Yukino Yukinoshita sat blankly on the tatami, taking a very long time to recover. The words Kotomi Izumi had just spoken echoed in her ears like repeated drumbeats, striking again and again, refusing to fade.

Kotomi had thought that what she said just now would completely dispel Yukino’s curiosity about her phone wallpaper.

In truth, although after hearing Kotomi’s explanation Yukino still had not mentally prepared herself to look at Kotomi’s wallpaper and lock screen, that did not mean her curiosity had disappeared.

If anything, after hearing Kotomi say all that, the truest feeling deep inside Yukino was—she wanted to see it even more!

This time, Kotomi had truly outsmarted herself. Originally, Yukino Yukinoshita had only asked casually out of curiosity. If Kotomi had answered with anything else, the matter probably would have passed just like that.

But Little Kotomi was no ordinary person. When it came to causing trouble, she was genuinely talented.

With one flash of inspiration, she came up with such a brilliant idea and directly told Yukino: my wallpaper and lock screen are that kind of selfie!

Luckily, Aimi was not here right now. If Aimi had been present, after hearing Kotomi say that, she probably would have gotten excited and snatched the phone away at once, shouting, "Let me see!"

Then after unlocking it, she would discover that the lock screen and wallpaper were not that kind of selfie at all, but rather a photo of her beloved older sister Kotomi Izumi together with her best friend Iroha Isshiki in Enoshima, posing like a couple.

It truly made one curious. If that had really happened... what kind of expression would appear on Aimi’s face?

Back to the main topic. In any case, Kotomi had already said it, and Yukino Yukinoshita had taken those words to heart.

Originally, Yukino had never cared much about what wallpaper Kotomi used. Back when school had just started, she had accidentally seen it once. Kotomi’s wallpaper at the time seemed to be some newly debuted beautiful idol, and even her phone case had been fan merchandise supporting that idol.

Although that was on her old phone. After buying a new one, Kotomi had put the fan case into a cabinet in her bedroom and kept it as collectible merchandise.

But now, after Kotomi seriously claiming that her wallpaper was the kind of selfie she took on a whim, Yukino Yukinoshita’s first reaction had been shock and disbelief.

Yet after seeing Kotomi’s shy cheeks and eyes, Yukino gradually began to believe what Kotomi said. And as she believed it, a thought deep inside her began to swell larger and larger until she clearly realized she truly had such a thought.

—I want to see it, I want to see it, I really want to see it. I want to see the kind of selfie Kotomi took!

The desire became so intense, so overwhelming, that Yukino Yukinoshita almost felt the urge to shout it aloud and force Kotomi to show her.

Even if Kotomi’s girlfriend—Yui Yuigahama—was right beside them, Yukino did not want to care anymore.

Without realizing it, Yukino felt her breathing gradually become uneven. She desperately wanted to shout out that desire as soon as possible, or perhaps say nothing at all, ask nothing at all, simply snatch Kotomi’s phone by force, unlock it, and look at the wallpaper and lock screen herself.

Just as that impulse was about to erupt like molten lava from a volcano, another rational thought appeared in Yukino’s heart.

—No. Kotomi refused to show you because she was shy and didn’t want others to see it. Didn’t you notice she lowered her head so much from embarrassment? Just admitting it aloud must have cost her a lot of courage. If you like Kotomi, then you should respect what she wants.

That rational thought was like a mad beast about to break free from its cage, only to be bound at the final moment by a long chain that normally gave no sense of restraint, yet was unimaginably sturdy and impossible to escape. It locked the beast in place, preventing it from taking one more step.

The ’Little Yukino’ inside Yukino Yukinoshita was perhaps exactly that sort of existence. Normally, she might persuade Yukino to be more selfish, whispering:

"The truest part hidden deepest inside you contains countless frightening desires."

Yet when Yukino truly wanted to become selfish and release the most terrifying part of herself, Little Yukino would instead become the embodiment of reason—a long and unbreakable chain that tightly restrained Yukino’s impulsive thoughts, as if ensuring they could forever remain only one final step away from exploding.

Yukino’s expression darkened. She quietly took a deep breath, as if adjusting her emotions, or perhaps speaking to the Little Yukino in her heart.

"Sometimes, I really want to kill you!"

Even though she knew Little Yukino was only a hallucination born from her own heart, at that moment Yukino felt as though she could clearly see her, sitting inside her chest, smiling as she met her gaze. She could also clearly hear her say:

"If you have the ability, then come kill me. But before that, you’d better make sure you can bear the price of killing me. Hehe~"

Yukino Yukinoshita did not continue speaking to Little Yukino. She did not know why, but although she was not someone who got angry often, every time she spoke with Little Yukino—that is, with her own heart—murderous thoughts would uncontrollably begin to rise.

Kotomi Izumi was still secretly pleased with herself, thinking she had cleverly resolved another shura field crisis, completely unaware that she had solved nothing. Yukino might look dazed now, but in reality she was already struggling internally:

Should she find a chance to secretly look at Kotomi’s wallpaper?

When should she do it?

What was Kotomi’s phone password?

How could she secretly send that kind of selfie from Kotomi’s phone to her own and save it without anyone noticing?

Kotomi was smug. Yukino was thinking about whether to peek.

And Yui Yuigahama?

What was Yui doing?

Yui Yuigahama was peeling an orange for Kotomi. After removing the peel, she carefully stripped away the white fibers from each slice, because Yui knew Kotomi did not like eating them.

...

After the takeout arrived and they finished dinner, the three of them decided to go soak in the hot spring once more.

After all, they had come to Harugamo Inn for the hot springs, so naturally they had to enjoy themselves thoroughly during these few days.

Although yesterday, while soaking in the women’s bath, Kotomi had failed to see the beautiful older sisters she had hoped to admire.

Kotomi still refused to give up. She believed it was only because she had miscalculated the timing yesterday.

For that reason, this time when going to the hot spring, Kotomi deliberately chose a new time slot.

Compared to yesterday, she went a full hour and a half later!

—It was already an hour and a half later. This time, the elderly grandmas in the hot spring pool must have all gone back already. So when I go in now, won’t I be surrounded by young, beautiful big sisters, or elegant, mature ladies? Heh heh heh, I’m such a little genius! Big sisters, ladies, wait for me. We can soak in the hot spring together while discussing why the moon is so round tonight.

The more Kotomi Izumi thought about it, the more she couldn’t help letting out a "heh heh" laugh, the slightly exaggerated kind.

After hearing it, Yui Yuigahama looked at Kotomi in confusion.

Yukino Yukinoshita, however, shrank her neck slightly and said with a teasing tone,

"May I ask, did you suddenly develop an interest in role-playing as a resentful spirit haunting a hot spring inn? If that laugh of yours were recorded and turned into a blurry, shaky video, then uploaded to Twitter and YouTube, it would probably become the next famous supernatural incident for a while—The Laughing Kotomi."

Kotomi showed no intention of backing down.

"What is this, the Dark Multiverse from DC Comics? If you receive a lawyer’s letter from DC Comics, I’m not taking responsibility."

While Kotomi and Yukino were bickering, Yui, who was sitting nearby, looked up at the night sky outside the window and couldn’t help saying,

"The moon tonight is so curved."

"It really is," Yukino added after taking a glance.

A crescent moon hung in the pitch-black sky, its cold light shining faintly. But could moonlight truly dispel darkness? Or did its very existence only serve to make the night seem even deeper?

After seeing the crescent moon, Kotomi twitched the corner of her mouth and said in a tone that sounded somewhat bored,

"It’s a waning moon. Never mind then..."

"Hm? Kotomi, what’s wrong?" Yui asked.

Yukino let out a soft laugh. "You sound like you don’t like the waning moon. Could it be that, compared to a crescent, you prefer a full moon? I once read a novel where the protagonist loved the full moon. Do you know why?"

Kotomi tugged at the corner of her mouth and did not pick up the thread. She had read that novel before. In fact, she had been the one who recommended it to Yukino.

Of course she knew why the protagonist in that novel liked the full moon.

"Why?" Yui asked curiously.

"Because every time there was a full moon, that protagonist would tear his clothes apart and transform into a werewolf with dark, shadowy eyes," Yukino explained with a chuckle. This time, she deliberately let her smile linger longer than usual, hoping Kotomi would seize the chance to take a photo of her smiling.

Unexpectedly, although Kotomi’s gaze was clearly directed at her, it was as if she hadn’t noticed Yukino’s smile at all. Not only did she fail to take out her phone to snap a picture, she didn’t even make a half-joking compliment like she used to.

Even though earlier, when Kotomi had said those things, Yukino had pretended to be uninterested, in truth she had been delighted inside.

Just as Kotomi always felt regret when she failed to take a photo of Yukino smiling in time, every time Yukino heard Kotomi say that her smile was beautiful, she would feel both happy and regretful—regretful that she hadn’t taken out her phone to record those words.

Yet what Yukino had not expected was that it seemed as though, after missing the chance a few times, Kotomi had simply given up. No matter how she smiled now, Kotomi acted as if she hadn’t seen it, neither taking photos nor offering playful praise as before.

"The unattainable is always restless. Those who are favored are fearless. The red of the rose, a dream that bruises easily. Held in the hand, yet slipping through the fingers, falling into emptiness. Is it that speaking of love is too heavy, that overuse makes it painless and numb? Burning crimson, coiling like a serpent around the heart, until it finally freezes, until it ends without an ending."

Just then, Kotomi’s phone rang. Whether it was a coincidence or not, she had changed her ringtone this morning to Eason Chan’s "Red Rose."

Yukino had studied Mandarin before and naturally understood the meaning of the lyrics. The way she looked at Kotomi instantly grew complicated. For the first time, Yukino wondered whether Kotomi could read minds.

Kotomi had a habit of changing her ringtone every so often.

Some time ago, her ringtone had been Eason Chan’s "Ten Years." Now she had switched it to "Red Rose."

Eason Chan was one of Kotomi’s favorite singers. Ever since unlocking the music level, she had been wanting to find an opportunity to collaborate with him.

For example, she would compose and write the lyrics herself, and then have Eason Chan perform the song.

Kotomi had written this idea down in her little notebook, planning to put it into action after the Type-Moon Realm was fully established.

While imagining a future where she could invite Eason Chan to sing songs for games under the Type-Moon Realm, Kotomi answered the phone. It was her mother calling.

"Hello, Mom. Did you miss me~?" Kotomi said warmly, sounding like a considerate and worry-free little padded jacket.

But only her mother, Akina Izumi, knew that although this little padded jacket of Kotomi’s was warm and windproof, she was absolutely not worry-free.

"You took Yui to your Third Uncle and Third Aunt’s place today?"

Her biological mother showed no courtesy and got straight to the point.

Kotomi felt that she ought to answer openly and honestly, but responding to this question with Yukino standing nearby felt somewhat awkward. So she slowed her steps slightly and said to Yukino and Yui,

"I’m going to use the restroom for a moment."

After saying that, Kotomi turned and walked toward a corner of the wall not far away.

"Yeah, I took her there. We even mooched a meal. Third Uncle and Third Aunt’s braised fish has improved again. I ate ten whole flatbreads soaked in fish soup, plus six bowls of rice. Yui ate a lot too. I kept putting food into her bowl during the meal, afraid she’d be shy and not dare to eat much."

Kotomi said this with a cheerful smile, and at the end, she didn’t forget to slip in a small lie.

Clearly, during the meal, it had been Kotomi who kept asking Yui to pick up food for her. But when speaking to her mother now, Kotomi said that she had been the one constantly putting food into Yui’s bowl.

—

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