Returning to the shop with the package, Yui Yuigahama didn't rush to close the door. She wanted to see what gift Kotomi had sent her.
Carefully and with great anticipation, Yui opened the package to find a Kiyomizu-yaki teacup and a letter.
...
Carrying a small pot, Iroha Isshiki walked toward the Izumi household. She had visited the Izumi ho several tis before. At first, she went there to find her best friend Aimi—they often planned to go shopping and hang out together.
But over ti, every ti Iroha visited the Izumi house, she would say it was to see Aimi. Still, soone as sharp as Akina Izumi could clearly see what was going on—this wasn't about visiting Aimi. She was obviously interested in Kotomi!
However, Akina never pointed it out and always pretended not to know. Every ti she saw Aimi, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly and think: Both of my daughters are little fools... just in different ways.
Iroha Isshiki arrived at the Izumi residence with ease. She had co so many tis that she didn't even need to think about the route—it was as familiar as going to her own house.
Ding dong—
After pressing the doorbell, Akina's voice ca through the intercom: "Hello, who is it?"
"Auntie Izumi, it's , Iroha Isshiki."
"Oh! It's Iroha. Just a mont."
As soon as Akina finished speaking, click—the door opened. Seeing Iroha standing outside, she looked a bit surprised.
She hadn't expected Iroha to be so persistent.
It was a school day, and yet she still made ti to co visit. But Iroha might be disappointed this ti—Kotomi wasn't ho. The earliest she'd be back was tomorrow.
"Auntie Izumi, this is cream stew we just made. My mom said she really nailed the cooking today—it turned out great—so she had bring so over for you."
After saying that, Iroha naturally added, "My mom wanted to co herself, but she had to rush back to the hospital, so she asked to deliver it instead. She said next ti she'll definitely co in person."
"Haha, Ms. Kumi is just too thoughtful," Akina said with a cheerful smile as she took the pot from Iroha's hands.
Akina wasn't surprised at all that Kumi Motokawa had beco the new Mrs. Isshiki. After hearing Iroha talk about Kumi and Tetsunosuke Isshiki's school days, Akina had already predicted that the next ti Kotomi saw Kumi, she'd be calling her aunt.
Now, Iroha had already started calling Kumi "Mom" in front of others, which only confird Akina's hunch.
Still, that was just in public. For a daughter to formally address her new stepmother as "Mom," it would have to wait until Kumi officially married Tetsunosuke Isshiki and changed her na to Kumi Isshiki. That's just how these things were done.
"Iroha, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I just finished cooking—co join ."
"Wouldn't that trouble you, Auntie?"
Iroha asked sweetly. If Kotomi were there to see it, she'd be shocked—was this really the sa little devil who always acted arrogant around her?!
Who is this polite little sister?!
Akina chuckled and shook her head.
"It's no trouble at all. How could it be? Just an extra pair of chopsticks. And you even brought cream stew—that makes it a return gift."
"Honestly, I'd love it if you ca over every day. Kotomi—err, Aimi would be so happy. But she's still at school today. Since she entered her third year of junior high, the pressure has really ramped up. Are you feeling any pressure with your studies, Iroha?"
As she spoke, Akina stepped aside to make way, and she and Iroha Isshiki entered the house together.
"It's not too bad. Most of the junior high material has been covered. Now it's just review and practice exams while waiting for the high school entrance exams. I really hope I can get into Sobu High School..."
When Akina heard that Iroha wanted to apply to Sobu High School, she raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise.
"Oh? So you're aiming for Sobu High School, Iroha? In that case, you should bother Kotomi more often."
"She might not be able to tutor you exactly, but she can definitely share her experience with the entrance exam. Oh, right—I almost forgot that my precious, silly daughter probably passed Sobu's cutoff thanks to divine luck during the exams."
Akina made a subtle joke, instantly lightening the mood between them. She had noticed earlier that Iroha seed a bit tense—like a son-in-law eting his future mother-in-law for the first ti, trying to do everything perfectly. When that comparison popped into Akina's mind earlier, she nearly laughed out loud.
So she told a joke to ease Iroha's tension a bit. Though, she was a bit puzzled—she didn't think she looked very stern, so why was Iroha nervous today? She wasn't usually like this.
Fortunately, Akina's thod worked. After hearing the joke, Iroha felt much more at ease.
"Oh? So it's Iroha. Welco, welco! Co have so lunch," said Kaneyoshi Izumi, who had been sitting at the table reading the newspaper. He set the paper down and smiled warmly.
"Hello, Uncle Izumi!"
"Didn't go to school today?"
"I wasn't feeling well this morning, so I took the day off. Around 11 I felt a lot better and just wanted to go out for a walk. Since Mom made a big batch of cream stew, I thought I'd bring so over for you and Auntie."
"This is the first ti Akina and I will be tasting Kumi's cooking. We'll be sure to enjoy it."
After the three of them finished lunch together, Iroha initially wanted to take the empty pot ho and wash it herself. But Akina insisted on cleaning it first before letting her take it back.
Cream stew pots weren't exactly easy to clean.
Iroha couldn't argue with her and obediently waited while Akina washed the pot. Of course, during that ti, Iroha didn't just sit around—she rolled up her sleeves and helped Akina clean the table and wash the dishes.
By the ti Akina had thoroughly scrubbed the pot, Iroha had already cleaned up all the plates, utensils, and the dining table. Anyone could tell just by looking—this was a kid who often helped with chores at ho.
That boosted Iroha's standing in the Izumi couple's eyes even further.
As she was about to leave, the Izumis walked her to the door.
"You're really sothing. I told you to just sit and relax, but you helped clean everything."
Iroha smiled sweetly and replied matter-of-factly:
"You treated to such a delicious al—this little bit of help doesn't even count as thanks."
"Haha, you're such a good kid... Take care on your way back."
"Okay! Goodbye, Auntie and Uncle!"
As Iroha's figure disappeared from view, Akina suddenly rembered sothing.
"Kaneyoshi, are we almost out of cake at ho?"
"I think so. Just a few pieces of chocolate left."
"Ah, with Kotomi away these past few days, I didn't notice. When she gets back, the first thing she'll want is dessert. She definitely won't eat chocolate cake. We should go buy so fresh ones."
"Sounds good. We can treat it as a walk after lunch."
Kaneyoshi hadn't gone to work today—there wasn't much to do at the office. Ever since becoming a section chief, he only needed to check in on busy days. On regular days, he didn't need to stay there the whole ti.
"Let's go to the Dango Cake Shop. I heard from Aimi that Kotomi really likes the desserts from there."
On the way to the Dango Cake Shop, the couple happened to pass by a seafood store. Like many housewives, Akina had the habit of checking out fresh ingredients even if she didn't plan on buying anything. She couldn't resist walking up and asking about the prices, only to walk away afterward.
"Wow, this octopus looks great. If we bought it, I could make a few different dishes," Akina said, bending slightly in front of the tank outside the seafood store, watching the octopus slowly drift back and forth.
Swim? Drift? Sothing like that...
"More octopus again...?" Kaneyoshi walked up beside her. Seeing Akina's eyes sparkle as she stared at the octopus, he sighed helplessly. Ever since she claid to have seen a huge tentacle mass in the kitchen, octopus-based dishes had been appearing at the Izumi dinner table on a regular basis.
Last week it was takoyaki. The day before yesterday, it was braised octopus. Yesterday was octopus sashimi. What's next?
"Let's hold off for now. I haven't thought of a new way to cook octopus tentacles yet."
Hearing that, Kaneyoshi let out a small sigh of relief.
As they continued toward the Dango Cake Shop,, Akina brought up that strange tentacle mass she had seen in the kitchen the other night—unsure if it had been real or a hallucination.
It looked like a cluster of flower petals blooming together—except they were tentacles.
From a viscous, blood-red liquid, massive and winding tentacles grew, eerily coordinated in their chaotic form. The crimson hues shifted in her vision, making the world look like it was painted in thick, layered oils—rich colors slapped together like the final masterpiece of an impressionist at the height of their madness.
And yet, strangely enough, the sight didn't evoke terror. Instead, she found the tentacle mass... kind of cute? Each tentacle seed glossy and soft?! Almost like a pink-haired girl standing right in front of her.
Realizing that, the first thought that popped into Akina's head was—Wait, have the Old Ones learned to beco cute ani girls to attract followers?! That's terrifying!
"Could it be that my SAN value is at a dangerous level now? At any mont, I might see more incomprehensible scenes... as I gradually piece together the threads of these bizarre events, losing my grip on reality and nearing the maddening truth behind it all!"
Akina spoke with an unusually serious tone. She had just finished playing a Lovecraftian-thed ga last month, and the imrsion hit her hard.
Kaneyoshi didn't just smile warmly like he usually did. Instead, he quickened his pace to stand in front of her, his expression suddenly grave.
Seeing his serious look, Akina was a bit confused, even a little worried. Did I say sothing wrong?
Then Kaneyoshi began speaking slowly and solemnly: "Akina, I'm sorry. I've been hiding sothing from you. Actually... my grandfather's grandfather was an investigator. He once stood face-to-face with an eldritch god and engaged in a battle of wits."
"Maybe it's because of that influence that the Izumi bloodline carries an unnatural sensitivity. Usually, after our 15th birthday, our eyes begin to see things others can't—things incomprehensible to the average mind."
"I rember when I turned fifteen, I looked up at the night sky. There was a phosphorescent light erging from the void, and it filled with dread. That sensation far exceeded anything I could comprehend at the ti. It wasn't just light—it was an overwhelming surge of unrecognizable color flowing through a rift and spreading across the sky like thick oil paint, blotting out the stars entirely."
"Maybe the reason you saw that blood-red tentacle hallucination in the kitchen... is because you've spent too much ti with . The Izumi bloodline might have subconsciously affected your SAN value."
"R-Really?" Akina asked, dumbfounded.
Kaneyoshi looked at her and said with a perfectly straight face, "Nope. Just kidding."
Akina stared blankly for a second, then burst out laughing and lightly kicked Kaneyoshi on the butt.
"You jerk, Kaneyoshi. You're no good! You made up that whole elaborate story just to prank ."
"Hahaha... just a little joke. But seriously, Akina, let's say that blood-red tentacle wasn't a hallucination. If you saw it again, what would you do?"
Akina let out a cold laugh and cracked her knuckles. "I don't care if it's an ancient god or an Old One. If it dares show up in our house again, I'm chopping off every last tentacle and stuffing them all into the pressure cooker!"
Lazily curled up inside Kotomi Izumi's body, ignoring a pile of system bugs and peacefully napping, Kazumi suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
She jolted upright, shivering and curling up into a ball.
"What was that terrifying chill just now? Who's thinking about ? Why do I feel like soone wants to toss into a pressure cooker and stew ?!"
Kazumi trembled. Ever since she accidentally ran into Akina in the kitchen while sneaking food, the traumatic mory had scarred her tiny little heart. Now that she was hiding in Kotomi's body, every ti she saw Akina, she'd duck under the blanket like she'd seen her natural predator.
Lately, Kazumi had been feeling more and more anxious. Sure, she escaped quickly that night—faster than the human eye could follow—and anyone who saw her likely thought it was just a hallucination.
She had always been confident in her speed. If she wanted to, she could easily exceed the speed of light.
But—recently, while hiding in Kotomi's body, she kept hearing Akina ntion to the family that she had seen a giant tentacle in the kitchen a few days ago.
That scared Kazumi so badly she started bawling. She had been too focused on sneaking food that night and forgot to hide her physical form!
After crying, she felt like she was the most embarrassing system ever. What kind of system gets caught sneaking food by the host's mom?! If Kotomi ever found out that her system not only got hungry and thirsty like a human, but even snuck out at night to snack—Kazumi felt like all her dignity as a system would vanish. And then she cried again.
She couldn't even cry loudly, fearing Kotomi might hear and fast-track her into social death. So she just curled up under the blanket, trembling and sobbing quietly.
Most of all, she couldn't let Kotomi know that her real form was a mass of tentacles.
Kotomi was the only family she had—the first and the last. Kazumi's world was small, and having Kotomi alone was enough.
That's exactly why she couldn't risk it. What if Kotomi couldn't accept that she was a sentient mass of tentacles? In the eyes of a normal person, that would be terrifying—maybe even disgusting.
She was afraid that if Kotomi found out, she'd start to resent her. Their bond might fracture, and they'd never be the sa again.
Kazumi spaced out, lost in thought. She realized she had changed. She didn't used to be this sentintal, this prone to overthinking.
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