Faced with Kotomi Izumi's words—which sounded half like shameless pestering and half like a "threat"—Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly felt the urge to pin this cute yet infuriating little devil to the ground and give her a good beating.
Right now, she especially wanted to teach Kotomi a lesson!
Before Yukino could even figure out what to say next, Kotomi spoke again in a perfunctory tone:
"You're so slow and wishy-washy. Can you be more straightforward? Even if you agreed to let me take a picture of your smile, I'm not doing it anymore. Another day. I don't feel like it today."
After saying that, Kotomi deliberately walked a few steps ahead.
Yui Yuigahama, who had no idea what was going on between Kotomi and Yukino, hurried to follow when she saw Kotomi quicken her pace. She was like a little puppy who, upon seeing her owner walk faster, scrambled forward on her short legs, trotting along eagerly.
If she ran several steps and still couldn't catch up, she would keep running toward her owner while barking, as if saying, "Wait for me!"
Left standing in place, Yukino Yukinoshita stared at Kotomi's retreating figure. She clenched her fists tightly, took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. Only then did she manage to suppress her emotions.
Yukino suddenly recalled how, when she was young, her sister had urged her to learn karate—but she had refused, claiming she had no interest.
"If I had known, I would have learned karate when I was little... In that case, I might be able to pin Kotomi to the ground and beat her up right now. It's all my stupid sister's fault. Why didn't she insist on making me learn karate?"
At the end of it all, Yukino didn't forget to place the entire blame on Haruno Yukinoshita.
...
Meanwhile, at a yakiniku restaurant in Tokyo, Haruno Yukinoshita suddenly felt her nose itch. She quickly grabbed a napkin and turned her head to the side.
"Ah-choo!"
"Haruno, do you have a cold? It's supposed to get colder in the next few days. Be careful not to catch one," Ai Kagami said as she used the tongs to place a thick slice of pork belly onto the grill. The moment the meat touched the hot surface, it burst into a mouthwatering melody—sizzle sizzle.
"It's not a cold. My nose just suddenly felt itchy. Maybe my stupid little sister, after traveling in Kyoto, can't help but start missing me. Hmph. No matter how stubborn she acts, she's still just a little sister who depends on her big sister," Haruno Yukinoshita said with a faintly smug smile.
Ai Kagami hesitated for a moment but still asked, "Haruno, this might be a bit rude, but I'm curious... has your sister ever really depended on you?"
As expected of Ai Kagami—one sentence was enough to render Haruno Yukinoshita speechless.
After a moment of thought, Haruno slowly continued,
"Ai..."
"Hmm?"
"My mother once said that if you think something might be rude, then don't ask it."
"Hehe, sorry about that." Ai Kagami smiled awkwardly. Although Haruno hadn't answered directly, the implication was already clear enough.
Haruno let out a slow sigh before continuing,
"How should I describe my foolish little sister? On the surface, she looks like a cold and aloof kitten. In reality, she's more like a cold little tigress who has competitiveness engraved into her very bones."
"Who calls their own sister a little tigress?" Ai Kagami laughed helplessly.
"That's the nickname Izumi-sensei gave her. I think it suits my foolish little sister quite well, so I've gotten used to saying it," Haruno said with a smile.
Kotomi had given Yukino a nickname: a cold and tsundere little tigress.
Aside from Kotomi, the first person to know about this nickname was Haruno Yukinoshita.
Yukino herself only found out several days after Haruno already knew.
It wasn't that Kotomi deliberately told Haruno first and Yukino later. It was just that, during a casual chat between Kotomi and Haruno, Kotomi had mentioned it by accident.
Haruno Yukinoshita: "Izumi-sensei, after spending so much time with my sister, what kind of girl do you think she is? Use one adjective. I'd like to see whether the great novelist Izumi-sensei can apply her writing skills to real-life conversation."
Kotomi Izumi: "A cold and tsundere little tigress."
Haruno Yukinoshita: "Wow—what a description! It's like Ash throwing a Poké Ball—Bulbasaur. Brilliant!"
And just like that, Haruno became the first to know the nickname Kotomi had given Yukino.
"So, Izumi-sensei and your sister get along pretty well?"
"They're classmates. Of course their relationship isn't bad."
"Does your sister know that Izumi-sensei is a light novel author?"
"Probably... not yet. Izumi-sensei doesn't really want her classmates to know that she writes novels."
"I get it, I get it~ If your classmates find out you write novels, it feels kind of embarrassing.
"When I was in high school, I wrote a novel by hand on manuscript paper. Since it was handwritten, after half a semester, I had only managed to write eight thousand words.
"Later, during a break between classes, I happened to be at a part I found especially interesting. If I didn't hurry and finish writing it, I felt like my entire attention would remain stuck on the story. Other things simply couldn't stay in my mind.
"So I took the manuscript paper out from my desk drawer. Everyone in the classroom had their own seat—there were no deskmates. And I'm the type who, as long as I concentrate for a few minutes, can completely immerse myself in whatever I'm doing.
"So when I was writing in the classroom, I didn't pay attention to the classmates around me. I simply gripped my fountain pen and wrote the words in my mind onto the manuscript paper one after another.
"There was a girl in my class who had always disliked me. As for why she disliked me? It's been so long since high school graduation that I can't even remember the names of many of my classmates anymore. I don't even recall what she looked like. As for trivial things like why she disliked me, I naturally forgot long ago.
"Just when I was immersed in writing my novel alone in the classroom, she came over to cause trouble. Bringing along a few of her little followers, she stood by my desk and called my name several times. The noise gradually quieted down across the classroom as everyone looked in our direction. But because I was still absorbed in writing, I didn't hear her calling me. I only felt that it was suddenly a bit noisy around me.
"She thought I was ignoring her... Well, I was indeed ignoring her at the time. I was writing my novel and hadn't noticed her at all, nor had I heard her voice.
In a fit of anger, she snatched the manuscript paper from my desk and flipped through it recklessly. After discovering that I was writing a novel, she seemed as though she had finally found a reason. She raised the manuscript paper high and waved it around, loudly saying to the entire class:
"Everyone, come take a look! This gloomy girl hides in the corner all day—turns out she's secretly writing a novel! Hahaha! She never talks and just sits there spacing out. Could it be she's fantasizing about becoming some great literary master one day? Didn't she score near the bottom on the last exam? Tell me, isn't this just a useless loser who fails at everything, can't even finish her food properly, and is using writing novels to satisfy her pitiful, laughable fantasy? Disgusting!"
"It's really strange. She said such a long speech. After so many years, I should have forgotten it by now. And yet I haven't forgotten a single word. Every sentence is still crystal clear in my mind.
"From that day on, she taught me one thing—never underestimate the malice one woman can harbor toward another. The cruelest and most vicious attacks against women often come from women themselves.
"I don't know what my classmates were thinking at the time. Maybe they were laughing at me. Maybe they just found it odd. I didn't care. All I wanted was to snatch my manuscript back from her hands and continue writing that scene.
"But she was a dance student. She was tall. I couldn't reach it.
"Just when I felt like I was having trouble breathing, a boy returned to the classroom with some bread he had just bought. Seeing them picking on me and hearing their mocking words, he suddenly hurled the bread over—it hit the girl squarely on the head. Before she could react, he snatched the manuscript from her hands, placed it back on my desk, stood in front of me, and loudly scolded her:
"Mocking someone's hobby and ganging up on them just because you have numbers—thank you for letting me see just how disgusting a woman can be!"
"The moment I looked at him, my breathing wasn't difficult anymore. It felt as though I was wrapped in a sense of safety. There was only one thought in my heart—he's so handsome!"
As soon as she mentioned the boy she had met in high school, Ai Kagami couldn't help but fall into a lovestruck daze, like a young girl experiencing her first crush.
"Um... Ai, your feelings are so intense that if you speak any louder, I feel like the entire restaurant will be able to sense it. Why don't you wipe the drool off the corner of your mouth first?"
Haruno Yukinoshita handed her a few napkins as a reminder.
Only then did Ai Kagami snap back to her senses. She noticed a few nearby diners looking at her in confusion. Clearly, her voice had unconsciously grown a little too loud just now, disturbing others.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry..." Ai quickly bowed her head toward the surrounding customers in apology before taking the napkin and wiping the corner of her mouth.
Afterward, she added apologetically, "Sorry, Haruno. I only meant to mention it casually, but once I started talking, I couldn't stop."
"It's fine. Listening to your youthful high school love story is a good way to pass the boring time while waiting for the meat to finish grilling. With yakiniku, the most torturous part is the beginning, when the meat isn't cooked yet. You end up ordering too much because your eyes are bigger than your stomach. Listening to a story helps shift your attention away from the meat," Haruno said with a cheerful smile.
"It's not some youthful high school love story! From the time we met until graduation, I don't think we even talked that much. The girl who disliked me back then called me gloomy for a reason. I really didn't talk much in high school. I even wore a pair of particularly unfashionable glasses."
Hearing her describe her high school image, Haruno compared it to the fashionable urban woman sitting before her now.
That transformation was quite drastic.
"Did you exchange contact information?" Haruno asked.
"I think so. Our phone numbers, Twitter accounts, and LINE IDs were all written in the yearbook when we graduated... He finished his PhD three years ago and started his own business. He's doing fairly well now. From what I've seen on his Twitter over the years, he hasn't gotten married or started dating anyone either."
As if to hide her shyness, Ai picked up her chopsticks and reached toward a slice of pork belly on the grill.
Haruno quickly tapped the back of her hand with her own chopsticks and teased, "It's not cooked yet. What, are you planning to experience a primitive raw-meat diet?"
"I was just flipping it over," Ai insisted stubbornly.
"Alright, stop being stubborn. Who flips uncooked meat with chopsticks? Are the tongs just for decoration? Since he's not married and you still have his contact info, just reach out. Go for it. I'm waiting to attend your wedding banquet."
"I'll... give it a try." At moments like this, the usually confident Ai Kagami seemed to revert to her insecure high school self.
Halfway through the meal, Ai couldn't help but say, "But Haruno, shouldn't you be having dinner with your parents today? Why did you suddenly invite me out for yakiniku?"
"If I said I was bored and just wanted to treat you to a meal, would you believe me?"
"No." Ai shook her head. "Back in college, you treated me to sukiyaki—premium beef and everything—and afterward you made me write your papers. Do you know how I managed to squeeze out two papers in one week? I felt like the CPU in my brain was about to burn out!"
"Hehehe. Actually, I argued with my mom a few days ago. If I went home for dinner today, I'd definitely run into her. That would be awkward. So I casually made up an excuse—'Ai is treating me to dinner tonight.' Anyway, I'm not planning to go home for meals this month."
"You and Aunt Yukinoshita really argue often..."
"If I didn't dare argue with my mom, would I be this free to work as a little editor?" Haruno smiled.
"I'd never dare raise my voice at my parents."
"That's because your parents treat you very well."
"Hehe, that's true. Come on, the pork belly's ready. Hurry and eat."
"Wait a moment. I'll take a picture and send it to my foolish little sister. I wonder if she's eaten yet. If she hasn't, this will be perfect for tempting her."
"I finally understand why your sister doesn't get along with you..."
Ai sighed. Halfway through speaking, she suddenly realized something.
"Wait a second—you told your parents that I was the one treating you to dinner?! Then—"
Haruno had originally planned to keep pretending, but since Ai had already figured it out, she dropped the act and said with a grin, "Many thanks to Miss Kagami for the treat~ You're far too kind. Knowing I've been craving yakiniku lately, you invited me out."
"You scheming Haruno!"
...
Kyoto.
Harugamo Inn.
Hot spring.
After removing their yukata in the changing room, Kotomi Izumi and the others entered the women's bath.
Kotomi looked especially excited. This was the women's bath! Surely, there would be plenty of beautiful older sisters soaking in the hot springs right now.
And if not beautiful older sisters, then at least beautiful married ladies, right?!!
Kotomi had already planned how she would strike up a conversation once she saw a beautiful lady in the bath.
She would drift over as if by coincidence and ask sweetly:
"Beautiful big sister, do you like eating green peppers~?"
If it were a beautiful married lady, she would say:
"Madam, from the moment I saw you, I felt that tonight's moonlight lost its charm. Because all the elegance and beauty in this world have gathered in you alone. You've unknowingly stolen my gaze—my heart as well.
"My name is Mine Fujiko Kotomi·Vermouth. My motto is: A secret makes a woman woman. A woman is beautiful because of her secrets.
"May I have the honor of inviting you to dinner?"
After rehearsing in her mind the different opening lines she might use for women of various ages, Kotomi eagerly pulled open the door to the hot spring bath.
The moment the door opened—
Kotomi's excited heart instantly became as calm as an ancient well, still as water.
Inside the women's bath...
Was a group of kindly elderly grandmothers.
Soaking in the hot spring, Kotomi had completely lost the excitement she'd had on the way there. Her expression was one utterly free of worldly desire.
After a long while, she muttered,
"The hot springs at Harugamo Inn are nothing special after all."
"Why does Kotomi suddenly look a little unhappy?" Yui Yuigahama asked in confusion.
"Heh. Probably because she didn't see the kind of hot spring scenery she was imagining," Yukino Yukinoshita replied with a cold laugh.
Earlier, when Kotomi had been muttering under her breath about how she planned to successfully strike up conversations with at least three beautiful older sisters or married ladies in the bath, Yukino had heard every single word clearly.
—
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