All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

After hearing Izumi Kotomi's refusal, Megumi Kato sighed softly, then smiled and said, "Oh, so Izumi-san already has plans for Friday. In that case, can I book you for Saturday?"

"Huh?"

"The movie is premiering on Friday, but it won't only be showing for one day. If you're free on Saturday, would you like to go watch the movie with me then?"

If it's on Saturday, Kotomi thought, she would have plenty of time. After all, she usually spent her Saturdays lying in bed playing games or watching anime and manga.

"Sure, let's go see the movie on Saturday. By the way, what kind of movie is it that you want to watch, Kato-san?"

"Hehe, that's a secret for now," Megumi replied, maintaining a bit of mystery. She then glanced at her wristwatch and said, "Izumi-san, it's almost time for the art club activities. If you don't head over now, you might be late."

Hearing Megumi mention the time, Kotomi suddenly realized how late it was. "It's already this late? Kato-san, I have to go! See you later!"

"I'll be waiting for you in the library," Megumi called after her, smiling as she watched Kotomi hurriedly leave.

Such a cute little scatterbrain... I wonder if she's like this in bed too?

Kotomi dashed to the art club, relieved that her Queen of All Females physique kept her from feeling too winded. She knew that as this physique improved, her physical abilities would also increase, which might even lead to her performing exceptionally well in her high school physical exams.

However, Kotomi had little interest in sports. The career she envisioned was one centered around creativity.

The reason was simple: she loved creating. She wanted her hobby to become a profession that she could make a living from.

As she entered the art club room, she noticed that she was the last one to arrive; everyone else had already gathered.

"Izumi-san, you're late," Naegi Hibiki remarked.

"Sorry, sorry, I got held up in the classroom. Oh? And this person is...?"

When Kotomi walked into the art club, the first thing that caught her eye was a beautiful girl dressed entirely in black.

Her straight black hair was shiny and smooth, her skin was as delicate as snow, and her attire consisted of only black and white colors, except for the red ribbon tied at her chest. She had sharp, slightly upturned eyes that gave her a slightly stern look, though Kotomi was sure that if this girl smiled, she would be incredibly cute. However, she currently wore a rather gloomy expression.

Kotomi immediately recognized the girl from her previous life's anime—Tendo Kisara from Black Bullet.

"This is my classmate, Tendo Kisara. I accidentally left my bag in the classroom, and she found it and brought it to me," Naegi Hibiki explained, then turned to Kisara and said, "Thanks, Kisara. Do you want to grab some ice cream afterward?"

"No, I have to practice with the kendo club later. I don't have time," Kisara shook her head, picking up her black sports bag containing her kendo uniform and bamboo sword, then turned to leave the art club.

As she passed by Kotomi, she paused and, with her sharp eyes, looked at Kotomi and said, "I heard from Naegi this morning that you're good at drawing. If you're interested, you're welcome to visit the kendo club."

Surprised by the invitation, Kotomi asked, "Tendo-senpai, what connection is there between drawing and kendo?"

"In Japanese history, many renowned kendo masters were also excellent painters. Drawing requires using your eyes, hands, and heart to perceive the world, and kendo is the same. So, if you're interested, you should come and observe the kendo club," Kisara explained.

"Isn't it a bit unfair to try to poach our new art club member right in front of me, Kisara?" Naegi Hibiki teased with a friendly smile.

"I'm just saying. Don't be so petty," Kisara shrugged, then left the art club.

"Tendo-senpai seems like an interesting person," Kotomi said with a wry smile.

However, speaking of kendo, she had always been interested in it.

With her kendo skill already at level 3, Kotomi was curious about how that skill would manifest in real life, especially since she had yet to try using a bamboo sword.

If she had the time, she definitely wanted to visit the kendo club and, if possible, test her skills against the members there.

"Kisara really is an interesting person. She's the captain of the Sobu High School Kendo Club and a well-known figure in the kendo world. Despite being only 17 years old, she's an exceptional swordswoman, having reached the rank of sixth-dan in kendo, which is extremely rare. Her terrifyingly powerful battōjutsu has earned her the nickname 'Sword Demon,'" Naegi Hibiki explained.

Although in this world, Kisara wouldn't have the vengeful drive she had in Black Bullet, she still retained her fearsome kendo prowess.

"'Sword Demon' is Tendo-senpai's nickname? That's so cool!" Kotomi said with admiration in her eyes. She had always dreamed of mastering the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu (Flying Heaven Govern Sword-Style) from Rurouni Kenshin.

After chatting briefly with the other art club members, Kotomi returned to her seat, pondering what to paint next.

She had already completed the practice painting yesterday, and now that she was familiar with the techniques and process of oil painting, she was considering what her original work should be.

Each new member of the art club had an assignment: to complete an original oil painting by the end of the semester.

Original, meaning a painting they conceived and executed on their own.

Kotomi had many ideas but hadn't settled on one yet.

She didn't want to just paint something to get it over with. She wanted to create a serious, heartfelt piece.

As Kotomi sat on her small stool, deep in thought, Naegi Hibiki approached her, holding a flyer.

"Izumi-san, are you interested in the National Painting Award?"

"Painting award?" Kotomi asked, tilting her head in curiosity as she looked at the flyer in Naegi Hibiki's hand.

The 7th Tokyo-Kyoto University National Youth Painting Award?

"Tokyo-Kyoto University?"

Looking further, Kotomi realized that the painting award was co-hosted by the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University.

"I didn't know that the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University would collaborate on an award like this, and it's already been held six times? This is the seventh?"

"Sometimes universities collaborate on projects like this. And because the first six events were so successful, winning a prize in this award carries a lot of prestige. Would you be interested in participating, Izumi-san?"