Arisu Sakayanagi's icy gaze remained locked on the barrel of the gun, while her cane sword inched closer to gumi Kato's neck.
At the sa ti, gumi was unfazed, pressing the stun gun firmly against Arisu's head. Her slender fingers seed ready to pull the trigger at any mont.
"Are you afraid that if my hand slips, I'll leave a hole in your throat?" Arisu sneered.
"I'm just surprised that you're still standing without your cane." gumi replied without a hint of fear.
Because she had a gun.
Due to her heart condition, Arisu had been frail since childhood. Even walking required the support of a cane. In fact, she had only learned to walk with one after years of grueling rehabilitation. If she hadn't persevered, she might have spent her life confined to a wheelchair.
Going from being wheelchair-bound to using a cane was an incredible feat, but Arisu had never grown complacent. From kindergarten onward, she had constantly trained herself to stand and move without support. Now, she could remain standing unaided—though only for about fifteen minutes before losing balance.
"The ti I can stand without my cane is limited, but do you think that's a weakness? Quite the opposite. If I wish, I can use the mont I lose balance to drive my sword straight into your heart."
gumi scoffed. "Then I could just shoot you first and step away. You're not faster than ."
"That's true." Arisu smiled as if she had already anticipated this response. Her grip on her cane's hilt tightened slightly.
gumi felt a wave of unease. Arisu might appear delicate, but her presence was overwhelming, suffocating even.
A chilling presence that sent shivers down her spine.
Shing—!
Suddenly, Arisu tilted her head back, dodging the gun's aim. In the sa fluid motion, she spun her sword in a dazzling arc and slashed toward gumi from another direction.
gumi pulled the trigger, but even at her speed, she was still a second too slow. Before she could react, the blunt side of Arisu's sword struck the back of her hand.
The impact forced the stun gun from her grip, sending it clattering to the ground.
Arisu seized the opportunity without hesitation. The sharp tip of her cane sword drove into the floor, piercing straight through the stun gun's casing.
The once-precise weapon was now a useless, broken shell.
"Tch."
gumi clicked her tongue in annoyance. She had underestimated Arisu, and now she had lost her weapon. Her hand stung from the blow. If Arisu had used the blade instead of the blunt edge, she would have had a deep gash in her palm by now.
The wind from Arisu's next strike grazed gumi's cheek, stinging her skin. She instinctively moved to create distance, but Arisu's sword had the advantage of reach—its tip aid straight for gumi's stomach.
"Ugh—!"
gumi coughed and leaped backward, clutching her abdon.
At the last mont, Arisu had pulled back, rely tapping her with the blade rather than piercing her. But it still hurt. A lot.
"Your reflexes are better than I expected, Kato-san. But losing while holding a gun? That's just embarrassing."
gumi took a deep breath before flashing a confident smile.
"But Kotomi is mine."
"In your dreams."
"Do you know how adorable she is in bed?"
gumi Kato's words struck a nerve. For the first ti, Arisu Sakayanagi's expression twisted into one of irritation. Her usual calm deanor darkened as she clenched her teeth.
"Kato-san, why don't you just drop dead right now?"
"Because I still need to go buy drinks with Kotomi~."
Just as the atmosphere between them beca unbearably tense, they suddenly moved in sync.
Arisu slid her cane sword back into its sheath, restoring its appearance as a simple, elegant walking cane.
gumi picked up her broken stun gun from the ground and stuffed it into her pocket, planning to dispose of it later.
They returned to their previous positions, standing half an arm's length apart. It was as if nothing had happened.
"Kotomi just grabbed her wallet and is heading toward the door~."
"I knew that already."
Arisu glanced at gumi with a smirk, her tone laced with mockery.
"You claim to understand Kotomi so well, yet the book you bought her wasn't even in perfect condition. Were you trying to disappoint her? Did you know that if she doesn't get a book with pristine corners, she'll be annoyed about it all day?"
"Of course, I know! I just didn't have enough ti to check properly this morning." gumi retorted, frustrated, before pressing on, "What exactly is your relationship with Kotomi?"
gumi felt like she might be imagining things, but sothing about Arisu's words made her uneasy. Could it be possible that Arisu had known Kotomi for much longer than she let on?
"I'm her kindred spirit and perfectly complentary friend~. Oh, and you probably didn't know this, but I had Kotomi's first kiss years ago. And she had mine. If she agrees, I can marry her into the Sakayanagi family tomorrow. There's no room for you to interfere."
With that, Arisu tapped her cane against the floor and gracefully walked away.
gumi watched her leave, rubbing her sore hand. Her expression was clouded with complicated emotions as she replayed Arisu's words in her mind.
Monts later, Kotomi pushed open the door and called out cheerfully, "gumi, let's go buy drinks! I'm craving red-green lemon tea."
Seeing Kotomi's bright smile, gumi suddenly felt the pain in her hand fade away. She squeezed Kotomi's small hand and smiled softly.
"I don't think the school store sells red-green lemon tea, but I have lemons at ho. Why don't you co over after school?"
Kotomi wasn't naive—she instantly understood gumi's true intentions. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she hesitated.
"I-I don't know if that's a good idea~."
"My parents are attending a friend's birthday party. They won't be ho until at least 9:30 PM. Which ans… right after school, the house is empty."
Kotomi hesitated a little longer. She couldn't let gumi have her way too easily.
Seeing that persuasion alone wasn't working, gumi switched tactics, her voice turning sweet and coy as she wrapped her arms around Kotomi's waist.
"Onee-chan~ Kotomi Onee-chan~ your little sister is hungry and wants to eat so 'at'~."
As she spoke, she gently pulled Kotomi closer, her hands resting against the girl's soft, slender waist. If she lifted Kotomi's shirt just a little, she would reveal the smooth, delicate curves of her snake-like waist.
Kotomi had a perfect 'water snake waist.'
gumi had suspected it from the first ti she saw Kotomi walking through the school halls—her graceful steps, the way her hips swayed slightly with each movent, drawing attention with effortless allure. It wasn't until their trip to the aquarium that gumi had finally confird it with her own eyes…
Sotis, if she wasn't worried about making Kotomi too flustered, gumi Kato would much rather hug her waist than simply hold hands.
Kotomi squird, her face turning a deep shade of red. She pouted and gave gumi a half-hearted glare, regretting the mont she had let slip that gumi was younger than her. Ever since then, gumi had taken full advantage of it, calling her "Onee-chan" in the sweetest voice whenever she wanted to tease her.
Every ti gumi did this, Kotomi would be left utterly defenseless, unsure of how to retaliate.
I'm older than you! You're the one calling 'Onee-chan,' so why am I always the one being teased?! Shouldn't the older sister be the dominant one?!
Kotomi had reminded gumi of this countless tis, subtly hinting that since she was the "Onee-chan," she should be the one taking charge.
Whether gumi had actually listened was another matter entirely. Every ti, she would sweetly call Kotomi "Onee-chan"—while tilting her chin up for a kiss.
"Kotomi Onee-chan, I'm really hungry~."
"I-If you're hungry, go buy sothing to eat!"
"Don't play dumb. Be good~." gumi's voice suddenly shifted, turning firm and assertive.
Soft tactics weren't working. Ti to switch to sothing stronger.
"Do you think being forceful will make give in? I'm older than you, even if it's just by a few months… But still! I want to be the big sister, so you have to listen to !"
Kotomi, her face still flushed, stubbornly held her ground.
If she didn't assert herself now, she'd end up being completely at gumi's rcy in the future.
...
After school, Kotomi was successfully "coaxed" into going ho with gumi.
Two hours later.
Kotomi wobbled slightly as she stepped out of gumi's house, needing gumi's help to steady herself.
"Are you sure you don't want to carry you ho?"
"No, I'm going to the bookstore." Kotomi rubbed her slightly weary face, taking a deep breath. Her Queen of All Females endurance kicked in, instantly restoring most of her stamina.
"Then I'll carry you to the bookstore instead." As the "culprit" responsible for Kotomi's current state, gumi was eager to offer her assistance.
"That bookstore is right along Aimi's route ho from school. You just want her to see, don't you?" Kotomi shot gumi a knowing look.
"What? No way. I've always seen Aimi as my little sister. I'd love to get closer to her and beco great friends." gumi replied with a perfectly straight face. Then she added, "By the way, when does Aimi get out of school?"
"In about twenty minutes."
"Then why don't you stay at my place for twenty more minutes? After that, I'll carry you to the bookstore. I'm just worried—you're still unsteady on your feet. What if you trip and fall?"
Even if gumi had the words "Pure Intentions" written across her forehead, Kotomi wouldn't believe her for a second. With an adorable pout, she reached out and pinched gumi's arm in playful protest.
But gumi didn't mind the slight pain at all. Instead, she used the mont Kotomi leaned in to close the distance—seizing the opportunity to press their lips together once more.
For so reason, gumi's kiss was especially intense this ti…
It was a long while before they finally parted.
"Kotomi, I love you."
"Idiot, you don't need to say sothing we both already know. I love you too."
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