"The Six Wonders? In other words, something happened that caused the legend of the Six Wonders to become the Seven Wonders?"
After listening to Kotomi Izumi's explanation, Iroha Isshiki asked curiously.
"That's right."
Kotomi Izumi nodded, then continued. To preserve the atmosphere, she deliberately lowered her voice:
"As for the exact reason, I haven't been enrolled for very long myself, so I'm not too sure. I only remember that some kind of incident happened back then, causing Sobu High School to abandon its old schoolhouse and construct a new one—the main building where we attend classes now. The year the old schoolhouse was abandoned and the new one entered use was also the year Sobu High School's Six Wonders became the Seven Wonders."
Kotomi Izumi spoke in a mysterious tone, as though she were telling a ghost story.
Although, at the moment, she really was telling something like a ghost story...
"That sounds so creepy..." Aimi Izumi shrank back slightly. She was not particularly brave, yet whenever Kotomi told ghost stories, she always listened more attentively than anyone else.
The reason was simple. Aimi felt that she could use the opportunity to hide in Kotomi's arms and act spoiled while listening to ghost stories.
In other words, her true intention had nothing to do with the ghost stories themselves.
The moment Aimi heard that Kotomi was going to tell a ghost story, she immediately perked up and planned to find an opportunity to throw herself into Kotomi's arms. Unexpectedly, ever since Kotomi returned to the bedroom, she had remained seated beside Iroha Isshiki. The distance between them left Aimi, who was still weak after her fever had only recently subsided, completely unable to leap into Kotomi's embrace.
As a result, Aimi was now listening fearfully to the ghost story without any way to throw herself into Kotomi's arms and act spoiled. All she could do was sit on the bed, wrapped in a quilt and trembling as she listened to Kotomi's tale.
"Senpai, what were Sobu High School's original Six Wonders, and what was the newly added seventh wonder?"
"If I remember correctly, the Six Wonders were:
[The vengeful spirit of a girl in blue wandering through the school], [The piano in the old schoolhouse's music room that plays by itself], [The charred ghostly silhouette on the window of Class 1-B on the old schoolhouse's third floor], [The blood-soaked doll hiding in the swimming pool changing room in search of someone to die in its place], [The hanging rope dwelling in the ceiling of the old schoolhouse], and [The blood-faced female ghost who stands on the roof of the old schoolhouse at midnight, glaring resentfully across the entire campus].
"As for the seventh wonder... Sorry, I can't remember it clearly. Once school starts tomorrow, I'll find a chance to ask some of the second- or third-year students. They should know the full story."
After saying this, Kotomi Izumi thought that since they had nothing else to do, she might as well tell Aimi and Iroha each of Sobu High School's Six Wonders in detail.
"Iroha, don't you want to apply to Sobu High School? With your grades, getting accepted won't be difficult. Would you like me to give you a detailed explanation of Sobu High School's Six Wonders right now?"
"Since you have the time, I'll be troubling you, Senpai."
Iroha Isshiki nodded. Although she was interested in the mysterious legends, what she really wanted was to spend more time with Kotomi.
If Kotomi explained all six mysterious legends in detail, it would take at least several dozen minutes. That would allow Iroha to remain with her for a while longer!
Kotomi wanted to talk, and Iroha wanted to listen, but Aimi was the least pleased of all.
"No, no, no!"
Aimi, who had been enduring it all this time, finally exploded. With a trace of childish resentment, she protested:
"Don't tell them! Don't tell them! I'm scared!"
"Huh? Aimi, you're actually afraid of ghost stories?"
Kotomi Izumi looked slightly surprised. When she and Aimi had slept together before, Kotomi had often told her ghost stories before they fell asleep. Although Aimi always acted frightened, she would hide in Kotomi's arms each time and then ask Kotomi to continue.
Because of this, Kotomi had always assumed that Aimi was reasonably brave and both frightened by and interested in things like ghost stories and urban legends.
Moreover, whenever Kotomi told ghost stories in the past, Aimi would fall fast asleep in her arms before long, sleeping very soundly.
That had always made Kotomi believe her ghost stories came with a natural sleep-inducing effect.
Therefore, she had deliberately immersed herself in the story just now, hoping that listening to a ghost story would help Aimi relax and get a good sleep.
Unexpectedly, not only had Aimi failed to relax, she had actually been frightened.
Kotomi Izumi, who had always believed her ghost stories possessed a soothing, sleep-inducing effect, could not quite process the situation. Had the effect she had always taken pride in suddenly stopped working?
Kotomi Izumi did not know that her ghost stories had no sleep-inducing effect whatsoever. The true reason Aimi always fell asleep so soundly whenever Kotomi told her ghost stories was that Aimi would hide in Kotomi's arms every time, and it was Kotomi's warm embrace that allowed her to sleep peacefully.
Now, Aimi had never found an opportunity to throw herself into Kotomi's arms, while Kotomi had remained seated beside Iroha and told ghost stories to both of them. Of course Aimi would be frightened.
Faced with Kotomi's surprise, Aimi froze for a moment. Then she instantly understood why Kotomi found it strange. After all, whenever Kotomi had told her ghost stories in the past, Aimi would soon fall peacefully asleep, as though she were listening not to a ghost story but to a heartwarming fairy tale.
I understand... Kotomi seems to have mistakenly assumed that I fell asleep during her ghost stories because they have some sort of sleep-inducing effect. She doesn't know that it has nothing to do with the stories themselves. It's because whenever she tells me a ghost story, I get to act spoiled in her arms.
Lying in Kotomi's embrace is so warm and comfortable that I drift off into a peaceful sleep before I even realize it.
Ah—if Kotomi and I were the only ones in the bedroom right now, I would definitely tell her the real reason. But Iroha just has to be here too. I can't possibly say something like that in front of my best friend. It's too embarrassing!
Aimi Izumi thought this inwardly, while continuing aloud with a trace of childish displeasure:
"I... Of course I'd be scared! Especially when every ghost story you tell is so terrifying, Onee-chan!"
"I see... Then I'm sorry. I promise I won't tell you any more ghost stories in the future," Kotomi Izumi apologized.
Don't do that! If you stop telling me ghost stories, how am I supposed to find opportunities to act spoiled in your arms?
Aimi Izumi cried out tearfully in her heart. However, because Iroha was still present, she could only nod as though saying, Good. At least you understand.
"This isn't Senpai's fault. I was the one who got too curious and asked her to explain it. I'm sorry, Aimi."
Iroha Isshiki apologized at that moment. She felt that if she had not curiously asked Kotomi about Sobu High School's Seven Wonders, Aimi would not have been frightened by Kotomi's story.
"I-It's fine. I'm just too timid..." Aimi Izumi hurriedly replied.
Kotomi Izumi glanced at the time on her phone and discovered that it was almost noon, so she asked Iroha Isshiki:
"Iroha, are you really not staying for lunch?"
"No, but thank you, Senpai. Mom already prepared lunch for me. Once I get home, I only need to heat it up. If I didn't eat the lunch Mom prepared for me, wouldn't I be wasting all the thought she put into it?"
Iroha Isshiki shook her head with a smile.
"That's true. I'd really like to try your mother's cooking sometime."
Kotomi Izumi nodded and did not try to persuade her any further. Instead, she stood up and went to retrieve her coat.
"There's still some time before my mother finishes preparing lunch, so I'll take you home first."
"Thank you, Senpai~" Iroha Isshiki said with a sweet smile.
Kotomi Izumi wanted to lose herself in Iroha Isshiki's sweet smile, yet she always instinctively reminded herself that it might very well be a honey trap set by the little devil!
"I-It's nothing... I'll go downstairs and ask Mom whether she needs me to buy anything."
Kotomi Izumi's cheeks faintly heated up. Before the blush could spread across her face, she put on her coat, hurriedly turned around, and went downstairs.
"Aimi, I'll be leaving now. Make sure you get plenty of rest. Whenever you feel unhappy, you can call me at any time."
Iroha Isshiki stood up and spoke gently.
"Um... Iroha, you don't need to take what happened earlier to heart. Because of how I reacted in the past, Onee-chan mistakenly assumed I was very brave, wasn't afraid of ghost stories, and could even fall asleep while listening to them. But actually, I'm very timid. The reason I could fall asleep when Onee-chan told me ghost stories before was because..."
Aimi Izumi lowered her head. Although she felt somewhat embarrassed, she decided to reveal the true reason she could fall asleep during Kotomi's ghost stories so that neither Kotomi nor Iroha would feel bad.
Her embarrassment made Aimi decide to tell Kotomi and Iroha separately. Since Kotomi had already gone downstairs, she could only tell Iroha first.
Of course, when explaining it to Iroha, Aimi altered the reason slightly. From the very beginning, Aimi's sole purpose in listening to Kotomi's ghost stories had been to find an excuse to throw herself into Kotomi's arms and act spoiled. However, she was far too embarrassed to admit that single motive in front of her best friend. Therefore, she changed it to:
[The first time I listened to Onee-chan tell a ghost story, I was so frightened that I hid in her arms. Gradually, whenever Onee-chan told ghost stories, I became accustomed to hiding in her embrace. As long as I did that, no matter how frightening the story was, I wouldn't be scared at all. Instead, I would fall peacefully asleep as though I were listening to a bedtime story. The reason I was frightened just now was because I couldn't stay in Onee-chan's arms.]
After listening to Aimi Izumi's explanation, Iroha Isshiki finally understood.
"No wonder Senpai looked so surprised when you said you were scared. In her mind, she always thought you were very brave and could fall asleep while listening to ghost stories. She never realized that you weren't able to sleep because you were brave. It was because you could stay in her arms whenever she told them before. This time, because you couldn't remain in her embrace, you became frightened."
Aimi Izumi nodded vigorously and apologized:
"Yes, that's exactly it. So I wasn't angry just now. Iroha, I'm really sorry. Please don't take it to heart! It isn't your fault, and it isn't Onee-chan's either. If anyone is to blame, it can only be me for not explaining to Onee-chan earlier why I could really fall asleep while listening to ghost stories."
Faced with Aimi's apology, Iroha Isshiki smiled faintly, stroked Aimi's hair, and comforted her:
"Silly Aimi, I'm not angry. You don't need to worry about it either. However, once Senpai comes back, you need to explain it properly to her too."
"Of course. I only decided to tell you and Onee-chan separately because I was a little embarrassed," Aimi said with a nod.
"That's more like it."
Iroha Isshiki encouraged her, then curled her lips into a mischievous smile and said:
"Still, I never expected you to be such a spoiled little girl who loves throwing herself into her Onee-chan's arms~ Hehe. But if Senpai were my Onee-chan, I'd definitely act spoiled with her every day too!"
The moment Aimi heard this, she anxiously said:
"N-No! Kotomi's only little sister can be me! You can't steal my Onee-chan!"
Having successfully teased Aimi, Iroha Isshiki revealed a delighted, devilish smile and said with a giggle:
"Don't worry. I won't compete with you for the throne of being Kotomi's little sister~"
Only after hearing those words did Aimi relax slightly.
"Y-You absolutely can't compete with me!"
"Mm-hmm, don't worry. I definitely won't fight you for the position of her little sister."
Iroha Isshiki comforted Aimi while secretly thinking, After all, I'd much rather be Kotomi's lover~!
"Mom, I'm going to take Iroha home in a little while. Is there anything you need me to buy on the way back?" After going downstairs, Kotomi Izumi entered the kitchen and asked her mother, who was chopping vegetables.
"Iroha is leaving? Be careful on the road. As for whether we need anything else... I originally planned to buy a bag of green peppers, but your father should already be on his way home. I'll call him in a little while and ask him to buy them. So there isn't anything you need to get."
"Oh, okay... But green peppers..."
Kotomi Izumi shrank back slightly. Although she liked green peppers stuffed with meat, that did not mean she liked eating green peppers themselves!
"You mustn't be picky~" Akina Izumi said with a soft laugh.
"Ugh..."
Seeing Kotomi's pitiful expression and obvious reluctance to eat green peppers, Akina Izumi could not help laughing aloud. As she continued chopping vegetables, she said:
"Don't worry. There won't be any green peppers in today's lunch. You've just returned from your trip to Kyoto, so of course I have to prepare a whole table of your favorite dishes. For example, your favorite braised lion's head meatballs."
"Yay!"
Kotomi Izumi cheered.
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