The little bird had finally found its tree—but the tree had yet to realize that the bird it had waited for, longed for, and searched for all these years, was already perched upon its branches.
Still, no matter what, after so many years apart, to meet again was already a beautiful beginning.
How should she make Shizuka Hiratsuka remember her? In fact, the moment Kotomi Izumi realized that Shizuka was the same big sister she had met at the summer fireworks festival years ago, she had already formed a rough plan. Now it was only a matter of turning that plan into reality.
Should she just take out the pendant with the bird engraving and tell Shizuka that she was that little girl from back then? That had been Kotomi's original idea—but now, she had changed her mind.
When she heard Shizuka say, "Kotomi, there's always been a little angel living in my heart—she's the one I love," Kotomi's heart had twinged sharply, and tears had nearly welled up in her eyes. But when she listened carefully to Shizuka's description, she realized that the little angel Shizuka spoke of... was her.
Kotomi's heart was suddenly filled with happiness.
Because all along, the person Shizuka loved had been Kotomi Izumi. Shizuka simply hadn't yet recognized that the white-haired little angel in her heart was the same girl now standing before her.
Although directly revealing, "I'm the white-haired little angel you've been thinking of," would be quick and easy, Kotomi could see clearly that Shizuka still hadn't sorted out her own emotions. Even she wasn't sure whether she liked Kotomi herself—or the memory of the white-haired little angel from years ago.
Of course, that white-haired little angel was her...
Kotomi decided she would slowly help Shizuka confirm her feelings step by step. And soon, their "pretend couple" arrangement would be the perfect opportunity.
Shizuka, just wait and see. I'll make you fall hopelessly in love with me. And when the time comes, I'll tell you the truth—that I'm the white-haired little angel you met at the summer fireworks festival all those years ago.
As Kotomi thought this, the corners of her lips curved into a triumphant smile. She savored the name Shizuka had given her younger self in her heart.
The white-haired little angel...
Kotomi couldn't help but laugh softly. "When Shizuka finds out that the white-haired little angel she's been longing for all these years is actually the white-haired little witch who teases her every day... what kind of expression will she make, I wonder? Hehehe, I can't wait to see it."
Kotomi was just about to reach the sports field when she spotted two familiar figures—Megumi Kato and Yui Yuigahama—who had been searching for her.
"Kotomi! Where did you go just now?"
"Kot—cough, Kotomi! Ugh... we've practically turned the entire Sobu High upside down looking for you."
"Kato, Yui... you were both looking for me?" Kotomi asked, a bit puzzled. She hadn't been gone that long—why were they so anxious?
To be honest, Kotomi was a little scared whenever Megumi Kato and Yui Yuigahama appeared together. If either of them accidentally blurted something like, 'I'm dating Kotomi', then the other would immediately protest, 'What are you talking about? Kotomi's dating me!'
And then, within seconds, they'd both realize... Kotomi had been dating them both at the same time.
Yui Yuigahama was sweet and gentle, so Kotomi wasn't too worried about her going dark. At worst, it would take a long time to coax her back to happiness—and in that department, Kotomi had plenty of confidence.
Megumi Kato, however... was another story. She was the type to go full yandere and pick up a kitchen knife without hesitation.
Instinctively, Kotomi reached up to touch her neck. For some reason, seeing Megumi and Yui together gave her a sudden chill. She decided she'd have to avoid this kind of "queen meets queen" scenario in the future.
—I want to dance with you at the bonfire festival!
Both Megumi Kato and Yui Yuigahama thought the exact same thing in their hearts. But just as they were about to say it, they saw each other—and out of a mutual desire to keep their relationships with Kotomi secret, they both changed the subject, deciding to wait until they could talk to Kotomi alone later.
Yui Yuigahama spoke first. "Kotomi, didn't you say before that you wanted to try my homemade yogurt cake? I was thinking of making it tonight—it's really easy, doesn't take long. So... would you like to come over? To my place."
You mean I eat the yogurt cake, and you eat me, right? Kotomi Izumi thought to herself.
Megumi Kato added, "I heard from Aimi before that you're terrible at packing your suitcase, Kotomi. You always make her do it for you. It's not fair to keep troubling your sister like that, so... can I come home with you later and help you pack?"
You mean you'll help me pack the suitcase, and then start packing me, right? Kotomi thought again.
Neither Megumi nor Yui Yuigahama knew about each other's relationship with Kotomi. Megumi didn't know that Yui was Kotomi's new girlfriend, and Yui didn't know that Megumi was her first girlfriend. Luckily, they didn't—otherwise, it would have turned into the deadliest love triangle yet!
As Kotomi approached, Yukino Yukinoshita, who had also been heading toward them, naturally overheard what Megumi and Yui had just said.
Her usual calm, detached voice now carried an oddly meaningful tone.
"One wants to bake you a cake, and the other wants to help you pack your suitcase. You really are basking in everyone's affection, Izumi-san."
Yukino crossed her arms, her cold gaze fixed on Kotomi. The weather was already chilly, but under Yukino's icy stare, Kotomi could almost feel snowflakes beginning to fall.
"I can't help it if people like me," Kotomi replied casually. "When I was a kid, I went to the candy store once. I only paid for one piece of candy, but the lady gave me ten—plus a Fujiya lollipop. I love the milk tea flavor ones. What's wrong, Yukino, are you jealous?"
Kotomi smoothly shifted the conversation away from herself, turning her popularity into a lighthearted story from childhood.
"Jealous?" Yukino repeated, frowning slightly.
She wasn't much of an internet person. She preferred reading books quietly to spending time scrolling through fast-paced online chatter, so she didn't always understand Kotomi's slang or memes.
Still, Kotomi's deflection worked—the attention of both Megumi and Yui immediately shifted to Kotomi's sweet tooth.
My wife likes sweets... Megumi thought silently.
The mother of my future kids likes Fujiya milk tea lollipops... I think Yuka still has half a bag of those in her snack box. I'll give them all to Kotomi later, Yui thought to herself.
While Megumi was still calling Kotomi my wife, Yui had already moved on to calling her the mother of my children.
Kotomi had complained more than once about Yui calling her that—she wasn't even pregnant, yet Yui went around calling her child's mom all the time.
Whenever Kotomi pointed that out, Yui would puff up her chest confidently and reply:
"I'm confident in myself! If I put in some effort... hehe, Kotomi, do you want our first baby to be a boy or a girl?"
"I'll love either... wait—Yui, what are you doing?!"
"Starting right now!"
...
Remembering that, Kotomi shot the silly dumpling a weary glance. This idiot really doesn't understand subtlety—just brute force all the way.
As they laughed and chatted, time flowed by, and the bonfire festival gradually drew to an end.
Thus concluded Kotomi Izumi's first cultural festival at Sobu High.
...
Faced with the choice between letting Megumi help her pack or going to Yui's house for yogurt cake, Kotomi chose Megumi this time.
She knew deep down that she'd spent less time with Megumi lately.
Still, when she saw Yui's disappointed face upon hearing that she wouldn't be coming over, Kotomi reached out and gently patted her head, smiling softly.
"I'll skip lunch tomorrow," Kotomi said. "That way, I'll have plenty of room to fully enjoy your yogurt cake."
As soon as Kotomi finished, Yui's disappointment vanished instantly, replaced with pure excitement—and determination.
The fire in her eyes seemed to declare one thing clearly: she would make the best yogurt cake in the entire world.
...
Aimi Izumi sat playing a gal game while waiting for her sister to come home.
"Didn't Onee-chan say she'd be back this afternoon? It's already dark—why isn't she home yet?" Aimi mumbled softly, her small white feet swinging as she wore her Bluetooth earphones.
Still, something about the sound felt odd today—it was unusually spacious, not like the audio was coming from her earphones but rather surrounding her entirely.
Are Bluetooth earphones this fancy nowadays? Aimi thought, tapping the touchpad on her laptop with her small fingers.
She was currently playing the latest gal game release. It had been over a month since she first fell down the gal game rabbit hole, and her tastes had since expanded. She no longer limited herself to just the sugary-sweet, romance-heavy ones—if the art caught her eye, she'd buy and download it immediately.
Aimi wanted to wait in the living room for her sister to return, so that when Kotomi opened the door, she could run straight to the entrance to welcome her home.
But Kotomi still hadn't come back, even after all this time. Aimi had messaged her on LINE earlier, and her sister had replied that she was already on her way.
Aimi waited and waited, feeling like she was turning into a stone statue of longing—an "awaiting-wife rock" waiting for Kotomi. Bored out of her mind, she brought her laptop downstairs to play gal games and kill time.
Their father had just finished a meeting at the company and was probably already on the train home, while their mother was in the kitchen preparing ingredients and dipping sauces for hot pot.
"I even bought the sesame sauce and raw eggs for tonight's hot pot myself! Once sis gets home, she'd better praise me properly," Aimi thought, growing more and more excited.
When it came to hot pot or sukiyaki, Aimi preferred eating it plain with rice, without dipping it in anything.
Kotomi, on the other hand, loved sesame sauce. She even used it as a dipping sauce for sukiyaki sometimes. Her second favorite was raw egg.
Kotomi loved eggs—whether fried, boiled, scrambled, or even raw.
Using raw eggs for sukiyaki was fairly normal; it really did taste great. But Kotomi took it even further. When she wrote or drew manga, she would crack a few pasteurized raw eggs into a cup and keep it by her desk. When she got tired, she'd down it all in one go.
That's why Kotomi had two cups: one for drinks, and one specifically for raw eggs.
"Aimi, is Kotomi still not home? I just finished slicing the lamb and beef," Akina Izumi called as she walked out from the kitchen, wiping sweat from her forehead with a napkin.
"No, not yet. I just sent her a LINE message, and she said she's walking home from school. Seriously, she said she'd be home this afternoon—what's taking her so long? Is there something special about the last day of the cultural festival?"
Aimi grumbled unhappily. She hadn't seen her sister in almost two days—Kotomi had stayed over at Yui Yuigahama's house the previous morning. Aimi felt like a phone running on less than 10% battery, desperate for a recharge—and only "Sister-brand batteries" could bring her back to full power.
"I think Sobu High's cultural festival ends with a bonfire dance after the awards ceremony," Akina said thoughtfully.
"Would Onee-chan even be interested in a bonfire dance? The last time we went to Hawaii two years ago, there was one, and all she cared about was grilling meat and seafood."
"Well, that was two years ago, and this is now. You know what they say—'Three days apart, and you must see a person in a new light.' Maybe Kotomi's changed more than you think~" Akina teased playfully.
"I doubt it. Aside from getting a bit smarter, she's still the same goofy Onee-chan as ever."
"If Kotomi heard you say that, you know she'd sulk and ignore you all day," Akina said with a laugh. "But trust me, she really has changed. Who knows—maybe her heart's already occupied by another girl now."
"That's impossible—absolutely impossible! Onee-chan said it herself—I'm her treasure. There's no way she'd ever put her heart on someone else!" Aimi declared firmly, her expression dead serious.
"If I remember correctly, Kotomi said that to you when she was seven years old," Akina Izumi remarked teasingly.
"S-seven years old, so what? That doesn't change the fact that it's true!"
"Right, right—you'll always be Kotomi's precious treasure," Akina said in a tone used to soothe children. Then she shifted the topic with a mischievous smile.
"I heard that on the final night of the cultural festival, during the bonfire dance, there's a beautiful legend. They say that if two people in love dance together under the firelight, their love will be blessed—they'll become soulmates and live happily ever after."
"Do people actually believe that?"
"For couples in love, it's a sweet legend worth believing in," Akina said, her voice gentle like a storyteller's. "Maybe that's why Kotomi stayed at school so late—perhaps she was dancing with a certain girl under the bonfire tonight. The flickering flames, the cool night breeze, the two of them moving together under the moonlight... in that moment, time itself seems to stop. They can hear each other's breaths so clearly, and all they can see is each other. Both secretly praying that time would slow down... just a little more."
Akina's words painted the scene like a fairy tale. Then, glancing at Aimi with a knowing smile, she added playfully:
"Whatever you're feeling right now—whether it's envy or jealousy—don't take it out on your laptop, okay? It may be a few years old, but it was still expensive."
Only then did Aimi realize that as she listened, her imagination had already run wild—she could clearly picture Kotomi dancing with Megumi Kato at the bonfire. The surge of jealousy made her grind her teeth in fury. In her mind, she wanted to slice, crush, and obliterate Megumi a thousand times over!
Her hands trembled as she gripped the laptop, making Akina half-wonder if she might actually snap it in two out of rage—though, realistically, Aimi didn't have that much strength.
"Mom, why did you have to describe it so vividly?" Aimi said, trying to mask her embarrassment.
"Because your father and I danced at the bonfire on our cultural festival's final day too~" Akina said cheerfully.
"I feel like you just slipped in a spoonful of dog food there..." Aimi muttered.
Before Akina could reply, the sound of a key turning in the lock echoed from the entrance.
"That sound—it's Onee-chan unlocking the door!"
Aimi's eyes lit up. She immediately darted toward the entryway, her small bare feet pattering on the floor. She couldn't explain how, but she could always tell when it was her sister by the sound of the key.
"Onee-chan, welcome home! Do you want to shower first? Or eat dinner first? Or maybe..."
Aimi ran excitedly to the door, reaching out to take Kotomi's coat—only to freeze mid-sentence when she saw another girl standing beside her sister.
Megumi Kato.
Her words stopped cold, and so did her expression. The air fell utterly silent.
"Aimi, I'm home. Let's eat first—I'm starving," Kotomi said with a warm smile. It had been nearly two days since she last saw her adorable little sister, and she'd missed her dearly. Though, she was surprised—Aimi had appeared at the entrance almost instantly after she opened the door.
"Good evening, Aimi," Megumi greeted with a polite smile.
A moment later, without saying a word, Aimi walked up, grabbed Kotomi by the wrist, and pulled her inside.
Then—
Bang!
She slammed the door shut, leaving Megumi outside.
After making sure it was firmly closed, Aimi let out a short, dismissive heh.
Hmph. Megumi Kato, so that's all you've got?
Consider that your warning shot. I used to hold back my true strength to spare you from total defeat—but no more. If you won't appreciate my mercy, then I'll show you what real power looks like. I'll show you what it means to face the supreme champion—Aimi Izumi!
There can only be one victor—and that's me!
Click.
Aimi hadn't even finished gloating when the door suddenly opened again.
Megumi stood there, completely unfazed, dangling a key between her fingers with a smug little smile.
"When Kotomi opened the door earlier, her shoelace came undone," Megumi explained lightly. "She handed me the key while she bent down to tie it. You must've run up before she finished. You're quick, Aimi~"
Seeing that, Aimi could only take a deep breath and force a smile that contained absolutely no warmth.
"Thank you for walking my sister home. It's late—you should leave now."
"I'd rather not," Megumi replied cheerfully, her smile as sweet as ever.
—
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