Chương 19: Yukino and the Dango
"It's her..."
Izumi Kotomi couldn't help but murmur, even though she had anticipated that she would eventually encounter Shizuka Hiratsuka after coming to Sobu High School.
However, not only would she be meeting her soon, but Shizuka Hiratsuka was also her homeroom teacher.
Could it be...
With that thought in mind, Kotomi looked back at the list of students in Class 1-F posted on the bulletin board, scanning from the top to the bottom. She found two more familiar names.
Yukinoshita Yukino, Yui Yuigahama.
Megumi Kato, Yukino, and Yui are all in my class. It seems like I'm enjoying some main character privileges when it comes to class assignments, Kotomi mused.
"Izumi-san, do you know Shizuka Hiratsuka-sensei?" Megumi Kato asked in her usual soft, gentle voice.
"No, I don't know her personally. I've just heard about her from some second-year students," Kotomi quickly came up with an excuse.
"What did you hear?"
"Just... that you should never mention topics like age or marriage in front of her."
That part was true.
"Why? Is Hiratsuka-sensei a bachelorette?" Megumi Kato asked with a serene smile, but her calm tone gave off a slightly mischievous vibe.
"Make sure you don't say that in front of her," Kotomi advised, concerned.
I wonder what it would be like if Megumi Kato had a showdown with Shizuka Hiratsuka...
No, I hope they never have any conflict at all.
"Since Izumi-san has warned me, I'll be careful," Megumi Kato replied with a faint smile and then pointed toward the entrance of the school building. "It looks like Class 1-F is on the third floor of the West Building. It's a bit of a walk from the main entrance. Shall we head over?"
"Let's go. It sounds like it's a bit far, and I don't want to still be on my way to class when it starts."
"Izumi-san seems very sensitive about being late. Were you a model student, like a class rep, back in middle school?" Megumi Kato inquired.
Kotomi could only give a wry smile. "No, it's just that I was late to school too many times before. Both in elementary and middle school, I was late on the first day. It's such an embarrassing history that I decided to break the habit now that I'm in high school. At least I want to be a somewhat reliable older sister in front of my little sister."
Hearing this, a fleeting, meaningful emotion passed through Megumi Kato's deep eyes, unnoticed by anyone. She smiled that reassuring smile of hers and, in her soft, emotionless voice, said:
"So Izumi-san is an older sister at home."
"Yeah, I have a sister who's in middle school. How about you, Kato-san?" Kotomi asked as they walked into the school building, changing into their indoor shoes by the shoe lockers and heading toward Class 1-F.
"I'm an only child. I'm a bit envious that Izumi-san has a sister. Let me guess, is your sister just as cute as you?" Megumi Kato said.
When it came to her sister's cuteness, Kotomi nodded confidently.
"That's right, my sister is incredibly cute. She's a treasure I'm proud of as her older sister!"
[Heh, sister complex.]
The God-Level Heroine System quipped mercilessly.
"Izumi-san seems like a good sister. Your sister must really like you, right?"
"Like me? I think so. We've always had a good relationship," Kotomi replied after thinking for a moment.
"If one day, the sister you adore suddenly has someone she likes, wouldn't that make you sad? You might even get angry," Megumi Kato said with an air of mystery.
"In those types of sisterly love stories in light novels and manga, that might be the case. But as for my sister, I'm sure she wouldn't have those kinds of feelings," Kotomi replied with confidence.
"Oh? Really? By the way, where does Izumi-san live?"
Does Megumi Kato's question about whether my sister would be angry if I had someone I liked have anything to do with where I live? Kotomi wondered, unable to see the connection between the two questions. She decided to treat Megumi Kato's question as a simple conversation starter.
"Sure, I live at..." Kotomi shared her home address with Megumi Kato.
After hearing Kotomi's address, Megumi Kato was surprised. "Oh... that means we live quite close to each other. Our routes to school and home are practically the same."
"Really?"
"Yes, my house is only about a ten-minute walk from yours. It'll be convenient," Megumi Kato said with what seemed like genuine happiness.
"Convenient?" Kotomi caught onto the word and asked in confusion.
"Yes. I was thinking that I could stop by your house every morning, and we could walk to school together. This way, Izumi-san, you might overcome your bad habit of being late. And if you'd like, we can also walk home together after school. Leave school together, go home together, and maybe sometimes go out after school," Megumi Kato suggested in her usual calm manner, as if they were simply discussing plans for the afternoon.
Without hesitation, Kotomi nodded. "Of course, I don't mind."
"Then let's start by walking home together today. Be sure to go to bed early tonight, Izumi-san. We'll be walking to school together tomorrow morning."
"I'll do my best..."
As they chatted, the two arrived at the door to Class 1-F.
The short time they spent together had already brought them closer.
Kotomi slid open the classroom door, where many students had already arrived early. A few boys were gathered, discussing video games, seemingly friends from before.
Kotomi chose a random seat by the window and near the back of the classroom, and Megumi Kato took the seat next to her.
The desks were arranged in pairs, and sitting together, Kotomi and Megumi Kato were now temporary desk mates.
Before the homeroom teacher assigned seats, students could sit wherever they liked. However, according to Sobu High School's usual practice, the first lesson was typically about going over class rules, followed by the teacher assigning seats to each student.
So even though Kotomi and Megumi Kato were sitting together now, they might be separated when the seats were reassigned.
Kotomi noticed Yukinoshita Yukino not far from her, sitting quietly in her chair with an air of cold elegance. Her dignified appearance was accentuated by the classical literature book she held.
Yukino's over-the-shoulder black hair, her fair and stunningly beautiful face that was almost unfair in its allure, and the cold expression she wore made people hesitant to approach her. Her translucent skin seemed to embody the "Yuki" (snow) in her name. Sobu High School's girls' uniform, paired with over-the-knee black stockings, showcased her youthful beauty perfectly.
Just like her older sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, she was a flawless beauty.
However, as Haruno had said, Yukino's personality was vastly different from hers—she was a true ice queen.
And sitting beside Yukinoshita Yukino was... a certain someone currently dozing off at her desk: Yui Yuigahama.
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