Whether it was because of Yui Yuigahama or Tomoka Yuigahama, Kotomi Izumi had come to the Dango Cake Shop so many times that by now, she could probably walk there with her eyes closed and still arrive without a hitch.
She pushed open the shop door and unexpectedly saw Yui Yuigahama—who should have been in school at this hour—busily moving boxes back and forth.
Kotomi wasn't surprised that Iroha Isshiki wasn't at school today. They had just finished midterms, and like clockwork, Chiba's private middle schools gave students a few days off.
This holiday habit, similar to that of Sobu High School, always made students from other middle schools green with envy.
Back when Kotomi was in middle school, she might have worn a long face during exams, but the moment they ended, she was bouncing off the walls. After all, finishing midterms meant time off—even if not as long as the spring or summer breaks after finals, any time off was a gift.
Even one day felt like a win.
After all, scraps of meat are still meat. Even a few days of vacation meant no early mornings and no classes—perfect for staying up late and lazing in bed.
That said, Kotomi was quite surprised Yui hadn't gone to school today—her midterms were just two days away...
Even carefree as Kotomi could be, she still would usually hit the books a little before exams.
"This sandwich goes on this shelf. Some customers don't like tomato, some don't like pickles. Next time we should just make three kinds: one with both, one with just tomato, and one with just pickles. Only three caterpillar buns left—make a note to bake more. Also, I need to gather up everything expiring in a few days and pack it into boxes, then set up a special rack outside for markdown sales. Egg tarts are sold out. We're also out of ingredients. The next batch won't arrive until at least the day after tomorrow. Better hang up a 'Sold Out' sign..."
Yui Yuigahama moved through the shop with a box in her arms, mumbling a list of her current and upcoming tasks to herself so she wouldn't forget anything.
She was collecting nearly-expired bread and cakes from the shelves to sell at steep discounts. Those always sold out fast.
Unless you're from a wealthy family with no worries...
Most people have at least one day when money's too tight to spend.
Whether it's a student who splurged their allowance and can't afford lunch, someone who just paid off a massive hospital bill for a sick parent and is now crushed by rent, loans, and life expenses, or an elderly person abandoned by their children and scraping by on government aid...
There are endless reasons people run short on cash—enough to make them hesitate to even eat.
Convenience stores, restaurants, bakeries—many of them sell nearly-expired items at deep discounts.
To the store, it's just a way to get rid of stock. But to some, it's food they can afford. Food that keeps them from going hungry.
Kotomi didn't speak. She leaned against the doorframe, quietly watching Yui move from shelf to shelf. Even without asking, she understood why Yui hadn't gone to school today.
There was no need to guess. The shop must've been especially busy today. Leaving everything to Mrs. Yuigahama would've been impossible.
Tasks like checking shelf life, reorganizing, repackaging, and re-shelving discounted items—they required time and hands.
Tasks like these—simple but requiring patience and care—were nearly impossible to juggle on top of baking cakes and bread in the kitchen.
No one can split their attention in two, let alone three ways.
Still, if the nearly-expired bread and cakes weren't sorted and sold quickly, the losses would add up fast.
So Yui Yuigahama took the initiative to take a day off school to help her mom manage the discount sorting.
After working for a while, a light sheen of sweat appeared on her pale neck.
She didn't take a break. Only after crouching down to place the nearly-expired bread and cakes from the box onto the special clearance shelf did she finally exhale in relief, resting one hand on her knee and the other rubbing her sore waist as she slowly stood up—carefully, so as not to throw her back.
In a small business, throwing out your back could put you out of commission.
Yui was fully aware of this. She even avoided rough activity in gym class, worried that injuring her arms, legs, or back would keep her from helping her mother run the cake shop.
Maybe she had bent over too long—before she could fully straighten, dizziness hit. She swayed, and it felt like she was going to collapse.
Oh no, there's a shelf behind me!
Her heart sank. It was the pudding display—not as sturdy as the bread or cake shelves. If she fell back, she might topple the whole thing, sending all the puddings crashing to the ground.
Even if she landed hard and hurt herself, Yui wouldn't care. But the thought of the puddings breaking, of the wasted cost—that alone made it hard to breathe.
No matter how much she wanted to stop it, her dizzy, out-of-control body offered no resistance. She wasn't some stunt actor who could catch herself mid-fall.
This is it. We're going to lose money...
Yui squeezed her eyes shut in despair.
Thud~
But she didn't hear the crash of a shelf falling or the splatter of puddings hitting the floor. Nor did she feel the cold, hard ground or the pain of impact.
Instead, her head landed against something soft. Big. Like a giant steamed bun.
If buns really came that large, even Kotomi would struggle to finish one... Yui's dazed thoughts wandered.
Then it hit her: she hadn't fallen onto some enormous bun.
She'd landed on someone.
"I'm so sorry!"
Yui scrambled to stand and bow, but as she turned, she saw a familiar face smiling sweetly at her.
"Hello~ Yui!"
Yui blinked in shock. For a second, time around them seemed to freeze. Then she broke into a radiant smile and flung herself into Kotomi's arms.
"Kotomi! Kotomi! Kotomi! What took you so long to come back!"
Yui buried her face in Kotomi's chest like a puppy joyfully greeting its owner, her voice loud and bright, filled with unfiltered sweetness and joy.
Every syllable said what her heart couldn't:
I missed you so much.
Yui Yuigahama hugged Kotomi tightly, as if afraid that if she let go even a little, Kotomi would disappear from sight.
"I like Kotomi."
That thought had long since been solidified in Yui Yuigahama's heart. But every time she tried to express her feelings to Kotomi, Megumi Kato would always coincidentally appear.
Yui didn't know that Kotomi and Megumi were dating. She just felt too shy to confess her feelings in front of her good friend Megumi.
Maybe now... maybe this was a good chance. Yui silently thought to herself and tightened her embrace, clinging to Kotomi as if she were her lifeline.
Kotomi said nothing. She simply let Yui hold her, gently stroking Yui's back and smoothing her soft peach-colored hair.
Only after a long while did Yui finally loosen her grip. The reluctance was written all over her face, and Kotomi saw it clearly. After a moment of thought, she asked:
"Did you get the gift and the letter? Did you like them?"
"I loved them!"
Yui nodded vigorously. Her tone and expression resembled that of an eager puppy wagging its tail—even barking twice wouldn't have felt out of place.
Kotomi had to resist the urge to reach out and pat her on the head or cheek, to say something like: "Good girl~"
Mashiro Shiina was like a cat; Yui Yuigahama was like a puppy.
"Are you going to school tomorrow?"
"I am! I should be done with the last bit of cake shop work by this afternoon. Kotomi, did you come straight here after getting off the train?"
Yui's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she asked the last question.
"Yeah, I came here right after arriving at Tokyo Station. Look, I haven't even taken my suitcase home yet," Kotomi replied, pointing to the suitcase she'd left by the shop entrance.
She had dropped it there in a rush to catch Yui from falling earlier. It was inside the store, so there was no worry about losing it.
Hearing Kotomi say that she came straight to see her made Yui's cheeks flush a soft pink. Had she not been holding herself back, she probably would have skipped and twirled around in joy.
While Yui was beaming internally, Kotomi glanced toward the kitchen and asked, "Where's Mrs. Yuigahama?"
"Mom went home to make lunch for little Yuka. The kindergarten is installing a new slide today, and to avoid accidents with curious kids, they gave everyone two days off. Yuka's been absolutely thrilled—she's been glued to my side like a little shadow."
Yui smiled fondly as she spoke. It was the kind of casual complaint older sisters often made about their mischievous younger siblings.
No matter how cute a little sister is, in her big sister's eyes, she can still be a tiny tyrant.
Kotomi chuckled. From the sound of it, Yuka wasn't just clingy. She was probably trying to sneak in some phone time by staying near her big sister.
Kids these days were sharp. Unlike Kotomi's own childhood when watching a bit of TV felt like a luxury, children now instinctively learned how to use smartphones.
Take Yuka, for instance. Neither Yui nor her mom had taught her how to use a phone, fearing early exposure would hurt her eyesight.
But Yuka, clever as ever, had watched them closely and figured it out all on her own.
Yuka could now skillfully open video apps or the browser to search for her favorite cartoons.
Upon hearing this, Kotomi chuckled and said, "Make sure the phone's payment password is something complicated."
Of course, there was something Yui Yuigahama didn't say out loud. She was too embarrassed to tell Kotomi.
Last time, when Yuka was playing with her phone, she accidentally opened the browser, then the bookmarks, and very coincidentally tapped on the first link saved there.
It led to a certain site Yui had bookmarked long ago—a site hosting some of her cherished doujinshi. The page that opened was a full-color yuri comic Yui had been... revisiting. Repeatedly.
Thankfully, the particular page wasn't too explicit. But when Yuka saw one of the female characters, her eyes widened in recognition, and she shouted excitedly:
"That girl in the comic looks just like Penguin Onee-chan!!"
Yui scrambled to snatch the phone from her hands. Of course she knew the comic's protagonist resembled Kotomi—same hair, same color. That was exactly why she had... enjoyed it so much. She had read it almost thirty times and still wasn't tired of it.
There was no way she could tell Kotomi about this.
"Kotomi, I read this amazing full-color yuri comic that totally looks like you. I've read it more than thirty times!"
Yeah, no.
Yuka couldn't tell her either. That's why Yui had been bribing her lately with sweets, while also assigning her tons of mental math cards—a mix of carrot and stick.
Anything to make sure Yuka kept quiet.
Yui couldn't imagine what Kotomi would think if she ever found out. Would she think Yui was a total pervert? Would it ruin everything between them?
She hadn't even gotten Kotomi to agree to be her girlfriend yet!
After a bit more chatting, Kotomi finally remembered the real reason she came: to buy a cake for Aimi!
She didn't know Aimi's exact score yet, but she had full confidence in her little sister. Might as well celebrate first!
Grades could wait—her sister finished her midterms. The mood must be set!
Kotomi chose Aimi's favorite: a whipped cream and blueberry layer cake. She was already plotting to smear a little cream on Aimi's face once she got home.
After all, Aimi had done the same to her on her birthday.
As the dignified older sister, Kotomi had to return the favor—with love, of course. This was her brand of heartwarming care!
After wrapping the cake, Yui handed it to her and said:
"Kotomi, wait here a sec. I have something I want to give you."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven