All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

The morning half of the sports festival had come to an end.

Since there were still competitions in the afternoon, the school leaders didn’t give any lengthy speeches on stage. They simply instructed the students to leave the field in an orderly manner.

In fact, ten minutes before the event ended, Kotomi Izumi had already locked her innocent-looking eyes on Shizuka Hiratsuka and softly said, ”Shizuka-sensei~ I want to go buy lunch!”

”There’s only ten minutes left...”

”With so many students rushing to the shop, how long do you think the line will be?” Kotomi muttered.

”No leaving early,” Shizuka said sternly.

Before she finished her sentence, Kotomi had already clung to her, pleading sweetly, ”Shizuka-sensei~~~~”

”I will never give in to you!” Shizuka declared, blushing. With Kotomi’s soft, fragrant body pressed up against her, she felt like just being able to speak coherently was already a miracle of self-control.

”Shizuka-sensei, tummy... hungry!”

”Even if you act all cute, I’m not going to give in.”

And so, Shizuka gave in and allowed Kotomi to leave early to buy lunch.

Before sneaking off, Kotomi even asked Yukino and the others what they wanted to eat, planning to pick up lunch for all of them.

She noted it down in her phone’s memo app. Including herself, that made six lunches in total. Carrying them all by herself... sounded troublesome.

”I’ll go with Kotomi. There’s too much stuff for her to carry alone,” said Yukino Yukinoshita.

Megumi Kato looked stunned. She had been just about to volunteer to go with Kotomi, only to be beaten to the punch by Yukino!

Feeling a bit defeated, Megumi knew that even if she spoke up now, Shizuka wouldn’t allow three of them to go together. She cast Kotomi a melancholy glance to show she was a little unhappy.

Noticing Megumi’s look, Kotomi gave her a small, apologetic smile. She had expected Megumi to come with her, but before Megumi had a chance to speak, Yukino had jumped in. All she could do was pat Megumi’s head gently in comfort.

Still, Kotomi found it surprising that Yukino had offered to go with her so suddenly. Just moments ago, she had seemed totally engrossed in her book.

”Alright, you two go—but be discreet when you leave,” Shizuka said with a nod.

”Thanks, Yukino.”

”It’s nothing,” Yukino replied calmly.

Taking advantage of the ten minutes before the sports festival officially ended, Kotomi and Yukino snuck off and jogged to the school store, quickly buying all six lunches and drinks.

As they returned to Class 1-F carrying bags of food, Kotomi sighed in gratitude. ”It’s really thanks to you, Yukino. I couldn’t have carried all this on my own.”

”Don’t mention it. It was nothing,” Yukino said with a rare, slight smile.

They walked side by side along the corridor of Sobu High’s school building. In the distance, the sounds from the field suggested the festival had ended, and a large crowd of students was now heading toward the school store.

Seeing as it was just the two of them now, Kotomi figured this was her chance to invite Yukino to join her three-person band and perform together at the cultural festival!

As for the band name... she hadn’t thought of one yet.

”Yukino,” Kotomi suddenly said, ”Shizuka-sensei told me you’re really good at piano?”

”Mm. My mother made me learn since I was little. I’m not even sure if I like it or not. I just practiced all these years, so I’m fairly proficient now. But... why did Shizuka-sensei tell you about that?”

Yukino didn’t deny it, nor did she show off. She just acknowledged it as a fact. As she said, she wasn’t sure if she liked playing piano—so she never brought it up on her own, nor would she ever take the initiative to perform.

”Actually... I signed up for more than just the sports festival. I also registered for the cultural festival—for one of the main performances at the auditorium. I’m planning a three-person group to perform on stage, with two people playing instruments and one doing vocals.”

”Sounds like a good idea. I really enjoy listening to music too. Sometimes I think headphones are the greatest invention ever.” Yukino Yukinoshita nodded in agreement, then asked curiously, ”So if you’re forming a trio for the stage, that means there are two others besides you. Who are they?”

At this, Kotomi gave a wry smile. ”Unfortunately, I haven’t decided yet. Well, I have one person in mind, but I’m worried she might not agree.”

”Who?” Yukino asked calmly, carrying the lunches alongside Kotomi as they walked back to the classroom.

”For a three-person band, the positions would be vocalist, piano, and guitar. I want to invite you, Yukino, to play the piano,” Kotomi said, officially extending her invitation.

”Me?” Yukino pointed to herself in surprise.

”Yes,” Kotomi nodded firmly—even though she had never actually heard Yukino play piano.

Yukino said nothing, walking in silence. The air between them turned inexplicably quiet.

Kotomi kept a calm face, but inwardly, she was tense. What would Yukino say? Would she agree? Or refuse?

The quiet lingered for the six minutes it took to return to the classroom, where the other students hadn’t yet arrived. Only then did Yukino speak again:

”Sobu High has three music rooms. The first is typically used by the music course students and the violin club. The second and third rooms are usually unoccupied after school, since the other music-related clubs have their own dedicated spaces.”

”That’s true,” Kotomi nodded. While she wasn’t part of the music track, she had heard about the layout of the music rooms.

”I heard that the second and third music rooms aren’t locked immediately after school. The keys for all three rooms are usually held by the head of the violin club. Once their club activities end, she locks all three rooms.”

”This is the first time I’m hearing that.”

Though Kotomi knew the violin club president, Momoka Mito, she hadn’t realized that Momoka held the keys to all three music rooms. No wonder she always saw her leaving last after art club meetings.

”Students from other classes who aren’t in the music course aren’t usually allowed into the music rooms after school. But I don’t have a piano at home, so I’d like to find a piano to play a piece for you. That way, you can hear for yourself if my playing suits your needs.”

Kotomi paused for a moment, then brightened up. ”Alright! It’s a deal! Leave the music room to me. I remember the second music room has a piano—I’ll find a way to borrow the key and get us permission to use it from Momoka-senpai.”

”Back when I was living at home, my mother made me practice piano for over two hours every day. After moving into my apartment and living alone, I finally had the excuse that it was inconvenient to have a piano there—so I didn’t have to practice daily anymore.”

Yukino Yukinoshita chatted with Kotomi casually. While she wasn’t sure if she truly liked playing the piano, she didn’t find it boring or loathsome either when the topic came up.

To Yukino, the piano was just a normal part of life. She neither liked nor disliked it. It was something her mother had required her to learn and practice every day. Now that she was in high school and no longer needed to practice regularly, she didn’t feel a sense of relief or celebrate being freed. Nor did she miss the piano when she went without playing it for a while.

In Yukino’s heart, the piano held no particular weight. It could exist or not—either way.

When she first touched piano keys, there had been no sense of curiosity or musical resonance. As a child, she simply felt she couldn’t disobey her mother, and so she had no choice but to learn.

Interest in the piano?

None.

She never used her piano skills to show off or seek praise in conversation with friends.

It was just fulfilling her mother’s expectations.

...

When Yukino was very young, her mother, Chiaki Yukinoshita, once led her by the hand into a room with a piano.

”You are my daughter and, more importantly, a descendant of the Yukinoshita family. Your father married into the Yukinoshita family. He gave up his original surname to take on the more distinguished Yukinoshita name. Do you understand what that means? It means the name Yukinoshita represents honor and prestige that others look up to. Every child of the Yukinoshita family must strive not to disgrace the name.”

”In the past, I worked tirelessly to move from a branch family to the main Yukinoshita household. I was finally recognized and renamed Chiaki Yukinoshita.”

”You probably don’t understand why I had to become part of the main family. Let me explain: among the Yukinoshita family, the branch families are always lower in status. I refused to remain inferior, so I gave up the piano I had played for decades, dedicating all my effort to shedding my branch status and rising to the top of the main family.”

”Now that I’ve achieved that and reached the peak of the Yukinoshita household, the comfortable life you enjoy today is thanks to me. As your mother, I won’t ask much from you in return. Starting today, just focus on mastering the piano.”

”The piano?”

Little Yukino looked at the piano in front of her. She knew it was a musical instrument.

Some children her age were good at playing instruments or performing dances. But she never felt envious—she wasn’t interested in instruments. She much preferred staying in the study reading books.

Lately, she had been immersed in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. She had been reading intently when her mother walked into the study, took her by the hand, and brought her to this piano room.

Yukino was no stranger to this room. Her mother often came here alone, but Yukino had never seen or heard her play the piano.

Her mother would just sit on the piano bench with a stoic expression, seemingly always deep in thought. She usually came in the afternoon without turning on the lights. As evening arrived, the soft moonlight would shine through the windows, casting shadows of her mother and the piano—but not once did her mother place her hands on the keys.

”That’s right. As a Yukinoshita, you must at least master one instrument. Ideally, you should choose for yourself. But knowing you and your bookish tendencies, you probably wouldn’t know what to choose—what instrument you might like? So I made the decision for you. All you need to do is practice the piano well. Don’t worry about anything else.”

Chiaki Yukinoshita spoke with her usual commanding tone. She had always been a strong-willed woman, and that had never changed. Without such a forceful personality and methodical approach, she wouldn’t have been able to rise from the Yukinoshita branch family and secure a position at the pinnacle of the main household.

The Yukinoshita family was like a pyramid. The higher one climbed, the more others would silently covet your position, waiting to replace you or see you fall from grace.

”Does Onee-chan have to learn piano too?” Little Yukino looked up and asked her mother.

”Your sister has no talent for the piano. Forcing her to sit at the bench and play would only produce grating noise.” Chiaki responded coolly.

Yukino said nothing. For as long as she could remember, the relationship between her mother and sister had always been strained. She often overheard their arguments.

”Enough. Sit at the piano. From today onward, I will teach you to play. During practice, do not think of me as your mother. Think of me only as your piano teacher. Understood?”

”Mm...” Little Yukino nodded and cautiously sat on the piano bench, beginning her lessons under her mother’s instruction.

During piano practice, Yukino met all of her mother’s demands but never once heard a word of encouragement or praise.

No matter how well she played, it was never enough to meet her mother’s standards.

”Yukino... Yukino... Yukino!”

Kotomi had no idea how many times she had called her name. Yukino Yukinoshita, lost in memories of childhood piano lessons, finally snapped out of her daze.

”Ah! Sorry, I zoned out just now.”

Yukino quickly apologized, realizing she had spaced out while speaking with Kotomi—something she shouldn’t have done.

”Were you remembering your childhood piano lessons?” Kotomi asked. She had more or less guessed it from Yukino’s expression.

Yukino paused, then nodded. ”Back then, all I heard were wrong notes and my mother’s harsh scolding. No matter how I think about it, I never felt any joy in playing.”

”If you don’t want to play, just let me know. I can find someone else—there’s still time before the cultural festival...”

Kotomi could tell Yukino wasn’t very fond of the piano. It would be unfair to force her into the band if she wasn’t willing. If Yukino declined, Kotomi wouldn’t push her. If she couldn’t complete the three-person group, then she’d perform solo instead—singing while playing guitar.

Thanks to her background in both voice acting and music, and her naturally beautiful voice, she was confident that if she gave it her all, she could enchant the audience and earn their cheers at the cultural festival.

”That won’t be necessary. I still don’t know if I like the piano... but if it’s for you...” Yukino brushed her hair behind her ear, her gaze glimmering. ”I would be more than willing to play it for you.”

Yukino Yukinoshita was a girl both beautiful and intelligent. She was never one to speak on impulse.

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