent about it.
Incidentally, Kotomi hadn't learned how to trim her own nails until she was thirteen. It wasn't just because she was clumsy—it was mainly because Aimi used to take the initiative to trim them for her. Kotomi had enjoyed being spoiled like that, so she never bothered to learn.
Afterward, though, she started feeling that always letting Aimi do it for her was kind of embarrassing—that it made her seem like a useless older sister. So she decided to learn how to do it herself.
It took her several days of practice before she finally mastered how to use a nail clipper properly.
Seeing Kotomi's curious look, Megumi finally spoke softly:
"I'm memorizing the size of your ring finger, so that when I secretly go to buy an engagement ring in the future, I can get the perfect size."
"Oh~ I see~ That's so sweet of you, Megumi. You're such a good girl—you deserve a reward!" Kotomi said with a gentle smile, reaching out her free hand to stroke Megumi's hair affectionately.
Megumi's eyes immediately lit up as an idea came to mind. "Then—next time I accidentally rip your pantyhose, could you not get mad at me?"
"...How about I just buy some cheap pairs for you to tear apart?" Kotomi said dryly, the corners of her mouth twitching.
"No way. Cheap pantyhose don't give that satisfying feeling when you rip them."
Look at her—she's even developed a taste for it now.
"Of course they felt satisfying! The ones you ripped before were all expensive pairs. Do you even realize how much those cost?" Kotomi said, both helpless and amused.
The gradient black pantyhose Megumi had torn that morning—Kotomi had given them to her afterward, since Megumi always volunteered to throw away the ruined ones.
As for whether she actually threw them away... well, every time Kotomi asked, Megumi would always reply with a straight face, "Yes, I did." But whenever Kotomi asked where she threw them, Megumi would conveniently change the subject.
After resting on the bench for a while, Kotomi carefully stood up, and the two continued wandering through the cultural festival.
Kotomi walked arm-in-arm with Megumi—not to show off their relationship, but because her legs still felt weak, as if she were walking on soft cotton. Simply put, she didn't have much strength. Without someone to hold onto, she might stumble at any moment.
Fortunately, since they were both girls, anyone who saw them would just assume they were close friends with a deep bond.
"Kotomi?"
"Mm?"
"I was just thinking... when we get old someday, who will be the one helping the other walk?"
Growing old together—it was the truest form of love and companionship.
Kotomi smiled softly. "I'll be the one helping you walk."
"Eh~ Why's that?"
"Hehe, not telling you."
"Kotomi's gotten stingy."
"Yeah, stingy, stingy," Kotomi said playfully.
The reason she said that, though, was because of something Kazumi had once told her.
...
"Kotomi, your Queen of All Females constitution will make you live an exceptionally long life. In other words, you'll live for a very, very long time."
"Really?"
"Really. So you don't need to chase after immortality—the longevity you already possess will probably make you live until you grow tired of it."
"I don't seek immortality because I want to live longer," Kotomi said quietly. "I just... I want the people I love and cherish to stay by my side, no matter how long I live. I hate the feeling of watching someone I love disappear from my life."
"Eh~ I see. Everyone's lifespan is different. Some die earlier, and some live a little longer..."
Kazumi paused for a moment before continuing:
"Kotomi, separation isn't really that frightening. After 650,000 hours, when we oxidize into the wind, we'll become two bubbles side by side atop the same glass of beer, two tiny specks of dust leaning together beneath the same streetlight. The atoms of the universe never truly disappear—and in the end, we'll still be together."
...
The memory faded. Kotomi Izumi tightened her grip around Megumi Kato's arm ever so slightly.
Kotomi knew she would live a long life. But no matter how long that might be, she wished for one thing—to have her family and her loved ones stay by her side, never leaving her behind.
"Kotomi."
"Mm?"
"Your arm... you're holding a little tight. Do you really like my arm that much?"
"Ah! Sorry."
Kotomi immediately loosened her grip. The Queen of All Females' constitution gave her enhanced strength, and sometimes she forgot to control it.
"It's fine~" Megumi said with a light laugh. "Actually, I was just thinking—if you like my arm that much, I could just chop it off and give it to you. That way, you could hold it every second of every day."
She spoke with a teasing smile, and anyone else would have thought she was joking. But Kotomi knew full well that if she nodded right now, Megumi would really do it without hesitation.
Kotomi didn't laugh it off as a joke, nor did she pretend not to hear. Instead, she shook her head slightly and said seriously:
"Then why can't you just stay by my side every second of every day, and let me hold you that way instead?"
Her words made Megumi freeze for a moment, and then a spark of realization flashed in her eyes.
"That's true! If we're together every second, then you can hold my arm anytime you want! Kotomi, you're a genius! Let's move in together!"
"No," Kotomi said with a faintly smug tone.
"Eh? Why not? If we live together, then the first thing I'd see in the morning would be you, and the last thing I'd see before falling asleep would also be you," Megumi said dreamily.
"Make me happy enough, and maybe I'll say yes~"
Kotomi's eyes sparkled mischievously as she stuck out her cute pink tongue in a playful tease.
But before she could even finish speaking, Megumi's lips pressed against hers.
There was no one around them, and so the kiss lasted—long and lingering.
When Megumi finally pulled back, her face filled Kotomi's entire field of vision before slowly retreating.
"Did that cheer you up?" Megumi asked softly, her fingers brushing over her lips as though savoring the moment.
"Y-You really are impossible..." Kotomi's body trembled slightly, her cheeks burning red as her eyes darted shyly away.
Seeing Kotomi's bashful expression made Megumi's heart overflow with joy. She hugged Kotomi tightly and said:
"You're just too cute, Kotomi. Why are you so irresistibly adorable? Hey~ let's get married right now! We'll live together, and I'll work hard to take care of you."
"No one proposes like that in this kind of situation!"
"I do."
"Don't say it like it's something to be proud of!"
"My love for you is something to be proud of!"
Megumi's overwhelming enthusiasm left Kotomi speechless. Just as Kotomi turned her head to hide her flushed face, Megumi leaned in and kissed her deeply once again.
...
As Kotomi Izumi and Megumi Kato walked halfway down the path, they ran into Yui Yuigahama returning with drinks—accompanied by Yukino Yukinoshita and Mashiro Shiina.
"Yukino, Mashiro, good morning," Kotomi greeted.
No sooner had she spoken than Mashiro Shiina threw her arms around Kotomi in a bear hug.
"Kotomi, good morning," Mashiro murmured softly, hugging her even tighter.
Mashiro was light; even as she clung to Kotomi, it didn't feel heavy at all. It was like having a kitten hanging on her—an obedient kitten that knew to retract its claws.
Come to think of it, the first time Kotomi met Mashiro, the animal that came to mind was the Iriomote cat.
Since it was the last day of the cultural festival, no one had any particular destination in mind. So, they decided to follow Kotomi's preferred approach—just wander around aimlessly.
In truth, Kotomi had planned to visit the maid café, but with everyone around—including Megumi—she didn't quite dare to go.
Leaving their current spot, they began strolling through the cultural festival casually.
Even after they started walking, Mashiro Shiina didn't get down from Kotomi's arms, and Kotomi didn't seem to mind. She simply supported Mashiro's small bottom with both hands and continued walking while carrying her like that.
Of course, this made their pace slower, and before long, Kotomi and Mashiro had fallen to the back of the group.
"Kotomi," Mashiro said suddenly.
"Ah, Mashiro? What's wrong?"
Ever since she had responded to Yui's confession, Kotomi had felt a bit awkward around Mashiro—or perhaps guilty. After all, in terms of confession order, Mashiro had come before Yui. Even though Mashiro hadn't confessed directly, Kotomi had already understood her feelings back during their days in Kyoto.
She had planned to give Mashiro her answer after returning to Chiba, but once they got back, things became busy, and Kotomi ended up forgetting about it.
Now, she felt a wave of guilt. She already had Megumi and Yui as girlfriends, yet she also loved Mashiro with all her heart.
Mashiro's bright orange-red eyes—so clear and pure—were fixed on Kotomi with a serious, yet adorably airheaded look. Then, in her calm and earnest tone, she said:
"Yui's been acting strange."
"What do you mean, strange?" Kotomi asked.
"Every time I hug you, Yui always hugs you too, like she's trying not to lose. If she sees me hugging you first, she'll rush over to hug you right away. And if I see her hugging you first, I'll rush in immediately too."
Oh, so you two have been competing with each other while hugging me... Kotomi couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
"Sounds like two neighboring kingdoms fighting over a piece of land—each trying to claim just a bit more, unwilling to let the other have even an inch. If one takes a little more, a war breaks out instantly. But when the land is evenly divided, peace is restored—even if only on the surface."
Kotomi chuckled. And come to think of it, whenever both Yui and Mashiro hugged her at once, they always seemed to "balance" the distribution of hugging space.
Usually, Yui would hug from one side and Mashiro from the other. Sometimes, one hugged from the front while the other from behind.
Of course, when it came to front and back hugs, both Yui and Mashiro clearly preferred hugging from the front.
Kotomi hadn't understood why they insisted on that—until one day, she glanced down and realized that when hugged from the front, the view downward didn't reach the ground.
So that's why...
"Haha, that's a fun way to put it, Kotomi. I should put that in a manga sometime," Mashiro said, smiling.
"Haha, if it helps inspire your manga, I'm happy. When your new chapter's done, make sure to show me, okay?" Kotomi replied with a laugh.
"Definitely! But, back to what I was saying, Kotomi—Yui really did seem strange just now. She saw me hugging you but didn't react at all. She just smiled... like one of those heroines in a harem manga who—"
"—like the main heroine who's already in an official relationship with the protagonist, calmly facing her rivals without a hint of jealousy. There's even a phrase for it: 'the magnanimity of the main wife,'" Mashiro Shiina said seriously.
Hearing that, Kotomi Izumi immediately understood. Yui wasn't acting strange—she had simply entered her 'wise woman mode.'
After all, this morning... tsk. Just thinking about it made Kotomi's waist ache again.
In fact, while Kotomi was making breakfast that morning, she had already noticed the peaceful, almost transcendent look on Yui's face—like someone pondering the origin of the universe.
Compared to Kotomi, Yui Yuigahama's entry into wise woman mode had just been a bit delayed—not absent. Kotomi's mode ended immediately after, while Yui's took a few minutes to kick in.
"Maybe Yui just isn't feeling well today. Besides, it's just a hug—no need to compete over it every single time, right?" Kotomi said, patting Mashiro's head gently. Though she didn't mean to sound that way, her tone came off exactly like someone coaxing a child.
Yui's not avoiding you because she doesn't want to compete... she just hugged me so much yesterday morning, last night, and again this morning that she's still recovering... Kotomi thought to herself silently.
She didn't dare say that part out loud. With Megumi nearby, that would instantly turn the situation into a full-blown battlefield.
Just as Mashiro was about to speak again, Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly said:
"By the way, Kotomi, about that stay at the Haridori Inn that Ms. Hiratsuka gave us—when are you planning to use it?"
Kotomi thought for a moment, then replied:
"Well, the cultural festival ends today, and we're about to start a short break. If I remember right, it's five days off. We shouldn't waste a good vacation—why don't the three of us go during the break?"
Although Kotomi's suggestion came early, Yukino checked the weather forecast on her phone and agreed wholeheartedly.
"That sounds perfect. According to the forecast, the day after tomorrow night will bring Japan's first snowfall of the year. Snowy days are the best time for a hot spring soak."
"Then when we get home tonight, we'll start packing. We'll need to bring extra warm clothes," Yui Yuigahama said cheerfully.
Yui's thinking was simple—if Kotomi said they were going, then she'd go. Plus, the Dango Cake Shop was temporarily closed, so she didn't need to help out there.
Besides, Mrs. Yuigahama often encouraged her to go out and spend more time with Kotomi.
Yep—going to a hot spring in Kyoto with Kotomi! That counts as listening to Mom's advice, Yui thought happily.
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