All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

Kotomi Izumi expressed her apologies to Yukino Yukinoshita. If… Yukino had really been forcing herself to play all this time, then the pressure she must have been under was unimaginable.

Yet Kotomi had not noticed it at all, always believing that Yukino was truly willing to join her three-person band and perform on stage at the cultural festival. If that were the case, Kotomi could never forgive herself.

I don’t want to hurt anyone. Kotomi often told herself this.

She didn’t want to hurt anyone. She wished happiness for everyone she loved.

The two of them stood in the dark corridor, illuminated only by moonlight.

”When I was little, I practiced piano every day. I can’t say I ever had the slightest interest in it, but my mother forced me to sit in front of the piano, to play every melody she taught me. I had to replicate it perfectly—no mistakes, no changes allowed.

”Before my mother got married, she was a fairly well-known pianist. To take control of the Yukinoshita family, she had to marry. She couldn’t accept giving up the family’s business and position, so she gave up piano and got married instead. After that, she devoted all her energy to the family enterprise.

”When she finally gained control over most of the Yukinoshita family’s power, she began to regret it. She thought that if she hadn’t abandoned piano back then, she might have become a world-renowned pianist by now. One side was family business, the other was piano performance. With her competitive nature, she didn’t want to give up either.

”But as someone who now managed much of the Yukinoshita household and was a candidate for the next family head, it was impossible for her to return to the piano world. She knew that well. Yet she couldn’t accept parting with her dream of piano, so she placed all her expectations and obsessions onto my shoulders.”

At this point, Yukino Yukinoshita gave a bitter smile and shrugged.

”When I was little, if I made a mistake during practice, my mother would hit me. She often said, ’It’s because of you that I left the world of piano. You should be grateful and learn every piece I teach you to the same standard I once played it! Only then can you take my place and achieve the dream I never could! No crying—keep practicing! If you can’t master this ”Moonlight Sonata,” you’ll keep playing until you do! Even if you starve to death on that piano bench, you must learn it!’

”Perhaps as a form of protest against her, when it came time for high school entrance exams, I deliberately chose Sobu High School, which was far from home. Sobu High didn’t have dorms, so students who lived far away had to rent apartments nearby. I moved out, lived alone, and when packing my things, I purposely left the piano behind—to escape the life of daily practice.

”My mother, who valued her career above all else, naturally wouldn’t abandon the Yukinoshita family to move to Chiba just to supervise my piano practice.”

”I remember when I visited your house, there was a piano there…”

”Mm. After agreeing to join your three-person band, I realized I hadn’t practiced in a long time. I didn’t want to drag you and Yui down, so I called my mother and asked her to send me the piano. She was quite surprised by that.”

Hoo… Yukino Yukinoshita let out a long sigh.

”What am I even interested in, really? I like reading. I’ve read a lot of books, and my family once said I’d make a good writer. But I only like reading—I have no interest in writing my own stories. My mother forced her dream of piano onto me, and though she never once praised me, my piano skills did improve. I entered a few piano competitions in elementary and middle school, even won some trophies. But I never felt any sense of accomplishment, no matter how many I won.

”And my mother never once cared about those trophies. Even after I won, there were no words of praise or encouragement. Perhaps, in her eyes, only awards like those from the Geneva International Music Competition or the Brahms International Piano Competition would be worthy of recognition.

”Winning awards only in international competitions like those would count as truly winning, in her eyes.”

At this, Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly stopped and gave a bitter smile.

”I’m not interested in piano, and though I like reading, I don’t plan to do anything related to it—nor do I have any desire to write. I really don’t know which direction I should go in anymore. And now, I even feel like running away from performing. It’s so hard to endure…”

From Yukino’s words, Kotomi sensed a trace of simple fear. Yukino was trying her best not to find excuses.

Yukino’s expression showed a kind of unease, as if she had no idea what step to take next.

”Listen, Kotomi—after the cultural festival performance, should I keep practicing piano, or should I follow my own thoughts and search for something I truly love, something I can give my all to? I want to find a direction, work hard, and reach a goal that satisfies me. But right now, I don’t even know what would satisfy me, or which direction I should go in.

”Working hard without any clear goal, under clouds and uncertainty, is exhausting.”

Yukino Yukinoshita wanted to follow a path she truly loved, not one chosen by her mother.

She wanted to challenge a future that was unseen—one she wouldn’t regret, one without remorse.

But she didn’t know what kind of future could truly make her feel that way. Which direction should she go to reach such a future?

In simple terms, she didn’t know what she was interested in, nor what her goal in life was.

Yukino was right—working hard without any clear goal, shrouded in uncertainty, is painful.

You never know how long you’ll have to keep trying.

You never know if the direction you’re working toward is the right one.

You never know if all that effort will lead to the reward you truly want.

It’s like working blindly on something your parents believe is right. Even if you get results afterward, are those really the results you want?

And what do you truly want? Where is it, and how do you find it?

”Of course, you should follow your own thoughts.”

”Kotomi?”

”No matter whether it’s right or wrong, as long as you follow your own heart and do what you truly love, even if you fail in the end, you won’t feel any regret. Life is only so long—doing what you love takes the same amount of time as doing what you hate. Time won’t grow longer or shorter either way. So why not spend it doing what you enjoy?”

”But I still don’t know what it is that I truly enjoy.”

”Then don’t rush. Just take your time and find it along the way.”

After saying this, Kotomi smiled warmly.

”Kotomi… why are you so concerned about me?” Yukino asked in surprise.

Faced with her question, Kotomi’s answer was simple—

She pointed to her chest, right over her heart, and said sincerely,

”Because, Yukino, you’re very important to me.”

”Eh?”

Yukino Yukinoshita’s lips parted slightly in astonishment at Kotomi’s words.

”So when you feel lost—when you can’t see the path ahead, when you don’t know what you want to work for—I’ll help you find it. I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”

Kotomi was just about to continue speaking when her mind suddenly went blank. Time itself seemed to stop at that moment—she even forgot to breathe, caught off guard by what was happening before her.

”Thank you, Kotomi… truly, thank you…”

Because at that very moment, under the moonlit corridor, Yukino Yukinoshita had stepped forward and embraced Kotomi.

”Yukino…”

Being suddenly hugged by the icy beauty, Kotomi froze—her hands hovering mid-air, torn between returning the hug or lowering them. Finally, as if making a quiet decision in her heart, she slowly placed her hands on Yukino’s back and gently hugged her in return.

They held each other close…

”I… I’ve never really had any friends. It wasn’t until high school that I met you, Yui, Mashiro, and Megumi. But I’ve never known how to get along with friends. Kotomi, I’m really thankful to you. You’re my first friend, and you’re willing to help me like this. I don’t have anything to repay you with right now.”

Yukino Yukinoshita’s arms around Kotomi tightened slightly as she continued speaking.

”Kotomi, it seems that not only do we have to search together for what I truly want to strive for, but also, during that search, I’ll have to think about how I can repay you.”

Her whisper was soft, almost like a murmur beside Kotomi’s ear.

From a nearby classroom came faint music—the dance club students were still rehearsing. Thanks to the soundproofing, they didn’t have to worry about disturbing other students resting in nearby rooms. Sobu High School’s sound insulation was quite peculiar; sounds couldn’t be heard between classrooms, but if you stood in the hallway nearby, you could hear them faintly.

The music for the dance club’s upcoming cultural festival performance sounded distant, even though it was so close.

Yukino’s gentle, faint fragrance wasn’t from perfume. At such a close distance, it made Kotomi freeze slightly, unsure of what to do next. Yukino’s normally cool yet melodious voice, softened to a whisper, now carried a kind of beauty Kotomi had never heard before.

Clatter—

Suddenly!

A sound like a drink bottle falling to the floor echoed sharply through the quiet corridor.

Kotomi instinctively tensed and lifted her head, looking toward the source of the noise—it came from just around the corner!

”...”

Her eyes widened, and she immediately released Yukino, stepping forward to shield her.

Ever since she’d dreamed about being chased through the school at night by a crazed girl, Kotomi had been more vigilant than ever. She moved carefully toward the sound’s source, keeping Yukino at a safe distance behind her.

Kotomi tried to listen for any other noises, but the faint music from the dance club kept interfering. If there had been another sound, it was likely drowned out by the rhythm of the music.

Sobu High’s soundproofing… both a blessing and a curse, Kotomi thought to herself with a silent sigh.

Reaching the corner, she suddenly quickened her pace, channeling power into her legs—ready to strike if necessary. Even if she had to face a malevolent spirit, she was confident she could knock it out cold in one hit.

But before her was only a rolling bottle on the floor.

Kotomi pulled out her phone, switched on the flashlight, and shone it over the bottle. It was an empty peach soda bottle—the same brand as the one she had bought earlier from the vending machine before rehearsal, identical in every way.

”What’s wrong?” Yukino asked, peeking out from behind her.

Kotomi shook her head, putting her phone away.

”It’s nothing. I guess I just got startled by a drink bottle.”

Yukino glanced at the now-still bottle, then at the nearby corridor window, and concluded,

”It’s probably because this window wasn’t closed. The wind must’ve blown in and knocked over the bottle someone left here.”

”Probably.”

Kotomi nodded, tossed the empty peach soda bottle into the trash bin nearby, and then closed the window.

After taking care of everything, she turned back toward Yukino. The abrupt end to their embrace left Kotomi feeling a little reluctant—she wanted to hold her again, just for a bit longer.

If only Yukino would be the one to initiate it this time.

Perhaps sensing the look in Kotomi’s eyes, Yukino’s cheeks turned slightly pink. She quickly turned around, facing away from her.

”L-let’s go. I’m getting sleepy. We should head back to bed—we need to rest well. Tomorrow’s the cultural festival.”

”You’re right. We should sleep early tonight. Can’t afford to lose energy to those who stayed up all night practicing,” Kotomi said with a soft smile, following Yukino’s lead without pressing further.

The two walked side by side back to the Second Music Room.

Yui was still asleep. Though she slept deeply, both Kotomi and Yukino Yukinoshita were careful as they entered, moving as quietly as possible.

”Ah.”

In the dark, Kotomi tripped slightly. Looking down, she saw a shoe—it wasn’t hers or Yukino’s, since they were still wearing theirs. Naturally, that meant it belonged to Yui Yuigahama.

That little dumpling, Kotomi thought silently. Didn’t even put her shoes away before going to bed. She picked them up and neatly set them aside.

”Good night,” Yukino whispered softly after changing into her pajamas.

”Good night~” Kotomi replied with a gentle smile.

After exchanging goodnights, they both smiled at each other without realizing it.

Perhaps that brief nighttime walk had truly calmed them both—before long, Kotomi and Yukino Yukinoshita drifted off to sleep quickly.

In the quiet darkness, no one knew how much time had passed.

Beside Kotomi, Yui Yuigahama slowly opened her eyes. She silently watched Kotomi’s sleeping face, her gaze filled with a wordless, hazy emotion—an unspoken possessiveness.

”...”

Without saying a word, Yui gently lifted Kotomi’s blanket, moved her pillow close so it touched Kotomi’s, and lay down beside her.

Just before she drifted off, Yui Yuigahama tightly clasped Kotomi’s hand in hers.

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