Still, no matter what, being able to help Tomoka Yuigahama was a good thing!
With that thought, the worry over her own embarrassing social blunders suddenly vanished from Kotomi's mind.
She had already suffered several moments of public embarrassment—one more didn't make a difference.
There was nothing left to fear.
Facing Tomoka Yuigahama's gratitude, Kotomi didn't reject it. Accepting thanks naturally was often better than humbly pushing it away.
Of course, from Kotomi's perspective, she had only retweeted something—it didn't feel like she had done anything significant. If Tomoka Yuigahama planned to go overboard in expressing her gratitude, that would be a bit too much.
So, before Tomoka could mention how she wanted to thank her, Kotomi quickly spoke first:
"Aunt Yuigahama, I helped you out big time this time! How are you planning to thank me?"
Before the words had even fully left her mouth, Kotomi snapped her fingers as if she had just come up with the perfect idea.
"Oh! I know! I want to eat maple syrup toast! I've had plenty before, but the ones from Dango Cake Shop are the best. The problem is that each piece costs 262 yen, so I always hesitate before buying it because it's too expensive."
Yuigahama's family wasn't particularly wealthy—raising two daughters was already a huge financial burden. Kotomi had only given a small helping hand, so expecting some grand, extravagant thanks would make her feel like she had lost her way.
However, for a fleeting moment, when Tomoka Yuigahama had unknowingly wrapped her hands around Kotomi's, she found herself unable to look away.
Truly unable to look away.
Once Kotomi snapped out of it, she wasn't sure what had come over her. She had been utterly mesmerized by looking at Yui's mother.
If Yui found out, Kotomi wouldn't know how to face her.
Back to the matter at hand—by mentioning maple syrup toast as her thank-you gift before Tomoka Yuigahama could suggest anything too elaborate, Kotomi ensured that she wouldn't feel pressured into giving her an expensive gift.
Kotomi didn't bother to conceal her true intentions. She spoke indirectly, but any adult could easily understand what she was doing. In her view, doing good deeds without acknowledgment felt like a wasted effort—possibly even leading to unnecessary misunderstandings.
She had no interest in playing the role of a silent hero.
Kotomi could never understand the male leads in some romance comedies who insisted on hiding their good deeds from the heroine, only to create ridiculous misunderstandings in the process.
If the heroine was a twin-tailed tsundere, it was even worse.
At first, these scenarios seemed fine, but after watching a few series with the same trope, Kotomi had grown tired of it. They were called "stomachache-inducing" stories, but they didn't make her stomach hurt—just her head.
Wouldn't it be better to take this opportunity to raise her favorability in Tomoka's eyes? Kotomi half-jokingly mused to herself.
As she had anticipated, Tomoka immediately understood Kotomi's intentions. She was touched that Kotomi always considered her feelings and circumstances so carefully. Facing Kotomi, she suddenly felt at a loss—how exactly was she supposed to repay such kindness?
She had initially wanted to "call out" Kotomi's true motives, but if she did, wouldn't that just undermine Kotomi's goodwill?
"Do you want to eat maple syrup toast? No problem! If you like it, you can come to my shop anytime to have some! No matter how many times you visit, it's always on the house!" Tomoka Yuigahama raised a finger with a warm smile, making a firm promise.
Kotomi's favor was not something that could be repaid just by treating her to sweets—Tomoka Yuigahama understood that well. So she decided that after fulfilling Kotomi's request, she would find other opportunities in daily life to repay all the help she had received from her.
A favor owed must always be returned—this was a principle she had always taught her daughters.
While Tomoka Yuigahama was deep in thought, contemplating how to repay Kotomi's kindness, she hadn't realized that she was still holding up her finger.
By the time she did—
Kotomi had already instinctively reached out and gently held it.
"Ah!" Tomoka Yuigahama let out a small surprised noise as she felt Kotomi's warmth at her fingertips. A faint blush spread across her mature yet playful face.
She quickly recovered and looked toward Kotomi, only to meet the girl's pure, innocent smile.
"Holding pinkies means our promise is sealed!"
Oh, so it was just like a pinky swear... Tomoka Yuigahama breathed a sigh of relief, the sudden shyness and nervousness dissipating somewhat.
Yet, the warmth from Kotomi's touch lingered in her palm, making it impossible to forget.
After chatting for a while longer, Kotomi realized it was getting late and decided to head home.
She asked the bookstore owner to pack up the remaining 30 pieces of caramel cookies, then said her goodbyes and left the store.
The bookstore owner, instead of rushing back to the counter, gathered Kotomi's used coffee cup and plate, then poured herself a cup of latte and sat across from Tomoka Yuigahama.
"It's been a while since we last talked. How are Yui and Yuka doing?"
"They're both doing great. Especially little Yuka—she's been eating a lot lately. I think she might be hitting a growth spurt. Poor Yui is exhausted from cooking all the time."
Whenever Tomoka Yuigahama talked about her daughters, her face was always filled with warmth. Having two kind and understanding girls was her greatest pride in life.
"Ah, I see. Having well-behaved kids is already the best help a mother could ask for. Speaking of which, once Yuka enters elementary school, your expenses will probably increase again, right? I may not have kids myself, but I've heard from my neighbors how expensive raising children is nowadays."
"Every time you talk this much, it usually means you have something important on your mind. Go ahead, what is it?" Tomoka Yuigahama took a sip of her coffee and smiled knowingly, cutting straight to the point.
"You saw right through me. Well, I suppose it is important... Tomoka, you're still young—have you thought about remarrying? Giving your daughters a complete family and having someone to share the financial burden with would make things much easier, wouldn't it?"
Tomoka Yuigahama listened quietly, then shook her head. She could tell her old friend was genuinely looking out for her, but she had no intention of remarrying.
"I'd rather not. For one, I simply don't have that desire. The financial burden is there, yes, but over the years, I've saved up a considerable amount from my illustration work. It's not an enormous sum, but it's more than enough to support both my daughters through college. Secondly..."
Tomoka Yuigahama laughed brightly and said matter-of-factly, "Who would even be interested in an old lady like me?"
Old lady? With such natural beauty and impeccable self-care, people would believe you were 27 at most. If you're an old lady, then I must be a grandma! The bookstore owner secretly complained in her mind, wondering if her longtime friend was severely underestimating her own appearance.
Do you even look in the mirror? If I looked like you, I'd start my mornings by admiring myself in the mirror and making sure I looked perfect every day.
Thinking of this, the bookstore owner sighed and decided to speak her thoughts aloud:
"You really lack confidence. Do you honestly believe you're an old lady? Wake up! Plenty of people would believe you were still a university student in your twenties! And besides, what makes you think no one likes you? Maybe it's a case of being too close to see the truth, but as an outsider, I can tell you—there's definitely someone who likes you."
"Eh?" Tomoka Yuigahama was caught off guard by this revelation. She had never noticed anything like that.
Someone liked her? But she was already a mother of two daughters…
"That young girl who was just sitting with you—do you two know each other well?" The bookstore owner didn't reveal the person's identity immediately, instead asking about their relationship.
Tomoka Yuigahama nodded. "Of course. Her name is Kotomi Izumi. She's my daughter Yui's high school classmate. They're even in the same class."
Whoa, things just got interesting. The bookstore owner was momentarily stunned, now seeing Kotomi in a new light.
"Oh, I know her name, all right. She's a regular at my bookstore café. But since you know her well, I'll be blunt—Tomoka, haven't you noticed that this girl, Kotomi, likes you?"
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