Free Web NovelKotomi Izumi did not immediately do as she was told. Instead, she glanced at Ayani Kika somewhat strangely and asked curiously,
"Actually, there's something else I'm curious about. Why is it that every time you're about to tell me something, you insist on making me lean my ear closer? At noon, I could understand it because we were in a restaurant. There were customers around, it was noisy, and maybe I wouldn't hear clearly unless I got closer. But right now, it's just the two of us at home, so why do you still want me to lean over?"
Faced with Kotomi Izumi's question, Ayani Kika merely chuckled softly and asked with a faint smile,
"Then counting this one, that makes two questions total. Come closer, and I'll tell you."
"It just feels kind of weird..." Kotomi muttered quietly as she leaned forward.
Just as she was about to get close enough, Ayani Kika suddenly reached out as though she could no longer wait. Wrapping both arms around Kotomi's neck, she forcefully pulled her into her embrace without giving her even the slightest chance to react, then kissed her lips.
Unlike the gentle kisses before, this one carried a fierce aggressiveness, as though she were punishing Kotomi, questioning why she insisted on leaving tonight.
The kiss lasted for a very, very long time.
By the time it finally ended, the light in Kotomi Izumi's beautiful eyes had already become dazed and unfocused.
Only then did Ayani Kika finally release her with satisfaction, letting Kotomi lean against her shoulder while panting softly, trying to recover and catch her breath.
A farewell kiss should have been tender and sweet.
But Ayani Kika had deliberately chosen a rough and forceful way to deliver it.
It was as though she were silently protesting Kotomi's decision to leave tonight.
At the same time, it also seemed to say: Even if you insist on leaving tonight, before you go, I'm still going to viciously take another bite out of you!
At this moment, Ayani Kika's thoughts were practically written all over her face. With one glance, Kotomi understood most of it naturally, yet she chose not to respond. Instead, she simply smiled helplessly.
After all, she had already made herself very clear. If she could have stayed, she would not have chosen to leave tonight either.
Once Ayani Kika saw that Kotomi had mostly recovered, she chuckled softly. While stroking Kotomi's cheek, she smiled and explained,
"The reason I knew you'd only just woken up recently was because when I met you at noon, I noticed a small strand of your hair sticking up slightly. One look and it was obvious you'd just gotten out of bed.
"As for why I knew you'd go to the tempura restaurant first... honestly, I was gambling a little.
"I figured that with your personality, if I didn't personally bring you inside, there was no way you'd dare walk straight into Gion's hanamachi alone in broad daylight. You'd definitely wander around nearby for a while first, or sit in some nearby shop to calm yourself down.
"And with your personality, if you were choosing a place to sit, you'd definitely prioritize a restaurant.
"Even though there are a lot of shops around Gion, the closest restaurant nearby just happened to be that tempura place. Plus, you mentioned before that you really like tempura. So I took a gamble to see whether you'd walk into the tempura shop first.
"I just didn't expect I'd actually guess correctly."
At that point, Ayani Kika added another sentence.
"Though I guess it wasn't really much of a gamble. Even if you hadn't gone into the tempura shop, I would've just called you and said, 'The meeting place has changed from the okiya to the tempura restaurant.'"
After hearing the explanation, Kotomi's cheeks flushed red. Sounding both embarrassed and a little unconvinced, she said,
"I thought you had mind-reading powers or something. Tch, so that's how you figured it out. Your observations are seriously detailed. I was even trying to act a little cooler in front of you so you wouldn't think I'm such a glutton."
Hearing that, Ayani Kika burst into laughter.
"You silly girl. How could mind-reading powers possibly exist in this world? What do you take me for, some kind of monster?"
"Mhm. I actually do think you're a monster." Kotomi nodded and honestly voiced her thoughts.
Because Kotomi was currently leaning against Ayani Kika's chest, she failed to notice how Ayani Kika's expression suddenly stiffened for a brief instant after hearing that.
Meanwhile, Kotomi continued speaking to herself,
"You're a heart-bewitching monster. You've completely charmed my heart and soul."
Only after hearing that explanation did Ayani Kika quietly let out a small sigh of relief. Looks like she had overthought things just now.
She rubbed her cheek against Kotomi's and smiled.
"That's right~ I'm a monster that bewitches hearts. Not only do I want to enchant your heart, I'm also a man-eating monster! I'm going to eat you bite by bite! Let me think... half of you can be pan-fried, half braised, the leftovers stir-fried, and whatever's still left can go into soup."
Ayani Kika muttered to herself while carefully arranging the menu, making sure not to waste a single piece of meat.
Listening to her, Kotomi actually started feeling a little hungry.
The moment she realized she was feeling hungry, she hurriedly shivered, then half-jokingly asked,
"Do you happen to know Ken Kaneki and Touka Kirishima?"
Ayani Kika thought Kotomi was genuinely asking about two people. Slightly furrowing her delicate brows, she began seriously searching through her memories.
After thinking for quite a while, however, she still could not remember anyone by those names. In the end, she could only apologize somewhat regretfully,
"Sorry. Their names sound very nice, but I honestly don't know them. Though if you really want to find them, I do have a certain amount of connections within Gion's hanamachi. I could help you ask around.
"But trying to find two people in a crowd is basically like searching for needles in the ocean, so it might be difficult."
Seeing Ayani Kika take her seriously, Kotomi hurriedly explained,
"Ahaha, if anyone should apologize, it should be me. Those two are actually the male and female leads from a manga. I was just joking around when I asked you."
After hearing that, Ayani Kika froze briefly.
A moment later, she opened her mouth again and viciously bit Kotomi's cheek. Acting deliberately fierce as though trying to scare her, she declared,
"I've changed my mind. I don't want to eat you bite by bite anymore."
"Then how do you want to eat me?"
Kotomi asked with a cheerful grin.
After all, she thought they were just teasing each other. It wasn't like Ayani Kika could actually transform into a monster and swallow her whole in the next second.
"I want to swallow you in a single bite, then run away with you to the ends of the earth. Somewhere nobody will ever find us."
Ayani Kika spoke viciously.
The expression on her face was unbelievably serious, causing Kotomi Izumi to momentarily fall into a strange feeling—Ayani Kika actually meant those words.
Only after a while did Kotomi finally recover from that sensation.
She did not think too much of it, figuring Ayani Kika's expression and tone had simply been too realistic just now, making her accidentally believe it for a second.
"Congratulations. What you said just now actually made me believe you for a moment. I didn't expect your acting talent to be this good."
Kotomi Izumi could not help praising Ayani Kika a little. Kotomi had always considered herself quite skilled when it came to acting, but today she had finally witnessed what it meant for there to always be someone better.
Hearing Kotomi's praise, however, the expression on Ayani Kika's face looked strangely unhappy, as though Kotomi's compliment had accidentally touched upon some past memory hidden deep within her heart.
A trace of complicated emotion flickered through Ayani Kika's eyes.
Then she smiled softly and said meaningfully,
"Mhm, that's right. My acting really is pretty good. Very good..."
After saying that, Ayani Kika did not continue the topic. Instead, she lowered her head and kissed Kotomi's lips once more.
Kotomi Izumi honestly had no idea why Ayani Kika liked kissing her so much. Was it because she looked cute?
But... since she enjoyed it too, she decided to simply let Ayani Kika keep kissing her.
Only after the kiss ended did Ayani Kika continue,
"Now do you understand why I always insist on making you bring your little ear closer whenever I'm about to tell you something?"
Kotomi froze for a moment.
Then, after thinking about it briefly, she instantly understood.
The moment realization dawned on her, her cheeks rapidly flushed red at a speed visible to the naked eye. Embarrassed beyond belief, she exclaimed,
"So that's why you always insist on making me come closer! You say it's because you want me to bring my ear closer, but really you just want me to bring my face close enough for you to kiss!"
"Smart girl!"
Ayani Kika nodded approvingly.
Seeing Kotomi understand immediately with just a little hint made her extremely satisfied.
"This is the one thing I absolutely don't want to be praised by you for..."
Kotomi muttered with a red face.
Even though she was a little scumbag girl, she still became incredibly shy whenever she got embarrassed.
After cuddling and kissing in Ayani Kika's arms for a little while longer, Kotomi firmly reminded herself inwardly that she still had something extremely important to deal with tonight.
She absolutely could not keep drowning in this gentle paradise.
Thinking that, Kotomi decisively stood up and said to Ayani Kika,
"I really have to go now. No matter what, I can't stay the night tonight."
After speaking righteously at first, her tone softened once more.
She gently covered Ayani Kika's hands with both of her own, wrapping them inside her palms as she said softly,
"I don't think it'll be very long before we see each other again. After I go back, I'll find a chance to come to Kyoto alone.
"And when that time comes, I can stay happily at your house for a few days."
"To prepare for us living together in the future?"
Ayani Kika asked with a smile.
The question instantly left Kotomi speechless. She stammered awkwardly for a long time without knowing how to answer.
"Th-That..."
"Haha, I'm teasing you. Just look how young you are, already thinking about living together with big sister here. Pretty ambitious, aren't you, little girl~" Ayani Kika teased.
The moment she was called a little girl, Kotomi reacted like a tiny kitten getting its fur puffed up. Full of momentum, she protested,
"I'm not little at all!"
"Mhm. After personally confirming it myself, I completely agree with that statement."
Ayani Kika spoke meaningfully.
As she said that, her gaze deliberately drifted toward a very specific destination.
Kotomi Izumi was not some clueless innocent girl. Naturally, she instantly understood both the meaning behind Ayani Kika's words and exactly where that gaze had landed.
Blushing furiously, she shot Ayani Kika a shy glare.
At the same time, she realized that if she stayed any longer, Ayani Kika would probably tease her until her face turned even redder.
Of the thirty-six stratagems, retreat was the best option.
Kotomi quickly turned around and declared,
"I'm leaving now. Go get some rest early."
"I'll walk you out."
As she spoke, Ayani Kika stood up from beneath the blankets and picked up the red kimono that had been tossed aside earlier.
"There's no need to trouble yourself. It's cold outside, and you're only wearing a kimono. It'd be bad if you caught a cold," Kotomi hurriedly said.
"What if I told you I'm not afraid of the cold? Would you believe me?"
Ayani Kika asked with a smiling expression, as though the sentence carried some hidden meaning.
Kotomi blanked for a moment before shaking her head.
"What nonsense are you saying? How could anyone not be afraid of the cold? Be good and don't come out to see me off. I'm not a child anymore. Walking alone at night isn't a big deal."
Seeing that she could not persuade Kotomi otherwise, Ayani Kika could only nod and casually say,
"Alright then. I'll at least walk you to the entrance.
"Send me a message after you get home. Don't decide not to just because you think I'll already be asleep.
"If I wake up tomorrow and don't see a message from you, then I'll tell your other girlfriends every single detail about everything that happened between us from this afternoon until now. Not a single detail left out."
Can you not say something this terrifying in such a casual tone... Kotomi thought helplessly.
Out loud, however, she obediently replied,
"Mhm, okay. But you should still put your phone on silent mode. Otherwise you might be about to fall asleep and then get woken up by my message."
"Don't worry. My phone's always set to silent mode," Ayani Kika replied with a smile.
Kotomi silently memorized that information.
After casually putting on her red kimono, Ayani Kika accompanied Kotomi to the entrance.
Once Kotomi finished putting on her shoes, she stood up.
At that moment, Ayani Kika reached out and gently smoothed down her collar. Only after fixing it neatly did she smile and say,
"You should pay more attention to your clothes.
"If your girlfriends ever discover that you're juggling several relationships at once, there's a good chance the problem will start with your clothing."
"No way." Kotomi laughed awkwardly.
Of course, she was only pretending to be calm. In reality, she had already firmly memorized Ayani Kika's warning.
Looks like every time I finish being affectionate with a girl, I need to carefully check myself in the mirror while getting dressed... and maybe even think of ways to disguise things better...
Kotomi silently warned herself inwardly.
"Then I'm heading out. Bye-bye."
After opening the door, Kotomi turned back and spoke to Ayani Kika.
"The key I gave you... you're carrying it properly, right?" Ayani Kika asked.
"I am. Don't worry."
Kotomi patted the right pocket of her coat, causing the key inside to jingle softly.
"Good." Ayani Kika nodded in satisfaction.
Kotomi Izumi closed the door behind her and left.
In an instant, the modestly sized home once again became a place occupied only by Ayani Kika alone.
Ayani Kika stood quietly at the entrance for a while.
The smile on her face gradually faded, and the complicated emotions in her eyes slowly deepened into something heavy and solemn.
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