Arisu Sakayanagi's icy gaze remained locked on the barrel of the gun, while her cane sword inched closer to Megumi Kato's neck.
At the same time, Megumi was unfazed, pressing the stun gun firmly against Arisu's head. Her slender fingers seemed ready to pull the trigger at any moment.
"Are you afraid that if my hand slips, I'll leave a hole in your throat?" Arisu sneered.
"I'm just surprised that you're still standing without your cane." Megumi replied without a hint of fear.
Because she had a gun.
Due to her heart condition, Arisu had been frail since childhood. Even walking required the support of a cane. In fact, she had only learned to walk with one after years of grueling rehabilitation. If she hadn't persevered, she might have spent her life confined to a wheelchair.
Going from being wheelchair-bound to using a cane was an incredible feat, but Arisu had never grown complacent. From kindergarten onward, she had constantly trained herself to stand and move without support. Now, she could remain standing unaided—though only for about fifteen minutes before losing balance.
"The time I can stand without my cane is limited, but do you think that's a weakness? Quite the opposite. If I wish, I can use the moment I lose balance to drive my sword straight into your heart."
Megumi scoffed. "Then I could just shoot you first and step away. You're not faster than me."
"That's true." Arisu smiled as if she had already anticipated this response. Her grip on her cane's hilt tightened slightly.
Megumi felt a wave of unease. Arisu might appear delicate, but her presence was overwhelming, suffocating even.
A chilling presence that sent shivers down her spine.
Shing—!
Suddenly, Arisu tilted her head back, dodging the gun's aim. In the same fluid motion, she spun her sword in a dazzling arc and slashed toward Megumi from another direction.
Megumi pulled the trigger, but even at her speed, she was still a second too slow. Before she could react, the blunt side of Arisu's sword struck the back of her hand.
The impact forced the stun gun from her grip, sending it clattering to the ground.
Arisu seized the opportunity without hesitation. The sharp tip of her cane sword drove into the floor, piercing straight through the stun gun's casing.
The once-precise weapon was now a useless, broken shell.
"Tch."
Megumi clicked her tongue in annoyance. She had underestimated Arisu, and now she had lost her weapon. Her hand stung from the blow. If Arisu had used the blade instead of the blunt edge, she would have had a deep gash in her palm by now.
The wind from Arisu's next strike grazed Megumi's cheek, stinging her skin. She instinctively moved to create distance, but Arisu's sword had the advantage of reach—its tip aimed straight for Megumi's stomach.
"Ugh—!"
Megumi coughed and leaped backward, clutching her abdomen.
At the last moment, Arisu had pulled back, merely tapping her with the blade rather than piercing her. But it still hurt. A lot.
"Your reflexes are better than I expected, Kato-san. But losing while holding a gun? That's just embarrassing."
Megumi took a deep breath before flashing a confident smile.
"But Kotomi is mine."
"In your dreams."
"Do you know how adorable she is in bed?"
Megumi Kato's words struck a nerve. For the first time, Arisu Sakayanagi's expression twisted into one of irritation. Her usual calm demeanor darkened as she clenched her teeth.
"Kato-san, why don't you just drop dead right now?"
"Because I still need to go buy drinks with Kotomi~."
Just as the atmosphere between them became unbearably tense, they suddenly moved in sync.
Arisu slid her cane sword back into its sheath, restoring its appearance as a simple, elegant walking cane.
Megumi picked up her broken stun gun from the ground and stuffed it into her pocket, planning to dispose of it later.
They returned to their previous positions, standing half an arm's length apart. It was as if nothing had happened.
"Kotomi just grabbed her wallet and is heading toward the door~."
"I knew that already."
Arisu glanced at Megumi with a smirk, her tone laced with mockery.
"You claim to understand Kotomi so well, yet the book you bought her wasn't even in perfect condition. Were you trying to disappoint her? Did you know that if she doesn't get a book with pristine corners, she'll be annoyed about it all day?"
"Of course, I know! I just didn't have enough time to check properly this morning." Megumi retorted, frustrated, before pressing on, "What exactly is your relationship with Kotomi?"
Megumi felt like she might be imagining things, but something about Arisu's words made her uneasy. Could it be possible that Arisu had known Kotomi for much longer than she let on?
"I'm her kindred spirit and perfectly complementary friend~. Oh, and you probably didn't know this, but I had Kotomi's first kiss years ago. And she had mine. If she agrees, I can marry her into the Sakayanagi family tomorrow. There's no room for you to interfere."
With that, Arisu tapped her cane against the floor and gracefully walked away.
Megumi watched her leave, rubbing her sore hand. Her expression was clouded with complicated emotions as she replayed Arisu's words in her mind.
Moments later, Kotomi pushed open the door and called out cheerfully, "Megumi, let's go buy drinks! I'm craving red-green lemon tea."
Seeing Kotomi's bright smile, Megumi suddenly felt the pain in her hand fade away. She squeezed Kotomi's small hand and smiled softly.
"I don't think the school store sells red-green lemon tea, but I have lemons at home. Why don't you come over after school?"
Kotomi wasn't naive—she instantly understood Megumi's true intentions. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she hesitated.
"I-I don't know if that's a good idea~."
"My parents are attending a friend's birthday party. They won't be home until at least 9:30 PM. Which means… right after school, the house is empty."
Kotomi hesitated a little longer. She couldn't let Megumi have her way too easily.
Seeing that persuasion alone wasn't working, Megumi switched tactics, her voice turning sweet and coy as she wrapped her arms around Kotomi's waist.
"Onee-chan~ Kotomi Onee-chan~ your little sister is hungry and wants to eat some 'meat'~."
As she spoke, she gently pulled Kotomi closer, her hands resting against the girl's soft, slender waist. If she lifted Kotomi's shirt just a little, she would reveal the smooth, delicate curves of her snake-like waist.
Kotomi had a perfect 'water snake waist.'
Megumi had suspected it from the first time she saw Kotomi walking through the school halls—her graceful steps, the way her hips swayed slightly with each movement, drawing attention with effortless allure. It wasn't until their trip to the aquarium that Megumi had finally confirmed it with her own eyes…
Sometimes, if she wasn't worried about making Kotomi too flustered, Megumi Kato would much rather hug her waist than simply hold hands.
Kotomi squirmed, her face turning a deep shade of red. She pouted and gave Megumi a half-hearted glare, regretting the moment she had let slip that Megumi was younger than her. Ever since then, Megumi had taken full advantage of it, calling her "Onee-chan" in the sweetest voice whenever she wanted to tease her.
Every time Megumi did this, Kotomi would be left utterly defenseless, unsure of how to retaliate.
I'm older than you! You're the one calling me 'Onee-chan,' so why am I always the one being teased?! Shouldn't the older sister be the dominant one?!
Kotomi had reminded Megumi of this countless times, subtly hinting that since she was the "Onee-chan," she should be the one taking charge.
Whether Megumi had actually listened was another matter entirely. Every time, she would sweetly call Kotomi "Onee-chan"—while tilting her chin up for a kiss.
"Kotomi Onee-chan, I'm really hungry~."
"I-If you're hungry, go buy something to eat!"
"Don't play dumb. Be good~." Megumi's voice suddenly shifted, turning firm and assertive.
Soft tactics weren't working. Time to switch to something stronger.
"Do you think being forceful will make me give in? I'm older than you, even if it's just by a few months… But still! I want to be the big sister, so you have to listen to me!"
Kotomi, her face still flushed, stubbornly held her ground.
If she didn't assert herself now, she'd end up being completely at Megumi's mercy in the future.
...
After school, Kotomi was successfully "coaxed" into going home with Megumi.
Two hours later.
Kotomi wobbled slightly as she stepped out of Megumi's house, needing Megumi's help to steady herself.
"Are you sure you don't want me to carry you home?"
"No, I'm going to the bookstore." Kotomi rubbed her slightly weary face, taking a deep breath. Her Queen of All Females endurance kicked in, instantly restoring most of her stamina.
"Then I'll carry you to the bookstore instead." As the "culprit" responsible for Kotomi's current state, Megumi was eager to offer her assistance.
"That bookstore is right along Aimi's route home from school. You just want her to see, don't you?" Kotomi shot Megumi a knowing look.
"What? No way. I've always seen Aimi as my little sister. I'd love to get closer to her and become great friends." Megumi replied with a perfectly straight face. Then she added, "By the way, when does Aimi get out of school?"
"In about twenty minutes."
"Then why don't you stay at my place for twenty more minutes? After that, I'll carry you to the bookstore. I'm just worried—you're still unsteady on your feet. What if you trip and fall?"
Even if Megumi had the words "Pure Intentions" written across her forehead, Kotomi wouldn't believe her for a second. With an adorable pout, she reached out and pinched Megumi's arm in playful protest.
But Megumi didn't mind the slight pain at all. Instead, she used the moment Kotomi leaned in to close the distance—seizing the opportunity to press their lips together once more.
For some reason, Megumi's kiss was especially intense this time…
It was a long while before they finally parted.
"Kotomi, I love you."
"Idiot, you don't need to say something we both already know. I love you too."
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