After a satisfying dinner, Kotomi Izumi returned to her bedroom with Megumi Kato.
Kotomi told Megumi to sit wherever she liked, then opened her laptop and began booking shinkansen tickets for the Kyoto trip.
She selected three seats in the Green Car. When she checked the seat map for that particular train, she saw that there were still plenty of available spots in the Green Car.
That was normal—there weren't many passengers traveling at that time of day. The few who did were usually businesspeople on company trips. Even if their companies reimbursed travel expenses, it was usually for standard seats. If not reimbursed, they'd certainly choose the cheaper ones—save whenever you can.
Kotomi then noticed that the Green Car wasn't the highest class available on that shinkansen. There was one level above it—the Gran Class.
If there were still a few passengers choosing the Green Car, the Gran Class had none at all. Not a single seat was booked.
After thinking for a moment, Kotomi decided that since the trip to Kyoto would take over seven hours, she might as well make it as comfortable as possible. She had initially picked the Green Car for that reason—but since there was something even better than comfort… why hesitate?
Without another thought, Kotomi canceled the three Green Car tickets and rebooked three seats in the Gran Class.
Each pair of Gran Class seats was wide and spacious.
She moved the cursor and selected a window seat.
She remembered that long ago, Yui Yuigahama had once said she loved sitting by the window whenever riding the train—it let her watch the scenery pass by.
Kotomi had casually asked at the time, "Then do you like window seats on airplanes too?"
Yui had replied shyly, "I… I've never been on a plane before. Once I start working and save enough, I want to take my mom and little sister on a flight together."
Kotomi hadn't said anything back then, but she'd quietly engraved those words in her heart.
With Kotomi's current income, it would be no exaggeration to say she could easily afford to take Yui and her family on a trip anywhere they wanted. If they wanted to fly, they could fly—and in first class, no less—with Kotomi covering every expense.
But though she had every reason to take Yui on a trip, and could even bring Yuka along, there was one person she didn't yet have a reason to invite—Tomoka Yuigahama.
Still, Kotomi wasn't discouraged in the slightest. She knew that winning Tomoka's heart—making her fall completely, unshakably in love—would take time. Not too short, not too long.
After all, Tomoka Yuigahama was already in her thirties, a mother of two. Compared to younger girls, she carried the calm maturity that came with years of experience.
What Kotomi loved most about her was exactly that maturity—gentle yet playful, composed yet warm.
Even though Tomoka often showed her soft and teasing side in daily life, Kotomi knew perfectly well that playfulness in everyday interactions didn't mean she'd act the same way when faced with something serious.
Mature women were often calm and reserved. They knew how to hide their true feelings deep inside.
Tomoka Yuigahama was such a woman—calm, intelligent, and, as a single mother raising two daughters alone, necessarily strong.
Once Kotomi set her heart on someone, her approach in love was always bold and assertive.
She had known for a long time that she liked Tomoka Yuigahama.
The reason she hadn't confessed yet wasn't because she lacked confidence—it was because she knew all too well that if she confessed now, no matter what Tomoka truly felt, she would definitely be rejected.
Because Tomoka had ties she couldn't ignore—her daughters. And now that she knew her eldest daughter, Yui Yuigahama, was dating Kotomi, then upon hearing Kotomi's confession, her first thought would inevitably be of Yui.
It wasn't that Tomoka Yuigahama had no feelings for Kotomi Izumi—there was definitely something there—but from their first meeting until now, Kotomi hadn't yet reached the level of affection that would make Tomoka throw caution to the wind and accept a confession without hesitation.
Moreover, now that Tomoka knew Kotomi was dating her daughter, Yui, even if she wanted to accept, she would never allow herself to. She didn't want to destroy Yui's happiness.
Of course, the slow progress of affection wasn't because Kotomi's advances lacked power—it was because she had deliberately slowed them down, controlling the pace and degree of Tomoka's emotional growth from the start.
Every expression, every word, every action that Kotomi showed around Tomoka Yuigahama had a single purpose—to quietly, subtly, and steadily raise her importance in Tomoka's heart.
To put it bluntly, when pursuing a woman in her thirties—someone who had been married, had children, and was now raising them alone after a divorce or the loss of her husband—the key at the start was to keep a gentle but persistent pace. Too fast or too aggressive, and it would only backfire. It needed to be steady as a slow stream—while never missing a chance to strike hard whenever the timing was right.
Perhaps because of her relationship with Xiao Shaoxin in her previous life, Kotomi had gained plenty of experience in pursuing older, mature women.
So for now, the plan to take the Yuigahama family on an airplane trip would have to wait. But taking Yui and Yuka on a short flight? That was still perfectly doable.
Megumi Kato sat quietly on the bed behind her, while Kotomi's thoughts were entirely elsewhere—planning how to take Yui and Yuka flying, and how to continue winning over Tomoka Yuigahama step by step.
After selecting and paying for the tickets, Kotomi closed the booking page and instinctively moved to click open Steam, intending to message Kiyoko Matsumatsu and ask her to log on and play a game.
Megumi, sitting behind her, noticed Kotomi's mouse hovering over the Steam icon. Her lips twitched in a mix of amusement and exasperation. For this clueless, adorable penguin of hers, even giving hints felt like a waste of effort.
She got up, wrapped her arms around Kotomi's neck from behind, and whispered in her ear with mock severity:
"Your girlfriend's sitting right here on your bed, and you still have the nerve to open Steam?"
Kotomi immediately realized what Megumi meant. Still in Megumi's hold, she reached into her desk drawer and pulled out two Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers, smiling innocently.
"Megumi, let's play It Takes Two! Isn't that the perfect game for couples?"
Kotomi thought she was a genius. What could be more fitting for two people in love than It Takes Two? She had bought the game ages ago but never actually played it herself—the 100 hours on record were all from her parents, who liked to play co-op games together in their free time.
"Why not invite me to play Fall Guys instead?" Megumi muttered, half irritated and half amused. This silly penguin—so adorable and dense that she couldn't help wanting to scoop her up and tease her senseless.
"I haven't bought Fall Guys yet. But don't worry, it'll be free soon, so—ah!"
Before Kotomi could finish, Megumi suddenly swept her off her chair in a princess carry.
"It's one thing when you're obsessed with games all the time—but you're leaving for Kyoto tomorrow. We finally get a little time alone together, and the first thing you do is grab a controller and ask if I want to play It Takes Two? You silly penguin… you're so stupid and so cute it makes me want to bully you until you cry."
What Megumi didn't notice was that when she lifted Kotomi, although Kotomi's face showed a trace of panic, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl into a happy smile—like a little girl who had finally earned her chance to taste the candy she'd been craving all day.
That's right—Kotomi Izumi was acting. Sure, she could be a bit of a clueless airhead at times, but this wasn't one of them. She was deliberately putting on her silly act right now to make Megumi Kato smile through her frustration.
Kotomi's ultimate goal? To stir up Megumi's emotions just enough to push her into being rough.
Just like now.
After Megumi tossed Kotomi onto the bed, the little penguin pretended to struggle, as if she wanted to sit up and escape.
But how does a spark become a roaring flame? It needs fuel. And that fuel can either come naturally or be deliberately added.
Kotomi's attempt to sit up and "flee" was that fuel—like pouring gasoline onto the fire already burning in Megumi's heart. In an instant, the blaze flared wildly.
Megumi pressed down on Kotomi's shoulders, forcing her to stay still and behave.
Although Kotomi possessed the fabled "Queen of All Females" constitution, she didn't resist. She had intentionally played dumb and riled Megumi up to provoke this reaction. There was no way she'd now ruin it by using that superpowered aura to fight back.
Besides, the Queen of All Females constitution came with a downside—it made her body weak and soft during intimate contact with girls. Instead of thinking about resistance, Kotomi figured she might as well start thinking about which maternity outfit would look best on her... and which brand of formula to buy once the baby arrived.
Of course, she might not be the one getting pregnant...
Megumi looked down at Kotomi—her flushed cheeks, her glistening eyes, her everything—she was like the very embodiment of the word temptation, endlessly luring her in.
"Kotomi, I'm not happy tonight," Megumi said, her tone sulky. "You promised I'd get to pack your suitcase, but in the end, it was Aimi who did it. I'm mad. Super mad. It's just packing a suitcase! I definitely would've done it better than she did.
"You spoil Aimi too much. I'm jealous now.
"In fact, I feel like tearing open that suitcase and handbag, taking everything out, and repacking it my own way."
Megumi muttered with a pout. Her eyes drifted toward the nearby suitcase and handbag, and the look in them didn't resemble someone who just wanted to rearrange things—it was more like someone thinking about tossing them straight into Tokyo Bay.
Kotomi laughed. "The way you're talking makes me think you're about to ask me: 'If one day, Aimi and I both fell into the water, who would you save first?'"
"I can swim," Megumi replied proudly. "Didn't you tell me before? Aimi's a total landlubber. Even in a kiddie pool, she needs a floatie before she dares get in."
The topic of swimming seemed to strike a chord. Megumi puffed up proudly. She'd known for a long time that Aimi couldn't swim, but she'd never had the chance to tease her about it—she was saving that little jab for the day Aimi picked another fight.
"I can swim too," Kotomi said with a smile, "but I still like using a floatie when I go to the pool. I love sitting on it and floating on the water."
"Next time we go swimming, I'll hold you while you sit on the floatie. I promise I won't try anything!" Megumi declared with mock righteousness.
Only, her wandering hands at that moment didn't quite match her noble-sounding tone.
"You dare not try anything?!" Kotomi huffed, cheeks puffed out. She raised one of her small feet—wearing soft lavender cotton socks—and kicked Megumi lightly.
I'm this pretty, this cute, this soft and irresistible. Put me in a swimsuit and I'll be a walking goddess, dazzling everyone in sight! And you dare say you won't lay a hand on me? Kotomi fumed silently.
Her little kicks—adorable like two playful white bunnies—softened even more by her lavender socks, felt more like little fairy taps. They didn't hurt at all.
Megumi found the whole thing unbearably cute. That little move made her want to scoop Kotomi into her arms and pamper her until she broke.
And in the next second, she did just that.
...
"Achoo!" Downstairs, while helping her mother wash dishes, Aimi Izumi suddenly sneezed.
"Did you catch a cold?" Akina Izumi asked with concern, pouring her a cup of hot water. "Drink slowly."
"I didn't catch a cold! It must be that sly, scheming villain Megumi Kato talking bad about me behind my back!" Aimi muttered unhappily, glaring at the air as if Megumi herself were standing there. She wanted nothing more than to grab the freshly washed hotpot and smash it over Megumi's head. But after her declaration, she took a sip of hot water—and immediately burned her tongue.
"Ow... hot... it's so hot..."
Aimi nearly burst into tears. She'd always had a sensitive tongue and wasn't good with hot food or drinks.
"I just told you to drink slowly," Akina said with a laugh. "Funny, isn't it? When you were little, it was your sister who had the cat tongue—she'd always have to blow carefully on tofu soup before eating. But now Kotomi loves her food piping hot, and you're the one who can't handle it."
After her gentle teasing, Akina's tone turned a little more serious.
"Aimi, Megumi is your sister's friend. She looks out for Kotomi a lot. You shouldn't keep speaking ill of her. I don't know why you have such a grudge against her, but when dealing with others, you should at least try to be friendly. Understand?"
"I don't want to be friendly with her. She's a wicked woman with evil intentions toward my sister—a serpent-hearted schemer pretending to be nice!" Aimi huffed under her breath, listing off every insult she could think of.
Akina sighed helplessly. She looked as though she didn't understand why Aimi disliked Megumi so intensely, but the truth was, both Akina and Kaneyoshi Izumi had already figured it out during dinner.
The reason lay with Kotomi herself.
After realizing that, Akina and Kaneyoshi exchanged knowing glances.
Akina: Should we do something?
Kaneyoshi: Let them sort it out themselves for now. We'll pretend we don't know anything and step in only when necessary.
Akina: Fair enough. Honestly, spending time worrying about their twisted love triangle is less fun than gaming. Hey, honey—want to play It Takes Two tonight?
Kaneyoshi: Let's do it!
After finishing the dishes, Aimi looked up at the ceiling, frowning in annoyance. What are Onee-chan and that snake Megumi doing upstairs right now?
Just as she was about to storm upstairs—one hand carrying a fruit plate, the other gripping a fruit knife—Akina called out to her.
"Aimi, could you help me make some tea? The green tea's right there, to your right." Akina pointed toward a tin nearby.
"Oh... fine," Aimi sighed. After a moment of thought, she decided to help her mother first.
Of course, it wasn't just obedience—Aimi was genuinely confident. This is my house, she thought smugly. Even if Megumi Kato had a hundred lives, she wouldn't dare lay a finger on my sister here.
There's no way she'd be that bold. I'll let her off this once. But once I've regrouped and unleashed even one percent of my true power, she'll be nothing more than a defeated mutt, tail between her legs, slinking away in shame! Heh heh heh...
As Aimi imagined her glorious victory, she couldn't help but grin triumphantly to herself. In that moment, she felt utterly unbeatable.
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