For quite a long while afterward, Kotomi Izumi spent her time basking in sugary sweetness with Yui Yuigahama.
When she had bought the train tickets and chosen their seats the night before, she had deliberately placed herself next to Yui—exactly for this reason.
Of course, the main reason was that the first-class car didn't have three-person seats. If it had, Kotomi would have picked the middle one without hesitation—so that Yui and Yukino could sit on either side of her.
Kotomi Izumi never missed even the slightest chance to enjoy a "two-sided embrace." She firmly believed that opportunities favored those who prepared for them. As long as she kept trying, she would one day find the perfect chance to hold both of them at once.
Still, what she longed for most was the day when she could openly date both Yukino and Yui at the same time—able to embrace them freely without having to rely on elaborate setups or carefully crafted coincidences.
Kotomi wanted a future where she could simply curl her finger, and two beautiful girls would naturally snuggle up against her, letting her hold them both in her arms.
"Kotomi, what are you thinking about? Your heartbeat feels faster than usual."
Pressed close against her, Yui Yuigahama tilted her head up, puzzled. Because she was resting in Kotomi's arms, she could clearly hear the quickening rhythm of Kotomi's heartbeat. She didn't know when it had started, but the tempo was steadily climbing.
Kotomi suddenly realized she had been daydreaming too vividly about her future—imagining herself surrounded by her lovers—and quickly coughed lightly to compose herself. Then she reached out and playfully brushed Yui's cute little nose, smiling indulgently as she said:
"Yui, I want to marry you."
The straightforward declaration made Yui's heart melt like it was being wrapped in honey. Her face turned rosy as her eyes softened, and she whispered shyly:
"I want to marry you too, Kotomi… My biggest dream in life is to wear a beautiful wedding dress with you, walk down the aisle together, and spend the rest of our lives happily ever after."
"That's not a big dream at all," Kotomi replied with a tender grin. "We'll make it come true together. And just now, I was imagining something—after our wedding, on the night we return to our room, when it's only the two of us… what kind of expression will you have then? I kept thinking about it—and that's why my heartbeat sped up."
As she said that, Kotomi gently tightened her embrace around Yui, pressing Yui's ear against her chest.
"Yui, listen—can you hear my heartbeat? Each beat is another way of saying how fiercely I love you."
"Kotomi… how are you so good at saying sweet things like that…"
Yui's face grew so hot it could probably steam dumplings at this point.
Good thing Kotomi loved soup dumplings~
"You've got it wrong, Yui," Kotomi said softly. "I'm not good at sweet talk at all. I've never said such things to anyone before, so I don't even know how. It's just that holding you like this, all these words start pouring out naturally—like a volcano erupting after centuries of silence. The words are my lava, overflowing with the heat of my love for you."
As she spoke, Kotomi gently brushed a strand of Yui's peach-colored hair behind her ear and murmured tenderly.
"Kotomi, now you listen to mine~" Yui said happily, her voice bright with joy, her heart full of blooming warmth.
"With pleasure."
Of course Kotomi wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity. She leaned in close—pretending to "listen" to Yui's heartbeat, but really just enjoying the soft warmth of Yui's body against her.
And once she pressed in close, Kotomi didn't want to move away.
Even though she'd known it before, Kotomi still couldn't help but marvel: Yui's body really was perfect.
She often called her "little dumpling" or "silly dumpling," but right now, she felt that "big dumpling" suited her better.
While Kotomi and Yui sat there lost in their sweet world, Yukino Yukinoshita, who had finally calmed down from her earlier fluster, lifted her head—only to see the two of them cuddling together.
The moment her eyes landed on them, Yukino's heart clenched sharply, and she quickly lowered her gaze again—this time, even lower than before.
Yukino was actually rather lucky when she lifted her head—she hadn't seen Kotomi Izumi kiss Yui Yuigahama just moments ago. All she saw was Kotomi and Yui leaning close together, whispering in voices too soft to catch.
Even though she kept telling herself that eavesdropping was wrong, Yukino couldn't help pricking up her ears, hoping to hear what they were saying.
But she couldn't. Their voices were so low that only the two of them could hear each other. And in that moment, Yukino felt as though she had been shut out—separated from the little world the two of them shared.
They sat pressed together, leaning against each other, so close that even the slightest movement or breath seemed shared between them.
Their two seats had become a tiny private world—a world that belonged only to Kotomi and Yui. In that space, they exchanged words that made each other smile, words that only lovers could understand. Every flicker of emotion in the other's eyes could be seen, reflected perfectly through their closeness.
Yukino couldn't hear what they were saying, but just watching the gentle smiles tugging at the corners of their lips was enough to make her feel the sweetness that flowed between them.
Glancing sideways at the wide aisle of the train car, Yukino suddenly thought the entire first-class cabin resembled a vast, star-filled universe with only three stars. The aisle was the Milky Way.
Two of the stars were nestled closely together, their lights intertwined—while she, the third star, was separated on the other side of the galaxy. For now, she could still see them from afar… but someday soon, even that distant view would disappear.
Even though Kotomi and Yui were simply sitting together, doing nothing more than hugging, Yukino's chest tightened painfully. The feeling rising inside her was a sharp, unmistakable bitterness—like biting into an unripe plum or sour bayberry, the tang spreading deep into her gums, dissolving like plum powder stirred into water.
Yukino knew exactly what it was—jealousy.
Yui Yuigahama, resting in Kotomi's arms, looked like the happiest girl in the world.
And Yukino… could only watch quietly. Without saying a word, she picked up the book she had set aside earlier and began turning the pages at random, pretending not to care.
She had already forgotten which page she had been reading before—but it didn't matter. Her thoughts couldn't stay focused on the story anyway. Her eyes lingered blankly on a single line, one that now echoed painfully in her heart:
I couldn't wait to run to your side—only to realize that between us lies a galaxy I can never cross.
The peaceful atmosphere lasted until the attendant lady pushed the meal cart into the first-class car.
On the Shinkansen, each class—first-class, green car, and standard—had different menus. Naturally, the attendants responsible for each section were also different.
Kotomi Izumi had been waiting eagerly for the meal cart to arrive. Just moments earlier, she'd been too busy bouncing her attention back and forth between Yui and Yukino.
It wasn't until she finally stopped that she realized how hungry she was. The moment she did, the hunger hit all at once.
When the attendant smiled and asked what she'd like to order, Kotomi glanced over the menu—and couldn't help thinking, no wonder first-class tickets were so expensive. In the standard cars, the meal options were so limited that the attendant could list them all in a few seconds.
But in first class, the cart offered everything from appetizers to main courses, desserts, and drinks. The selection was so extensive that even a well-trained attendant would need several minutes to describe it all.
To save each passenger's time, the attendants handed out menus first. If a customer was curious about a dish or hadn't tried something before, they could simply ask, and the attendant would begin an elaborate and detailed explanation.
After all, there weren't many passengers in the first-class car. As long as the passenger was willing to listen, the attendant would happily explain everything in detail. For example, in the car Kotomi was riding, there were only three passengers in total. To an outsider, it might even look like she had reserved the entire car for herself.
Kotomi carefully looked over the menu from start to finish, meticulously selecting what she wanted for dinner.
While Kotomi was still deciding, Yukino Yukinoshita and Yui Yuigahama had already placed their orders. Yukino chose a serving of cream-stewed vegetables and chicken fried rice, while Yui ordered a bowl of tomato and egg beef noodles.
Yui had specifically asked for a large portion. It wasn't that she wanted to eat more beef—she just knew that Kotomi loved beef, so she planned to give all the beef slices and eggs in her noodles to Kotomi once the food arrived.
Every time Yui saw Kotomi eat, that satisfied expression on her face filled Yui's heart with warmth and happiness.
Kotomi finally decided on her own meal, but before saying it aloud, she asked the attendant several times to confirm: was it okay to order multiple dishes?
The attendant glanced at Kotomi's flawless figure and thought to herself, With a body that perfect, she probably doesn't eat much.
And of course, anyone who could afford a first-class seat must come from a wealthy family. Perhaps she was the pampered daughter of a rich household—one of those elegant young ladies who always watched their weight carefully, calculating every calorie that passed their lips.
Especially in the evening—based on her experience, young women dieting at this hour either skipped dinner entirely or only had something light, like salad or whole-grain bread.
If Kotomi Izumi could've read the attendant's mind, she probably would've burst out laughing. In her eyes, that kind of thinking was the perfect example of the "emperor plowing fields with a golden hoe" fallacy.
Sure, there were young nobles and heiresses who were obsessed with maintaining their figures—those who lived on strictly regulated diets, even going so far as to eat nothing but vegetables.
But many others, Kotomi included, found such extremism ridiculous. Eating healthy was fine—but turning it into an obsession? And worse, trying to force others to do the same? That was just absurd.
She had once met a young lady who insisted on being vegetarian. The girl wasn't particularly attractive, but she constantly bragged about her "pure" lifestyle. Kotomi later met her younger brother—a blunt, straightforward young man—who once vented to her about his sister:
"My sister spends a fortune hiring chefs to cook all those so-called healthy dishes that don't even look edible. Is that health? No, that's wasting money! Vegetarianism, huh? Sounds noble, but in the end it's just another business scam dressed up as virtue. She's literally paying people to rip her off—and she even thanks them for it!"
The funny thing was—his sister could eat whatever she wanted, but she just had to drag their parents and him into it too.
"After just one bite, Mom and Dad wanted to break her legs," he'd said. "And since my parents always mean what they say, that's exactly why my sister's walking around with both legs in casts now. The left one's from Mom. The right one's from Dad."
Back to the present.
When the attendant first saw Kotomi Izumi, her initial impression was that this delicate-looking girl must have a small appetite. The way Kotomi kept asking whether she could order multiple dishes probably meant she'd never eaten on the Shinkansen before and thought the portions would be tiny.
Thinking this, the attendant nodded politely and replied:
"That's right. You can order as many dishes as you like—and if it's not enough, you're welcome to add more anytime."
Hearing that, Kotomi's face lit up. She set down the menu and said lazily:
"Then I'll have a large bowl of braised pork rice and… ten braised meatballs."
Kotomi had been craving meatballs lately, and when she saw them on the first-class menu, there was nothing to hesitate about—of course she'd order them.
The attendant blinked, thinking she must have misheard. She cautiously asked again:
"Pardon me—could you repeat that?"
"A large bowl of braised pork rice, ten braised meatballs, one big plate of mapo tofu, and an orange soda, please."
"???"
The attendant could practically see three question marks floating above her head. Why did it sound like the order had somehow increased since the last time?
Still, the customer was always right—especially a first-class customer—so she smiled professionally and took the order.
As for Yui Yuigahama and Yukino Yukinoshita, they were long past being surprised by Kotomi's appetite. When the attendant returned and neatly placed all their meals on the table, Yukino glanced at Kotomi's side of the table, which was completely covered with food, and for once made a rare little joke:
"Kotomi, is it because the weather's cold? Why's your appetite so small today?"
"Sorry," Kotomi replied earnestly, "cold weather doesn't make me eat less—it actually makes me eat more! But I've been thinking lately that I should start being more disciplined about my diet. The first step toward self-control is… eating less at dinner."
"That's what you call self-control?" Yukino asked, twitching the corner of her lips in disbelief.
"Of course! I could've eaten thirty meatballs, but I only ordered ten. Isn't that self-discipline?" Kotomi said confidently.
While Kotomi was explaining her "philosophy" on restraint, Yui quietly unwrapped her utensil set, picked up her chopsticks, and lifted a generous portion of beef from her bowl. Then, smiling sweetly, she held it to Kotomi's lips.
"Kotomi, here—beef~"
"Ah~" Kotomi opened her mouth obediently.
"Is it good?"
"Delicious. Yui, you're so good to me~"
"Hehehe~"
Watching the affectionate scene unfold, Yukino's hand trembled slightly as she lifted her water bottle. She was drinking plain mineral water—but for some reason, it suddenly tasted like lemon, a sharp tang filling her chest.
And just like that, dinner time on the Shinkansen passed by peacefully—and sweetly.
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