All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

Shizuka Hiratsuka stared at Chihiro Sengoku, her expression blank as her colleague's earlier words echoed in her mind.

"Wait… are you seriously saying that you suspect Mashiro is in a relationship?"

Her lips moved, but no coherent words came out. Shizuka felt as if her brain had short-circuited. She would sooner believe that Chihiro had finally managed to get herself a boyfriend than accept that Mashiro Shiina was dating someone.

It wasn't that Shizuka had a problem with student relationships. After all, Sobu High School didn't impose particularly strict rules on such matters. Some graduates even invited their homeroom teachers to officiate their weddings.

Sobu High's teachers generally turned a blind eye to student romances as long as things didn't get out of hand.

What shocked Shizuka wasn't the idea of a student dating, but the idea of Mashiro dating.

Mashiro Shiina didn't fit the mold of a typical high school girl in a relationship. She sat alone in the last row, without a desk partner, rarely initiating conversations. Most of the time, she either stared into space, sketched in her notebook, or stayed with Kotomi and their group. After school, she always headed to the art club with Kotomi.

Add to that her status as a world-renowned genius artist, and even her classmates hesitated to approach her. Not out of disdain but out of awe—many feared being looked down upon if they dared to speak to her.

Teenagers are prideful creatures, after all. Even though Mashiro had never treated anyone with arrogance, her exceptional talent and reputation cast an intimidating shadow.

Nobody wanted to risk humiliation, so most simply avoided talking to her altogether.

As a result, Mashiro's only apparent friends were Kotomi and the others.

Shizuka had noticed all this as a teacher but had chosen not to intervene. As a homeroom teacher, her role was to respect each student's individuality. Mashiro was introverted, yes, but there wasn't much she could do about that.

Talented individuals like Mashiro often had a mindset different from the average person. Perhaps Mashiro liked being alone.

Back to the point, Shizuka was utterly floored by Chihiro's claim. If Mashiro really was in a relationship, Shizuka couldn't even begin to imagine how that had happened.

What's more, she couldn't help but worry. Mashiro was undoubtedly a genius at painting, but her understanding of everyday life—and relationships—was laughably naive.

She was so pure it was almost hard to believe.

She didn't even know she needed to pay for things when shopping.

If Mashiro was dating someone, wasn't there a huge risk she could be taken advantage of?

At this thought, Shizuka suddenly understood why Chihiro had been standing by the window earlier, staring at the cement wall outside with such melancholy.

It was a legitimate cause for concern.

Seeing Shizuka's skeptical expression, Chihiro shrugged.

"I can tell you don't believe me, but you heard me right. I think my sweet little cousin might be in a relationship. Argh, this is driving me nuts! Should I call her parents tonight? No, no, if I make that call and it turns out to be true, I'll look like a villain in her eyes!"

"Oh, like you're some kind of saint," Shizuka retorted, rolling her eyes. "Let's not forget you're the 'ghost advisor' who drinks beer in front of students."

"Hey! Shizuka, now's not the time to roast me. Help me think of a solution here! What if she is dating someone?!"

With a sigh, Shizuka gave Chihiro a karate chop to the head. "Calm down. Now, when exactly did you start suspecting this?"

"Just a little while ago."

Shizuka: ???

She glanced at the time on her phone. It was currently during the art club's activity period. By this point, Mashiro was almost certainly painting in the art room. With the Tokyo University Youth Art Contest's deadline approaching, the trio of girls would be dedicating every spare moment to finishing their pieces.

Yet Chihiro claimed to have started suspecting Mashiro just now.

A row of question marks seemed to float over Shizuka's head. How on earth had Chihiro come to this conclusion? Was Mashiro not in the art room?

"If you're saying it was just now, then she must be in the art room, right? Or are you telling me she didn't go to the art club today?"

Chihiro shook her head. "She went to the art room."

Shizuka let out a sigh of relief before furrowing her brows. "If she's there, then why are you so suspicious? There are only a handful of members, and they're all girls. It's the safest environment imaginable!"

Pressed by Shizuka's logic, Chihiro hesitated, fidgeting as she finally answered, "Well… I went to check on the art club. You know, as the 'ghost advisor,' I've been teased enough about my lack of presence. Some of the first-years don't even know my name."

"And?"

"So, I've been dropping by more often lately—about half an hour each time—trying to leave a stronger impression. Today was no exception."

Chihiro paused for dramatic effect, only to earn an impatient glare from Shizuka.

"Anyway, I didn't want to disturb them since they're all rushing to finish their paintings, so I tried sneaking in through the back door. But you know how teachers can't resist peeking into classrooms from the back door, right?"

"I don't do that," Shizuka replied firmly. "I prefer peeking from the front door."

"Well, I did both today."

"Alright, fine. So what did you see from the back door?"

"I saw Mashiro acting strangely. That's when I started to suspect she might be dating someone."

"What kind of strange behavior?"

Shizuka's curiosity was piqued, though her growing impatience made her raise her handbag threateningly.

"Don't hit me with that bag! That thing's heavy enough to send me straight to the hospital!"

"Then quit stalling and spit it out."

Chihiro stuck out her tongue playfully—a gesture that seemed more fitting for a child than a nearly-thirty-year-old teacher—and finally explained, "Mashiro looked distracted while painting. She kept sneaking glances at Kotomi."

"She was… sneaking glances at Kotomi?"

Shizuka didn't find this particularly odd. After all, she herself often "sneaked glances" at Kotomi during class.

Chihiro nodded vigorously. "That's why I think she and Kotomi are dating! My sweet little cousin—so innocent, so pure—is about to be snatched away by Kotomi! She's like a precious cabbage about to be plucked by that little rascal!"

Shizuka Hiratsuka's already unsettled expression turned increasingly frazzled, bordering on frustration.

Kotomi and Mashiro… in a relationship?

Her lips twitched. "Seriously? But they're both girls!"

"It's just a hunch!" Chihiro Sengoku waved her hands dismissively. "Besides, what's wrong with that? Back in college, I had a couple of classmates who were so obviously a thing. Now their son's already in fifth grade. Everything's all sunshine and roses—until it's homework time. Then it's all chaos and tears."

Hearing Chihiro's theory that Kotomi and Mashiro might be dating, Shizuka suddenly felt a pang of inexplicable jealousy. For a brief moment, she envied Mashiro. Luckily, she quickly reined in her emotions and didn't let her internal turmoil show.

"It's pretty normal to sneak glances at Kotomi, isn't it?" Shizuka reasoned. "She's such a beauty. Whether she's walking down the hallway or sitting in class, it's only natural for people to stare. I've even overheard students confessing to crushing on her but feeling too intimidated to say anything."

Shizuka paused, adding thoughtfully, "Mashiro probably just thinks Kotomi is beautiful, that's all. Love of beauty is universal. It doesn't necessarily mean anything deeper."

What she didn't voice was a private thought: If sneaking glances at Kotomi means someone is in love with her, then what does that say about me?

Better to keep that to herself, lest Chihiro start jumping to even wilder conclusions.

"Hmm… that does make sense," Chihiro said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Kotomi is so pretty that I wouldn't mind staring at her all day either. Plus, Mashiro's first friend at Sobu High School—and her closest one—is Kotomi. Maybe she just relies on her emotionally, kind of like a pet does its owner."

Satisfied with Shizuka's explanation, Chihiro straightened up, no longer leaning pensively against the window.

"Well, I guess I was just overthinking it," she admitted with a sheepish grin.

"You're just being a concerned cousin," Shizuka said with a sympathetic smile. "It's natural to worry, especially when Mashiro is so innocent and pure. She's like a little lamb in a world full of wolves."

Chihiro let out a relieved laugh.

"Anyway, I'm heading out," Shizuka announced, grabbing her bag.

"Wait, you're leaving already? Weren't we supposed to stay late and work on our teacher reports together?" Chihiro looked at her in surprise.

"While you were busy contemplating life against that wall, I already knocked out a few hundred words. I'm done for today. Bye!"

"Damn it!"

The bell signaling the end of the club activity period rang.

A few minutes later, Kotomi finally put down her paintbrush, letting out a breath as she wiped the light sheen of sweat from her forehead. She hadn't even realized she'd been sweating—completely immersed in her work, she'd been oblivious to everything else.

It felt like she'd just finished running laps on the field rather than sitting in the art room.

Despite the lack of air conditioning, the small fridge Chihiro had brought in recently was a lifesaver. It allowed club members to grab a cold drink after a long session.

Packing up her supplies, Kotomi walked over to the fridge and crouched down to open it.

"Hmm, I'll have a Coke today… huh?"

To her shock, the fridge was stocked entirely with Coca-Cola.

Where was the Pepsi?

Her beloved Pepsi?!

Defeated, she reached for a can of Sprite instead.

The first sip of Sprite brought instant relief, cooling the heat that had built up during her painting session. Standing by the open window, she let the gentle breeze wash over her.

"How's your progress?" asked Hibiki Naegi, walking over.

"Not bad," Kotomi replied. "I was worried skipping a day would throw me off, but my strokes felt unusually smooth today. Before I knew it, the dismissal bell rang, and I'd even gotten ahead of schedule."

"Sounds like you're in the zone," Hibiki said with a grin. "Keep it up. When I win the art prize, I'll treat you and Mashiro to a big meal!"

Kotomi chuckled. "Careful. My appetite's no joke. You might need more than that prize money to cover it. Tell you what—when I win, I'll take you and Mashiro out instead."

Hibiki raised an eyebrow. "You're exaggerating. How big could your appetite possibly be? Three bowls of rice instead of one?"

Kotomi laughed but then noticed something odd. "By the way, Hibiki-senpai, your voice sounds a little hoarse. Are you feeling okay?"

Caught off guard, Hibiki felt her face flush slightly. Damn it, it's all Seiko's fault!

Clearing her throat, she replied, "It's just the weather. My throat always acts up when it gets chilly. Thanks for noticing."

Checking the time on her phone, she added, "Anyway, my sister's still at the Mystery Club playing D&D (Dungeons & Dragons). I need to pick her up. See you tomorrow!"

"See you!" Kotomi and the others waved goodbye as Hibiki left.

With everyone else gone, only Mashiro remained, slowly tidying her station. Since Kotomi had no urgent plans, she decided to wait, sipping her Sprite and cooling off by the window.

Once Mashiro finished packing up, she walked over.

"Thanks for waiting, Kotomi. Let's go."

"Yeah."

As the last two to leave the art room, it was their job to lock up and return the key to the advisor's office.

"Hey, Mashiro, how much did you get done today?" Kotomi asked casually.

Mashiro froze. She had spent the entire session stealing glances at Kotomi, barely putting brush to canvas.

Blushing slightly, she averted her gaze and murmured, "I wasn't in great shape today, so I didn't paint much. I just focused on some touch-ups."

"Oh, got it."

Kotomi nodded, not pressing further.

After all, Mashiro was a world-class genius in art. She didn't need Kotomi to keep tabs on her progress. It was like a newbie worrying about a veteran—a complete mismatch.

In Kotomi's eyes, she was the newbie, and Mashiro was the master.

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