All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

After hearing what Chihiro Sengoku had to say, Hibiki Naegi couldn't help but furrow her brows, her expression a mix of helplessness and worry. She knew that the current misunderstanding between her and Seiko Kirigiri was affecting not just their relationship, but also their daily lives.

Hibiki had mentally prepared herself. Even if Seiko's attitude had grown worse lately, she didn't plan to scold her. But upon learning that Seiko had been showing up late, leaving early, and even skipping her homework the day before, Hibiki couldn't help but feel frustrated as an older sister.

Their parents were often away due to work, so Hibiki naturally took on the responsibility of supervising Seiko's studies.

She cared deeply for her, and because she loved her, she hoped her academic performance would remain strong enough to get into a top university.

From the very beginning, Hibiki understood that if she wanted a future with Seiko—and if, one day, they were to confess everything to their parents—they'd need to be prepared. Their kind of relationship wasn't something that could be accepted just through words like "I love you."

At the very least, they needed to be able to support themselves first.

The most straightforward way to do that was for both of them to get into a good university, graduate, and find well-paying jobs that could cover all their living expenses.

This goal had long been crystal clear in Hibiki's mind. Even after deciding to pursue art through college entrance exams, she never slacked off in her studies. In fact, she studied even harder than some of her peers who weren't in the art track. After getting home each day, she consistently spent two hours practicing art and three hours studying.

Even during the three days in Kyoto, she could often be found in the hotel room, diligently working through the problem sets she brought. In those short three days, she managed to fill half a thick workbook.

It was no coincidence that Hibiki consistently ranked near the top in school exams despite being an art student.

She believed that only by studying hard could she secure a stable job and one day gain the courage to tell her parents: I love Seiko, we've been secretly dating for years, and I'm confident I can make her happy.

Hibiki also hoped Seiko would study hard too. Love should be equal and mutual. Only by standing on similar ground could they continue walking forward together.

She didn't expect Seiko to get into a top-tier university like herself. A decent one would suffice. Seiko's personality was innocent and childlike, and Hibiki understood that. She didn't expect Seiko to be as disciplined or focused.

But now... was she not even willing to maintain the bare minimum effort in school?

Thinking about this, Hibiki took a deep breath and silently reminded herself:

This situation is partly my fault. If I hadn't been careless and left that photo out—if Seiko hadn't accidentally seen the one person she never wanted to—things wouldn't have spiraled like this.

I need to calm down and have a proper talk with her. She can be upset, but her studies can't suffer because of it.

Hibiki didn't say much on the drive home. She only gave short responses to Chihiro's words. The conversation gradually lost its rhythm, and silence settled between them.

Fortunately, by then, they had already arrived at Hibiki's house.

"Okay, mission accomplished—delivered you home safely. Make sure to get some rest. Tomorrow it's back to regular school life. Use this half-day to collect your thoughts."

"Also, take the time to talk to Seiko properly. I don't know what happened between you two, but you're family. A calm and honest conversation is never a bad idea. She's only a first-year, but if she doesn't straighten out soon, even graduating high school might become a challenge."

"I'm not her homeroom teacher, so technically it's not my place to interfere," Chihiro Sengoku said. "But it was Shizuka Hiratsuka who called Seiko Kirigiri into the office yesterday for a scolding. That's how I found out she started showing up late and leaving early the day before yesterday—and didn't even do her homework yesterday."

The day before yesterday... wasn't that the day Hibiki and Seiko had their argument?

Hibiki blinked. "Chihiro-sensei, how did you figure it out?"

"Did you really think being a few years older than you is for nothing?" Chihiro grinned. "You've looked like you've had something on your mind ever since you got in the car. You tried to act like everything was fine, but one look at your brows and the tension in your expression, and it's obvious you've got something weighing on you. You might as well have 'I'm troubled' written across your face."

Hibiki was a little surprised. She'd thought she was doing a decent job of pretending to be relaxed. But clearly, Chihiro saw right through it.

"I guess it's true what they say—experience wins." Hibiki chuckled.

"Hmph, exactly. Never underestimate your elders. Hey, wait a second... are you calling me old?!"

"Goodbye, sensei!" Hibiki said quickly, opening the car door and heading toward the trunk to retrieve her suitcase.

"Wait," Chihiro suddenly called out. "You saw Eiren Kanagawa often while you were in Kyoto, right? What did you think of her?"

"Kanagawa-sensei? She was really nice. Took good care of me." Hibiki paused for a moment before replying.

Though their first meeting hadn't been the best—Kanagawa seemed a bit biased—things had changed. From the day before yesterday, her attitude did a complete turnaround. Her gaze had grown increasingly ambiguous, and when the two of them were alone in an elevator, she'd even said she wanted Hibiki to stay in Kyoto with her a few more days.

Even now, thinking back on it felt surreal—like a dream.

"She came to me asking for your contact info. I turned her down. I mean, I'm a teacher—I can't just hand out student information without a reason. She said she really admired you. Honestly, I have no idea what she's thinking. If she admired you that much, why didn't she just ask you directly when you were in Kyoto?"

Chihiro scoffed, brushing it off as Kanagawa taking an interest in Hibiki's potential as an artist.

The truth was, Eiren Kanagawa was indeed interested in Hibiki—but not for her artistic ability.

Hibiki pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, but chose not to comment. After grabbing her suitcase, she said goodbye to her teacher once more and turned to unlock the door to her home.

A clockwise twist of the key, a click, and the door opened.

The spacious house was eerily quiet, like no one had been home for days. From the kitchen came the rhythmic dripping of a leaky faucet—drip, drip, drip—the sound oddly loud in the silence.

She touched the shoe cabinet and found a thin layer of dust. Clearly, Seiko hadn't done any cleaning while Hibiki was away in Kyoto. A sigh slipped from her lips as she wheeled her suitcase upstairs.

Passing by Seiko's bedroom door, Hibiki paused. After a brief hesitation, she pushed it open.

The heavy curtains were drawn. No lights were on, and the air was stagnant. Relying on the faint ambient light, Hibiki could barely make out the room's interior. Clothes were strewn everywhere—some Seiko's, some her own.

The bed was unmade—no, wait. There was someone in it.

Hibiki's heart jumped, and she instinctively stepped back. Then she remembered what Chihiro had told her earlier in the car.

Her expression darkened, and she quickly walked to the side of the bed.

"Seiko, I'm home..."

Lying curled up in the blanket was Seiko Kirigiri. Today was supposed to be a school day, yet here she was, skipping class. There was no way Hibiki could just brush this off. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to yank Seiko out of bed and scold her on the spot.

"..."

Seiko Kirigiri didn't respond.

The suffocating silence began to chip away at Hibiki Naegi's patience. She clicked her tongue, unable to keep her tone calm any longer.

"I just talked to you. Didn't you hear me?"

"..."

Hibiki took a deep breath. Getting angry wouldn't help. She tossed her coat aside and sat down, speaking more softly now:

"Seiko, I know that after seeing that photo, you got the wrong idea. You think I can't forget her... and you're right that just seeing that photo brings back the image of her death—it's something I can't shake. You think I still have feelings for her."

"But what I haven't told you is... I never loved her like that. I didn't have any romantic feelings for her. The only person I've ever loved—since we were kids—is you."

"The reason I kept that photo, the reason I haven't erased her from my memory, the reason I can still clearly picture how she looked that day... it's because I'm the only person in the world who knows why she chose to end her life. She came to me before it happened—she told me everything."

"I didn't tell you because I couldn't. Aside from her parents, no one else knows, and I was too afraid of what might happen to her name if the truth ever got out. She's gone now... all I can do is protect what's left of her—let her rest in peace, remembered as someone pure."

Hibiki's throat felt like it was on fire, her energy completely drained. As she reached the end, she could no longer hold back her tears and buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

Behind her, a faint sound.

Seiko slowly sat up in bed, reaching over to switch on the light. Though it was still daytime, the room was so dark it might as well have been night.

She didn't say a word. She simply stepped down from the bed and stood in front of Hibiki, silently lowering her head to look at her.

Hibiki didn't know how long she cried before finally lowering her hands. When she saw Seiko's bare feet in her field of vision, she looked up—only for her eyes to widen in shock, as if a hammer had struck her heart.

Seiko wasn't wearing a single piece of clothing. The skin around her eyes was red and swollen, bloodshot veins threading through her tired gaze. Her face and lips were pale, devoid of color. Her long legs trembled, barely able to support her.

Seeing her beloved sister in this state made it hard for Hibiki to breathe. At that moment, she didn't want to think about anything else—only to hold Seiko tight and carry her gently back to bed.

For Seiko, Hibiki would rather lose her hands—the very hands she used to paint—than ever lose her.

"Onee-chan..." Seiko murmured, her voice hoarse and her eyes swollen from days of tears and restless nights.

Hibiki glanced at the crumpled bread wrappers on the floor, and it all made sense. Since seeing that photo, Seiko had barely eaten—only grabbing a piece of bread when the hunger became unbearable, then curling back up in her room to cry.

"You've been coming to school late, skipping homework, and you didn't even go to school today, did you?" Hibiki asked, her voice low and steady.

Seiko nodded silently.

Hibiki suddenly stood up and raised her hand.

Smack!

The slap landed hard across Seiko's face, making her stagger. Hibiki immediately grabbed her by the wrist and, with firm but careful force, pulled her back onto the bed.

Seiko didn't resist. She didn't say a word. She only stared at Hibiki, sensing the complicated storm of emotions behind her actions.

"Seiko, no matter what misunderstanding stands between us, even if you're still angry with me, that's fine. I was wrong. I was wrong for hiding that photo from you. I was wrong for not telling you the real reason she chose to die. I was wrong for letting you believe there was something between her and me that never existed."

"But... no matter what, you can't treat your studies like a joke. The pressure we'll face in the future is immense. If we can't get into good universities, we might never have a chance to come clean to Mom and Dad about our relationship."

"Do you realize how serious that is?!"

"I dream about it—being able to tell them and get their blessing. I want us to have a wedding, even if it's just the two of us. I want them to acknowledge us."

"You're only a first-year now, but time is already running short. If you don't get into a good university when entrance exams come, then what?!"

Hibiki spoke through gritted teeth, her voice rising. At the same time, she yanked off her own clothes—not undressing, but tearing them off in frustration.

Grabbing Seiko's wrists tightly, she gasped for breath, then kissed her forcefully.

—A long time passed.

Curled up in Hibiki's arms, Seiko asked hoarsely, "Onee-chan... can we ever go back to how things were before?"

"...I don't know," Hibiki said, her nose tightening, her voice choked with emotion.

"Can you tell me why she really killed herself... or never mind, you probably won't tell me, like always." Seiko began to ask but then sighed, defeated.

Hibiki fell silent for a long time before finally whispering:

"I'm sorry."

Just like in real life—not every rift can be fixed with a single embrace. The cracks were still there, only dulled a little. They could reappear at any time.

"Can we still walk this path together?" Hibiki asked suddenly.

"Of course we can! We're going to get married someday!" Seiko shouted with no hesitation.

"..."

Unlike Seiko's outburst, Hibiki simply lay there silently, staring up at the ceiling.

She didn't know the answer anymore.

...

Back at home, Kotomi Izumi returned holding a dessert box. The moment she walked in, she called out cheerfully:

"Dad! Mom! Aimi! I'm home!"

"Welcome back."

Kaneyoshi Izumi came over to take her suitcase, while Akina Izumi walked up to give her daughter a big hug, lifting her slightly off the ground before setting her down.

"I was worried you weren't eating well in Kyoto, but looks like you were doing just fine."

"You really are the best mom. Love you."

Kotomi felt thirsty—she'd been asleep the whole way back on the Shinkansen and hadn't drunk any water.

She walked into the kitchen to get a drink and, upon seeing there was no lunch ready on the table, pouted slightly in disappointment. She chugged down a big glass of water to tide herself over.

"Mom, when are we eating?" she asked after stepping back out of the kitchen.

"Aimi went grocery shopping. As soon as she's back, we'll start cooking. I had her pick up some lamb."

"Yes!"

Hearing that made Kotomi's spirits soar. Lamb for lunch? She was practically floating on air.

Thinking about the delicious meal ahead, she pulled out the gloves gifted by Iroha Isshiki and Yui Yuigahama from her coat pockets. Then she grabbed the paper bag with the scarf Yui had given her and handed everything to Akina.

While Aimi wasn't home, she figured this was the perfect time to show her mom the gifts from Iroha and Yui.

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