Rest

"Ah, so it's just a hug? I thought it was something else," Izumi Kotomi sighed with relief.

Hearing this, Aimi blushed furiously, her face turning a deep red as she retorted, "Silly sister, what were you thinking?!"

Ah, I see, Kotomi thought. Aimi only acts strong when it's just the two of us. Since we're at the front door, where our parents could walk by at any time, she's super shy.

It made sense.

Looking at Aimi pouting, clearly determined to get what she wanted, Kotomi could only sigh helplessly. Well, she's my little sister. Spoiling her is part of the deal!

"Alright, alright, come here. I'll give you a hug," Kotomi said, crouching down a little and adding playfully, "Come on, let's do a 'fly high' hug—"

"Fly high...? Sister! Don't treat me like a little kid!" Aimi protested, puffing her cheeks. But still, just like when she was younger, she obediently raised her arms, ready to be picked up.

Kotomi smiled and slipped one arm around Aimi's back, the other under her legs, then lifted her off the ground in a practiced motion.

Aimi's eyes widened in surprise. She had expected a princess-style hug, but Kotomi was holding her just like she did when Aimi was a child—in a cradle carry.

"You're still treating me like a baby!" Aimi grumbled. "B-But slow down! Don't drop me!"

Aimi instinctively tightened her grip on Kotomi's arm, her soft body pressing closely against her sister. The delicate scent of Aimi's skin wafted gently through her clothes, and Kotomi felt her cheeks flush involuntarily from the warmth and closeness.

"Should I carry you all the way back inside?" Kotomi asked softly.

"Mm-hmm... Take me straight to my room. I want to sleep early today," Aimi mumbled shyly, her face still red as she fidgeted in Kotomi's arms.

Kotomi carried her to the second floor and gently laid Aimi on her bed in her own room. After tucking her in, Kotomi whispered, "Good night."

"Good night, sister."

Leaving Aimi's room, Kotomi could feel her heart racing. The warmth and softness in her arms lingered, leaving behind an inexplicable feeling of emptiness and longing now that Aimi wasn't there anymore.

Kotomi shook off the strange emotions, trying to calm herself. She returned to her room and began working on the character design of Reze's Bomb Devil form.

After an hour of focused work, Kotomi finished the sketch of the Bomb Devil form and felt satisfied. She opened a new document, took a deep breath, and started drawing the first chapter of Chainsaw Man on her computer.

["That thing is a Tomato Devil!"]

["Make sure you burn its seeds so it doesn't regenerate."]

["Nice job, Denji. You can sell its body on the black market. It should fetch a good price—40,000 yen."]

["Thanks!"]

["After deducting the debt and interest, that's 170,000 yen. Then we subtract the broker fees and other expenses..."]

["Leaving... 70,000 yen..."]

Once Kotomi finished that page, she placed her stylus down and stretched her arms high above her head, feeling the tension release from her body.

"Everything's going smoothly. Once I finish this first chapter, I'll submit it," Kotomi said with satisfaction. But as she glanced at the time in the bottom-right corner of her computer screen, her eyes widened in shock.

5:36 AM?!

"Oh no! I've been drawing all night! It's almost morning!" Kotomi groaned. "I told myself I'd stop by 1 AM and go to bed..."

Now she was stuck in an awkward situation. If she went to sleep, she'd only have two hours before breakfast and school prep. But if she didn't sleep, she knew she'd be exhausted all day.

"Hey, Kazumi, are you awake?" Kotomi called out, hoping for help from her in-house system.

Appearing groggily, Kazumi, the pink-haired spirit of the Goddess Protagonist System, rubbed her sleepy eyes and yawned. "What is it, Kotomi? It's the middle of the night... why are you waking me up?"

"I was drawing manga and thought it was just after midnight, but now it's already past 5 AM! I still have school later, and I need you to wake me up at 7:30. Can you help me out?"

"I'm not your alarm clock, you know..." Kazumi muttered sleepily. "Can't you just set your phone alarm?"

"My phone died and I forgot to charge it last night. It's still charging now," Kotomi admitted with a sheepish smile.

Kazumi sighed and stretched out on Kotomi's bed, murmuring, "Fine... I'll lie down with you. I'm sensitive to time, so I'll wake you up at 7:30."

"Thank you, Kazumi! You're a lifesaver!" Kotomi quickly crawled into bed, ready to catch some much-needed sleep.

As Kazumi was about to fall asleep, Kotomi noticed something—the bed only had one pillow and one blanket. With no other choice, the two of them ended up sharing the same pillow and blanket.

Lying there, Kotomi glanced over at Kazumi. Her soft pink hair flowed gently around her face, and her peaceful sleeping expression made her look like a painting—elegant and serene, with a natural grace. Her lips were rosy, thin, and slightly curved even in sleep, and her delicate brows arched beautifully, like a crescent moon in the night sky.

When they first met, Kotomi had wondered why Kazumi's system name was God-Level Heroine System. But after spending more time together and growing closer, Kazumi eventually revealed her real name—Kazumi.

With Kazumi sleeping beside her, Kotomi felt a warmth spread through her body, like her spirit was being gently nurtured and relaxed. She quickly drifted into a deep, comfortable sleep.

It was probably the first time Kotomi had ever experienced such a profound level of rest. Even though she hadn't slept long, she felt much of her exhaustion melt away.

Surprisingly, she didn't even need Kazumi to wake her. When Kotomi opened her eyes, the clock's hands were resting precisely at 7:30.

"Sleep well?" Kazumi asked, blinking awake as Kotomi sat up.

"Mm-hmm! Very well!" Kotomi replied cheerfully.

Kazumi stretched and yawned, her pink hair tousled from sleep. "Good. I'm going back to sleep now."

Without waiting for a response, Kazumi gave Kotomi a quick hug, their noses briefly touching, and with a soft pink glow, she disappeared back into Kotomi's body.

However, as Kazumi had been stretching earlier, a single pink strand of her hair had fallen onto Kotomi's bed. Neither Kotomi nor Kazumi noticed the delicate strand of pink hair left behind.