All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

"Mashiro, how are you planning to get home later?" Kotomi asked with concern.

It wasn't about trying to gain points for being thoughtful—this was a genuine concern. When it came to Mashiro, such a question wasn't trivial.

Forget taking a train back home on her own; Kotomi suspected that Mashiro might not even manage to find her way back to Sobu High School if she were tasked with walking there from the Izumi residence.

At Kotomi's question, Mashiro blinked a few times, then raised a pale finger to point downward, her response brief: "My cousin's downstairs."

Kotomi froze, a chill running down her spine.

Seeing her expression, Megumi quickly stepped in to clarify: "Ms. Chihiro came with us. She's downstairs chatting with Kotomi's mother. She'll take Mashiro straight home afterward."

Hearing Megumi's explanation, Kotomi breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought, for a moment, that this was turning into a horror story.

But Mashiro—saying something cryptic like, "She's downstairs," without context? It was enough to startle anyone. If Mashiro had said that on the first floor, Kotomi would definitely have nightmares tonight.

After spending about 40 minutes at the Izumi residence, Yukino and the others began to take their leave. Kotomi, still recovering from her cold, needed more rest.

Megumi deliberately lingered behind to be the last to leave.

"Kotomi, I've been thinking… could it be that you caught this cold because yesterday I…" Megumi whispered close to her ear. Her voice sounded reflective, but there was a teasing undertone, as though she were trying to stir up trouble.

Kotomi's face flushed red as she glared at Megumi. "You're such a meanie, Megumi!"

"How about this, then? I let you pass the cold back to me?" Megumi suggested, her tone light and playful, though the mischievous gleam in her eyes betrayed her true intentions.

"Don't you dare! If you get sick again, I'll have to wait for you outside tomorrow morning only to find out you're skipping school because of another cold! We can't keep going in circles like this."

Realizing where they were, Kotomi gave Megumi a reproachful pinch on the waist. "You've got some nerve, doing this in my house! My mom and sister are here, and you're still having those kinds of thoughts? You're unbelievable!"

Megumi chuckled, entirely unrepentant. "I'll take that as a compliment, then~"

Shameless!

"You're insufferable!" Kotomi pouted, her cheeks glowing with embarrassment.

"I'm heading home now. Rest well and get better soon. By the way, Aimi said you had a fever of 38.5°C this morning?" Megumi asked casually, seemingly innocent, as though she hadn't just been teasing Kotomi.

Not wanting to prolong things, Kotomi nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

"What a coincidence. I had a fever of 38.5°C yesterday morning. Don't you think this means we're destined for each other?" Megumi teased again, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Destiny doesn't work like that, and your imagination is too wild…" Kotomi sighed, but before she could finish, Megumi leaned in and kissed her, silencing any protests.

Her resistance melted away as Megumi pulled back and whispered, "Take out the part about imagination from what you just said. I'm not imagining anything—I just like you too much."

With a gentle pat on Kotomi's head, Megumi smiled, then turned and left the room, leaving Kotomi blushing furiously behind.

After seeing her visitors out, Aimi returned to her sister's room. She found Kotomi lying in bed, her face buried beneath the covers, as though trying to hide her expression.

"Onee-chan, you can't just bury your face in the blankets like that—it'll make it hard to breathe," Aimi advised as she approached, ready to pull the blanket down.

"Uh… I-I know…" Kotomi mumbled, lowering the blanket just enough to reveal her nose, though half her face remained hidden.

To avoid letting Aimi see how red her face was, Kotomi rolled onto her side, turning her back to her sister.

Aimi didn't think too much of it. Her sister had always had a habit of burrowing under the covers when she was feeling shy or embarrassed. Over the years, Aimi had grown used to reminding her, even though it rarely had any lasting effect.

At this point, she had stopped nagging altogether. If necessary, she would just check on her later—open the door with her spare key, and make sure Kotomi hadn't tangled herself up in her blanket while sleeping.

"Onee-chan, it seems like you've made a lot of friends at Sobu High School," Aimi said softly, gathering the empty glasses left behind from earlier.

"Yeah," Kotomi murmured. "It's made things feel a bit easier. My goal before starting high school was to make new friends, and I think I've managed to accomplish that."

"That's so nice. I can't wait to become a high school student myself, so we can go to the same school again," Aimi said wistfully.

"Wait, you're already planning to apply to Sobu High School? Isn't it a bit early to decide? You've just started your third year of middle school. Most people don't think about this until the second semester."

Kotomi's tone was cautious yet affectionate. Although the thought of attending the same school as her sister was appealing, she didn't want Aimi to feel pressured into making such an important decision too early.

"Besides, there are plenty of great high schools out there," Kotomi added.

Aimi, however, shook her head firmly. "I've thought it through, Onee-chan. While my grades are decent, getting into a top-tier high school would be tough. But if I push myself this year, I think I can get into Sobu High School."

"I see… Well, take your time to think it over. You don't need to rush—just focus on studying for now. If you run into any tough questions, feel free to ask me for help!" Kotomi said with a bright smile.

In the past, Aimi might have responded to such a comment with a dismissive eye roll. But now, given Kotomi's recent success in becoming the top-ranked student in Tokyo, Aimi couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"Actually, there is something I've been meaning to ask you," Aimi said, setting down the glasses she had gathered.

"Oh? What is it?"

The prospect of helping her sister energized Kotomi. If not for how cozy the blanket felt, she might have sat up straight.

"It's not a school question."

"That's fine too! Ask me anything!"

"All right, then…" Aimi's lips curved into a gentle smile as she spoke. "That night when I confessed my feelings to you… Later, when I asked for your answer, you said you already knew it but weren't sure how to say it yet.

"You told me you'd need time, and I said I'd wait. Well, it's been a while now, Onee-chan… Do you think you could tell me your answer?"

With her back turned to Kotomi, Aimi fell silent after finishing her question. She was waiting for Kotomi's answer.

How will she respond? Aimi wondered nervously.

A complicated mix of emotions churned within her—anticipation mingled with fear. She hoped Kotomi would give an answer that aligned with her heart's desires, yet she dreaded hearing one that didn't. She wanted Kotomi to answer immediately but also wished for her to take her time. The conflicting emotions left Aimi feeling intensely torn.

Seconds turned into minutes, and Aimi lost track of how long she'd been waiting. Her legs began to grow numb. Wiggling her toes didn't help, so she slowly stood up and stretched. She realized that if she remained kneeling in the same position for too long, she might not even be able to get up later.

I can't let Kotomi see me making a fool of myself!

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Aimi felt a slight pang of resentment. Her sister was being far too inconsiderate. She had been kneeling there waiting for so long, yet Kotomi hadn't said a single word.

Hmph! My sister is getting less and less considerate! Aimi pouted with a soft humph as she turned to confront Kotomi with her grievances.

"Onee-chan—" Aimi started, raising her voice slightly, but the moment she saw Kotomi, the words caught in her throat and dwindled to a whisper.

Kotomi had fallen asleep, completely defenseless, her small hand curled up in a way that Aimi found all too familiar. Back when they were younger and shared a bed, Aimi would sometimes wake in the middle of the night and secretly admire her beautiful sister's sleeping face. And every time, she would see Kotomi sleeping just like this—with her little hands clenched as if holding something precious.

If Aimi reached out her finger, Kotomi—despite being sound asleep—would somehow always grab it tightly and hold on until morning.

Aimi shrugged and sighed. She gently tucked Kotomi in before noticing the glass on the nightstand—the cup of warm water she'd brought Kotomi earlier when her sister had asked for orange juice.

"Sigh… Looks like I won't get my answer today," Aimi murmured softly, her voice tinged with both understanding and regret. "It's okay. I'm willing to wait for the day you tell me yourself, Onee-chan."

Having accepted this, Aimi reached out and lightly patted Kotomi's cheek—once on the left, then on the right.

The repeated smack smack of her light slaps echoed faintly in the room, a sound that might easily be mistaken for something more dramatic happening in an ancient battle chamber.

After confirming Kotomi was genuinely asleep and not faking it to avoid her question, Aimi withdrew her hand sheepishly. She hadn't been careful enough, and Kotomi's cheeks now bore two distinct red marks from her slaps.

I hope these go away by morning, Aimi prayed silently as she picked up the cups to take them downstairs.

"Still… why did Onee-chan fall asleep so fast? She barely just woke up," Aimi mumbled to herself as she descended the stairs.

Though Kotomi enjoyed sleeping in and taking naps, she wasn't the type to fall asleep in mere minutes, as if being awake were unbearable. Normally, Kotomi wouldn't nap before mealtime—if she were tired, she'd hold out until after eating.

Could she have been pretending to sleep after all?

The thought made Aimi purse her lips and clench her tiny fists. If that's the case, I'll go right back upstairs and smack her again!

Fuming, Aimi stomped into the kitchen and set the cup down on the counter with a loud clink. Just as she was about to storm back to Kotomi's room, something caught her eye—a glass of water sitting untouched on the dining table.

All the glasses in the Izumi household looked alike—simple and transparent—but seeing that untouched cup made Aimi pause.

She stared at the water for a moment, then turned to glance at the empty glass she'd just set down.

Realization hit her like a bolt of lightning.

Her heart sank as her brain pieced the situation together. The sinking dread intensified until Aimi wanted to bury herself in shame so profound it could build a medieval castle.

Just then, their mother, Akina, entered the kitchen, preparing to start on dinner. Noticing Aimi staring at the glass of water, Akina spoke up casually:

"Isn't that the warm water you brought for Kotomi earlier? Did you forget to take it upstairs?"

Aimi froze.

This glass is the one I poured for Onee-chan earlier… So what did Kotomi drink?

"Hmm? That's strange. Where did the fever medicine I dissolved in water go? I was planning to have her take it after dinner," Akina remarked, puzzled.

Aimi's body stiffened as if turned to stone. Her voice quivered as she asked, "M-Mom… which medicine did you give her?"

"The fever medicine we always use. It's the same one you and your sister have been taking for years—the one you both refused to swallow as kids. Mixing it into warm water makes it tasteless and odorless, so that's what I've been using. It works pretty well," Akina explained nonchalantly.

Aimi felt as if the ground had crumbled beneath her. Her knees buckled, and she slid to the floor, leaning against the wall as she muttered in a trembling voice:

"My… my brain is trembling… I'm such an idiot! I waited so long for the perfect opportunity, only to ruin it with one stupid glass of water!"

Kotomi woke up the next morning feeling groggy. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and she sat upright in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

She hadn't eaten dinner last night.

Grrrooooowwwllll

Her stomach rumbled loudly in protest. Rubbing her tummy, Kotomi muttered under her breath, "So weird… I barely drank anything, and I didn't take any medicine. How did I fall asleep so quickly?"

After a moment's pause, Kotomi shrugged it off and chalked it up to her cold. "Guess it's just one of those things. I mean, it's normal to sleep more when you're sick, right?"

Stretching lazily, Kotomi decided she felt much better this morning. For once, she didn't feel like lazing around in bed. Checking her temperature with a thermometer, she confirmed she was fever-free and fully recovered.

With a burst of energy, she dashed downstairs in her bare feet, ready to tackle the day. Tossing her pajamas into the laundry, she headed straight for the bathroom, determined to wash away the remnants of her cold with a long, hot soak.

"Ahh, this feels amazing!" Kotomi sighed as she sank into the warm bath, already daydreaming about the massive breakfast she planned to devour.

She would make up for every bite of dinner she'd missed last night.

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