All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

Dengeki Bunko, Editorial Department.

It was lunchtime, but Haruno Yukinoshita was still sitting at her desk, calling Hanayui.

"Hanayui-sensei, I wanted to ask—how is the illustration work for Volume 2 of Sword Art Online coming along?"

Yui Yuigahama's mother, who was in the kitchen baking bread, quickly responded after picking up Haruno's call:

"Sorry, Editor Yukinoshita! I've been busy working at the cake shop lately. The color illustrations for Volume 2 are all done—only five black-and-white ones left."

"No problem, no rush. This time, Dengeki Bunko plans to release Volumes 2 and 3 of Sword Art Online together. Also, Volume 3 will have a special edition beyond the regular one. The special edition contents have already been decided. I'll send you an Excel sheet shortly. It'll require some extra work: a special edition box cover, bonus dust jacket, and a bonus acrylic keychain."

"Izumi-sensei's Sword Art Online is getting a special edition? That's wonderful—congratulations to her. No worries, I'll give it my all!" said Yui Yuigahama's mother energetically.

Looks like the dango cake shop would be closed again for a while…

"Thanks again, Hanayui-sensei. One more thing—Izumi-sensei is currently planning a new series. The title is already confirmed: Redo Of Healer. When we spoke, she mentioned she hoped you would continue as the illustrator for the new work."

"Eh? Volume 1 of Sword Art Online only just released, and she's already working on a new series? Is Sword Art Online nearing the end?"

Tomoka Yuigahama was surprised. It wasn't unusual for light novel authors to work on multiple series at once—

Usually it happened when a series wasn't selling well and they wanted to increase their chances by starting new projects.

Or, if they were full-time writers with fast output and nothing else to do, they might launch several series at once to keep themselves busy.

But Kotomi Izumi was still a high school student—just like her daughter. Both were in their first year. Did she really have the time and energy to write two light novels simultaneously?

Tomoka hadn't seen Kotomi's writing speed firsthand, so she had no idea how fast she really was.

"Izumi-sensei's writing speed is honestly monstrous. I'm currently reviewing the manuscript for Volume 8."

"Yes, Volume 8!"

"I have seven unpublished volumes of Sword Art Online on hand. Even with the fastest release schedule, publishing just one volume takes a few months. And we've got seven more in the queue."

"Izumi-sensei could totally pause writing Sword Art Online and wait until we finish publishing everything before continuing. In the meantime, she's using the extra time to write her new project."

Already up to Volume 8?!

Tomoka Yuigahama was stunned. In her memory, Kotomi had submitted Volume 1 of Sword Art Online during summer break. And now, in less than two months, she'd already reached Volume 8?

What kind of speed was this girl typing at every day?

"Izumi-sensei is amazing…" Tomoka sincerely marveled. Then she continued, "Redo Of Healer, huh? Got it. I'd be happy to continue as the illustrator for her new series."

"That's great to hear. I'll find a time to arrange a meeting for you and Izumi-sensei at the Dengeki Bunko editorial office, so you can sit down and discuss the character designs, illustrations, and cover art for Volume 1 of Redo Of Healer. Hanayui-sensei, when would you be available? I'll check in with Izumi-sensei after."

Tomoka paused for a moment, then realized—since she and Kotomi both lived in Chiba City, why bother going all the way to Tokyo's Dengeki Bunko office just to discuss illustrations?

"Uh... Editor Yukinoshita, since Izumi-sensei and I both live in Chiba City, and we're not that far apart, plus she often comes to my cake shop for desserts—if possible, I'd like to meet with her privately to discuss the illustrations."

"That's not out of the question... but this is quite unexpected. Hanayui-sensei, this would be your first time meeting in person to talk about illustrations—and you're the one suggesting it."

"Before, you wouldn't even come to the editorial office. Every time, the author would write up the illustration notes in a document and email them to us. I'd forward them to you, then you'd send your draft back to me, and I'd pass it along to the author. If they had feedback, they'd write it up, email it back to me, and I'd forward it to you again.

"Now that I think about it, it really was a bit of a hassle."

Tomoka Yuigahama's change made Haruno Yukinoshita wonder—was it because of Kotomi Izumi?

"Sorry about that," Tomoka apologized. The truth was, she spent most of her time busy baking at the cake shop. It was hard to find time to travel to Tokyo's Dengeki Bunko office to discuss illustrations.

That one time she did go was simply because the shop wasn't busy that day, and there were hardly any customers. So she closed up early and took the train to Tokyo. When she arrived, she found out that the author of Sword Art Online, Izumi Ki, was actually her daughter's friend—Kotomi Izumi.

It really felt like fate had drawn the two of them together.

"Haha, it's fine. Both Izumi-sensei and I understand your situation, Hanayui-sensei. She even told me more than once, 'It's okay if Hanayui-sensei turns in the work a little late. No need to rush—she should just take her time drawing.'

I didn't expect that little girl to be so considerate."

Tomoka didn't respond. Instead, her mind drifted to something the bookstore owner had told her recently:

—Tomoka, haven't you noticed that little girl Kotomi... might have a crush on you?

Tomoka's cheeks flushed at the memory. Ever since then, even when messaging Kotomi on LINE, she found herself carefully choosing every word, worried she might say something misleading—something that would deepen Kotomi's feelings for her.

I always thought Kotomi liked Yui. But now... could she really have feelings for someone like me—an old lady with two daughters? Tomoka sighed, heart filled with complex emotions.

Finding out that Kotomi might like her left her not only shocked and disbelieving... but also harboring a tiny, secret happiness she didn't dare acknowledge.

"Achoo!"

On the other end of the line, Haruno Yukinoshita suddenly sneezed, pulling Tomoka back from her thoughts.

"Ahem, sorry—sudden sneeze. Could it be that my foolish little sister is thinking of me right now?" Haruno rubbed her nose and joked.

Tomoka chuckled softly and then replied:

"Regarding the illustrations for Redo Of Healer, I'll just discuss them directly with Izumi-sensei. Since we're both in Chiba, going all the way to Tokyo would just be unnecessary travel."

"No problem at all. I wish you both a productive discussion. Hopefully you'll finalize all the illustration content for Volume 1 in a single go. I won't keep you any longer—I still need to call Izumi-sensei. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

After hanging up, Haruno Yukinoshita ordered some takeout and checked the time. It was almost noon, but she wasn't sure if Kotomi was out of class yet, so she decided to send her a LINE message first.

[Izumi-sensei, I'd like to call you—is now a good time?]

Kotomi responded instantly:

[Hang on, your sister is right next to me.]

A moment later—

A new message popped up.

[Go ahead.]

Seeing the words "Go ahead" from Kotomi, Haruno Yukinoshita blinked, then couldn't help but laugh out loud.

...

Class 1-F, Homeroom.

Taking advantage of the time before the other classmates returned, Kotomi and Yukino Yukinoshita discussed the matter of the lead vocalist. Although Yukino didn't have a suitable candidate in mind, she had been racking her brain to come up with feasible suggestions.

Seeing the slight furrow of Yukino's brow, Kotomi couldn't help but smile internally. She hadn't expected Yukino—who always appeared aloof, like she didn't care about anything—to put this much thought into their band.

Sensing Kotomi's gaze, Yukino looked up from her thoughts and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No, I was just thinking how touched I am that you're taking this so seriously. Honestly, I was afraid you'd think it was a waste of time," Kotomi said sincerely.

Yukino's delicate face didn't show much expression. Her slender back remained perfectly straight as she replied:

"If I thought this was a waste of time, I wouldn't have agreed to your invitation in the first place. Though, to be fair, when I said yes initially, it was more of a heat-of-the-moment decision."

"Do you regret agreeing to join me?" Kotomi asked abruptly.

"Regret?" Yukino glanced at her with an expression that almost said, Are you joking?

"I never do things I'll regret. Even if I was acting on impulse back then, if I were to go back to that moment now in a completely rational state, I'd still choose to say yes."

"Why?" Kotomi asked, clearly surprised.

Why indeed…? Yukino asked herself in her heart. Why, whether impulsive or calm, would she always say yes to Kotomi's invitation? It just felt—natural.

Yukino voiced what she believed was the reason. She asked first:

"Will you participate in the next cultural festival performance?"

"Nope. Once I graduate, I won't be joining any more cultural festival performances," Kotomi said, shaking her head.

Regardless of whether this year's cultural festival performance was a success or not, she had made up her mind—just like with the sports festival, she wouldn't be participating again.

"That's exactly why I said yes," Yukino replied without hesitation.

"In three years of high school, there are at most three cultural festivals. And you don't plan on doing any more performances after this one. We haven't known each other for very long, but I feel like you're someone who may seem easygoing on the surface, yet once you've made up your mind about something, even the people closest to you won't be able to change it. Because you're proud—you firmly believe your decisions are never wrong."

Yukino didn't claim to have the gift of seeing through someone's nature at a glance. She didn't think her judgment was so sharp that she could discern a person's character in a short time. Her impression of Kotomi came from subtle cues—gestures, expressions, the atmosphere she carried.

One sees the world through their eyes, but how much can one truly take in at a glance? Perhaps only fragments. Even if you spent your whole life observing the world, by the time your hair turns white, you'd still find yourself sitting in a rocking chair, sighing:

This world is vast. So many places I've never seen, so many people I've never met, so many old friends I never got to see again. But time… time is running out...

The world is too big. Some people are destined never to cross paths from birth to death.

Everything in the world falls within its bounds, and for most people, their entire world is this planet. Is Earth big? Undoubtedly, yes.

But compared to the sun, the Earth is minuscule—like a firefly trying to shine beneath a bright moon, its glow faint and easy to ignore.

When did the sun start burning? Will there ever come a day it burns out?

The blazing, eternal, and boundless sun—when viewed through the eyes of the seemingly directionless and borderless universe—was nothing more than a flickering candlelight, ready to be swallowed by darkness at any moment.

No matter how radiant the sun may be, the universe likely never cared. No matter how dazzling you are, you cannot surpass my confidence.

Overwhelming pride.

Or perhaps, arrogance.

Even the most brilliant people may appear as mere suns in Kotomi's eyes—radiant, yes, but never threatening. Because she is the universe!

The stars may glitter and flourish, but they exist only within her grasp.

After hearing Yukino Yukinoshita's assessment of her, Kotomi chuckled softly. It wasn't a bitter laugh, but one of agreement. Yukino had used words like "arrogant" and "proud" to describe her—and she liked it.

"I really like your evaluation of me."

"So that means you agree with it?"

Kotomi smiled teasingly. "Sometimes liking something doesn't mean it's accurate. And if it's not accurate, it's hard to acknowledge. But even if it's not accurate, even if it's not acknowledged, if it clicks—one might still like it. Doesn't that sound illogical?"

"Utterly illogical," Yukino nodded. She found that sometimes, she couldn't keep up with Kotomi's train of thought—just like now.

"That's normal. Liking someone is an utterly illogical and irrational thing."

"I didn't think that deeply. I just realized that if I didn't accept your invitation, I might never get another chance to stand on stage with you during high school."

"I've never really cared about performing on stage. But if it's with you... then I feel excited about it. So whether calm or impulsive, when you invited me, I would have agreed—to perform with you at the cultural festival."

Yukino spoke slowly and deliberately. Her words filled Kotomi with warmth. She suddenly wanted to hug Yukino tightly. This ice queen was becoming more and more lovable.

Ding-ling-ling—

Kotomi's phone, which wasn't on silent, chimed with a LINE notification.

"Excuse me, let me check my phone."

Kotomi took out her phone and unlocked it.

A message from Haruno?

[Izumi-sensei, I'd like to call you—is now a good time?]

It was probably about light novel matters. But since Yukino was right beside her, Kotomi didn't dare take a call from Haruno so openly.

—After all, Yukino had no idea about her connection with Haruno.

Wait a second… why did that sound like Yukino was her wife, and she was sneaking around with her wife's sister?

Kotomi, who prided herself on despising cheaters, quickly reframed her inner thoughts: It's just that Yukino doesn't yet know Haruno is her novel editor.

So she replied:

[Hang on, your sister is right next to me.]

"Yukino, I'm going to take a call. Be right back."

"Go ahead."

Kotomi turned and left the Class 1-F classroom. Yukino watched her go, a bit puzzled. Normally, Kotomi would just plug in her earphones and take calls quietly at her desk after class.

It was rare for her to actually leave the classroom to answer a call.

Who could she be calling? The question planted itself in Yukino's mind.

Outside the Class 1-F classroom, Kotomi sent another message to Haruno.

[Go ahead.]

Moments later, Haruno Yukinoshita's call came through.

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