When Arisu Sakayanagi unexpectedly approached Kotomi, gumi, who was standing not far away, imdiately felt her mood sour. Although she didn't yet know that Arisu had overheard her confession at the aquarium, she couldn't help but feel a sense of vigilance whenever she saw Arisu near Kotomi.
Despite how harmless Arisu might appear, the only reason gumi could think of for her unease was this: Arisu liked Kotomi and intended to steal her away.
"Tch..."
Clicking her tongue in displeasure, gumi watched as Arisu engaged Kotomi in what appeared to be a casual morning chat between friends. To an outsider, it seed like nothing more than two close friends from different classes taking advantage of a rare chance to catch up.
Arisu Sakayanagi is a formidable opponent, gumi thought darkly.
At first, gumi had wondered if she was just overthinking things. But in the next instant, Arisu glanced briefly in her direction, her gaze carrying an unmistakable mix of arrogance and disdain. It wasn't just a look; it was a silent declaration of war, a challenge issued as boldly as a knight throwing down a gauntlet.
When gumi locked eyes with Arisu, she imdiately realized that her instincts had been correct.
Arisu Sakayanagi wasn't soone to underestimate.
Even gumi, usually brimming with confidence, couldn't shake the sense of unease she felt whenever Arisu stood by Kotomi's side. It was as if a single mont of carelessness could result in Kotomi being taken away.
anwhile, with Kotomi and Arisu...
Kotomi recalled how she had declined Arisu's invitation to visit the aquarium last week. Quickly fabricating an excuse, she said:
"I was busy with a few things and just wanted to stay ho and play gas. It was so relaxing!"
The scene at Aqua Park replayed vividly in Arisu's mind. She imdiately recognized the lie in Kotomi's words but maintained her calm deanor. The faint bitterness in her smile, however, betrayed her feelings.
Kotomi, you've changed. You never used to lie to like this. But that's okay. I forgive you. I'll help you correct this bad habit of yours.~
But why... why did you accept gumi's confession?
Arisu's thoughts were a tempest beneath her composed exterior. She struggled to suppress the surge of emotions, taking a deep breath before responding with a soft smile:
"Is that so? But Kotomi, staying indoors and gaming all weekend isn't healthy. You should go out more—visit an aquarium, or maybe a park? What do you think?"
"Yeah, I know. On Friday, I was even debating whether to go out or hit the gym... but when the weekend ca, all I wanted to do was lounge around and play gas," Kotomi replied, scratching the back of her head awkwardly.
The more Kotomi described herself as a shut-in, the more certain Arisu beca that she was lying. Still, she smiled gently, feigning ignorance.
"Normally, I'd tell you to spend less ti gaming. But oddly enough, hearing you talk about it has piqued my interest. Hehe, now I really want to play gas with you."
"Wait, really? You want to play gas?" Kotomi was surprised but relieved. She thought Arisu was more approachable than she had expected.
"Of course. Playing gas with you sounds delightful. Will you let ?"
"Sure, if we both have ti, why not?" Kotomi nodded after a mont's thought.
Hearing this, Arisu smiled as if she had achieved a small victory.
"Class is about to start, and I can't afford to be late for A-Class's morning reading. Kotomi, I'll see you later."
"See you later!" Kotomi waved as Arisu turned and walked away.
For a mont, Kotomi had wondered if Arisu had sought her out for sothing specific. But in the end, it seed like nothing more than a chance eting and a friendly chat.
A casual morning greeting between the top two students in their grade? Nothing unusual about that.
When Kotomi returned to gumi's side, she apologized sheepishly:
"Sorry for keeping you waiting, gumi. I was just chatting with Arisu."
"It's fine. Honestly, I don't mind. My philosophy is to spend as little ti in the classroom as possible. Waiting here gave a perfect excuse to avoid sitting around doing nothing," gumi said with a faint smile.
"Still, I shouldn't have kept you waiting so long."
"Sotis, I wonder... am I too easy to pacify?" gumi teased, her tone light as she glanced at Kotomi with a hint of amusent.
"Not at all! It just ans my gumi is kind and understanding!" Kotomi replied earnestly, nodding emphatically.
"My gumi, huh? We're not even married yet, and I'm already yours?" gumi quipped, her grin widening as Kotomi blushed furiously.
Thankfully, there was no one nearby to overhear their conversation.
"We're at school, so... maybe tone it down a little," Kotomi murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Tone it down? The couples at this school don't even know the aning of restraint. Just the other day, a pair of freshn from Class 1-E were expelled. Apparently, the boy got the girl pregnant. Her parents confronted the school, and now they're both gone."
"Yikes. That sounds like the plot of so tragic teen drama movie," Kotomi muttered, wincing.
She recalled hearing about students dating in middle school and how teachers often responded harshly to such behavior. In high school, however, things were more relaxed. As long as couples kept things discreet, most teachers turned a blind eye.
So, like single teachers Shizuka Hiratsuka and Chihiro Sengoku, even seed to privately stew in envy.
Imaginary conversation:
Shizuka: "These kids... Do they even know what love is?! But no big deal. I'm doing fine without a partner."
Chihiro: "Yeah, right. Even my students have past and present relationships, while I'm still single..."
Shizuka: "Think I'll find 'the one' this year?"
Chihiro: "Keep dreaming. Maybe it's ti we researched retirent hos instead."
Shizuka: "You're insufferable!"
Kotomi chuckled to herself at the thought. High school relationships weren't the taboo they used to be. As long as boundaries were respected, even getting married right after graduation wouldn't shock anyone.
"It's really about knowing your limits," Kotomi remarked. "Those freshn... they clearly didn't."
"Oh, crap. I just rembered—I didn't finish my math howork. gumi, can I borrow yours to copy?"
"Wow. The top student in our grade wants to copy my howork? This is a mont worth commorating!" gumi replied with a smirk.
As soon as they entered the classroom, Kotomi noticed sothing unusual. Passing by Seiko Kirigiri's seat, she realized it was almost ti for morning reading, yet Seiko still hadn't shown up.
"Is Seiko Kirigiri absent again today?" Kotomi asked the girl sitting behind Seiko.
Not expecting Kotomi to talk to her, the girl's face flushed red with nervousness as she stamred:
"Y-Yes! Kirigiri said she took a two-day leave. She ntioned that she wasn't feeling well over the weekend, couldn't sleep, and needed rest."
"I see. Got it. Thanks."
"N-No problem!"
Kotomi couldn't help but worry about the Kirigiri sisters—both Seiko and Hibiki seed to struggle with severe insomnia. She especially felt concerned for Hibiki, the president of the art club. If her sleeplessness affected her ability to finish her work before the upcoming exhibition deadline, it would be heartbreaking for her.
"Kotomi! Good morning!"
Yui Yuigahama's cheerful voice rang out as she dashed over and pulled Kotomi into a tight bear hug.
"Good morning! Did you finish your howork?" Kotomi responded, wrapping her arms around Yui just as tightly.
"Of course! I'm not the weakling I used to be. I can finish my howork all on my own now!"
"Looks like all those 'training sessions' where I made you eat green onions have paid off," Kotomi teased, tightening her embrace.
It wasn't just a hug for Kotomi; Yui's warm, soft body was genuinely comforting to hold. Since their shared experience of cramming for exams, their bond had deepened significantly.
Although... those study sessions often involved Kotomi pushing her unwanted green onions onto Yui under the guise of "training."
"By the way, Kotomi, I've finally decided what kind of cake to make for you! I'll have it ready this week. Look forward to it!"
"No chocolate, please."
"Don't worry. My mom helped pick the ingredients, and we specifically avoided chocolate because we know you don't like it."
"Yuigahama-san truly understands ~"
"What about ? Don't I understand you too?" Yui asked, feigning jealousy.
"You do! You, your mom, and your sister all understand . Oh, speaking of which, I went to the aquarium over the weekend and got so souvenirs for you, your mom, and your sister. My bag is stuffed to the brim—I'll give them to you later."
"Souvenirs from the aquarium? Aweso! Thanks, Kotomi!"
As Kotomi and Yui embraced tightly, Yukino Yukinoshita cleared her throat loudly, unable to bear the sight any longer.
"Ahem. How long do you two plan to keep hugging? The teacher will be here soon," she remarked dryly.
"Kotomi, if you keep this up, I won't let you borrow my howork later," gumi added, her tone light yet laced with a hint of jealousy.
Kotomi imdiately recognized the playful yet possessive undertone in gumi's words.
"Please let borrow your howork!" Kotomi pleaded.
"Oh, right! Thanks for reminding , Yukino," Kotomi said, releasing Yui and quickly returning to her seat.
As they separated, Kotomi felt a wave of embarrassnt. The lingering stares from their classmates during the prolonged hug made it clear that continuing would only draw more attention.
In a less crowded setting, she and Yui could've hugged until the next class.
Kotomi retrieved her unfinished howork and borrowed gumi's to start copying it. Since she rarely wrote by hand due to her preference for keyboards and phones, her handwriting initially felt awkward. Thankfully, her proficiency in calligraphy helped her maintain neat and presentable writing.
By the ti the bell rang, Kotomi had completed her howork and returned it to gumi.
To her surprise, gumi remained unusually quiet. Even after receiving her notebook, she silently opened her textbook and focused on her reading.
The shift in atmosphere was noticeable, and Kotomi couldn't help but feel unsettled.
During the lesson, she occasionally glanced at gumi out of the corner of her eye. Outwardly, gumi seed fine, but Kotomi's instincts told her otherwise. If sothing seems off, it likely is.
After class...
"Yes, I'm jealous," gumi admitted matter-of-factly when Kotomi finally confronted her. "You hugged Yui so tightly and so enthusiastically right in front of . If she had initiated it, I could've let it slide. But after she hugged you, you hugged her back just as eagerly."
gumi's candid words left Kotomi both surprised and amused.
"I see... so that's what this is about." Kotomi chuckled nervously. She had always assud that gumi wasn't the jealous type.
Clearly, she had been wrong.
gumi could, in fact, get jealous.
And she could do so over the smallest things.
"gumi, I'm sorry! It was my fault. What can I do to make it up to you?" Kotomi decided to take the most straightforward approach: admit her mistake and let gumi dictate the terms of reconciliation.
gumi's lips curved into a smile, as if she had been waiting for this mont. Raising two fingers, she said:
"There are two steps to earning my forgiveness."
"Okay. I'm listening," Kotomi replied obediently.
"Step one: give a bear hug—tighter than the one you gave Yui earlier."
Before gumi could finish her sentence, Kotomi had already rushed forward and wrapped her in a firm embrace.
"Not... so tight... My neck!" gumi coughed softly. "Step two: kiss ."
Kotomi froze. "Wait, what?! K-Kiss you?"
"You've already kissed so many tis before. Why are you so shy about it now?" gumi teased, her tone light and playful as she rested in Kotomi's arms.
"Idiot! Of course, I'm embarrassed! We're in the classroom! There are classmates all around us. Sure, we're near the back, but what if soone sees us? I can't kiss you here—not now."
Reluctantly, Kotomi released gumi and shook her head.
"Pfft—" gumi pouted slightly, her cheeks puffing out adorably as she stared at Kotomi with mock discontent.
Unable to withstand gumi's gaze, Kotomi leaned closer and whispered:
"gumi, can we save the kiss for after school? Maybe when club activities are over? By then, most of the students will have gone ho, so there's no risk of being seen."
"That sounds good. Okay, I'll agree to that. After your club activities, I'll co to the art room to find you. I've been dying to kiss you in the art room," gumi replied with a mischievous grin.
"Are you imagining sothing inappropriate again?"
"Hehe. Of course not. What bad intentions could I possibly have?" gumi giggled innocently.
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