All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

After eating honey buns with Aimi for a while, Kotomi quietly left her sister’s room so as not to disturb her studying and headed back to her own.

She was leaving for Kyoto tomorrow and hadn’t even started packing. Classic procrastination.

Kotomi believed that if she could just overcome her procrastination and become more self-disciplined, she wouldn’t necessarily become the richest person in the world, but financial freedom would be within reach.

Just like how she overcame her academic struggles with the system’s help, she had once asked Kazumi if the system could help her beat procrastination.

But Kazumi had replied with something quite profound:

”For most people, procrastination isn’t even considered a real problem. Everyone delays things a little; it’s just human nature. Look at me, I’m a system and even I lag sometimes. If it were anyone else, I could fix it with ease. But for you, Kotomi... the margin for operation is just too wide. I wouldn’t know where to start. Better pick another wish.”

Low EQ version: ”Even the system can’t fix your procrastination.”

High EQ version: ”The operation space is too vast to handle.”

Kazumi really had a way with words.

It left Kotomi with no comeback.

So for now, she tossed the procrastination issue aside.

...

”Onee-chan, if you’re going to Kyoto, don’t forget to pack extra clothes. I heard October in Kyoto is really rainy. I stopped by the convenience store after school and bought you a folding umbrella. It’s on your desk—don’t forget to pack it. Actually... maybe you should bring a backpack too, just in case. You can put a handkerchief, the umbrella, and a light jacket in it.”

Aimi said this while doing math problems, not even looking up as she offered advice to her unreliable older sister.

Even though Kotomi wasn’t as much of a disaster as she used to be, she still had her moments. Aimi, having been used to looking after her big sister since they were little, didn’t find it troublesome.

In fact, she almost wished Kotomi were more of a disaster.

So much so that Aimi could become as essential to Kotomi as air itself. That way, Kotomi could never live without her.

”It’s just a three-day trip. I don’t think I need a whole backpack,” Kotomi replied.

”Fine, but you absolutely must bring the umbrella. I’m not kidding—Kyoto weather changes fast. One minute it’s sunny, and the next it’s pouring rain.”

Aimi didn’t want to see her sister catch a cold again.

The last time Kotomi had a serious cold, it had thrown the entire Izumi and Hishinaga families into a panic.

She had gotten so sick that doctors said she was on the verge of death. According to them, while unconscious from the fever, she had practically stood at the gates of the afterlife. If not for her fierce will to live, she might never have opened her eyes again.

That incident had left a deep scar on Aimi’s heart.

Ever since then, whenever she passed a shrine, she would go in, toss a coin into the offering box, and pray sincerely for her sister’s health.

From kindergarten to now, and likely for the rest of her life, she would continue to do so.

Kotomi could clearly hear the concern in Aimi’s voice. She smiled softly, touched, and walked over to ruffle her sister’s long black hair, planting a light kiss on her cheek.

”Thanks. I’ll treasure the umbrella you gave me forever.”

Aimi squinted her eyes contentedly, enjoying her sister’s affectionate head pat. Since they were very young, Kotomi had always liked to stroke her hair and give her little kisses on the cheek. Pure, sisterly affection.

Even now that they were older, that hadn’t changed.

Maybe that was the beauty of being sisters. If they were a brother-sister pair, it might have become awkward as they grew up.

But Aimi wished Kotomi would go beyond the innocence of childhood affection…

Her cheeks flushed a soft red, and she stammered:

”It’s just a plain old folding umbrella. Treasuring it forever is a little over the top, don’t you think?”

”But anything you give me, I treasure. Like the strawberry hair clip—you know, I still wear it sometimes.”

The moment she heard the words ”strawberry hair clip,” Aimi’s already-rosy face turned scarlet, as if a light pinch would make it bleed.

”Y-you mean the one I gave you when I was in kindergarten?!”

”Yup.” Kotomi nodded with a gentle smile.

”Ugh! Onee-chan, I beg you—please throw that thing away!” Aimi covered her face with both hands, absolutely mortified. Kotomi could only imagine how red her face had gotten by glancing at her glowing ears.

”No way! I plan to keep wearing it forever!” Kotomi replied proudly.

That strawberry hair clip had become somewhat of a running joke in the Izumi household.

It was one of Aimi’s most iconic ”black history” moments.

She had always been a fiercely loyal little sister.

One night, after eating an extra bowl of rice, she got a bit too hyped up—like someone who’d had a few too many drinks.

She toddled over to their mom and asked:

”Mommy, how do you make a beautiful girl say yes to a marriage proposal?”

Though Akina assumed her daughter was joking, she still gave a thoughtful answer:

”Well, you’d probably need a ring, and a heartfelt setting to propose. But if the person doesn’t like you, no matter how grand your proposal is—even if you light up the whole night sky with fireworks spelling out her name—she still won’t say yes.”

”That’s why the best timing for a proposal is when both people are already in love with each other. All that’s left is to break through that final layer of hesitation.”

”I remember when your dad proposed to me—it was during a snowy winter evening. That day, he had just gotten paid, including his year-end bonus. We went out for sukiyaki and even ordered the fancy beef we never dared splurge on before. After we were full, we walked back to our rented apartment.”

”The snow got heavier, and everything turned white. Then, your dad suddenly stood in front of me, pulled out a ring box from his coat, dropped to one knee and… Hey! Get back here—I’m not done yet!”

Just as Akina got to the emotional part of her story, she spotted little Aimi trying to sneak away. Without missing a beat, she grabbed her daughter by the collar and hauled her back like a kitten caught by the scruff.

Tiny Aimi was left dangling in her mother’s grasp, forced to listen to nearly half an hour of detailed play-by-play on how her dad proposed.

Back then, Aimi hadn’t fully learned to read. So when her mom talked about the proposal and mentioned the word ”ring”...

Aimi misunderstood it as...

A hair clip.

After getting her answer from Mom, little Aimi went to ask Dad: ”Dad, how can I get a beautiful girl to say yes to my proposal?”

Kaneyoshi, who had been teaching Kotomi how to fold paper cranes, paused mid-fold, thinking she was just joking. Still, he gave her a serious answer:

”Well, for a proposal, you’ll probably need a ring, or maybe a bouquet of red roses. But the most important thing is mutual love. If the other person doesn’t like you, even if you create artificial waves that sparkle her name in phosphorescence, she still won’t say yes.”

”Oh, and Aimi, it’s best not to propose in a crowded place. That just puts pressure on the other person—it might seem like you’re using the crowd to guilt her into saying yes. The applause and cheers might look supportive, but if she doesn’t feel the same, all of it just becomes awkward and burdensome.”

Once again, little Aimi heard the word ”ring” and misheard it as...

Hair clip.

Mom said you needed a hair clip to propose.

Now Dad said you needed a hair clip too.

Clearly, to propose to Kotomi, she’d need a really cute hair clip!

Little Aimi made up her mind. Tomorrow, after preschool, she would use her saved-up pocket money to buy one.

Meanwhile, next to her, little Kotomi was struggling to fold a paper crane.

She had been trying so hard to copy Dad’s folding technique that tiny beads of sweat were starting to form on her forehead. She had no idea what Mom and Dad were talking about with Aimi.

The next day, Aimi really did go out and buy a hair clip. It was strawberry-themed and adorably cute.

She ran home full of excitement and, finding Kotomi still practicing her paper cranes, pulled out the hair clip with one hand and shouted:

”Kotomi, marry me!”

Little Kotomi froze.

So did their parents.

Then, their parents burst into barely-contained laughter.

Seeing them laugh so hard they were practically doubling over, little Aimi looked confused.

Did I do something wrong? Wasn’t a hair clip what you used to propose?

Still unaware that she’d misheard ”ring” as ”hair clip,” Aimi had no idea what she’d done wrong. She pouted, her eyes brimming with tears, her hand still stretched out with the strawberry hair clip. She didn’t know if she should lower it or not.

Just then, little Kotomi finished folding the final step of her first successful paper crane. After burning through three packs of origami paper, she had finally done it.

Proudly placing her hands on her hips, she gave a satisfied ”hmph,” then accepted the hair clip with a smile and tucked it into her snow-white hair.

Then she placed her carefully folded paper crane—something that had taken her nearly a week to learn—gently in Aimi’s hands and said with a silly grin:

”Ehehe~ Oh hey~”

...

After leaving Aimi’s room, Kotomi returned to her own.

Aimi set down her pencil, opened her desk drawer, and pulled out a small box.

Inside was the very same paper crane Kotomi had given her when they were little.

She held it carefully in her hands, gazing at it with tear-glassy eyes and a soft smile on her lips.

...

After dinner, with her Kyoto trip set for tomorrow, Kotomi went to bed early.

As she drifted off, she had a vague feeling she’d forgotten something important.

Three seconds later, she fell asleep naturally.

Next to her bed, her suitcase sat unopened and completely unpacked.

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