Sitting in the car, Kotomi Izumi kicked off her little shoes and lay comfortably across the back seat, thinking that although she probably would not get any sleep tonight and would have to pull an all-nighter, that did not mean she could not steal some time for a short nap.
Even a few hours of light sleep was far better than staying up the entire night.
It would take several dozen minutes to get from Kyoto to Kansai International Airport. She could completely use that time on the road to take a quick nap. After boarding the plane and flying from Kansai International Airport back to Chiba, she could sleep for a few more hours. From the airport to the Kato residence, the drive would not be long, but something was better than nothing—she could nap a little more then too.
After doing this simple calculation, Kotomi Izumi suddenly realized that at worst, tonight would just be a bit exhausting. It did not really count as being completely unable to sleep for an entire night.
"Aunt Matsusaka, I'm going to sleep for a bit. When we get to the airport, remember to wake me."
As she spoke, Kotomi Izumi took off her coat and draped it over herself like a blanket.
"Understood, Miss."
Aunt Matsusaka nodded and gradually slowed the car. She never asked what Kotomi Izumi wanted to do, nor did she question why. She simply carried out whatever Kotomi Izumi asked of her with the highest efficiency.
Just like now. Aunt Matsusaka had already been preparing for bed when she suddenly received a call from Kotomi Izumi asking her to come act as her driver. She asked no questions. Upon hearing that Kotomi Izumi needed her, she got dressed immediately, picked up her car keys, and hurried over.
When she heard Kotomi Izumi fretting because the pilot for the private jet was unavailable, she had even volunteered that she could fly the plane herself.
In Aunt Matsusaka's eyes, completing every task for the Izumi family efficiently was the best way she could repay them.
Once, a false accusation had destroyed her entire career as a pilot.
For Matsusaka, that period had been the darkest time of her life.
It was not until the Izumi family extended a hand to her and offered her an opportunity that she finally saw a glimmer of hope in the darkness.
After becoming the Izumi family's driver, she enjoyed an exceptionally generous salary. When she later wished to take revenge on the enemy from those years, the Izumi family outwardly made no statement, but secretly arranged everything for her. The revenge she had thought would be unimaginably difficult became unbelievably easy in the blink of an eye.
From preparing her revenge to completing it, she had originally believed it would take the entire second half of her life. Yet with the Izumi family's covert assistance, it took less than a week. After she personally killed her enemy, the Metropolitan Police Department never came looking for trouble.
Aunt Matsusaka, who rarely showed much expression, had subtle changes flicker across her face as she recalled the past. She let out a quiet sigh.
A short while later, she smoothly parked the car in the parking lot of Kansai International Airport.
Aunt Matsusaka's driving skills were excellent. Even though they had taken a stretch of highway along the way, she still had not woken Kotomi Izumi.
"Miss, we're at the airport."
As she woke Kotomi Izumi, Aunt Matsusaka felt a trace of nostalgia. She still remembered when Kotomi Izumi was in kindergarten—sometimes she had been the one to drive little Kotomi there.
Little Kotomi disliked waking up early, so back in kindergarten she would always look sullen after getting up each morning. The moment her little bottom touched the car seat, she would fall asleep. Whenever that happened, Aunt Matsusaka would maintain her speed while making the ride as smooth as possible, creating a comfortable environment for her to nap.
Little Kotomi would fall asleep as soon as she got in the car. Once they arrived at the kindergarten entrance, Aunt Matsusaka would wake her.
If she truly could not be woken, Aunt Matsusaka would carry little Kotomi out of the car and carefully hand her over to the teacher waiting at the gate.
The kindergarten little Kotomi attended had almost all female teachers. And from childhood to now, Kotomi Izumi's appearance had always carried a kind of magic that easily stirred people's protective instincts. No matter which teacher it was, they all loved holding little Kotomi. As the teachers liked to say:
"Whenever I see little Kotomi acting cute, I feel like my whole heart is melting."
Naturally, none of the teachers would pass up the opportunity to carry a sleeping little Kotomi to the classroom.
Having already taken a short nap in the back seat, Kotomi Izumi slowly sat up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and let out a big yawn, just short of saying out loud: I'm so sleepy!
"We're here already? Thanks for the hard work. Let's go—time to ride the big plane."
After sitting in the back seat for a moment to clear her head, Kotomi Izumi began putting on her coat and shoes. As she slipped her shoes on, she thought to herself, It feels like I haven't changed these white stockings for two days...
It was not that she was too lazy to wash her socks while away from home. Before she left for Kyoto, Aimi Izumi had deliberately put an extra laundry mesh bag in her suitcase and told her,
"I packed several pairs of stockings for you in the suitcase. Don't bother washing them. If you don't want to wear a pair anymore, just take them off and put them in the laundry bag. When you get home, I'll wash them for you."
When Aimi Izumi said this, her expression had been incredibly earnest, as if she did not have the slightest ulterior motive.
Kotomi Izumi had not thought much of it at the time, but being reminded so seriously by her good little sister still made her a bit embarrassed. Blushing, she retorted,
"I'm not that useless big sister from childhood who couldn't do anything right and never had enough to eat. At least believe I can take care of myself now."
"I do believe you. It's just—do you know how much those stockings you wear cost? And how delicate the fabric is? If you're even slightly careless while washing them, you could ruin a pair for nothing. Instead of that, it's better to wait until you're home and let me wash them. Anyway, haven't I been washing your clothes and socks since we were little? I'm already used to doing your laundry~"
Aimi Izumi had said with an innocent face, as if trying hard to convince Kotomi that she truly just wanted to wash her stockings and absolutely was not secretly thinking about anything else.
You might be used to it, but I've grown up now. I don't have that kind of shamelessness anymore... Kotomi Izumi thought. She did not want others to know that she was already in high school yet still often had her little sister wash her clothes.
Although she had been reluctant deep down, she ultimately could not win against Aimi Izumi and had no choice but to agree.
On the way to the departure lounge, Kotomi Izumi bought a can of hot coffee from a vending machine by the roadside. As long as she chose the right flavor, canned coffee like this usually tasted well-balanced and not too bitter.
Kotomi Izumi particularly liked hazelnut and caramel flavors. Just now, standing in front of the vending machine, she had hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to pick hazelnut or caramel.
In the end, she simply bought both—hazelnut before boarding the plane, caramel after landing.
Kotomi Izumi arrived at the Izumi family's private lounge. Although it was already close to midnight, the lounge operated twenty-four hours a day so that members of the Izumi family could use it at any time.
Aunt Matsusaka did not accompany Kotomi Izumi to the lounge. She needed to pilot the private jet and had gone to the private hangar to prepare the aircraft.
That would take a moderate amount of time. Fortunately, the Izumi family's private lounge consisted of two hotel-style guest rooms, a conference room, a mini suite, a whisky bar, and two restaurants. It was fully equipped and extravagantly luxurious, so Kotomi Izumi would not be bored.
As soon as she entered, there was a wine cabinet by the door, containing over a hundred bottles of red wine from around the world.
On the surface, it looked like just over a hundred bottles. In reality, those were only for display.
The true number exceeded a thousand. So whenever one stood before that wine cabinet, one had to decide in advance which bottle to drink.
If one waited until standing in front of it to choose, the sheer abundance and dazzling variety might make it impossible to decide.
When she first came here as a child, Kotomi Izumi had wanted to try red wine. But at that time, she had been too young to drink.
Now... well, she was still not of legal drinking age.
Fortunately, it was not just the wine cabinet that attracted her. What truly drew Kotomi Izumi were the two restaurants in the lounge and the cold buffet set up outside them.
She casually walked into one of the restaurants and half-jokingly said to the young female chef inside,
"Hello~ Good evening. I walked in starving, but after seeing you, the hunger in my stomach has eased a little."
"Then I'll take that as a compliment, Miss."
The young chef smiled gently, not surprised by Kotomi Izumi's teasing. After all, they were old acquaintances.
Her name was Kaori Izawa. Long ago, she had transferred from a five-star French restaurant to the Izumi family's private lounge.
Kotomi Izumi loved eating the French cuisine Kaori Izawa prepared. Her culinary skills were not extraordinarily brilliant, but compared to typical French cuisine, Kaori Izawa always increased the portion size when cooking for Kotomi Izumi.
The reason Kotomi Izumi did not often eat French cuisine was because the portions were usually small, not because she disliked the taste.
Since Kaori Izawa's servings were generous, Kotomi Izumi naturally enjoyed them.
After Kotomi Izumi sat down, Kaori Izawa prepared her utensils and asked,
"Miss, what would you like to eat?"
"Make me pan-seared rabbit, French style. This time I really am rushing to catch a flight. Aunt Matsusaka is starting up the plane in the hangar. If you're not quick, I might have to carry the plate onto the plane to eat."
Kotomi Izumi said with a grin.
Kaori Izawa smiled knowingly.
In the past, whenever Kotomi Izumi urged her to cook faster, she would always say, "I have to catch a flight. If you're too slow, I won't make it in time."
At first, Kaori Izawa had not noticed that slightly mischievous side of Kotomi Izumi and had taken her seriously. Only after several times did she realize that the so-called "catching a flight" was merely an excuse Kotomi Izumi made up to eat sooner.
"Don't worry. If you don't make it in time, I'll bring the pan onto the plane and keep cooking for you there."
Kaori Izawa joked back while gradually quickening her movements as she began preparing the pan-seared rabbit.
...
Half an hour later.
After finishing the pan-seared rabbit, Kotomi Izumi wiped her mouth in satisfaction. At that very moment, she saw her family's private jet slowly taxi into the departure position.
"I'm full. Thank you for the meal. I'm off to catch my flight. See? I didn't lie this time. I said I was catching a flight, and I really am."
After finishing the last sip of sparkling water, she gave Kaori Izawa a slight smile.
"Travel safely, Miss~ I wonder when we'll see each other again."
Kaori Izawa watched her off with a gentle smile.
Kotomi Izumi lived in Chiba, while she was in Osaka.
Kotomi Izumi was naturally somewhat of a homebody. In a whole year, she might not even feel the urge to travel once. Naturally, the number of times she met Kaori Izawa was extremely few. The last time they had seen each other had been nearly two years ago.
After such a long separation, they met again only briefly. Watching Kotomi Izumi's departing figure, Kaori Izawa could not help but feel a touch of nostalgia and reluctance.
Thinking of the little foodie who once loved clinging to her and asking her to make all sorts of dishes, now grown into a graceful young lady, Kaori Izawa felt deeply moved.
Even though there was only a seven-year age difference between them, looking at Kotomi Izumi still made her sigh inwardly: time really does pass quickly.
Hearing her words, Kotomi Izumi turned around and said with a meaningful smile,
"It's fine. We'll see each other again soon. I'm still counting on eating your breakfast tomorrow morning."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean, 'huh'? I'm just taking a private jet home late at night. During the day, I'll fly back again. It should be morning when I arrive. Remember to make breakfast for me."
After saying that, Kotomi Izumi swayed her slender waist and left.
Leaving Kaori Izawa standing there with a slightly stunned expression.
"Flying home at night and flying back to Osaka in the morning... Is Miss using the family's private jet like a car? Well, for her, I suppose that's exactly what it is."
...
Kotomi Izumi boarded her family's private jet. Since she rode it frequently, she was thoroughly familiar with the interior facilities.
"Miss, we'll take off in ten minutes. During ascent, please fasten your seatbelt and remain seated for a while. Once the plane is stable, you may use the bathroom to take a shower or go to the bedroom to continue sleeping."
Aunt Matsusaka stepped out of the cockpit and said.
"I'll shower and then sleep, I guess. Yawn... I thought eating would wake me up, but now I'm sleepy again."
As if suddenly remembering something, Kotomi Izumi asked,
"By the way, Aunt Matsusaka, are you sleepy?"
"Before you called me, Miss, I had already slept for eight hours. I'm not sleepy, so please rest assured."
Aunt Matsusaka shook her head and added, "And I had coffee before boarding the plane."
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