I need information. My brain is still buzzing with the LUNA/Aiwa paradox. The identical mannerisms, the flawless denial, the shared love for 'Starlight Paladin'- it all points to a secret, but I cannot figure out the why. I need to talk to Aiwa, away from the prying eyes of Rina, Haruka, and the entire student body.
My chance comes during a free period. I spot Aiwa heading towards the school library, a place usually devoid of the usual high school drama. Perfect. I grab my own textbook and follow her at a discreet distance.
The library is an oasis of quiet. Aiwa finds a secluded table in the back corner, surrounded by towering shelves of dusty reference books. She opens her notebook and seems to get lost in her work. I take a deep breath and approach her table.
"Mind if I sit here?" I ask, trying to sound casual.
She jumps, startled, her eyes wide. "Oh! Hinamata-kun! No, of course not. Please." She gestures to the empty chair opposite her.
I sit down, pretending to open my textbook. An awkward silence stretches between us. She is focused on her notes, but I can feel a nervous energy radiating from her.
"So," I begin, trying to sound nonchalant. "That LUNA cosplayer at Comicon was really something, huh?"
She looks up, her expression carefully neutral. "Yes. She was very impressive."
"That pendant she was wearing," I continue, watching her face closely. "The 'Starlight Paladin' one. It is funny you both like that show so much. It is pretty obscure."
A faint blush colors her cheeks. "It is a wonderful show," she says softly, looking down at her notebook. "It deserves more recognition."
"Did you watch it when you were a kid?" I press gently. "Back in Korea?"
She hesitates for a moment. "Yes. My… my grandmother showed it to me. It was dubbed."
"Ah," I say. "My sister and I used to watch it every Saturday morning. It was our ritual." I pause, then decide to probe further. "Did you ever try to, you know, dress up like the characters when you were little?"
Her head snaps up, her eyes wide with a flicker of panic before she quickly schools her features. "Oh, no," she says, a little too quickly. "I was never very good at crafts. I just admired them from afar."
Another lie? Or just shyness? I cannot tell. Her defenses are up.
I decide to change tactics. "It must be tough," I say, shifting the topic slightly. "Moving to a new country, starting a new school. You seem to be handling it really well."
She looks surprised by the sudden shift. "Oh. Thank you. It is… challenging sometimes. Everyone here already seems to know each other."
"Yeah, it can be like that," I agree. "But people are pretty friendly once you get past the initial…" I gesture vaguely, thinking of the mob that surrounded her on her first day.
She gives a small, genuine smile. "You were very kind to me," she says softly. "That day in the store. And on my first day here. Thank you, Hinamata-kun."
Her sincerity throws me off guard. For a moment, she is not LUNA, the suspect, or Aiwa, the enigma. She is just a lonely girl in a new place, grateful for a small act of kindness. My resolve to interrogate her falters.
"No problem," I mumble, feeling my own cheeks get warm. "Just… you know. Welcome to the neighborhood."
We lapse back into silence, but it is a more comfortable silence this time. She goes back to her notes, and I pretend to read my book, my mind a swirling mess of suspicion and a strange, unwelcome empathy. She is hiding something, I am sure of it. But getting her to reveal it is going to be far more difficult than I thought.