Capítulo 162: If Only You Were My Wife
Izumi Aimi's tone was laced with dissatisfaction, and as she finished her words, she reached to unbutton Kotomi's shirt. Startled, Kotomi quickly grabbed her hand.
"Hey, let's just talk—no need to start undressing me!" Kotomi protested in a flustered whisper, her face turning bright red.
With her hand blocked, Aimi pouted in frustration, her expression full of disapproval.
"I just want to check something."
"Check?" Kotomi blinked in confusion.
"Check to see if that friend of yours took advantage of you while you were asleep last night!"
"Of course nothing like that happened! Yui was studying for her exams until late."
"Oh, and you know that how?" Aimi challenged.
"She told me this morning."
"Hmph, I don't believe you," Aimi muttered, her eyes narrowing as if trying to read her sister's mind. Meanwhile, her hands, still resting on Kotomi, grew bolder and wandered further…
Ten minutes later…
After conducting her "inspection" to her heart's content, Aimi finally released Kotomi with a much more relaxed expression. It seemed she was satisfied enough to let the matter go.
"Fine, I'll believe—for now—that Yui didn't do anything weird to you. But next time, don't stay out so late!"
Kotomi's face was flushed, her cheeks a bright, embarrassed pink as she hugged her skirt tightly. She never expected her sister would go as far as to "ambush" her in this way.
"I already said I just fell asleep," Kotomi mumbled, still blushing.
"My dear sister, I was just making sure you hadn't fallen victim to anything strange," Aimi said unabashedly, though her tone was far lighter than before, a hint of satisfaction breaking through her earlier mood.
"You call this a 'check'? If anything, it's you who did something weird just now!" Kotomi huffed.
"Alright, alright—no hard feelings. Want some pudding as a truce?" Aimi teased, grabbing a pudding cup from the bag of snacks Kotomi had bought her.
"Wow, you're seriously offering me the pudding I just bought you?" Kotomi smirked, reaching over to ruffle Aimi's hair. The younger girl laughed, leaning happily into her sister's hand.
Though it had been a somewhat unusual process, Kotomi had finally managed to calm Aimi's mood.
"Aren't you going to have some pudding too, Onee-chan? And whoa, this is the fancy kind—I never splurge on this brand! Thanks, Onee-chan!" Aimi continued as she dug through the bag, her eyes lighting up as she found not just ten cups of premium pudding, but also a stash of cashews, fish sausage, shrimp crackers, Mexican burritos, and an assortment of chips in every flavor imaginable.
Kotomi chuckled at her excitement. "Less talk, more action. Get out of bed and go eat your breakfast—I got you some stir-fried udon."
"Thanks, Onee-chan! But wow, you really went all out on the snacks. The pantry's already loaded! I know you've got a good income from your books, but maybe we should think about saving a bit."
"Don't worry about the money—I'm actually pretty thrifty when it comes to spending. Plus, with this much, we'll be all set for a movie night tonight. You can't have a proper movie night without snacks, right?"
Aimi's eyes went wide, her excitement unmistakable. "A movie night?! Together?!"
"Yup, as long as you finish your homework first," Kotomi said, putting on her "big sister" face.
While she hadn't originally intended to get quite so many snacks, hearing that Aimi had waited in her room late into the night warmed her heart, and she decided to make tonight extra special.
Aimi's lingering grumpiness from her sister's absence vanished instantly as she thought of their movie plans.
With her sister in good spirits, Kotomi decided it was the perfect time to bring up her plans for later. "By the way, Aimi, I'll be heading out for a bit this morning. You can work on your assignments while I'm gone."
Hearing this, Aimi paused as she was changing clothes, and turned to look at her sister with a serious expression.
"Make sure you're back early. No letting any other girls make you forget about me!"
"I'm not that easily distracted by pretty faces," Kotomi laughed.
As Aimi headed downstairs to have breakfast, Kotomi glanced at her phone. She still had plenty of time before her meeting with Shiina-senpai.
Might as well take a shower—she'd gone straight to bed the night before without having one. She could wash her school uniform too, so it'd be fresh and ready for Monday.
In the bathroom, she tossed her uniform into the washer, then stepped into the shower and turned on the water.
To save time, she opted for a quick shower instead of her usual leisurely soak. As she rinsed the soap from her skin, she realized something important:
What on earth should she wear today?
It wasn't exactly a date, but she didn't want to be too casual about it either. Typically, on weekends she'd just throw on a pair of cropped pants and a loose, color-block tee, along with her favorite blue headphones. She'd pair this with short socks and some basic white sneakers—perfectly casual for a day out.
With her headphones on and music blasting, Kotomi found that any walk turned into her own little private escape. It felt odd if she went anywhere without them.
On weekends, unless something major came up, Kotomi preferred to stay home. The only things that could tempt her outside were a lack of snacks—leading to rock-paper-scissors battles with Aimi to decide who'd do a snack run—or the release of a new game, novel, or manga she was excited about.
For these outings, she never worried about her appearance. But today was different; she was meeting up with Shiina-senpai.
"It's so hard to decide… what kind of outfit should I wear to meet her?" Kotomi mused, turning off the water and holding her chin in exaggerated thought.
Just then, Kazumis voice chimed in playfully.
"How about I give you some fashion tips?"
"You can help me with picking an outfit?" Izumi Kotomi was surprised by Kazumi's unexpected offer.
"Of course! The system is always the most reliable assistant for its host! While you were fretting about it just now, I already picked the perfect outfit for you based on today's weather, location, and humidity."
"I didn't know you had such a convenient function. By the way, where'd you get the clothes from? Did you... conjure them?"
"As if! While it's true that the system has a small wardrobe selection, you haven't accumulated enough fame points to unlock them yet. So, I may have... quietly 'teleported' to your room and chosen the best pieces from your closet. I picked out everything, from head to toe. I even laid the clothes out on the rack just outside the shower, and I've set the shoes by the entryway."
Kazumi let out a sigh as if scolding her.
"You know, you have all these cute clothes in your closet, yet you're stressing over what to wear. It's clear your 'girl power' is seriously lacking! I'll just have to train you from now on."
"Wait—why does that sound so ominous? Are you the strange one here, or am I?"
"You, obviously."
After finishing her shower, Kotomi stepped out to find the clothes Kazumi had picked. Although Kazumi often played pranks and sometimes missed the mark as a system, Kotomi remembered that her outfits were always carefully coordinated.
"Alright, I'll trust your fashion sense this time."
Once dressed, Kotomi went to the entryway to put on the shoes Kazumi had picked out. As she slipped them on, she called out to her mom, "Mom, I'm heading out now!"
"Alright, take care! Wow~ You look so pretty! Are you sure you're not going on a date with your senpai?"
Seeing her daughter in her new outfit, Izumi Akina was taken aback. Kotomi's perfectly sculpted features, framed by soft, snowy white hair, delicate eyebrows, and her pink, vibrant eyes made her look almost like a living doll.
Kotomi's legs were elegantly accentuated by the white lace-trimmed ankle socks, and the dainty crisscross lacing on her mid-heeled shoes added a touch of innocence and charm.
While changing, Kotomi had checked her reflection and found herself remembering the video game avatars she'd customized in her past life. Every time she'd see her cute character on the screen, she'd think to herself, Wow, I'm adorable!
"This isn't a date! Mom, I'll be back, so no need to prepare lunch," she said, blushing as she glanced back at her mother before opening the door.
"Sweet! Guess I can order takeout for lunch, then!"
"I knew you didn't plan to cook!" Kotomi muttered.
After leaving the house, Kotomi jogged lightly toward the amusement park. It wasn't too close to her home, so the quickest way would've been a ten-minute taxi ride. However, the taxi fare was just a bit too pricey, so she decided to make it a run and call it exercise.
With the support of her Queen of All Females, Kotomi reached the halfway point with only her breathing slightly accelerated. Just one problem, though...
"Ugh… should've skipped the mid-heels. My feet are killing me!" Kotomi grimaced.
"How was I supposed to know you'd run there?! Couldn't you have just taken a cab?" Kazumi said in exasperation.
"As if that price tag didn't kill the whole vibe! Besides, I've got endurance, so I'll push through," Kotomi replied, steeling herself.
Finally nearing the amusement park, Kotomi ducked into a nearby shop to grab a bottle of cold water. The refreshing gulp of icy water washed away her fatigue instantly. If she hadn't just run all the way here, she could have sworn she'd just hopped out of a cab.
I can't believe this Queen of All Females recovery rate—too amazing!
Arriving just shy of ten, Kotomi quickly spotted Kasumigaoka-senpai waiting nearby.
"Senpai! Sorry to keep you waiting!" Kotomi called out, hurrying over.
"It's fine, our meeting time is still three minutes away. You're technically early," said Kasumigaoka with a gentle smile.
Seeing Kotomi's flustered expression as she rushed up, Kasumigaoka's lips curved into a smile.
She'd half expected Kotomi to be late, yet seeing her hurry over with such earnestness made her feel there was something surprisingly endearing about her kouhai (junior).
Anyone looking at Kotomi might think, If only she were my wife.
"Did you already buy the tickets?" Kotomi asked, glancing at the line stretching out from the ticket booths.
Being a Saturday, the ticket counter was swamped, with the line snaking far back, enough to make anyone dizzy.
The Chiba amusement park was known for its tropical themes and drew in crowds every holiday. Even with an all-access pass in hand, waiting times for rides could be daunting; thrill rides like roller coasters and free falls often had queues lasting hours.
Just then, the high point of the roller coaster track drew closer, and as it paused momentarily, the passengers shrieked as the car plummeted down the track. The sight made Kotomi's blood run cold.
She watched the spine-chilling roller coaster drop and the towering free-fall tower with increasing dread.
The back of her neck prickled. She didn't have the nerve to ride any of those attractions. Even one go on the free-fall tower might be enough to make her want to die, and another ride on the roller coaster would likely finish her off entirely.
Noticing Kotomi's horrified expression, Kasumigaoka twirled a strand of her dark hair and smiled.
"Oh, we're not going to the amusement park. We're going to the movies. A friend of mine is starring in a film that's just been released. And here's a fun fact—she's a fellow second-year at Sobu High School. Like me, she's technically also your senpai."
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