Kotomi Izumi smiled as she pinched Yui Yuigahama's cheeks. She was starting to realize she really loved doing that—pinching Yui's soft, round face.
"I'm not short on money, silly."
"But if one day you really need money, Kotomi," Yui said earnestly, "please tell me. I'll give you every yen I've saved."
Yui knew she wasn't good with words, but she wanted to express her feelings as simply and directly as she could. And even though her words were plain, the weight they carried was anything but.
"Aren't you afraid I might just trick you and take all your money?"
The moment Kotomi said that, Yui immediately replied, without even a second of hesitation—firm and certain:
"You would never lie to me!"
Kotomi's hands paused as she held Yui's cheeks. She had always known that Yui trusted her deeply—but ever since they started dating, that trust had evolved from strong trust to absolute faith.
Yui Yuigahama's unwavering trust sometimes left Kotomi feeling helpless. After all, she lied to Yui from time to time—like earlier, when she explained why she had been hugging Yukino.
Even when faced with Kotomi's lies, Yui never doubted her for a second. She would always believe Kotomi's words were true.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that, in Yui's heart, if someone ever claimed that Kotomi was lying, Yui would instantly assume that they were the liar—the one slandering Kotomi. In her eyes, Kotomi would never lie.
Kotomi felt a mix of happiness and helplessness at Yui's blind, unconditional trust.
Faced with someone so pure and so completely devoted, Kotomi often wondered—when the next time came that she had to lie to Yui, would she still be able to say it so smoothly, without her face giving away even a trace?
Feeling the warmth of Yui's trust, Kotomi thought that, under this kind of atmosphere, the right thing to say would be something like, "I'll never lie to you."
But she didn't say it.
To her, making a promise you know you can't keep is meaningless.
A promise is something you make only when you're certain you can uphold it.
Kotomi didn't have the confidence to say she would never lie to Yui. It wasn't that she enjoyed lying—she didn't. She simply knew that there would be times when she'd have to. She didn't yet know when, or to whom—but she knew those moments would come.
All she could truly promise was that she'd try not to lie to Yui. And if she ever did, she would at least make sure Yui never found out.
"You'd never lie to me."
Yui's words still echoed in Kotomi's ears. Slowly, Kotomi let go of Yui's cheeks and pulled her into a gentle hug.
She didn't say a word or make any other move—just held Yui quietly for a long time before finally letting go.
Thank you for trusting me.
I can't promise I'll never disappoint that trust… but I swear, I'll make you happy.
Those words fluttered through Kotomi's heart like a bird in flight. They rose to her lips several times—but she never said them aloud.
Caught off guard by Kotomi's sudden embrace, Yui didn't think too much of it. She just felt happy. Happy because Kotomi was hugging her.
When Kotomi finally started to feel sleepy, she waved over the train attendant nearby. The attendant was a dedicated service staff member for the first-class carriage, usually seated at the very front to stay alert and ready to assist passengers at any time.
Even though there were only three passengers in the first-class car that night, she still didn't dare slack off. Just a few minutes ago, she had poured herself a cup of black coffee to make sure she could stay awake through the long night.
For trains that operated overnight, each car's attendants worked in shifts—one handling the early-night hours while the other rested. Then, at midnight, they would switch—allowing the first to rest while the second took over for the late-night shift.
For the train attendant, the most difficult part of her shift was always the early-night hours. She wasn't good at staying up late—so once midnight came, if she didn't have a cup of coffee, she would inevitably get drowsy.
If she were assigned to a regular car, she could at least sneak in a short break. After all, there were more passengers in the regular cars and, naturally, more attendants on duty. She could easily ask a coworker to cover for her for a few minutes, and then repay the favor later with a nice meal.
But tonight, she was assigned to the first-class car—and there were only three passengers aboard.
That meant only two attendants were assigned to first class. The other attendant, who handled the late-night shift, was currently asleep.
When the soft chime of the service bell rang, the attendant quickly made her way to Kotomi Izumi's seat and greeted her with a professional smile.
"Good evening. How may I assist you?"
"Could I have three sleep masks and three blankets, please? Thank you."
"Of course. Please wait just a moment."
Even though the coffee hadn't completely banished her fatigue, the attendant maintained her professionalism, bowing politely before turning to prepare the requested items.
Kotomi then looked over at Yui Yuigahama and said with a soft chuckle:
"Hang your jacket on the rack beside you. Whenever you're on a train or a plane, don't hesitate to ask the attendants if you need anything. It's their job. Once you've bought your ticket, you have every right to use the service that comes with it."
Yui had just taken off her jacket and was about to use it as a blanket to sleep with. Kotomi noticed and realized that her silly little Yui probably didn't know that she could just ask for a sleep mask and blanket from the attendant.
Or maybe she did know—but was too shy to ask.
Kotomi felt she needed to gently correct her. Not wanting to trouble others was a good trait—but being too self-effacing could become a problem.
Yui nodded obediently, quietly memorizing Kotomi's words. She wasn't socially anxious, but she'd noticed how tired the attendant looked earlier and didn't want to bother her this late at night.
Kotomi, of course, saw right through her thoughts and smiled knowingly.
"That attendant forced herself to drink a bitter cup of black coffee just now so she could stay alert and provide service," Kotomi said softly. "If no one calls for her, wouldn't that cup of coffee have gone to waste?"
Then she added with a grin:
"Of course, if it's something unnecessary in the middle of the night, don't call her either. You can tell she's not used to staying up late—let's make her night shift a little easier."
"Oh, okay."
Yui nodded again, like a child obediently listening to her mother's advice. Whatever Kotomi said, she quietly absorbed and remembered. Ever since they started dating, Yui's reliance on Kotomi had only grown stronger.
It wasn't just romantic dependence—it was something deeper.
Maybe it was Kotomi's maternal aura. Yui couldn't help but treat her like a mother figure, always listening, always following her lead.
Before long, the attendant returned carrying three sleep masks and three blankets. She already knew the three girls were traveling together, so she handed two sets directly to Kotomi and Yui. Then, glancing at the seat beside them, she saw Yukino Yukinoshita fast asleep, her head bowed slightly and a novel still held loosely in her hands.
She had actually fallen asleep half an hour ago while pretending to read—and hadn't even had time to set her book down.
Which, by luck, meant she hadn't seen Kotomi hugging Yui earlier.
"Please give me her sleep mask and blanket too," Kotomi said softly. "I'll make sure she's covered up."
"Of course. Thank you very much," the attendant replied with a polite bow. "I wish you all a pleasant night. Please don't hesitate to call me if you need anything."
After handing Yukino Yukinoshita's sleep mask and blanket to Kotomi Izumi, the attendant gave her a polite bow before turning to leave.
Since there were only three passengers in the first-class car, the attendant dimmed the cabin lights slightly, creating a comfortable level of brightness—dark enough for sleep, yet soft enough to see clearly.
"Yui, do you know why the seats in first class are spaced so far apart?" Kotomi asked as she glanced at Yui Yuigahama, who was preparing to sleep sitting up.
"Huh? Why?" Yui asked, blinking in confusion.
"It's so you can adjust your seat to be as comfortable as you want without bothering anyone else," Kotomi explained.
As she spoke, Kotomi pressed a button on Yui's armrest. The seatback began to recline slowly, while the footrest lifted up. In moments, the seat had transformed into a small bed.
Then she did the same to her own seat. When both seats had reclined fully, she flipped up the armrest between them, sliding her seat a little closer.
With the armrest gone, the two seats now formed a double bed.
"See? Much more comfortable this way."
Kotomi lay down, pulling a blanket over herself and stretching lazily. "I thought sitting was already comfortable—but lying down like this is even better."
Yui followed suit and lay down beside her, smiling in awe. "You're right. This really is better."
Kotomi chuckled. "Well, of course. How could sitting ever compare to lying down?"
She had requested three sleep masks earlier, but in truth, Kotomi didn't usually wear one. She just wanted to try it out—she'd seen people wearing them in dramas on planes and trains and had always been curious.
After lying there for a while with the mask on, she sighed, took it off, and set it on the table.
"Not used to it," she murmured.
Yui, following her lead, tried hers on too—but found that the pitch darkness only made her less sleepy. Laughing softly, she also took it off.
After putting her phone on silent, Kotomi didn't lie down right away. Instead, she got up with a blanket in hand and walked over to where Yukino was sleeping.
She carefully removed Yukino's coat and slipped the small novel from her hand into the coat pocket. Japanese novels and manga were usually small enough to fit easily into pockets or bags—perfect for carrying around.
After hanging Yukino's coat on the rack, Kotomi was about to recline her seat into a bed as well—but paused. Something seemed to cross her mind. After a brief moment, she pulled her hand back, deciding to let Yukino keep sleeping upright. Then she quietly draped the blanket over her.
Once everything was done, Kotomi returned to her seat and lay down again.
"Why didn't you lower Yukino's seat?" Yui asked curiously.
"No need," Kotomi said quickly, shaking her head. There was a hint of calculation in her eyes.
Yui looked puzzled, not understanding Kotomi's reasoning. But Kotomi, of course, had her own thoughts—thoughts she had no intention of sharing.
Because if she did, even gentle, forgiving Yui would definitely be angry.
It had taken a few hours to calm down the earlier near-disaster of a love triangle scene. Kotomi had no interest in sparking another one right before bed.
To change the subject, she slid closer to Yui and wrapped her arm around the girl's slender waist.
"Sleeping like this, on a night train, holding you in my arms… it feels pretty nice~" Kotomi said playfully, her voice low and teasing. "Hehehe, Yui, tonight you're my pillow. Be good and let me hold you."
As she spoke, she gently tapped Yui's nose with her own.
Yui couldn't hold back her excitement. "Yay!" she cheered happily.
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