Chapter 905 - 905: Why Was Mom So Happy to See Kotomi?

After leaving Anjima Yakiniku, Kotomi Izumi walked Yui Yuigahama home.

Kotomi had originally planned to leave immediately after seeing Yui home, but just as she was about to turn around, Yui reached out and tugged on her sleeve. Her quiet voice was filled with expectation:

"Kotomi, can you stay with me for a while?"

If Yui Yuigahama was asking Kotomi Izumi to stay with her, she obviously did not mean simply sitting around together. Of course she wanted to cuddle~

Faced with Yui taking the initiative, Kotomi was more than happy to oblige.

However, remembering how back in Kyoto, whenever Yui cuddled with her, she had always surrendered in less than a minute, Kotomi could not help wondering whether Yui would finally manage to last one full minute this time.

Or, if she let her imagination run a little wilder, perhaps Yui could even last five minutes!

Thinking this, Kotomi nodded and agreed:

"Sure~"

Then she followed Yui inside.

As they were changing shoes in the entryway, Tomoka Yuigahama happened to leave the little alcove in her bedroom where she had spent the entire morning drawing illustrations. She was thirsty and wanted to grab a drink from the kitchen.

When Mrs. Yuigahama saw Kotomi sitting in the entryway changing her shoes, she froze for a moment before greeting her with delighted surprise:

"Kotomi, welcome! It feels like you haven't come over to visit in ages."

???

Yui Yuigahama, who had just taken off her shoes, immediately seemed to have three little question marks floating above her head when she heard how much delight filled her mother's voice.

Am I imagining things? Why does Mom seem so happy to see Kotomi? Kotomi is my girlfriend, not Mom's girlfriend. Why is Mom acting this excited? Even if she's just her daughter's friend, there's no reason to be this happy...

Yui Yuigahama thought silently as she looked at her mother, then at Kotomi Izumi.

Then she asked herself another question in her heart:

Am I just overthinking it?

While Yui Yuigahama's thoughts wandered, Kotomi Izumi responded with a smile:

"Haha, Auntie Tomoka, sorry to intrude."

"How could you possibly be intruding? I wish you'd come over more often. Before you two came back from Kyoto, I even told Yui to bring you home with her so I could cook a big meal for both of you."

"But this girl actually came back without you. It completely killed my enthusiasm for cooking that day~"

Mrs. Yuigahama spoke half-jokingly and even deliberately sighed afterward.

Only then did Kotomi remember that before returning from Kyoto, Yui had invited her to come over for a meal once they got back to Chiba.

Kotomi had originally accepted Yui's invitation.

However, the moment they left the station, she had run into Iroha Isshiki. She had spent the entire trip matching wits with that little devil, and Kumi Isshiki had driven Yukino, Yui, and Kotomi home one after another.

As a result, Kotomi had completely forgotten about going to the Yuigahama home for dinner.

Thinking back on it now, Kotomi suddenly understood why Yui had looked at her with such obvious displeasure when she got out of the car that day.

So that was why.

Kotomi had agreed to Yui's invitation, only to stand her up anyway...

Kotomi's mouth twitched helplessly. She wanted to laugh, but also felt that she really should not be laughing right now. She should sincerely apologize to the dumpling instead.

Several days had already passed since they returned from Kyoto.

Kotomi did not even need to ask to know that because she had stood Yui up, the dumpling must have spent the past several days repeatedly overthinking it in her heart.

Yet every time, Yui had still done her best to hide her emotions.

That was precisely why several days had gone by before Kotomi finally realized how long Yui had been brooding over it.

Whenever Kotomi was with Yui, Yui always gave her a healing, cheerful, and gentle feeling.

Yui Yuigahama was not really an outgoing girl. If anything, her personality was somewhat introverted and insecure.

But whenever she was with Kotomi, she became cheerful.

Because that cheerfulness belonged to Kotomi alone.

"Actually, Yui did invite me. She invited me several times. Unfortunately, something came up on the day we returned, so I didn't get the chance to taste your cooking."

"What a shame. Next time I get the chance, I definitely won't miss it!" Kotomi said with a smile.

"Then you can try it today. I was just about to start cooking. Why don't you stay and have lunch with us?"

Mrs. Yuigahama invited her.

She herself did not quite understand what she was thinking right now.

She simply wanted Kotomi to stay and spend a little more time in the house.

Even if Kotomi said nothing and did nothing, merely seeing Kotomi in her home made an indescribable happiness and sense of reassurance spread through Mrs. Yuigahama's heart.

Along with it came an impulse to rely on Kotomi.

All these changes in Mrs. Yuigahama's feelings stemmed from that night.

Kotomi, mistakenly believing Mrs. Yuigahama had already fallen asleep, had secretly kissed her cheek and softly confessed her feelings.

It had seemed almost like preparation for a formal confession in the near future.

Before Kotomi could say anything, Yui Yuigahama suddenly spoke first:

"Mom, Kotomi and I already ate. We were starving after finishing our physicals at the hospital, so we went to eat yakiniku. You don't need to make lunch for either of us."

"Ah... So you've already eaten. What a shame. I was thinking I'd finally have the chance to let Kotomi try my cooking today."

After hearing her daughter's words, a trace of disappointment unconsciously flashed deep in Mrs. Yuigahama's eyes.

Listening to the conversation between mother and daughter, Kotomi had something she was not sure whether she should say.

Actually, I could still eat a little more...

After hesitating for a moment, Kotomi ultimately decided not to say it.

If she did, it would make her seem like she had an enormous appetite, some kind of little glutton.

"Yeah. Since we were going to the hospital for physicals, we couldn't eat breakfast. By the time the examinations were over, we were starving, so Yui and I went to Anjima Yakiniku for grilled meat."

"Talk about bad timing."

Kotomi smiled apologetically.

"If that's the case, then there's nothing we can do today. But Kotomi, next time you have time, you absolutely have to come taste my cooking."

"It's a promise!"

Kotomi nodded.

"Come to think of it, I saw a promotional post for Anjima Yakiniku on Twitter before. Since the restaurant is nearby, it stuck in my memory, but I've never actually eaten there."

"I remember there used to be a taiyaki shop in that location. By the way, Kotomi, how's the food at the yakiniku restaurant?" Mrs. Yuigahama asked curiously.

"It's really good. Otherwise, I wouldn't have become a regular there. Auntie Tomoka, let's go eat there together sometime," Kotomi invited.

Hearing Kotomi's invitation, Tomoka Yuigahama suddenly felt her cheeks growing hotter and hotter.

She thought excitedly:

Go eat together next time? D-Does that mean Kotomi wants to go on a date with me?! What do I do, what do I do, what do I do!! Kotomi actually wants to go on a date with me!

I already knew how Kotomi felt about me, but now that she's suddenly making a move, I still don't know how to react!

Why would Kotomi choose this moment to "attack" me? Could it be that when she confessed to me that night, she realized I wasn't actually asleep?

And now she's inviting me on a date right in front of Yui because she wants to know how I'll respond?

Oh no—I feel like my hands and feet are already starting to shake. This is so embarrassing.

It feels like I've wasted all these years. I'm already a woman in my thirties, yet facing sixteen-year-old Kotomi has me so nervous that my hands and feet are trembling!

I'm so nervous, so nervous. I feel like I can barely stand. What kind of attitude am I supposed to take toward Kotomi's date invitation?

Ugh... I can't make up my mind at all.

If it were only Kotomi and me here right now, I might accept without the slightest hesitation, terrified that if I waited even one second too long, Kotomi might change her mind.

But the problem is... my daughter is standing right here watching!

If I agree to go on a date with Kotomi right in front of my own daughter, my image in Yui's heart will definitely plummet!

B-But even so, I still really want to accept Kotomi's invitation and go on a date with her!

No, no. How can I think like this? Forget the fact that I'm already a woman in my thirties. Kotomi is my daughter's girlfriend! How could I possibly have other thoughts about her?!

And Kotomi is Akina's daughter. Akina is my friend. How could I possibly get involved with my friend's daughter...

But Kotomi was the one who invited me... No, no, I absolutely can't think like this.

Kotomi is still a child, so it's normal for her not to know better. I'm an adult. I can't be the one who doesn't know better!

But I really, really want to accept Kotomi's invitation and go on a date with her...

And so, Tomoka Yuigahama's heart fell into an intense conflict.

In reality, however, what Kotomi had just said was not a date invitation at all.

She simply wanted to find some time in the future to take Yuka, Mrs. Yuigahama, and Yui Yuigahama to Anjima Yakiniku together.

During a previous conversation with Yuka, Kotomi had learned that Yuka loved yakiniku, especially grilled pork belly.

Ever since learning that Yuka liked yakiniku, Kotomi had wanted to find an opportunity to take her out for grilled meat and let her eat to her heart's content.

However, taking a little girl to a yakiniku restaurant by herself somehow felt strange.

Someone might even mistake Kotomi for a young single mother who had been forced to drop out of school because of pregnancy.

Then, after struggling through a month of part-time work, she had finally saved enough money to take her daughter out for her favorite yakiniku.

To avoid causing any strange misunderstandings, Kotomi wanted Mrs. Yuigahama to come with them.

Likewise, if she was already inviting Mrs. Yuigahama and Yuka, then naturally Yui had to come too.

And so, Kotomi had formed the idea of taking all three Yuigahama women out for yakiniku.

Kotomi had no idea that a casual remark from her had caused Mrs. Yuigahama to misunderstand her intentions so badly.

Well... it could not be called a complete misunderstanding.

After all, Kotomi genuinely did want to go on a date with Mrs. Yuigahama.

It was just that Mrs. Yuigahama currently knew Kotomi and Yui were dating, so Kotomi still had no idea how she should reveal her desire to go on a date with her.

In fact, Kotomi's feelings toward Mrs. Yuigahama had long since gone beyond merely wanting to date her.

They had already escalated to the point where she wanted Yuka to start calling her Mom.

To tell the truth, if Yuka were not so smart, then as long as the girl were even slightly more gullible, Kotomi would have secretly asked Yuka to start calling her Mom whenever the two of them were alone.

She had not formally confessed to Mrs. Yuigahama yet.

She had not successfully won Mrs. Yuigahama over either, much less married her.

Even so, Kotomi still wanted Yuka to call her Mom a few times in advance, just so she could enjoy the feeling early.

Of course, Kotomi did not dare reveal any of these thoughts yet, whether to Mrs. Yuigahama or Yui Yuigahama.

Meanwhile, after several seconds passed, Mrs. Yuigahama finally made up her mind.

She decided to accept Kotomi's date invitation!

Tomoka Yuigahama quietly took a deep breath and repeatedly encouraged herself in her heart before slowly opening her mouth:

"O-Okay. Let's go eat together next time."

I said it!!!

Before the words had even finished leaving her mouth, Tomoka Yuigahama was already screaming excitedly in her heart.

She felt as though she had bravely taken one enormous step forward!

While excitement surged through her heart, Mrs. Yuigahama could not resist observing Kotomi's reaction.

She wanted to see what expression Kotomi would make after hearing that she had accepted.

Mrs. Yuigahama knew very well that what she was doing was wrong.

She had struggled with herself.

Yet after all that hesitation and inner conflict, she still could not resist accepting Kotomi's invitation.

As Tomoka Yuigahama waited in conflicted anticipation to see what kind of reaction Kotomi would show, Kotomi merely responded calmly:

"Oh, okay."

Huh?

A huge question mark appeared in Mrs. Yuigahama's mind.

Why?

Why is Kotomi reacting so calmly right now?!

Is she deliberately pretending so Yui won't notice anything strange?

But if this is an act, then Kotomi's acting is way too good, isn't it?!

While question after question appeared in Tomoka Yuigahama's mind, Kotomi continued:

"Then let's go to Anjima Yakiniku together when Yuka has a day off. Their cheese grill is really good, and Yuka will probably like it too."

"We'll just have to go a little early. If we arrive even slightly late, all the cheese-grill tables might already be taken."

"Ah... W-Why are we bringing Yuka?" Tomoka Yuigahama blurted out instinctively.

"Huh? Of course we're bringing Yuka. Otherwise, why would I have said, 'Let's go eat there together next time'?"

"Yuka's been craving yakiniku for ages. This time, I definitely have to let her eat until she's completely satisfied!"

Kotomi said this with a smile, her expression filled entirely with affection for Yuka.

The instant she saw Kotomi's smile, Tomoka Yuigahama finally understood.

When Kotomi had said, "Let's go eat there together next time," she had not been asking her on a date at all.

She had simply... wanted to take all three Yuigahama women out for yakiniku!

More precisely, Kotomi wanted to take Yuka out for yakiniku.

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