Faced with Mashiro Shiina's invitation—one that was practically laid bare—Kotomi Izumi felt her cheeks start to flush.
To be honest, she did kind of want to take a bath with Mashiro Shiina...
But under the current circumstances, and given the way Mashiro was looking at her... Kotomi could guarantee that if she agreed to bathe together tonight, something indescribable would definitely happen.
With her Queen of All Females constitution, Kotomi would go completely weak and helpless the moment a girl made the first move—her strength and resistance would instantly plummet off a cliff.
What's more, the side effects of that constitution were on the verge of erupting again. It was like a nuke inside her, just waiting to go off. One wrong step, and that second outburst would create total chaos.
The first time it happened, she had unconsciously kissed Mashiro Shiina. If it happened again... what would she end up doing? Just imagining it made Kotomi feel parched.
She stood up and grabbed a bottle of mineral water, chugging it down in gulps.
Stop thinking. If I keep thinking, I might actually lose control!
Mashiro looked at her blankly, and after Kotomi finished drinking the water, she said, "Kotomi, I actually took a sip from that bottle earlier..."
Kotomi froze. If Mashiro hadn't said anything, she probably wouldn't have noticed—and nothing might've happened.
But now that she knew!
Kotomi wasn't sure if it was just in her head, but she could suddenly feel her blood vessels erupting in excitement, like her bloodstream was throwing a wild party.
She let out a heavy breath. For a split second, her vision blurred, and a dangerous urge to pounce on Mashiro surged up.
She bit down hard on her tongue—no mercy at all. The metallic taste of blood burst in her mouth, helping her regain some clarity.
Was I... on the verge of triggering a second Queen of All Females outburst just now?
The thought alone was terrifying. It felt like barely escaping death in a horror game—cold sweat soaked her clothes.
Forcing a strained smile, she said, "I-it's fine. We've shared food before, remember that roasted pumpkin? What's a bottle of water in comparison? You're not grossed out by me, are you~?"
By the end of her sentence, Kotomi had flipped the tone completely—speaking like a pouty wife, sulking adorably. The kind of tone that goes straight to your heart, making you want to say, Take it, take it, take everything! If you want the moon, I'll get it for you, baby!
Mashiro Shiina shook her head vigorously and said loudly and earnestly, "Not at all! If I could, I'd want every glass of water I ever drink to be one that you've already drunk from!"
Thankfully, the presidential suite was on a private, soundproofed floor. Otherwise, with how loud Mashiro had just shouted that, the neighbors might've heard every word.
No way no way... Kotomi frantically told herself, then quickly changed the subject. If they kept talking like this, she might once again lose herself to desire and teeter on the edge of losing all reason.
"Alright, enough teasing. Go take your bath already. I still need to finish packing. I'll bathe after you."
"Not together?" Mashiro asked again, still unwilling to give up.
Kotomi shook her head. As much as she wanted to bathe with Mashiro—after all, the thought of bathing with a beautiful girl was enough to make her giggle in her sleep...
The truth was, Kotomi Izumi was afraid. In her current unstable state—where the side effect of her Queen of All Females constitution could flare up at any moment—bathing with Mashiro Shiina could lead to disaster. They'd step into the bath together, and the next morning she'd wake up in bed, disheveled and exhausted, with Mashiro lying naked in her arms, her clothes strewn on the floor.
Yes—naive little Kotomi had always assumed that when the Queen of All Females side effect activated, she'd become feral and dominant, launching a 1000% aggressive assault on the beautiful girl in front of her.
She figured, Since I'm usually the one being pushed around, then when the side effect hits, I must go full predator mode, right?
Just thinking about it left her... oddly expectant.
But when Kotomi still wouldn't say yes, Mashiro Shiina pouted in disappointment and trudged toward the bathroom. At the door, she looked back over her shoulder three times, hoping Kotomi would change her mind and say, Alright, let's bathe together after all.
But even as the door closed, Kotomi didn't speak. She didn't even stand up—just quietly continued packing her suitcase.
"Sigh..."
Mashiro sighed softly. Once inside the bathroom, she rubbed her cheeks and muttered to herself in confusion:
"Kotomi even kissed me before—she must like me. So why won't she take a bath with me? Could it be... she still prefers bathing with Megumi Kato over me?! Ugh—I still have so much to catch up on if I want to beat her!"
Her earlier disappointment was instantly replaced with renewed determination.
Fired up.
Only when Kotomi heard the bathroom door finally shut and the sound of running water begin did she breathe a small sigh of relief. She got up and walked to the mini fridge, pulling out a bottle of Pepsi. At first she thought buying an entire case was excessive—but now, it felt just right.
She downed more than half the bottle in one go and let out a satisfied burp. Maybe that was part of the appeal of carbonated drinks.
The restlessness in her chest had also cooled slightly thanks to the icy soda.
"That was close... Was I seriously just one step away from the Queen of All Females side effect blowing up again?"
A wave of post-crisis exhaustion washed over her. Kotomi didn't even want to imagine what she might've done if she hadn't resisted.
"'One step away' is an understatement. You were practically about to short-circuit like a drained Eva Unit-01."
Kazumi's voice suddenly rang out.
Kotomi turned in surprise to see her sitting on top of the fridge, legs dangling. Her long pink hair flowed loosely around her shoulders, a soft smile on her face. The small feet that were usually tucked into white stockings now glistened bare in Kotomi's view.
Her toenails were painted a pale pink, and the dainty feet swayed slightly with Kazumi's movement.
Kotomi's gaze naturally drifted down to them. After a long pause, she finally asked:
"When did you start painting your nails?"
"Pfft—should I be happy that you noticed the little change I made when I showed up, or concerned that you're calm enough to focus on my toes when you nearly had a full-blown side effect outburst just now?"
Kazumi tapped Kotomi's cheek gently with her soft, delicate foot beneath her dress. It was a bit of a rebuke—but more than anything, she seemed pleased Kotomi had noticed her subtle change.
Because deep down, Kazumi was still just a girl too.
Girls, from time to time, will get the urge to try a new lipstick, perfume, or nail polish.
Anything related to appearance—once changed—will then be subtly shown off in front of the person they like. Beauty is for the one who appreciates it. If that person notices the change, she'll be delighted. If not, she might pout and sulk, dropping a few more hints.
And if he still doesn't notice...
Well, in the near future, that missed detail will absolutely become part of a future argument.
Of course, the only reason Kotomi Izumi noticed right away was because she always looked at a beauty's legs and feet first. While most people's attention went to a woman's figure, Kotomi's gaze went straight to the legs.
Apparently, it was a habit she'd had since childhood.
It all began with her first day of kindergarten.
As everyone knows, when kids go to kindergarten for the first time, whether they're truly sad or just imitating others, they always end up crying. If everyone else is crying, they'll cry too. And once they start, it snowballs into a real emotional breakdown.
For kindergarten teachers, the first few days of a new semester are some of the most exhausting days of the year.
Little Kotomi was no different. When she got up that morning and put on her little school uniform, she hadn't realized anything was off—she just thought she was getting to wear new clothes, a new hat, and a new backpack.
Her dad coaxed her out of the house with a promise of hamburgers for breakfast. He did take her for burgers, but afterward, instead of going home, he drove her straight to the kindergarten gates.
It was only while munching on her fries that Kotomi realized—this was bad.
She was just about to scrunch her adorable little face and cling to her dad's neck, ready to cry and refuse to go in, when a kindergarten teacher with a single ponytail came out to greet them.
Kotomi would never forget that teacher—wearing slim-fit jeans that showed off a pair of stunning long legs. Even with the apron printed with the school's logo, little Kotomi's eyes locked straight onto those legs.
Her dad, Kaneyoshi Izumi, was about to comfort her with a promise of buying her an Ultraman toy after school, but before he could even speak, Kotomi slid down from his arms with a little scoot.
As if afraid that the big-sister-like teacher might vanish, Kotomi ran straight to her, wrapped her arms around her leg, and beamed:
"Onee-san, Onee-san~ Do you like green peppers?"
"Eh? Y-yeah, I do. I love green pepper stir-fried with meat!"
This teacher had already been working at the kindergarten for two years and had taught many first-year classes. She thought she'd seen it all.
But a kid like Kotomi? This was a first.
Despite her surprise, the teacher quickly regained her composure and started chatting with Kotomi. She was delighted to meet such a cheerful, energetic child. Maybe Kotomi could become the class's little ray of sunshine, helping the others stop crying.
And more importantly—Kotomi was just too cute!
In her two years of teaching, she had never seen a little girl this adorable. When she first saw Kotomi's face, she'd honestly thought a manga princess had just stepped into the real world.
"So do you like the green peppers or the meat more in that dish?"
"Hmm~ the peppers, of course! I'm on a diet, you know. But green peppers are super yummy. So when you eat lunch here, little one, be sure to eat all your green peppers, okay? No picky eating."
"You like green peppers, and I like shredded pork—heehee, we're totally meant to be! We're a perfect match!"
"Huh?"
And so, the kindergarten teacher, utterly bewildered by little Kotomi's bizarre logic, absentmindedly took her hand and led her into class. But regardless, Kotomi hadn't cried that day.
It was because of that long-standing habit that Kotomi immediately noticed the pink nail polish on Kazumi's small toes.
Just as Kazumi was about to say something else, Kotomi stepped forward and gave her thigh a pinch, grabbing her small foot with the pink nail polish in her palm.
"Get down from the fridge. If you break it, we'll have to pay for it when we check out tomorrow. Even in a regular hotel room, breaking something costs a fortune. If you damage something in a presidential suite, they might charge a king's ransom."
"Ugh... what are you talking about? I'm only three years old—how could I possibly break a fridge?"
Kazumi pouted in protest, but still obeyed Kotomi's words. She shifted slightly, letting Kotomi hold her foot and help her down.
After some teasing and laughter, Kazumi got to the point:
"Luckily you were ruthless enough just now to bite your tongue and force yourself back to your senses. Otherwise, who knows what might've happened?"
"To put it bluntly, if your Queen of All Females side effect had flared up a second time, even though your current girlfriend is Megumi Kato, you'd probably have to take responsibility and marry Mashiro as your wife.
"But that's beside the point. Is your tongue okay?"
"You really didn't hold back with that bite—I thought you were going to chew it clean off."
Why do I have to be the one marrying her? Shouldn't I be the one taking her as my wife? I'm the husband here! Kotomi grumbled internally. Something about Kazumi's phrasing just felt wrong.
"My tongue's fine. Already healed."
Kotomi stuck out her soft pink tongue, now completely back to normal despite having gushed blood earlier.
Sure, the Queen of All Females constitution came with troublesome, even dangerous side effects. But with great risk came great reward.
That same constitution constantly provided her with subtle boosts in all sorts of areas.
Even when the side effects were accumulating to the brink, it never stopped working in her favor.
"Still, biting your tongue every time isn't a long-term solution. We have to find a way to deal with the side effects with minimal damage."
Kazumi frowned slightly, pretending to be deep in thought—when in reality, she was preparing to suggest (again) that maybe she should help Kotomi release that tension.
"It's not like we can come up with a perfect plan that easily," Kotomi replied with a sigh.
"Then how about..."
Kazumi raised an eyebrow and suggested tentatively:
"I could alter Mashiro Shiina's memory and erase the moment you kissed her."
"Let's be honest—her increasingly bold affection toward you stems from that one kiss. It gave her all the confidence she needed to make her feelings obvious."
"If you're constantly being pursued by beautiful girls but never respond physically, your side effect is only going to build up until it eventually erupts like a volcano."
"If we erase that kiss, maybe she'll back off a little and give you room to breathe."
"No."
Kotomi shook her head firmly, rejecting the idea without a hint of hesitation.
"Why not?"
Kazumi asked curiously. It was fine if the idea got shot down—but she wanted to know why.
"No matter how difficult the situation gets, I will never erase any of their memories. Altering someone's memory so casually is just too cruel. That's my bottom line—I won't cross it."
Kazumi nodded in approval, clearly moved by Kotomi's firm stance. Then she offered one final reminder:
"If we don't come up with a way to de-escalate this siege of affection soon, tsk tsk... that love polygon is going to turn into a funeral pyre."
Kotomi had already foreseen the incoming mess. She took a deep breath and said resolutely:
"If it comes to that, then I'll take responsibility for every one of them."
"How do you manage to say something as shameless as 'I'll build a harem' with such moral righteousness..." Kazumi muttered in disbelief.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven