All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

Without any dreams, Kotomi woke up to find it was already the next morning.

Still half-asleep, she squinted her drowsy eyes open and fought the urge to fall back asleep just long enough to turn off her phone alarm.

"So tired…"

Kotomi mumbled, about to drift off again.

Riiiing!

Her phone rang, jolting her slightly awake from her sleepy daze.

Without even checking who was calling, she groggily pressed the answer button.

"Hello…"

Her voice made it clear she hadn't had enough sleep yet.

"You little sleepyhead, still not fully awake? Even if little penguins need to hibernate, it's still only fall." Megumi Kato's soft voice came from the other end of the line.

"Penguins don't hibernate…" Kotomi mumbled in a daze. But as soon as she realized it was Megumi on the line, she perked up. "Ah! Megumi, why are you calling so early today?"

"I was worried you hadn't woken up yet! And it turns out, as I suspected, you were still asleep."

Kotomi sat up on her bed, rubbing her eyes sheepishly. "Hehe, actually, I was awake about a minute before you called, but I was just fighting a fierce battle with my tricky, slippery bed. But now—ta-da! I'm up!"

"If I hadn't called, you probably would've lost that battle against your bed."

"True, maybe I'd even end up triggering a 'defeat CG' of mine," Kotomi said absentmindedly, still half-asleep.

On the other end, Megumi was momentarily confused. "Defeat CG? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ahhh! N-no, it's nothing. I'm still half-asleep, just spouting nonsense! So, uh, are you still at home, Megumi?" Kotomi quickly changed the subject, realizing she'd accidentally used some "specialized vocabulary" from her recent visual novel marathons.

"Yes, I'm at home, eating breakfast right now. We're having tonkotsu ramen with chashu pork. Want to come over and join me?"

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly impose like that," Kotomi replied without thinking.

She definitely didn't have the nerve to go out of her way to eat breakfast at someone else's house. She figured she'd just toast a couple slices of bread and slap some cheese between them for a quick breakfast.

It would be a light meal, but she needed to save some room for their lunch seafood buffet. She was already eager to pay a "visit" to the crabs and octopus.

Just thinking about it had her practically drooling. She could almost taste the garlic scallops just by imagining them.

The temptation of food worked wonders; Kotomi suddenly felt energized enough to get up and out of bed. Without changing into her pajamas, she walked straight into the bathroom in just her "underthings" and hit the speaker button on her phone.

"Oh, that's too bad. Mom wanted to invite you over for breakfast as well. Right, Mom?" Megumi didn't give up and decided to rope her mother into the conversation.

"That's right! Kotomi, can you hear me?" Ikemi Kato's voice came through, and there was the faint sound of bubbling broth from noodles cooking on the stove. "If you're free, you're very welcome to join us for breakfast!"

Faced with such a warm invitation—and from Megumi's mom, no less—Kotomi felt it would be rude to turn her down.

And besides, it was tonkotsu chashu ramen…

Kotomi swallowed as she imagined it.

On one side, there was her simple cheese sandwich. On the other, a steaming bowl of ramen.

But showing up so early at someone else's house for breakfast, even at Megumi's place—wasn't that a bit too bold?

She wasn't shameless enough to just barge in uninvited.

Ding-dong.

Dressed and standing at the Kato family's door, Kotomi pressed the doorbell.

Megumi answered, her delight plain to see in her beaming smile.

"Kotomi, you got here so fast! Did you practically fly over after hanging up?"

Megumi cheerfully took Kotomi's hand. After all, what better way to start the day than by holding Kotomi's hand?

"Oh, not at all. I just walked over at a normal pace. Our houses are pretty close."

Kotomi gestured to her house down the street, only a ten-minute walk away at the most.

The fact that they'd only met each other in high school, despite living so close, was amazing.

Fate really worked in mysterious ways.

In the kitchen, Kotomi greeted Naoki Kato, who was eating breakfast, and Ikemi Kato, who was busy cooking her ramen.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Kato. Sorry for intruding."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all! I'd be thrilled if you came by every day. Please, take a seat and make yourself comfortable. I just told your mom yesterday, I'd love for you to be my goddaughter," Ikemi said warmly, her face brighter than usual as she welcomed Kotomi.

"Kotomi's here? Good morning! I hear you and Megumi are heading to the Aqua Park in Shinagawa later. Are you sure you're okay with taking the train? I'd be happy to drive you both," Naoki offered.

"No need, but thank you for the offer, Mr. Kato. We'll be fine taking the train. We just need to keep an eye on the time," Kotomi replied gratefully.

"All right, then. Just be careful on the way, and remember to call when you get there and before you head back. I'm all finished, so take your time and enjoy. I'll be in my study."

Naoki took the last sip of broth from his bowl, placed his dishes in the sink, and headed out of the kitchen to start his weekend reading.

"Dad's in his study first thing in the morning," Megumi laughed.

"He's been so busy at the bank this past week, he hasn't had a chance to read. Since it's finally the weekend, let him focus on his books," Ikemi replied, turning to Kotomi to explain.

"Your uncle has few hobbies. Besides practicing kendo, he likes to spend his weekends reading. He enjoys novels, newspapers, anything he can read."

"Mr. Kato practices kendo?" Kotomi asked in surprise.

"More than just 'practices.' Every few days, after work, he goes to a kendo dojo in Chiba City. Let's see… he's been into kendo for around 36 years now," Ikemi recalled.

"What rank does he hold?" Kotomi asked, curious. She had been itching to spar with someone, especially after missing out on practice with Kenso-senpai due to her art projects last week.

Her system showed her as a Level 4 in kendo, and she was eager to see just how much that translated to real-life skill.

"As for his rank, while he used to spar often, he hasn't been as dedicated to training since we got married. He's been stuck at fifth dan for over ten years now."

Thinking about it, a high schooler like Kisara Tendo being at sixth dan was truly impressive!

Ikemi's ramen finished cooking just then, and she placed the bowl in front of Kotomi, the rich aroma of tonkotsu broth and chashu pork wafting up.

"Here, go ahead and try it. Megumi's been craving it all morning. But honestly, making tonkotsu broth is such a time-consuming process."

"Just the smell alone is amazing! This looks delicious. Thank you for the food!"

Kotomi picked up her chopsticks and began eating, pausing to praise the dish between bites.

Ikemi beamed, overjoyed at the compliments.

—If I get a chance, I'd love to spar with Kenso-senpai and see just how much power my kendo skills have in real life. I'll have to find a time to head over to the kendo club.

As she ate, Kotomi's mind wandered to thoughts of a kendo duel with Kenso-senpai.

A bowl of tonkotsu chashu ramen comes with a hearty portion, lots of noodles, and plenty of meat. For most people, even with a large appetite, one bowl would be enough to fill them, maybe even to the point of feeling overstuffed.

But Kotomi's appetite wasn't exactly "normal."

"I'm full. It was really delicious. Thank you, Auntie," Kotomi said, placing her bowl, empty down to the last drop, back on the table.

"If you're still hungry, there's more in the pot," Ikemi offered.

"Oh, no, no, I'm full—any more, and I wouldn't be able to finish," Kotomi said quickly.

In truth, she wasn't entirely full. The bowl was large, the meat portions were generous, and the broth was delicious.

But when people found out her real appetite, their reactions were priceless.

Just this one bowl? If Kotomi wanted to feel around eighty percent full, she would need at least eight bowls. To truly satisfy her appetite, optimistically speaking, she would probably need ten.

She had to bite her tongue to avoid asking, "Auntie, do you have an even bigger bowl?"

Of course, Kotomi would never admit she wasn't full. Even if she still had room, she'd always say she was satisfied.

If she were to mention that she hadn't eaten enough, Ikemi would, without hesitation, happily serve her another bowl, delighted that Kotomi loved her cooking.

But Kotomi knew herself well enough to realize that to feel "mostly full," she'd need eight bowls. She couldn't very well expect Auntie Ikemi to cook that much.

So, Kotomi told a small, harmless lie, saying that one bowl was enough.

Sitting nearby, Megumi Kato rested her chin on her hand, glancing at Kotomi with a slight smile as if she saw right through her. Then, she suggested, "Shall we get going, Kotomi? If we wait any longer, we might miss our train."

"Oh, right!"

Not wanting to be late after getting up early, Kotomi glanced at the time on her phone. If they didn't leave soon, their schedule would indeed be tight.

"Mom, we're heading out now. We'll be back in the evening after dinner."

"Goodbye, Auntie, and thank you again. The ramen was truly delicious!"

"Come by any time, Kotomi! You're always welcome here!" Ikemi laughed.

"Definitely."

After bidding Ikemi goodbye, Kotomi put on her shoes at the entryway while Megumi said she needed to grab her phone from her room.

Kotomi adjusted her white thigh-high stockings, tugging her skirt down slightly.

The soft fabric of her stockings gently pressed against her thighs, revealing just a hint of soft, fair skin.

That morning, Kazumi had strongly recommended Kotomi wear thigh-high stockings, claiming the "absolute territory" style was unmatched!

Whether man or woman, Kazumi had said, anyone could be drawn to the allure of an enticing but elusive view, tantalized by the nearly touchable yet unreachable sight.

And how did Kotomi know all this?

Well, because deep down, she was a bit of a perv—a young perv, thank you very much.

Half-resigned, she ended up wearing the stockings Kazumi had suggested.

Whether thigh-highs, knee-highs, or pantyhose, Kotomi wore them all willingly. She was still getting used to her legs being bare, as even the slightest breeze against her skin sent her thoughts wandering into places best left undescribed.

So, even if it was just ankle socks, Kotomi didn't want to go completely barefoot.

Not to mention, wearing shoes without socks felt extremely uncomfortable.

Kotomi especially disliked the sensation of bare feet slipping into shoes, her heel always rubbed painfully. And if the shoes were slightly tight… well, those who've been there know, it's truly uncomfortable and awkward!

In just a few minutes, Megumi came back downstairs, her phone in hand and a shoulder bag slung over her shoulder. The bag was in a chic two-tone khaki and cream design from a well-known French luxury brand that had mastered the concept of "affordable luxury."

If price weren't a factor, it would be the perfect choice for a first bag.

If Kotomi remembered correctly, Megumi's shoulder bag cost a full 200,000 yen.

"Alright, darling, let's go," Megumi said after slipping her shoes on, extending her hand to Kotomi.

"Okay!" Kotomi nodded, taking Megumi's hand without a second thought. The moment their hands met, Kotomi felt her heartbeat naturally speed up.

Just like a girl whose heart races with budding feelings.

Since they were going to Shinagawa, they had to depart from a different station in Chiba City.

Thankfully, it wasn't too far, and with the early start, they managed to arrive before rush hour, entering the station before it got too crowded. If all went well, the train would arrive shortly, and with fewer people around, they wouldn't have trouble finding seats.

Waking up early had its perks.

It just meant sacrificing a bit of extra sleep.

With a bit of time left before the train arrived, Kotomi decided to log into Azur Lane to collect her daily rewards.

She'd been running low on speed-up items lately…

She'd once stocked up, but a recent event had drained her supplies, much of it spent trying her luck in the gacha pools.

Thankfully, thanks to Megumi's "SSR aura," one of her final ten-pulls not only summoned Vittorio Veneto but also completed the limited-time pool.

A real SSR in her midst!

Next time she had trouble drawing characters, she'd definitely rely on Megumi. Kotomi couldn't help but grin at the thought.

Just then, she felt something soft press gently against her cheek.

She turned to see a bread wrapper labeled "Red Bean Bun" and Megumi holding it out to her with a warm smile.

"You didn't really eat enough, did you? Here, I remember you like most flavors of bread, as long as it's not chocolate, right?"

Kotomi took the red bean bun, a little surprised, and thanked her right away. "Thanks, Megumi. I do really like red bean buns."

She opened the package and took a bite. The sweet red bean filling and the fluffy bread were a perfect match.

A look of pure satisfaction spread across Kotomi's face as she savored the taste, her cheeks puffed out slightly.

"Is it good?" Megumi asked with a soft smile.

Ever since the first time she saw Kotomi's adorable expression while eating, Megumi had loved the feeling of "feeding" her.

So this is what it means to feed someone…

"Delicious!" Kotomi nodded vigorously, finishing the red bean bun in just a few bites. Though she still wasn't full, the bun was enough to tide her over until lunch.

"Hehe, don't move. You've got a crumb on the corner of your mouth. Girls should be a little careful while eating," Megumi teased, lightly laughing as she reached over to brush away the tiny crumb from Kotomi's lip.

Instead of discarding it, Megumi held the crumb delicately between her fingers.

"Oh, did I really? Hehe, I must have been eating too fast. Thanks, Megumi. I keep troubling you with these little things."

Kotomi scratched her head sheepishly, realizing that every time they ate together, Megumi would notice crumbs at the corners of her mouth.

Kotomi had once told Megumi to just let her know if she saw any crumbs next time, to save her the trouble. But Megumi only smiled without replying.

Just like now—seeing a crumb on Kotomi's mouth, she instinctively helped clean it up.

"It's no trouble at all," Megumi replied with a bright smile just as the train arrived at the platform.

Standing inside the safety line, they waited for the train to stop.

"Here's our train—let's get on."

"Alright~"

As they stepped into the train car, Megumi let Kotomi walk ahead, using the moment Kotomi wasn't looking to sneak the crumb she had brushed from her lips between her fingers and into her mouth, savoring it as though it were the finest delicacy.

To Megumi, the most delicious, precious part of any bread was the crumb left on the corner of Kotomi's lips after she'd taken a bite.

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