All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

”Mashiro, next time, remember to pay before taking something,” Izumi Kotomi gently reminded Mashiro on their way back to the classroom.

Was it because she’d been too sheltered growing up? Or maybe Mashiro’s world revolved solely around painting?

She didn’t even seem to grasp the basic concept that you need to pay for things before taking them.

”Pay?” Mashiro tilted her head, still holding her baumkuchen, looking adorably confused.

”Yes, pay. For example, if you want this cake, you need to pay for it first before you can take it. That’s how transactions work.”

Mashiro didn’t say anything, but her expression showed that while she seemed to understand, there was also a hint of confusion. She just stared at Kotomi with her cute, slightly dazed look, head tilted.

Kotomi sighed, realizing that Mashiro probably didn’t understand a lot of basic things. She couldn’t help but wonder what her parents were thinking when they sent her to Japan.

Looks like Chihiro Sengoku will have her hands full.

”…Kotomi,” Mashiro whispered softly, calling out to Kotomi, who was walking ahead of her.

”Hm?”

”Thank you for… the cake.”

”You’re welcome.”

”So, this cake is called baumkuchen? Do you like it, Kotomi?”

”Yeah, I do.”

”Mm… I hope we can eat it together next time,” Mashiro nodded, her voice calm and devoid of much emotion, and her cute face remained expressionless.

”Yui’s family runs a cake shop called Dango Cake Shop. If you want baumkuchen in the future, you can buy it there,” Kotomi suggested, half-jokingly advertising Yui’s family business.

”Really?!” Mashiro’s eyes lit up, revealing her interest. Perhaps because she’d grown up in England, she had a strong love for sweets.

”Yep, you can ask Yui about it,” Kotomi said.

Yui Yuigahama, grateful for the plug, smiled at Kotomi and turned to Mashiro, ”That’s right, my mom runs the shop, and you’re always welcome to stop by, Mashiro! Just remember to pay for the cake first,” she added with a teasing tone.

Mashiro tilted her head again, nodding as if she somewhat understood.

When they returned to the classroom, Megumi Kato looked up and greeted them with a smile, ”You guys are pretty fast at getting lunch.”

”That’s the harsh reality of Sobu High School’s lunch competition—survival of the fittest. If you want the best yakisoba bread and tuna mayo rice balls, you have to be quick,” Yui said, sitting down and trying to sound serious.

”Are you pretending to be an old samurai in his twilight years?” Kotomi couldn’t help but throw in a quick joke.

”Hahaha!”

That simple remark sent all three girls into laughter. Even Yukino Yukinoshita, who rarely laughed, let out a small chuckle after hearing Kotomi’s light-hearted joke.

As for Mashiro, she couldn’t quite understand the humor, having never lived in Japan before.

To be honest, it wasn’t even that funny—it was just a cold joke. But sometimes, the absurdity of the timing could make anyone laugh, especially when Kotomi herself seemed so amused.

Megumi then opened her bento, which, just as expected, contained the Kanto-style Japanese omelet her mother had prepared for her.

”Is today’s bento from your mom again, Megumi? Can I have another octopus sausage? Ever since I had one from your lunch last time, I’ve been craving more,” Yui asked, unable to resist the thought of those delicious sausages.

”Of course, help yourself. I can teach you how to make them too,” Megumi replied softly, as she placed her bento in the center of the group, just like before.

”Really? Please teach me!” Yui said enthusiastically.

Kotomi hadn’t planned on eating anyone else’s food, especially since she had bought quite a lot for herself today. But then her eyes landed on Megumi’s Japanese omelet.

An omelet?!

One of Kotomi’s favorite dishes was Japanese omelet—both Kanto and Kansai styles.

A delicious omelet paired with white rice? It was a match made in heaven.

She began to crave it.

Suddenly, the yakisoba bread in her hand tasted bland.

The tuna mayo rice ball? Just mediocre.

Noticing the longing gaze next to her, Megumi, with the satisfaction of seeing a fish biting the bait, calmly asked, ”Kotomi, would you like some?”

Megumi had never liked eggs, but today she had her mother add omelets specifically to lure in Kotomi. There was a certain déjà vu to this little ploy.

”Go ahead, eat up. Fill yourself up nicely. Afterward, you’ll be mine~” Megumi could have said this out loud without it feeling out of place.

In fact, it was probably her intention all along…

Kotomi swallowed and nodded. ”Then I won’t hold back.”

”Please enjoy,” Megumi replied, handing Kotomi her chopsticks.

Kotomi picked up a slice of the Kanto-style omelet and took a bite. Chewing a few times, her face lit up with happiness and satisfaction.

”This is so good!”

Kotomi couldn’t help but praise it—Megumi’s mother really knew how to make a great omelet!

Seeing Kotomi so happy, Megumi let a faint, almost imperceptible smile slip across her face.

She hadn’t asked for the omelet because she wanted it for herself. Her goal had been to have Kotomi eat with her chopsticks.

As Kotomi finished one slice, she felt too embarrassed to eat more, after all, it was Megumi’s lunch. She handed the chopsticks back to her.

Megumi casually accepted them, continuing to eat with the same pair of chopsticks. However, when no one was watching, instead of picking up more food, she lightly pressed the tips of the chopsticks against her lips, savoring the moment with an expression of utter contentment, as if she were tasting the finest delicacies.

Halfway through eating, Kotomi suddenly realized that she had just shared the same pair of chopsticks with Megumi.

”Megumi...” Kotomi blushed and stammered, ”I’m so sorry… I didn’t realize we were using the same chopsticks.”

”It’s fine~ I don’t mind.”

—In fact, I hope you use them more often.

If possible, Megumi wished Kotomi would use her chopsticks to eat every day.

Sweet Megumi couldn’t possibly have any ulterior motives, could she?

After finishing lunch, Kotomi asked Mashiro if she wanted to continue exploring the school or meet Naegi-senpai from Class 2-B.

Since Mashiro had officially joined the art club starting today, it was important to introduce her to the other members.

With her stomach full, Mashiro was eager to explore, and she nodded enthusiastically, ready to follow Kotomi out of the classroom again.

After another quick tour around the school, Kotomi led Mashiro straight to Class 2-B.

Although it was lunchtime, most high school students didn’t use this time to nap. Instead, they spent it playing on their phones, reading manga, or relaxing with a novel.

Of course, students with boyfriends or girlfriends used this precious break to sneak off and spend time together.

Ah, young love.

Sometimes, high school romances were that simple.

Two students would find a quiet spot, sit close together, and even without saying much or doing anything in particular, the simple act of being near each other could create a warm, intimate atmosphere. Just a fleeting glance or a casual brush of hands could ignite their hearts in the shy excitement of youth.

The innocent beauty of young love.

When they entered Class 2-B, Kotomi and Mashiro were fortunate that the classroom wasn’t too crowded. Otherwise, their entrance would’ve sparked quite a commotion. After all, with their looks, it was impossible not to draw attention.

Kotomi spotted Hibiki Naegi, who was sitting in the distance, engrossed in her phone. She led Mashiro over and greeted her.

”Naegi-senpai, good afternoon!”