Haruka Ito was a girl who was used to getting what she wanted. And right now, what she wanted was Ectiqa's mysterious, handsome handler. She became obsessed. She discreetly asked other cosplayers and photographers if they knew who he was, but no one had a clue. He was a ghost, which only made him more alluring.
Her frustration bled into her daily life, specifically at school, where she continued to treat Rina with a targeted passive-aggression.
"Winning a big prize must be nice," Haruka commented loudly to her friends as they passed Rina in the hallway. "I bet you get all sorts of perks. Like a cute assistant to carry all your things for you. I wonder where a person finds someone so loyal."
Rina's hands clenched into fists, but she just walked on, her expression a mask of cold indifference. Inside, however, a possessive fire was raging. He was her knight, her Rui.
Her teasing at home took on a new, territorial edge. It was less about flustering me and more about staking her claim.
"Onii-chan," she said one evening, latching onto my arm while I was trying to read. "You would never, ever leave me for some other girl, would you? Even if she was a popular, famous cosplayer with a really bad attitude?"
"What are you talking about?" I mumbled, trying to focus on my manga. "I'm not 'with you' to begin with."
"You are!" she insisted, squeezing my arm tighter. "You're my brother and my knight and my manager and my- everything! There's no room for anyone else."
I, of course, was completely oblivious. I had already forgotten about the encounter with the 'ice queen' cosplayer backstage. I just thought Rina's victory had made her even more clingy and weirdly insecure than usual. I had no idea that a one-sided love triangle was forming, with me as the blissfully unaware, and deeply confused, central point.