All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

After speaking, Yukino Yukinoshita felt her cheeks flush slightly. She hadn’t expected herself to blurt out such a potentially misleading line.

In novels, this was usually the kind of heartfelt confession a female protagonist would make to the male lead—or to another heroine—after confirming her own feelings.

Yukino quickly picked up the tomato juice beside her. It had just come out of the small shop’s fridge, and after drinking it, she felt noticeably calmer. But the tomato juice was a bit...

”So gross.”

Yukino stuck out her tongue. It was rare to see her act in such a girlish way, prompting Kotomi to glance at her a few more times.

When they visited the small shop earlier, Yukino had stubbornly bought a can of tomato juice. She’d never tried it before, and when she saw it in the fridge, she suddenly felt like giving it a try.

In the end, the taste really was pretty bad.

Thinking of her older sister, who often drank vegetable juice, Yukino couldn’t understand it at all. What was so good about vegetable juice?

”Huh? So you don’t like it after all. When I saw you buying it, I thought you liked vegetable juice.”

”I hadn’t tried it before, and just wanted to see how it tasted. Looks like buying tomato juice was a mistake.”

Yukino shook her head, glad that she had chosen the small canned version. It had a small capacity, so she could force it down in a few gulps. If she’d bought the bottled version, she might have needed to ask Kotomi and the others for help.

”My mom once randomly decided to make vegetable juice at home. She threw all kinds of vegetables into the juicer and made several cups. In the end, we all had to choke them down, since dumping them out would have been too wasteful. After that, no one in my family ever mentioned vegetable juice again. I don’t even know which cabinet in the kitchen the juicer ended up in.”

Speaking of vegetable juice, Kotomi Izumi chuckled awkwardly. She recalled how a few years ago, her mom got inspired by a cooking show and made a bunch of vegetable juice. None of the four family members liked it.

Yukino wasn’t one to waste food. Even though it tasted awful, she still forced herself to finish the tomato juice, then tossed the empty can into the trash. Sitting back in her chair, she stared blankly for a while before finally murmuring:

”I’m never drinking vegetable juice again.”

”A wise decision,” Kotomi fully agreed.

Even though the sports festival had just ended, there were still many students and teachers returning to the academic building together, so no one had made it back to Class 1-F yet. Of course, most students didn’t head straight to class after returning—they went directly to the snack shop, worried they wouldn’t get any lunch if they were too late.

Taking advantage of the moment when the classroom held only the two of them, Kotomi and Yukino discussed the upcoming cultural festival performance.

”Since there will be three of us performing on stage, I’ll handle the piano, and you’ll be singing. According to your band setup, that leaves one more role—someone who can play guitar. Do you have anyone in mind? I don’t have many friends, and I’m not sure who in our grade can play guitar. During music class, most of our classmates are just glued to their phones.”

Yukino said this thoughtfully. When Kotomi first mentioned the three-person band plan, Yukino immediately imagined Kotomi as the lead vocalist.

She hadn’t heard Kotomi sing before, but Kotomi’s voice was lovely. If they decided on the song in advance and she practiced diligently before the cultural festival, it might work out.

Moreover, Kotomi was maxed out in social skills. Whether facing acquaintances or strangers, she could always strike up a conversation and take the initiative.

She was basically immune to being shy, socially anxious, or stage-frightened—those words simply didn’t exist in Kotomi’s vocabulary.

With someone like Kotomi, there was no need to worry that she’d get stage fright and be unable to sing in front of an audience. In fact, she might even get more hyped than the crowd.

So naturally, Yukino assumed Kotomi was the singer.

Hearing Yukino say that, Kotomi finally remembered—oh right, she hadn’t told Yukino yet that she played guitar. What they needed now was someone with a good singing voice.

”Ahahaha... I was so focused on inviting you to play piano that I forgot to mention it. Actually, I’m the guitarist in our little three-person band.”

Yukino blinked in surprise. Even though she usually kept her emotions in check, her captivating eyes widened in disbelief. ”Kotomi, you can play guitar?! I had no idea! You’ve always been the one sleeping most soundly during music class!”

She was so shocked that her voice even rose a few notches.

Good thing no one else was in the classroom—otherwise, a whole crowd might’ve been stunned!

Shocking! The Ice Queen of Sobu High School actually raised her voice?!!!

Realizing her slip, Yukino quickly cleared her throat and tried to calm her voice, though it still trembled a bit:

”Kotomi, you’re not joking, right? Singing can be pulled off with some emergency practice once we decide on a song, but guitar isn’t something you can learn in just ten or so days. And with the cultural festival coming up, we can’t even be sure if we have that many days. Technique, performance—all of it takes time.”

Yukino reminded her with concern. She hadn’t learned guitar, but her experience with piano had taught her that any instrument required a long foundation of practice.

Even with talent, that still held true.

”Don’t worry, I actually have a knack for guitar. I grew up with one in my hands! I can play a bit of other instruments too. The second music room has guitars besides pianos. I’ll play a piece for you sometime and show you what I’ve got! My parents once told me: ’Kotomi, the moment you were born, every instrument in the world cried out your name!’”

That last part was pure exaggeration on Kotomi’s part. In elementary school, she took recorder lessons from third to sixth grade and never really learned how to play. Back then, she mostly used the recorder as a pretend weapon from a tokusatsu show.

Yukino nodded slightly, choosing to tentatively believe Kotomi could play guitar. Then she remembered something else she needed to correct.

”By the way, Kotomi, I’ve been meaning to tell you—during the cultural festival, there will be lots of different performances. After each act, the curtain will drop for a short break, but there’s no extra time. Bringing a full piano on stage isn’t possible. So, when it’s our turn, I’ll switch to a music keyboard. I’ll be the band’s keyboardist.”

”Wow, Yukino, you know how to use a music keyboard?!” Kotomi had seen one before and thought it looked super complicated.

Even if mastering music suddenly made her understand it, she was still impressed that Yukino could use a keyboard.

”Mm, my mom taught me. Music keyboards look complicated, but once you have the basics and get familiar, they’re actually quite simple,” Yukino said with a nod, her cheeks flushing slightly. Kotomi’s praise clearly made her happy.

A three-person band:

Guitarist: Kotomi Izumi.

Keyboardist: Yukino Yukinoshita.

Vocalist: Unknown.

With just one role left to fill, Kotomi felt much more at ease.

If Megumi Kato and the others hadn’t returned to the classroom just then, Kotomi might have leapt up and given Yukino a big hug.

After finishing her meal, Kotomi didn’t waste any time. She headed straight to Class 2-B to look for Momoka Mito.

That’s right, Momoka Mito was also a student in Class 2-B.

Kotomi suddenly realized that most of the second-year upperclasswomen she knew were all in 2-B.

”Tendo-senpai!”

Kotomi strolled into 2-B as if it were her own class. After all, she’d visited so many times that the upperclassmen there already considered her one of their own.

Not to mention, Kotomi was adorable, which easily stirred the maternal instincts of slightly older girls. Every time she left 2-B, her hands were full of snacks—a true bounty.

”Oh! Kotomi’s here. Have you eaten yet? Wait and eat with us after Utaha and the others get back. These last two days of the sports festival, trying to line up at the snack shop for lunch is a nightmare. I went upstairs to check earlier, and it was seriously a sea of people.”

Kisara Tendo grabbed Kotomi’s hand and had her sit down.

”No need, thank you, Tendo-senpai. I already ate. No wonder I didn’t see Utaha-senpai when I walked in—she went to buy lunch, huh.”

”She went with Mai. Speaking of which, you still haven’t properly met Mai Sakurajima yet, have you? Want to officially meet her in a bit? Mai’s seen you a few times and seems more and more interested.”

Tendo teased, though she wasn’t joking. Lately, Mai Sakurajima had been talking about Kotomi constantly, clearly intrigued. Sometimes, she would even excitedly report:

”Let me tell you! Just now when I went upstairs, I saw Kotomi-chan not far away! That cute little face, that swaying hourglass waist when she walks—her figure is way too perfect! Is she sure she didn’t debut as an idol in high school?! I bet she’d be super cuddly.”

Kotomi laughed cheerfully, feeling quite pleased inside. She hadn’t even met Mai yet, and Mai was already interested in her. She kept her tone calm as she replied:

”Even though I’d love to meet Sakurajima-senpai, I actually came here with something to do.”

”Something to do?” Tendo had assumed Kotomi just dropped by to hang out.

”Is Momoka-senpai here? I have something I want to talk to her about.”

”Huh? Momoka just left. She’s a hardcore violin maniac. As soon as she finishes lunch, she skips her break and heads straight to the third music room to practice. If you want to find her now, that’s where she’ll be.”

Tendo shrugged, smiling as she explained.

Kotomi glanced at Tendo’s hands, and her intense gaze made Tendo feel a bit self-conscious.

”W-What is it? Staring at your senpai like that is against the rules, you know.”

For some reason, her cheeks felt warm. She instinctively pulled her hands back, not wanting Kotomi to look. She usually wasn’t this bashful.

”Nothing, just thought you seemed like a kendo maniac yourself, Tendo-senpai,” Kotomi said with a grin.

”Oh come on… You little rascal, already flirting with your senpais at your age?”

Tendo flicked Kotomi lightly on the forehead.

”Hehe, I don’t flirt with many people. You should feel honored to be one of them, Tendo-senpai!”

”Alright, alright~ I’ll cherish this honor for life. Thank you, Lady Kotomi~”

Catching on to Kotomi’s playful tone, Tendo went along with the joke.

”Haha, I’ll be off then, Tendo-senpai,” Kotomi said as she stood up. She needed to go find Momoka-senpai.

”Wait.”

Tendo suddenly stopped her:

”Um... the short sword you gave me, I really like it. It’s a fine pair of blades. Thank you. And the letter you wrote—I read it too… Every night, I take it out and read it again. So, so I mean, please give me a chance to express my—”

”A way to express my thanks! I know you wouldn’t accept money, so however you want me to thank you, just say it!”

It was hard to say whether Kisara Tendo’s mind was simply too consumed with kendo to realize how misleading her words sounded...

Or if Kotomi’s train of thought just loved steering things in a suggestive direction. Either way, after hearing what Tendo-senpai said, Kotomi’s mind immediately wandered.

”Ahem, if that’s the case...”

Kotomi thought for a moment. She knew Tendo-senpai would never feel comfortable accepting those short swords without giving something in return. If Kotomi didn’t offer a way for her to express her gratitude, Tendo might obsess over it forever.

Although those short swords weren’t cheap—they were clearly quality blades—Kotomi had bought them simply as a gift for Tendo-senpai. Nothing more.

”Then, Tendo-senpai, could you take me to see those two famous swords your family owns?”

Kotomi came up with a way for Tendo to show her thanks.

Coincidentally, she was genuinely curious about the two famous swords safeguarded by the Tendo family.

”You want to see the two famous swords at my house?”

Tendo looked momentarily surprised. It wasn’t that it was impossible—in fact, it was quite doable. As one of the potential heirs to the Tendo family, it wouldn’t be hard for her to arrange it.

However, Kotomi had no blood ties to the Tendo family, so taking her to see the swords would be a bit tricky.

If Tendo were already the family head, it would be no problem at all. She could just bring Kotomi along, and no one in the family would dare object.

But right now, Tendo was still a student, and her parents—the current heads of the Tendo family—were both in good health. It would be at least thirty or forty years before she might inherit that position. Unless her parents decided to step down early and pass the title to the next generation...

In the Tendo family, the title of head was typically inherited jointly by a married couple. Her mother and father had inherited it from her grandparents.

That was part of the reason Tendo wasn’t interested in the position. In fact, she was considering giving it up entirely. To inherit the family head position, one had to be married first. And she had no intention of marrying—not now, not even in the foreseeable future.

Anyway, there were other candidates in line to inherit the family title besides her. If she stepped down, the others might be confused at first but would ultimately be grateful.

There were exactly three candidates in the Tendo family, including Tendo herself. Her withdrawal would drastically reduce the competition—a 99% drop in difficulty.

After all, her talent in kendo was widely acknowledged in the Tendo family. If she remained in the running, everyone already assumed she’d become the next head.

”Is it inconvenient?” Kotomi asked when she saw Tendo deep in thought.

”Ah, no, it’s not that. I can go see the swords anytime I want. But bringing you along...”

”Okay! After the Six-School Tournament is over, I’ll take you to my house!”

Tendo took a deep breath, like she had just made a major decision.

”If it’s inconvenient, it’s fine. We can do something else. Like maybe you could treat me to a meal or something,” Kotomi quickly added.

”No need. Since I promised to show you the swords, I will. We just need to wait until after the tournament. Kotomi, during the Six-School Tournament, you need to achieve at least some results,” Tendo said seriously.

Kotomi nodded instinctively. ”I-I understand. Tendo-senpai, I’ll head to the third music room to find Momoka-senpai.”

”Bye-bye.”

As she watched Kotomi leave, Tendo’s gaze grew a little complicated.

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