"Okay, you two should wait here," Akari said, stopping Minato and Ayato in their tracks.
"Why?" Minato asked, frowning.
"This is the Maidens' Club. Men aren't allowed inside," Akari replied matter-of-factly.
"What? Then what are we supposed to do out here?" Ayato groaned.
"Just stand around until we're done. That's all," Akari said with a shrug.
Ayato clung to Rin's arm, shaking it dramatically. "Sister Rin, you can stay with us, right? Don't leave us here alone."
"Okay, okay… no, I want to go inside," Rin said, prying him off. "You two can hang around, maybe stroll through the nearby market—it's fun. If you were girls, you'd be allowed inside."
"Girls, huh…" Minato muttered, watching as Rin and Akari disappeared through the doors of the Maidens' Club.
Akari exhaled in relief once they were inside. "Wow. I never knew your brothers were such clowns."
"Well, until yesterday, I didn't even know I had brothers," Rin replied with a small laugh. "So, cousin, what are we going to do now?"
They stepped into the main hall, a lively space filled with maidens chatting, giggling, embroidering, and performing small plays.
"Cousin Akari! Cousin Rin!" four girls called out as they hurried over.
"Hello, cousins," Akari greeted warmly.
"Hi…" Rin waved awkwardly. One girl, with short purple hair, giggled and grabbed Rin's hand.
"Wow, congratulations, Cousin Rin! You're getting married to the Ice Queen," she said with a teasing smile.
Another girl, with soft pink hair, pouted. "That means we won't see you again here at the Maidens' Club…" Her eyes welled up with tears.
"Oh, you don't have to cry… um…" Rin trailed off, trying to remember her name. "What was your name again, cousin?"
The girl's sobs grew louder. "See? I told you she's forgotten us! She stopped coming here, and yesterday she didn't even recognize us at her own engagement ceremony!"
"Hana, stop crying," the purple-haired girl said, patting her back. "Cousin Rin would never forget us—she was just teasing you."
"Yes, Cousin Hana, I was only joking," Rin said quickly with a forced smile. "I'd never forget your name."
"Then…" Hana sniffled, pointing to the girl beside her. "What's her name?"
"Ehh…" Rin's eyes went wide, and she silently wished the floor would swallow her whole.
Before things could get worse, Akari stepped in with a bright smile.
"Okay, okay, cousins—that's enough teasing for one day. Let's go try the new refreshments!"
The girls exchanged amused looks, but their smiles returned as they followed Akari toward the refreshments table.
While they were busy tasting different drinks, Rin noticed Akari slipping away.
"Hey, Akari, where are you going?" Rin called, catching up to her.
"Going to see Rei," Akari replied.
"Okay, then let's go," Rin said, but Akari didn't move.
"What? You don't want me to follow?" Rin asked, turning to face her.
Akari sighed. "Father told Minato and Ayato to follow you all day. If you come with me, they'll follow and report back to him. I just got my freedom, Rin. I don't want to lose it again."
"What? Then what am I supposed to do here?" Rin groaned. "I hate social gatherings! If this was your plan from the start, you should've just let me stay home."
"I wish I could," Akari said, "but Father won't let me go alone unless I bring you along. You always used to love it here—you were like the queen of this club."
"Well, that was then. Now I'm different. I don't like any of this—too many people. I'd rather spend the whole day in my room than here."
"Alright, cousin," Akari said gently, "Rei and I will be at the bathhouse. When we're done, I'll come pick you up, okay?" She started to walk away.
"Alright, cousin," Akari said gently. "Rei and I will be at the bathhouse. When we're done, I'll come pick you up, okay?" She started walking away.
"Hey, Akari," Rin called, deliberately skipping the word cousin. "Next time you want to meet your lover, don't involve me again."
Rei and Akari were the reason she'd been dragged out of her comfort zone, trapped inside this ridiculous story by a deranged magician-author. And now, they were making her look like a fool.
Akari froze for a second, surprise flickering across her face, but she said nothing and kept walking. Rin turned back to the girls, forcing her irritation down.
"Where's Akari going?" the short purple-haired girl asked.
"I don't know. She didn't say," Rin replied, settling back into her seat to continue drinking.
"You know, yesterday she was with the enemy, Rei Akarawa, during the party. Do you think they're serious?" Hana asked, watching Rin, who seemed lost in thought.
"Oh, you're talking to me?" Rin said, snapping back. "I have no idea what you're talking about, haha." Then she smacked her hand on the table. "Okay, let's start all over again—pretend we're meeting each other for the first time."
"So… is this a game?" one of them asked.
"Yes. This is a game. I've lost my memory, and I don't remember anything about myself. My cousin will help me remember. So—who are you, and what are your names?" Rin asked.
The four girls exchanged glances before answering.
"Okay, our names are Suki, Hana, and Koko… and my name's Mai," the purple-haired girl said.
Rin nodded, repeating their names under her breath. Even though she was bored, she made an effort to blend in—giggling, nodding along, even attempting embroidery. She winced when the needle pricked her finger.
"You used to be good at this," Mai said, slipping a soft training guard over Rin's fingertips. "This will stop the piercing."
Rin's cheeks warmed, and she smiled—really smiled—for the first time, realizing she was starting to feel comfortable around people.
"Okay, show me how to do it. I'll pretend I forgot," Rin said, handing the embroidery back to Mai and leaning forward to watch her stitch.
Two maidens swept toward the table, smelling like they'd bathed in perfume instead of water. Their dresses glittered so much they could probably blind someone. One flicked open a lacy hand fan with exaggerated flair—flair Rin knew she'd seen somewhere before.
"Hellooo, maidens," they chorused in syrupy, sing-song voices.
"We are… new here," the taller one said, pausing like she had to think of the line. "Could you… uh… show us around the club?"
"Of course! I'm Hana," Hana said brightly.
"I'm Koko."
"I'm Suki."
"I'm Mai."
All four turned expectantly to Rin. She eyed the newcomers up and down—their makeup looked like it had been applied by a drunk raccoon, and their wigs sat on their heads like startled birds.
"I'm Rin," she said, offering her hand.
The "maiden" with the fan grabbed it—and Rin nearly yelped at the handshake. It wasn't a maiden's delicate touch; it was the firm, shovel-calloused grip of someone who had wrestled farm equipment.
Her smile became razor-thin. "And you are…?"
The fan stopped mid-flutter. The maiden's eyes darted to her companion.
"Uh… my name is… Mina—"
"And I'm Aya—"
"—ta!" they blurted together, panicked, slamming their names into one word.
"Minata and Ayata," the fan-holder repeated, as if that sounded perfectly natural.
Rin stared for a long moment, then squinted. The "maidens" avoided eye contact, one nervously adjusting her wig while the other's false eyelash started sliding down her cheek.
Finally, Rin slapped her forehead. "Oh, for the love of—Minato! Ayato! What are you doing here dressed like… like… THIS?!"
The fan-holder gasped and tried to hide behind the fan—only to accidentally smack himself in the nose with it. The other one bent to "adjust her skirt," tripped on the hem, and went down with a muffled "oof."
Rin pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering, "Why. Are. You. Like. This."