Even though she was thinking to herself, "How could there be such a good thing in the world?", she still obediently nodded on the surface.
Yui Yuigahama really liked being teased by Kotomi Izumi. That way, she could justifiably counterattack and start teasing Kotomi in return. But Yui also knew that if she made Kotomi unhappy, she probably wouldn't get to eat "meat" for several days.
If Kotomi is in a happy mood while teasing me, then even if I fight back and tease her, she won't get mad... Yui Yuigahama thought to herself.
As for whether she would continue to stalk Kotomi in the future? That depended. If Kotomi stopped getting too close to other girls, Yui wouldn't secretly follow her around like she did that night. Otherwise, she would.
Yui couldn't describe it clearly—it just felt like stalking Kotomi was addictive!
"Alright, I'll let you off this time. Go buy the drinks now," Kotomi Izumi said, satisfied as she saw Yui nod so obediently, ending the kabedon.
Although Kotomi thought she looked cool doing a kabedon on another girl, given her height, to make it look imposing she had to stand on her tiptoes.
Just now, Kotomi had been straining on her tiptoes for a while, and even with the Queen of All Females' stamina, she nearly couldn't hold out any longer.
Kotomi's effort to stand on her toes just now was so cute... Yui thought happily to herself.
Kotomi Izumi and Yui Yuigahama returned together to where Yukino Yukinoshita and Megumi Kato were waiting. Kotomi had managed her time away well, so neither Yukino nor Megumi asked where she'd gone.
In truth, Yukino Yukinoshita hadn't planned to ask anyway. Even if she was curious about where Kotomi had gone, she wouldn't ask in front of Yui. In her view, Kotomi and Yui were already a couple now, and since they had come back together, it would seem rude to ask Kotomi where she had been.
That reasoning made sense, but when Yukino saw Kotomi return after being gone for a while—and with Yui no less—an odd feeling welled up inside her. She couldn't even describe it herself. It was as if a tinge of jealousy had quietly filled her heart.
Yukino Yukinoshita was jealous of Yui Yuigahama.
Since there were no special events left that day, Kotomi Izumi figured they might as well head home early after lunch. That way, she'd have time to pack for the upcoming hot spring trip.
"Izumi-san! Finally found you! I heard you were here and have been looking for you everywhere!"
A senior in charge of the stage performances came running toward her, panting heavily. Sweat trickled down her cheeks—it seemed she had truly been running at full speed.
After all, in weather this cold, to run until you're sweating meant she had put in quite an effort.
"Senpai, what's the matter?"
Kotomi asked. She remembered this senior clearly—one of the people handling the stage lighting during performances.
"Izumi-san, your music performance with Yukinoshita-san and Yuigahama-san won an award! Congratulations! There'll be an awards ceremony this afternoon after the final performance, so please make sure to attend!"
After saying that, the senior added breathlessly:
"It should've been announced yesterday, but you weren't here. I didn't have your contact info, and since it rained most of the day, I couldn't go to your house to find you."
Even if you had gone to my house yesterday, it wouldn't have helped—I spent the whole day at Yui's place... Kotomi thought to herself, smiling as she thanked her politely:
"Our performance with Yukino and Yui won an award? Thank you for telling me the good news, Senpai. We'll definitely attend the ceremony this afternoon."
"No need to thank me—it's my job. Well then, I won't disturb you any longer. See you later."
Kotomi didn't know this senior's name and hadn't met her before the festival, but the girl had a delicate, cute face and a great figure...
"Senpai, wait a moment!" Kotomi called out to her as she turned to leave.
The senior stopped and looked back, asking curiously:
"Izumi-san, is there something else?"
"Since you said you didn't have my contact info earlier, why don't we exchange it now while we have the chance?" Kotomi suggested, pulling out her phone.
The senior froze for a moment, then her face lit up in delight as she asked:
"Really? You mean it?!"
"Of course~"
Whether male or female, everyone wanted to have Kotomi Izumi's contact information!
There were quite a few people who knew her, but each one treated Kotomi's contact details like a precious treasure. Without her permission, they would rather die than hand it over.
If someone wanted her number, they had no choice but to find an opportunity to strike up a conversation and hope Kotomi was willing to share it.
Now that Kotomi herself was offering to exchange contact information, how could the senior not be excited?
She quickly pulled out her phone, exchanged contacts with Kotomi, and then left with such joy that she seemed to be floating as she walked.
"Heh, she's really overjoyed just because she got Kotomi's contact info," Megumi Kato said meaningfully. As she spoke, her hand somehow appeared on Kotomi's cheek and gave it a gentle pinch.
Kotomi's body trembled instantly. Even though Megumi's touch was light, Kotomi could feel a silent, unmistakable threat hidden within it.
Ever since she had been "knife-chopped" once by Megumi, Kotomi Izumi's survival instincts around her had been set permanently to maximum.
"I-It was just a normal exchange of contact info, haha..." Kotomi said with an awkward laugh. She had originally planned to find a good time soon to talk to Megumi and say something like: "Megumi, I love you very much, but I also love Yui. I'm sincere toward both of you. So please allow me... to date both of you openly!"
Now that she thought about it, maybe it was better to postpone that talk for a while.
Kotomi definitely didn't want to trigger another "knife event." The first time, she got stabbed in the heart. The second time... she didn't even dare imagine it.
If her head were to roll off completely, she wasn't sure if the power of the Clock of the Twilight Demon would still be able to revive her.
Besides, Kotomi still hadn't figured out exactly how the Clock of the Twilight Demon's ability truly worked.
Survival instinct! Survival instinct! Survival instinct!
Kotomi decided to crank her survival mode up to the absolute maximum.
Little Kotomi's dream of openly holding both girls in her arms at once... was still a long way from becoming reality.
...
Time quickly passed into the afternoon.
With the final performance concluded amid thunderous applause, preparations began for the closing ceremony.
All the stage performances took place in the auditorium, but the closing ceremony would be held in the gymnasium.
Before the ceremony started, according to Sobu High School's tradition, the brass band would perform in the gym.
Sobu High's brass band was famous both in Japan and internationally, so many people came specifically to watch their closing ceremony performance.
Waves of sound echoed from the gymnasium. If you didn't get there early, you'd be stuck behind the crowd and hardly able to see anything.
Award-winning students, however, could wait backstage—with their friends—watching the brass band performance comfortably without getting squeezed in the crowd.
The gym's backstage area was several times larger than that of the auditorium's stage, so there was no need to worry about space.
"Izumi-san, congratulations! Your performance that day was absolutely incredible."
"If I'd known earlier, I would've invited you to join our music department!"
"Kotomi, let's go to karaoke sometime! I found a great place recently—cheap prices, and all the equipment's brand new."
Whether from people she knew or didn't, Kotomi Izumi accepted all the congratulations with a bright smile, thanking them one by one and returning their well wishes for winning their own awards.
When others congratulated her, Kotomi naturally responded with a bright smile, expressing her thanks one by one. If the other person had also won an award, she would offer her congratulations in return.
For Kotomi, this kind of social interaction was second nature.
Of course, that was largely thanks to her parents' education. The Izumi family had built their success through business. Unlike the Hishinaga family, which came from a lineage with some inherited wealth, the Izumi family had risen entirely through their ancestors' hard work in trade—starting from nothing and growing into Japan's only conglomerate to achieve power without relying on inherited connections or old money.
The most important skill in business was communication. As such, the Izumi family placed great emphasis on teaching their children how to interact and communicate effectively with others.
Kotomi loved mastering such social skills. Every time her father taught her, she listened with absolute focus.
Compared to Kotomi Izumi, who navigated interactions with people as smoothly as flowing water, Yui Yuigahama and Yukino Yukinoshita seemed somewhat awkward. They could handle congratulations from classmates they knew, but when faced with strangers offering praise, their words of thanks came out stiff and unnatural.
Kotomi, of course, noticed Yui and Yukino's discomfort. Smiling softly, she seamlessly took over the role of spokesperson, guiding the conversation with ease until she was the one responding to everyone.
Yukino Yukinoshita had always been introverted since childhood—completely opposite of her sister Haruno. Yui Yuigahama, on the other hand, had never received so many congratulations before and didn't quite know how to react.
So naturally, the best person to express gratitude and return compliments was Kotomi Izumi.
Some of the award-winning students had brought their parents backstage to wait. Among them were many successful, well-off adults. Upon noticing Kotomi, they couldn't help but whisper among themselves:
"That girl with the short white hair—her communication skills and emotional intelligence are incredible. She doesn't act like someone her age at all."
"Compared to her, my daughter's a lost cause."
"The way she manages distance when speaking, her expressions, tone, and phrasing—all perfectly balanced, flawless. Watching her talk doesn't feel like watching a schoolgirl—it's like watching a young, successful businesswoman. This girl will go far if she ever goes into business."
"Just from her demeanor, you can tell she's from a refined household—calm, confident, and poised, with a perfect sense of composure."
"Sweetheart, I don't care if you used to be close to her or not. Starting today, make friends with that girl. Invite her over sometime if you get the chance. You think you understand social etiquette? No offense, but compared to her, it's night and day. She's up in the heavens—you're still on the ground. Get close to her. That's what real networking looks like. Those spoiled brats you hang out with who only know how to waste money on parties—do you really think that's a network? They're just drinking buddies. When you're in trouble, see how many of them actually help you."
"She's really beautiful. I wonder if she has someone she likes?"
"Her manners and demeanor clearly show how well she was raised."
While Kotomi responded politely to the other students' thanks and offered her own congratulations, she could also hear the parents' words of praise. The corners of her lips curled upward in satisfaction.
She loved being praised.
Even when no one complimented her, Kotomi Izumi would stand in front of the mirror every day, admiring herself for half an hour.
For instance:
Her snow-white hair swayed in the breeze. Who was this delicate-looking beauty so dazzling that even the summer sun would shine brighter in her presence? That's right—it was me!
Or perhaps...
Walking beneath the clear blue sky, anyone nearby would have their eyes drawn to her, her face forever imprinted in their memory. Who was this girl of peerless grace and breathtaking beauty? That's right—it was me!
When it came to narcissistically praising herself, if Kotomi claimed second place, no one would dare claim first.
Nearly everyone present had already congratulated Kotomi Izumi and her two companions. Kotomi responded to them all, thanking and congratulating those who also won.
Everyone except—Usa Saion.
Usa Saion stood quietly in a corner, her gaze complicated as she looked toward Kotomi Izumi from a distance.
Although her guitar performance and singing on the day of the event had been well-received, the spotlight was completely stolen by Kotomi Izumi, Yui Yuigahama, and Yukino Yukinoshita's trio performance. Her confidence in her own singing and guitar skills had been shattered when Kotomi also performed a guitar and vocal piece—one of her own original songs, "Ultramarine."
All three songs Kotomi performed were original compositions. In terms of talent, there was simply no one else at the entire cultural festival who could compare.
Even those who had chosen to perform their own compositions couldn't match Kotomi in quality—their works weren't even in the same league.
Usa Saion was, of course, quite talented at singing and guitar, and winning a First Prize did lift her spirits somewhat.
At Sobu High School, the awards for performances were divided into Grand Prize, First Prize, Second Prize, Third Prize, and the Encouragement Award.
The highest honor, the Grand Prize, hadn't been awarded in three years. Some people even began to wonder if the school had quietly decided to retire the category entirely, making First Prize the highest possible award.
"Kotomi Izumi... what level of award will you receive, I wonder?" Usa Saion thought, her gaze carrying a trace of hostility.
Kotomi noticed the unfriendly look coming from Usa. Turning her head, she met her eyes and curved her lips into a subtle smile—somewhere between friendly and mocking, flickering like a flame.
Heh.
When Usa Saion saw Kotomi smile at her, she hurriedly averted her eyes, muttering under her breath:
"So weird..."
Kotomi ignored her completely after that ambiguous smile, simply waiting for the award ceremony to begin.
After the brass band finished their performance, Mai Sakurajima stepped onto the stage with a microphone and a list of winners in her hand. A female student followed behind her—Kotomi vaguely remembered her; she'd once given Kotomi some snacks.
Mai Sakurajima was indeed the most fitting choice to host the ceremony.
The gymnasium, packed with students, erupted in quiet murmurs at the sight of her. Snippets of conversation could be heard—words like "celebrity," and "she's just as beautiful as she is in dramas."
"So that's Sakurajima-senpai... she's gorgeous."
"I usually can't handle horror movies, but I've watched The Ring—the one she starred in—like five times! I always replay the scenes where she plays Sadako!"
"She's amazing."
"Hey, between Kotomi Izumi and Mai Sakurajima, who do you think is more beautiful?"
"Definitely Sakurajima-senpai."
"Not sure about that. Personally, I think Kotomi's even prettier. The moment I saw her, I thought—I'd love to be her dog."
"I want to be Kotomi Izumi-sama's dog so badly."
"Why does someone say 'I want to be Kotomi Izumi-sama's dog' every single time we talk about her? Who keeps saying that?"
"No idea."
"So weird."
As the chatter gradually died down, the award ceremony officially began.
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