All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

Looking left and right, there was still no sign of Megumi.

"Could it be that I came out too early today?"

Kotomi pulled out her phone, feeling puzzled. She had left the house at her usual time. Normally, as soon as she stepped out, she would see Megumi Kato waiting for her under the streetlight. But today, Megumi was nowhere to be seen.

Kotomi walked to the streetlight and looked up, just in case. No, Megumi wasn't sitting atop the streetlight with her arms crossed either.

So, where could she be?

With a face full of confusion, Kotomi stood in place for ten minutes. Instead of waiting for Megumi, she ended up attracting a group of stray cats that surrounded her feet, occasionally nuzzling her ankles affectionately.

Ah, they've come looking for food.

Kotomi patted her pockets. As expected, she hadn't brought any snacks with her today. Lately, Megumi had been the one carrying snacks to feed the cats, a habit Kotomi had unintentionally grown used to.

But when Kotomi saw the hopeful eyes of the cats, she couldn't resist squatting down and beckoning to the chubbiest orange tabby.

The orange tabby lifted its tail high and sauntered over. After giving it a thorough petting, Kotomi reached into her pocket and pretended to pull something out, pinching her fingers together as if holding a treat.

Holding her fingers near the tabby's mouth, she mimed feeding it. The cat, used to this routine, opened its mouth happily, expecting a piece of jerky.

It chewed with gusto, savoring the imaginary treat, before suddenly realizing—there was no flavor.

It chewed again. Nothing.

That was when the tabby had a revelation: its natural enemy wasn't a dog—it was a human.

Having fooled the rest of the cats in the same way, Kotomi dashed off with the speed of someone fleeing a crime scene, leaving a group of bewildered felines behind, wondering why today's "treats" were tasteless and intangible.

At Sobu High School, Class 1-F

Kotomi thought Megumi might have come to school early, so she hurried to the classroom. But when she arrived and glanced at their shared desk, Megumi wasn't there.

Her heart felt a little empty, but she quickly brushed it off, taking her seat instead.

Maybe Megumi had overslept today.

"When she gets here, I'm definitely going to tease her about it!" Kotomi clenched her small fists, silently hyping herself up.

"Good morning, Kotomi!" Yui Yuigahama greeted her cheerfully.

"Morning," Kotomi replied.

As more students entered the classroom, many greeted Kotomi warmly, marveling at her early arrival.

"So early and already studying… No wonder she's Tokyo's top scorer. I get it now. Hard work really is the key to success!"

Ten minutes later: Playing on my phone feels so good.

Kotomi ignored their inner turmoil. Her thoughts were solely on Megumi. Every few minutes, she would glance at the empty desk beside her or the doorway, each time feeling a small pang of disappointment.

Sitting at the desk in front, Yukino Yukinoshita noticed Kotomi's restlessness. Setting down her book, she turned to ask, "Kotomi, is something wrong? You've been fidgeting for a while now."

Kotomi didn't answer, but Yui's eyes lit up. She had read similar scenarios in certain "special" stories online.

Was this the plot of a secret relationship?

Her imagination was already running wild. While others may have written books from their inspirations, Yui's thoughts were more vivid. If only she could draw, she thought wistfully, she'd create a full-color manga and print a copy for herself—and one for Kotomi.

Then she realized something.

Wait, Mom can draw… Maybe I can ask her?

No, no! That's insane. Mom would never agree! She'd probably scold me!

Yui promptly discarded the idea, returning her attention to cramming vocabulary for the English quiz in the first period.

Meanwhile, Yukino persisted. "Kotomi, is something bothering you?"

Kotomi hesitated for a moment but admitted her concern.

"Megumi hasn't come to school yet…"

"Maybe she had to take the day off," Yukino suggested calmly. "You can ask Shizuka Hiratsuka-sensei later. She might know if Megumi is absent or late for some reason."

"That's true," Kotomi nodded, deciding to wait until she saw their teacher to casually inquire.

Watching how concerned Kotomi seemed, Yukino hesitated briefly before asking, "Kotomi… I've noticed that you and Megumi seem… very close."

Sitting a few rows back, Mashiro Shiina perked up her ears at those words.

"C-close?" Kotomi's heart skipped a beat as she stammered a response.

"Yes, very close. Sometimes after school, I see the two of you holding hands as you walk home. Or you'll be clinging to her arm… It's not exactly normal for just friends."

Yukino's sharp gaze locked onto Kotomi, her usually composed demeanor showing an uncharacteristic intensity. Her tone, though calm, carried a cutting precision.

Kotomi felt as if Yukino's gaze could pierce through her. Did Yukino train hawks in her childhood? she wondered absurdly.

Faced with the question, Kotomi hesitated before nodding, as if admitting to something.

Seeing Kotomi nod, Yukino Yukinoshita's gaze wavered slightly, and a thought she didn't dare delve into rose in her heart. Could it be that Kotomi and Megumi were… that kind of relationship?!

Just as Yukino bit her lip, unsure how to continue asking, Kotomi cheerfully spoke up:

"Of course Megumi and I are close! We're good friends, after all. Just like I'm good friends with Yui, with Mashiro, and Yukino, with you."

Hearing this, Yukino breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She had indeed been overthinking it. So, when Kotomi admitted to being "close," she meant it as friends.

For a moment, Yukino had wondered if Kotomi and Megumi were dating… The mere thought had left her both startled and—for reasons she didn't fully understand—vaguely jealous.

I've completely misunderstood. It's better not to mention this, or it could create distance between us. Yukino resolved to keep her thoughts to herself, knowing when to hold her tongue in social matters.

Everyone has an internal measure of propriety; some things are best left unsaid.

"Exactly! We're all good friends!" Yui Yuigahama chirped, blissfully unaware, elated that Kotomi had likened her closeness with Megumi to her own.

The bell for the first period rang, and the English teacher entered the classroom. True to her word from yesterday, she began with a vocabulary test.

Yui broke out into a cold sweat as she tore a half-sheet from her notebook for the test. At least she had crammed the vocabulary from Unit 2 during the break before class.

She grinned confidently to herself.

I've got this! I'm unstoppable!

The teacher, flipping through her lesson plan, announced, "Alright, everyone, put away your textbooks. As mentioned yesterday, we'll begin with a vocabulary test on Unit 4."

What?!

Yui froze, her grin replaced by a look of utter despair.

Standing at the podium, the teacher dealt a finishing blow. "If you miss more than three words, you'll need to rewrite each incorrect one ten times along with its translation. The retest is by the second period after school. Failure to pass means you can't go home."

Yui sat as still as a statue, her mind a blank slate of shock. Unit 4? She hadn't studied a single word from it!

Wait a minute… Oh no, I misremembered! The teacher did say Unit 4 yesterday!

I'm doomed.

Meanwhile, Kotomi calmly picked up her pen, ready to write the dictated vocabulary words.

Suddenly, she felt an intense gaze.

A bead of sweat rolled down Kotomi's forehead.

That gaze… It had to be…

She looked up and met Yui's tear-filled eyes, brimming with a silent plea for help. Her expression practically screamed: Save me, Kotomi!

Sighing inwardly, Kotomi gave her a quick nod and gestured an "OK" with her fingers. They would use their usual method.

Tearing off another half-sheet of paper, Kotomi wrote Yui's name at the top. She would write the answers for both of them.

Her practiced ease and ability to adapt to unexpected tests were all skills honed during her second life.

Thanks to Kotomi, Yui scraped through the vocabulary test unscathed. She would have dropped to her knees in gratitude if not for the classroom full of people.

Wait… Kotomi's… loyal dog?

Yui's thoughts spiraled into a daydream, a dazed smile spreading across her face.

By the time English class ended, Megumi was still nowhere to be seen. Kotomi couldn't help but wonder if Megumi had taken the day off.

Although Megumi had tirelessly taken care of Kotomi the day before, Kotomi had been the one to keep pushing for more. She remembered how Megumi, despite her smiling facade, had shown hints of exhaustion.

Could it be… Did I exhaust Megumi so much she had to take the day off?

The thought made Kotomi's face flush.

If that's true, then I was way too much! I can't believe I…!

Shaking her head to dismiss her embarrassment, she reasoned that Megumi must have had something else to attend to. Perhaps she had called in sick. Kotomi decided she would casually ask Shizuka-sensei later.

However, by lunchtime, Kotomi realized they hadn't had a single language class that morning, leaving her no chance to ask the teacher.

Meanwhile, in the faculty office, Shizuka Hiratsuka and Chihiro Sengoku were preparing to head out for their usual midday meal.

Shizuka, more self-controlled of the two, ensured she drank sparingly, knowing she had afternoon classes. Chihiro, who rarely taught her art classes, indulged freely, often leaving their outings tipsy.

This often drove the school's stern, no-nonsense headmistress, Ms. Funai Hatake, to despair. A veteran disciplinarian nearing retirement, she often found herself at wit's end dealing with Chihiro's antics.

Their dynamic had a long history—Funai had been Chihiro's headmistress in high school. Back then, Chihiro was already a troublemaker, frequently landing in her office. After all these years, their roles had only slightly shifted.

Whenever Chihiro reflected on this, she couldn't help but chuckle. "What a fated relationship," she'd mutter sarcastically.

Kotomi arrived at the faculty office just in time, catching Shizuka before she left.

"Shizuka-sensei," she called out, stopping the teacher in her tracks.

Shizuka was surprised to see Kotomi. A top student like her rarely visited the office unless absolutely necessary.

"Something on your mind, Kotomi?" Shizuka asked, her tone unusually gentle.

"Um, I just wanted to ask… Did Megumi take the day off today?"

Shizuka blinked in mild surprise but checked her phone. "Ah, yes. She called this morning to say she wasn't feeling well and would be taking the day off. Sounded like a sore throat, so I approved her leave."

Kotomi's heart tightened with concern. She thanked Shizuka and left quickly, intending to visit Megumi after school.

Once Kotomi was out of earshot, Chihiro sidled up to Shizuka, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Kotomi and Megumi, huh? Those two seem really close. Like a couple glued together. Just kidding!"

"Do they?" Shizuka shrugged. "I think Kotomi's like that with all the girls."

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