"Yukino, need any help?"
Kotomi Izumi looked at Yukino Yukinoshita, who was squatting down adjusting her music keyboard, and walked over to ask.
In the morning, Yukino had already adjusted the music keyboard several times, but she still felt uneasy and decided to check it once more.
Sometimes, after finishing something, you start worrying whether you actually did it properly, and then end up checking over and over again.
"No, thank you. Just thinking that we're performing on stage this afternoon—and as the closing act, no less—I can't help wanting to double-check that the keyboard's completely tuned."
"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous. And if you still feel nervous, you can always hold onto my right arm anytime~" Kotomi leaned closer with a playful smile.
"Wait a second. Are you planning to go up to Yui later and ask, 'Yui, are you nervous?', and then have her hold your left arm?" Yukino said coldly.
"Ah... hahaha... how could that be?"
Kotomi panicked—because Yukino had hit the mark exactly. She had, in fact, planned to let Yukino hold her right arm first, then go find Yui afterward.
Since she'd been found out, she could only stubbornly deny any intention of wanting to be held on both sides!
Kotomi Izumi—Denial Mode: 1000%!
However, even if Kotomi kept denying it, the brief flicker of panic on her face had already confirmed everything for Yukino. That expression said it all—Kotomi was planning to enjoy being embraced from both sides.
Yukino Yukinoshita turned her face away coldly, pretending to ignore Kotomi.
Kotomi shrank her neck slightly, smiling awkwardly. She felt a bit embarrassed—clearly, she still needed more work on facial expression control.
Seeing Yukino upset, Kotomi didn't linger. She turned around and went to chat with a nearby third-year senior.
When Yukino saw this, her jealousy grew even stronger. Unconsciously, she waved her small fist with a huff. If Kotomi had still been standing beside her, that fist would definitely have landed right on her.
After that impulsive motion, Yukino suddenly snapped back to her senses. What was she doing? Her behavior just now was exactly like that of a young girl sulking out of jealousy! That wasn't like her at all.
Yukino Yukinoshita didn't intentionally maintain an "ice queen" image—she simply wasn't good at social interaction. Over time, she had leaned into that cold persona to minimize unnecessary conversations and contact.
Although her social life was already limited, Yukino wished it could be even less—ideally, zero. She didn't know whether that counted as social anxiety, but compared to talking to people, she preferred quietly reading alone, muttering softly to herself.
However, ever since she met Kotomi Izumi, Yukino noticed that her ice-cold image had become harder to maintain. She often found herself doing things and saying words that went against her aloof persona. Whenever she realized it, she felt shy—but deep down, she didn't dislike it. In fact, she thought that being like this in front of Kotomi... wasn't bad at all.
"Senpai, where did you get your hair cut? It's so pretty! Can I touch it?"
"Of course. Last weekend, I went to Shibuya with some friends and stopped by a salon for a new style."
"Senpai, your hair feels amazing—so smooth~"
"Hahaha, hearing that from you, Kotomi, I'm really flattered. But honestly, your hair's the best—anyone, guy or girl, would be jealous after seeing it. And your hair color's so beautiful too. Is it dyed?"
"No, it's natural. My mom's hair is naturally white, so I was born with the same color," Kotomi explained with a faint smile.
Although she knew that line—"Your hair is like your mother's, your sister's is like your father's"—was actually a kind lie her parents made up to hide the fact that she was an abandoned child, Kotomi never exposed it.
After all these years, she had already come to see the Izumi couple as her real parents.
To give birth and not raise, a finger is enough to repay. But to raise without giving birth—even a hundred lifetimes aren't enough to repay.
So when outsiders asked about her hair color, Kotomi would naturally respond with, "It's like my mom's."
"Wow~ the more I look at you, the cuter you get. I kind of wish I could sleep hugging you every night, Kotomi~"
"Oh~ want to give it a try?" Kotomi asked playfully, smiling as she opened her arms wide.
Her sudden boldness made the senior instantly blush, flustered and shy.
Watching Kotomi laughing and chatting happily with a senior she didn't even know, Yukino Yukinoshita felt jealousy stir quietly in her chest.
Yui Yuigahama also saw Kotomi chatting and laughing with the senior. Her heart sank, but she didn't say a word. Instead, she lowered her head and sat quietly in a corner, looking down at the lyrics sheet in her hands.
After chatting for a while, Kotomi said goodbye to the senior and turned back to Yukino's side.
When Yukino saw her return, she spoke coldly:
"Back already? Kotomi Izumi really is as calm as ever. Even though our trio's musical performance is going to be the closing act this afternoon, you're still relaxed enough to chat with a senior like it's nothing. With a mindset like that, if you were born in the Sengoku era, you might've become a powerful warlord."
Kotomi's lips curved into a mischievous smile. "I like reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Among all the warlords, the one I admire most is Cao Cao. Some of his interests are actually very similar to mine—so similar that if we ever met, we'd probably sigh and say, 'Truly, a kindred spirit!'"
"Cao Cao?"
Yukino looked genuinely surprised. She had read both Records of the Three Kingdoms and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't figure out what interests Kotomi and Cao Cao could possibly share that would make them call each other soulmates.
She thought for a long while but still couldn't come up with an answer. Meanwhile, Kotomi had no intention of explaining. Instead, she pulled out a bottle of hand cream, sat down beside Yukino, and said:
"Let me put some hand cream on you—and give you a little hand massage too. You've worked hard practicing piano lately."
"Eh? Where did that hand cream come from?" Yukino asked in surprise. If she remembered correctly, Kotomi hadn't brought any with her. So where did this bottle come from?
Could it be... Kotomi Izumi's true identity is Doraemon? Capable of pulling out wish-granting gadgets from a four-dimensional pocket?
Faced with Yukino Yukinoshita's question, Kotomi Izumi chuckled softly, her usual shameless personality shining through.
"Let me put this hand cream on you first, and then I'll tell you~"
Yukino sighed helplessly. She really couldn't deal with Kotomi's audacity. "Fine then."
Without hesitation, Kotomi twisted open the cap of the hand cream, squeezed some onto her palms, and gently wrapped her small hands around Yukino's. As she applied the cream, she began massaging Yukino's hands carefully, especially her fingers. Lately, because of all the piano practice, Kotomi had often seen Yukino rubbing her fingers as if they were sore.
Yukino's expression gradually softened. The gentle motion of Kotomi's hands truly felt relaxing—so much so that Yukino almost wanted to lie down with her head resting on Kotomi's lap and drift off to sleep without a care in the world.
"Does this feel okay?" Kotomi asked softly, her eyes lowered, filled with warmth and tenderness.
Being touched by that gentle gaze made Yukino feel as though her hands were soaking in warm water, washing away all fatigue.
"Mm… Kotomi, are you really good at hand massages or something? It feels amazing."
"Hahaha~ I'm glad you like it. I've never learned—just going with instinct."
"Maybe that's what they call natural talent," Yukino said with a rare soft smile. After a short pause, she asked curiously, "You still haven't told me where this hand cream came from."
"Curious, are we?" Kotomi teased with a playful glint in her eyes.
Being looked at like that made Yukino's cheeks flush slightly. She quickly turned her face away to hide her embarrassment. "It's just… when we came to the auditorium earlier, your jacket pockets looked completely empty. So when you suddenly took out a bottle of hand cream, I got curious about where you were keeping it. That's all. If you don't want to answer, you don't have to."
"Hehehe~ I didn't expect that behind your cool, aloof exterior, Yukino, you'd have such a curious little heart~"
"I do not!" Yukino blurted out defensively. Her voice sounded like melting snow—crisp yet soft.
Kotomi couldn't help but laugh even more. What she loved most was seeing Yukino's flustered reaction. The sight of an "ice queen" blushing carried a unique charm—something beyond words, different from any other girl's shy expression.
After laughing, Kotomi quickly spoke again before Yukino could pull her hand away from embarrassment. "Actually, the reason I went to chat with that senior earlier was to borrow her hand cream."
"Eh?"
Yukino blinked, startled by Kotomi's response—then surprised, and finally… relieved. She hadn't expected that Kotomi's cheerful conversation with the senior wasn't about flirting or trying to get close, but simply to borrow some hand cream for her sake.
And knowing that made Yukino's heart quietly bloom with joy.
Kotomi hadn't been interested in that senior at all—she'd just wanted to borrow something for Yukino. Those two facts combined filled Yukino with a happiness she couldn't hide. Her lips curled into a smile that was small yet unmistakable.
Noticing that faint smile, Kotomi sighed inwardly with relief. At last, she'd successfully soothed the little jealous ice queen.
After a short while, Kotomi finally let go of Yukino's hand. Yukino instantly felt a pang of reluctance. She didn't want Kotomi to let go yet—she wished the massage could go on a bit longer. But that was something she didn't dare to say out loud. Instead, she quietly whispered, "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Make sure to do your best in the performance this afternoon," Kotomi said with a gentle smile before standing up.
Seeing Kotomi rise, Yukino instinctively reached out, as if to stop her—but Kotomi moved too quickly. By the time Yukino's hand extended, Kotomi had already turned and walked off.
Yukino stared blankly at Kotomi's back, her eyes dazed for a moment. Then, realization struck—Kotomi was walking toward Yui's direction!
Immediately after, Yukino Yukinoshita watched in disbelief as Kotomi Izumi—who had just been sitting beside her, gently applying hand cream and massaging her hands—walked over to Yui Yuigahama and sat down next to her. On Kotomi's face was that same tender, gentle expression from moments ago.
Yukino tried to eavesdrop on what Kotomi was saying to Yui, but their voices were kept so soft that she couldn't make out a thing. They were clearly speaking quietly to avoid disturbing others, and Yukino's hearing wasn't particularly sharp to begin with. Sitting a short distance away, she could only watch Kotomi and Yui talking and laughing together without catching a single word.
Don't tell me Kotomi's going to put hand cream on Yui too? Yukino thought to herself, her jealousy beginning to rise again.
But it soon became clear that wasn't the case. Instead…
Kotomi suddenly reached over and snatched the phone out of Yui's hands. Seeing that Yui had been reviewing the lyrics again, Kotomi smiled and lightly pinched Yui's cheeks.
"Didn't I tell you to rest for a bit? You've practiced so much that you could probably sing the lyrics backward by now. You're still not listening, huh?"
"Mm… I just wanted to review one more time before the performance. I don't want to mess up the lyrics…" Yui mumbled, her voice muffled as Kotomi held her cheeks.
"So what if you mess up? On stage, don't think about what's 'right.' There's no such thing as 'right' on stage. Just follow your feelings. You know, some songs became classics because the singer accidentally sang the wrong lyrics—but the mistake ended up making it sound even better and more loved." Kotomi spoke like she was scolding her.
"I-I get it… Kotomi, be careful holding my phone… I just put on a new screen protector a few days ago…" Yui's words came out half-jumbled with her cheeks still squished.
"Quit whining. Promise me you'll stop looking at the lyrics and close your eyes to rest for a bit. Otherwise, I'll drop your phone on the floor—and if it doesn't break, I'll stomp on it and throw it in the sink. Worst case, I'll buy you a new one after the performance."
"I got it, I'll behave! Please don't break my phone… buying a new one is expensive…"
Startled by Kotomi's mock threat, Yui quickly nodded obediently. Even though her phone was nearly six years old, she planned to use it until she graduated college. After finding a job, she'd consider buying a cheap new one then. Her mother had already offered to replace it, but Yui had refused—she didn't want to waste money while the old one still worked.
Seeing Yui nod obediently, Kotomi finally released her cheeks. Then she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small pack of mint-lemon throat lozenges, pressing them into Yui's hand without giving her a chance to refuse.
"Here. Eat this. Actually, the reason I went to talk with that senior earlier was to get these from her. She had one of my ice creams, and I got these lozenges from her—pretty fair trade, right? I got them just for you, so open it and have one. If you don't… hmph!"
Kotomi's tone carried a playful mock-threat.
Hearing that, Yui thought back to how Kotomi had been laughing and chatting with that senior earlier. The faint jealousy she'd felt began to melt away.
So that's why she was talking to the senior… to get these for me, Yui thought, warmth flooding her heart. It felt like her whole chest was wrapped in happiness.
From that senior, Kotomi Izumi had gotten two things—one bottle of hand cream and one pack of throat lozenges. But she hadn't mentioned both items to either of them.
When she spoke to Yukino, Kotomi said only, "I borrowed a bottle of hand cream from the senior for you."
When she spoke to Yui, she said, "I asked the senior to give me a pack of lozenges for you."
Each time, she deliberately left out the other item—making both Yukino and Yui believe that she had gone to the senior for their sake alone.
And in doing so, without either of them realizing, Kotomi had completely dispelled the jealousy that had been brewing in both girls' hearts.
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