The cosplay work session proceeded, but the atmosphere had been irrevocably tainted by a thick, heavy coat of pure awkwardness. Miki and Hana now had to interact with me knowing two devastating facts: 1) I am the legendary Starlight_Knight_01, the financial and emotional bedrock of Ectiqa's entire career, and 2) I am the unwilling target of my own sister's forbidden love crusade.
Their behavior towards me was a bizarre cocktail of reverence and pity.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Rui-san," Miki said, giving me a stiff, formal bow that was completely out of character.
"We brought you a melon pan!" Hana added, holding out the pastry as if it were a sacred offering to a temple god.
I, completely unaware that they were in on the secret, just thought, 'Wow, my sister's friends are really weird today.'
Rina, on the other hand, was completely in her element. She reveled in her friends' discomfort. She brought a tray of drinks and snacks into her room for the group. She handed a glass of iced tea to Miki, then to Hana, and then she came to me.
"And one for my handsome, wonderful, future husband," she announced, ruffling my hair as I took the glass.
Miki and Hana, who had both just taken a large bite of their rice crackers, proceeded to choke in perfect, synchronized harmony. I just sighed and retreated to a corner of the room to work on a prop, my face the color of a ripe tomato.
For the rest of the evening, Miki and Hana tried their best to act normal, but every time Rina initiated a "spontaneous" hug or made a comment about how my hands were "so big and manly," they would flinch and suddenly find something fascinating to look at on the ceiling.
As they were finally leaving, their faces etched with the trauma of what they had witnessed, Miki pulled Rina aside at the door.
"Please, Rina, I'm begging you," she whispered desperately. "Be careful. This is a really dangerous game you're playing."
Rina just gave her a serene, confident smile. "All's fair in love and war, Miki-chan," she said. "And this is both."
Miki just shuddered and practically fled from our apartment, dragging a shell-shocked Hana behind her.