Capítulo 79: Toward Aimi, First Courtesy, Then Force
"Make sure to prepare a proper return gift for Kato Megumi," Izumi Akina reminded Kotomi as she headed upstairs.
"Got it!" Kotomi replied before making her way to her room to finish the homework she had neglected.
Luckily, being in her first year of high school meant that her weekend assignments weren't too overwhelming. If she focused, she should be able to finish them relatively quickly.
As Kotomi approached her bedroom door, she heard faint voices coming from inside. She suddenly remembered her mom mentioning earlier that Aimi's friend had come over and would be staying for dinner.
Judging by the voices, it sounded like a cute girl.
But why were they in her room?
Pushing the door open, Kotomi entered and saw Aimi sitting at her desk, apparently working on something, with another girl standing beside her, seemingly offering guidance.
When Kotomi got a good look at the girl, she recognized her, even though they had never met before. The girl was none other than the devilish kouhai, the notorious hairpin enthusiast—Iroha Isshiki!
Kotomi knew that Aimi and Iroha were friends from the same school, but she hadn't expected that it was Iroha who had come over today.
"Oh, it's Aimi's Onee-san! Hello, Izumi-senpai," Iroha greeted cheerfully upon noticing Kotomi enter. Her smile was irresistibly cute.
"Hi," Kotomi responded with a polite smile.
"Onee-chan, you're finally back? Hmph, off having fun in Tokyo and forgetting all about us at home, huh?" Aimi pouted slightly, clearly harboring some playful resentment. It was clear she was sulking a bit.
Her expression revealed a mix of happiness at seeing her sister and a touch of annoyance.
"Sorry, sorry. I missed the last train home last night. My bad~" Kotomi responded, knowing that sometimes it was best to apologize first when Aimi was upset, saving any explanations for later. This tactic usually worked like a charm.
As she approached Aimi, she glanced down at the desk and realized that Aimi had been working on something. Upon closer inspection, Kotomi noticed that Aimi was writing in a notebook. But the work didn't look like middle school level; it seemed more like high school homework.
"Wait... Aimi... you didn't..." Kotomi's mind raced as she put two and two together.
Aimi put down her pen after finishing the last sentence, then pointed proudly at the pile of completed homework and said, "I felt bad for you, so I went ahead and finished your homework. If you want to thank me, treat me to caramel orange pudding."
"Thank you, my precious little sister!" Kotomi squealed in delight, immediately hugging Aimi tightly, rubbing her soft cheeks against Aimi's in a show of affection. Her voice was filled with excitement and joy.
Kotomi had been dreading the unfinished homework, but Aimi had already taken care of it! What an amazing little sister—so considerate!
Yes! Homework done!
Kotomi picked up one of the notebooks and flipped through it, amazed by how accurate Aimi's work was. The handwriting even resembled Kotomi's, close enough that no teacher would be suspicious.
An idea suddenly formed in Kotomi's mind—maybe she could always have Aimi do her homework from now on?
"You're amazing, Aimi! You can even do high school-level work," Kotomi praised, flipping through the completed assignments with increasing excitement.
With Aimi's academic abilities, there was no need to worry about her getting into Sobu High School. In fact, with her current skill level, Aimi could probably get into any top high school in Tokyo with ease if she wanted to.
"It's not just me. I had some help from Iroha," Aimi admitted shyly. "There were some problems I wasn't sure about, and she helped me out."
Kotomi chuckled at Aimi's humble response. Even though Aimi was naturally capable and strong-willed, she wasn't above seeking help when necessary. "Thanks, Iroha. You're amazing too!"
"Make sure to praise me properly, Senpai," Iroha chimed in with a mischievous grin.
"Thank you, Isshiki-san," Kotomi said before pausing, unable to contain her curiosity. "But, uh, why have you been calling me 'Senpai' since earlier? We've never met before, right?"
Iroha's smile widened as she replied confidently, "Because I'm planning to attend Sobu High School, and I'm absolutely going to get in. Once I do, Izumi-senpai, you'll be my upperclassman!"
That made sense. Still, Kotomi found it amusing that Iroha was already calling her "Senpai," even before they had officially met as schoolmates.
But Kotomi couldn't help but notice that both Aimi and Iroha seemed to have the same goal of attending Sobu High School.
"That's great! Keep up the good work, and make sure you study hard during your final year of middle school. Sobu High School may not be as rigorous as some top-tier schools, but it's still no walk in the park to get in," Kotomi encouraged, nodding approvingly.
"I understand! So... can I start calling you Senpai from now on, Kotomi-nee?" Iroha asked cheekily, before turning to Aimi with a teasing glint in her eyes. "If I start calling your sister 'Kotomi-nee,' Aimi, you might get jealous~"
"Stop teasing me, Iroha!" Aimi blurted out, blushing with embarrassment.
Despite her usually strong and confident demeanor, especially around Kotomi, Aimi showed a more reserved and shy side when interacting with friends like Iroha.
"Hehe, just kidding~" Iroha giggled playfully.
With her homework already finished thanks to Aimi, Kotomi happily packed everything into her school bag, her heart brimming with joy. Tonight, I'll finally have time to play games!
On a normal day, Kotomi would have changed into her penguin pajamas, leapt onto her bed, and lazed about, rolling around on the soft mattress. Sometimes, she'd even invite Aimi to join in the fun.
But since Iroha was present, Kotomi decided to refrain from doing anything too embarrassing in front of a guest.
It was then that Iroha pointed at the black tablet sitting on Kotomi's desk and asked curiously, "Senpai, what's this black tablet for?"
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