All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

"Did you return the keys?"

After seeing Kotomi emerge from the teachers' office, Sakayanagi asked casually.

"Even though Sengoku-sensei had already left, I entrusted the keys to Hiratsuka-sensei for safekeeping."

"I see. Well then, we'd better get going."

Tapping the ground lightly with her cane, Arisu said with a faint smile, "An empty school bathed in the red hues of the setting sun streaming through the windows always seems to invite the imagination to wander."

"Wander where?" Kotomi tilted her head. She had always found the twilight hours to be a particularly calming part of the day.

"Games, novels, manga, dramas, movies, or even those so-called discussion threads on late-night forums—anything with the faintest hint of horror set in a school will inevitably include the 'Seven School Mysteries,' right?"

As they passed by the restroom, Arisu raised her cane, gesturing toward the girls' bathroom.

"For example, Hanako of the Toilet."

The infamous Hanako of the Toilet—a staple of the Seven School Mysteries—was well-known. Even people who weren't particularly interested in such tales couldn't help but be somewhat familiar with it.

The tale went like this: At precisely 3:00 a.m., if one entered the third-floor restroom of an abandoned school building and knocked three times on the door of the third stall, a girl in a red camisole dress would appear. She would drag anyone unlucky enough to summon her into the toilet.

It was an old and ordinary ghost story, one Kotomi had heard countless times growing up. Now, even someone like her, whose serotonin transporter gene sequence suggested a predisposition to anxiety, could no longer be scared by it.

Seeing Kotomi's utterly unimpressed expression, Arisu lowered her cane and sighed in resignation.

"Has little Kotomi grown braver? I still remember how you used to cling to my arm for hours after I told you scary stories, too scared to let go."

Arisu had intended to tease Kotomi a bit, hoping she'd instinctively grab her arm like before. But seeing her utterly unaffected reaction left Arisu feeling deflated.

Upon hearing someone compliment her bravery, Kotomi couldn't resist letting out a smug little hum.

"Of course! My courage has leveled up. These days, if I can't sleep at night, I just put on a horror movie to help me doze off!"

Her tone was full of pride, completely forgetting how she had been reduced to a quivering mess the last time she watched The Ring.

Arisu chuckled silently.

By the time they left Sobu High School, the sky had already darkened.

Fortunately, Kotomi had called her mother earlier to let her know. Meanwhile, Arisu subtly sent a text message to Atsuki, her trusted housekeeper.

[Atsuki, call me in an hour and say exactly what I've written below: ...]

[Understood, Miss Arisu! But... are you planning to stay at Miss Izumi's house?]

[What else would I do?]

After sending the message, Arisu quietly put her phone away and adopted a thoughtful expression. "Today is my first time visiting your house, Kotomi. I'd like to buy something as a gift."

"You don't have to," Kotomi replied.

It was true that this was Arisu's first visit, but since they were classmates, there didn't seem to be any need for such formalities.

"It's necessary. After all, it's my first time at your place. Bringing a gift is just proper etiquette," Arisu insisted, her face lighting up with a cheerful smile. "Wouldn't this count as meeting the parents?"

Seeing Arisu's determination, Kotomi didn't protest further and instead suggested, "In that case, let's go to the confectionery shop."

They arrived at a small shop by the roadside—a confectionery store well-known in Chiba City for its popularity. Besides gift boxes of sweets, the shop offered a variety of affordable and delicious treats.

Kotomi recommended this shop to Arisu for buying her gift. Of course, it had absolutely nothing to do with Kotomi wanting to snack on some sweets herself. Absolutely not.

Naturally, Arisu didn't bother much about the cost; her focus was entirely on what would make the best impression as a gift.

"This box looks nice. I'll go with this," Arisu said decisively after a quick glance around. She selected a box of rakugan.

Rakugan, a type of confection made from glutinous rice or soybean flour mixed with sugar and honey, is often pressed into molds to form various shapes. It's a popular choice for gift-giving in Japan.

Unlike rakugan, which was more of a dry treat, Kotomi preferred snacks like rice crackers, strawberry daifuku, and taiyaki.

"Ma'am, I'd like to check out," Arisu said, stepping toward the counter.

"Of course, dear," the elderly shopkeeper replied warmly.

The total for Arisu's rakugan came to 5,897 yen.

Meanwhile, Kotomi had gathered a selection of snacks for herself to take home, totaling 2,789 yen. As she reached for her phone to pay, she pressed the power button, but the screen didn't light up.

Kotomi frowned, holding the button down longer. This time, the screen flickered, showing a low-battery icon before shutting off entirely.

"Crap, my phone's out of battery!" Kotomi's heart sank. Although she had a power bank in her bag, she suddenly remembered she'd forgotten to pack a charging cable before leaving home.

"Ma'am…" Kotomi began awkwardly, already prepared to return all the snacks she'd chosen.

"I'll cover it," Arisu interjected smoothly, not hesitating as she paid for both her gift and Kotomi's snacks using her phone.

"Thank you for your patronage!" The shopkeeper, delighted by the bustling sales that afternoon, beamed as she carefully packed up their purchases.

As they left the shop, Kotomi took hold of all the bags and smiled sheepishly.

"Arisu, I'll pay you back for the snacks once we get to my place."

Kotomi let out a sheepish laugh, embarrassed by the situation. For someone as meticulous about her phone battery as she was, running out of charge while out was an unexpected disaster.

Looks like it's time to finally replace this phone.

Maybe I'll get a lighter power bank while I'm at it.

"No need. It's not a big deal. Just consider it my dinner money for tonight," Arisu replied with a playful smile.

Pfft—!

Kotomi felt a sudden stab to her heart. That 2,789 yen, just brushed off as "not a big deal"?!

Truly befitting of a rich young lady.

"By the way, Kotomi, what does your sister usually like to do?" Arisu asked, her tone laced with curiosity.

She'd heard about Kotomi's younger sister, Aimi, but they'd never met in person. It dawned on her that tonight would mark their first meeting.

To make a good first impression, Arisu decided it was best to gather some intel beforehand. After all, it was essential to establish a good relationship with her future sister-in-law. Who knew? Aimi might even become her secret ally in winning over Kotomi.

"My sister, huh?" Kotomi tilted her head slightly, tapping a finger to her cheek as she pondered. After a moment, her expression brightened, albeit with an endearing hint of cluelessness.

"She likes… taking care of me?"

"Pfft! Does that count as a hobby?" Arisu laughed, unable to hold back her amusement.

"Um… Well, I know what she likes to eat, the kind of clothes she prefers, and her favorite drinks. But as for her actual interests? I'm not too sure. She's never told me, and she doesn't really show it much. Could this be… her rebellious phase?"

Kotomi sighed dramatically, adopting the air of a worried older sister lamenting the trials of a sibling in adolescence.

Even though Aimi had never acted rebellious toward her, not even once.

"What's her personality like?" Arisu pressed further.

"Carefree," Kotomi said with confidence, her answer quick and unwavering.

"Hmm? Carefree? What do you mean by that?"

"Aimi, well… she can be a little moody at times, but she's serious, humble, and considerate. She's incredibly polite and often looks out for me. As long as she's around, I can live without a care in the world."

Whenever Kotomi talked about Aimi, her expression radiated with unmistakable pride.

"So, when you described her personality as 'carefree,' you meant yourself being carefree because of her, didn't you? Hmm~ Kotomi, you really treasure Aimi, don't you? Now you're making me nervous."

"Nervous?"

"Yeah. Having a sister-in-law like Aimi means it's going to be a lot harder for me to secure my place as the future sister-in-law. I have to up my game!" Arisu teased with a sly grin.

"Hahaha, Arisu, you and your jokes," Kotomi chuckled, shaking her head lightly.

With one more turn at the corner, they'd arrive at the Izumi residence.

Standing by the roadside, waiting for the traffic light, Arisu tugged at Kotomi's sleeve and whispered softly:

"Kotomi, over to the left, not far from here. There's a woman with dark red hair and another wearing sunglasses and a mask. They've been staring at you. Do you know them?"

"Huh?"

Kotomi followed Arisu's gaze and spotted the pair. One woman, dressed in a black trench coat, had dark red hair and was puffing on a cigarette, her gaze unfiltered and fixed directly on Kotomi.

The other woman, with a single ponytail and her face obscured by a hat, sunglasses, and mask, was lurking behind a vending machine, clearly watching them.

What is this? Some kind of shady organization?

Kotomi shook her head. "Never seen them before."

"Should we call the police? They've been staring at you for almost a minute. That doesn't seem like a coincidence."

"Ugh... Good point. What if they're creepy old ladies obsessed with my beauty?" Kotomi shivered slightly, her unease growing after Arisu's suggestion.

Just as she reached for her phone to call the authorities, the two women began moving, quickening their pace to follow.

Only then did Kotomi remember—her phone was dead!

"Arisu, we need to run!" Kotomi suddenly said, and before Arisu could process what was happening, Kotomi had already swept her into a princess carry.

Kotomi's hands, small but firm, supported Arisu by the waist and—awkwardly—her lower back. In the rush, Kotomi didn't notice the inappropriate placement of her hands.

Though she had no idea who these two women were, their behavior was undoubtedly suspicious. Fortunately, Arisu had managed to snap a photo of them earlier. For now, escaping to a safe place and contacting the authorities seemed like the best course of action!

With that thought, Kotomi took off at a full sprint, carrying Arisu as if she weighed nothing.

Behind them:

"Huff... huff... I'm going to die! Merii-san, why did she bolt the moment she saw us? Do you think we've got the wrong person?"

"No way. That white hair of hers is unforgettable. We couldn't possibly have mistaken her. We have to catch up! By the way, she's wearing the uniform for Sobu High School. Is she really just a high schooler?"

Merii Hizuki and Miyuki Aomori, panting heavily, pressed on. Determined to close the gap, they pushed their bodies to their limits, refusing to slow down in their pursuit of the fleeing Kotomi.

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