All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

After school.

Kotomi Izumi had already taken the morning to request leave from Hibiki Naegi. Technically, that meant she could have skipped going to the art club entirely without anyone questioning her. After all, she'd informed the president, so even if people were curious, no one would say much.

But Kotomi, who valued social connections, didn't simply skip out. Instead, she stopped by the art club for a short while after school, using the time before activities began to chat with the other members.

"I just heard from Naegi-senpai that you're taking two weeks off, but I forgot to ask why. So it's for cultural festival rehearsals, huh?"

Emi Tsujimoto gave a knowing nod and pulled a Pepsi from the clubroom's mini fridge for Kotomi.

That fridge, installed by Chihiro Sengoku, was crammed full even in winter.

Because who cares if it's almost winter?

Ice cream in winter tastes great, doesn't it?

Kotomi especially loved eating ice cream in winter—of course, only indoors with the heater on.

"This is the first I've heard that you play guitar. Can I touch it?" Ruriya Hojo asked curiously from behind, eyeing the guitar case on Kotomi's back.

"Sure, here you go." Kotomi unzipped the case, pulled out the guitar, and handed it over with ease.

Ruriya assumed from Kotomi's casualness that it wasn't heavy, so she didn't brace herself. The moment she took it, however, the unexpected weight nearly made her stumble.

She would have fallen if Kotomi hadn't caught the guitar with one hand and steadied her by the shoulder with the other.

"So heavy—it scared me! Thanks, Izumi-san. Sorry, I almost messed up."

Ruriya glanced nervously at the instrument. Its refined design and texture made her certain that if she knew the price, she'd gasp and her knees would buckle.

Her attention drifted to Kotomi's hand still resting lightly on her shoulder. From this close, Kotomi's flawless features and snow-white hair made Ruriya's face warm.

"It's fine. This guitar really is a bit heavier than average. I was surprised the first time I picked it up too," Kotomi said easily.

"But Ruriya looked like she was struggling with both hands, while Izumi-san handles it with one hand like it's nothing. You must have great strength. Do you work out?" Ruka Ishikawa asked.

"On weekends, I like going to the gym. Working up a sweat and then taking a shower feels great. Plus, regular workouts help you keep your figure."

Kotomi said it with a straight face—but the truth? She'd never even stepped foot in a gym. Even going for a weekend walk required her to come up with at least a dozen excuses.

"With a body that nice, and still hitting the gym to maintain it, now I feel bad about eating dinner tonight," Emi Tsujimoto joked.

Seeing there was only a minute left until club activities started, Kotomi checked the time and realized it was time for her to head out.

Kotomi had come today mainly to tell the art club members that she wouldn't be around for a while—she needed to focus on rehearsing for the cultural festival ensemble.

Even though she had already taken official leave from Hibiki Naegi, she still felt it was proper to come in person and explain. Courtesy never hurt anyone, and even in her daily interactions, Kotomi always paid attention to such things. It wasn't about being close with every classmate—there was no need, and no energy for that.

The best way to get along with most people was exactly how Kotomi did it—neither too close nor too distant, always maintaining a comfortable balance.

Of course, when it came to being with a girlfriend, Kotomi had an entirely different way of getting along.

"Well then, I'm off to rehearsal. Remember to cheer for me during the cultural festival performance!" Kotomi finished the last sip of her Pepsi and stood.

"Hehe, if you want, I'll wear an ultra-short cheerleading skirt and cheer for you from the audience. Did you know? Back in middle school, I was always picked for the cheer squad at sports meets—every time as captain," Ruriya Hojo said proudly.

"Then as soon as the cultural festival's over, I'll be famous school-wide," Kotomi chuckled, treating it as a joke.

Still, she could believe Ruriya had been a cheer captain—she had the looks, figure, and bright, outgoing personality for it.

"You're already pretty famous—two consecutive first-place scores in all of Tokyo," Emi Tsujimoto added. Sometimes people really could be frustratingly impressive—same art club, yet Kotomi excelled in both painting and academics.

"Maybe I just really like studying. If you want to improve your grades… hmm, I guess it's because I never slack off in class or secretly play with my phone. I put most of my focus into listening to the lessons," Kotomi said smoothly without blinking.

If Shizuka Hiratsuka had heard that, she'd have a thousand sarcastic comments ready.

The bell for club activities rang. Not wanting to disturb them further, Kotomi waved goodbye and headed toward the back door to leave.

As she passed Mashiro Shiina, Kotomi secretly reached out and gave her adorable cheek a gentle pinch.

Mashiro's eyes lit up in surprise, and Kotomi answered with a sweet smile before discreetly withdrawing her hand before anyone else noticed.

But that single touch left a mark in Mashiro's heart.

After Kotomi left the classroom—

Even though art club activities were now underway, Ruriya Hojo noticed Hibiki Naegi hadn't arrived yet. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked:

"Do you think Izumi-san… has a lover?"

"A lover? Why are you suddenly asking something like that?"

Natsu Ishikawa was startled by Ruriya Hojo's sudden question. Sure, when girls got together, they often liked to talk about romance—like whether someone from a certain class was dating anyone.

In the art club, members sometimes teased each other, asking if they liked someone. But they never discussed romance with Kotomi Izumi or Mashiro Shiina as the main subject.

For Mashiro, the reason was simple: as the world's number one art prodigy, just sharing the same art room with her was already intimidating enough. Although she never deliberately distanced herself from anyone, she always came in, sat down, set up her materials, and started drawing right away.

Since transferring in, she had never been the type to start conversations. She didn't push people away, but her quiet presence alone kept others from approaching her easily. Day-to-day interaction was almost nonexistent—so how could she be the focus of love talk?

The only person Mashiro actively spoke to was Kotomi Izumi.

Everyone in the art club already knew about their close relationship. It wasn't surprising—after all, in the entire Sobu High, the only one who could match Mashiro's artistic skill was Kotomi. Geniuses were naturally drawn to each other, so their closeness was expected.

As for Kotomi, from the very first day she entered the school, she had been flooded with love letters from both boys and girls. Yet she never seemed to respond to any of them. Even if someone suddenly confessed to her face, she would respond with a polite smile and then firmly but graciously turn them down.

Her behavior only strengthened the belief that she wasn't interested in dating during high school, preferring to focus on her studies.

Then there were the rumors about her and Yui, Mashiro, or Arisu. Those stories had been told in countless variations, gossiped about with enthusiasm. Some girls even whispered among themselves, wondering whether, at night, Kotomi was the one on top or the one on the bottom.

In fact, nearly half of them believed that no matter whether she was with Yui, Mashiro, Arisu, or all four together, Kotomi was always on the bottom.

Of course, in certain positions, Kotomi might end up on top.

But in the end, these were mostly playful jokes between classmates, rarely taken seriously. After all, without any concrete actions, her interactions with those girls at school might give the wrong impression, but when people thought it over calmly, they realized close female friends often had small affectionate gestures.

And since Kotomi always politely rejected any confession or love letter, regardless of whether it came from a boy or girl, it only reinforced the idea that she didn't plan to date in high school.

Once that became the general consensus, Kotomi was rarely the subject of serious romance discussions.

The art club members were no exception—they were all first-year high school girls who could hear tidbits about Kotomi from their own classes anyway.

That's why Ruriya Hojo's sudden question surprised everyone in the room.

Even Mashiro Shiina, who usually paid no attention to their conversations, stopped what she was doing. Sitting at her easel, she set down her brush and lightly furrowed her brows. She had heard something else in Ruriya's words, and her expression turned faintly displeased.

Mashiro didn't know why so many people seemed to want to steal Kotomi away from her.

Mashiro could tell instantly that Ruriya Hojo was interested in Kotomi. Despite her usual air of innocence, ever since returning from Kyoto, Mashiro had thought of herself as Kotomi's official girlfriend—and when it came to anything concerning Kotomi, she had become extremely sensitive.

In moments like this, she could pick up on the unspoken meaning in an instant.

"I've never heard Kotomi mention dating anyone. Whenever I see her, she's either alone or with other girls," Natsu Ishikawa commented.

"She's always getting love letters and confessions from other students—both boys and girls. I bet in less than two months since school started, the stack of letters she's received could make a small mountain."

"Plenty of our school's handsome boys have confessed to her, but every single one got turned down. One of the hottest topics now is guessing what kind of person she actually likes. Personally, I think she's into girls. But even girls who've confessed have been rejected," Emi Tsujimoto said.

She recalled how she had once admired a cool, aloof boy from Class 1-D and had even thought about asking for his contact info. But that boy had gone to confess to Kotomi instead—only to be met with her polite smile and firm refusal.

Emi had witnessed it firsthand, and for some reason, it had left her with a bitter taste.

Looking back, she thought herself ridiculous. Kotomi had rejected the boy she liked, so why had she felt so bad about it? Maybe she simply didn't want to see the boy she liked looking disappointed.

"I'm such a sentimental fool," Emi often told herself. Did she really need Kotomi to say yes to make herself feel better?

It wasn't about the outcome—what stung was seeing the boy she liked confess to Kotomi, only for Kotomi to dismiss it so lightly, without a shred of hesitation. It was like watching an untouchable treasure being treated by others as something utterly ordinary.

Jealousy, envy, imbalance, frustration, insecurity—all tangled together in her heart like a ball of yarn shredded by a cat.

Kotomi seemed to know exactly what to say, how to say it, and what tone or expression could easily touch someone's heart. Her beauty was exquisite, her charm undeniable. Whether male or female, anyone who saw her could feel a deep urge to protect and possess her.

Few could resist such a girl. Spend enough time with her, and you'd sink into her captivating allure. It was only natural that she was so popular.

And if someone were lucky enough to date a girl like Kotomi, even if they eventually broke up, it would be hard to accept or love anyone else again. Every memory, every moment spent together would be etched in their mind for life, impossible to forget.

Ruriya let out a small sigh, her delicate face showing a hint of melancholy. "If only Izumi-san really liked girls~"

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