If there were a way to buy that photo of herself and Iroha Isshiki, no matter how much it cost, Kotomi Izumi would pay for it and make the owner swear never to hang it again.
When she came here with Yukino today, Kotomi hadn't thought much of it. She figured that after so long, it was just a small promotional event, and no restaurant would keep a couple photo hanging on its wall forever—it wasn't a charity, after all.
Who would have thought that not only was the photo still there, but the owner had even placed an elegant little sign at the table where Kotomi and Iroha had sat, decorated with Cupid's arrow and the words: The blessing of love descends here.
When she realized Yukino had seen that intimate-looking couple photo of her and Iroha, Kotomi had to stay calm while also finding a way to deflect Yukino's questions. That was why, when Yukino confessed to her—Kotomi, I like girls—she replied without hesitation: What a coincidence. So do I.
When someone is suddenly hit with overwhelming information, they tend to forget their previous line of thought, or the questions they had intended to ask. Back in her second life, Kotomi had considered majoring in journalism at university.
In her free time then, she had read many books on media and communication. One book had described this phenomenon as part of how public opinion works. But Kotomi's mind had always been sharp at finding new applications. She thought, If I can use this same principle in conversation, wouldn't it let me shift from a passive to an active position, even defusing difficult questions?
Just now, she put that theory to the test. Yukino had been on the verge of asking about that couple photo, so before she could, Kotomi threw out a bombshell of her own: What a coincidence. I like girls too.
Not only did it leave Yukino so shocked she forgot to press further, but it successfully diverted the conversation.
From that perspective, Kotomi felt her self-taught theory had been proven correct.
As for Yukino now knowing she liked girls—Kotomi didn't mind at all. If Yukino didn't know today, she would have to learn it someday anyway.
In matters of love, Kotomi had always been honest. If she liked someone, she admitted it. If she didn't, she admitted that too. I like girls. Not just one, but several.
Even if someone she liked already had a girlfriend, she would still pursue her. She didn't want regrets, nor did she want a girl who returned her feelings to have regrets.
Kotomi was proud—so proud that she believed she could keep things balanced, that even if she had more than one lover, she could still be wholly devoted to each of them.
Watching Yukino closely, she noticed that ever since they had left the sukiyaki restaurant, Yukino hadn't asked again about that photo of her and Iroha.
Kotomi silently let out a sigh of relief, hoping the matter could be left behind.
She was already planning to return to Tako-nee's Sukiyaki House another day, preferably when she could talk directly to the owner. She'd tell her: Stop clinging to that photo already. At this rate, you owe me royalties! Take it down, now!
By the time they arrived at Sobu High, the lunch break was nearly over. Even so, discipline committee members were still stationed at the gate.
"Hey, you there! Why aren't you wearing your uniform?!"
Kotomi had barely stepped through the gate when a girl with thick glasses and a notebook in hand called out sharply. She rushed over, gripping a pen tightly, clearly intending to write down Kotomi's name and report her for entering without her uniform.
Yukino tensed, even though she wasn't the one being called out. She almost wanted to nudge Kotomi and whisper for her to run—at the speed she had shown during the sports festival!
But when Yukino Yukinoshita glanced at Kotomi Izumi, she saw how relaxed she looked. She wasn't nervous, nor did she intend to run—she simply stood there, waiting for the discipline committee girl to arrive, as if she didn't care at all whether her name was written down.
"Kotomi, if you don't run now, getting questioned by the committee later will be such a hassle," Yukino urged. Then she realized how strange this was. Normally, she wasn't the type to tell someone to run from the discipline committee.
Kotomi shrugged nonchalantly, the corners of her lips lifting in a calm smile. "Don't worry. This must be a new recruit on the committee. Hmph, clearly she's never had milk tea on me before."
"Student, you're not wearing your uniform. According to school rules, I need to record this and report it to your homeroom teacher and grade director. Please tell me your name and class," the thick-glasses girl said breathlessly as she rushed up to Kotomi.
She was obviously the kind of student good at studying but bad at sports.
Just as she came close, Kotomi reached out her hand. Like a refined lady, she gently held the girl's hand that clutched the pen, pressing the clicker so the tip retracted. With a spring-breeze smile on her face, she added softly:
"When you're holding a pen, it's best not to run or even walk too quickly—especially if the tip is out. If you trip, it could hurt your eyes. If you got hurt, I would be sad for you, serious girl. As for my name? I'm Kotomi Izumi. Will you remember it in your heart for a lifetime?"
"Uh…" The quiet girl behind the glasses usually buried herself in books, with few friends and little knowledge of school gossip. She had only heard of Kotomi Izumi's name before, but never seen her in person.
Kotomi's gentle words lingered in her ears. Under those thick lenses, her eyes stared blankly at Kotomi, lips parted slightly, as if she had forgotten how to speak.
She had come here to stop Kotomi and write her up for not wearing her uniform. So why… why was Kotomi being so warm and caring toward her instead?!
Her name is Kotomi Izumi…
So this is Kotomi Izumi?
She's… beautiful…
For a moment, something stirred in the girl's heart.
"Ah, geez! Didn't I tell you not to go up and bother her?"
Another discipline committee member, who had recognized Kotomi from afar, had been about to wave and greet her. She'd had Kotomi's milk tea several times before, and of course, whenever she encountered her, she let her pass freely. When she saw the new recruit about to confront Kotomi, she had tried to stop her, but she hadn't expected the earnest girl to rush over so seriously without hesitation.
"Is she a new member of the student council? Morishita-senpai," Kotomi asked with a cheerful smile when she saw another discipline committee member rushing over.
"Yeah. She's a first-year who just entered this year. She wanted to challenge herself, so she joined the student council. Like me, she's part of the discipline committee. As her senior, I'm showing her the ropes. You haven't seen her before because she only joined last week. As you can see, she's very responsible and serious. She's actually a pretty good fit for this role."
Morishita-senpai shrugged with a laugh, then pulled a box of mint gum from her skirt pocket and handed Kotomi a piece. It was her way of apologizing, silently saying the newbie had been too earnest for her to stop.
Kotomi accepted it, unwrapped it, and popped it in her mouth, signaling she didn't mind.
Seeing Kotomi accept the gum, Morishita-senpai sighed in relief, then offered another piece to Yukino Yukinoshita.
Such are the unspoken rules of social grace—woven into gestures like these.
"Being serious is a good thing. I feel like the student council needs a group of serious people," Kotomi said, nodding in praise.
She herself had once been invited to join the Sobu High student council, but she declined, saying she wanted to focus on art club activities and her drawing. The simple truth was, she wasn't interested in the student council.
To put it bluntly, aside from elite private schools, there wasn't much reason to join a middle or high school student council. People said it built skills, but how much could it really do? And besides, this was high school, not university.
In high school, grades were what really mattered. Even if your social skills were poor, as long as your grades were good, you could get through comfortably, often receiving praise from teachers and being held up as a model student.
Kotomi believed high school was a time when, outside of studying, one should just relax and enjoy life. Joining the student council wasn't necessary—it wouldn't bring any real benefits.
It wasn't exactly a waste of time, but the returns just weren't worth it. Even if you didn't want to relax, that time would be better spent studying or doing practice exams.
Three years of high school flew by so fast. Some students graduated without ever knowing where the student council room was, let alone caring about it.
The student council only started to matter a little in university.
Because in university, grades weren't everything anymore—unless you could keep them at the very top. What really made life easier was communication skills and social intelligence.
Some people never adjusted their way of dealing with teachers after entering university. They still treated their advisors the same way they used to treat their homeroom teachers, wording every message carefully and nervously. Totally unnecessary. Instead, you should interact with them openly, keeping basic respect but otherwise treating them like friends.
University was like a miniature society, so titles and positions did bring some benefits. Some student council presidents strutted around with their hands behind their backs, pretending to be little CEOs.
Especially during freshman orientation—you could always spot them, leading a group of council members around campus.
A stroll? Let's be real—it was just showing off.
When you saw it, there was no need to bother. Just ignore it, or mutter to yourself: What a poser. Idiot.
If you could avoid conflict, it was best to do so. Because in that little society, those student council presidents did hold some power. But after graduation, society itself would teach those pretentious types a harsh lesson.
Of course, if you really couldn't stand it, you could apply to the student council yourself, climb your way up, and stage a coup—kick the current president out and turn them into a former president.
Whether in school or in the workplace, wherever there are people, there will be conflict. Whether fair or underhanded, as long as you won, you'd be the one sitting in the president's seat.
Think of it as an early taste of the endless rivalries between teams in a company after graduation—only on a much smaller scale.
After all, the conflicts between students and the struggles between adults in society were on completely different levels.
"Went out for lunch, huh? And now you're just getting back, cutting it close to the end of lunch break," Morishita-senpai said as she chewed her gum, casually chatting with Kotomi while walking. Today's discipline duty was already halfway done—time to slack a little.
"I skipped the morning, didn't wear my uniform, and forgot my bag too."
"Wow, impressive," Morishita-senpai nodded. Kotomi's words sounded nothing like what you'd expect from a model student.
The thick-glasses girl stared at Kotomi, who was chatting and laughing with Morishita-senpai, unable to figure out just what kind of person this white-haired short-haired girl was. Not wearing a uniform was already against the rules—so why wasn't Morishita-senpai writing her up?
After escorting Kotomi and Yukino Yukinoshita to the entrance of the classroom building, Morishita-senpai stopped. "We won't go in. There's still six minutes left before duty ends, so we'll just kill some time outside. Bye."
"Bye." Kotomi waved farewell, then glanced at the thick-glasses girl with a smile. "Next time, milk tea's on me."
With that, she stepped inside.
While changing into indoor shoes, Yukino remarked, "You sure get along well with the student council's discipline committee."
"Of course. When students get their stuff confiscated, they often ask me to help get it back. Now you see why I rarely go to the school shop, yet always have endless snacks? Speaking of which, I just remembered—I've got two sweet rolls in my desk. Want one?" Kotomi said, tapping her toes on the floor after slipping her shoes on.
"Purple sweet potato and chestnut?"
"Of course."
"Then I'll take one."
"Oh, right. If Yui and the others ask why we weren't at school, what should we say? Better to agree on our stories first." As they neared the classroom, Yukino asked.
"Last night, after leaving karaoke with Yui, I told her I went straight home. So we can't use the excuse of having a study session at your place—that one's just for Shizuka-sensei. For Yui and the others, we'll each make up our own reason. The main thing is, they can't find out we spent the night together," Kotomi said calmly.
Her words left Yukino feeling a little down, though in the end she only nodded silently.
Back in Class 1-F, there were still a few minutes left of lunch break. Some students hadn't returned yet, most timing it just before class started.
"Yui, Mashiro~!"
The moment Kotomi reached her seat, she wrapped Yui Yuigahama and Mashiro Shiina in a bear hug. Both girls squeezed her tighter than usual, making up for the morning hug they had missed.
And yes, it was done right in front of Megumi Kato.
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven