All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

After going downstairs, Aimi informed her mother:

"Mom, you should call in for my sister and let them know she won't be at school today. She's caught a cold and has a fever—38.5°C."

Hearing this, Akina, who was sipping her coffee, was taken aback. After all, it was rare for Kotomi to catch a cold. She couldn't even recall the last time her daughter fell ill.

"She's actually sick? Well, I guess there's no way she'll be able to eat the pan-fried dumplings for breakfast today. I'll make her a bowl of minced meat and egg congee later." Akina stood up and headed toward the kitchen. "I'll also call her homeroom teacher, Ms. Hiratsuka, to notify her. Aimi, you'd better hurry to school now."

"Got it," Aimi nodded. With her mom staying home to take care of her sister, there wasn't much for her to worry about. After slipping on her shoes and grabbing her schoolbag, she pushed open the door to head out.

As soon as she stepped outside, she froze in place. Her face quickly soured, and a string of curses ran through her mind: Damn it! Why do I have to see her the second I step out of the house?!

And there stood Megumi Kato, waiting by the streetlamp as always for Kotomi, so they could walk to school together.

Today, however, the wait seemed unusually long.

Megumi glanced at her phone to check the time. It was getting late. Where was Kotomi? Was she inside having a feast of steamed lamb, steamed bear paws, steamed deer tails, roasted duck, roasted chicken, and roasted goose?

"Maybe I should go check," Megumi muttered to herself, deciding to knock on the Izumi family's door to see what was going on.

But just as she took a step forward, she noticed someone emerging—Kotomi's little sister, Izumi Aimi, wearing a distinctively sour expression.

Unfazed by the younger girl's hostile demeanor, Megumi broke into a gentle yet subtly assertive smile as she approached.

"Good morning, little sister Aimi~"

The way she emphasized little sister made her intent clear—it was a reminder of the familial hierarchy, her subtle way of asserting dominance.

Aimi felt her temper flare. This woman is pure evil!

Her sister absolutely had to be protected from such a dangerous predator. If Kotomi got too close to Megumi, this manipulative woman would surely chew her up and spit her out!

Clenching her fists tightly, Aimi raised her chin defiantly and faced Megumi with the determination of a warrior standing guard at the gates.

"Seeing you ruins my day."

Megumi chuckled softly, entirely unbothered by Aimi's glare or sharp words.

"Is that so? Well, I think it's the opposite for Kotomi. Her day only gets better when she sees me."

As she spoke, Megumi deliberately straightened her posture to emphasize her height advantage over Aimi.

Though it was only a two-centimeter difference, taller was taller.

It was childish, sure, but effective.

The smug move struck a nerve, and Aimi's teeth gnashed audibly in response.

"You… you… YOU! Why do you keep showing up at our house? You're not welcome here!" Aimi stomped her foot angrily, her voice tinged with frustration.

Megumi's serene smile only grew warmer. "As long as your parents and Kotomi welcome me, isn't that enough?"

"She's my sister!" Aimi snapped, arms akimbo.

"She's my wife," Megumi replied, her calm tone striking like a thunderbolt.

Aimi froze. The sheer audacity of that statement left her momentarily speechless.

"When did my sister become your wife?! You're delusional! The sun's out; stop dreaming!"

But then she seemed to realize something. Squinting her eyes suspiciously, she added:

"You're here to wait for my sister, aren't you? Well, save yourself the trouble. She doesn't want to see you."

Megumi arched an eyebrow. Something about that declaration felt… off.

"Why wouldn't Kotomi want to see me?"

She took a step closer, her calm yet probing tone sending a shiver down Aimi's spine.

Caught in her lie, Aimi shrank back slightly, her guilt bubbling to the surface.

Could she fight Megumi off? Not a chance.

Outwit her in a verbal sparring match? Unlikely.

Deciding that retreat was the better option, Aimi spun on her heel, intent on making a quick escape—only to feel a firm grip on the back of her collar.

Megumi's fingers hooked onto the fabric like an eagle clutching its prey.

"Not so fast, Aimi," Megumi said, her voice saccharine sweet, but laced with unmistakable authority. "Why don't you explain what you meant by 'my sister doesn't want to see you'? I'm curious."

Aimi felt a cold sweat break out on her back. At this moment, she felt like a helpless rabbit caught in a predator's grasp.

This woman is terrifying!

Grinding her teeth in frustration, Aimi resigned herself to the inevitable and blurted out the truth:

"Kotomi has a cold. Her temperature was 38.5°C this morning, so she's staying home from school. Mom was supposed to call her homeroom teacher to let them know, but she might forget since she's busy taking care of her. So…"

After a brief pause, Aimi lowered her voice slightly and muttered, "Can you let the teacher know if they haven't gotten the message yet?"

Megumi blinked in surprise. "Kotomi caught a cold?"

The timing couldn't have been more coincidental. Just as her own cold had cleared up, Kotomi had come down with one. And the culprit? Undoubtedly, it was her.

It must've been because of yesterday… Megumi's cheeks flushed briefly as her mind wandered.

Shaking off her thoughts, she nodded and released Aimi's collar. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it. You'd better hurry to school; your first class starts pretty early, doesn't it?"

"Of course I know that!" Aimi snapped.

But just as she was about to march off, she hesitated. Turning back slightly, she mumbled:

"Thanks for looking out for my sister all the time… and for today too. Thanks."

Megumi raised an eyebrow, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected gratitude. But she quickly recovered, smiling softly.

"You're welcome. After all, I like your sister."

That simple sentence sent Aimi's temper flaring again. Her fists clenched, her teeth gnashed, and she glared daggers at Megumi.

"Don't think you've won just because of that!" she shouted before storming off.

Her angry, hurried steps carried her forward, her shoulders trembling slightly with indignation.

By the time she reached school, a walk that usually took ten minutes had taken her just seven.

"Kotomi, do you feel like eating right now? Mom made some egg and minced meat congee. You should eat a little, fill your stomach, and take your medicine afterward," said Akina as she entered the bedroom carrying a tray.

On it were a small clay pot, a bowl and spoon, and a small plate of pickled radish.

"Mm… Okay, Mom…" Kotomi replied weakly, her voice trailing off.

Few people knew her better than her mother. Akina coughed lightly and added, "Once you've taken your medicine, I'll call Ms. Hiratsuka to let her know you won't be at school today."

The moment Kotomi heard she didn't have to go to school, her energy seemed to return miraculously. If a thermometer had been in use at that moment, it would surely have cursed her sudden recovery.

Still, not wanting her mother to catch on, Kotomi suppressed the urge to spring up, grab the clay pot, and start eating. Instead, she tilted her head slightly and feigned a pitiful, sickly expression.

Seeing this, Akina raised an eyebrow and smiled wryly. Does she think I haven't figured her out after all these years? Although Kotomi did look a bit under the weather, her exaggerated display of weakness was over the top—more like someone heading straight to the ICU.

"Alright, alright. Don't overdo it, sweetheart. Mom's little treasure can stop pretending. I'll call in for you. Can you sit up and eat your congee?"

After setting the tray down on the low table, Akina removed the lid from the clay pot and ladled the fragrant congee into a small bowl. The warm aroma of eggs and meat quickly filled the room.

With Akina's exceptional cooking skills, even someone with no appetite could find themselves hungry after smelling the dish.

Kotomi immediately sat up straight, her eyes sparkling as her mouth watered. Her excitement was almost palpable—she might as well have had "I'm starving!" written across her face.

Her behavior didn't resemble someone with a cold at all.

But noticing the large pot of congee, Kotomi hesitated for a moment and sheepishly said, "Mom, this is way too much congee. I probably can't even finish a bowl."

Akina simply smiled and said nothing.

With that, Kotomi grabbed her spoon.

"Burp~"

Kotomi let out a satisfied burp after finishing the entire pot of congee.

Just earlier, she claimed she couldn't finish a single bowl, but now the clay pot was spotless, its bottom gleaming as if freshly washed. Even the small plate of pickled radish was polished off.

If not for maintaining some semblance of decorum, she might have resorted to using her bowl like a ladle to drink directly from the pot.

Seeing her daughter's hearty appetite, Akina finally felt a bit relieved. Once Kotomi had taken her medicine and drunk a full glass of hot water, Akina tidied up and left the room.

Whenever Kotomi caught a cold or fever, it made both Akina and her husband uneasy. Just that morning, while cooking the congee, Akina had called her husband, Izumi Kaneyoshi, who had already left for work.

Kaneyoshi, a typically calm and composed man, was so alarmed upon hearing the news that he immediately stood up, asked for leave from his boss, and grabbed his car keys to drive home.

Akina barely had time to tell him to stay calm before the call abruptly ended.

Now, seeing Kotomi looking relatively fine, Akina sighed with relief. She thought about calling Kaneyoshi to update him but decided against it, worried it might distract him while driving.

Just as Akina returned to the kitchen with the empty pot and dishes, she heard the screeching sound of a car braking sharply outside.

Seconds later, Kaneyoshi burst through the door, sweat dripping from his face and a panicked expression on his face.

"Akina! How's Kotomi? Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Akina reassured him, handing him a cool towel. "She just ate a whole pot of congee and took her medicine. Don't worry so much; here, wipe off that sweat."

Kaneyoshi haphazardly wiped his face with the towel but remained unconvinced. He quickly made his way upstairs to Kotomi's room, knocking gently on the door.

"Kotomi, can Mom and Dad come in?"

Dad?

Kotomi, lying in bed and reading manga, was startled by her father's voice.

Wasn't Dad supposed to be at work?

Though puzzled, she responded, "Uh-huh."

Kaneyoshi opened the door and approached her bedside. Placing a hand on her forehead, he frowned. "Your forehead is still so warm. Can you walk? If not, I'll carry you downstairs, and we'll go to the hospital. Akina, get her a thick coat, and make sure she wears a scarf and hat!"

Before Kotomi could protest, Akina nodded decisively. "Got it!"

"I'll start the car and get the heater running."

Kaneyoshi dashed downstairs, nearly tripping over the threshold, and started the car to ensure it was warm for the ride.

"Mom, there's no need for this—"

Before Kotomi could finish her sentence, Akina swiftly bundled her up in layers of clothing. In no time, she was wrapped tightly in a thick coat, scarf, and hat, with a pair of winter gloves from last year's ski trip to top it all off.

Feeling stifled, Kotomi tugged at her scarf and muttered under her breath, "Mom, I'm not heading to Antarctica to find penguins…"

Wrapped snugly like a human burrito, Kotomi sat in the backseat of the car. The heater was running, and Kaneyoshi had shed his jacket, unable to bear the heat.

Kotomi, however, felt like she was being roasted alive. She fidgeted uncomfortably and tugged at her coat. The fuzzy socks on her feet, embroidered with a bear holding a strawberry, were paired with thick, insulated boots.

At the hospital, Kotomi initially wanted to complain about being dragged there but froze when she saw her attending doctor.

A beautiful woman with a calm demeanor, the doctor was, well, very well-endowed.

Instantly, Kotomi abandoned any notion of resistance. She quietly complied with every examination, secretly thanking her mom for bundling her up. The hat, mask, and scarf obscured her face, making it easier to sneak glances at the doctor unnoticed.

After reviewing the test results, the doctor said, "She's perfectly fine; there's no need to worry."

Kaneyoshi and Akina both let out sighs of relief.

The doctor glanced at Kotomi, noting her bundled-up appearance. "Let's remove some layers to check her temperature," she suggested. "I think she's more at risk of overheating than anything else!"

She added with a hint of exasperation, "It's autumn, not winter. There's no need for all these layers!"

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