Considering that Iroha Isshiki could return upstairs at any moment, Kotomi Izumi did not let the kiss last long. She could not allow Iroha to discover the relationship between her and Aimi that was destined to cross into forbidden territory.
There will be plenty of time for kissing in the future anyway...
With that thought, Kotomi Izumi ended the kiss and looked at Aimi before her.
Aimi's cheeks were now completely flushed. The sudden kiss had left her utterly bewildered, as though she had unexpectedly received something she had long yearned for, only to find herself unable to recover because she had not prepared herself for it.
Now you know how to feel embarrassed and shocked, you little brat? Do you have any idea how embarrassed and surprised I was when I first discovered that you were sneaking into my room to assault me every night? Kotomi Izumi thought with a smile as she gazed at the blushing Aimi.
After a brief silence, Kotomi Izumi slowly began to speak:
"Now you understand, don't you? Hot spring trips and enjoying my vacation mean nothing to me. The reason I didn't go on a hot spring trip for three whole years wasn't because I lacked the time. I was simply too lazy to take the initiative. Compared to traveling, I would much rather stay at home!
"So you don't need to have any reservations, and you don't need to hide anything from me when you're sick. Forget a hot spring trip. Even if I were traveling abroad, the moment I learned you were ill, I would take an overnight flight home.
"You are more important to me than anything else!"
By the time Kotomi Izumi finished speaking with a flushed face, her crimson cheeks seemed to indicate that her embarrassment was about to reach the limit of what she could endure.
This was not the first time Kotomi and Aimi had kissed, yet for some reason, the embarrassment in Kotomi Izumi's heart remained just as intense.
If I continue, won't this become a confession...? Kotomi Izumi thought, hesitating over whether she should keep speaking.
Should I really continue?
I clearly decided to wait until Aimi finished her exams...
While Kotomi Izumi was still struggling with her decision, the enhanced hearing granted by her Queen of All Females constitution allowed her to catch the sound of footsteps approaching the stairs nearby.
Iroha is coming back!
At that realization, Kotomi Izumi stopped hesitating altogether and immediately abandoned the idea of saying anything more. Blushing, she reached out, pinched Aimi's cheek, and asked shyly:
"Do you understand?"
Still immersed in the kiss they had just shared, Aimi felt embarrassed even as she repeatedly savored the memory of Kotomi taking the initiative to kiss her.
To Aimi, it was like finally receiving a gift she had anticipated for a very long time.
Aimi's wish was enormous. She wanted Kotomi entirely to herself. Yet Aimi was also very easy to satisfy. As long as Kotomi remained by her side, that was enough.
"I-I understand... Hehehe..." Still somewhat dazed, Aimi Izumi allowed Kotomi to pinch her cheek. Immersed in happiness, she could not help letting out a foolish giggle.
As for why Kotomi had ended the kiss so quickly?
The simple-minded Aimi assumed Kotomi had merely become embarrassed. Although she wished the kiss could have lasted longer, she also felt that Kotomi taking the initiative to kiss her already represented a major milestone in the progress of their relationship!
Were she to cling to Kotomi now and ask her to continue kissing, Kotomi might become unbearably embarrassed, producing the opposite effect.
The kiss may have lasted less than a minute, but Kotomi kissed me first! She kissed me first!!! Compared with before, this is practically progress by leaps and bounds! Any progress is a good thing. You can't eat hot tofu when you're impatient.
I'll take things slowly, one step at a time. If we maintain this incredible rate of progress, I'm confident I can successfully become Kotomi's girlfriend before I graduate from university!
Besides, now that I think about it carefully, even if Megumi Kato likes Kotomi and pursues her aggressively, Kotomi has such a shy personality. No matter how I look at it, there is no possible way Megumi Kato has had the chance to kiss Kotomi on the lips yet.
I've kissed Kotomi's lips multiple times because we grew up together. What right does Megumi Kato have to compare herself to me? Barely two months have passed since she first met Kotomi. How could their relationship possibly have made any progress in only two months?
Hmph. In the end, Megumi Kato merely knows how to intimidate people. Even I was almost frightened by her, but when all is said and done, she's nothing more than a paper tiger who only looks scary! She might still be wondering how she should confess to Kotomi to improve her chances of success.
What a pity, Megumi Kato. You may already have imagined countless ways to confess to Kotomi, but feelings are simple. Either they exist or they don't.
The fact that Kotomi took the initiative to kiss me rather than you makes it obvious that she likes me, not you!
Now that I've received a kiss initiated by Kotomi, I'm invincible! Heh heh heh!
Hehehe. It appears I am destined to become the victorious winner who takes home everything, while Megumi Kato? She's nothing but a pathetic loser in love. Hardly worth mentioning~
Still, I would truly love to see the defeated expression Megumi Kato would make after learning about this.
Perhaps the shock would be too much for her to bear, and she would fall to her knees before Kotomi and me with a thud. From then on, she would wisely stay far away, secretly watching the blissful sight of Kotomi and me from some distant corner!
Aimi Izumi thought silently. The more she imagined, the more pronounced the smile on her face became.
At the same time, her laughter gradually grew louder. At first, she had merely been giggling under her breath, but now she was laughing maniacally with her hands planted on her hips.
"Uh... Aimi, what's wrong with you?"
The corner of Kotomi Izumi's mouth twitched as she stared in confusion at Aimi, who had suddenly begun laughing maniacally. Could her fever have been so severe that it damaged her brain?
At that thought, Kotomi Izumi reached out in concern and touched Aimi's forehead, checking whether her fever had returned.
"Aimi, I opened the can. Do you want to eat it now? Huh? What's wrong with her?"
Iroha Isshiki entered the bedroom carrying the opened can of lychees and a spoon. Upon seeing Kotomi touching Aimi's forehead, she asked with concern.
"Uh... It's nothing. I was only checking whether her fever had returned. Aimi suddenly started laughing like an idiot, so I was worried the fever might have damaged her brain."
"Huh? That would be terrible. Should we take her temperature again? Touching her forehead with your hand isn't exactly reliable," Iroha Isshiki suggested.
"All right, let's check her temperature first. I remember the thermometer was placed..."
As Kotomi Izumi spoke, she tried to recall where the thermometer in her bedroom had been placed.
Before she could remember, Iroha Isshiki had already taken a thermometer from the middle drawer of the bedside cabinet.
"Here, Aimi. Raise your arm and hold the thermometer securely beneath it."
Iroha Isshiki shook the thermometer as she spoke.
"Okay."
Aimi raised her arm and secured the thermometer beneath it. She was in an exceptionally good mood, so even when Kotomi and Iroha discussed whether the fever had damaged her brain, Aimi neither denied it nor protested. Instead, she obediently took her temperature.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that if brain damage meant she could remain with Kotomi forever, Aimi would have opened a browser right then and begun searching for ways to make her fever more severe.
As long as she could remain with Kotomi forever, who cared if she lost her mind?
That was simply how Aimi thought.
Her feelings were pure, yet extreme.
While they waited for the thermometer, Iroha Isshiki fed Aimi canned lychees with a spoon, while Kotomi Izumi began unpacking her suitcase.
It was not that Kotomi Izumi genuinely did not know how to unpack a suitcase. She had merely been unable to do it as a child, and Aimi had helped her every time. Gradually, Kotomi had become dependent on her, so whenever a suitcase needed unpacking, she relied on Aimi's assistance.
Now that Aimi was still sick, Kotomi Izumi naturally could not trouble her again. Instead, she began trying to unpack the suitcase by herself.
At first, she was somewhat rusty because she had not personally unpacked a suitcase in more than a decade. Fortunately, the life experience she possessed from her second life as Ailun allowed Kotomi Izumi to become proficient again very quickly.
"Onee-chan, I'll help you unpack it later..."
"It's all right. I'll do it myself. Now that I've tried, I've realized it isn't that difficult. Besides, I can't always trouble you to unpack for me."
After placing all the clothes that needed washing on the floor, Kotomi Izumi wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and smiled.
"Mmm..."
Still taking her temperature, Aimi could only sit on the bed and watch Kotomi unpack the suitcase alone.
To be honest, watching Kotomi unpack the suitcase by herself left Aimi feeling somewhat disappointed. She wanted Kotomi to depend on her more and more. Ideally, Kotomi would become so severely dependent on her that she could not manage her own food, clothing, shelter, or transportation the moment Aimi left her side!
Kotomi had indeed shown signs of developing in that direction before, thanks in no small part to Aimi's deliberate guidance.
Aimi had always wanted to spoil Kotomi into a useless older sister incapable of doing anything for herself. Only then could she ensure that Kotomi would never leave her.
Unfortunately, for reasons Aimi did not understand, just as her little scheme was about to succeed, Kotomi suddenly underwent an earth-shattering transformation. Her grades suddenly improved. She abruptly learned how to cook and perform household chores. She even suddenly learned how to write novels and draw manga.
The useless older sister who once depended on Aimi for everything had suddenly become capable. Naturally, Aimi, who wanted Kotomi to depend on her forever, felt disappointed.
Now, after seeing Kotomi begin learning how to unpack her own suitcase, the disappointment in Aimi's heart grew even stronger.
Why did you suddenly have to learn all these things? You could have simply depended on me for everything, just like when we were children... Aimi thought silently.
Even though she was currently eating her beloved canned lychees, they no longer tasted quite as delicious.
After a while, just as Kotomi was nearly finished unpacking her suitcase, Aimi Izumi finished taking her temperature.
Aimi removed the thermometer and handed it to Iroha Isshiki. After examining it, Iroha breathed a sigh of relief and said:
"36.7 degrees. Whatever else may be happening, at least your fever is gone. Phew—I can finally relax. If you kept running a high fever, it really could have damaged your brain."
"I'm glad your fever is gone. Still, even if Aimi accidentally suffered brain damage, I would support her for the rest of her life."
Kotomi Izumi finally relaxed completely and spoke with a smile.
It's not merely that you need to support me for the rest of my life. You need to marry me and spend your life with me as my wife! Aimi screamed excitedly in her heart.
Since Iroha Isshiki was still present, Aimi naturally could not shout those thoughts aloud to Kotomi. All she could do was ask weakly:
"Huh? My fever is already gone? Then why do I still feel so tired?"
Aimi Izumi took the thermometer and examined it. It truly did read 36.7 degrees, yet she still felt weak and listless.
"That's normal. Your immune system has been fighting like crazy inside your body for the past few days, so naturally you're exhausted. After lunch, have a proper sleep and get some rest. Then spend tomorrow resting properly too, and you'll have recovered more than halfway."
Kotomi Izumi spoke, her voice already becoming cheerful.
Of course an older sister would be happy when her little sister's fever finally subsided.
After all, winter colds and fevers could become serious with the slightest carelessness.
Nothing could be better than recovering before the illness became severe.
"Then Aimi can return to school the day after tomorrow."
"Ah... Iroha, why did you have to mention that? I wanted to stay home and sleep in for another two days."
"The high school entrance exam is almost here. Hold on until it's over, and then spring break will begin. You can sleep in as long as you like afterward," Iroha Isshiki said encouragingly.
"Now that you mention it, your high school entrance exam really is approaching. Do your best."
Hearing Iroha Isshiki mention it made Kotomi Izumi realize that October was almost over. November would come next, followed by December.
Once December ended, a new year would begin.
Japan's high school entrance examinations were held every February. Kotomi's cohort had been the unusual exception, with the examination moved from February to summer.
Originally, new Japanese high school students enrolled every spring. However, because of that change, Kotomi had not entered high school until the end of summer vacation.
If this timeline appeared in a novel, readers would definitely complain about it... The corner of Kotomi Izumi's mouth twitched as she thought to herself.
"When I embrace you from behind, it is her face I long to see. The irony is almost cruel. I don't understand, yet I yearn for you to understand. Can happiness be so light that it becomes unbearably heavy? Overused until it neither itches nor aches. Eyes ripened red and hollow, finally emptied, finally ending without ever truly beginning."
Kotomi Izumi's phone began ringing at that moment. When she took it out and checked, she discovered that Chizuru Asuka was calling.
The sight of her manga editor's incoming call instantly reminded Kotomi Izumi that she still had not finished the manuscript for Chapter Eight of Chainsaw Man!
While riding the Shinkansen, Kotomi Izumi had constantly worried about the manuscript. Yet the moment she stepped off the train, the matter had completely slipped her mind.
Had Chizuru Asuka not called her now, Kotomi Izumi probably would not have remembered the deadline even by tomorrow.
"Looks like I'll have no choice but to miss the deadline this time..."
The corner of Kotomi Izumi's mouth twitched as she muttered helplessly to herself. Then she left the bedroom, walked into the hallway, and answered Chizuru Asuka's call.
"Hello, my dear Editor Asuka. Good morning. Have you eaten yet? Would you care to spend lunchtime together?"
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