After Konata's and Kagami's slight crisis about being too dependent on each other having reached its peak last weekend, and them trying to solve it by spending an entire day apart from each other, things had calmed back down to a certain degree. Now, almost a week later, they had become a tiny bit more independent, as they put more time into their own hobbies once more.

Konata was successfully plowing through her manga backlog, and, much to Kuroi-sensei's delight, she started playing online games with her again. Kagami, on the other hand, had a lot of fun reading all the light novels Mio recommended her

- The two would even occasionally invest some of their time doing things for their college as a change of pace. –

For the upcoming weekend, the couple had planned something different for a change. Ever since moving to Yokohama, neither of them had visited their old homes and families even once. Feeling rather guilty about it, Konata and Kagami decided to go back during the weekend.

While packing some clothes and other necessities, they went over their plans for the weekend once more.

"So, what's the plan again, Kagamin~?"

"Well… After arriving there later today, we're going to spend the rest of the day with our respective parents. The day after, Saturday, I also want to spend some time with your dad because I have some great ideas for his novel. Then you're supposed to come to my place, Kona. Mom really wants to see you, and she won't take no for an answer."

"No problem, because I really want to see Miki as well."

"Oh, she'll be pleased about that. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that, though…"

"Hehe~."

Once the girls were ready, the two left their apartment and made their way towards their previous homes. Both arrived at Kagami's house first, and Konata decided to accompany her girlfriend for a couple minutes before heading over to her own home. Once Kagami's house was finally in sight after their travel from Yokohama, the couple fully understood why Tsukasa wanted to stay at their place for her new part-time job at Mio's grandmother's sweets store. Traveling from here to Yokohama would be fine every so often, but it would definitely be way too much if done two or more times a week.

"I'm back!" The couple entered the house, and Kagami announced her arrival.

"Oh, welcome back, Kagami." Miki lazily greeted her from the kitchen.

"I'm here, too."

"Eh?! Is that Konata's voice I hear?!" She suddenly became lively and directly went to the hallway where the girls were. "Welcome, Konata! I missed you!" Miki wrapped her arms around her and tightly hugged the small girl. "You really have to visit more often!"

"Ahaha…"

"Ahem!" Kagami felt left out and raised her voice. "Isn't the difference in our treatment kind of odd, mom? Shouldn't you greet your own daughter like that?"

"That's what I'm doing, though, am I not~?"

"Ehm…" Kagami had no adequate answer ready.

"Ah, come here already, jealous daughter of mine." Miki finally hugged her actual, or more fittingly, biological daughter.

"I-I'm not sure how I should feel right now…" Even so, Kagami still returned the hug, albeit with a small pout on her face.

"How heartwarming~." Konata was having her fun watching Kagami but suddenly got nervous for some reason. "A-Anyway, I better get going now. Dad's probably already waiting for me. I'll be coming over again soon, Miki. Kagamin~, see you later~!" Before the two even had the chance to say anything, Konata had already left, almost as if she were running away.

"That was weird…" Kagami was confused. "… Even for Kona."

"Oho, will you look at that, the lost sister has finally decided to grace us with her presence and pay us a visit."

"Don't be like that, Matsuri. Welcome home, Kagami."

"Ahh…" Kagami looked at the door where Konata was until a few moments ago and then at her two older sisters, who had just come down the stairs. "That sly little rascal… She noticed them coming and decided to flee because she didn't want to deal with them, huh? I won't forget that, Kona!"

"Okay, now that the girls are completely assembled, let's have a nice chat, everyone~." Miki was in a good mood.

"Ugh, can we not…?" Kagami wasn't looking forward to it at all. "Wait, isn't Tsukasa missing?"

"Oh, she got a call from Miyuki earlier, and was gone in under two seconds flat."

"Ah, still using every chance to see her now that Miyuki's so busy with college, huh?"

"Yeah, they're so cute~." Miki enjoyed their innocent relationship very much. "Anyway, let's go to the living room. There's so much I want to know~."

"Urgh…" Kagami let out another groan. "Inori-nee… can't you do something about her…?" She ignored Matsuri, who seemed to be in a bad mood, or rather trying her best not to seem jealous of her little sisters' relationship, not that she would've been much help anyway, and Kagami sought help from her oldest, most reliable sister.

"Sorry, lil' sis, you know mom and how nothing's going to be able to stop her once she's like that…" Inori pointed at their mother with her brightly sparkling eyes.

"Come on already, sit down, everyone!" Miki was patting the places next to her on the sofa.

"Haa… Let's just get this over with… What do you want to know, mom…?"

"Everything!"

Afterward, Miki asked a ton of questions, and Kagami even got into it a little. Eventually, the conversation changed from Miki asking questions to Kagami simply bragging about her relationship with Konata and their happy life in Yokohama.

Miki was happy to hear her bragging and how she was now readily willing to talk about the topic. Inori, too, seemed happy about her little sister having so much fun. Matsuri, on the other hand, wasn't sharing this sentiment. She only got even more jealous after hearing about their happy-go-lucky relationship. She tried her best to hide it and preserve her last shred of dignity as the older sister, but she wasn't very successful because she couldn't fool anyone.

After some time, though, Miki started asking questions again. Troublesome questions Kagami didn't want to answer because her mother wanted to know way too many details. Because of that, she tried her best to change the topic to something with a significant enough impact so to have her whole family forget about the current issue.

"It's getting late, isn't it? I think it's about time for dinner. How about I cook something for everyone?"

"E-Eh?!" The Hiiragi girls were in perfect synch. Even Miki, who should already know of her daughter's improvements in the kitchen, was surprised because she forgot about it in the heat of the moment.

"I'll have you know that I've gotten really good at cooking. Dinner for everyone should prove that doing so would be absolutely no problem for the great me." She was a tiny little bit overconfident, but it was true that she had made some tremendous improvements.

"…" The girls fell utterly silent, and Kagami's distraction was a complete success because everyone had forgotten about the previous topic thanks to the family's deep-running trauma of Kagami just being near the kitchen, let alone actually preparing food.

"How about everyone's favorite curry?" After her bragging, she still decided to go with a safe choice.

"Uhm…" Her big sisters were terrified of the near future awaiting them.

"Ah, right…" Miki finally remembered. "Sure, go ahead, dear. I trust Konata, after all." She also knew the reason of Kagami's improvement.

"M-Mom?!" Matsuri and Inori didn't like that decision.

"What about trusting me…?"

"Well…" That was too big of a task for Miki.

"Can I cry…?"

"W-Wait! You're really going to cook, Kagami…?!" Matsuri seemed genuinely terrified.

"Of course!" She proudly puffed out her chest.

"O-Okay… I'll wait for it in… my room then…" While panicking, Matsuri decided to flee from the scene as fast as possible.

"W-Wait for me, Matsuri!" Inori hurriedly ran after her. The two wanted to hide in their rooms and be as far away as possible from the kitchen while the calamity of mankind was busy in there.

"Don't I have the best sisters in the world…?" Kagami could only exaggeratedly roll her eyes.

"Ahaha…" Miki let out a dry laugh. "You can't really blame them, though, can you? I mean…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know… But I've changed a lot since then! It's totally fine now!"

"Yes, you have definitely changed, Kagami." The two weren't necessarily talking about the same changes.

Kagami started her preparations for the curry, and Miki decided to stay and watch over her. Totally not because she was worried or anything like that.

"Feel free to be amazed by my superb cooking skills, mom~. Ah, but no more questions about my life with Kona, okay? I need to concentrate here." Kagami made a lame excuse to keep her mother from asking any more embarrassing questions about her love life.

"Sure, sure~." Miki didn't need to make a guess about what her real intention was.

…...

Almost an hour passed since Kagami started cooking before her father, Tadao, had finally come home, and at the perfect time at that because dinner was about to be ready.

"I'm home! Hmm…? Oh, something smells good here. Miki, darling, are you making… curry… huh?!" He entered the kitchen and noticed that, instead of his wife, his banned-from-the-kitchen-daughter was the one cooking and froze on the spot. "K-K-Kagami, y-you're here already…? W-What are you doing in the k-kitchen…? More importantly, so close to the p-pots?!" His entire body was shaking, and his facial expression looked like he was having some kind of nightmarish flashback. He, too, had forgotten that Kagami was actually able to cook after being taught by Konata.

"Welcome back, dear. As you can see, Kagami's cooking dinner for us."

"W-What did you say?! I thought we had a mutual agreement that she's band from the kitchen for good…?"

"Dad, I'm here as well, and I'm getting the slight urge to… punish you." Kagami was not amused by her father's harsh reaction. Also, even though it was ultimately Miki's idea, ever since Tadao tested her relationship with Konata quite a while back, Kagami tended to be a little mean to her father from time to time.

"I-I'm sorry, and I'm happy that you finally came to visit us, but… but…" He was slightly scared by the punishment, but he had some very conflicting emotions at the same time.

"Dear, don't you remember that Konata's been giving Kagami cooking lessons? She improved tremendously since the last… disaster…" Miki threw her daughter a lifeline, ignoring the fact that she almost forgot about it herself earlier. "The curry looks and smells really delicious, doesn't it?"

"I-It does… and yes… I'm starting to remember now… Konata really is something else. Did our little Kagami really cook all of it on her own?"

"Yes, I only kept her company without helping whatsoever.

"Wow… That's unbelievable."

"Hmm… I think I ended up cooking too much… Especially now that dad isn't getting any of it." Kagami was just a tiny bit annoyed now.

"I'm very sorry, please forgive me!"

…..

Kagami finished her cooking soon after and everyone, including her sheepish big sisters, and her father, who after apologizing multiple more times, had gathered around the dining table. Most of the family members were dubiously looking at the freshly made curry. The gap between the current Kagami and the previous one was just way too big for them to comprehend, especially for her bigger sisters. Kagami didn't care much about them anymore, though. Without paying attention to her family, she happily began eating.

"Let's eat! Hmm… yeah, it's not quite as good as when I cook with Kona, but it's definitely not bad at all~." She was only caring about herself at that moment.

The others continued to intently watch her, noting that not only did she not die, but she even enjoyed her meal. One after another, everyone went to try the curry, albeit reluctantly. Miki, being by far the bravest in the family, was the first to try. Not that she could really call herself brave after still hesitating for so long just a moment ago. A good while later after Tadao had made sure his wife was still well and had the usual color in her face after the taste-testing, he too tried just a little bit of the food. Inori followed her parents soon after, but Matsuri still couldn't bring herself to try the curry until a good bit later.

"Wow, it's delicious…" Miki still seemed surprised about the result, but then recalled something important. "Wait a moment! I already risked my life once before when I tried Kagami's cooking when she wanted to prove that Konata's lessons were working! What was I so nervous for?!" She finally remembered everything.

"…" Tadao just stayed silent because he had similar thoughts.

"You're amazing, lil' sis!" Inori was surprised as well. "You're no match to mom or Tsukasa, but… wow, you used to be a catastrophe… I still remember when… no, I don't want to think about it… It'll haunt me in my dreams tonight…"

"Haa… I hate my family…" She wasn't completely serious, but the whole ordeal had made her very tired.

"Is it… is it really… edible…?" Matsuri still hadn't tried a single bite of the curry.

"Yes, it's delicious." Her parents gave her a nod.

"Hmm…" Matsuri pondered a little longer, and then finally ate a bit of the food. Her expression instantly changed. "O-Oh… W-Well, it's not bad, I guess… I-I can do way better, though!" She tried to hide her smile, but she still somewhat acknowledged her little sister's cooking skills.

"Ehehe~…" Kagami finally showed a smile after getting something close to a compliment from the biggest critic in the house.

Afterward, once everyone had gotten over the shock of Kagami actually being able to cook, the family continued their dinner in peace.

"I'm glad that living together with Konata really is benefitting you, Kagami. It really looks like she's a good influence on you. Speaking of which, how is it going in Yokohama? Have there been any problems?" Tadao was finally able to ask some questions of his own.

"No, everything's perfectly fine. Living there is really great. Kona's also frustratingly good at household chores, so we're doing well. Ah, before you say anything, I'm doing my best to learn to do them and contribute my share!"

"That sounds very reassuring. I'm proud of you, Kagami. Is everything well between you and Konata, too?"

"Y-Yes, r-really great…"

"Don't worry, I won't ask any details. You don't have to be embarrassed." Unlike his wife, Tadao could read the mood and didn't want to pry too much into his daughter's love life. Well, even though he was able to read the atmosphere, his conclusion was slightly wrong because Kagami was embarrassed due to their recent problems of getting along too well.

"T-Thanks…"

"Anyway, I hope you two continue to watch over each other for a long time."

"That won't be a problem, dad." This was an easy promise for Kagami. On the other hand, seeing her instant answer with a beautiful smile, Matsuri only got even more jealous.

"What about the apartment? Are there any inconveniences or problems?"

"No, everything's in top condition and is working perfectly fine. If anything, it might be just a little too big for Kona and I… Although with how Tsukasa's now planning on coming over and staying a few nights because of her new part-time job, I guess the excess space is actually a good thing."

"Oh, right… Tsukasa's new part-time job. She already told me about it with full enthusiasm… Kagami, you know the place, right? It's safe for her to work there, right?" Tadao wanted to know more about the store his precious daughter was going to work at because he naturally was concerned about her.

"Absolutely! The sweets from there are world class!"

"That's… That's not exactly what I wanted to know…"

"A-Ah, uhh… s-sorry…" Kagami's face lit up bright red after making a fool of herself.

"Ahaha~ Deep down, Kagami's still the same after all." Matsuri, after being overly jealous of her relationship and her remarkable growth as a person, was relieved that her little sister still was a hopeless glutton.

"S-Shut up!"

"So…?" Tadao tried to get the conversation back on track.

"Right… The owner of the sweets store is really nice but also very professional at the same time. I don't think there are going to be any problems. Kona and I are also friends with the granddaughter of the owner, and we visit them rather often, so I would say I'm confident about my claim."

"Is that so? Okay, then I'm a little less worried and think it's fine for Tsukasa to work there then." Tadao was happy that the store seemed to be a decent place. "Still, won't it be a bother if Tsukasa stays over at your place so often?"

"Not at all!" The bond between sisters, especially twins was something else after all. After the video incident became a thing of the past, the two wanted to become even closer. Even Konata cherishes and loves her little sister, making it the absolute opposite of being a bother.

Once the family finished their dinner, everyone went to the living room and talked a lot more because they still had some catching up to do.

While Kagami was having a mostly good time with her family, Konata had just arrived outside her home and entered the house.

"Dad, I'm back!"

"Ko~na~ta~!" Sojiro literally teleported into the hallway out of thin air after hearing Konata's voice and tightly hugged her. "I missed you sooo much!"

"Yeah, yeah, I missed you too…" Her voice was utterly flat and monotone, though.

"You're way too cold to me!"

"And you're way too clingy." That was the main reason for her reaction.

"And I won't stop being so clingy anytime soon!"

"Well, then I won't stop treating you coldly then."

"Ughh… You're so mean to me…" Sojiro shed a tear.

"Can we stop now, dad…?"

"Fine…" He gave her one last squeeze before finally letting go. "Welcome home."

"Yeah, I'm back." The two managed to exchange a somewhat standard greeting.

"Oh, Konata onee-chan?" Yutaka came down the stairs and noticed her. "You're here already? Welcome!"

"Yuu-chan! Yes, I'm back!" She walked up to her and gave her a good squeeze.

"Ehehe~." Yutaka readily returned the hug, and the two stayed like that for a while.

"H-Hey!" Sojiro was not amused and obviously jealous by his daughter's severe difference in treatment.

Once they finished their greetings, the three went to the living room to chat. Sojiro was really looking forward to it because he hadn't seen his daughter for so long. Yutaka visited her and Kagami in Yokohama not too long ago, but she missed Konata nonetheless and wanted to also talk with her.

Just like Kagami's family, or specifically like Miki, Sojiro wanted to know everything, and Konata told him almost everything readily, leaving out the details Kagami would definitely kill her for saying out loud. The three had a good time together for the next couple of hours, talking about all sorts of stuff until it became evening.

After a while, the door of the house suddenly opened, and a very familiar voice of a certain girl announced her arrival.

"Hello! Kona, are you here?"

"Eh… Kagamin~?" Konata hadn't expected her to come and was surprised by her sudden entrance.

"Ah, Sojiro, Yutaka, hello to you too." She followed Konata's voice into the living room and greeted the other people present.

"Hey there, long time no see."

"H-Hello…"

"What are you doing here, Kagamin~…? I mean, I'm happy and all, but…" She was still confused.

"It's obvious, isn't it?"

"Absolutely." Sojiro was the one who gave the answer, though, and Yutaka gave her a big nod. The two knew perfectly well why Kagami had come over during the evening.

"Ehh…?" Konata was really slow on the uptake.

"Kona… just think about it for a second or two… Okay, maybe even three because it's you."

"Hey!"

"Not spending the day together is one thing, but the night is an entirely different thing."

"Ahh!" Konata finally understood the situation.

"I already think it's impossible for me to sleep alone in a bed now and I'll have you take responsibility for it. So, not sleeping together is impossible for me. Definitely not happening, no, not even worth considering, or merely talking about. Overall, a big no from me!"

"Ehehe~." Konata broke into a sloppy smile. "Honest Kagamin~ is such a cute Kagamin~. It might even be my favorite. But, now that you mention it… I haven't thought about sleeping alone today yet… That was excellent thinking on your part! Yeah, you might be right, sleeping alone might indeed be an impossible feat."

"…" Sojiro and Yutaka, being completely treated like air, weren't sure what to say.

Once the mystery of Kagami's sudden arrival was solved, the four of them chatted a little while longer before the couple went upstairs to Konata's old room.

…

The two entered and immediately felt a little nostalgic. Even though Konata had brought a lot of her stuff with her to Yokohama, her father started using her room to store a lot of his own otaku related goods, making the place look like Konata never left. Actually, it even seemed like there were a lot more things now.

While Konata was browsing through the stuff her father had brought in with great interest, Kagami's attention focused on the bed in the room and immediately threw herself on it. While making herself super comfortable, she let out a relaxed sigh.

"Haa~… You know, I love our bed in Yokohama, but your old one here has some extraordinary and indescribable charm to it… So great~…" Kagami stretched herself and then tightly hugged the blanket on the bed.

"Hehe." Konata looked at her girlfriend, who seemed to be in heaven with her sloppy smile and sat down next to her on the bed. "I think my bed actually won you over long before I did, didn't it?"

"Uhh… I would prefer to not answer that question…"

"No need, it's rather clear anyway. It's been like that ever since I got the bed after all." Konata remembered how, from day one on, Kagami and her bed were practically inseparable because of the bed's divine level of comfortableness. "I should thank the designer of it one day."

"Oh, I'll come with you then."

"It sure is comfy, though…" While saying so, Konata let herself fall backward and on top of Kagami before the two began to cuddle.

"So much happened in this room, huh?" While the feeling of nostalgia continued to grow, Kagami looked around.

"So many great things~. Your very first cosplay, for example, Kagamin~. Well, besides your old shrine maiden cosplay, of course."

"I'm not sure that's such a great thing… And, hey, for the thousandth time, that's not cosplay!"

"Hah~, you as Hatsune Miku was so great! I still remember like it was yesterday. That being said, though, you have to do it again sometime soon, Kagamin~."

"That's not really one of my happiest memories in this room… Well, our little revenge games that led me to cosplay were kind of fun…" Remembering the events from the past, Kagami's eyes suddenly started to sparkle. With fast movements, she jumped on top of Konata and began tickling her all over, just like in the old days with their revenge games.

"K-Kagamin~… s-s-stop… it AHAHA~!" Konata tried her best to resist, but she stood no chance.

"You were right, great things happened here~."

"Ahaha… T-That's not… what I… meant…" Her struggles were in vain.

"Some things are definitely better now, though…" Kagami stopped her tickling barrage after a while and looked straight into Konata's eyes.

"Haa…" She was entirely out of breath. "W-What is it now…?"

"This is." Kagami brought her face closer to Konata's, and passionately kissed her on the spot.

"Yeah… This is indeed better than back then…" Konata was inclined to agree to her claim after the two parted again.

"I just remembered that I actually almost kissed you back then when we were in the same position after I realized my feelings, but I somehow managed to hold myself back. It's great that I don't have to do that anymore…" Saying so, she gave Konata another kiss.

"One of your biggest mistakes, Kagamin~. If you did kiss me back then, it would've made things a lot easier…"

"Oh, shut up, you! It's not like you tried anything either when you had the chance… And I gave you many of them. MANY!"

"Urgh…" Konata couldn't say anything in response. "But, well, it really is different now." She wrapped her arms around Kagami's waist, who was still hovering above her, and forcibly made Kagami's body crash down on top of her before she kissed her with great vigor.

"Ehehe~, the past was great, but the present is definitely much better."

"Absolutely." Konata agreed with her. "And the future will be even better." She kissed her again, and once Kagami returned the kiss, the two continued to make out for a while.

"Ha… Ha…" Kagami, just slightly out of breath, parted from Konata after what seemed to be an eternity. "I… I think we should… stop here…" She sounded hesitant, though. "Your dad and Yutaka are nearby and unlike our home, where we can do all we want, how often, and… loud without holding back, we have a risk of getting caught here."

"Yeah…" Konata understood, but also looked somewhat hesitant in stopping. "I guess we really had enough fun while staying at my father's place…" Once the two reluctantly parted from each other, Konata looked around in her old room after cooling down and then appeared even more disappointed.

"What's wrong, Kona?"

"For nostalgia's sake, it would've been perfect to have a match on a game console like we did in the past… but we took everything with us to Yokohama…"

"Yes, that would've been great right now…" Kagami felt the same for a second, but then remembered something. "Wait, what do you mean with for nostalgia's sake or in the past exactly? We just had a M*rio Kart tournament yesterday, which went way past midnight…"

"Fair point… Some things change, and others don't, huh?"

"Except the part where I totally destroyed you yesterday, Kona~."

"Ehh…? What kind of delusions are you having right now…? I totally won way more matches than you!"

"Nope, I easily won!"

"Nonono… No!"

"Well, we both know who won, so there's no point in arguing, is there?"

"Absolutely!" The two agreed to disagree.

Thanks to the lack of activities, in various ways, the two simply enjoyed each other's company and chatted while cuddling for a good while longer before calling it a day and went to sleep.

….

The next morning arrived, and the nostalgia from yesterday was still going strong. Konata was the first to wake up and found herself unable to move. Looking to the side, Konata noticed that Kagami was clinging to her with all her might, restraining her every move.

"Oho, she hasn't done that in a while…" She stared at her girlfriend's happy and peaceful sleeping face. "Well, she still uses me like a hug pillow more often than not, but trapping me like this hasn't happened since before we moved to Yokohama… Old habits still die hard, huh? Not that I'm complaining or anything, though." Konata wasn't overly bothered by Kagami tightly clinging to her. Rather, she was enjoying every second of it. "Oh, maybe it's because the bed here is smaller than ours in Yokohama…? If so… we may have made a serious mistake in buying such a big one…" While feeling slight regret, she looked at the girl's sleeping again and enjoyed her warmth until Kagami finally woke up about 15 minutes later.

Once the couple was fully awake and had breakfast, the two spent a good while talking with Sojiro.

"Ah, before I forget again, I have an excellent idea for an upcoming volume of your novel." Kagami brought the attention to Sojiro's light novel series.

"Oho, I'm all ears." He seemed very interested.

"Listen to this!" She was oddly excited. "Two childhood friends, together basically since birth, and the two are completely inseparable. Their looks and personalities are polar opposites, but it works because they complement each other perfectly. One is an outgoing traditional Japanese beauty, and the other is a super shy, foreign-looking halvsie. On the outside, they're merely friends, but they've actually been dating for years already. The couple is just good at hiding their relationship because childhood friends are naturally close, and no one expects it from them." Kagami was still sure that Mio and Naomi are an actual couple, and so she wanted Sojiro to create some characters based on them.

"Haa…" Konata let out a sigh. "Accept it already, Kagamin~…" She wanted her to finally give up on the matter.

"I will never!"

"Hmm…" Sojiro gave it some thought. "I like the general idea, especially the part about them having opposite looks and personalities, and yet being inseparable. That's a really cool idea. But… Them being childhood friends makes it rather unrealistic. I mean, childhood friends becoming a couple is already extremely rare, and my main couple in the series are already childhood friends, just because I'm a sucker for these kinds of stories. I always hate seeing them losing in anime and such all the time, and so I wanted to create my own happy end."

"Exactly!" Konata gave him a heartfelt nod. Their tastes were quite similar, after all.

"So, having two childhood friends couples in my story would be too much of a wish-fulfillment story… The possibility of this happening in real-life is just way too slim…"

"These stupid otakus…" Kagami couldn't believe that Sojiro, too, shared the same opinion as Konata and Hiyori on the topic.

"That's just how it is, Kagamin~. I don't like it either, but there's nothing we can do about it."

"I'll prove that you're wrong and it's going to be sooo satisfying!" She would not give up. Ever.

After spending a good while longer on the topic, and Kagami trying her best to change Sojiro's mind, the couple decided to slowly get ready to leave for Kagami's place. It took quite a while, though, because Sojiro didn't want to let his daughter go again, and so Kagami had to use just a little bit of force to separate him from her.

…

Once the two had arrived and entered Kagami's house, they were promptly greeted by Miki.

"Oh, hello there!" She welcomed the couple and suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, hugged Konata after walking up to her. "You went home way too fast yesterday!"

"Nnng… S-So…rry…" The hug was so tight that she was almost crushed by its force. "C-Could I get a little room to breathe… Miki? Otherwise… I might be unable to visit you ever again… or anyone else at all…"

"Only if you promise not to run away again."

"Ahaha… No, I won't…" She felt a little guilty and awkward.

"Okay." Miki finally let go of her.

"Don't tell me it's finally time for my popular phase?" Konata looked confused. "First was Kagamin~, then my father, and now Miki, who almost hugged me to death."

"You don't need something like that, Kona." Kagami didn't support her claim in the slightest.

"Ehehe~, no need to worry." She was already popular enough with Kagami, so she didn't feel the urge to be even more popular anyways. "So, what are the news, Miki?"

"Oh, I have so much to talk about with you, Konata." Miki seemed glad that Konata wanted to chat with her.

"Err…" Kagami had mixed feeling about their interaction. "I'll leave you two alone for a while then… I love both of you, but together… you're too much for me to handle." She casually said something rude with a perfectly straight face.

"Have fun, dear."

"Okay~." The two, on the other hand, didn't care about in the slightest and happily started chatting.

"First, let me thank you for raising our Kagami so well."

"Ehh…?"

"She cooked for the family yesterday, and it was delicious. Even Matsuri liked it! That Kagami made a satisfying meal for the whole family. The same girl could make pots explode by merely looking at them…"

"Aww, come on, you give her way too little credit, Miki. It's not that bad, and it's been ages since I started teaching her."

"You… You don't remember what happened back then…?"

"Uhh… Ah, ghh…" Some dark memories began to resurface in Konata's head, and she made a pained expression.

"That's why, again, thank you for succeeding where all of us previously failed and gave up. It's a remarkable feat that only you were able to pull off,"

"Ehe-Ehehe~." Konata was proud of her achievement and happy about Miki's praise.

"What about the other household chores? She said she's learning, but our Kagami was utterly useless in those as well, after all."

"You really have no faith in your daughter whatsoever, have you?" Konata was surprised by how frank Miki was being.

"Can you blame me?"

"…" She didn't answer, no, she couldn't. "Anyway… She's kind of sloppy when it comes to annoying stuff like dusting, but I'll fix that eventually."

"M-My daughter can use a washing machine…?" Miki was at a loss for words.

"Wow… It's good that Kagamin~ didn't stay with us earlier. Well, it's funny because it's true, so all is good."

"Still, though, it looks like your plan of raising your wife is going well, huh?" Miki said something outrageous with her usual gentle smile.

"…" Konata was shocked beyond words and blacked out for a second. She needed a second to reboot before she awkwardly looked away.

"Hmm~…?" Miki hadn't expected such a reaction. "Was that actually the plan all along?" Before, Konata always teasingly agreed or answered with a joke herself, but this reaction was new and interesting.

"N-No, t-that wasn't my… intention when doing that…" Konata became bashful, and her cheeks were dyed in a slight red.

"Oho, but it doesn't sound like you mind this outcome. Have you started to actually consider it?"

"W-Well…" Konata took a deep breath. "It's not like I… dislike the idea, but… We just entered college, and it's way too early to even think about, let alone make any plans…"

"And…?" Miki felt that there was more to it.

"Maybe it's because we're still young, but… I don't know… getting married sounds a bit… scary…?" She wasn't sure herself. "I don't know… Of course, I would be happy, like, really happy, not to mention lucky, incredibly lucky to get someone like Kagamin~… It's just… I think it's better to postpone that topic to a later date… when the two of us are more mature. I mean, we're still kids after all." Konata had a hard time finding the right words, but she did her best to voice her feelings. "Apart from other obvious problems like the money for it, not to mention the frigging laws in this country…"

"Still kids, huh? That statement alone makes you sound pretty mature already. Anyway, interesting… very interesting~." Miki was intrigued by Konata's explanation. "That's quite the change of reaction to my teasing compared to the past when we joked together about it. Then again, I'm not really that surprised. The two of you have been dating for over two years already. Well, officially, maybe a little less, but still…" The two were very couple-like way before they officially started dating after all.

"Uhmm… I'm not entirely sure if I even want to know, but I just have to ask… Miki, about the whole… wife thing… How much of it is you having fun teasing me, and how much of it is your sincere wish in marrying off your daughter to me…?"

"What ratio would you prefer?" In terms of teasing capability, Miki clearly was Konata's superior, and by a significant margin.

"Again, honestly, I'm really not sure." She didn't even know which was better, especially for her mental sanity.

"Teasing you is great fun, so there's that." Miki couldn't help it. "You're cute, and your reactions are adorable~."

"C-Cute…" Ever since her date with Naomi a little while ago, where the girl almost broke her with the word, Konata's was now really sensitive to the word.

"On a more serious note…" Miki's teasing smile was replaced by her normal one again. "I understand why you're hesitant, and I agree that it's a little too early for the two of you, but…" She made a small pause. "I would be happy, no, delighted and proud if Kagami chooses you for her future, Konata." There was no joking tone in her voice. "I love you, Konata, and I think you're a more than suitable partner for my daughter. If anything, I think you're slightly wasted on her, but let's not go there…" She put Konata on a way too high pedestal in her eyes. "It's clear that you two love and care for each other, and you're complimenting the other very well. That's very important if you ask me."

"Uhh… I was right… I-I shouldn't have asked…" Konata's entire face was on fire because she was way too embarrassed, mainly because she thought Miki totally overdid it. "B-But thank you for thinking so highly of me, Miki… Although I don't know why…" She only whispered the last part.

"Hehe, you're welcome, and you should have more confidence in yourself. Everything I said is nothing but the truth, after all." Even though she had whispered it, Miki still heard it.

"I'll try…"

"Ah, but just so you know, marrying my daughter comes with a condition you have to fulfill first."

"A-A condition…?"

"You'll have to call me mom first, or I else I won't let you have my Kagami."

"I-Is that so…? Okay, it's good that I'm not ready anyway because that'll take a while."

"Hmm… It was worth a try. I wanted too much too fast, huh?"

"Yeah, you came in a bit too strong there, Miki."

"I knew it…" She instantly regretted pushing too hard.

"I'm happy you see a daughter in me, Miki, but I need time for that because the topic for me is still a bit… you know?"

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"Once that complicated topic was over, the two continued their friendly chat for a while before Konata went back to Kagami in the other room. Fortunately, Kagami didn't even try to ask what her girlfriend talked about with her mother because she was honestly too scared to know.

…

Tadao came home during the early evening hours and conveniently brought some takeout with him as a special occasion. He wanted to have a chat with the couple over dinner to get a view from both sides, and he came up with a good time to do so because all of his other daughters were out of the house right now. Or so he thought. Unfortunately, Miki was still there, and still had a lot of things she wanted to ask. Thanks to that, dinner was all but peaceful.

"By the way…" Miki looked at the couple. "Are you still in the phase of being all over each other and unable to leave the other's side after having moved together?"

"…" The two in question, who were in the middle of eating, stopped moving altogether and looked at her with wide, shocked eyes. They were unable to process what just happened.

"Bullseye, huh?" It wasn't overly hard to interpret their reaction. "Ah, to be young again~. Honey, do you still remember when we first moved in together? Ah~, it was sooo…" She playfully nudged Tadao's side before he stopped her.

"D-Dear, what are you talking about in front of the kids?!" He did remember and was really embarrassed about it.

"Tehe~." His reaction was also the exact response Miki wanted to get from her husband.

"…" Konata and Kagami remained silent for the time being. Their initial shock was mostly gone, but the two were now rather uncomfortably watching the married couple in front of them openly flirt. Especially Kagami, as she was somewhat put off by the sight of her faintly blushing father. Then again, they really weren't in the position to judge others when it came to shameless flirting.

"Ahem…" Miki slowly got back to the topic after having her fill of watching her flustered husband. "It's absolutely natural to become inseparable when you start living together. Not having to hold back lets you go loose after all." She definitely was talking from experience here. "Enjoy it while it lasts because this phase won't go on forever and will naturally quiet down eventually. Ah, but that's not a bad thing. It's not like the excitement will burn out or anything. Things will just go back to normal, and you'll have time to do other stuff again. Still, enjoy it to your fullest because these unrestrained months are simply the best!"

"W-Wha…" The couple was too overwhelmed by Miki's explanation. All their worries about being all over each other to an apparently unhealthy degree were all for nothing. The two were feeling extremely stupid, not to mention embarrassed, but also a little relieved at the same time.

"Youth, so precious~." Miki let out a chuckle. She, once more, understood perfectly well the reasoning behind their expressions and reaction. She stayed mostly silent, though, because it was evident that the couple had already taken enough damage and had suffered enough.

After Konata and Kagami recovered to some degree, Tadao finally was able to ask some questions on his own.

…

Because it was late already, the couple stayed the night at the Hiiragi house before heading back to Yokohama the morning after.

After arriving home again, they felt a strong sense of relief from the taxing weekend.

"Haa~, home sweet home~." Konata let out a big sigh once they had entered their apartment.

"You can say that again." Kagami, too, looked tired.

"Home sweet home~."

"Idiot."

"Hehe, what a weekend…"

"Yeah…"

"Your mother sure is something else, Kagamin~…"

"That's quite an understatement."

"You have no idea…" Konata wasn't just talking about Miki's curiosity or their sudden revelation that being all over each other right after moving in together being perfectly healthy.

"Eh, what do you mean, Kona?"

"Ah, no, nothing…" She thought it wasn't a good idea to mention the other things she talked about with Miki, especially the whole marriage thing. "We sure were stupid, huh?"

"That's, unfortunately, business as usual for us, isn't it?" Kagami was perfectly aware of how their relationship worked.

"Ehehe~. So, now that we know that we really don't have to hold back, how about we…"

"Cuddle the entire day to make up for the time we were under the assumption of having to turn our clinginess down a notch… or three because we strongly thought that this lifestyle was somewhat unhealthy?"

"It's as if you've read my thoughts~."

The plan was immediately put into action as the two moved to the sofa in their living room. Konata and Kagami didn't leave from it for the rest of the day again and really didn't stop cuddling until it was time for dinner and to get ready for bed. Although, right after getting to bed, they continued to cuddle until the couple fell asleep.

The day after, Konata and Kagami were fully revitalized again, and in an excellent mood for a long while. They immediately stopped holding back with their clinginess, and the two had a lot of fun because of that.