Yui Yuigahama’s mother, Tomoka Yuigahama, was in the kitchen, happily preparing dinner. It had been a while since she last cooked, but thankfully her skills hadn’t deteriorated too much.

Except for the fact that she still couldn’t tell the difference between a half-spoon and a small half-spoon…

But since she never really could tell them apart anyway, it was safe to say she hadn’t regressed at all.

“The fried chicken is done, and the rice is almost ready. Just need to make some mashed potatoes, and dinner will be complete!” Tomoka glanced at the fried chicken on the table, feeling quite satisfied. Every now and then, cooking was a nice way to relax.

Of course, that only applied to cooking. While cooking and eating were fun, the post-meal cleanup of washing dishes and tidying the kitchen was far from enjoyable.

Still, as a good mother, these were duties she must fulfill!

“I really need to set aside more time to cook for Yui and Yuka.” She muttered to herself.

Just as the rice cooker beeped, signaling the rice was done, and Tomoka bent down to grab four bowls from the cabinet, she heard hurried footsteps coming down the stairs.

The thunderous stomping told her without a doubt that it was Yuka racing down.

With a sigh, Tomoka didn’t even need to check. “This kid, always so impatient. I really need to teach her to calm down.”

As Yuka rushed into the kitchen, Tomoka was ready to scold her, but before she could even open her mouth, Yuka blurted out:

“Mom! Onee-chan… Onee-chan and Kotomi-neechan are making babies! I’m going to be an aunt!”

Crash—

The bowls in Tomoka’s hands fell to the floor. Thankfully, they were plastic.

No, wait, the issue wasn’t whether they were plastic or not!

“Yuka, what on earth are you saying? Don’t joke around about your sister and Kotomi like that! It’s very impolite to say such things about others.” Tomoka scolded, her tone stern.

“I’m not lying! I really saw Onee-chan and Kotomi-neechan making babies! They were both on the bed, and Kotomi-neechan wasn’t wearing any clothes! Making babies means two people don’t wear clothes and lie in bed, right?”

Yuka stood there with her hands on her hips, looking completely justified and serious.

Seeing Yuka’s earnest expression, Tomoka was stunned for a moment. Although Yuka often said surprising things for her age, she wasn’t the type to lie.

Looking at her daughter’s serious expression, Tomoka hesitated for a moment before dashing upstairs.

Could her usually well-behaved, shy daughter actually be doing that kind of thing with Kotomi behind her back?

“Yui! Kotomi! Are you two using protection?!” Tomoka shouted as she reached the bedroom door, sounding both concerned and… hopeful?

However, when she looked into the room, Tomoka didn’t see the scandalous scene she had envisioned. Instead, she found Kotomi peacefully asleep under a blanket on the bed, while Yui was calmly folding the clothes scattered on the floor.

“Mom?!” Yui was utterly dumbfounded, her hands still mid-fold as she looked at her panicked and slightly expectant mother standing in the doorway.

What do you mean by “using protection”?

Tomoka glanced at Yui, then at the sleeping Kotomi, and after a long moment of awkward silence, she managed to ask:

“Finished already?”

“Mom, what are you even saying?!” Though Yui was as dense as a dumpling, she immediately realized what her mother was implying from her words and expression. Blushing furiously, she quickly explained:

“Kotomi was already asleep! She just… seems to prefer sleeping without clothes. Earlier, while half-asleep, she tossed all her clothes onto the floor.”

Upon hearing this explanation, Tomoka finally understood that the million-word scenario she had conjured up in her mind hadn’t actually happened.

She wasn’t sure whether she should feel relieved or disappointed.

Even though they were still in school, if Kotomi and Yui really were dating, Tomoka would be completely supportive. Despite both being girls, Tomoka believed that love should be about mutual affection, right?

If there’s no mutual love, all the rules and norms in the world can’t fill the emptiness of a relationship. Love happens when two people fall for each other, and marriage should be a fortress that shields that love from external pressures.

Still, seeing Kotomi sleep so soundly, Tomoka sighed, “Looks like she won’t be waking up anytime soon. I was hoping she could try my cooking tonight.”

“She might sleep until morning,” Yui said, glancing at Kotomi’s serene sleeping face. Then she tentatively suggested, “Why don’t we let her stay over for the night?”

Yui carefully looked at her mother, unsure if she would agree to this idea.

Unexpectedly, her mother smiled warmly, as if saying, Oh, so you were thinking the same thing.

“Of course, she can stay. Kotomi must be exhausted after tutoring you. Let her rest. But I should give her family a call. If she doesn’t return home, her parents will surely worry. Yui, do you know their number?”

“I only have Kotomi’s phone number…” Yui admitted, feeling a little embarrassed. But then she remembered, “Oh, wait! Kato-chan probably has Kotomi’s home phone number. She’s been to the Izumi house before.”

“Kato-chan? Oh, you mean Megumi Kato, the one who came by the dango shop a while back? The one who always buys two portions of cake?”

“Yes, that’s her. I’ll call her and ask.”

Just as Yui pulled out her phone to dial Megumi, Kotomi’s phone rang. The screen showed the name “Mom” in big letters.

“It’s her mom calling, but we’d need her password to answer. I don’t know what it is,” Yui said, picking up Kotomi’s phone.

“Leave it to me. It may be a bit intrusive while she’s asleep, but we have to let her family know.” Tomoka took the phone from Yui’s hands.

Yui watched curiously, unsure how her mother planned to unlock Kotomi’s phone. Did her mom know the password?

As it turned out, Tomokadidn’t know the password either. Instead, she gently lifted Kotomi’s left hand and pressed her middle finger to the fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone.

With a clear beep, the phone unlocked.

“I happened to see Kotomi use her left middle finger to unlock her phone before,” Tomoka explained with a girlish giggle.

She then pressed the button to answer the call.

After the call connected, Izumi Akina’s voice came through on the other end:

“Kotomi, where are you right now? Why haven’t you come home yet? Didn’t I tell you to call me if you were going to be late?”

Tomoka Yuigahama expression shifted slightly upon hearing Akina’s voice. There was something oddly familiar about it, as though she had heard it many years ago.

Curious as she was, Tomoka decided to set aside her questions for now and explain Kotomi’s situation.

“Hello, Mrs. Izumi, this is Yui Yuigahama’s mother, Tomoka Yuigahama.”

There was a brief pause on the other end before Akina responded, realizing it wasn’t her daughter on the line. “Oh, Mrs. Yuigahama! Hello. I hope my daughter hasn’t been causing you any trouble?”

“No trouble at all! Kotomi’s been wonderful. She’s been helping Yui with her studies and even picked up my younger daughter from school before. I’m so happy that Yui has such a kind and dependable friend.”

“Oh, you flatter her! Thank you. By the way, is Kotomi still at your house? I’ve been a bit worried since it’s getting late, and she hasn’t called to let me know what’s going on.”

“Yes, she’s still here, but…” Tomoka hesitated briefly before continuing, “she seems to have fallen asleep from exhaustion, and she’s sleeping quite soundly. We tried waking her up, but no luck. So, I was wondering if it would be alright for her to stay the night at our house?”

“She’s already asleep? That’s unusual. It’s only a little after 7 PM. Kotomi rarely goes to bed before 11.”

“She must be tired after tutoring Yui for two hours,” Tomoka replied gently.

“That girl…” Akina sighed softly, pausing for a moment. “Alright then, Mrs. Yuigahama, if it’s not too much trouble, please take care of her for tonight.”

“No trouble at all! It’s our pleasure. I only wish she could try the dinner I made tonight, but I suppose she’ll be sleeping until morning.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two mothers were about to end the call when Tomoka remembered her curiosity.

“By the way, Mrs. Izumi, I haven’t had the chance to ask—what’s your first name?”

“Oh, sorry about that. I forgot to introduce myself earlier. My name is Akina—Izumi Akina.”

Akina… Tomoka silently repeated the name, feeling a strange familiarity.

After they said their goodbyes and hung up, Tomoka found herself lost in thought. Izumi Akina… Akina… That name sounds so familiar, like someone I knew from middle school.

It had been many years since her time as a middle school student, and those memories had become quite fuzzy. The names of her old classmates had mostly faded away.

But the name “Akina” tugged at something in her memory—though she wasn’t sure if the Izumi Akina she just spoke to was the same person she once knew. It was possible Akina had married and changed her surname to Izumi.

I might not remember now, but maybe if I meet her in person, it’ll all come back.

“Well, no rush,” Tomoka said to herself. “If we meet in the future, I’ll ask her about it then.”

“Mom, did Mrs. Izumi agree to let Kotomi stay?” Yui asked with a hint of excitement.

Tomoka couldn’t help but smile as she saw the anticipation in her daughter’s eyes. Maybe there’s more between these two than just friendship, she mused.

“Yes, she agreed. You seem awfully happy about it, don’t you?” Tomoka teased.

Yui blushed, realizing there was a deeper implication in her mother’s words, and fumbled for a response.

Meanwhile, Yuka was bouncing around excitedly. “Yay! Kotomi-neechan is staying the night! I can play games with her!”

“No, you can’t!” Yui immediately cut in, knowing that Kotomi needed rest, and swiftly scooped up the bouncing Yuka like a little chick.

“Are you jealous again?” Yuka looked at Yui with an all-knowing expression that no one her age should possess.

“I am not!”

“Then why won’t you let me play with Kotomi-nee? You were having so much fun with her earlier. Sis, you’re way too possessive, and that’s not good, you know.” Yuka spoke with a serious tone, as if offering profound life advice.

“Where do you even learn these things? Stop watching all those daytime soap operas with Mom!”

Yui could only sigh in exasperation, torn between laughter and frustration, before warning her sister: “Kotomi’s really tired and needs her rest. You’ll be a good girl and let her sleep, right? Otherwise, I’ll have to spank you.”

“Then I want to sleep with Kotomi-neechan!” Yuka, ever quick to adapt, immediately changed her demand.

“Absolutely not! You’re all over the place when you sleep! One of your wild kicks could seriously injure someone.”

“Ugh! You’re such a meanie!” Yuka puffed her cheeks in frustration.

Watching her daughters bicker, Tomoka chuckled softly and decided to step in, scooping up Yuka. She motioned for Yui to head downstairs to eat dinner.

Though a bit disappointed that Kotomi wouldn’t be able to enjoy her fried chicken tonight, Tomoka was already thinking about what to cook for breakfast the next morning. Well, if she’s sleeping over, I can at least impress her with breakfast!

…

Meanwhile, at the Izumi household.

After hanging up the phone, Akina furrowed her brow slightly, as if deep in thought.

“Akina, where’s Kotomi? Should I go pick her up?” asked Izumi Kaneyoshi, coming over to check on the situation.

“She’s at her friend’s house—Yui Yuigahama, remember? She fell asleep there after tutoring and isn’t waking up. Since she’s sleeping so soundly, they’re letting her stay the night.”

“Ah, I see. Well, I’m glad the Yuigahama family is willing to take care of her,” Kanoya said. Noticing his wife’s pensive expression, he asked, “What’s on your mind? You look like you’re trying to remember something.”

“I don’t know… It’s just that when I heard Mrs. Yuigahama’s name—Tomoka Yuigahama—it sounded so familiar.”

“Familiar? Did you know her before? But I don’t recall us ever knowing the Yuigahama family.”

“She probably changed her surname after getting married. Tomoka—her name sounds just like a friend I had back in middle school. I remember chatting with her once about how she wanted to name her daughter ‘Yui’ after she got married.”

“Middle school? That was a long time ago.”

“Exactly,” Akina replied with a soft chuckle. “I guess I’ll just have to ask her directly if we meet again. Let’s have dinner for now.”

As Akina walked toward the kitchen, she passed through the living room and noticed Aimi sitting there, waiting for Kotomi to come home. Earlier, Aimi had mentioned wanting to eat dinner together with her sister.

Unfortunately, that wish wouldn’t be coming true tonight.

“Aimi, dinner’s ready,” Akina called.

“I’ll wait a bit longer for Kotomi,” Aimi replied, biting into an apple. “She’s so late today. I wanted to watch TV with her tonight, and…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Akina cut in, “Kotomi’s not coming home tonight. She fell asleep while tutoring and is staying at the Yuigahama house.”

Thud.

The half-eaten apple slipped from Aimi’s hand and rolled onto the floor. After a brief moment of silence, she bent down to pick it up and quietly muttered, “Oh, I see.”

She then headed into the kitchen, where she picked at her dinner without much enthusiasm.

…

Not far from the Yuigahama household, under the dim light of a streetlamp—

Megumi Kato stood silently, the cool, pale light casting long shadows behind her. She checked her phone for the time, then gazed up at the illuminated window of Yui’s bedroom on the second floor.

“Kotomi’s staying over, huh? I guess I won’t be able to ‘accidentally’ bump into her and walk her home tonight, like I did the past few days.” Megumi sighed softly.

————————————————————————————————————–

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