Alicia also saw Haruno—the sister who was always so bold and warm. Right now she was practically half-lying on Rei Ao's other side.
The collar of her school uniform was askew, revealing a delicate collarbone. Grinning, she twirled a lock of Rei Ao's hair around her finger, her eyes full of mischief and a certain eager spark.
She even saw Aunt Fuyuka—the gentle, poised matriarch of the Yukinoshita family. At the moment she sat at the edge of the bed in just a thin silk robe, a faint blush on her cheeks, her gaze flitting away in fluster.
What made Alicia's pupils contract most was the sight of Mabel—so familiar to her—and, of course, Rei Ao himself, lounging there with that lazy smile that seemed to say he had everything under control.
Alicia simply couldn't process it. The cool, distant Yukino, the passionate Haruno, the tender, dignified Aunt Fuyuka, even Mabel… how could they all be like this?
The shock and the overturning of everything she thought she knew crashed over her; her mind blue-screened. She even forgot to breathe.
And in that instant—while she stood frozen in utter disbelief, unable to react—Rei Ao, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, suddenly turned. His gaze cut cleanly through the narrow crack of the door and locked onto the panicked, bewildered green eyes outside.
Their eyes met.
Alicia's heart skipped a beat. Rei Ao's face showed neither embarrassment nor irritation at being "interrupted." Instead, the corner of his mouth curled into something wicked, playful, predatory.
His lips moved. That low, magnetic voice slipped clearly through the gap in the door, sliding into Alicia's ears like a spell.
"Since you're here…"
The words carried a calm authority—and a hint of chilling dominance.
"…don't leave."
Before she could think or flee, an immense, invisible pull surged from within the room, a vortex that wrapped around her in an instant.
"Eh—!" Alicia only had time for a short gasp before the force seized her, hauling her through the crack like a leaf swept into a current—straight into that abyssal room.
As she was swept inside, she thought she glimpsed Yukino and Haruno both showing a flicker of surprise. Aunt Fuyuka covered her mouth; Mabel looked mortified.
Thud.
With a soft sound, the half-closed door swung shut and sealed tight, neatly severing the inside from the hallway.
Silence returned outside, as if nothing had happened. Only the lingering damp warmth from the bathroom hinted that someone had indeed come home moments before.
…
Tokyo.
Under the evening sky, the lights of the burger shop looked especially pale. Amano Hina stood with her head lowered, fingers clamped around the thin envelope she'd just been handed. Inside were her month's wages—and a notice of termination.
The manager, a middle-aged man whose face rarely looked kind, wore an expression of helplessness.
"Hina, I'm really sorry. There's been a strict crackdown lately—someone reported us for hiring a minor. With your situation… I really can't keep you on."
"This bit of money is my personal compensation. Take it, okay? Try to find something… more appropriate for your age."
Hina's heart sank to the bottom. The composure she'd fought to maintain was about to crack. This job had been so hard to find. It was her only way to cover living expenses and pay the rent. She'd lied about her age and worked carefully, but still couldn't escape.
"I… I understand. Thank you for looking after me." She bowed deeply, her voice catching, not daring to lift her head and let the manager see the tears about to spill. She snatched up the envelope and all but fled the shop she'd worked at for months.
When it rains, it pours. She had barely stepped outside when the dark, heavy sky—like a mirror of her mood—suddenly split open and dumped a torrent. The raindrops were big and icy, soaking her thin clothes in an instant. Her short blue hair clung to her cheeks; she looked a mess.
Passersby sprang open umbrellas or dashed for shelter. Only Amano Hina wandered on like a soulless doll, stumbling through the curtain of rain, letting it wash away the tears and despair on her face.
The cold made her shiver—and cleared her thoughts just a touch. Almost by instinct, she lifted her eyes to the oppressive gray sky that never seemed to clear. A thought rose unbidden: she was a sunshine maiden. If she prayed—if she used that power—this suffocating rain would part for her, bringing a brief burst of sun.
She slowly raised her hand, ready to pray as she had so many times before.
But just as her will was about to focus, Rei Ao's words from the chat group boomed in her head like an alarm:
"…Overusing this power—especially to reverse extreme weather on a large scale—will gradually sever a sunshine maiden's connection to the world. In the end, she will vanish—erased from the world entirely, as if she never existed."
Vanish… cease to exist…
Her raised hand froze midair as if bound by invisible chains. Rain tracked down her arm and dripped from her fingertips. The longing for sunlight, the instinct to dispel the gloom, wrestled with the terror of disappearing. At last, fear—and the desire to keep existing—won out.
Her arm fell limply. A heavier sense of loss and powerlessness washed over her. She couldn't use that power lightly anymore.
Reality pressed back in: the job was gone, her savings were thin, rent was coming due…
She drifted through the rain like a ghost for who-knew-how long before finally dragging her soaked, chilled body back to the only shelter she had—a cramped, old apartment.
She peeled off her wet clothes and roughly towel-dried her hair and body in the corner, then curled up on the cold tatami. Staring at the rain that still streamed down outside the window, Amano Hina felt nothing but confusion and helplessness about the future.
"What should I do… what am I supposed to do…"
She buried her face in her knees and wept in silence. The weight of life bit far deeper than the cold rain.