After dinner, the three of them spent their time doing small things to pass the hours while waiting for drowsiness to set in.
Kotomi Izumi had thought she'd get sleepy early that night—but for some reason, maybe because Yui Yuigahama was in her arms, she felt wide awake even now.
Weird… I didn't even drink coffee or anything, Kotomi thought as she absently played Azur Lane on her phone.
She had drunk quite a lot since boarding the Shinkansen—so much that she'd already gone to the restroom three times—but none of the drinks had caffeine, right?
Iced green tea, iced Sprite, orange soda, iced black tea, Monster…
Wait. Monster.
Kotomi's lips twitched. In that instant, she understood perfectly why she wasn't feeling the least bit sleepy. She'd downed a whole bottle of Monster like it was water.
Come to think of it, she had drunk Monster before and never felt any effect. She'd always fallen asleep exactly when she wanted to. But apparently, those cans from the past weren't ineffective—they were just delayed. All of the caffeine must have caught up to her at once.
Of course, that was just one of Kotomi's random late-night musings to kill time while she waited for sleepiness to arrive. Until then, she was playing games on her phone and letting her thoughts wander freely.
At one point, she considered pulling out her laptop to write for a bit, but then she noticed that both Yui and Yukino Yukinoshita were still awake. So she decided against it.
It wasn't that Kotomi was shy about others knowing she wrote novels. It was just that the ones she was currently working on… were a little too bold.
Sword Art Online was the mildest among them. Her other works? Each one seemed to be competing to see which could push the limits further.
She did plan to write some light novels in the future—something gentler, more literary—but even then, she fully intended to include a few tastefully suggestive scenes. Nothing explicit, of course, but just enough to create the right atmosphere. Sometimes, hinting at something was more powerful than spelling it out.
For now, though, she planned to focus on finishing her ongoing series. She could think about her light novel ambitions after completing the final volume of Sword Art Online.
Despite her reputation for procrastination and slacking off, when Kotomi actually sat in front of her computer and got serious, her typing speed and focus were unmatched.
Before writing: word count, zero.
After losing herself in the work for a while: ten thousand words.
That feeling—of being swept up in creation—was addictive.
She often complained about how exhausting writing was, saying she just wanted to laze around watching anime all day and somehow still make money. But the moment she actually sat down and started typing, she became completely absorbed—fingers flying over the keyboard, as if she could set it on fire.
If I'm not writing, maybe I should draw manga? she thought. Oh, right—Yui and Yukino still don't know I draw too.
Besides, she hadn't brought her drawing tablet anyway. She'd told herself that this trip was for relaxing, not working. She'd only packed her ROG laptop for games and planned to watch movies in the inn later with Yui and Yukino.
She had originally thought that if she got bored on the Shinkansen, she could just open her laptop and play something—but now that she was actually here, she couldn't decide what to play.
She realized her interest in games had been fading lately. There had been times when she hadn't even opened Steam for half a month.
It wasn't that she didn't like games anymore. Every time a title she cared about released or announced a sequel, she still followed it eagerly—watching every trailer, preordering the moment it dropped.
But after downloading and playing for an hour or two, she'd lose motivation. Even when she knew the game was good—story, art, gameplay, design—all perfectly suited to her taste, she just… couldn't bring herself to keep playing.
When she was little, even the simplest flash games on those old websites could keep her entertained all day long. She'd play for hours until her parents told her to stop—because, of course, eyesight was important. Every time she had to turn off the computer, she'd mumble to herself: Why does gaming time have to be so short? When I grow up, I'm going to play games all day long.
But after growing up? Now she had everything she'd dreamed of as a kid—the best computer specs, her favorite peripherals, every kind of console, and instant access to any game she wanted.
And yet, somehow, the motivation was gone. The passion she once had to play all day had faded, replaced by something quieter, lazier.
These days, she preferred playing mobile games, scrolling short videos, or watching anime to pass the time. Even when she did play on her PC, she usually played Apex Legends.
Kotomi Izumi could hardly remember the last time she had truly lost herself in a single-player game.
Yui Yuigahama, resting her head on Kotomi's shoulder, could clearly hear her breathing. When Kotomi let out a quiet sigh, Yui noticed immediately.
Kotomi… are you thinking about something? Yui blinked her big, round eyes, her gaze soft and full of concern. She wanted to ask what was on Kotomi's mind—but she hesitated. What if she said the wrong thing and upset her? Yui always felt one of her biggest flaws was her clumsy way with words.
But not asking didn't feel right either. Her heart was too sensitive; the more she cared, the more she overthought everything.
As Yui sat there silently debating whether to speak up or stay quiet, Kotomi, who had long since noticed Yui's gaze, slowly turned her head.
Kotomi had felt those curious, caring eyes on her for quite some time. How could she not notice, when Yui's gaze was as warm and gentle as sunlight brushing her cheek? She'd simply been lost in thought earlier and hadn't responded immediately.
When their eyes finally met, even though they were already dating, Yui instinctively shrank her shoulders like a child caught sneaking candy.
Just moments ago, Kotomi had been wondering if she had lost interest in gaming—but seeing Yui's adorable reaction made a soft smile bloom on her lips.
"Do I look good?" she asked playfully.
"Beautiful!"
Yui Yuigahama nodded hard. Anyone asked whether Kotomi Izumi was beautiful would answer without hesitation—of course she was. It wasn't even a question worth thinking about. Kotomi was stunning, undeniably so.
Yui didn't quite understand why Kotomi suddenly asked her if she looked good, but she did know one thing: even if Kotomi asked her ten thousand times, she would answer ten thousand times—Kotomi, you're the most beautiful woman in the world!
This wasn't some "queen and mirror" fairytale situation. In Yui's eyes, Kotomi truly was the most beautiful woman alive. No exceptions.
Yui often thought to herself that being Kotomi Izumi's girlfriend was the happiest thing that had ever happened to her. Beautiful, sincere, and faithful in love—gentle and caring in every way. Every time she remembered that Kotomi was her girlfriend, Yui felt so happy she could roll around in bed clutching her blanket.
Hearing Yui's answer, Kotomi grinned mischievously and reached out to rub Yui's cheek.
"Of course I am. No wonder you were staring at my side profile like you were mesmerized."
Then she added proudly:
"Question! Who is this person whose beauty rivals the colors of blooming flowers, dazzling like a floral masterpiece? That's right—it's me!"
"Kotomi's the prettiest!" Yui agreed without missing a beat.
If Yukino Yukinoshita had been listening, she probably would have sighed at Kotomi's self-admiring words, calling her narcissistic—while quietly agreeing in her heart. After all, Kotomi's beauty really did surpass even the brightest blossoms.
But Yukino's personality made it impossible for her to say something like that aloud. At most, she'd roll her eyes while secretly agreeing.
Yui, however, was different. Not only did she wholeheartedly agree, she would say it out loud—just like now.
"Since I'm the prettiest in your eyes," Kotomi said meaningfully, "no wonder you were staring at me so intently."
Yui caught the teasing undertone in Kotomi's words, and her cheeks flushed instantly. "I was just… really curious what you were thinking about earlier."
"Curious about what I was thinking?" Kotomi tilted her head, puzzled. She had been lost in thought earlier, but only about some small everyday things—nothing serious. So why was Yui worried about that?
"I didn't know what you were thinking, Kotomi," Yui said softly, "but while I was leaning on you, I heard you sigh. I know I'm clumsy compared to Yukino, but I still want to give everything I can to help you. If you ever have something on your mind, please tell me. I don't know if I can really help, but I want to share your burdens with you."
Though her cheeks were still pink from shyness, Yui's eyes shone with pure sincerity and determination.
Kotomi blinked in surprise. Thinking back, she had let out a sigh—but it hadn't been from worry. It was just a long exhale, unintentional and relaxed.
Still, Yui's words—her concern, her warmth—filled Kotomi's heart like a steaming bowl of tonkotsu ramen on a cold winter night, the kind where you drink the broth down to the last drop. The dazed look on her face melted into a gentle, tender smile.
"Yui, you really are… the kind of girl that makes me want to hold you tight and spoil you forever."
Then Kotomi leaned into her and whispered softly:
"Hold me."
Usually a bit slow to react, Yui this time moved with lightning speed—instantly wrapping her arms tightly around Kotomi.
In Yui Yuigahama's arms, Kotomi Izumi began sharing the small thoughts that had been circling in her mind. Nothing serious—just how she used to love video games when she was younger, but even before officially entering the working world, her passion for them seemed to be fading.
The reason she cared so much about this change was because her future goal was to start a game company—Type-Moon Realm.
As someone who dreamed of running a game studio, it felt embarrassing to admit that her interest in games had already started to decline before she even began.
Kotomi told Yui everything—her fading enthusiasm for gaming, her dream of founding a company, and the way she'd been reflecting on it all.
After listening carefully, Yui's eyes widened in admiration.
"Kotomi, that's amazing! I didn't know you wanted to start a game company!"
"Yeah," Kotomi said with a smile. "But I'm not planning to buy an office building right away. I'll start small, as a studio—probably making galgames first. I'll see how well my first projects do commercially and build my reputation little by little, all while keeping costs under control."
She planned to begin as a small independent circle. Jumping straight to buying a full office building would be a fantasy. Running a company involved major expenses—renovations, equipment, salaries. But the biggest cost was, of course, the building itself. Prices were sky-high.
Sure, she was currently a bestselling author with Dengeki Bunko and a popular rising manga artist under Shueisha, but her creative career was still in its early stages. Buying an entire building was out of the question with her current savings.
Of course, if she asked her father, it would be another story. If she so much as mentioned it, not just one, but every building she liked might suddenly become hers. Still, Kotomi didn't want to rely too heavily on her family's wealth—especially when it came to building something of her own.
Glancing over, she noticed Yui deep in thought, her expression serious. Kotomi couldn't help but chuckle.
"What's got you thinking so hard?" she asked.
"I was just wondering," Yui said earnestly, "when the cake shop reopens, I should probably raise the prices of all the cakes and desserts. But I haven't figured out by how much yet."
Kotomi blinked, confused. "Raise the prices? Why?"
"Well, if I raise them a little, the shop will earn more from each sale," Yui explained seriously. "Then, little by little, I can save more money. When you're ready to start your game company, I'll give it all to you so you won't have to worry about finances."
As she finished, Yui put on a playful expression and quoted a line from King of Comedy:
"I'll take care of you!"
Kotomi froze for a second—then burst out laughing. Laughing happily, from the heart.
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