All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

Beneath the glow of the setting sun.

It seemed to reflect her golden hair, her orange-red eyes, and the faint smile at the corners of her mouth—whether it conveyed sorrow or joy was impossible to tell.

Was this a return, or a farewell?

Anyone who saw this painting might form their own interpretation in their heart.

Kotomi put down her paintbrush and quietly looked at the completed painting, Twilight Sky: Sunset.

This was no longer a simple landscape painting. Kotomi's artistic skill imbued the work with life, exuding a serene and ethereal beauty that encouraged contemplation of its deeper meaning.

How does one evaluate a successful painting?

Kotomi's work was the very answer to that question!

"Finally finished..."

Kotomi wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, gazing at the breathtaking painting as she murmured to herself.

Amazing!

As expected of me!

This masterpiece, so vividly detailed and lifelike, leaping off the canvas, was undoubtedly the pinnacle of my artistic career!

Out there, I wouldn't even dare to admit this was my painting, afraid others would think I'm arrogant. After all, such a divine stroke of genius—who would believe it came from an ordinary high school girl?

Standing before the easel with her hands on her hips, Kotomi admired her work over and over.

The more she looked, the more she felt how incredible she was!

At that moment, Teacher Chihiro Sengoku returned after class, pushing a cart with considerable effort. On it were three very heavy wooden boxes.

Fortunately, although the boxes were rectangular, they weren't overly long. Otherwise, if Chihiro had been pushing three long rectangular boxes in here, Kotomi might have thought her teacher was planning to "ship them off" somewhere.

"Ah... I'm exhausted. I didn't think these three boxes would be so heavy. Even using a cart, it nearly broke my back," said Chihiro, panting.

"Don't worry, Sengoku-sensei. Even though you're getting on in years, you're still single! So, there's no need to worry about breaking your back~" Kotomi quipped with a cheeky grin.

Since Chihiro loved teasing her, this was just a reciprocal jab.

But the sharpness of her words carried such a critical hit that it nearly "snapped" Chihiro's back in reality.

Glaring at Kotomi, Chihiro thought that while Kotomi looked like a sweet and obedient girl, she hid a scheming heart behind that exterior.

Using the sweetest voice to deliver the most cutting remarks. No wonder Hiratsuka Shizuka always referred to Kotomi as a "little witch."

Little witch? She deserved another word added to that—"annoying little witch!"

"Who's getting on in years? Don't underestimate me, Chihiro Sengoku! I'm still a vibrant and youthful twenty-something beauty! A little witch like you can't compare to the charm of a mature older sister!"

Chihiro stood with her hands on her hips, exuding pride every time she declared herself to be in her twenties.

"Kotomi isn't immature. She even smells sweet, like milk. And besides, Cousin, I think Kotomi's figure might be ten times better than yours," Shiina Mashiro, who was painting nearby, suddenly looked up and delivered yet another critical hit to her cousin.

Pfft—

The blow nearly made Chihiro cough up blood on the spot. Her face turned pale as she weakly protested, "Mashiro... you little brat, are you even my real cousin? What kind of cousin says something like that to her own family? Why are you siding with Kotomi so much?"

Shina Mashiro continued focusing on her painting, seemingly indifferent to the conversation around her.

"By the way, Sengoku-sensei, what's inside these three wooden boxes?" Hibiki Naegi, her attention drawn to the large boxes on the cart, asked curiously.

Chihiro rested her hands on the cart's handle, her expression turning serious. Looking at Kotomi and the others, her tone became unusually grave, as if what she was about to reveal was of utmost importance:

"What's inside these... are Stone Masks!"

The moment Kotomi heard the words Stone Masks, her energy surged. She darted over to the wooden boxes in a flash, ready to reach out and open one to claim the treasure.

Smack!

Before Kotomi could touch the boxes, Chihiro slapped her hand away with force, scolding her irritably:

"Kotomi! Are you dense? I just said Stone Masks, and you actually believed me?!"

"I was just playing along with your performance," Kotomi retorted defiantly.

"Playing along? If I hadn't stopped you in time, you'd have ripped open these boxes by now. Are you really that desperate for Stone Masks? Planning to stop being human or what?" Chihiro fired back, taking the chance to repay Kotomi for her earlier cheeky remark.

What Chihiro didn't realize, however, was that her words went in one ear and out the other for Kotomi. Much like her notorious selective attention during study sessions, Chihiro's remarks had zero lasting impact.

Not only was Kotomi entirely unaffected, but Chihiro's attempted jabs also seemed to bolster her confidence, as if they triggered some hidden "healing ability."

Chihiro sighed in defeat. During her own school days, her sharp tongue was unmatched, but against Kotomi, she felt thoroughly outclassed—proof that there's always someone who's a better match.

Dejected, Chihiro patted the surface of the wooden boxes and explained, "These boxes are for packing your paintings. The deadline for submissions to the art competition is approaching. After the deadline, we'll need to mail the paintings to the organizers. By next month, the entries selected for the first exhibition should be announced."

She then pulled out three shipping forms.

"I've already arranged for the shipping. Once you finish your paintings, carefully secure them inside the boxes. Wrap them thoroughly, seal the boxes, and leave the rest to me."

"These are just for transporting the paintings? These boxes are way too big!" Kotomi exclaimed in surprise upon learning that each box was designated for a single painting. She hadn't participated in such competitions before and was astonished by the elaborate measures required.

"This is the bare minimum for protecting your work. The boxes are filled with layers of soft padding and foam. Each painting will be wrapped tightly, like a mummy. The surface of each painting will also be covered with a waterproof membrane."

Chihiro explained in detail and couldn't help but add a remark at the end:

"There's no need to think this is overkill. Once you've participated in a few exhibitions, you'll understand how crucial transport protection for paintings is. For example, when Mashiro was six years old, one of her paintings was not only securely packed but also transported on an entire plane."

"Wow, Mashiro is amazing!" Hibiki Naegi exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with admiration, dreaming of the day her artwork might also warrant an entire plane for transport.

"Alright, I'll leave the wooden boxes here. Once you finish your paintings, let me know, and I'll guide you through the packaging process," Chihiro said.

Before she could finish, Kotomi effortlessly hoisted one of the wooden boxes from the cart, displaying her strength. "Got it, thanks, Sengoku-sensei! I'm taking it for packaging!"

"Hold on a second! Wait—did you already finish your painting?" Chihiro asked in surprise.

"What else would it be?" Kotomi replied with a rhetorical question.

For a moment, Chihiro was at a loss for words, stunned by the realization. She hadn't expected Kotomi to have completed her painting so soon; she thought it would at least take until tomorrow. Judging by Kotomi's confident expression, it seemed she had a lot of faith in her work.

"Don't you want to take another day to make touch-ups?" Chihiro asked.

"No need. I'm really good at this," Kotomi said with a shake of her head.

"Alright then, I'll teach you how to package it," Chihiro replied, handing Kotomi a waterproof membrane and instructing her to carefully spread it over the surface of the painting.

As Kotomi started the packaging process, Chihiro resisted the temptation to sneak a peek at the painting, reminding herself of their agreement to wait until the exhibition to see it. Still, a sense of unease crept into her thoughts—could Kotomi's work really make it into the first round of the exhibition?

This year's Tokyo University National Youth Art Exhibition was divided into three rounds, with each phase significantly cutting down the entries. The judges were notoriously strict and would likely eliminate two-thirds of the submissions before the first exhibition even began. Even good artwork could lose to stronger competition and fail to advance.

Although Chihiro recognized Kotomi's talent, she couldn't help but worry—after all, Kotomi mentioned that this was her first completed oil painting. The stakes were high: entering the most prestigious and rigorous art competition in its category with a debut piece was akin to charging into the final boss fight with nothing but beginner equipment, skipping all preliminary challenges.

While Chihiro was silently fretting over Kotomi's prospects, Kotomi finished spreading the waterproof membrane and covered the painting with a protective cloth.

"Sensei, I'm done," Kotomi called out.

"Oh, right!" Chihiro snapped out of her thoughts. Together, they carefully placed the painting inside the wooden box. Once it was secured, they nailed and sealed the box tightly with strips.

"Sengoku-sensei, with it sealed so thoroughly, are you sure the organizers will be able to open it?" She asked.

"Don't worry," Chihiro assured her with a smile. "The organizers have professional teams. They're masters with crowbars—those boxes won't last a minute in their hands."

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