All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

Iroha Isshiki woke up early, pulling open the curtains to let the sunlight flood into her bedroom.

She couldn't quite remember what time she fell asleep last night. In any case, even as she drifted off, the sound of her parents arguing and her mother throwing things hadn't stopped.

Her mother's personality had worsened over the years, starting a few years ago. She was always cold and irritable, frequently picking fights and berating others. Iroha remembered a recent incident where she had spilled a bit of water while pouring a glass. Even though she quickly cleaned it up, her mother still chased after her, yelling.

Such a trivial matter, yet her mother scolded her for two full hours, pointing at her and accusing her of being inconsiderate, lazy, useless, and making her regret giving birth to her.

Iroha wondered if her mother was just pretending not to understand, using these minor issues as an excuse to vent her frustration. After all, it was always Iroha who cleaned up the shattered mess her mother left after an argument.

At first, being picked on like this had hurt Iroha. She wondered if she had done something wrong to upset her mother. But now, those feelings were gone. Every time her mother berated her or cursed the entire Isshiki family, Iroha let the words pass in one ear and out the other.

Still… her mother's face, in her eyes, was becoming more distorted and grotesque.

After changing into her outfit for the day, Iroha patted her cheeks lightly, forcing a smile as she pumped her fist in the air.

"Alright, cheer up! I'm going out with Senpai today to Fujisawa City. This is amazing! Hehe~ I wonder if this counts as our second date? Last time, we went out for sukiyaki; today, it's a trip to buy phones!"

She grabbed her phone and headed downstairs. As she descended the stairs, she carefully watched her footing. After all, her mother had smashed a vase last night, leaving wet spots and shards of glass on the floor.

At the entrance, her mother's shoes were nowhere to be seen—she had gone out again.

Iroha's cheerful expression instantly disappeared. She neither sighed nor complained, simply walking into the kitchen to fetch a broom. She swept up the glass shards on the floor and threw them into the trash.

As she passed the living room, she saw her father, Tetsunosuke Isshiki, lying on the sofa. His worn-out appearance reminded her of an old tree slowly withering away. He was still wearing his office suit jacket, having evidently not changed out of it last night.

She wasn't sure if he was asleep, but as she approached to cover him with a blanket, her father opened his eyes and struggled to sit up.

Still hungover from last night's drinking session with clients, Tetsunosuke's head was heavy and dizzy. Seeing Iroha approach, he mustered a smile and spoke in a guilty tone.

"Good morning, Iroha. Last night… Did your mom and I disturb you?"

"No. Did something happen last night?" Iroha pretended not to know, pouring a glass of warm water and placing it on the coffee table for him.

"Thank you," Tetsunosuke said, nodding. After gulping down a large portion of the water, he seemed to recover slightly from his headache. He continued, "Nothing much. Your mom and I were just discussing some things. Sorry if we were a bit loud. I'm glad we didn't disturb your rest."

"Dad, did you come home late again last night?"

"Yes, you know how it is. My department's main job is entertaining clients and accompanying the boss to meet them. Haha… Don't worry about me, though. I may look like this, but I can handle my liquor better than any of them!"

Tetsunosuke tried to keep the conversation light, not wanting to burden his daughter with the tension in their home. He could tell Iroha was downplaying the noise for his sake.

"By the way, Iroha, are you heading out today?"

"Yeah, I'm going with a friend to buy a new phone in Fujisawa City." She held up her current phone and waved it. "It's way too old. The battery doesn't last at all anymore."

"Oh, I see! This phone… When did we get it for you?" Tetsunosuke racked his brain, trying to recall.

"Five years ago."

"That's right, five years ago. You scored so well on your finals that I got you this smartphone as a reward. I can't believe it's already been five years," Tetsunosuke said wistfully. The tension from last night's argument with his wife seemed to ease a bit.

Realizing his daughter was going out with friends, Tetsunosuke reached into the worn leather wallet he'd been using for years and pulled out 17,000 yen.

"Will you have enough for the phone? If not, take this."

"No, I don't need it! Carrying this much cash would just make me anxious." Iroha quickly shook her head. "I've been saving up. I think I'll have enough."

"Take it, anyway. Think of it as your pocket money. If you're going out with friends, you'll need to eat lunch, right? You can't let them treat you, can you? Besides, you're going all the way to Fujisawa City—you'll need money for train fare…"

"Once you get there, you'll definitely want to walk around a bit, right? Just bringing enough for the phone won't cut it," Tetsunosuke Isshiki said with a smile.

He wasn't surprised that Iroha wanted to travel all the way to Fujisawa City to buy a phone. After all, she had likely overheard last night's argument and the sound of things breaking. Surely, she would want to take advantage of Saturday to get out of the house and clear her mind.

"But…" Iroha hesitated.

"Iroha," Tetsunosuke said seriously, "I work hard to earn money for one purpose—to make sure our family can live a good life. But now…"

He glanced at the shattered remains of objects his wife had thrown during their argument last night. A thousand words condensed into a single, helpless sigh.

Iroha silently accepted the money, carefully tucking it into her pocket. She hesitated for a moment before looking at her father and speaking softly:

"Dad… Mom has been going out a lot recently…"

Before she could finish, Tetsunosuke waved his hand dismissively. He reached for a cigarette but stopped himself, knowing he shouldn't smoke in front of his daughter. Putting the pack back down, he forced a bitter smile.

"Iroha, everything you're about to say—I already know. Don't worry about it. These are adult problems. Go have fun with your friend. And study hard too; your high school entrance exams are coming up next year."

Iroha nodded and left him with a final statement:

"Dad, even if you and Mom end up divorcing, I won't be mad at you. I'll still be Iroha Isshiki!"

Tetsunosuke froze for a moment, then after a long pause, he finally said: "Silly child. She's still your mother… Haha! Don't overthink it. Go have fun with your friend. And remember, you can always call me if anything happens."

"Okay."

"Also, wear an extra coat—it's cold out today," he reminded her.

"Got it. Bye, Dad!" Iroha laughed and left the house, heading for the train station.

Iroha arrived at the station half an hour early. She wanted to leave the stifling atmosphere of her home as soon as possible and, more importantly, she was eager to see Kotomi Izumi.

When the clock struck the appointed time, Kotomi arrived.

She was dressed simply in a white long-sleeved shirt layered under a fitted, short black trench coat, paired with a skirt and sheer black tights that accentuated her slender, shapely legs. Her face was delicately made up with a touch of makeup. Wearing light blue in-ear headphones and walking with her hands tucked into her coat pockets, Kotomi's presence was like a siren's call—drawing the gaze of everyone around her.

More than a few passersby had turned their heads to look at her as she walked.

"You're early," Kotomi said with a warm smile, taking off her headphones when she spotted Iroha.

"Hehe, I wanted to see you sooner, Senpai! Do you know what thought popped into my head the moment I saw you?"

"What thought?" Kotomi asked curiously.

"I absolutely need to buy a phone with a good camera! Senpai, you were so stunning just now as you walked over. I'm regretting not taking a picture immediately!"

"Want me to walk back over there and come toward you again?" Kotomi joked playfully.

Before Kotomi could finish her sentence, Iroha grabbed onto her arm with a happy smile.

"Hmph, let's just head out now. If you walked over again, you'd probably steal everyone's attention all over again. Ugh, seriously, Senpai, just a touch of makeup and you're practically a lethal weapon! I can already imagine how many people are jealous that I get to hold your arm right now."

"What can I say? My beauty and talent outshine the sun and humble the moon," Kotomi said dramatically, flipping her hair like a proud swan.

"By the way, Senpai, does Aimi know you're coming to Fujisawa with me?"

"Oh no, I forgot to tell her. But even if I had, she probably wouldn't have come along—she's stuck at home doing homework."

"Hehehe~ Hearing that makes me feel even more excited," Iroha said with a mischievous grin.

"Excited?"

"Nothing, it's just… I'm suddenly really glad I finished my homework before school ended on Friday. Once we're back from buying the phone, I'm definitely going to text Aimi and gloat a little. Don't worry—I won't mention you."

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