All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

Chapter 782: Japan’s Number One Prodigal

Saaki Funamoto naturally noticed that the smile on Kotomi Izumi’s face turned slightly cold when Mari Funamoto was mentioned.

Saaki’s heart trembled. As a businesswoman who had weathered the storms of the commercial battlefield for so many years, of course she understood why Kotomi was displeased.

Kotomi Izumi had come to Harugamo Inn alone. On the surface, it seemed she had come by herself, but in reality, she represented the entire Izumi family.

Yet as the eldest daughter of the Funamoto family, Mari Funamoto had failed to appear on the very first day after Kotomi arrived at Harugamo Inn to greet her and express her welcome. It might look like an oversight. If one truly wanted to explain it, she could simply say she had been busy during the day and unable to spare the time. Then in the evening, Mari could have invited Kotomi to dinner, presented a valuable gift, and offered an apology.

That way, at the very least, both families could save face.

But the reality was that Mari Funamoto had not only failed to appear on the first day—now it was already the second evening, and she still had not come to Harugamo Inn to greet Kotomi, express her welcome, or apologize for yesterday’s oversight.

There was no need to say anything at all. From Mari Funamoto’s behavior alone, anyone could see that she was doing this deliberately.

On a small scale, Mari was intentionally refusing to give Kotomi face, believing that since she was older than Kotomi, she could be considered her senior.

On a larger scale, Mari was intentionally refusing to give the Izumi family face. Today, the eldest miss of the Izumi family comes to Harugamo Inn and she dares not even show up to greet her. Tomorrow, would she dare to openly oppose the Izumi family?

These implications were not only understood by the Izumi and Funamoto families. With Kotomi’s identity now exposed, in an extremely short time, the entire upper class of Japan would know of this matter.

By then, nearly all eyes would be fixed on the Izumi and Funamoto families. The various elite clans and financial conglomerates would naturally be curious: what exactly was Mari Funamoto trying to accomplish with this deliberate slight against the Izumi family? Could it be that certain people within the Funamoto family were instructing her to use this as the opening move in a formal break with the Izumi family?

After all, in everyone’s eyes, Mari inheriting the position of head of the Funamoto family was practically a foregone conclusion.

Who could blame them? Her younger sister, Saori Funamoto, was simply too much of a prodigal and a wastrel—so much so that she could be described as Kyoto’s number one prodigal.

Her usual extravagance, indulgence, and lack of academic achievement might have been tolerable. But previously, at an auction, Saori Funamoto had spent fifty million US dollars to purchase a set of rare stamps—of which only six existed in the entire world—becoming their owner in one stroke.

Naturally, media outlets across Japan as well as from other countries interviewed Saori after the auction ended and asked her, "After defeating all competitors and acquiring this set of stamps—of which only six exist worldwide—for the astronomical price of fifty million US dollars, how do you feel?"

Facing the microphones thrust toward her, Saori Funamoto showed not the slightest trace of stage fright. In front of everyone, she opened the box containing the stamps, looked at them for a few moments, selected her favorite, and slipped it into her pocket.

Then, before everyone present and under the live broadcast cameras, she casually took out a lighter and used its flame to ignite the other five stamps.

In an instant, the auction hall’s fire suppression system was triggered. Water poured down like torrential rain, throwing the entire venue into chaos.

Amid the confusion, Saori Funamoto shook the lighter in her hand, deliberately angling the logo so it was clearly visible, and left behind a single sentence:

"This rare set originally had six stamps. But ever since I took out the Amethyst lighter, it went from six in the world... to only one."

With that single auction incident, Saori Funamoto’s reputation plummeted overnight. Though she had never had a particularly good reputation to begin with, after burning the rare stamps at the auction, she somehow gained a few additional labels.

From merely being tagged as a wastrel and a prodigal, she acquired the added labels of "rebellious" and "unconventional," which ironically brought a slight shift to her public image.

Meanwhile, the lighter brand she used to ignite the stamps—Amethyst—swept across major social media platforms in a short period of time, becoming synonymous with rebellion, trendiness, and nonconformity.

It transformed from a niche brand into a well-known lighter brand standing shoulder to shoulder with Zippo, S.T. Dupont, and Dunhill.

As for the mysterious owner behind Amethyst, their net worth soared accordingly.

That was precisely why so many people mocked Saori Funamoto over this incident. She had spent her own money—fifty million US dollars—to purchase a set of rare stamps, only to burn five of them without hesitation. The Funamoto family might be wealthy, but they could not possibly afford to squander money so recklessly. Not only did she earn herself infamy, she even ended up promoting someone else’s brand. Anyone unaware of the details might have thought that the mysterious creator of the Amethyst brand was some relative of hers.

Saori Funamoto had spent fifty million US dollars on a rare set of stamps and, less than an hour after acquiring them, burned five in front of everyone with a lighter. That outrageous stunt was practically her magnum opus. Her title as a prodigal no longer stopped at Kyoto—it had upgraded to "Japan’s number one prodigal."

One sister was Mari Funamoto, outstanding in every aspect. The other was Saori Funamoto, who seemed capable of nothing except squandering money. Placed side by side, the contrast between the two was like heaven and earth—one born gifted, the other... almost beyond description.

Anyone with half a brain would assume that Mari Funamoto would inevitably inherit the position of head of the Funamoto family in the future.

Kotomi Izumi was not entirely certain whether Mari would indeed inherit the position. But since the opportunity had presented itself, she might as well test Saaki Funamoto’s attitude on the matter. That was why she had deliberately allowed the smile on her face to grow visibly colder, ensuring Saaki would notice.

The meaning behind it was naturally clear to Saaki Funamoto, the current head of the family.

She also understood that with Kotomi’s identity now exposed, Mari’s deliberate failure to meet Kotomi yesterday would undoubtedly spread through Japan’s upper class in a very short time.

And it would, of course, reach the ears of the Izumi family as well...

When that time came, what stance would the Izumi family take?

At that thought, Saaki Funamoto did not rush to respond verbally, nor did she sigh. Instead, facing Kotomi Izumi, she lowered her head very deeply, her posture exceedingly humble, and slowly said:

"I sincerely apologize, Miss Izumi."

"Haha, Grandma Funamoto, really now—why are you suddenly apologizing to me?

"I was just asking out of curiosity. Please don’t take it to heart. I just find it a little unfortunate. I came to Kyoto during our school’s short cultural festival break. Although we don’t get homework during the holidays, the break isn’t very long.

"It’s obvious that Sister Mari is a very busy person. She must have a lot of business to handle lately, which is why she couldn’t spare the time, right? Hehe, what a pity. I originally wanted to meet her. She’s several years older than me, so I would have to call her Sister Mari when I see her. I’m still rather childish. I was hoping to learn a bit about dealing with people and conducting oneself from a mature person like her.

"But I’ll only be in Kyoto for a few short days. I suppose there won’t be much of a chance to meet Sister Mari this time. What a shame. I hope that the next time I come to Kyoto, she’ll be a little less busy. That way, we can sit down properly and have both the time and the mindset for a good chat."

As Saaki Funamoto lowered her head even further, her mind worked rapidly, analyzing sentence by sentence, tone by tone, every implication hidden within Kotomi Izumi’s words.

After piecing it all together, though her face remained calm and composed, a faint layer of sweat had already formed at the back of her neck. Inwardly, she sighed:

As expected of the Izumi family. They truly train their children in the art of speech from a young age. The Izumi family’s eldest miss, at such a young age, is already capable of using the gentlest tone to deliver the sharpest blade. If she is allowed to grow for a few more years... how terrifying would that be?

Mari... I know you’re anxious. You can’t wait to draw a clear line between yourself and the current Funamoto family. You want to build a new Funamoto family—one that no longer kneels at the Izumi family’s feet, no longer acts as their dog.

But do you realize what kind of opponent you have provoked in a moment of impulse? Someone who appears harmless to humans and animals alike... yet sends chills down the spine?

At this moment, Saaki’s inner tone was just like it had been more than ten years ago, when she had spoken earnestly to Mari late at night. Back then, tears had filled her face as she tried to persuade her daughter, yet Mari had remained unmoved. It was then that Saaki realized that several irreconcilable rifts had already formed between them.

Saaki Funamoto parted her lips, about to invite Kotomi to dinner the following evening in Mari’s name.

"Miss Izumi, may I ask whether you are available tomorrow evening at seven?"

"No time," Kotomi Izumi replied with a light laugh. "I came to Kyoto for sightseeing, to accompany my girlfriends... ahem! To accompany my two friends and enjoy a pleasant short break. I don’t have time for any dinner banquets. If I have that time, I’d rather take them around Kyoto."

After saying this, Kotomi took a sip of lemon water to moisten her throat before continuing.

"Oh, right, Grandma Funamoto. You didn’t come over just to say these things, did you? If you simply happened to have time today to chat with a child like me, then why not sit down and talk while we eat? Would you need an extra pair of chopsticks?"

On that last sentence, Kotomi slightly emphasized her tone.

Saaki was briefly taken aback. She understood that Kotomi did not wish to continue the previous topic, so she tactfully moved on.

"I won’t sit down and disturb your meal with your friends, Miss Izumi. Thank you for your kindness. I’ve already eaten before coming—a bowl of vegetable soup and a few meat patties. When one grows old, the appetite is no longer what it used to be.

I came this time simply to ask whether you would like to extend your stay for a few more days. According to the reservation made by Ms. Shizuka Hiratsuka, it was for three days and three nights. Tomorrow will be the third day."

The stay at Harugamo Inn arranged by Shizuka Hiratsuka was indeed three days and three nights. Without renewal, they would have to check out after tomorrow.

Of course, even if Kotomi wished to extend her stay, Saaki would never actually allow her to pay. The money Shizuka had paid when booking the room had already been arranged for a prompt refund. The additional days would be provided free of charge.

"It’s already almost the third day, and I haven’t properly explored Kyoto yet..." Kotomi murmured softly.

Seeing this, Saaki respectfully said, "Harugamo Inn would consider it an honor to extend the stay in the Japanese-style luxury suite for you free of charge. As for how long you wish to stay, that depends entirely on your pleasure, Miss Izumi."

Kotomi thought for a moment, calculated the school’s reopening date, and then said,

"Then I’ll trouble you to extend it by one more day."

After hearing this, Saaki gave a deep bow and said earnestly,

"I understand. But... only one day? Kyoto is vast. If you wish to enjoy it fully, I would recommend adding a few more days."

Originally, Saaki had intended to add several extra days free of charge. However, once Kotomi understood this, she directly declined the offer. Her explanation was simple:

"No need. One day is enough. Thank you for the kind offer.

Although staying for free in a Japanese-style luxury suite is the sort of thing that’s hard to refuse. Under normal circumstances, I might already be saying, ’There’s such a good deal?’

But as I mentioned earlier, our school’s cultural festival break only lasts five days. At most, I can stay in Kyoto for four days. On the fifth day, I have to return home."

"I see. I understand. I’ll arrange the extension for you shortly."

Saaki nodded and said nothing further.

Soon, the dishes they had ordered were brought out.

Seeing this, Saaki once again bowed to Kotomi and prepared to leave.

Before departing, she personally unfolded the screen beside the dining table and said loyally,

"I will do my best to create a quiet dining environment for you, Miss Izumi."

"Thank you," Kotomi replied with a smile and a nod.

After Saaki left and all the dishes had been served, Kotomi picked up her chopsticks but did not begin eating right away. Instead, she glanced at Yui Yuigahama and Yukino Yukinoshita, who had remained silent the entire time.

Perhaps they had not dared to speak. After all, although the exchange between Kotomi and Saaki had sounded like casual conversation, it had in fact been an invisible duel after another. The pressure it created was indeed considerable.

Or perhaps they simply did not know what to say. None of the topics discussed between Kotomi and Saaki were things the two of them could follow.

Even Yukino Yukinoshita, the eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita family, could not keep up with the pace and intensity of their exchange—let alone Yui Yuigahama, who came from an ordinary family.

For some reason, Kotomi suddenly felt an urge to sit between the two of them, wrap her left arm around Yukino and her right arm around Yui, give each of them a kiss, and then ask:

Wives, was I cool just now~?

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