All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

”I missed you too.”

Faced with Iroha Isshiki’s second reason, Kotomi Izumi didn’t hesitate. She spoke from the heart.

They exchanged a smile, letting the sweetness in the air linger and ferment.

Kotomi still had a suitcase with her, and Tokyo Station was a fair distance from the train station. Dragging her suitcase all that way... she almost wished she could tie one end of a rope to the suitcase and the other to the electric bike—then sit on the suitcase and let the bike pull her along.

She’d had this idea ever since she was little and used to rollerblade.

Sadly, back then, her mother caught her just before she could try it.

That day, the Izumi household echoed with anguished howls.

The precious rope was confiscated, and Kotomi’s little butt had not been spared.

Now, there was no way she’d try something like that again—not because she was afraid of her mom spanking her, but because living two lives had made her much more cautious. She’d even given up staying up late.

Instead, Kotomi chose the most ordinary method: she sat on the back of the electric bike, one hand holding the suitcase handle. At times like this, the suitcase wheels finally proved their worth.

Iroha hopped on the bike, one hand gripping the handlebar. She turned her head to look at Kotomi, now steady on the back seat, and said with a smile, thinking back to the wine-red SUV that had sped away:

”Senpai, how’s my little e-bike treating you? Comfortable?”

Kotomi blinked, then smiled softly. With her other hand, she gently wrapped her arm around Iroha’s slim waist. Kotomi swore to herself this move was purely practical—sitting straight on the back of a bike while holding a suitcase with one hand meant that, if she didn’t hold onto the person in front, she’d fall off... or worse, bring both of them crashing down.

”Senpai is old now. Can’t ride scooters anymore. From now on, I’ll be relying on you to carry me~”

Kotomi spoke in an exaggeratedly elderly tone. It wasn’t serious at all—more cute than anything else. Like a silver-haired beauty calling herself an old granny.

”Then I guess I’ll have to save up and buy a new e-bike. I’ll take you around the world on it.”

”An e-bike won’t get us that far. At the very least, you’d need a Harley. Have you seen those road trip movies? The main characters always ride Harleys, saddled with bags and gear, the roar of the engine so iconic. Whether it’s a travel flick or a post-apocalyptic desert film, the Harley’s always the coolest ride.”

Kotomi kept her arm loosely wrapped around Iroha’s waist as she spoke, her face relaxed and content.

Iroha chuckled. ”Hehehe, but I don’t know how to ride a motorcycle. How about I save up and buy you a Harley instead, Senpai? Then we’ll ride off together—eloping across the world.”

With that, Iroha gave the handlebar a little twist, and the electric bike carrying the two of them headed for the train station. She didn’t go too fast. If she didn’t control the speed, Kotomi might lose grip on the suitcase handle. At this pace, the suitcase could easily go flying and hit someone.

So both of them were extra careful on the ride.

One focused on maintaining a steady pace. The other kept a tight grip on the suitcase handle.

”Eloping around the world, huh... You little middle schooler! Trying to say that to your big sister? You’ve got a long way to go!” Kotomi said proudly, letting out a playful huff.

But in her mind, after being teased so many times by this little devil, she felt it was finally time to land a counterattack!

Kotomi thought she had scored a win.

Unexpectedly, Iroha’s lips curled into a confident, mischievous smile. A glint of playful cunning—like a cheeky girlfriend—flashed in her radiant eyes.

”But I’ll be in high school next year. If I ask you again then, will you say yes, Senpai?”

”Uh...” Kotomi was momentarily speechless. She had no idea how to respond.

Damn it! Why does this little devil never give me the upper hand? Every time I try to counterattack, instead of landing a blow, I end up triggering her berserk mode! Kotomi mentally exploded with frustration.

”Senpai, I read the letter you wrote me. Hehe, I was so happy that I couldn’t sleep the whole night. I just kept reading it over and over again. Were all the things you wrote from the heart?”

Iroha’s light brown hair fluttered in the wind as she rode.

”Of course it was from the heart. I haven’t written many letters in my life. You could count them on one hand. So the rare time I do write one, I make sure to pour my honest feelings into it.”

Kotomi replied naturally, her voice full of conviction. There wasn’t a single lie in her words.

It was true. That trip to Kyoto had been the very first time in her life she’d written a letter.

And every word she wrote had come straight from her heart.

...Well, she didn’t mention that she wrote thirteen of them at once and had an absolute blast doing it.

So yes, it was the truth—just not the whole truth.

”Hahaha~ Hearing that makes me so happy, Senpai.”

”Hey, Senpai—’a little devil made of sugar, spice, and everything nice,’ ’wearing a bright, innocent smile, telling me about the future’...”

”Those words—were they your way of describing me and what you hope for?”

Kotomi’s cheeks flushed pink. She hadn’t felt anything in particular while writing the letter, but now that Iroha was reading her own words back to her, they felt devastatingly embarrassing.

Even so, stammering or dodging the question wasn’t Kotomi’s style.

Blushing, her cheeks slightly dewy with warmth, she still nodded and replied seriously:

”Yes... but also no. The paper wasn’t big enough. I couldn’t fit everything I wanted to say.”

”Oh? Then what’s everything you want to say to me, Senpai? Can you tell me now?”

”No.”

”Tell meee~ There’s no one else around anyway...”

Iroha suddenly pouted in a teasing ”ω” shape.

”Ehehehe, the way I said that makes it sound like we’re sneaking around, like we’re having an affair. Isn’t that funny~?”

”Where’d you even learn this stuff, you almost-high-schooler?!”

”From your novels, Senpai.”

”Ugh, dammit! I can’t argue with that at all!”

”Hold on tight, Senpai! Big uphill ahead—I’ve gotta speed up!”

”Riding an e-bike really was a wise decision... If this were a regular bicycle, we’d be out of breath trying to get up this hill.”

”Whether it’s a bike or an e-bike, I’m the one doing the pedaling, you know? But more importantly... aren’t there other ways I could get you out of breath, Senpai?”

Iroha’s eyes gleamed mischievously, sparkling with a light that sent Kotomi’s danger radar into overdrive.

”No!”

There were ways—but there was no way Kotomi would say them out loud.

Especially not with that look in Iroha’s eyes. Even with her Queen of All Females constitution, she wasn’t sure she could survive it.

Iroha rode the shared e-bike all the way to the station.

Halfway there, the scooter suddenly emitted a low-battery warning. Fortunately, the remaining charge was just enough to get them to the designated parking area near the station.

Without wasting time, the two of them got off and headed into the station to buy two train tickets bound for Chiba City.

Once seated on the train, Kotomi began telling Iroha about her three days in Kyoto, focusing primarily on the first-round art exhibition.

As for everything else... well, Kotomi didn’t dare go into detail with Iroha.

Especially the part where she went to Gion Hanamachi and, by a twist of fate, met Gion’s top oiran—Ayani Kika.

That, Kotomi would never dare mention. Who knew how Iroha would react? And if that story ever reached Megumi Kato’s ears...

Kotomi instinctively pressed her thighs together. There’s an old saying: ”Once bitten by a snake, you’ll fear ropes for ten years.”

At this point, it seemed like Kotomi both feared and... somewhat wanted to get bitten again.

Iroha listened intently. She loved hearing Kotomi tell stories—one of the reasons she adored Kotomi’s novels so much.

Every time she read one of Kotomi’s books, it felt like Kotomi herself was whispering the story right into her ear.

I want to lie in Senpai’s arms and have her tell me stories! Iroha had thought this more than once. Despite her mischievous little devil persona, she still got shy when it came to voicing this kind of desire.

A girl’s heart is forever unpredictable.

”With your skill, Senpai, moving on to the second-round exhibition is no problem! If you make it to the third round, can I visit you at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo?”

”Of course! I’ll invite all my friends,” Kotomi said proudly. Then she added, ”If I do make it to the third round...”

Having a painting in the third-round exhibition meant winning that year’s National Art Prize.

Only one painting would be featured in the third round—that painting would be the champion’s.

Kotomi hoped she could win the prize. If Mashiro Shiina weren’t competing, she’d feel much more confident. But since Mashiro was participating, Kotomi’s self-assurance dipped a little.

Even with the system’s support enhancing her painting skills, Kotomi wasn’t sure she could surpass an actual world-class genius like Mashiro.

Mashiro might seem spaced-out or naive most of the time, even lacking common sense. But Kotomi knew that when Mashiro picked up a brush, it was like she transformed. Her entire focus channeled into the canvas, exuding a pressure that was almost terrifying.

Iroha said nothing in response. She didn’t offer empty words like ”have confidence” or ”even if you lose, you’re still my champion.” Instead, she simply smiled sweetly and took Kotomi’s hand in hers.

Her gesture seemed to silently say—

I’m here.

The train pulled into Chiba Station.

Kotomi had planned to bring Iroha home with her so she could personally gift the gloves to Akina and Kaneyoshi Izumi.

But just as they got off the train, Kumi Motokawa called.

She told them that earlier that morning, Tetsunosuke Isshiki’s latest checkup results came back great—he was fully recovered from his knife injury and ready to be discharged the next day. She asked if Iroha had time to come by the hospital and sign the paperwork.

Things between Kumi Motokawa and Tetsunosuke Isshiki had been progressing very smoothly—they’d already entered a sweet, romantic phase.

Every time Iroha visited the hospital, she’d find her father’s room door locked and the curtains drawn. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Kumi was in there with him.

As a good daughter, how could she be a third wheel? Iroha would usually find a seat farther down the hallway, quietly playing on her phone while waiting.

Every time Kumi Motokawa opened the hospital room door and saw Iroha waiting nearby, she couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.

Back to the main point.

Even though things were going smoothly between Tetsunosuke and Kumi, they weren’t married yet—so Kumi couldn’t sign the discharge paperwork as a family member.

That’s why Iroha, as his daughter, had to come to the hospital to sign instead.

Iroha immediately agreed. But just as she turned to apologize to Kotomi for not being able to go to her house, she noticed Kotomi had already called a cab for her while she was still on the phone.

”Take her to Chiba Municipal Hospital,” Kotomi instructed.

She pulled a crisp 10,000-yen bill from her wallet and handed it generously to the cab driver.

The driver, an older lady, had been driving cabs for years to support her family, but she’d rarely seen a passenger who slapped down a 10,000-yen note and said, ”Keep the change.”

Capitalism really was decadent!

”No problem, young miss. I’ll get her there safe and sound,” the driver said cheerfully.

”Senpai, you didn’t have to give that much! I could’ve paid,” Iroha said quickly.

”My wallet’s too full lately. It’s starting to look bulky and ugly. Don’t slow down my spending flow. Just get in the car and go,” Kotomi replied in a tone that sounded just a bit like a domineering CEO.

She could see it clearly—knowing Iroha, she would’ve said something like, ”I’ll just catch a cab later, Senpai. Don’t worry about me.” Then once Kotomi left, Iroha would’ve walked all the way there by herself.

So Kotomi had skipped all that and taken action. She’d called the cab, paid in advance, and ”ordered” Iroha to ride it.

After all, walking from the station to Chiba Municipal Hospital? That would destroy anyone’s feet.

And there weren’t even shared bikes nearby.

Sometimes, this little devil was so thoughtful it hurt.

If Iroha had just said, ”I’m at the station,” Kumi Motokawa would’ve driven over in a flash. But Iroha didn’t want to disturb her. She knew how busy Kumi was as a surgeon, always buried in work at the hospital. So she simply said, ”I’m on my way.”

At times like this, Iroha couldn’t win against Kotomi. She obediently climbed into the cab.

Before it departed, she turned to Kotomi and said, ”Senpai, if you keep treating me this well... I won’t know how to handle it.”

”Let me treat you well. I want to,” Kotomi said with a proud flick of her hand.

Once the cab disappeared from view, Kotomi let out a long breath. She wasn’t the type to throw money around, but the reason she gave the driver a full 10,000 yen was...

She opened her wallet and remembered: during her last visit to the bank, she had withdrawn an entire stack of crisp 10,000-yen bills and tucked them neatly inside.

They looked so aesthetically pleasing!

But while visually satisfying, this had created a small problem—her wallet was too rich. No small change at all.

She’d been using mobile payments the entire three days in Kyoto and hadn’t taken her wallet out once.

Now, with the cab already here and her phone out of battery (charger buried in the suitcase, too much trouble to retrieve), she had no choice.

So she went with it—deciding that, hey, if she was gonna do it, might as well do it with flair.

Hence, the dramatic 10,000-yen gesture.

”Note to self: keep some small bills in the wallet next time,” Kotomi muttered as she put it away and began wheeling her suitcase toward home.

Oh—wait.

She suddenly stopped.

The middle school midterms were over. Aimi had said she felt pretty good about the test. As her big sister, Kotomi was thrilled.

Before heading home, she figured she’d stop by the dango cake shop and buy a little celebration cake for Aimi.

And besides—it had been three days since she’d last seen Yui Yuigahama.

Kotomi really missed her a lot.

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