Rina's world was a carefully constructed balancing act. One part was her real job at the cafe, a perfect alibi that provided just enough cover. The second, much larger part was what came after.
After hanging up her pink apron at 5 PM, she'd meet Miki, and they would descend into their real world: a small, rented studio space that smelled of hot glue, acrylic paint, and ambition. This was the headquarters, the secret lair where Rina Hinamata died and Ectiqa was born.
Tonight, she was feeling the pressure. ComiConclave was just around the corner. But she was also feeling... grateful. She sat in front of her laptop, wearing one of my old, oversized hoodies and a medical face mask to hide her identity, preparing for a quick Q&A livestream.
"You ready for this?" Miki's voice asked from the corner, where she was setting up a ring light.
"As I'll ever be," Rina breathed, cracking her knuckles. "Let's do this."
The stream went live, and the viewer count skyrocketed. Thousands of fans, her Ectiquties, flooded the chat with hearts and excited messages. She smiled behind her mask.
"Hi everyone," she said, her voice smooth and confident. "Thanks for dropping in. I wanted to answer a few of your questions before I go into full crunch-mode for the convention."
Meanwhile, in the room next door, I was conducting my own very important business: scrolling through Ectiqa's social media feed while eating potato chips. I saw the notification for the live Q&A and my heart skipped a beat. My fingers flew to the donation button. It was a compulsion.
[Starlight_Knight_01 has donated ¥10,000!] [Question: Ectiqa-sama, what inspires you to embody these characters so perfectly? What was your first inspiration?]
On her screen, Rina saw the familiar username and her breath hitched. Starlight_Knight_01. He was always there, always asking the most thoughtful questions.
"Knight-san," she said, a genuine warmth in her voice. "Thank you again. That's a wonderful question."
She leaned back, thinking for a moment. "My first inspiration... it was a hero from an old anime I watched when I was a kid. A show called 'Starlight Paladin.'"
In my room, I almost choked on a chip. I sat up straight, my ears perking up. Did she just say...
"I saw the main character," Ectiqa's voice continued from my laptop speakers, "and she was so strong, and so cool... I didn't just want to be like her. I wanted to be her. I guess I'm still chasing that feeling, of becoming someone amazing."
A huge, goofy grin spread across my face. "No way," I whispered to my empty room. "Ectiqa-sama likes 'Starlight Paladin' too!"
It was our show. Rina's and mine. Our Saturday morning ritual for years. The idea that this goddess of cosplay shared that same obscure childhood memory with me felt... special. It was like a secret connection between us. It made me feel like she wasn't just some untouchable idol, but someone who got it. Someone like me.
The rest of the stream was a blur. I was just basking in the glow of our shared nostalgia. As she was signing off, she gave one last message.
"A special thank you to Starlight_Knight_01," she said softly. "Your support... it always feels like it's from someone who truly understands."
My face felt like it was on fire. She noticed me again!
My phone buzzed, vibrating on the desk. It was a text from Rina.
Rina: Onii-chan, can you make some hot chocolate? I'm cold. (>.<)
I looked at the childish text, then back at the cool, charismatic cosplayer on my screen waving goodbye to her thousands of fans.
"Heh. Worlds apart," I muttered to myself, getting up to go be a good brother. One was a goddess who shared my secret favorite anime, and the other was my lazy sister who couldn't even get her own drink. The two couldn't possibly be more different.