Watching Megumi Kato dangle the key in her hand with a smug expression, Aimi Izumi almost coughed up blood from anger.
Megumi Kato seemed to possess a special talent—no matter how arrogant Aimi was, she could always make her furious in record time.
Just like now—barely ten minutes after they met, Aimi's anger level had already hit MAX.
"It's already dark. You should head home soon, before Uncle and Aunt Kato start worrying about you," Aimi said as calmly as she could. After all, her sister was still here, so she had to keep up her well-behaved image. If Kotomi weren't around, the only thought running through Aimi's mind right now would be to tear that smug mouth of Megumi's to shreds.
Aimi's gaze stayed fixed on the doorknob, waiting for an opportunity to snatch the key from Megumi's hand and shut the door—this time not just closing it, but locking it tight.
"Oh~ you mean this key? Thanks for your concern. I already called my parents on the way here to tell them I'd be having dinner at Kotomi's house tonight, and they agreed," Megumi said with a light laugh.
"Huh? You didn't even give a heads-up before coming over for dinner? Your face must be thick enough to build a castle wall," Aimi shot back, quoting a line she'd recently learned from a gal game.
"How could you say that~? I got Kotomi's permission before coming, and Aunt Akina knows too," Megumi replied cheerfully, looking completely self-assured.
At that moment, Akina Izumi came out of the kitchen and said, "Kotomi called me earlier and told me that Megumi would be coming for dinner tonight. Aimi, what are you doing? Megumi's a guest—you can't just keep her standing at the door. That's very rude."
Then, Akina grabbed Aimi by the collar like a kitten and moved her aside, so she wouldn't keep blocking Megumi from entering.
How could Akina not see through Aimi's little scheme? Of course she could—Aimi simply didn't want Megumi inside.
As for why their relationship was so bad, Akina could tell at a glance. Kotomi was clearly the root of it all—a truly sinful woman~
But she didn't interfere. Since the tension between Aimi and Megumi all stemmed from Kotomi, it was better to let Kotomi handle it herself.
Parents couldn't meddle too much in their children's relationships. It was best to simply give them proper guidance when needed.
"Good evening, Aunt Izumi. I heard from Kotomi that we're having hot pot tonight, and I couldn't resist the temptation. I hope I'm not intruding," Megumi said with a smile.
"Not at all. It's just another pair of chopsticks and a bowl. We're happy you came. Kotomi always says you take good care of her, and we're very grateful. Come on in—the ingredients for the hot pot are almost ready."
"Thank you, Aunt Izumi. I'll go help Kotomi pack her suitcase. She's heading to Kyoto tomorrow, and if she leaves it until morning, she'll be rushing around. It's better to get it done early so she can just grab it and go."
"Oh, I see~ Kotomi's so lucky! You're even helping her pack for her trip. Megumi, you really do take care of her so well. Even if Kotomi married you right now, as her mother, I wouldn't have any worries," Akina said jokingly.
Although Megumi could tell Akina was just joking, her eyes still lit up with joy as she replied, "Then I'll go buy the ring right now and propose to Kotomi when I get back!"
"The nearest jewelry store should be…" Akina said as she opened the map app on her phone.
"Mom!" Kotomi Izumi's face turned bright red as she pouted. Her mother was seriously too much—couldn't she take it easy even when joking? And Megumi, too—why play along like that when it was clearly a joke?
Propose...? That's way too soon!
As Kotomi Izumi blushed, she glanced at Aimi. If Aimi had looked like she was about to explode from anger a moment ago, now she looked more like she was about to burst into tears from being bullied—without knowing how to fight back.
After struggling for a while, Aimi finally spoke in a teary voice:
"Onee-chan's suitcase... Onee-chan's suitcase has always been packed by me... I won't allow you to touch my sister's suitcase!"
Seeing Aimi on the verge of tears, Kotomi quickly glanced at her mother, silently begging for help. Mom, she's about to cry—say something to calm her down!
But Akina Izumi simply looked back at Kotomi and gave her a look that said, You deal with it yourself, before turning around and heading back to the kitchen—as if she had only come out to fan the flames before disappearing again.
Once their mother was gone, Kotomi turned her attention back to Aimi, whose tears were about to spill. She glared sharply at Megumi, then stepped forward and gently patted Aimi's head.
"Alright, alright. Megumi was just joking. You don't need to take it seriously. What proposal? I'd never marry her! Even the suitcase thing was just a joke. My suitcase can only be packed by you, Aimi!"
Aimi finally lifted her teary eyes, her voice small and pitiful as she asked:
"Really?"
"Really. In fact, from now on, I'll just keep my suitcase in your room."
"I wasn't only asking about the suitcase... Onee-chan, you really won't marry Megumi Kato, right?"
Kotomi didn't know how to respond. She glanced timidly at Megumi. Though she had sounded confident earlier, after saying those words, she had been watching Megumi's reaction the whole time. If Megumi's expression had changed even a little, Kotomi would have immediately lost her nerve.
Fortunately, Megumi's expression remained unchanged—meaning she wasn't upset.
With that reassurance, Kotomi regained her confidence and continued in a firm tone:
"Marry her? Dream on! I'd never marry her, hmph!"
As soon as Kotomi said that, Aimi's face lit up, all traces of sadness vanishing instantly. She broke into a bright, tearful smile and exclaimed:
"Yay!"
Kotomi chuckled softly. "Happy now? Don't cry so easily next time. You're almost a grown lady—you can't burst into tears over every little thing." She reached out and gently wiped the tears from Aimi's cheeks.
"Mhm! Onee-chan, let's go pack your suitcase now!"
"Eh? Isn't it a bit early for that? We can do it before bed—it's not like I'm leaving tomorrow morning," Kotomi said lazily. She just wanted to curl up on the sofa with some spicy snacks and watch TV.
"The earlier we pack, the sooner we're done~" Aimi chirped.
"Um... may I come too? I'll just watch, I promise," Megumi asked softly.
Compared to her earlier smug, dominating attitude, Megumi now looked and sounded surprisingly... humble.
Aimi Izumi originally didn't want Megumi Kato entering Kotomi's bedroom. Although Megumi had already been there several times before… this time, her humble and eager-to-learn attitude made it impossible for Aimi to find an excuse to stop her. So, she reluctantly let Megumi in.
Aimi took out Kotomi's suitcase and began helping her pack for the Kyoto trip tomorrow. Normally, whenever Aimi helped her sister pack, she'd do so while asking things like, "Do you want to bring this outfit?" But this time, she had an extra task—explaining the process to Megumi as well.
After all, since Megumi looked so modest and polite, Aimi couldn't exactly refuse to show her how it was done.
"First are the clothes," Aimi began, speaking in an almost teacher-like tone. "Onee-chan said she'll be in Kyoto for at least five days. The weather's getting cold—it's almost winter—so she doesn't need to bring as many clothes and underwear as she would for a summer trip. Five sets are enough. For coats, she'll wear one and pack one more in the suitcase. Coats take up a lot of space, after all. As for shoes and socks, Onee-chan can pick those herself. Clothes and makeup go in the suitcase as usual."
Aimi was a veteran when it came to packing Kotomi's luggage. Within just a few minutes, the suitcase was nearly full.
"All done! Onee-chan, I'll put two power banks, two charging cables, and your wallet in your handbag later. By the way, have you decided which one you're taking?" Aimi asked.
Both Kotomi and Aimi had an impressive collection of handbags—from all kinds of brands and styles.
They owed that entirely to their doting aunt, Yuki Hishinaga.
Though Yuki lived alone in Sydney for reasons unknown—and neither sister could even remember the last time she came back to Japan—she never missed a birthday, holiday, or New Year's. Every time, she would send international packages full of gifts for them.
Since she'd been away from Japan for so long, Yuki had no idea what her nieces actually liked, so she simply sent them a variety of luxury items every time.
In Yuki's words: "A girl must learn to arm herself with makeup, handbags, and heels! The earlier you understand that, the better. That way, when you face the one you like, you can act confidently, strike first, and hold them firmly in your grasp! Don't let another woman steal them away!"
Sitting cross-legged on the floor playing Azur Lane, Kotomi looked up when Aimi asked and thought for a moment before passing the decision back to her sister.
"Ah… there are too many bags. I can't decide. Why don't you pick one for me, Aimi?"
"I don't know which one you'd want to take either, Onee-chan. How about the Chanel tote?"
"I'm bored of that one. I want something different—and something low-profile, since I'll be traveling."
Even as Kotomi spoke, her attention was still glued to her game screen. She was currently in the middle of the grind period, replaying the same high-exp chapter over and over to farm research points.
"Even if you want something low-key, none of your bags qualify," Aimi muttered, glancing at the collection in Kotomi's closet.
Any random one from that collection could make most girls' hearts ache just thinking about the price tag.
Some girls who loved luxury brands would have been over the moon to own even one shelf's worth of Kotomi's handbags. They'd probably spend hours each morning carefully choosing which outfit best matched their bag.
But Kotomi wasn't that into designer handbags. She liked them, sure—but if she had to pick between a luxury purse and a limited-edition figurine, she'd choose the figurine without hesitation.
Seeing that Aimi couldn't make up her mind either, Kotomi finally looked away from her game after clearing the stage. She thought for a bit, then decided:
"I remember Aunt Yuki sent me a medium-sized Gucci Diana bamboo-handle tote this year. I'll use that one for my power banks, cables, and wallet. I haven't used it yet anyway."
"This one?" Aimi Izumi asked, taking out the Gucci tote Kotomi had mentioned.
"Yes, that's the one."
"Alright then, I'll put the power banks and other things in here. The wet wipes and tissues go at the bottom, and your favorite candies on top," Aimi said, beginning to neatly pack the bag.
Megumi glanced at the Gucci Diana tote and, out of curiosity, pulled out her phone to check the price on Gucci's official website.
When she saw the price, she sucked in a sharp breath. "810,000 yen?!"
So this is what Kotomi meant by 'keeping a low profile' when traveling... Megumi thought silently, stunned.
...
In less than half an hour, Kotomi's suitcase for the Kyoto trip was fully packed. Aimi pushed it to the center of the bedroom so it would be the first thing Kotomi saw when she woke up, ensuring she wouldn't forget to take it with her in the morning.
Once everything was ready, Aimi let out a self-satisfied hum, adopting the air of a victor as she turned to Megumi and said proudly:
"So? Did you learn anything? Hmph, even if you didn't say it, I know you couldn't possibly master it in one go. Helping someone pack their luggage might sound simple, but once you actually do it, you'll realize how hard it is. It's all about how well you know the person. To reach my level of familiarity with Kotomi, you'd need at least fifteen years. And by then, my understanding of Kotomi will already be beyond what you could ever hope to reach!"
"Haha, thank you for the lesson, Aimi. I'll keep working hard~" Megumi replied with a cheerful smile.
That instantly gave Aimi the feeling of punching into a soft pillow—no resistance, no satisfaction. She scowled unhappily.
"Who said you could 'keep working hard'?! I meant give up already and stop scheming about my sister!"
"And if I say no?"
"Ugh! At least pretend to argue back—don't just accept the challenge so easily!"
Kotomi looked at the two of them—Aimi and Megumi, once again moments away from a full-blown fight—and sighed helplessly. Getting those two to get along for even a few minutes seemed like one of the greatest challenges of the century.
Thankfully, at that exact moment, their father returned home.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Kotomi put down her phone, cutting off the verbal sparring that was reaching critical mass.
"Aimi, calm down a little. Megumi, give her some leeway. Honestly, I'm starving already. Listening to you two argue is making me even hungrier. Let's go downstairs and eat."
To Kotomi's surprise, her words worked like magic. Just a second ago, the tension had been sky-high—but the moment she spoke, both Aimi and Megumi quieted down immediately and nodded obediently.
Kotomi smiled to herself. Yes, this is exactly the energy of a true top. I, Kotomi Izumi, am definitely the dominant one here...
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