After Yui Yuigahama obediently finished peeling the mangosteen, she carefully handed it to Kotomi, afraid that the white flesh might fall.
Kotomi Izumi took it, bit into it once, then casually tossed the mangosteen back into Yui Yuigahama's hands. With a hint of irritation in her voice, she said,
"I wanted to eat mangosteen just now, but you peeled it so slowly that I've already lost interest. You eat it yourself. Honestly, you're hopeless. Peeling a mangosteen is such a simple thing, yet you dawdle like that. Are you a snail? You know I can't peel them myself, so shouldn't you practice more? If I stop liking mangosteen in the future, it'll all be your fault!"
"I'm sorry."
Yui Yuigahama replied softly and obediently, then lowered her head and quietly ate the mangosteen Kotomi had bitten.
Kotomi had only taken a single bite. And when choosing the mangosteen earlier, she had deliberately picked a large one. After taking a bite, Yui tasted the sweet and tangy flesh. Setting everything else aside, just from the size and flavor alone, it was obvious this mangosteen wasn't cheap.
At the Yuigahama household, Yui would definitely be reluctant to buy mangosteen of this quality.
Of course, if Kotomi said she wanted to eat mangosteen, Yui would surely take out all the pocket money she had saved and buy Kotomi the very best ones.
After Yui Yuigahama finished eating the mangosteen, Kotomi Izumi seemed to "suddenly remember" something and lightly nudged Yui, glaring fiercely as she said,
"I call you silly and you really act silly? Fine, you've always been a bit dumb anyway. Sitting there like a block of wood, lowering your head and eating mangosteen. Didn't you see I still don't have any fruit in my hands?"
"You just said you didn't want to eat mangosteen..." Yui Yuigahama shrank her neck slightly and replied carefully.
"Are you blind? There are so many fruits on that platter. Is mangosteen the only one? Peel me an apple. The fruit knife is in the kitchen. Go get it. After peeling the skin, cut the apple into pieces. You really have no sense at all," Kotomi Izumi said irritably.
"Oh."
Yui Yuigahama answered in a small, aggrieved voice. She didn't know what she had done wrong to make Kotomi so angry. Obediently, she stood up, preparing to go to the kitchen to get the fruit knife and peel an apple for her.
Rika Izumi couldn't stand it anymore. She reached out and tapped Kotomi lightly on the head, scolding her.
"What are you putting on airs for, little Kotomi? Now that you've got a girlfriend, your wings have stiffened, haven't they? Instead of learning something good, the first thing you've learned is how to bully your girlfriend. Don't you know how to cherish your future wife at all?"
As she spoke, Rika Izumi took the apple from Yui Yuigahama's hands, gently pressed her shoulder, and said softly,
"Yui, don't mind her. Come, if you want to eat any fruit, just take it yourself. Lunch will be ready soon. It's your first time visiting your third uncle and aunt's home today. I'm not even sure whether the dishes will suit your taste."
Rika Izumi's protective attitude made it clear that she had already accepted Yui Yuigahama as her "niece-in-law."
As for why "niece-in-law"?
Well, since the word "niece" contains the character for "child," then wouldn't a niece's wife be called a "niece-in-law"? At least, that was how Rika Izumi reasoned it in her heart.
Kotomi Izumi smiled faintly to herself, though on the surface she continued playing the villain. She glanced at Yui Yuigahama, who was sitting stiffly upright.
Sensing Kotomi's gaze, Yui carefully picked up another mangosteen. This time she tried to peel it faster, then cautiously handed it to Kotomi and said in a small voice,
"I-I was faster this time..."
Kotomi Izumi looked at the mangosteen Yui was offering, then pushed away the small hand holding it and snorted.
"Get lost, get lost, get lost. Take it away. I don't want to eat it! You act like a little airhead every single day. Just wait until we get home and see how I deal with you!"
Yui Yuigahama felt a bit self-blameful. She thought Kotomi no longer wanted mangosteen because she still hadn't peeled it quickly or well enough. After all, Kotomi usually loved eating mangosteen.
So Yui could only continue eating it herself. The mangosteen was delicious, but what Yui really wanted was to peel it for Kotomi. Every time she peeled fruit or seafood for Kotomi, she especially loved watching the happy, satisfied expression that appeared on Kotomi's pretty face as she ate.
Seeing Kotomi happy always filled Yui with a deep sense of contentment.
But now Kotomi didn't want to eat mangosteen, and that made Yui feel a little sad.
For Yui, no matter how delicious the mangosteen was, it could never compare to the joyful smile on Kotomi's face when she was eating.
Smack!
Yuki Izumi rapped his knuckles sharply against Kotomi Izumi's head.
"Well, aren't you impressive, little Kotomi? Look at you showing off."
Yuyu Izumi also loyally defended Yui. "Sister-in-law, you see that? My sister used to bully me like this too. Don't worry, I've grown up now. I can fight her to a standstill. If she bullies you in the future, just call me. I'll run from Kyoto to Chiba and have a one-on-one with her!"
Kotomi Izumi let out a dry laugh. "You don't understand. Yui is incredibly airheaded. If I don't keep nagging her, she'll sit there like a wooden doll all day without saying a word."
Rika Izumi pinched Kotomi's cheek and said sternly,
"Even so, that's no way to treat your girlfriend. Can't you speak nicely? I almost forgot to scold you earlier. You made Yui carry all those big and small bags by herself while you stood there doing nothing. If your mother finds out, she'll definitely smack your backside again.
"A girlfriend is someone you cherish. And Yui's personality is wonderful, isn't it? She takes such good care of you. When it's cold, she prepares thick clothes for you. When you're hungry, she puts on an apron and cooks you a hot meal. Even if the two of you got married right now, we elders would feel completely at ease."
After saying that, Rika Izumi turned to Yui Yuigahama.
"Little Yui, don't be afraid of her. Don't let her calling you a little airhead fool you. She's an airhead too. She only puts on a show in front of you. At home, she's very well-behaved. If she bullies you in the future, then you bully her back. We'll support you!"
"Third Aunt, didn't you just say a girlfriend is someone you cherish? I'm Yui's girlfriend. Isn't it perfectly normal for Yui to cherish me? I'm just acting spoiled with her~" Kotomi Izumi protested unhappily.
"You call that acting spoiled? That's clearly throwing a princess tantrum!" Rika Izumi said helplessly.
"I don't care. She has to dote on me~" Kotomi Izumi huffed.
"Go on, go on. You little girl really know how to twist logic." Rika Izumi smiled as she teased her.
Kotomi Izumi knew that once her third uncle and aunt found out she had a girlfriend, they would surely worry that she had chosen someone strong-willed who would dominate her. So to put them at ease, Kotomi deliberately transformed herself into a "fierce big bad wolf," intentionally acting domineering and bullying Yui in front of them.
Even though her third uncle and aunt were currently speaking up for Yui Yuigahama, in truth both of them had already breathed a sigh of relief. They had originally worried that Kotomi might have found a strong and overbearing girlfriend.
Now, it seemed they could finally relax.
Watching Kotomi Izumi and Yui Yuigahama, Yuyu Izumi thought about it for a long time and still couldn't figure it out. In the end, she couldn't help blurting out,
"This is weird. I've been thinking and thinking, but I still don't get it. With my sister's awful temper, how did she manage to find such a well-behaved, cute, and virtuous girl like my sister-in-law?"
"Nonsense. Who talks about their own sister like that?" Rika Izumi gave Yuyu a light smack, telling her not to talk nonsense.
"Alright, alright."
In the end, it was Third Uncle who had to put on the authority of the head of the household.
"Honey, Little Kotomi and Yui are probably starving. Go tidy up the table. It's time to eat."
"Exactly, Third Aunt. Yui and I haven't eaten since last night just so we could taste your and Third Uncle's cooking."
Kotomi Izumi, who had eaten over a hundred skewers of barbecue the night before, said this with complete confidence.
Of course, neither Yuki Izumi nor Rika Izumi took her words seriously. Didn't they know this little niece of theirs? If she skipped even one meal, she'd collapse from hunger. How could she possibly have gone without food since last night?
"Alright, wait a moment. I'll bring the dishes out from the kitchen. The baked seafood casserole in the oven should be ready too," Rika Izumi said as she stood and walked toward the kitchen.
At the dining table, Third Uncle and Third Aunt were especially warm toward their "niece-in-law" Yui Yuigahama. The tastiest dishes were all placed within easy reach of her.
Meanwhile, Kotomi Izumi, as always, began mutually injuring each other with Yuyu—she insulted Yuyu once, and Yuyu retaliated ten times.
However, perhaps because Kotomi wasn't in top form today, she actually fell behind in their earlier exchange.
Yuyu Izumi naturally seized the opportunity without mercy, launching a fierce counterattack and firing off ten jabs in one breath. Although eight of them were simply adaptations of things Kotomi had previously said to her, Kotomi still ended up losing—like facing three lines of gunfire at once in Apex Legends, one of them even being a Rampart Sheila.
After losing once, Kotomi Izumi felt unwilling to accept it, so she decided to present her gift ahead of schedule.
She took out the wooden stick she had bought the day before and handed it to Third Aunt.
"Auntie, yesterday when I passed a little stall selling wood, I immediately fell in love with this stick. The length is just right, and it feels great when you swing it. I'm sure the impact would be first-class."
After taking it, Third Aunt gave it an experimental swing and praised,
"Oh, you're right. The feel really is quite nice."
Seeing that Third Aunt liked the stick, Kotomi smoothly continued,
"Third Uncle, Third Aunt, I heard the two of you argued again a few days ago? You really have too much free time. Stop arguing all the time. A harmonious family prospers in everything. If you feel frustrated, just use this stick I gave you to give Yuyu a beating to vent your anger. She's still in school anyway. After middle school, there's three years of high school. After high school, there's university. With no financial independence, she won't dare hold a grudge or run away from home."
Yuki Izumi said, "Kotomi's right. Come to think of it, the argument a few days ago was about Yuyu's high school. I want her to live in the dorms to train her independence, but your Third Aunt can't bear to let her and wants her to commute from home. We argued back and forth, got irritated, and ended up fighting. Now that I think about it, there was really no need to quarrel."
Rika Izumi nodded. "Yes. In the end, it's because I dote on Yuyu too much. I know she should try dorm life in high school to experience collective living, but I still want her to commute. Truly, indulgent mothers spoil their children. Starting today, I must harden my heart! And since this stick feels so handy, I'll find a reason to give her a good beating tonight!"
Yuyu Izumi: "...I shouldn't be sitting on this chair. I should be lying under the car instead."
After the meal, Kotomi Izumi and Yui Yuigahama stayed in the living room chatting with Third Uncle and Third Aunt about family matters.
As for Yuyu Izumi, she clung to Kotomi like a koala, asking Yui all sorts of questions.
Although she constantly bickered with Kotomi, deep down Yuyu relied on her very much. She just didn't know how to express it, so she simply chose to argue with Kotomi every time they met. After fighting, they would quickly make up again—sisterly affection restored.
After learning yesterday that Kotomi had a girlfriend, Yuyu had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, as if the most important piece of her heart had been dug out.
She remembered that when she was little, she used to cry easily and fear strangers. But whenever she was in Kotomi's arms, she would become obedient and quiet, not crying or fussing, just staring at Kotomi with her big, beautiful eyes.
Perhaps that was why Yuyu was never afraid of Kotomi. She especially loved clinging to her like a koala. When she was younger, she had even argued with Aimi over "who had the right to cling to Kotomi."
"Sister-in-law, when you and my sister confirmed your relationship, was it her who confessed to you, or you who confessed to her?" Yuyu Izumi asked while draped over Kotomi, determined to satisfy all her curiosity. Her small hands were far from well-behaved, reaching up to pinch Kotomi's cheek.
"I-I confessed to her..."
Yui Yuigahama replied softly.
Answering such a question made her feel extremely shy. But as she said it, she also felt a sense of revisiting the past and being deeply grateful.
Yui thought that if she hadn't mustered the courage to confess to Kotomi back then, they would probably still just be friends. She wouldn't be here now, visiting relatives as Kotomi's girlfriend.
After hearing this, Yuyu Izumi's mouth fell open in shock, as though she had heard something unbelievable. She turned to Kotomi and exclaimed,
"Sis, were you some great saint in your past life? Did you get tired of being a good person and decide to be bad in this life instead? Otherwise, how do you have such outrageous luck to find a perfect girlfriend like Sister-in-law?"
"Ugh, you're so annoying. The heater's on, and you keep clinging to me. If you're not afraid of the heat, I am," Kotomi Izumi said, shaking her body to try to fling off the clingy koala.
Unexpectedly, Yuyu Izumi tightened her arms around Kotomi's neck.
Seeing this, Kotomi immediately used her tried-and-true move.
"Auntie! Yuyu is using the excuse of talking to me and Yui to openly avoid doing her homework!"
"Heh heh heh. I've already copied—cough, finished—my homework! Tattling to Mom won't work."
In truth, Yuyu still had a second half of that sentence she didn't dare say aloud because Third Aunt was nearby. That was: even if I hadn't done my homework, at most Mom would just beat me once. A mere round of 'loving education'? I'm already immune to it. Heh heh heh!
If she was so bold, why didn't she dare say that part out loud? Wasn't it precisely because Third Aunt was right there?
"Sis, it's been so long since we've seen each other. Can I pinch your cheek?" Yuyu asked.
Kotomi glanced outside. "See that tree out there?"
"Yeah. So?"
"If you dare pinch my cheek, I'll hang you from the highest branch."
"Cheapskate! Big Demon King!"
"Heh heh heh!"
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