Arisu Sakayanagi's "Invitation" to Megumi Kato

The next morning, Kotomi Izumi opened her eyes to the soft glow of dawn. Going to bed early really did feel good—at least she could wake up naturally before the alarm went off.

Sleeping in until 8 a.m. and then getting jolted awake by the alarm still left her groggy.

But if she naturally woke up at 6 a.m. and turned off her alarm before it rang, she felt refreshed and alert.

This was a rule Kotomi had figured out over the years. After getting up and changing clothes, she casually reached out to touch the owl plushie sitting on her computer desk. Maybe it was because Megumi had given it to her, but Kotomi found herself liking it more and more each time she looked at it.

If it weren't for the fact that she wasn't used to sleeping with stuffed animals like a little girl, she probably would've clutched the owl plushie to sleep last night.

"This owl plushie is just too cute. Megumi must've put a lot of thought into picking it out for me. I'm really touched~ I have to find a chance to properly thank her. But how should I do that? I mean... Megumi and I are lovers now..."

At that thought, Kotomi paused. A flush slowly spread across her cheeks, turning her calm expression into a bashful, blushing mess. Her face turned so red it looked like it was about to boil.

Guess what Kotomi-chan was thinking just now?

"You're up early today. Did you not sleep well last night?"

Akina Izumi handed Kotomi a cup of coffee, placing it next to her hand so she could sip it after eating her toast and eggs.

"I really wanted to stay in bed a little longer, but today is midterm exam day. Once I get to school, I need to go to my assigned exam room and check my seat. Better to go early and avoid any trouble," Kotomi said with a resigned tone after taking a bite of toast.

Even though she didn't need to worry about her exam scores, she still wished she could lounge in bed until 7:50 like usual. After all, it was almost winter, and snow would be falling soon. The school had already pushed first period back to start at 9 a.m.

Since Kotomi lived so close to school, she usually took full advantage of that convenience.

Unfortunately, exams required her to be there earlier than usual.

"Did you finish reviewing all the material? You went to Kyoto for three days right before the exams. Are you sure you're okay?"

Kotomi had ranked first in all of Tokyo last time. But this midterm was rumored to be tough, and she had spent the last three days in Kyoto for the first art exhibition.

Even though Akina was usually lenient when it came to her daughters' academics, hearing that Kotomi had an exam today still made her worry.

She was already rehearsing in her mind what to say in case Kotomi didn't do well this time.

"Hehehe, don't worry, don't worry! I'm confident in my grades. Sure, I had less time to review, but I've always been smart—especially when it comes to studying! Have I ever made you and Dad worry before?"

Kotomi was struggling to tear open a small ketchup packet with her teeth as she spoke confidently. If she hadn't been so focused on the packet, she probably would've struck her usual hands-on-hips pose and boasted even more.

"Pfft..." Akina couldn't hold back her laughter. "And who was it again that never passed math or English back in middle school?"

Kotomi's cheeks turned red. No matter how thick her skin, she couldn't swagger in front of her mom when her embarrassing past was brought up. She quickly transformed into a well-behaved girl, bowing her head and squeezing ketchup onto her toast.

She had originally wanted to make a half-ketchup, half-mayo combo, but she liked mayonnaise too much. The bottle she bought just last month had already been emptied. If someone peeled off the label, they probably wouldn't even guess it had once been a bottle of mayo.

After finishing her breakfast in big bites, Kotomi wiped her mouth with a napkin, stood up, and grabbed her school bag.

"I'm full. Thanks for the meal. Mom, I'm heading to school."

"Be careful on the way."

"If you have time today, don't forget to buy some more mayonnaise for me!"

"Alright, alright~"

Kotomi stepped outside and immediately saw Megumi Kato standing under the streetlight, waiting as usual. She smiled and quickly walked over.

"Megumi, good morni—"

Before Kotomi could finish her sentence, Megumi suddenly pulled her close and kissed her forcefully. It was rough and intense—so unfamiliar that Kotomi was stunned. It felt as if Megumi was filled with resentment. Even when Kotomi had intentionally teased Megumi before, hoping she'd act possessive, Megumi had never been this rough.

"Megumi, c-calm down, it really hurts..." Kotomi pleaded.

But before she could finish, Megumi silenced her with another kiss.

Remembering what she had seen last night, Megumi was overcome with rage. Not at Kotomi—but at Aimi. She had never felt such fury. All she wanted now was to assert her claim over Kotomi in the most direct and unmistakable way, before anyone else could steal her away.

Her teeth clenched as she bit down hard on Kotomi's lip. Kotomi, caught completely off guard, widened her eyes in pain and began to cry.

It wasn't until Kotomi's sobs reached her ears that Megumi finally snapped out of it. She let go in a panic and stared at the blood trickling from Kotomi's lip, at her tear-streaked face.

She was horrified at what she'd done. She had hurt Kotomi? The girl she always swore to protect, to cherish?

"K-Kotomi, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to. Is your lip okay? Let me take you home and clean the wound."

Normally calm and composed, Megumi was now a flustered mess.

Kotomi gave her a look, then silently pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, wiped the blood from her lips and the tears from her cheeks, and said nothing. She turned and walked alone toward Zoubu High School, her pace noticeably quicker than usual.

Megumi watched with regret filling her heart. She wished she could go back in time just a few minutes to stop herself.

Kotomi and Megumi walked to school with one ahead and one trailing behind. Megumi tried a few times to catch up and speak to her, but each time she did, Kotomi would speed up as well, clearly refusing to give her the chance.

Defeated, Megumi lowered her head like a guilty child and followed silently. The two arrived at the school gate in silence.

"Good morning, Kotomi. Looks like we're in the same exam room again this time~ Eh? What's wrong? Why are you holding a handkerchief over your mouth?"

Arisu Sakayanagi, who had also just arrived, saw Kotomi and quickly walked over with her cane. As she got closer, she noticed Kotomi's strange condition.

Her lip was bleeding. It wasn't serious, thanks to her powerful healing as the Queen of All Females, and it would heal soon. Still, to avoid drawing attention, Kotomi chose to cover it with her handkerchief.

"Morning, Arisu. Oh, this?" Kotomi paused, then smiled. "I caught a bit of a cold from not covering up properly last night. I forgot to bring a mask today..."

"I see. If you feel unwell, let me know. I can take you to the infirmary," Arisu said kindly.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. I'm going to check my seat assignment for the exam. I left school in a rush yesterday and forgot to check."

"Take care."

Arisu smiled as she watched Kotomi walk away. But the moment Kotomi vanished from sight, that warmth disappeared completely. Like the stillness before a storm, Arisu turned silently toward Megumi.

Her gaze and expression were icy cold, suffocating, as if her very presence froze the air. The tapping of her cane against the ground echoed like sharp, bloody droplets falling onto stone.

"Kotomi might think she covered it well, but I've known her since we were kids. I can tell when something's wrong. From the very first time we met, I warned you: there's no room for you between me and Kotomi."

Arisu stopped in front of Megumi, her eyes filled with murderous intent, exuding a chilling aura.

With no opportunity for Megumi to respond, Arisu continued:

"If you have the guts, meet me during lunch at the entrance to the old, abandoned school building. We'll have a proper talk."

"You can choose not to come. But if you don't, I'll take Kotomi and disappear from Chiba without a trace."

"With the Sakayanagi family's power, even if you were a master detective, you'd never find a single clue. You'd have to accept that you'd never see Kotomi again for the rest of your life."

"Don't worry. I'll make her happy. Because in this world, the person who loves her the most... is me."

With that, Arisu gave a faint smile and turned to leave.

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