You Have to Belong to Me Forever, Okay?

Izumi Kotomi returned to her bed, patting the spot next to her with a smile. "Aimi, come sit here."

"I'd rather sit facing you, sister," Izumi Aimi replied, choosing to sit in the chair Kotomi had been using earlier instead of beside her.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Kotomi asked, curious.

Instead of answering directly, Aimi looked over at the laptop on the desk, where a Word document filled with ongoing writing was open. "Were you writing your novel just now?"

"Yes, I was. Since I've already signed with Dengeki Bunko, I need to maintain a steady pace. I want to finish the manuscript for Volume 2 before Volume 1 is published," Kotomi explained with a nod and a smile.

"You're amazing, sister. You got your first novel published on your first try. I never even knew you were interested in writing novels… I mean, I didn't even know you liked reading them. It makes me feel like an idiot. I should be the one who knows you best, who's closest to you, but somewhere along the way, you started to change in ways I didn't notice," Aimi said quietly, lowering her head.

"People change, you know," Kotomi responded gently.

"But why wasn't I the first to notice those changes? It's so strange, isn't it? We've lived together for so many years. We should be the closest to each other. I should be the person who occupies all of your heart," Aimi continued, her voice tinged with frustration.

"The closest…" Kotomi tilted her head, feeling a bit out of sync with Aimi's thoughts.

"The girl who goes to school with you, who eats cake with you until late, is Megumi Kato… Is she a very close friend of yours, sister?" Aimi's tone shifted, becoming more urgent, almost as if she were a different person.

Hearing Aimi mention Megumi, Kotomi thought she understood. It seemed Aimi wanted to know more about Megumi.

In that case, she needed to explain thoroughly, as if she were well-acquainted with Megumi.

Izumi Kotomi, master of high emotional intelligence and skilled conversationalist, was ready:

"A close friend? Well, I've only known Kato for a few days, so I wouldn't say we're very close yet. But who knows? Maybe in a year or three, we could become really close friends. Kato has a great personality; even just sitting beside her without talking feels comfortable. If possible, I'd like to be friends with her for life."

As Kotomi spoke, a bright smile spread across her face, a smile so radiant that it could captivate anyone who saw it, holding their gaze until the end of time.

Aimi's eyes narrowed slightly as she saw this smile, a sense of danger shrouding her heart. Ever since she learned that she and Kotomi weren't biologically related, a dangerous impulse had been awakened deep within her. Though she had tried to suppress these feelings, to redirect them toward a more sisterly affection, the reality of Kotomi growing closer to someone else had shattered that illusion.

She no longer wanted to be just sisters with Kotomi. She wanted something more.

"Do you really want to stay close to Megumi Kato for the rest of your life, sister?" Aimi's expression darkened as she stood up and walked toward Kotomi.

If Kotomi wouldn't take the initiative, then Aimi would. She would be the one to break through this dangerous haze and let her true feelings come to light.

"Well… you could say that," Kotomi hesitated, sensing that something was off but still nodding.

"Tomorrow, you'll go to school with Megumi Kato again, attend classes together, walk home together, and maybe even go to her house again? Back in middle school, you rarely walked to school or home with me. You always left first. You couldn't do that for me, but you can do it for her? Am I really less important to you than Megumi Kato?" Aimi's questions came out with an intensity that caught Kotomi off guard.

"Wait, why are you suddenly bringing this up? I've always cared about you—" Kotomi started, but Aimi cut her off with a pained cry.

"Am I less important to you than Megumi Kato?!" Aimi's voice trembled with emotion as she interrupted.

"No, you're not," Kotomi replied firmly.

"Eh?" Aimi was taken aback by Kotomi's directness, but hearing those words brought some comfort to her anxious heart. The tension in her face slowly faded, replaced by a relieved smile.

Kotomi reached out to gently stroke Aimi's hair, speaking with tenderness, "You'll always be my precious little sister."

"Sister…" Aimi's eyes trembled slightly.

That wasn't the answer she wanted to hear.

Kotomi picked up her phone and opened her photo album, where the first image in her favorites was a picture of the two of them together.

Looking at the photo of the two sisters, Kotomi smiled softly. "When did it start? Probably when I entered middle school. I used to love teasing you and making you cry, but as time went on, I began to feel more protective of you. It was then that I realized how lucky I was to have a sister. So, you've always been the most adorable and important little sis—"

"Stop!" Aimi shouted, cutting Kotomi off. She couldn't bear to hear any more. She didn't want their relationship to remain just that of sisters.

Before Kotomi could react, Aimi lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Kotomi and pushing her back onto the bed. The sudden, forceful action left Kotomi momentarily stunned, her arm frozen in the air. If this had been a simple hug between sisters, she would have hugged Aimi back, but this… this was something else.

Was this really just a sisterly hug?

"I don't want to hear it," Aimi murmured in Kotomi's ear, her voice laced with tears as she clung to her tightly.

"Aimi?" Kotomi turned her head slightly to look at her sister, while the light from her phone screen gradually dimmed, casting the room in shadows.

"Ever since I can remember, I've always looked up to you, sis. The times we spent together, sitting side by side, walking together, sleeping in the same bed—those were my happiest moments. I want to be your little sister forever."

Aimi's voice wavered with emotion as her heart raced. The scent of Kotomi's hair filled her senses, intoxicating her.

As if to close the distance between them, as if to make sure her sister would never leave her side, Aimi shifted slightly, pressing her body closer to Kotomi's.

"I want to be your little sister forever, so… you have to be mine forever too, okay?"

Kotomi wasn't naive; she understood Aimi's feelings at this point. She sighed deeply, realizing the situation had escalated beyond what she had expected.

"Aimi, I'm your sister. We're both Izumis—"

"It's okay. We're not really sisters," Aimi interrupted with a light laugh, tightening her grip on Kotomi. She began to move subtly against her, as if savoring the warmth and softness of Kotomi's body.

When Aimi revealed this, Kotomi's eyes widened in surprise. "You… you know about that?"

Ring, ring, ring—

At that moment, Kotomi's phone rang, cutting through the tension in the room.

On the screen, the caller ID showed the name "Megumi Kato."

"Is it Megumi?" Kotomi was surprised that Megumi would call her so late, but she knew this wasn't the right moment to answer.

Kotomi reached out to grab her phone, intending to decline the call and explain things to Megumi the next morning.

But Aimi, sensing her sister's intention, swiftly snatched the phone from her hand. Seeing Megumi's name on the screen, she let out a cold laugh. "It's Megumi Kato, isn't it? Go ahead, answer it."

"I don't want to," Kotomi shook her head, refusing.

She could answer Megumi's call at any other time, but not now!

"If you don't answer…" Aimi trailed off, her expression growing more mischievous.

"Wait, Aimi, what are you going to do?!"

"Don't you understand?" Aimi asked softly.

Kotomi's face paled as she realized what Aimi meant.

"Fine, I'll answer… I'll answer."

Kotomi relented, realizing she had no choice but to comply.

"You know, Kotomi, you could choose not to answer," Aimi said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

What's going on? This girl is getting bold… she's even calling me by my name without honorifics?

"I just want to call you by your name, Kotomi. I've wanted to for a long time," Aimi replied with a smile, then pressed the button to answer the call.

"Kotomi, good evening. You're still up, right?" Megumi's calm and familiar voice came through the phone.