All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

Listening to the conversation between Kotomi Izumi and Yui Yuigahama, Yukino Yukinoshita—who was being held in a princess carry by Kotomi—could not help but think to herself slowly:

I’m not so sleepy that I want to fall asleep... No, this isn’t what I should be thinking about right now. If Kotomi hadn’t said that, it probably would’ve been hard for her to explain to Yui why she was holding me like this.

However, there was one thing that truly bothered her...

Why was Kotomi always able to explain things so calmly every single time? To be precise, it wasn’t an explanation—it was deception. Was she only like this with Yui, or was she like this with every girl she knew?

Could it be that even if Kotomi were being intimate with another girl and was accidentally discovered by someone else, she would still be able to instantly come up with a countermeasure in her head—crafting a ready-made excuse and smoothly coaxing the girl into happiness?

Once such a thought took root in her heart, her subconscious mind began to guide her thinking in that direction uncontrollably. Even if she kept telling herself that such thoughts were foolish, her brain would still involuntarily dwell on them, drifting further and further down that path.

Kotomi had once happened to read about this phenomenon in a popular psychology book. She no longer remembered the professional term for this state, but the description of it remained especially vivid in her mind.

After all, it was such a common state.

Even when one knew a thought was absurd, the slightest lapse in attention would still allow the mind to wander wildly, straying farther and farther along that unreasonable line of thinking.

Yukino knew very clearly that her current psychological state was exactly like this—at least, right now it was.

She kept telling herself over and over in her heart that Kotomi was not that kind of woman.

Yet she still could not help wondering deep down—was Kotomi particularly skilled at deceiving the girls with whom she had ambiguous relationships? And how many girls, exactly, had ambiguous relationships with Kotomi? Did Yui know?

However, the last thought had barely formed before Yukino denied it herself.

After the recent rehearsals for the cultural festival stage performance, Yukino had come to understand Yui Yuigahama’s personality more deeply.

Yui might appear silly and soft, gentle and easy to talk to, as though she had no strong opinions of her own. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be constantly ”bullied” by Kotomi.

But in reality, Yui also had her own stubbornness and persistence.

As long as that stubbornness was not touched, she was easygoing. But once it was, the Yui who had been so agreeable one second might seem like a completely different person the next.

For example, there had been a time when Yukino was teaching Yui how to sing.

At that time, Yukino had not tailored her teaching to suit Yui’s style. Instead, she had simply chosen a few singing techniques she knew—ones that produced quick results, were low in difficulty, and easy to learn.

They were good techniques, yes. But Yukino had completely overlooked one thing: a singing technique that she felt was suitable for a beginner without professional training might produce a completely different effect for Yui Yuigahama.

No matter how excellent a technique might be, the most important prerequisite was that it suited the singer’s own habits.

If it didn’t, then even the best technique might fail to produce good results. It could even have the opposite effect.

One of the techniques Yukino had taught Yui at the time was exactly like that.

Yukino thought it was excellent and easy to learn, so she taught it to Yui. But after Yui mastered it and tried singing with it once, she discovered that notes she had previously been able to reach were suddenly out of reach when using the new technique.

After realizing this, Yui—who usually followed Yukino’s arrangements during practice without complaint—said decisively:

”Yukino, I think I’ll stick with the technique you taught me before.

”At least with this new one, although I’ve learned it, when I actually sing with it, it doesn’t feel helpful at all. Instead, it seems to add unnecessary difficulty for no reason.

”Based on how I feel right now, maybe after some time I could slowly master it. But the cultural festival is only a few days away. We don’t have much time to practice a new technique. Rather than spending time learning something new, it’s better to focus on refining what I already know.”

Even Yukino—who was usually quite strong-willed when it came to teaching singing—found herself nodding instinctively after hearing Yui say that.

Not only because what Yui said made sense, but also because the stubborn persistence in her tone at that moment left Yukino unsure how to refute her.

Returning to the main point, it was precisely because Yukino understood that Yui’s softness concealed a thread of stubborn persistence that, when she wondered whether Yui knew about Kotomi maintaining ambiguous relationships with other girls, she rejected the idea before even thinking it through.

In Yukino’s view—having never even been in a relationship herself—it would be extremely difficult for Kotomi to completely hide such ambiguous relationships from a girlfriend who spent every day with her. A single small detail might be enough to expose her.

Given Yui’s personality, if she truly knew that Kotomi was maintaining ambiguous relationships with other girls, she would definitely lose her temper fiercely. Their relationship could not possibly remain as harmonious as it was now.

And yet, Kotomi Izumi and Yui Yuigahama’s relationship was still as sweet as ever.

That could only indicate one fact—

It wasn’t that Kotomi had suddenly become devoted and stopped flirting with other girls.

Rather, Kotomi Izumi was still hiding it extremely well, so well that Yui Yuigahama had not yet discovered that she was maintaining ambiguous relationships with many girls.

Otherwise, it would be difficult for Kotomi and Yui’s relationship to remain this sweet. After all, if Yui truly knew that Kotomi was two-timing—no, multi-timing—then even if Kotomi tried her hardest to coax her back into a good mood, cracks and fractures would inevitably appear in their feelings.

Of course, all of these were merely Yukino Yukinoshita’s own inferences.

Kotomi Izumi gently set Yukino Yukinoshita down and covered her with a blanket.

After leaving Kotomi’s embrace, Yukino felt waves of reluctance rising in her heart.

If she were malicious, she would truly wish to remain forever within Kotomi Izumi’s arms.

Rather than like this—before she had even fully savored the embrace that belonged solely to her during this brief time—it had already vanished in the blink of an eye.

Originally, she had thought about opening her eyes. But after reconsidering, Yukino Yukinoshita decided against it.

When Yui had walked out of the bathroom earlier and seen Kotomi carrying her in a princess carry, she had clearly been jealous. And it hadn’t been a mild kind of jealousy—the air itself had seemed heavy with it.

Fortunately, Kotomi Izumi had explained in time. Or rather, she had promptly come up with a suitable excuse and coaxed Yui back into a good mood.

Otherwise, the atmosphere right now might have become extremely awkward.

To avoid wasting the balance Kotomi worked so hard to maintain, I should just keep pretending to sleep. If I suddenly open my eyes now like I’ve just woken up, it might only make things more awkward. If we’re not careful, it could even evolve into a battlefield centered around Kotomi Izumi... Yukino thought to herself.

In order not to let Kotomi’s efforts go to waste, Yukino, though unwilling, obediently continued to pretend to sleep. At the same time, she pricked up her ears and secretly listened to the conversation between Kotomi and Yui.

She found herself contradictory.

At a time like this, she should be trying her best not to listen at all. That would be good for Kotomi and Yui—and good for herself as well.

Some things, as long as one does not hear them, can be more easily treated as if they are unknown, lightening the psychological burden just a little.

Yukino knew she should do that.

But when she heard Kotomi and Yui’s voices, she still could not help focusing intently, wanting to hear what they would say while she was ”asleep.”

After helping Yukino tuck in the blanket, Kotomi Izumi slowly rolled back to the kotatsu.

Yes, that’s right—she literally rolled across the tatami floor.

”Yui, do you know what I’m thinking about right now?” Kotomi asked softly after rolling back under the kotatsu.

”Thinking about what? Hmm... cake?” Yui Yuigahama tried to guess before answering.

”No, no. Alright, I’ll just tell you. My head is completely filled with one thought—I’m so sleepy. I really want to go to bed!”

Faced with Kotomi Izumi’s perfectly reasonable and candid answer, Yui could not help but smile faintly.

”Then let’s sleep early tonight. Should I go turn off the lights?”

After saying that, Yui stood up, preparing to switch off the lights.

”Wait. Before you turn them off, Yui, isn’t there something you want to ask me?” Kotomi suddenly said.

”Something I want to ask you?”

Yui parted her lips slightly, as though she had many things she wanted to ask Kotomi. But in the end, she did not voice a single one of them. She simply shook her head obediently.

”I do have questions I want to ask you. But there are just too many. If I asked them all right now, even if you stayed up the entire night answering, it still might not be enough. And since you’re already sleepy, rather than satisfying my own curiosity and making you rest later, I’d rather you go to bed early.”

After hearing this, Kotomi felt both happy and somewhat helpless.

She was happy, of course, because Yui Yuigahama truly knew how to care for her, look after her, and be considerate toward her.

Even someone as affectionate as Kotomi Izumi would sometimes think to herself that she must have saved the galaxy in her previous life to be lucky enough to have Yui as her girlfriend.

But at the same time, she felt helpless because Yui had just said she had many questions she wanted to ask.

When she heard those words, Kotomi’s mind raced.

Why does Yui have so many questions she wants to ask me? Could it be that some small gesture of mine accidentally revealed one of my little secrets? Kotomi wondered inwardly.

That was what she thought in her heart, but what she said aloud was:

”It’s fine. It won’t take long anyway. Besides, compared to things you’re curious about but that won’t really matter even if you don’t know right now, don’t you want to know what Yukino and I did—or talked about—while you were in the bath?”

Kotomi’s words were filled with implication and allure. The implication was deliberate, and as for the allure... for a little enchantress capable of toppling nations like Kotomi, letting her tone or expression brim with seduction was almost effortless.

Like the slender, pale hands of a vampire drawing her prey in, she gently tugged at Yui’s curiosity, stimulating it again and again.

Idiot, why did Kotomi suddenly bring that up?!

Lying on the futon and pretending to sleep, Yukino could not help but complain inwardly.

If she were not pretending to sleep right now, she would have dashed over in an instant and covered Kotomi’s mouth to stop her from continuing!

As expected, Kotomi’s words successfully aroused Yui Yuigahama’s curiosity.

That was how an airheaded girl like Yui was. If Kotomi did not take the initiative to mention it, Yui might only remember to ask much later: What were you and Yukino doing while I was in the bath?

Seeing that she had successfully piqued Yui’s curiosity, Kotomi grinned and said with a chuckle:

”Actually, it’s nothing much. I was just bored at the time, so I chatted with Yukino about the art professor from Kyoto University. I’ve mentioned her to you before, right? I met her during the first art exhibition I attended. She might not look very reliable, but some of the things she says can truly enlighten people.

”When we were talking about painting, she once told me that what painting needs most is a pair of eyes that are good at discovering beauty—and willing to observe beauty up close at all times.

”That sentence left such a deep impression on me that, while you were in the bath, I shared it with Yukino first. And now I’m sharing it with you.”

After hearing Kotomi say this so openly, Yui Yuigahama finally let out a sigh of relief.

Although she had not shown it just now, when she realized that Kotomi and Yukino might have done something behind her back while she was bathing, Yui had already begun to feel nervous.

Now, after hearing Kotomi explain everything so frankly, she finally relaxed inwardly.

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