The world seems to tilt on its axis. Time slows down. The cheerful sounds of the beach – the waves, the seagulls, the distant laughter – fade into a dull roar. In front of me stands Aiwa Matsuki, the shy, sweet girl from my class, looking impossibly cute in her sundress. Behind me stand Rina and Haruka, two beautiful forces of nature clad in strategically chosen swimwear, radiating enough jealous energy to cause a localized tidal surge.
"Onii-chan," Rina says, her voice dangerously smooth, like silk wrapped around a razor blade. "Who is this?"
"Matsuki-san is in my class," I say, my voice sounding unnaturally high. "We just bumped into each other. Total coincidence."
"A coincidence," Haruka repeats, her eyes narrowing as she slowly circles Aiwa, looking her up and down like a predator assessing its prey. "How… convenient." She stops directly in front of Aiwa, who seems to shrink under her intense scrutiny. "You look familiar," Haruka states, her tone deceptively casual. "Have we met?"
Aiwa shakes her head frantically, her eyes wide with panic. "N-no! I do not think so! I am new here!"
"It is funny," Rina adds, joining Haruka in circling the terrified Aiwa. "You have a certain… resemblance. To someone we know." She taps a finger against her chin, pretending to think. "Someone very talented. Very famous. Someone who completely stole our thunder at the Winter Comicon."
Aiwa goes impossibly pale. She looks like a cornered rabbit. "I- I do not know who you mean! I am not interested in cosplay!"
"Really?" Haruka leans in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Because your build, your height… even your hair, though the color is different from her usual… it is strikingly similar to LUNA."
The name hangs in the air like a guillotine blade. Aiwa flinches as if struck.
"LUNA?" she squeaks, her voice cracking. "The famous cosplayer? Oh, no! I could never be someone like her! She is amazing! I am just… me."
Her denial is frantic, bordering on hysterical. It is the worst possible reaction she could have. Rina and Haruka exchange a look. It is a look of shared, dawning suspicion, a silent communication that says, 'Something is definitely up here.'
"It is just," Rina continues, pressing her advantage, "LUNA uses a voice modulator, but sometimes, when you are surprised… your real voice slips out. And your voice just now sounded very… familiar."
Aiwa looks like she is about to faint. She looks desperately at me, her eyes pleading for rescue.
"Okay, okay, that is enough," I say, stepping between them, trying to act as a human shield. "You are scaring her. Matsuki-san just transferred here. Leave her alone."
My intervention has the opposite of the intended effect. Rina and Haruka both turn their suspicious glares onto me.
"Why are you defending her, Onii-chan?" Rina asks, her voice dangerously sweet.
"Yes, Rui-kun," Haruka adds, her arms crossed. "Suddenly so protective of the new girl?"
I am trapped. My attempt to help Aiwa has only made me look guilty. Aiwa, seeing her chance, takes it.
"I- I have to go find my parents!" she stammers, giving a quick, jerky bow. "It was nice seeing you, Hinamata-kun! Goodbye!"
And then she turns and flees, practically sprinting down the boardwalk, her sundress billowing behind her. She does not look back.
Rina and Haruka watch her go, their expressions thoughtful and deeply suspicious. Then, they both turn back to me.
"Well?" Rina demands. "Are you going to explain?"
"Explain what? I barely know her!" I insist, trying to project an aura of innocence that I absolutely do not feel.
"Then why did she run away like a startled fawn?" Haruka asks, tapping her foot impatiently.
Before I can come up with another flimsy lie, I see Aiwa stumble further down the boardwalk, looking lost and genuinely upset. My protective instincts, honed by years of dealing with Rina's various crises, kick in.
"Look, I do not know what her deal is," I say, already starting to walk after Aiwa. "But she looked really freaked out. I am just going to make sure she is okay."
"Onii-chan, wait!" Rina calls after me, her voice a mixture of anger and confusion.
"Do not you dare walk away from us, Rui-kun!" Haruka yells.
But I ignore them. For once, my desire to solve a mystery, and maybe a genuine spark of concern for the terrified girl who shares my love for vintage anime, outweighs my fear of my sister and her rival. I jog down the boardwalk, leaving the two furious queens standing alone on the sand, united once again in their shared, burning suspicion of me.