Kotomi: Cuter Than My Little Sister

After finishing the takoyaki, Kotomi didn't waste any time. She scooped up little Yuka Yuigahama like a baby and hurried toward the Dango Cake Shop.

As they crossed the intersection, Kotomi spotted Yui Yuigahama approaching from the other direction, clearly a bit anxious. Yui sighed in relief when she saw Kotomi carrying Yuka safely back, a smile of gratitude lighting up her face.

"Kotomi, thank you so much!" Yui quickly jogged over and took Yuka from Kotomi's arms, setting her down on the ground.

Yuka, who had been comfortably nestled in Kotomi's embrace, pouted the moment she was set down. "Nee-chan, I still want to be carried~"

"No way! You're walking by yourself now," Yui said firmly, though there was a playful note in her voice. "Besides, my hands are all covered in flour, so I can't carry you."

"I don't want you to carry me, I want Kotomi-neechan to carry me! Kotomi-neechan's chest is soft and cozy to lean on!" Yuka announced, without a hint of hesitation or shame, in the innocent way only a child could.

"Do you even understand what you're saying, you silly girl?" Yui poked Yuka's forehead with a sigh, embarrassed by her little sister's blunt honesty. Turning to Kotomi, Yui smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that, Kotomi. Yuka doesn't really know what she's saying sometimes; she just blurts out whatever comes to her mind."

Kotomi chuckled softly, brushing it off with a wave of her hand. "No worries, Yuka's adorable! Honestly, she's even cuter than my little sister was at her age."

"That must've been exhausting, carrying her the whole way. Come inside and have some cake—my treat," Yui offered, still grateful.

"Hehe, I won't say no to that! Do you have any juice?" Kotomi asked with a grin.

"Of course!" Yui replied with a smile, clearly pleased with Kotomi's easygoing nature. She appreciated how Kotomi knew exactly when to accept a gesture of kindness without being overly humble or declining too much. It made interactions feel more genuine and comfortable.

As they walked into the cake shop, Kotomi immediately noticed Yui's mother, Tomoka Yuigahama.

Tomoka noticed Kotomi at the same time, her warm smile growing as she greeted her. "Kotomi, welcome! I heard from Yui that you helped pick up Yuka from kindergarten today. Thank you so much!"

"There's no need to thank me, Auntie Yuigahama," Kotomi said politely. "I wasn't feeling up for art club today anyway, so I thought I'd help out by picking up little Yuka. She's such a sweet kid. Anytime you need help, just let me know!"

Standing beside them, Yui looked a bit puzzled as she listened to the exchange. "Mom, since when did you start calling her Kotomi?"

"Well, Kotomi comes by the shop so often and loves my cakes. Plus, she's your friend from school! Why wouldn't I call her Kotomi?" Tomoka responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Of course, she kept her and Kotomi's professional collaboration in the writing world a secret.

"It's not that...," Yui mumbled, shaking her head slightly. After a brief pause, she turned to Kotomi, asking a bit hesitantly, "Kotomi... can I call you that too? It feels a bit distant always calling you 'Izumi-san.'"

Kotomi, who didn't mind what people called her as long as it wasn't some weird nicknames, smiled warmly. "Sure, go ahead, Yui. I'll call you by your first name too."

"Great! Hehe, it feels like we're closer already," Yui giggled, clearly pleased with the new level of familiarity.

Watching the two girls, Tomoka smiled to herself. Ah, the joys of youth. "Yui, why don't you help Kotomi pick out some cake? Didn't you promise to treat her? Or were you planning on going back on your word~?"

"Of course not!" Yui blushed in embarrassment, quickly defending herself.

Tomoka chuckled lightly, covering her mouth with her hand as she teased her daughter.

"Ugh, mom!" Yui puffed her cheeks in mock annoyance. "Come on, Kotomi, let's pick out a cake. I remember you don't like chocolate, right?"

"Yeah," Kotomi nodded as she picked up a plate and tongs, browsing the cakes in the display.

After a brief selection, Kotomi chose a slice of taro cream cake and three crispy French butter biscuits—one of her favorite desserts. The crispy texture combined with the fragrant maple syrup baked into the biscuits was simply irresistible. For her drink, she opted for a glass of orange juice.

Once seated at a small table, Yui sat across from Kotomi with a strawberry cake for herself.

It was a nice moment to relax and enjoy a snack after a long day.

"Yuka, do you want the strawberry?" Yui asked, using her fork to lift the strawberry from the top of her cake. Usually, Yuka would immediately jump at the chance to eat the strawberry first, as it was her favorite part.

But today, Yuka just rubbed her full belly and shook her head. "I'm too full…"

Both Yui and her mother looked at Yuka, surprised. Their little strawberry-loving sister and daughter, not wanting to eat a strawberry? Something had to be up.

Kotomi, however, quickly understood. It wasn't a mystery—Yuka had already filled up on an entire box of takoyaki, complete with extra bonito flakes and seaweed!

"Izumi-neechan bought me takoyaki! It had so many bonito flakes and seaweed, it was so good... hic!" Yuka explained, patting her belly and letting out a tiny hiccup.

"That explains it," Kotomi chimed in. "Since Yuka hadn't eaten yet, I treated her to some takoyaki on the way back. So, I treated her, and now Yui's treating me to cake. It all balances out!"

"Thank you so much, Kotomi! Yuka's a little glutton," Tomoka said, playfully pinching Yuka's chubby cheeks.

"Don't mention it," Kotomi replied with a smile.

"Since you're so sweet to help us out, Kotomi, take a baumkuchen with you when you go. I remember you really like that cake," Tomoka offered kindly.

"Thank you, Auntie!" Kotomi said gratefully.

"No need to be so formal. You can just treat me like family," Tomoka said with a gentle laugh.

Meanwhile, Yui, nibbling on her strawberry cake, glanced curiously between Kotomi and her mom. Somehow, the two of them seemed so comfortable and close with each other. Had they grown this close without her noticing?

Was she just imagining things?