Kotomi Izumi came back to her senses after gazing at the snowy scenery outside the window. The Shinkansen had been moving for quite some time now—she figured it was about time to call home and let her family know she was safe.
With that thought, Kotomi slowly stood up, intending to find a quiet spot to make her call. Although the entire first-class carriage was quiet—since there were only three of them in it—she didn't want to make the call from her seat.
After all, she wasn't just planning to call her family. She also wanted to give Mrs. Yuigahama a call.
Kotomi understood very well the saying, "Spring rain nourishes all things silently." When pursuing someone, her approach had to be gentle and gradual, but frequent.
Lately, every night after chatting with Yui Yuigahama on LINE and saying goodnight, Kotomi would message Mrs. Yuigahama under the pretense of discussing illustrations—and if possible, she'd even call her. Sometimes, she messaged both Yui and Mrs. Yuigahama at the same time.
In fact, Kotomi had started to find regular calls unsatisfying. She wanted to try making a video call with Mrs. Yuigahama, though she hadn't yet come up with a good excuse.
Sure, if she just asked directly, Mrs. Yuigahama would probably agree—but from experience, Kotomi knew that when courting married women, especially those who already had children and were either divorced or widowed, patience was crucial. Every move that drew them closer had to be perfectly timed and properly reasoned.
If she was patient and attentive in the early stages, then when the time was right, the relationship would progress naturally—like a boat carried effortlessly by the current.
Right now was still the stage for careful groundwork, so Kotomi was patient. Love worked that way—one had to build the foundation patiently at first, and then, when the moment came, strike without hesitation.
Love could be simple, yet difficult. The key was in finding that right moment—the timing had to be perfect. Not a second too soon, and not a second too late.
So, after calling her family to let them know she was safe, Kotomi planned to call Mrs. Yuigahama next, starting with, "Yui and I are already on the Shinkansen," and then finding ways to keep the conversation going for as long as possible.
Of course, she couldn't make that call from her seat—after all, Yui was sitting right beside her. Calling her girlfriend's mother to chat affectionately in front of her girlfriend... Kotomi kind of wanted to try it, but the thought sent a chill down her neck.
Dango is such a sweet girl... she wouldn't use a cleaver on me, right? Kotomi thought to herself.
After standing up, Kotomi looked around the carriage before deciding to head to the restroom to make her call.
Once inside, she locked the door and first dialed her home number.
Her father answered.
"Dad, Yui, Yukino, and I are already on the Shinkansen. We should arrive in Kyoto by the time we wake up tomorrow morning."
"Mhm, good. Be careful on the way. If you run short on money, call me right away," her father replied.
"Got it~ Oh, by the way, Dad, has it started snowing at home? It began snowing just after our train departed. The winter travel mood is really setting in."
"It's snowing here too. Looks like I'll have to get up early tomorrow to shovel the snow in front of the house. This year's first snowfall came earlier than expected—I thought it'd be like the past few years and wait until winter was nearly over," Kaneyoshi Izumi said with a laugh. "Speaking of Kyoto, our family has a few companies there. If you need a car, I can call ahead and have a driver waiting for you at the station tomorrow morning. Which car do you want to take?"
When a daughter traveled alone, parents often said it was a good chance to practice independence—but instinctively, they still wanted to prepare everything for her.
Though Kotomi appreciated her father's concern, she declined. If she were traveling alone, of course she'd have accepted such a convenient offer. In an unfamiliar city, especially if it got late, finding a taxi could be tough. Having a private car on standby was undeniably convenient.
But this time, she was traveling with Yukino and Yui.
Although both Yui Yuigahama and Yukino Yukinoshita more or less knew that Kotomi Izumi came from a well-off family, Kotomi didn't want their friendship to feel strained because of that.
Still, she knew that traveling on two feet meant being prepared for anything. If there came a day in Kyoto when they couldn't get a taxi, having a private driver on standby would at least serve as a backup plan.
Kotomi thought about it but hadn't said anything yet—her father spoke first.
"When you're traveling with friends, taking a private car might make things convenient, but it can also create distance, especially if your friends come from normal families. They might start feeling self-conscious about it. Still, having a private driver ready is safer when you're away from home. Tell you what—I'll send you the number of our long-time driver. You've met her before, back when you were little—Aunt Matsuzaka. If you ever can't get a taxi, just call her. If you don't need her, that's fine too; call her only if you feel like it."
"Yay! Dad, you're the best!" Kotomi cheered.
"Haha, enjoy your hot spring trip. Call us again when you arrive in Kyoto tomorrow morning. If you don't feel like calling, sending a LINE message is fine too."
"I'll call! When I'm away from home, I want to hear Mom and Dad's voices more~"
"You really are the sweetest talker, you know that?"
"Hehehe, it's not sweet talk—it's just me expressing what's in my heart."
Kotomi giggled, chatted with her father for a little while longer, then hung up.
After replying to a few comments on Twitter, Kotomi dialed Tomoka Yuigahama's number.
Mrs. Yuigahama picked up quickly.
"Hello, Kotomi? What perfect timing! I was just about to call Yui to ask where you three were. It's snowing here in Chiba City—did you all bring warm clothes?"
Hearing the gentle concern in Mrs. Yuigahama's voice, Kotomi smiled softly and replied:
"Thank you for worrying about us, Tomoka-san. Yui, Yukino, and I are already on the Sanyō Shinkansen. As for Yui, she's sitting by the window right now, practically pressing her face against the glass to watch the snow."
Hearing that, Mrs. Yuigahama couldn't help but laugh.
"Yui and little Yuka both loved snowy days the most. I remember one winter when it snowed, Yui and Yuka had a snowball fight in the yard. In the end, Yui made a snowball she really liked and treated it like treasure, wouldn't even let Yuka touch it.
She stopped the snowball fight altogether, clutching that snowball like it was precious, and brought it inside the house. She didn't even watch TV—just sat there admiring it. But because she'd gotten tired from playing all morning, she dozed off while staring at it. When I called her for lunch, the snowball on the table had already melted.
Yui didn't know snow could melt back then. When she woke up and saw the puddle of water where her snowball used to be, she thought it had grown legs and run away. She didn't eat for the rest of the day."
Whenever Mrs. Yuigahama reminisced about her daughters' childhood, she could talk endlessly. And during those moments, Kotomi always listened quietly.
In truth, she guided the conversation in that direction on purpose. The more she learned, the more topics she'd have to discuss with Mrs. Yuigahama beyond just illustration work—helping her get closer to her.
But honestly, Kotomi was also genuinely interested in Yui and Yuka's childhood stories.
Hearing about little Yui who didn't know snow could melt, who had treated a snowball like a treasure only to find it gone later, made Kotomi smile unconsciously.
Right now, she almost wanted to go back to her seat, grab Yui's cheeks, and tease her:
"Dango, how could you be so silly? I was thinking I'd earn the money and you'd stay home with the kids, but now I'm not so sure. What if our kids take after you and turn out this silly too?"
Of course, those words stayed only in Kotomi Izumi's mind. Not just because Yukino Yukinoshita was here—so she couldn't say something so direct—but also because if she did say it, Dango would take it seriously. And once Dango took something seriously, she'd overthink it endlessly.
On the other end of the call, Tomoka Yuigahama realized she'd been talking too much. A little embarrassed, she quickly said:
"Ah, I'm sorry, Kotomi, I think I went on for too long. Maybe it's just because I've been realizing that both my daughters are growing up, but whenever I start talking to you about Yui and Yuka's childhood, I can't stop myself. It must be boring to listen to an old lady like me ramble on like this."
"Not at all," Kotomi said with a soft laugh. "I never get bored listening to you, Tomoka-san. I really enjoy hearing your stories—and I always remember them. I'd actually love to find a day to sit down with you properly, just to talk about Yui and Yuka's childhood."
Her tone carried a faint, tender ambiguity that made Tomoka Yuigahama momentarily unsure how to respond.
Is it just my imagination... or was there something more in her words? Tomoka wondered silently.
But then she gave a small, self-deprecating laugh.
What am I even thinking? It was just casual conversation. I keep misunderstanding Kotomi's intentions—thinking she feels something unusual for me—when really, it's probably me, this foolish old woman, who's harboring feelings I shouldn't.
Sometimes she wanted to slap herself for it. Kotomi was already dating her daughter Yui, and yet she still caught herself thinking of Kotomi in that way. Was it because of that night's confession?
Wake up, Tomoka. That night, she probably just saw me sleeping and used me for practice—to rehearse how she'd confess to Yui.
Tomoka kept lecturing herself mentally, and in the end even pinched her own cheek hard, as if to snap out of it. Kotomi is Yui's girlfriend now. Stop having those kinds of thoughts, no matter what.
Meanwhile, Kotomi had no idea what kind of storm was running through Tomoka's mind. If she did, her confession would already be halfway out of her mouth.
No, Mrs. Yuigahama, you're not overthinking!
I really, truly, like you—so much!
If Kotomi knew, that's exactly what she would have said.
"Has little Yuka eaten yet? The weather's gotten cold lately. Even if she wants to go out and play in the snow, make sure she dresses warmly. And she still thinks drinking ice water is 'cool' like adults do, right? It's fine to let her have some in the summer or autumn, but now that it's winter, she shouldn't be drinking cold water anymore."
Kotomi spoke with a natural, maternal gentleness as she expressed her concern for Yuka.
Tomoka was momentarily stunned. Of course she knew all that—she was Yui and Yuka's mother, after all. But hearing those words from Kotomi, especially spoken with that tone, felt strangely out of place.
Because, in both voice and phrasing, Kotomi didn't sound like Yui's girlfriend—she sounded like a mother worrying about her own daughter.
Still, Tomoka found herself making excuses in her heart. Kotomi has always treated Yuka like a little sister. It's normal for an older sister to worry like that, right? And as for her motherly tone... that's just Kotomi's personality. Sometimes she really does sound naturally nurturing.
"I'll make sure to tell Yuka," Tomoka replied at last, though her words came out uncertainly. Even so, she couldn't stop her mind from wandering back to the tone of Kotomi's voice.
At that moment, Kotomi smiled faintly and said softly:
"Mrs. Yuigahama, I've been reading a manga recently. The newest chapter came out this month—I really liked it."
"Manga?" Tomoka asked curiously. "What's it called?"
Kotomi didn't give the title. Instead, she chuckled lightly and began to describe the story:
"The heroine is a young woman working as a babysitter. She's hired by a woman twenty years older than her to look after her daughter while she's at work. From the first chapter up to now, their relationship has been steadily developing—through little everyday moments and the way their different views clash because of their age gap.
And in the latest chapter, on a snowy night, the young babysitter stands before the woman, who has just returned home from overtime work—and confesses her love."
Kotomi let out a gentle sigh.
"That scene, her confession under the snowy night sky... it was so beautiful~"
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