All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

"Red Brick Warehouse! Red Brick Warehouse! Senpai, don't you want to see Yokohama's Red Brick Warehouse?" Iroha Isshiki excitedly exclaimed on the other end of the phone.

"Sorry, I went to see the Red Brick Warehouse with my parents this summer, and I've been there plenty of times before. Honestly, I'm not that interested, at least not this year."

"Then let's go to Fujisawa City! I want to see the lighthouse on Enoshima!"

How did this conversation jump from Yokohama's Red Brick Warehouse to Enoshima in Fujisawa? Kotomi Izumi sighed and couldn't help but marvel once again at Iroha Isshiki's boundless energy and lightning-fast topic shifts.

Was there truly a generational gap between them?

That said, Fujisawa was indeed closer to Yokohama in terms of distance.

Kotomi let out a helpless sigh. "Are you really planning to buy a phone, or are you just looking for an excuse to go sightseeing?"

"I am! If I were going alone, I'd probably just go to a phone shop in Chiba City. But if I'm with you, Senpai, I want to go to Enoshima!"

"You were just talking about the Red Brick Warehouse..."

"Because there are phone shops near the Red Brick Warehouse too!"

"Of course I know that," Kotomi replied, thinking for a moment about her schedule. Arisu Sakayanagi had mentioned she'd be heading home tomorrow morning. Since there wouldn't be a maid picking her up, Kotomi didn't feel comfortable letting Arisu go back alone and planned to escort her.

She didn't know where Arisu lived yet, but she figured she could ask tomorrow morning.

Originally, Kotomi had planned to return home after taking Arisu back, spend the weekend at home, and squeeze in some time to buy a phone. But now, it seemed like the persistent little devil had locked onto her for the day.

This tiresome little devil! Kotomi sighed heavily and continued, "Do you really want to go to Enoshima that badly?"

"Yes! I really want to! Don't you want to go, Senpai?"

"I wouldn't say I don't want to, but going all the way to Fujisawa just to buy a phone seems like a bit of a hassle. There are plenty of phone shops right here in Chiba City."

"Senpai!" Iroha declared solemnly, "Sometimes, a little hassle makes the journey worthwhile."

"Where did you even learn that? Fine, I'm not particularly busy this weekend. I'll go with you to Enoshima, but let's set some ground rules first: we can't stay out too late! We need to be home after dinner."

Kotomi remembered past outings—one to Roppongi, another to Shinagawa District—both with Megumi Kato. Each time, she'd narrowly missed the last train home. It made her wonder if she had a knack for getting into situations where she missed the last train.

"Don't worry, Senpai. You probably don't know this, but my family is super strict. I'm more worried than you about not making it back home in time!" Iroha replied with exaggerated earnestness.

After spending so much time with Iroha, Kotomi had gotten used to her antics without realizing it.

"Let's set a time, then. I've got something to do before 8 AM tomorrow. How about we meet at 9 or later?"

"Let's meet at 9:30 at the Chiba City monorail station entrance! By the way, what are you doing so early tomorrow? Spending the night with your girlfriend and sending her home in the morning? Wow, Senpai, you've got such a wild side!"

"I am not!" Kotomi's cheeks flushed as she shouted back.

For some reason, after hearing Iroha's teasing, Kotomi couldn't help but think of Arisu Sakayanagi's face.

"Get some sleep. My phone's running out of battery. Bye."

"Wait a second, Senpai!"

Just as Kotomi was about to hang up, Iroha suddenly stopped her. Kotomi paused, her hand hovering over the disconnect button.

"What is it now?"

"Senpai, do you know why I suddenly called you even though I was texting just fine earlier?" Iroha asked softly, a hint of laughter in her voice.

"I have no idea."

Kotomi truly didn't know how to respond to Iroha's sudden question. It wasn't that she was brushing her off—she genuinely had no idea.

"Hehe~ I don't know either," Iroha said playfully. "I just really wanted to hear your voice right now. You know, we even took a couple's photo together once and were mistaken for a real couple!"

Her voice brimmed with amusement, as if that photo with Kotomi was a cherished memory she would treasure forever.

Kotomi froze at Iroha's words, her thoughts momentarily blank.

"See you tomorrow, Senpai. Goodnight," Iroha said cheerfully, breaking the silence.

"Goodnight," Kotomi replied after a brief pause.

As the call ended, the chatter of Iroha's lively, slightly noisy voice faded away, leaving Kotomi in quiet contemplation.

She set her phone down and touched her lips lightly with her fingertip. After a while, she muttered softly, "Why does my mouth feel so sweet? Did I eat candy just now?"

Meanwhile, Iroha Isshiki placed her phone on her desk and smiled sweetly to herself. She stood up from her bed and walked over to her wardrobe.

"Hmm~ Tomorrow's a date with Senpai. What should I wear? A short-sleeve top? But it's a bit chilly. A dress? That might be a good choice. Ugh, too many options—I can't decide."

Standing in front of her wardrobe, Iroha was deep in thought. She imagined Kotomi's face tomorrow when she saw her carefully chosen outfit. Would Senpai's face show a hint of amazement?

Just as Iroha was lost in her happy imaginings, a loud argument from the other room shattered her thoughts and yanked her back to reality.

"Where have you been? Why are you coming home this late, reeking of alcohol?!"

"I told you already! There was an important client from work tonight, and our department had to entertain them—"

"Oh, sure. Important client? More like you were out drinking and partying again. Coming home late every single night, six days out of the week. Who's supposed to believe that?!"

"Why are you so unreasonable?! Ugh, forget it. Just keep your voice down, will you? Do you know what time it is? You're going to wake up Iroha! She's in her third year of middle school—she needs her rest to focus on her exams!"

"Oh, so now you care about the child? How often do you even come home? What have you done for her, huh?"

"That's enough! You're always picking fights for no reason. Always with that sour face! Who would want to come home to see their wife like this?! I work my butt off out there—what do you think I'm doing it for?!"

The argument escalated, with the sound of objects being thrown punctuating the heated exchange.

"Fine! I'll leave, okay? Stop yelling! Our daughter has exams next year—can't you at least try to keep the peace for her sake?!"

"Oh, go ahead! Run off and stay out all night again! It's not like you're bringing home much money anyway. You're probably just spending it all on some mistress, huh?!"

"You're unbelievable! And you have the audacity to talk about money?! Don't forget you insisted on giving 500,000 yen to your brother for his wedding! Do you think our family wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you? I can't believe I married someone like you!"

"Oh, really?! Then why don't we just get a divorce?!"

"Shut up, you b****! Don't think I don't know about that boyfriend you had in college—the one you met again at last year's reunion! I've been generous enough not to accuse you of cheating and disgracing me! And now you're accusing me of having a mistress? Maybe you're just looking for an excuse to divorce me so you can run off with him! Fine, but don't expect to take a single yen from me! Get out of the Isshiki house!"

"How dare you say that to me?! Do you have any idea how much I've sacrificed for this family?!"

As the relentless shouting continued, Iroha Isshiki crouched down by her bed, her strength drained. Her head drooped as she wrapped her arms around her knees.

There was a time when she would cry, hoping her tears would make her parents stop fighting. But now, she didn't even have the energy to cry anymore.

Burying her face in her knees, her eyes dull and emotionless, she muttered softly, "So annoying."

After hanging up with Iroha Isshiki, Kotomi opened a new message from Megumi Kato.

During the call with Iroha, her phone had vibrated once, signaling a new message. She had instinctively guessed it was from Megumi, and now that she checked, her hunch was correct.

[Just had a great meal~ At a hot spring inn in Hokkaido, I ate a giant crab. Oh, and I tried some fish with tons of bones—I have no idea what kind it was.]

Megumi wasn't particularly fond of fish, so whenever she ate one, she rarely bothered to identify the species. She only liked fish with very few bones.

[Crabs, huh? That sounds amazing. I really want some hairy crab with lots of roe and crab butter.]

Kotomi sent her reply and began to imagine the rich taste of crab roe and butter, unconsciously salivating.

Kotomi loved hairy crabs, but she wasn't fond of crab meat itself. She purely loved the roe and butter.

[Got it! I'll grab a shovel and dig a pond specifically for raising hairy crabs with lots of roe and butter. When they're ready, I'll hold you by the pond and say, "I want the whole world to know that these crabs are yours."]

[Have you been reading too many domineering CEO novels lately?]

[Hehe, I miss you. Hokkaido's scenery is beautiful, but without you by my side, all I feel is the cold.]

Megumi followed her message with a photo of the Hokkaido nightscape.

The stunning scenery of Hokkaido, paired with Megumi's sweet words, was irresistible. Kotomi couldn't resist either, her cheeks turning bright red.

With a shy smile, Kotomi typed a reply:

[Love you~]

[Send me a video! Kotomi, can you send me a video right now?]

[A video? Sure, what do you want me to film?]

[I want to hear you say, "I love you," in the video.]

Kotomi's cheeks flushed deeper red as she read Megumi's request. Did this sweet-talking girl even know what she was asking for?

Kotomi considered refusing but couldn't bring herself to do so. Feeling flustered, she adjusted her phone to the right angle and impulsively unbuttoned a few more buttons on her pajama top. With her face burning red, she cupped her hands in a small heart shape over her chest and said shyly:

"Megumi, I love you~"

After recording the video, Kotomi pressed send with a red face.

Unbuttoning her pajamas so much was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and it wasn't until the video was sent that Kotomi realized just how embarrassing her actions had been.

This was the stuff of countless people's "girlfriend-in-pajamas" dreams!

Oh well. The video was sent, and there was no point in re-recording it. She figured she'd just embrace the embarrassment and let Megumi have it. It wasn't like Megumi would do anything weird with the video, right?

About ten minutes later, Megumi sent another message:

[Are you planning to buy a new phone, Kotomi?]

Kotomi had mentioned to Megumi earlier that she wanted a new phone.

[Yeah.]

[Just this once, consider it my lifetime request! When you buy your new phone, you have to get one with the best camera quality!]

Seeing Megumi's plea, Kotomi chuckled softly, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead.

"Fine," she muttered, silently adding "excellent camera quality" to her list of requirements for her new phone.

Just then, Arisu entered Kotomi's room, fresh from a bath. Stretching lazily, she flopped onto the bed and said, "Ahh, that was such a relaxing hot bath. Your turn, Kotomi."

"Alright," Kotomi replied, setting her phone down and grabbing a towel to head to the bathroom.

Curious, Arisu picked up Kotomi's phone and touched its back. She quickly recoiled. "Whoa! Kotomi, what were you doing with your phone? It's so hot it's almost burning!"

"Ah, it's practically normal for this phone by now," Kotomi explained. "I've had it for years. It's practically a fossil. The battery's worn out, and the phone's not sold anywhere anymore. I was planning to just replace the battery, but after all this time, I'm sure other parts are worn out too. Instead of endlessly fixing it, I might as well just buy a new one."

"That's true," Arisu replied after Kotomi's explanation. "I switched to a new phone recently. Kotomi, do you want to get the same one as me? I can buy it for you!"

Kotomi glanced at the phone Arisu was holding. Its back bore a very distinctive logo: a bitten pineapple.

"This one? It's way too expensive. Plus, its ecosystem is too closed off. Sometimes, I can't even download certain games—uh, I mean, certain apps. And even topping up for games costs more than usual."

"Really? I don't play many games, so I'm used to it. But yeah, everything on this phone costs extra. And don't get me started on how they claim to be protecting the environment by no longer including chargers, cables, or earphones. They're not saving the planet; they're just milking us for more money under the guise of going green," Arisu said, her tone filled with disdain.

She had plenty of gripes about her phone, especially after paying extra just to subscribe to VIP on a music app.

"I'll check out some phones tomorrow," Kotomi said. "There's a flagship model from my current brand that launched last year. I'll see if it fits my needs. Anyway, I'm off to take a bath."

Grabbing her towel, Kotomi headed toward the bathroom but stopped briefly to talk to her mother, Akina, who was reading a book in the living room.

"Mom, I might be out for half the day tomorrow. You don't need to prepare lunch or dinner for me."

"Are you going out with friends? With Megumi?" Akina asked.

It wasn't surprising that Akina would ask. Every time Kotomi went out with Megumi Kato, she promised to be back in the evening but somehow always missed the last train. Twice might have been coincidental, but it left a lasting impression.

"No, not Megumi. She's in Hokkaido right now. I'm going with another friend to Fujisawa."

"Fujisawa? That's practically in Kanagawa. Is this friend a boy or a girl?"

"A girl, of course."

"Alright then," Akina said, visibly more at ease. "Just make sure you're back before dinner this time. Don't miss the last train again."

"Don't worry, I won't. I'll keep track of the time," Kotomi replied confidently, even patting her chest to reassure her mother. But as soon as her hand landed, it was bounced back due to unexpected softness.

Akina paused for a moment before chuckling softly. "Ah, time flies. My daughter has grown up into a young woman."

What kind of "grown-up" are you even referring to?!

"I'm going to take my bath!" Kotomi exclaimed, escaping to the bathroom.

After announcing her plans for tomorrow, Kotomi went straight into the bathroom for a hot shower.

Since it was late, she opted not to soak in the tub. Instead, she quickly lathered up, washed thoroughly, and wrapped herself in a towel before stepping out.

Wrapping a towel around herself was always a challenge due to her figure. Even after managing to secure it, the towel around her chest always seemed on the verge of slipping, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to fall at any moment.

"I'm back!" Kotomi called as she entered the bedroom, holding her pajamas in one hand and wrapped in her precarious towel.

Arisu, sitting on the bed with a book, looked up instinctively at the sound of Kotomi's voice. Her eyes widened, and she instinctively covered her nose.

"T-Too stunning! I feel like I might get a nosebleed. With a wife like this, even goji berries won't save me."

"What are you muttering about, Arisu? It's late; let's get to bed," Kotomi said casually, setting her towel aside as she began changing into her pajamas. Her bare, soft skin was momentarily exposed without a hint of modesty.

Kotomi clearly didn't treat Arisu as an outsider.

"Kotomi, aren't you wearing any… 'intimate apparel'?" Arisu asked, her tone laced with disbelief.

"Huh? Why would I wear that to bed?"

"You don't wear anything to sleep?"

"Of course not. I don't even wear pajamas when I sleep."

The moment those words left Kotomi's lips, Arisu froze in place, her thoughts spiraling into an endless void.

Arisu concluded that there was no way she'd get any sleep tonight.

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