Sobu High School.

After entering the classroom and greeting Yukino and the others, Megumi Kato sat back in her seat. But when her gaze fell on Kotomi’s empty desk, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of emptiness herself.

“Megumi, are you feeling better?” Yui Yuigahama asked with concern.

“Thank you for asking. I’m completely recovered now, but…” Megumi hesitated, her tone laced with embarrassment. “When Kotomi came to visit me yesterday, I accidentally passed the cold to her.”

Yukino Yukinoshita raised an eyebrow. No wonder she hadn’t seen Kotomi this morning. So she had caught a cold.

“Yesterday, Kotomi was the one attending class alone, and today it’s you. Are you two taking turns?”

Yukino made an effort to crack a joke. Since becoming friends with Kotomi and the others, she’d been trying to learn how to interact more naturally. She noticed that Kotomi and Yui frequently joked with each other, sometimes getting so close they’d lean on one another without a second thought.

While Yukino hadn’t yet mustered the courage to interact with them so physically, she was striving to learn how to lighten the atmosphere with a casual remark.

For now, however…

Her attempt at humor seemed to have missed its mark.

Yui Yuigahama, Kato Megumi, and Shiina Mashiro stared blankly at her for a moment, as if struggling to process her words. Then, as if realizing Yukino’s intent, both Yui and Megumi hurried to force out a laugh.

Yui Yuigahama: “Haha, oh, Yukino, that was so… er, funny! Now that you mention it, yeah, Kotomi yesterday, Megumi today—it’s like tag or something!”

Megumi Kato: “Kotomi might actually be thinking the same thing while resting at home right now.”

Yukino pressed her lips together tightly, her beautiful eyes flickering with a faint trace of awkwardness. She quickly turned back to her book, pretending to be composed, even though the novel she held was currently upside down.

Shiina Mashiro glanced at Yukino’s retreating figure, then stated matter-of-factly: “Yukino isn’t suited to making jokes like Kotomi does.”

“Pfft—!”

It felt like an arrow straight to her heart. Yukino nearly slid off her chair, her cheeks flushing as she stammered in defense:

“I-I wasn’t trying to imitate Kotomi and Yui’s way of speaking! I was just… saying something casually. Don’t read too much into it.”

After this, as if unwilling to concede defeat, she added:

“You know, I do read a lot of humorous literature…”

Her implication was clear: I understand humor, even if I didn’t execute it well this time.

Yui and Megumi, naturally kind-hearted, nodded earnestly to show they understood, while doing their best to suppress any further awkwardness.

To their relief, Mashiro broke the tension by suggesting: “After school, should we visit Kotomi?”

It wasn’t because Mashiro had a particular knack for sensing the atmosphere—if anything, she often didn’t. Her invitation simply stemmed from a sudden thought.

Still, her timing was impeccable.

The awkwardness evaporated instantly as they shifted their attention to discussing what to bring as a gift for Kotomi.

While they deliberated, Yukino reflected on what Mashiro had said earlier. It was true: she wasn’t suited to making jokes like Kotomi or Yui.

What didn’t suit her, no matter how useful it might seem, was ultimately meaningless.

Since she couldn’t pull off casual humor, she decided she’d focus on finding another way to better her interactions with others. Observing Kotomi, Yui, and Mashiro, she still saw two key points to learn from.

The ability to casually crack a joke without breaking the atmosphere or causing awkwardness.The ease with which they could lean on each other, both physically and emotionally.

Whenever Yukino thought of the second point, she felt her face heat up slightly. The idea of being that physically close to someone still made her shy.

Evening

Izumi Household.

After lunch, Kotomi had dozed off, possibly thanks to her cold medication, and slept all the way until dusk.

Golden sunlight filtered through the windows, filling the room with a lazy warmth.

On her spacious double bed, Kotomi let out a soft hum, her voice a blend of sweetness and drowsiness.

Even though she slept alone, she loved having a double bed. It allowed her to roll around freely, and given her tendency to toss and turn, it spared her the risk of tumbling to the floor.

Her dense, lovely lashes quivered slightly before her eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw upon waking was Megumi Kato’s face leaning close to hers.

Huh?

Was she about to experience the final scene of Sleeping Beauty?

Kotomi jolted awake. If they were going to discuss this, she was definitely all ears now.

“Good morning, Kotomi~” Kato Megumi greeted her with a soft smile.

Kotomi was just about to extend her arms from beneath the covers to wrap them around Megumi’s neck, but she suddenly noticed something out of the corner of her eye—Yui, Yukino, and Mashiro standing nearby.

Phew, that was close. She had almost gone in for the hug.

If she had done that in front of everyone, no amount of explaining would have gotten her out of trouble!

Wait, judging by their relaxed expressions, it seemed like they’d been here for a while.

Kotomi rubbed her eyes, convinced she might still be dreaming. Waking up to see her sister wasn’t surprising. But Megumi, Yukino, and the others?

Why were they in her bedroom?!

No wonder she questioned her own reality.

“Everyone, I’ve brought the drinks—orange juice okay for everyone?” Aimi entered the room, carrying a tray with several glasses of orange juice.

Seeing her sister awake and looking much better, Aimi finally felt her day-long tension melt away. She smiled gently and said, “Onee-chan, you’re finally awake.”

Kotomi nodded absently, sitting up in bed. Dressed in her penguin-print pajamas, her snowy-white short hair slightly messy, she stared at everyone with bleary eyes, her delicate face still marked by light puffiness from sleep.

She rubbed her cheeks and patted her face, confirming this wasn’t a dream.

“What… are you all doing here?”

It was strange—she hadn’t told anyone about her cold.

Then again, waking up to find her room full of beautiful girls wasn’t exactly unpleasant.

Noticing Kotomi’s confusion, Megumi chuckled and explained:

“This morning, when I went to wait for you outside like usual, you didn’t come out for a long time. Then I saw Aimi and asked her. She told me you had a cold. When I got to school, I told Yukino and the others, and they all wanted to visit you after school.”

While explaining, Megumi tactfully omitted any mention of Yukino’s earlier, slightly awkward attempt to lighten the mood with a joke.

Yukino silently appreciated her discretion.

“Thanks for visiting me, everyone. As you can see, I’m doing much better now, so there’s no need to worry. I’ll be back at school tomorrow.”

Even though she secretly wanted to stay home for one more day, Kotomi decided against saying that out loud.

“Can I have another glass, please?” Mashiro asked, holding up her empty glass.

“Of course! Just a moment,” Aimi replied cheerfully, taking the glass. She was the picture of a perfect little hostess.

When the four friends had rung the doorbell earlier, it was Aimi who had answered. This was the first time Yukino, Yui, and Mashiro had met Kotomi’s younger sister. Despite the brief interaction, Aimi’s polite and capable demeanor left a strong impression.

Yui, in particular, couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy as she compared Aimi to her own mischievous, tiger-like younger sibling at home.

Both had younger sisters, but how was the difference between them this vast?

Not long after, Aimi returned upstairs, carrying a fresh glass of orange juice for Mashiro.

“Here you go, enjoy,” Aimi said with a gentle smile as she handed over the drink. Her poised demeanor made it easy for others to warm up to her.

Aimi’s kind and accommodating attitude stemmed from one simple reason: unlike Megumi, these girls didn’t seem like rivals vying to snatch her beloved sister away. To Aimi, Yukino, Yui, and Mashiro were clearly nothing more than Kotomi’s school friends, their relationship with her sister purely platonic.

Especially Mashiro, who, with her air of innocence and cluelessness, struck Aimi as someone who might not even understand what love was.

With no sense of competition, Aimi’s demeanor naturally remained warm and courteous.

As for Megumi?

She’d make an exception today, if only because Megumi had taken care of Kotomi at school in the past. Yes, I’m being so magnanimous! Aimi thought smugly to herself.

“Hey, Aimi, I’d like some juice too,” Kotomi interjected, licking her lips. Watching everyone enjoy their drinks was making her thirsty.

The last time she had a drink was right after lunch—almost half a day ago—so her parched throat was understandable.

“Nope, no juice for you. You’re still recovering, so you’ll have water instead,” Aimi said with a slight shake of her head as she handed over a glass of pre-cooled, room-temperature water.

But I want juice… Kotomi thought longingly. Still, there was no arguing with her current situation—she was recovering from a cold, after all, even if she was mostly better.

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

As Kotomi obediently drank her water, Yukino remarked, “Honestly, Aimi feels more like the older sister than Kotomi does.”

“Hmm? Really? That’s too kind of you, Yukinoshita-san,” Aimi replied, smiling politely while humbly brushing off the compliment.

During their conversation, Aimi turned to Yui and asked, “Yuigahama-san, your family owns a bakery called Dango Cake Shop, right?”

“That’s right! Kotomi often comes by to buy cakes from us. Have you ever tried them, Aimi?”

Aimi’s lips curled into a modest smile as she replied, “Actually, the first time someone from our family went to your bakery, it wasn’t Kotomi—it was me. After I brought home some of your cakes, my sister fell in love with them and has been a regular customer ever since.”

“So Kotomi, our valued customer, is thanks to you? I should thank you properly then, Aimi,” Yui said warmly.

“Is Dango Cake Shop really that good?” Mashiro asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

As it happened, Mashiro was the last among their group to learn that Yui’s family owned a bakery. When she finally decided to visit the shop, it had temporarily closed for renovations.

The closure had lasted until now, making Mashiro the only one among them who had yet to taste the bakery’s famed cakes.

Hearing everyone else rave about the bakery’s Baumkuchen, Mashiro’s envy practically dripped from her mouth.

Kotomi, watching this unfold, couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. Seeing Aimi get along so well with Yukino, Yui, and Mashiro gave her a sense of relief. After all, she had seen firsthand how combative Aimi and Megumi could be—water and fire wouldn’t even begin to describe it.

Why can’t everyone just get along?

At moments like this, Kotomi was reminded of how caring and considerate her little sister could be. Aimi had always been someone who went out of her way to take care of others and treated people with genuine politeness.

It was only when she felt jealous or protective that her demeanor turned sharp and domineering.

Well… only a little domineering, Kotomi thought, trying to convince herself.

No matter what, my little sister will always be the best! After all, she’s been taking care of me 80% of the time since we were kids!

This thought filled Kotomi with a burst of pride, and she nearly struck a triumphant pose, hands on her hips.

“By the way, Kotomi, have you been wearing that penguin-print pajama set all day?” Megumi asked suddenly, her gaze falling on the soft, slightly wrinkled fabric.

“Pretty much,” Kotomi replied, feigning nonchalance. “I’ve been wearing it since morning. I plan to wash it tomorrow when I take a shower—it’s all sweaty from earlier.”

She purposely avoided mentioning her hospital visit. Since nothing serious had come of it, there was no need to make anyone worry unnecessarily.

As Kotomi adjusted her blanket, she reflected on her current state. Normally, she didn’t sleep in pajamas. However, after lunch, she had lain down without bothering to change. She had managed to take off her pajama pants before falling asleep, leaving her upper half still dressed in the penguin-print top.

When she woke up to find Megumi and the others there, she hadn’t had the chance to put her pants back on. That was why she’d been clutching the blanket tightly this whole time—beneath it, she was only wearing her undergarments. If she wasn’t careful and let the blanket slip, she’d die of embarrassment on the spot.

“In that case, you’re going to bed tonight without taking a shower? That’s not very comfortable. Still, since you’re not fully recovered, bathing might make you catch a chill. How about I help you freshen up with a warm towel instead? It’ll feel really nice,” Megumi offered with a sly smile.

This is a trap.

Before Kotomi could answer, Aimi smoothly inserted herself between them.

With a natural motion, Aimi pulled Kotomi into her arms, cradling her protectively. Her tone was warm, but there was an unmistakable edge to her words:

“Thank you for your concern, Megumi-san, but my sister isn’t married yet. She can’t show herself unclothed to anyone so casually—even if it’s another girl.

“Besides, you’re a guest in the Izumi household. It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to take care of such things. I’ll help her freshen up myself later—she’s my sister, after all.”

As she spoke, Aimi cast a pointed glance at Megumi, her eyes gleaming with a teasing, triumphant glint.

Her unspoken message was clear: You haven’t seen Kotomi’s body, have you? Haven’t touched her? Ha! I have. I win.

Jealous? Envious? Well, too bad. You can’t have her. Just stew in your frustration.

Aimi felt utterly victorious, convinced she had scored a significant point over Megumi.

Being pulled into Aimi’s embrace, Kotomi didn’t resist. Instead, she leaned against her sister, enjoying the comfort. Her sister’s arms were warm, even better than her favorite pillow.

Halfway through their conversation, Kotomi suddenly remembered something: How had Mashiro managed to get here? More importantly, how was she going to get home?

While Megumi, Yukino, and Yui could return on their own, Mashiro wasn’t so independent. She hadn’t yet figured out how to take the train home by herself and always relied on Ms. Chihiro Sengoku to escort her after school.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep