Kyoto.
Kotomi Izumi wiped her lips with a napkin. Although the roasted chicken pizza at this restaurant was quite generous in portion, it still wasn't enough to fill Kotomi. Two or three 15-inch pizzas weren't nearly enough.
By the end, Mashiro Shiina, already full, was sipping her milk tea while watching Kotomi continue to eat pizza.
And it wasn't just pizza—Kotomi also ordered a snack platter, meat sauce pasta, baked cheese rice... she didn't miss a single item.
Seeing Kotomi, full and satisfied, wiping her mouth with a napkin, Mashiro suddenly understood why Kotomi had asked about private rooms instead of looking at the menu first when they entered the restaurant.
After eating that much, if they were sitting in the open, they definitely would've attracted attention.
Even though Kotomi had a big appetite, her body didn't reflect it in terms of thickness of skin. If others saw her eating this much, she would definitely blush and feel too embarrassed to continue. Even if she could still eat, her shyness would affect her pace.
"Kotomi, when we came in, you were saying, why are we eating fried chicken pizza in Kyoto? But now, you've eaten more than I did," Mashiro said, looking at her seriously, one word at a time.
Kotomi was already used to Mashiro's way of speaking, and found it strangely adorable coming from her.
After taking a sip of Pepsi, Kotomi smiled bashfully. "Haha~ This fried chicken pizza really does have a Kyoto-style flavor!"
In reality, it didn't taste all that different from the one she had in Chiba. Being a global fast-food chain, the flavor was pretty much consistent everywhere.
After wiping her mouth with a wet tissue, Kotomi's lips were like rouge. If Mashiro's rationality had been a little weaker, she might have kissed her right then.
"Mashiro, where do you want to go this afternoon?"
Kotomi asked. She wasn't planning to visit the art museum today. Before coming, she had asked Eiren Kanagawa, who told her that even though today was technically the exhibition date for the first round of the art show, many parts of the venue were still unfinished and under construction.
Visiting today would mean only seeing the selected artworks hung up and protected, but the rest of the exhibition details weren't yet polished.
In other words, if they wanted to see the exhibition in its best condition, it would be better to go tomorrow.
After explaining, Eiren Kanagawa went on to complain about the University of Tokyo. Apparently, every exhibition's construction was handled by Todai, while the design blueprints were provided by Kyoto University.
According to Professor Kanagawa, if Todai hadn't nitpicked and tried to revise every detail of the designs submitted by Kyoto University, construction would've finished long ago—before the finalists were even chosen.
Instead, now all the selected students had already arrived, yet part of the exhibition hall was still incomplete.
Judging by Eiren Kanagawa's expression, it seemed likely she would mock Todai's representatives again when they met.
With how hostile the relationship seemed between Todai and Kyoto University's art departments, it was a wonder they didn't break into a fight when they met.
As for Hibiki Naegi, she had gone straight to bed from exhaustion. Kotomi had messaged her on Line to ask if she wanted any pizza, but there was no reply.
She was probably going to sleep until the next morning.
After discussing it with Mashiro, they decided to visit the museum together with Hibiki tomorrow.
After thinking for a moment, Mashiro quietly said, "This afternoon, I want to draw manga in the hotel."
Mashiro, who usually loved staying home, could spend an entire month indoors if she was immersed in her drawing. Even though she had come all the way to Kyoto, she had no interest in sightseeing—she just wanted to stay in the hotel and work on her manga.
"Alright then, you stay in the room and draw this afternoon. Don't go out alone, and call me if anything comes up. Since we're in Kyoto, I want to go out and explore a bit."
"Okay."
Mashiro replied a little dejectedly. She had thought that since Kotomi even brought her laptop, she would stay in the hotel room with her and work.
In Mashiro's mind, the most romantic date was two people quietly creating in the same room.
She had always dreamed of being in a room with Kotomi, both of them working on their own projects.
They'd quietly focus on their creations, glance at each other's work when tired, and when hitting a creative block, hug each other for comfort... and somehow go from the chairs to the bed.
Kotomi seemed to notice the little thoughts in Mashiro's heart. Resting her cheek on one hand, she looked at Mashiro with a smile for a while, then exaggeratedly exclaimed:
"Oh no! I just remembered both my novel and manga deadlines are coming up. Ah, dang it, I left in such a rush I forgot to bring my drawing tablet. Looks like I'll have to finish the manuscript for the new volume first, and worry about the manga when I get home. Mashiro, after we visit the art museum tomorrow, let's stay in the room and create together! Deadline rush, deadline rush!"
Mashiro was briefly stunned, then smiled brightly.
Click.
Kotomi caught the moment perfectly and saved it in her photo album.
Too bad her phone didn't support setting multiple wallpapers, or she would've added this one too.
I wonder if there's a random wallpaper feature on this phone... Kotomi pondered.
After walking Mashiro back to the hotel, Kotomi reminded her again not to go out alone and to call her if anything happened.
Mashiro obediently nodded and agreed.
Once Kotomi had gone over everything she could think of, she finally felt comfortable enough to leave the hotel.
Kyoto was famous for a type of pottery known as Kyo-yaki, or Kiyomizu ware. With its delicate painting techniques, rich glazes, and stunning craftsmanship, it made for excellent collectibles.
Moreover, Kiyomizu ware held a prestigious status among Japanese ceramic traditions—making it a respectable gift.
After asking a taxi driver for recommendations, Kotomi was taken to a well-known shop in Kyoto specializing in producing and selling Kiyomizu ware.
These days, even fine Kiyomizu ware shops had learned to promote themselves in various ways—good products couldn't afford to stay hidden anymore.
Kotomi initially planned to buy some and pack them in her suitcase to take home on her last day.
But after considering how many people she wanted to buy gifts for, she quickly dismissed that plan.
Never mind whether the suitcase could even fit everything—ceramics were fragile. Even on the Shinkansen, there was no guarantee they'd survive the journey from Kyoto to Chiba.
"Excuse me, can I have these shipped to another city? To Chiba."
"Of course! We also have an online store. After you pick out what you want, just give us the address and our warehouse will handle the delivery."
"If you buy today, we can arrange for the package to go out by evening. It should arrive in Chiba by tomorrow."
"If it's a gift, we also offer pens and stationery so you can write a letter to include in the package."
The staff enthusiastically explained.
Kotomi nodded and picked out a beautifully patterned Kiyomizu piece from the shelf.
"Let me see what this one's called... 'River of Stars.' Not bad, not bad. Very poetic. I'll take it!"
"Alright, I'll get it packed for you."
"Wait, do you have more of the 'River of Stars' design in stock?"
"Yes, we do. Is there a problem with this one? If you'd like, I can take you to the warehouse to choose. You can pick whichever one you like."
"No, that's not it. I'd like eleven of the 'River of Stars' Kiyomizu ware. And please prepare one pen, eleven sheets of stationery, and eleven envelopes."
"Huh?"
The staff member was stunned. In all their years of working, this was the first time someone had made such a request.
Someone actually bought that many Kiyomizu pieces in one go?
And not just any—eleven of the exact same color and pattern.
But the customer is always right. After quoting the price for the eleven "River of Stars" pieces, the staff quickly went to prepare the stationery and envelopes once Kotomi had paid in full.
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