Rina's conclusion, as wrong as it is, becomes her new reality. In her mind, Aiwa Matsuki is no longer just a potential cosplay rival; she is a direct and immediate threat to her romantic claim on me. The "Grand Alliance" with Haruka against LUNA is still technically in effect, but Rina's primary focus shifts from a professional battle to a deeply personal one. Her campaign to win my heart escalates from a playful offensive to a full-blown, scorched-earth war.
Her first move is the "Bento Offensive." She starts waking up an hour earlier every morning to prepare a ridiculously elaborate bento for me. We are not talking simple rice balls and tamagoyaki. We are talking about octopus-shaped sausages, rice molded into cute panda faces, and intricate patterns carved into apple slices. And, of course, the ever-present carrots cut into the shape of little hearts.
"Here you go, Onii-chan!" she announces cheerfully every morning, presenting me with the bento. "A lunch made with all my love, to make sure you do not get tempted by any… outside food sources."
It is mortifying. When I open my lunch at school, I am greeted by a chorus of "oohs" and "ahhs" from my classmates.
"Wow, Hinamata, your sister is amazing!" "My sister just gives me leftovers." "That is true love right there!"
I just want to crawl into a hole and die. But it gets worse.
Her next tactic is "Academic Proximity." She suddenly "forgets" her textbook for every class we have near each other. "Oh, Onii-chan, I am so forgetful!" she will say, sliding into the seat next to me. "Can I share yours?" This results in us having to sit with our heads practically touching as we try to read from the same book, a situation that sends my blood pressure into the stratosphere and her smugness levels off the charts.
Haruka, of course, is not one to be outdone. She sees Rina's aggressive, "cute little sister" campaign and decides to counter it with her own "cool, mature woman" strategy.
She starts showing up at my classroom after school. "Rui-kun," she will say, her voice smooth and professional. "I was just on my way to that new, sophisticated coffee shop downtown. They have single-origin beans from Guatemala. You look stressed. You should come with me. It is much more calming than the student council room."
I am now being fought over by two girls offering me heart-shaped carrots on one side and artisanal coffee on the other. It is a surreal, waking nightmare.
The war reaches its peak one afternoon in the hallway. Rina is clinging to my arm, as usual. Haruka appears, holding two cups of coffee. Aiwa Matsuki happens to be walking out of a classroom right in front of us. It is a perfect storm of romantic comedy disaster.
"Rina-chan!" Haruka says, her smile sharp. "You are holding onto him so tightly. Are you afraid your dear brother will run away?"
"Not at all," Rina replies, her own smile just as sweet and venomous. "I am just making sure he is not tempted by any… bitter old ladies."
"Who are you calling an old lady?!"
"If the shoe fits!"
As they are bickering, I am trying to become one with the wall behind me. Aiwa just stands there, looking at the scene with wide, confused eyes, like a tourist who has stumbled into the middle of a bizarre local festival. She catches my eye, gives me a small, sympathetic smile, and then quickly scurries away, clearly not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.
Her escape is the one good thing that has happened to me all day. I am the grand prize in a war I never signed up for, and I am losing, badly.