"What are you two doing here?" Rin hissed, dragging her brothers into a corner before the girls could hear.
"You said if we were girls, we could enter," Minato said, batting his fake lashes.
Rin stared at them, utterly exhausted. "Master Hoshino told you to be my bodyguards, not… this. Where did you even get those costumes?"
"Being a bodyguard is hard," Ayato complained. "We don't have powers, we don't have fighting skills… and besides, he told us to protect you. Speaking of which—where's Cousin Akari?"
"She's… somewhere," Rin said quickly, changing the subject. "What if someone notices you two? We'll all be in big trouble."
"Don't worry," Ayato said with a grin. "As long as we're Minata and Ayata, no one will notice. Just act like you don't know us."
"And also," Minato added, "we just want to have fun." His eyes sparkled in an unconvincing imitation of a cute little maiden. "Come on, little sister. Let's have fun. We won't make a scene."
Rin sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "…Fine. Okay. But don't get exposed, alright?"
Before they could answer, a maiden in a flowing light-blue dress approached. Her hair was a striking shade of green. "You must be the new maidens," she said.
"Yes, we are," the brothers said in unnaturally high voices. Rin quietly groaned and left them to her.
"Good. Follow me." The green-haired maiden led them to the center of the room, then snapped her fingers. The moment she did, the entire club fell silent and turned to look.
"We have new maidens here with us today!" she announced proudly, gesturing to Minato and Ayato.
"Introduce yourselves, girls."
Ayato stepped forward. "My name is Ayata Kisaragi, from the Kisaragi clan."
"And I am Minata Kisaragi, also from the Kisaragi clan," Minato said.
The room collectively glanced toward Rin.
"Rin, they're from your clan," Suki said. "Have you met them before?"
"They must be… uh… cousins. From my uncle's or auntie's side," Rin said quickly.
"Very well," the green-haired maiden said. "Welcome, girls. But before you are fully accepted, you must pass the Trial of the Maidens."
Ayato and Minato's eyes went wide. "The what now?"
Rin leaned toward Mai. "What's that?"
"Are you still pretending you've lost your memory?" Mai whispered.
Rin nodded furiously.
"It's something every new member does before they join the club," Mai explained.
"Wow. Is it difficult?" Rin asked.
"You set the rules yourself, Rin," Koko said flatly.
Rin froze. "…Oh."
"What exactly are we doing?" Ayato asked cautiously.
"Make us refreshments and serve us all," the green-haired maiden said with a sweet-but-dangerous smile.
"Uh… Sayuri, isn't it supposed to be just 'make refreshments'?" someone from the crowd piped up.
"Well, yes," Sayuri said, straightening her back, "but now I'm the head of the Maiden Club, so I say what I want."
"No one made you head," Mai cut in sharply. "You're just the vice. Rin is—"
"Rin hasn't been showing up lately and has been acting strangely," Sayuri interrupted with a smirk. "So I stepped up. And besides…" She turned toward Rin, voice dripping with false sweetness. "…She won't be coming anymore once she's married, you know. This club is for single maidens only." She reached out and tapped Rin's shoulder in a mock-pitying gesture.
Rin caught her fingers mid-tap and removed them—firmly.
"Well, I'm not married yet," Rin said, squaring her shoulders. "And I'm still the head of this club. Which means I call the shots."
"Yes," Sayuri said cautiously.
Rin stepped to the center of the room, right beside her disguised brothers. "Since I made the rules, I'll change them. I'm the boss here." She smirked—finally slipping into the confident persona her role demanded. Rin Kisaragi wasn't a pushover. She didn't have powers, but she controlled this club. She was the one who stirred conflicts and outmaneuvered opponents.
"Let's skip the boring Trial of the Maidens and do something fun," Rin declared. Then she faced Sayuri. "Oh, and you're no longer my vice. And you're definitely not going to be head maiden."
Sayuri's expression curdled. She raised her fingers to snap, but Mai caught her hand mid-motion—and a faint purple spark of electricity crackled between them.
"Don't do anything stupid, Sayuri," Mai warned.
"Mai!" Rin said sharply.
"Yes, cousin?" Mai replied without looking away from Sayuri.
"You're my new vice headand next in line for head," Rin said.
"You can't do that!" Sayuri snapped.
"Oh, right… there has to be a vote." Rin turned to the room. "Everyone who wants Mai as vice, raise your hand."
Every single hand shot up. Sayuri's jaw tightened.
"Well, no need for a second vote," Rin said with a slow, victorious smile.
"You're all fools," Sayuri spat. "How can you let a powerless Kisaragi boss you around? We have powers—they don't! The Kisaragi are the most useless clan in all of Kaida!"
"How dare you insult our clan, you spoiled child!" Ayato barked.
Sayuri let out a mocking laugh. "What can you even do? You have no powers."
Minato snapped his fan open with a fwip and pointed it at her. "Maybe not, but our clan is the reason you have food on your table. These refreshments, these snacks—everything you eat—we plant and grow them all."
Sayuri scoffed. "So you're glorified farmers. How quaint."
The two of them kept trading barbs, Ayato jumping in with equally loud retorts, until their combined voices were practically bouncing off the walls.
Rin's patience finally snapped. "Enough!"
The command cracked through the room like a whip. The hall went dead silent—so silent, even the faint flutter of Minato's fan stopped midair. Rin blinked, surprised they'd all actually listened, then smirked.
"…Well, that worked better than I expected." She leaned back casually against the table, crossing her arms.
Her eyes slid toward her brothers. "Now, make us refreshments, newcomers."
Ayato and Minato froze mid-breath, exchanging horrified glances.
"…Wait. You're serious?" Ayato asked.
Rin arched one eyebrow. "Go on. We don't have all day."
She propped her chin on her hand, watching with undisguised amusement as her brothers reluctantly shuffled toward the kitchen door—Minato still clutching his fan like it was a shield, Ayato muttering something about "unfair labor conditions" under his breath.
Finally, Rin looked… relaxed. And maybe just a little evil as she forget that she was dump by the lovers.
Minato and Ayato ended up in the tiny clubroom kitchen, sleeves rolled up, mixing juice, slicing fruit, and pouring drinks like they were running a café.
"There," Minato said, sliding the tray onto the counter with a satisfied grin. "Perfect."
Ayato wiped his hands. "We could open a shop at this rate."
They carried the refreshments out to the others, but before they could even sit down, Rin took a sip, made a face, and tapped her cup.
"Hmm… make it again," she said casually.
"Again?" Minato blinked.
"Yes," Rin replied, totally straight-faced. "But with more ice this time. Oh, and maybe sweeter."
So, back they went. Another round of mixing. Another tray.
"Better," Rin said after tasting it… then tilted her head. "But… make it again. We're almost there."
By the fifth attempt, both boys were dragging their feet, hair sticking to their foreheads. Ayato was fanning himself with an empty cup.
"We just wanted to have fun…" Minato muttered under his breath as he refilled yet another pitcher.
Ayato glanced at him, deadpan. "This doesn't look like fun."
Their defeated expressions set the whole club off into laughter, even Rin, who finally waved them over.
"Alright, alright, you're free. Come drink with us."
They collapsed into their seats, drinks in hand, half-smiling despite themselves.
…
"Wow, that was fun," Rin said as she, Minato, and Ayato walked home. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting the streets in shades of violet and gold. The boys were already pulling off their disguises, wigs slightly askew.
"Fun for you," Ayato grumbled, scrubbing at his face with a handkerchief to get the stubborn makeup off.
"Weee…" Rin twirled in place like a carefree child. "I've always avoided gatherings and people, locking myself away… who knew this was so much fun? I wonder what it would be like in my world…" She skipped ahead, humming to herself while her brothers exchanged puzzled looks.
"Your… world?" Minato muttered, but before either of them could press her, the ground beneath them began to vibrate—soft at first, then heavier, like drumbeats.
From the darkness ahead and behind, massive, glossy black ants scuttled into view, each one the size of a large dog. Their eyes glowed a ghostly white, antennae twitching in eerie sync.
"What—what are these creatures?!" Minato exclaimed, snapping his fan open and swatting at one that dared get too close.
The nearest ant reared up, its mandibles clicking ominously—then, without warning, it lifted its back end and released a cloud of sickly green gas.
"Oh no—" Ayato coughed, staggering back.
Another ant joined in, and another, until the air around them was thick with the noxious haze.
Within seconds, all three siblings wobbled, eyes drooping. Rin managed a weak, "Gross…" before the world spun sideways, and they collapsed together on the cobblestones.
The ants closed in.