Long before they started dating, Kotomi Izumi had especially loved leaning against Yui Yuigahama's chest.
After all, Kotomi had always been remarkably accurate when it came to giving people nicknames. Dango, Dango, Dango—Kotomi had started calling Yui "Dango" from the moment they first met precisely because Yui had such an impressive figure.
Megumi and the others, including Yui herself, had always assumed the nickname "Dango" referred to the little bun tied in Yui's hair. In reality, Kotomi had been referring to Yui's voluptuous figure.
Big. Far too big.
Although Kotomi Izumi possessed an exceptionally perfect and enviable figure herself, that did nothing to diminish her fondness for other well-endowed girls. To Kotomi, her own beautiful body was a weapon for seducing pretty girls, not something she used as capital for arrogance.
In any case, it was for precisely that reason that Kotomi Izumi especially loved leaning against Yui's chest whenever she had the opportunity.
Of course, whenever Megumi was nearby, Kotomi only dared to lean against Megumi's chest.
Although Megumi's figure was in no way inferior to Yui's, Kotomi had reached a conclusion based on her extensive experience cuddling with her. Whenever Kotomi voluntarily leaned against Megumi's chest, Megumi would start getting restless within a minute. Five minutes later, Kotomi would be completely naked or left wearing nothing but a pair of pantyhose.
Kotomi loved intimate cuddling, but even she inevitably grew tired sometimes. Every time she leaned against Megumi, Megumi couldn't resist devouring her completely. That left little Kotomi, who had always believed she was the dominant one, feeling somewhat unhappy.
By contrast, whenever Kotomi voluntarily leaned against Yui, Yui would also become restless and start letting her hands wander. However, as long as Kotomi coughed or gave a small hum, the obedient little Yui who always listened to her would immediately restrain herself and carefully stop behaving so "brazenly."
Of course, whenever Kotomi happened to be in a good mood, she didn't mind letting Yui behave "brazenly" with her for a little longer. She could treat it as a reward from a queen who was satisfied with how obedient and well-behaved her little puppy had been.
Simply put, prideful little Kotomi always liked holding the initiative. Whenever she leaned against Megumi, she couldn't retain even the slightest control. Whenever she leaned against Yui, however, as long as Kotomi didn't tempt her too much, Yui remained an obedient and sensible little puppy who would do anything Kotomi told her to do.
Given the choice, Kotomi usually preferred leaning against the obedient Yui.
There were many reasons Kotomi had fallen for Yui. Yui's gentleness, obedience, and willingness to listen were among them.
Of course, ever since Megumi had once come after her with a knife, whenever Kotomi secretly dated another girl behind Megumi's back and developed their relationship into that of lovers, she would deliberately observe whether the other girl had a tendency to become twisted or yandere.
When it came to yandere girls, Kotomi would consider the matter with exceptional caution.
After all, a yandere girl who had snapped really would kill someone with a knife!
Kotomi Izumi certainly didn't want to provoke an enormous group of deranged yandere girls one day and end up being "divided into ten equal pieces" by them...
Of course, it could also be twenty pieces, thirty pieces, forty pieces, fifty pieces—or even a hundred pieces.
After all, Kotomi Izumi possessed the grand ambition of "dating a hundred million beautiful girls!"
A daring idea immediately arose in Kotomi Izumi's mind.
Suppose she really did have a hundred million girlfriends, and every last one of them was a deranged yandere girl. Once her girlfriends discovered that she had been dating a hundred million people at once, how many pieces would they divide her into?
A hundred million equal pieces?
Kotomi Izumi tried imagining it... then involuntarily shuddered. Even if they scraped every last bit of flesh from her bones and refused to spare her bones, organs, hair, or anything else, they still might not be able to divide her into a hundred million pieces!
Feeling Kotomi suddenly shudder in her arms, Yui lowered her head and asked with concern:
"Kotomi, are you cold?"
As she spoke, Yui picked up a blanket and wrapped it around Kotomi.
"Y-Yeah, a little. Thank you."
Kotomi Izumi tugged at the corners of her lips and told an awkward lie.
The crucial problem was that Yukino was here too. Before Kotomi had completely won Yukino over, she certainly didn't dare announce, "I want a hundred million girlfriends!" in front of her. All she could do was tell a small, casual lie.
Had Yui been the only one present, Kotomi would definitely have announced her goal of "dating a hundred million beautiful girls" just to tease her. Whenever Kotomi had nothing better to do, she loved bullying Dango a little.
After all, Dango had such a good temper, and she wasn't some yandere girl who would snap and pull out a knife. Even if Kotomi made her angry, hurt her feelings, or upset her, Kotomi was one hundred percent confident she could coax Yui back into happiness.
However, Kotomi Izumi didn't yet know that even though she hadn't told Yukino about her desire to "date a hundred million beautiful girls," Yukino was still unhappy. Jealousy that refused to dissipate filled her heart.
Where had little Yukino's jealousy come from?
Naturally, it was because she had seen Kotomi voluntarily lean against Yui's chest!
Ever since early that morning, when Yukino had gathered her courage and conveyed her feelings to Kotomi while Yui was asleep, Yukino had already begun regarding herself as Kotomi's girlfriend in her heart.
Yukino knew Kotomi needed some time to deal with her relationship with Yui. She was also perfectly willing to wait patiently for the day Kotomi voluntarily broke up with Yui.
However, girls who fell in love often developed an emotion they hadn't possessed before—possessiveness!
Any girl who was about to begin a relationship or already in one would inevitably feel possessive toward her lover. It was merely a question of degree.
Previously, because Yukino had believed Kotomi and Yui were lovers who mutually adored one another, and because she herself was Yui's best friend, she had always suppressed the possessiveness she felt toward Kotomi.
Now, however, after conveying her feelings to Kotomi and sensing that Kotomi liked her as well, Yukino no longer suppressed her possessiveness toward Kotomi!
The impulsive desire to compete fairly with Yui had even begun stirring in the depths of Yukino's heart.
Yukino Yukinoshita had always considered herself calm and rational. She almost never entertained impulsive thoughts, and even when they did arise, she buried them in the deepest reaches of her heart so she wouldn't have to acknowledge them.
But at this very moment, the impulsive desire to compete fairly with Yui and determine which of them would truly have Kotomi grew increasingly intense within Yukino's heart. It was as though the feeling had begun gradually rising from the deepest part of her heart and could surge to the surface at any moment. Yukino Yukinoshita had a premonition that when this impulse finally reached the surface, that might be the moment she declared war on Yui Yuigahama!
Returning to the jealousy in Yukino's heart...
From the moment Kotomi voluntarily leaned against Yui's chest, jealousy had instinctively begun spreading through Yukino's heart. By now, it had grown incomparably intense.
A moment earlier, Kotomi had even twitched her little nose and wondered whether she was imagining things. Why did the air seem to smell like vinegar?
Although Yukino already knew Kotomi liked her too, she still felt somewhat uneasy. After all, she and Kotomi had not yet officially become lovers!
What if Kotomi chooses Yui in the end?
When Yukino saw Kotomi voluntarily lean against Yui a moment earlier, that fear naturally arose in her heart.
Furthermore, even without thinking that way, Yukino still had another concern. Unless Kotomi quickly began keeping her distance from Yui and gave Yui time to prepare herself mentally, continuing to behave as intimately as usual, then when Kotomi finally broke up with her, would Yui—still immersed in happiness—become so devastated that she suffered a mental breakdown?!
Yukino Yukinoshita knew Yui's family wasn't particularly well-off. Her father had died in a car accident, while her mother ran a cake shop and supported the family by making desserts. In addition to covering the household expenses, she also had to pay tuition for both of her daughters.
What if Yui really suffered a mental breakdown? Wouldn't her family's financial circumstances become even worse?!
Yukino Yukinoshita didn't want things to end that way. Even though she knew both she and Yui had fallen in love with Kotomi, Yukino still hoped she could remain friends with Yui. She didn't want their friendship to fall apart.
Yukino wanted her friendship with Yui to last forever. She wanted Yui to be happy.
For that reason, Yukino had constantly racked her brain for a way to minimize the harm done to Yui when Kotomi broke up with her.
In Yukino's view, the safest method was for Kotomi to gradually distance herself from Yui before ending their relationship. As Yui sensed Kotomi growing colder toward her, she would subconsciously begin preparing herself for what was coming.
That way, when Kotomi truly proposed breaking up, perhaps the harm done to Yui could be reduced to a minimum.
That was what Yukino believed.
What Yukino didn't know was that even if Kotomi truly followed her plan, Yui wouldn't realize that Kotomi might be planning to break up with her when she sensed Kotomi's coldness. Yui would only foolishly assume that she hadn't done well enough or had accidentally made Kotomi angry.
Yui would imagine countless possibilities alone in her heart, but in every one of them, she would believe herself to be at fault. It would never occur to her that Kotomi could be the one in the wrong.
Had Kotomi truly decided to end their relationship, Yui would only understand after Kotomi personally said the words "break up" to her. Apart from that, no matter how coldly Kotomi treated her, Yui would never imagine that Kotomi wanted to leave her.
Therefore, no matter what method Yukino Yukinoshita devised, she could never reduce the pain Yui would suffer.
Deep down, Yukino Yukinoshita understood that perfectly well. She simply refused to admit it and stubbornly continued racking her brain, searching for some method that might reduce the harm done to Yui when Kotomi broke up with her.
Kotomi, who was leaning against Yui's chest, raised her head and glanced at Yukino. When she saw the expression on Yukino's beautiful face, Kotomi froze slightly, as though she had seen through Yukino's thoughts.
Kotomi parted her small lips as though she wanted to say something, but after looking at the scenery outside the window and noticing that they were gradually approaching Tokyo, she closed her mouth again and remained silent.
After a while, an announcement sounded throughout the first-class carriage.
"Dear passengers, thank you for choosing the Shinkansen. This train has now arrived in Tokyo. Please remember to take your luggage and personal belongings with you. Watch your step when leaving the train. The temperature outside is low, so we recommend putting on warm clothing before disembarking. We wish you a wonderful day and a smooth, pleasant journey ahead. All Shinkansen staff look forward to serving you again. Once more, thank you for choosing the Shinkansen."
After hearing the announcement, Kotomi Izumi left Yui's embrace and began putting on her ankle boots.
Only after the train had come to a complete stop did Kotomi stand and stretch. Then, with the dignified air of a leader, she declared:
"All right, I hereby announce that our Kyoto hot spring trip has concluded successfully! Everyone can go home and find their mothers. See you at school."
"This trip was so much fun! Thank you, Kotomi~" Yui Yuigahama said happily.
"The fact that we were able to enjoy a hot spring trip truly was thanks to Kotomi," Yukino Yukinoshita said before clapping with a completely serious expression.
After she finished clapping, Yukino added:
"At the same time, we should also thank Ms. Hiratsuka for booking that luxurious Japanese-style room for us."
"That's right! When we go back to school, I want to give Ms. Hiratsuka a cake."
Yui Yuigahama nodded and began wondering what flavor of cake Shizuka Hiratsuka liked. After thinking for a long time without reaching an answer, she asked Kotomi. After all, Kotomi and Shizuka Hiratsuka were very close. Anyone could tell they had an excellent teacher-student relationship.
"Kotomi, do you know what flavor of cake Ms. Hiratsuka likes?"
"Huh?"
Caught off guard by the question, Kotomi Izumi instinctively froze. She almost replied, I don't know either, and even if I did, wouldn't it be pointless? By the time we return to school, Shizu's resignation paperwork will probably have been completed, and we'll be greeted by a new homeroom teacher.
After thinking about it, however, Kotomi Izumi decided not to reveal the matter yet. Once she said it, she would have to spend ages explaining. That would have been fine while the train was still moving, but now that they had arrived, it was better to disembark as soon as possible.
Therefore, Kotomi Izumi casually replied:
"Ms. Shizuka definitely likes sweets, but she really has never told me what flavor of cake she prefers. We can ask her later. There's no hurry to give it to her."
"Oh, okay."
Yui Yuigahama obediently nodded. She had always believed anything Kotomi told her.
Yukino Yukinoshita, however, looked at Kotomi with some confusion. She could more or less sense that Kotomi didn't truly lack the answer. She simply didn't want to say it.
But why didn't Kotomi want to tell them?
For the moment, Yukino couldn't think of any reason.
After picking up their suitcases and leaving the Shinkansen carriage, they were struck by a cold gust of wind the moment they stepped outside.
"I thought I'd already gotten used to the drop in temperature while we were in Kyoto, but Tokyo still feels so cold," Yui Yuigahama said, shrinking her neck into her collar.
"Let's hurry home. There's still one day before school starts, and I was originally wondering where we should go and have fun. But after being hit by this cold wind, all I want to do now is laze around in a warm bed for the entire day."
Kotomi Izumi spoke gloomily, having completely thrown the matter of her manuscript deadline to the back of her mind.
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