Ayani Kika looked at Kotomi Izumi with some surprise. She had intentionally wanted to make Kotomi anxious for a bit, and the fact that Kotomi had actually shown such urgency proved that her verbal guidance earlier had succeeded.
But seeing firsthand just how intense Kotomi's anxiety had become, and how it even seemed to continue rising, Ayani Kika's gaze revealed a trace of astonishment. She knew Kotomi would be eager to see it, but she had not expected her to be this eager.
Kotomi Izumi's current reaction resembled someone starving for a very long time finally seeing a plate of delicious grilled meat, yet no matter what they did, they could not eat it. If the hunger continued any longer, they might even lose control and do something impulsive.
"Aren't you curious what kind of clothes are inside the garment bag?"
Ayani Kika asked, preparing to calm Kotomi's emotions down a little first.
"Won't I find out once you put them on?!" Kotomi Izumi replied decisively.
Logically speaking, Kotomi Izumi was actually a fairly experienced girl. Under normal circumstances, she would never be this easily guided into excitement. Trying to excite Kotomi purely through words alone was usually as difficult as ascending to heaven.
After all, ever since school started, she already had two girlfriends and maintained ambiguous relationships with a whole group of girls. If anyone stubbornly insisted that Kotomi was innocent and pure, not even a dog would believe it.
On top of that, Kotomi Izumi's personality had always been the type that would not act without seeing tangible benefits first. If it was only words without any actual reward or stimulation, it was difficult for her to become genuinely excited. At most, she would just flirt verbally for a few lines.
That was also why, although Kotomi Izumi often listened to voice dramas, she rarely used voice-only content to reward herself. Most of the time, she simply listened to the plot like an audiobook.
The reason Ayani Kika had managed to excite her so easily with only a few simple sentences was entirely because from the very moment Kotomi stepped into Ayani Kika's house, it was as though she had become one of those female knights, beautiful adventurers, or magical girls from certain bishoujo RPGs who accidentally fell into a strange trap. The side effects of the Queen of All Females constitution that had originally remained relatively calm inside her body had begun to stir restlessly.
And after Ayani Kika finished making tea and returned to the bedroom carrying it, those side effects completely erupted.
Early this morning, Kotomi Izumi had barely managed to suppress the side effects of the Queen of All Females constitution through her own efforts, at the cost of five entire hours.
Now that they had erupted again less than a day later, it meant that not only did Kotomi need to resolve the restless side effects as quickly as possible, but this time she also had no way to solve it using only her own strength. She could only rely on another girl.
And right now, there just so happened to be a girl in front of her who could help resolve those side effects.
That girl was—Ayani Kika.
But Kotomi Izumi felt that she had only known Ayani Kika for a short time. Forget asking her for help with something like this, she did not even know how she was supposed to bring it up.
Kotomi could only grit her silver teeth and endure it for now, preparing to quickly find an excuse to leave, force herself back to Harugamo Inn, and kiss Yui Yuigahama...
With the side effects of the Queen of All Females constitution on the verge of erupting, Kotomi Izumi no longer had the mental energy to think about things like hiding her relationship with Yui from Yukino Yukinoshita until after she succeeded in pursuing Yukino.
Kotomi Izumi had even started thinking that if Yui Yuigahama still failed to help her resolve the side effects this time, then she would turn around right in front of Yui and directly hug Yukino, cuddling closely with her instead.
Under the influence of the Queen of All Females constitution's side effects, there was very little calmness left in Kotomi Izumi's emotions right now. No matter how outrageous or impulsive the thoughts that appeared in her mind were, none of them would seem strange.
Yet unexpectedly, while Kotomi Izumi had been clenching her teeth and enduring everything just fine, Ayani Kika had unknowingly guided her emotions with words, turning what should have been a light and casual sentence into flames that set piles of dry wood ablaze.
Just moments ago, she had only felt a steam train-like buzzing beside her ears. But now, Kotomi Izumi felt as though her entire body had boiled to the point where she could practically breathe fire.
Whether it was the expression on her face or the words coming out of her mouth, both naturally appeared incomparably impulsive, straightforward, and anxious.
Seeing how impatient Kotomi Izumi had become, Ayani Kika could only continue speaking.
"Although I don't know exactly what kind of clothes you imagined inside the garment bag, it's actually a kimono."
"A kimono?" Kotomi Izumi froze.
"Mhm, that's right." Ayani Kika nodded.
Originally, she thought Kotomi Izumi would look disappointed. Unexpectedly, after only a few brief seconds of surprise, Kotomi's expression instead became even more impatient.
"A kimono works too! Hurry up and put it on so I can see! I don't mean anything weird by it. I just genuinely like seeing girls wear all kinds of beautiful clothes!"
Ayani Kika suddenly had the strange feeling that perhaps it was not merely her imagination. Every single word coming from Kotomi now seemed wrapped in scorching heat.
Looking at Kotomi Izumi, whose condition was gradually becoming a little strange, Ayani Kika suddenly seemed to understand something. After a brief daze, she nodded and said,
"All right then, but... could you step outside for a moment first? Being stared at so directly while changing into a kimono makes me a little shy."
"Ah, okay..."
Kotomi Izumi nodded in agreement before stiffly leaving the bedroom.
After closing the door, Kotomi immediately rushed toward the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and repeatedly splashed cold water onto her face.
Only after washing her face who knew how many times did Kotomi Izumi finally stop. Although it could not resolve the side effects of the Queen of All Females constitution, it still helped calm her down slightly.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Kotomi Izumi panted heavily and muttered,
"I felt like a bomb that could explode at any moment just now. Once I finish looking at Ayani Kika in the kimono, I should quickly find an excuse to leave and head back to Harugamo Inn..."
Just as Kotomi Izumi leaned against the sink while taking deep breaths and thinking about how to deal with the side effects next, Ayani Kika's alluring voice drifted through the bedroom door.
"Kotomi, I've finished changing into the kimono."
"Oh!"
Kotomi Izumi staggered slightly as she walked to the bedroom door. After taking a deep breath, she pushed it open.
The moment she saw Ayani Kika wearing the kimono, Kotomi Izumi froze completely.
The bedroom curtains had long since been drawn shut. The girl's porcelain-white skin reflected the warm light as delicate strands of hair flowed silently like water. The red kimono resembled a faint candle flame burning alone within an endless night.
Hearing the door open, Ayani Kika raised her head and looked toward Kotomi Izumi. Her eyes and lips overflowed with smiling warmth. The red kimono wrapped around her slender body, its soft lines outlining a face where mature charm and graceful elegance coexisted.
At the same time, after Ayani Kika put on the red kimono, that sense of loneliness that seemed not to belong to this era, along with the fragile beauty that felt as though it could shatter at any moment, was breathtakingly beautiful.
The very first thing that came to Kotomi Izumi's mind was a silent lake frozen beneath layers of white snow.
The instant she saw Ayani Kika, Kotomi Izumi genuinely felt that the girl standing before her was not someone born in the Heisei era and now living in the Reiwa era.
Instead, she seemed more like a girl born during the Shōwa 52 era, blessed with an unnaturally long life. A girl whose appearance had never changed as the years passed, burdened with the curse of immortality, living alone from the Shōwa era all the way until now.
Kotomi Izumi opened her mouth, yet not a single word came out. At this moment, it was as though she had lost the ability to speak.
It was not only because she had been stunned by Ayani Kika's overwhelming beauty after putting on the kimono, but also because after wearing this blood-red kimono, Ayani Kika gave her a feeling that could not be accurately described with words. It was something caught between unfamiliarity and familiarity.
It made her feel as though this was their very first meeting.
Yet at the same time, it also felt like the reunion of people who had not seen each other for many years.
"Stunned speechless~? I've heard that when people become silly like this, they're also at their most honest. So let me ask you a question and see if you can answer honestly. Okay?"
Ayani Kika smiled brightly, seemingly very satisfied with Kotomi Izumi's reaction. Yet deep within her eyes, a sorrow gradually thickened like accumulating dust. At first it was only a thin layer, but slowly, it became heavier and heavier.
"Okay..."
Completely immersed in Ayani Kika's beauty, Kotomi Izumi nodded without even thinking.
"Haha, good thing the person you met was a nice person like me. If you'd run into a bad person instead, they might've taken advantage of how you've become such a little fool right now and deliberately guided you into saying certain things or doing certain things until you were tricked out of everything."
This entire day felt like the happiest day in Ayani Kika's life.
Because on this day, she had smiled many times, and every single smile came from the depths of her heart.
After laughing softly, Ayani Kika smiled and formally asked Kotomi Izumi,
"Am I beautiful?"
"Beautiful!"
Kotomi Izumi answered without the slightest hesitation. There was no flattery in her words. She was merely speaking the honest truth of what her eyes saw.
In Kotomi Izumi's eyes, Ayani Kika wearing the red kimono was the most beautiful existence in this very moment.
After hearing Kotomi Izumi's immediate answer, the smile on Ayani Kika's face trembled uncontrollably, as though she had finally heard an answer she had waited a very long time for.
After a moment of silence, Ayani Kika slowly spoke again. Compared to before, her voice now carried a faint tremble.
"Kotomi, come here... come to my side..."
Not only did her voice tremble, but it also carried a trace of pleading, as though she was deeply afraid Kotomi Izumi would refuse.
Kotomi Izumi looked at Ayani Kika, feeling somewhat hesitant for a moment. Originally, she had planned to find an excuse and leave immediately after seeing Ayani Kika wearing the kimono.
It was not because she did not want to stay longer.
Rather, her entire condition was already hovering on the edge of the side effects erupting completely. If she did not resolve it quickly, even Kotomi Izumi herself did not know what kind of things she might do once consumed by those side effects.
But...
The expression and tone Ayani Kika used while asking her to come closer made Kotomi Izumi's legs, which wanted to leave, feel as though countless steel nails had been driven into them. She could not even lift her feet and turn around.
The only thing she could do was walk forward.
Walk toward Ayani Kika.
On one side were the restless side effects stirring inside her body.
On the other side was Ayani Kika's request.
At this moment, Kotomi Izumi felt as though she was trapped between the two, forced to make a choice.
In the end, Kotomi Izumi slowly moved her feet and walked in front of Ayani Kika. The instant she drew close to her, the scenery before her eyes gradually blurred, and her legs seemed to lose all strength.
She collapsed down in front of Ayani Kika.
This is bad... the side effects are about to erupt...
Before her consciousness faded away, Kotomi Izumi thought anxiously to herself.
She desperately forced herself to stay awake and tried to think of a solution.
But every time she barely managed to grasp a little bit of reason, the domineering side effects of the Queen of All Females constitution immediately swallowed her sanity and calmness as though punishing her.
Just as Kotomi Izumi was being tortured to the brink of madness by the side effects, Ayani Kika suddenly reached out and pulled her into an embrace.
In an instant, it felt as though cool spring water had descended from the heavens, soothing the spirit and emotions that were about to be burned away completely by the side effects.
Kotomi Izumi's consciousness still gradually became heavier, like someone who had gone without sleep for far too long and whose eyelids could no longer resist the overwhelming drowsiness.
But the torment caused by the side effects had already disappeared.
Ayani Kika looked at the dazed expression in Kotomi Izumi's eyes.
To Ayani Kika, that expression was incomparably familiar.
The memories buried in the deepest parts of her heart gradually awakened along with it.
"So this is what they call the side effects? You're still exactly the same as back then. You haven't changed at all.
"I also feel like I haven't changed much either.
"I don't like adapting to new things. I don't like changing.
"But it isn't because I'm stubborn or old-fashioned.
"It's because over the course of such a long life, a single careless mistake can cause me to lose memories.
"I don't want to forget the time I spent with you.
"Even if during that period, you and she were the true protagonists, while I was merely a supporting character...
"I was a little jealous of her.
"But at the same time, I admired her.
"I admired everything she did for you.
"Back then, she was regarded as a divine treasure bestowed by the gods. She was the key capable of granting rebirth to decaying flowers, the wings that could allow the [Devil] to successfully ascend to heaven.
"Yet her greatest wish was simply to run away with you.
"To live peacefully and happily with you in a small town where nobody knew either of you until the end of your lives.
"But—I also firmly believe that my love for you was never inferior to hers."
Ayani Kika tightly embraced Kotomi Izumi in her arms as she softly murmured those words, as though telling a story called "Obsession."
At this moment, Kotomi Izumi's consciousness had already been completely swallowed by the side effects. She could not hear a single word Ayani Kika was saying and had fallen deeply asleep.
With endless attachment in her eyes, Ayani Kika gazed at Kotomi Izumi's beautiful face and slowly closed the distance between them, gently kissing Kotomi Izumi's lips.
"Kotomi... at least in this moment, you belong to me alone..."
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