When Megumi Kato woke up this morning, she was full of motivation—partly because Kotomi would be returning tomorrow. Even more encouraging was the fact that school was off today.
Many people have probably felt this before: you're normally not that motivated, but on a day off from school or work, you suddenly feel a strong urge to get something done. You want to spend the entire day being productive.
But usually, that enthusiasm quickly fades. You think, "There's still the whole day ahead. A short break won't hurt. I'll be more energized afterward." Then one thing leads to another, and you end up spending the whole day on your phone, accomplishing nothing else.
But today, Megumi really did feel like studying.
She even woke up early and made a very detailed and disciplined study schedule, complete with highlighters to check things off as she finished.
After admiring the perfectly structured schedule, she decided to lie down for "just a little rest"—which turned into another thirty minutes of scrolling on her phone. Eventually, she got up again and sat at her desk, ready to start.
And then the phone rang.
It was a delivery.
A package from Kyoto.
In an instant, Megumi's studious mindset was replaced with total excitement. Study? What study?!
She signed for the delivery and returned to her room with the package. Seeing Kotomi's name as the sender, Megumi practically skipped back to her bedroom.
She barely held herself back from dashing to the Izumi house just to brag to Aimi. But first—she had to open the package and see what Kotomi had sent her.
Inside was a beautifully crafted teacup with a pattern resembling a galaxy. It looked more like a piece of art than a drinking vessel.
"Wow... I remember telling Kotomi a long time ago that I loved looking at the stars when I go camping. I can't believe she remembered! This galaxy-patterned cup—she must've picked it specifically because she knows I love stargazing on camping trips!"
"Ugh, I want to run to Aimi and show this off so badly! But she's still at school. Boring~"
"No, no, Megumi! You said you'd treat Aimi like a little sister. You can't bully her like that!"
"Since Kotomi got me this cup, I bet she bought one for herself too. Next time I visit her house, I'll bring mine. And when we drink tea together, I'll use this same patterned cup—right in front of Aimi!"
Megumi grinned ear to ear.
After taking the Kiyomizu-yaki teacup out of the box, she immediately noticed the letter Kotomi had tucked inside.
"A letter from Kotomi... Yes! My wife wrote me a letter!"
Clutching the envelope, Megumi leapt onto her bed and began rolling around in excitement. She even held the envelope and letter up to her nose, hoping to catch Kotomi's scent.
"This tulip-like fragrance... It must be the scent of Kotomi's perfume! Ugh—if only there were magic to preserve this scent forever! But it's fine. I'll just marry her, and problem solved!"
Megumi's gleeful bed-rolling antics were exactly like Kotomi's. Maybe it was because they often shared a bed—Megumi had clearly picked up some of Kotomi's habits.
She opened the envelope and began reading. When Kotomi casually vented about the things she experienced at the first round of the art exhibition—as if she were confiding in family—Megumi's smile deepened.
She loved it when Kotomi treated her like family.
That kind of heartfelt writing gave Megumi the illusion that she and Kotomi weren't just high schoolers anymore—but a married couple who had been together for years.
The "husband" being the lady of the house, and the "wife" being... well, the wife.
"Clouds meeting the sky, mist swirling into dawn, and stars shifting as a thousand sails dance... What a beautiful poem. Truly beautiful."
Megumi couldn't help but murmur. She loved watching the night sky while camping, always enchanted by the beauty of the stars. Yet, every time she took photos and wanted to post them on Twitter, she could never quite find the words.
But Kotomi's poetic phrasing—so concise yet vivid—unfolded before her eyes like a masterfully painted galaxy.
It felt as though she weren't lying in bed anymore, but standing beneath a star-filled sky, one arm gently wrapped around Kotomi's fragrant shoulders, watching as Kotomi—already a mother—smiled at her with warmth, holding the child that belonged to both of them.
Just imagining it made Megumi instinctively wipe the corner of her mouth.
"The future really is full of happiness~"
...
At the Iroha household—
Iroha Isshiki signed for her package and, seeing Kotomi's name on the sender's label, hurried home, eager to open it.
"Iroha, where did you just run off to?" asked Kumi Motokawa, stepping out of the kitchen in an apron, midway through preparing lunch.
Ever since confirming her relationship with Tetsunosuke Isshiki, Kumi Motokawa often visited the house to cook for Iroha, saving a portion in a thermal container to bring to the hospital.
She loved watching the father and daughter enjoy the meals she made.
Recently, she had learned a ton of signature recipes.
Kumi had always been good at learning—after all, she'd made it from a mediocre high school to a top university, and just a few years after graduating, became one of the youngest and most dependable surgeons in her department.
Among all the surgeries she had led, there had been virtually no failures. Some admiring nurses at the hospital even whispered among themselves: "As long as Dr. Motokawa hasn't given up, even the Grim Reaper can't take the patient."
For someone like Kumi, learning how to cook was easy. But every time she cooked, she did it with all her heart.
Her late grandmother once told her: "Eating is the most important thing in life. Only with a full belly can you endure the hardships of living."
That, and the fact that Kumi was working hard to become a good wife to Tetsusuke, and a good mother to Iroha.
Not only did she master many great dishes, she even secretly learned how to make Iroha's favorite desserts.
Iroha noticed this effort. Every time she thought about it, her heart warmed.
To Iroha, Kumi was already family. She was her future mom.
"It's a gift from senpai! Hehe, she's always thinking of me—even when she's off having fun in Kyoto, she remembered to get me something."
"Senpai? Oh—you mean Kotomi Izumi? She went to Kyoto? That's a lovely place. You know, Iroha, Kotomi has done a lot for you. We should return the favor. How about I make an extra pot of creamy stew and deliver it to the Izumi family later, as a thank-you?"
Iroha smiled and accepted the suggestion. But deep down, she wanted to visit the Izumi house on her own.
Even though Kotomi wasn't home, this was a great chance to bond with Kotomi's parents.
She also wanted to personally thank Mrs. Izumi. The last time she had been called the "murderer's daughter" at school, it was thanks to Mrs. Izumi that the situation had been resolved peacefully.
Iroha Isshiki wanted to visit the Izumi house on her own, but she couldn't exactly turn down Kumi Motokawa either. It would be good for her future stepmother to meet Kotomi's parents—might help lighten the mood when both sides eventually met together.
She still called her "Kumi Auntie" for now, but starting next spring, that would change to "Mom." Tetsunosuke Isshiki and Kumi had already decided on a spring wedding.
"Guess I'll have to find another opportunity to visit the Izumi house alone..." Iroha thought silently. She figured Kumi didn't know yet about her feelings for Kotomi, so there were things she didn't feel comfortable saying in front of her future mom.
Of course, even with Kotomi's parents, Iroha wouldn't be that direct. Her mischievous and bold side only ever came out around Kotomi. Around Mr. and Mrs. Izumi, she would instantly switch from little devil to model daughter.
What Iroha hadn't realized yet was that if Kotomi ever seriously said the words "I like you," their relationship might already be far beyond the point of no return. She'd probably be calling Aimi "little sister" by now.
Back on track: after spending time with Kumi, Iroha had come to see that she was a perceptive and sharp woman. If Iroha acted too obviously during their visit to the Izumi house, there was a real chance Kumi would catch on to her feelings for Kotomi.
And with Kumi soon to be her new mom, Iroha didn't want to burden her right away with something like, "Your daughter's dating a girl."
But perhaps picking up on Iroha's subtle hesitation, Kumi gave her a knowing smile and suddenly changed the topic.
"Oh dear, I just remembered—I need to make a stop to pick up fresh fruit before heading to the hospital for Tetsusuke's lunch. He's still recovering, and fresh fruit is essential every day. Iroha, could I trouble you to bring the creamy stew to the Izumi family on your own?"
The pot of creamy stew was small and light enough that even a sixth grader could carry it.
Iroha blinked in surprise but quickly nodded.
"No problem!"
She wasn't dumb. After speaking, she quickly realized what Kumi had just done. That little detour about buying fruit... it was an excuse to give her time alone.
"Thank you, Kumi Auntie!" she beamed.
"You little rascal," Kumi laughed, gently ruffling Iroha's hair. "You've got a smart head on your shoulders, but you wear your heart on your sleeve. It's written all over your face."
Iroha smiled quietly. With Kumi, she'd finally learned what a mother's love felt like. If possible, she wanted to start calling her "Mom" right now.
Kumi returned to the kitchen to finish cooking, while Iroha headed back to her room. From her desk drawer, she took out a small pair of scissors and carefully opened the package. Inside were a Kiyomizu-yaki teacup and a letter.
"A gift and a letter from senpai?! Fufufu~ Don't tell me it's a love letter? My, my—senpai, you're so daring!"
She said it with her usual mischievous tone, though a little less energetic than usual. Kotomi wasn't with her, after all.
Only by Kotomi's side could the little devil Iroha truly bare her fangs, wings, and tail.
Pursing her soft pink lips, Iroha began to read the letter slowly, savoring each word. She didn't want to miss even a single character.
And besides—the letter wasn't long. If she read it too fast, it would be over too soon.
And once it was over, there'd be nothing left to read.
Speaking of which, there was one small thing. Back on Enoshima, every time I noticed the little devil's lips, I couldn't help but feel the urge to kiss them.
When Kotomi wrote in her letter that she was approached by more than ten girls in Kyoto but righteously rejected them all, Iroha Ichika pouted playfully like a little girl, huffing, "Hmph, you're as narcissistic as ever, senpai! Wouldn't be surprised if you fell in love with yourself that day!"
And when Kotomi expressed in her letter how much she missed her in Kyoto, having rejected all those advances, Iroha's heart overflowed with joy.
Reading the line where Kotomi said, "When longing becomes unbearable and I'm dying to see you, remember to stay calm and trim your nails first," Iroha blinked in confusion for a moment. Then, she suddenly understood—
Kotomi finally managed to make Iroha blush!
Unfortunately, Kotomi was far away in Kyoto right now, sleeping in the same bed with Mashiro, and couldn't see it.
Blushing furiously, Iroha spat softly, "That shameless senpai's really gone bad lately! Nails? Hmph, I'm going to grow them out and see what happens!"
Then I'll make sure you cry from the pain, you'll see!
Of course, making Kotomi cry from long nails was likely just empty talk. Iroha had never been used to keeping long nails anyway.
She had her own internal standard for the perfect nail length—not too long, not too short. If they grew even a little past her comfort zone, she would trim them down immediately.
After reading the letter over and over, Iroha clutched it to her chest like a treasure, then glanced at her phone wallpaper—a picture of her and Kotomi taken at Enoshima. Her gaze softened.
A moment later, she heard Kumi calling her. As she left her room, she grabbed a jacket. She knew this meant the cream stew was ready, and it was time to deliver a portion to the Izumi household.
As for why Aimi was at school while Iroha got to stay home? Simple—she had overslept. By the time she woke up and looked at her phone, school had already been in session for over thirty minutes. Even if she rushed, she couldn't make it in time.
So, she simply acted cute and had Kumi help her call in a day off.
Don't be fooled by Kumi's usually stern demeanor at work—when it came to Iroha, she was quite indulgent. Originally, Iroha only wanted to take the morning off, but Kumi went ahead and called the teacher to request a full-day absence.
Why was it so easy?
As a doctor, Kumi could spin a cold or mild illness into a perfectly convincing excuse—one that no teacher would doubt.
...
At the Dango Cake Shop.
Now that Tomoka Yuigahama had completed the illustration work for volume one of Sword Art Online, the cake shop gradually resumed operations. In the first few days after reopening, business was booming, keeping her so busy in the kitchen that she barely had time to breathe.
After placing the final batch of chocolate cakes into the oven, Tomoka finally took a break.
All morning, she'd been working non-stop in the kitchen. Even with Yui helping at the register, Tomoka was so exhausted her head felt fuzzy.
"Yui, good work today. Let's close up for now and rest until 2:30 p.m. I'm wiped out... It's like all the rest I got the past few days turned into burnt cookies—gone just like that."
Tomoka, head drooping, made a cute and playful complaint. Despite being the mother of two daughters, she looked more like a lively twenty-something girl. Still, a quiet grace in her demeanor gave away that she was indeed a mother.
"Mom, go home and take a nap. You still have to bake more cakes this afternoon. I'll take care of the chocolate ones in the oven," said Yui.
"But—"
"It's fine! I've already learned how to handle fresh cakes properly!"
Yui patted her chest—a chest that Yukino Yukinoshita secretly envied—and flashed a confident smile.
Indeed, Yui had memorized how to handle each type of freshly baked cake. Every kind required its own method.
"Then I'll leave it to you. After we close tonight, I'll make hamburg steaks for you and Yuka!"
Moved by her daughters' thoughtfulness, Tomoka hugged Yui before heading home to nap.
Just as Yui finished placing the chocolate cakes and started tidying the kitchen before temporarily closing, the screech of a delivery truck's brakes sounded outside.
"Hello, you have a package. Please sign here."
Yui stepped outside. She was just about to ask if the delivery was to the wrong address when she saw the sender's name—Kotomi Izumi.
Without hesitation, she signed immediately, not even bothering to check what was inside.
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