Capítulo 147: Eager to Have Her Join the Family
The sound of running water gradually quieted down, followed by the flush of the toilet. Izumi Kotomi stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing her now-relieved stomach.
"Phew—what a relief. Those last ten minutes were brutal. I should've known better than to drink so much orange juice before tutoring Yui."
Just as she finished speaking, she came face to face with Yuka Yuigahama, who was walking out of the kitchen with a bag of chocolate cookies in hand.
Upon seeing Kotomi, Yuka's eyes lit up like stars.
"Whoa! It's Penguin-neechan!"
"Good evening, Yuka," Kotomi responded with a smile.
Though she was used to being called "Penguin-neechan" by Yuka, she still wished the girl would call her "Izumi-neechan" properly. It seemed the small penguin keychain she had given Yuka when they first met had left a strong impression on her.
There's a saying that goes, "Children tend to name things based on what makes a deep impression on them," and it appeared Yuka had come to see her as someone close because of that penguin keychain.
Being liked by someone feels pretty good, Kotomi thought to herself, smiling gently.
"Penguin-neechan, do you want some cookies?" Yuka held up the bag of cookies in her hand.
They were her favorite chocolate cookies, a snack she usually ate sparingly, only willing to share them with her mother and sister. But now, she was offering them to Kotomi, who was neither her mother nor sister.
Kotomi crouched down and patted Yuka's twin-tailed head affectionately.
"Thank you, Yuka. I'll have just one."
"These are my favorite cookies! You're going to love them!" Yuka smiled happily as she offered one of her precious chocolate cookies to Kotomi.
Even though Kotomi wasn't fond of chocolate, she didn't show it. She cheerfully took the cookie and popped it into her mouth, pretending it was delicious as she smiled and said, "This cookie is so good! What brand is it? I'd love to buy some for myself."
"It's this brand!" Yuka eagerly showed Kotomi the brand on the package, her eyes twinkling as though she had found a kindred spirit in their shared love for the cookies.
Kotomi quietly noted the brand, thinking that next time she visited, she'd bring a few boxes of Yuka's favorite cookies.
After playing with Yuka for a while, Kotomi carried her to the living room and sat her down on the couch, turning on her favorite anime show.
"Be a good girl and watch your show, okay?"
"Penguin-neechan, are you staying for dinner tonight?" Yuka asked hopefully.
"Not tonight. I'll be heading home soon."
"Aww... then you should just marry into our family! That way, we can play together every day, and at night, you, Mom, Onee-chan, and I can all sleep together! Yay!"
Faced with Yuka's innocent suggestion, Kotomi couldn't help but laugh and gently replied, "Yuka, you're still too young to understand what marriage means. So don't say things like that to just anyone, okay?"
"But I'm only saying it to you, Penguin-neechan."
"Well…"
Before Kotomi could finish, Yuka interrupted with her large, adorable eyes blinking at her. "Don't you like my mom? Or my sister?"
"Huh?" Kotomi was caught off guard, unsure how to respond.
How does a kindergartener always manage to say such shocking things?!
"Do you not like them?" Yuka asked again, her innocent, watery eyes fixed on Kotomi.
With Yuka's guileless gaze and such a direct question, Kotomi found herself at a loss for words. Unlike the teasing, straightforward remarks of the little devil Iroha Isshiki, Yuka's innocence made it impossible to brush off her question casually. Whatever she said now could be taken literally and remembered forever.
How should she answer?
Saying she didn't like them was out of the question. After all, Kotomi had nothing but positive feelings toward the Yuigahama family.
So, the answer was... she liked them?
After thinking it over, Kotomi finally spoke up.
"I like your mom and your sister."
Though she meant it sincerely, why did it sound so strange when she said it aloud?
Damn it, Izumi Kotomi, you're an upstanding person! Don't think such impure thoughts!
Still… it feels kind of nice to think about.
Maybe I'll indulge for a bit longer.
"And me?" Yuka pointed to her own cheek with her chubby finger, looking expectantly at Kotomi.
"I've always adored you as my little sister. You're so cute and pretty, Yuka. When you grow up, you'll definitely be a popular beauty."
"So, does that mean you'll marry into our family?!"
Yuka's eyes sparkled as if she had transformed into a marriage-obsessed matchmaker, eager to see Kotomi marry into the Yuigahama household as soon as possible.
Is there no way out of this?
"Yuka? Weren't you upstairs reading a picture book? Why are you down here all of a sudden?"
At that moment, Yui's mother, Tomoka Yuigahama, emerged from the kitchen, stretching her legs after spending the afternoon working on illustrations. She noticed Kotomi and Yuka sitting together in the living room, deep in conversation.
"My tummy was hungry, so I wanted some cookies," Yuka answered honestly.
"Hungry already? Oh dear, it's 7 PM. I'd better get dinner started," Tomoka said, glancing at the clock on the wall.
She hurried off toward her bedroom to save her progress on her latest illustration before heading to the kitchen to start cooking dinner.
"Kotomi, thank you for tutoring Yui again today. If you're free, why don't you stay for dinner? I'll give you a ride home afterward," Tomoka offered.
"No need, but thank you for the kind offer. I already promised my mom I'd be home for dinner," Kotomi politely declined.
"Ah, what a shame. I was hoping to show off my cooking skills for you," Tomoka replied, a little disappointed.
"I'll definitely take you up on that another time, Tomoka-san. Yui did great with her studies today. She's really picking things up quickly. I'll head home soon."
"Thank you so much for your help. Should I have Yui walk you out?"
"No need, I'll be fine."
"Alright, but before you go, come with me to my room for a moment," Tomoka suddenly said, as if remembering something important. She gently took Kotomi by the wrist and began leading her toward her bedroom.
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