"So you just want to cover it up with that?" Akari said, watching as Rin adjusted a wide-brim hat in front of the mirror. Her tone had that sharp cousin-edge, but her eyes were following Rin carefully, curious.
"Yes." Rin tilted the hat lower, almost hiding half her face. She studied herself in the glass, tilting her head this way and that. "If there was a hoodie, that would've been better. But until MAMA comes back, I'm going to wear this hat."
"Hod… what?" Akari squinted, eyebrows raised. "Whatever. I'm getting used to your strange words anyway." She leaned against the bedpost, arms folded. "But what if Queen Selene takes it off?"
"She won't. I won't let her." Rin folded her arms and began pacing across the carpet, turning her chin upward dramatically. "It's just a date! All we're going to do is eat soba, maybe ice skate, or something else. If she asks, I'll just tell her it's the new trending style."
To sell her own lie, Rin suddenly spun on her heel and struck a ridiculous pose in front of the mirror, waving her hands like she was in a cheesy commercial.
Akari pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. She only shook her head.
Rin caught her reflection again, her smile fading. She drifted closer to the window and pressed her palm against the cool glass, watching the way the outside light bent around her fingers. "Is the date still on today? It's getting late… last time she came early."
Akari smirked. "Well, maybe because the Queen is planning on making you sleep over at her kingdom."
"Obviously not." Rin spun around. "That would mean she'd have to drag me to her ice castle or something. Sleepover is not in the picture."
"Are you sure?" Akari stepped closer, her teasing voice softening into something serious. "Because the Queen did mention she'll be taking you to her kingdom."
Rin froze, blinking. "She never said that." Her brows drew tight. "And I don't remember when."
"She said it to me," Akari admitted, her voice dropping, "the day you were kidnapped."
For a moment Rin didn't move. Her hand stayed against the wooden frame of the window, and her breath left her in a sharp exhale.
Her thoughts began spinning.
The Ice Queen wants a sleepover.
The words clanged inside her skull.
"No, no, no!" Rin gasped, shaking her head so hard her hat nearly flew off. She launched herself onto the bed, bouncing like a kid throwing a tantrum. "If that pervert queen thinks she can go beyond kissing, then I'm not going anywhere!" She grabbed the nearest pillow and shoved her face into it, groaning so loud the pillow vibrated. "I am not going anywhere."
Akari stepped closer, her voice gentler now. "Well… you should go."
"Heh?" Rin peeked one eye out of the pillow fortress.
"Yes." Akari nodded and sat at the edge of the bed, her voice steady. "The Queen has never invited anyone to her ice kingdom. She's always protected her lands from outsiders. If she's inviting you, that means she really, really sees you as more than just an outsider."
Rin shot upright, crossing her legs and flapping her arms as if to swat Akari's words away. "You don't get what I'm trying to say, do you? Selene wants a date in her kingdom. Why?! What's her angle?"
Her chest rose and fell quickly, her words speeding up as wild thoughts poured out.
What if this was her plan all along? Use the marriage and dating as a scheme to trap me in her kingdom since she can't kill me… then go after the main characters, just like the author planned. Or… what exactly is she trying to do?
Akari interrupted her spiral with a sigh. "Everything you've been saying since this morning… was kiss."
"Kiss?" Rin blinked, her mouth hanging open. She jabbed a finger at Akari. "You've been the one talking about filling your cup and wanting to talk about kissing!"
"Because I'm trying to connect with you, cousin!" Akari shot back, her voice trembling with something unspoken.
Rin froze. "What do you mean, connect?"
Akari lowered her gaze. Slowly, she sat all the way down on the bed beside Rin. Her voice was quiet, steady, but her eyes were already shining.
"I know you never liked me. Even when we grew up in the same house, you never did. You only talked to me when you needed something—when you wanted me to cover for you, lie about your whereabouts, or pretend to sleep in your bed during curfew so you wouldn't get in trouble. And then I would get scolded for not being in my room."
Rin's throat tightened. The words sat heavy on her chest, guilt she hadn't prepared for.
"But I still followed you around," Akari went on, her voice breaking a little. "Even when I overheard you telling the other cousins that I was just your servant girl and nothing more… I stayed. Even when Rei and I started dating, I knew you were faking your kindness toward me. But I overlooked it—because I wanted to connect with you. I wanted to be your best friend."
Her fingers twisted together in her lap, knuckles white.
"And now… recently… I can feel you're not faking it anymore. When you said you wouldn't follow me out, I felt sad. Because you're the only friend I ever had after my mom died. Shion never wanted me around—she always said I was weak, just like Mom. And even when you and the others faked kindness, I forced myself to believe it was real."
Her voice wavered, but she didn't stop.
By now, Akari's cheeks were wet. She wasn't yelling—her words were soft, but they cut deeper than any shout.
Rin's own eyes burned. Her chest ached with things she couldn't undo, memories that weren't even truly hers but still carved guilt into her ribs. Without thinking, she leaned forward and pulled Akari into a hug, wrapping her arms around her tightly.
"I promise, Cousin Akari," Rin whispered against her shoulder. "I am not the Rin who grew up with you. But I swear—I have never faked myself with you."
Akari's body shook against hers. They stayed like that, arms locked, breathing in sync. The kind of silence where words didn't matter, because everything had already been said.
After a long moment, Rin slowly pulled away.
And then—something brushed her skin. A chill. Not from the room, but from outside, like cold eyes pressing against her.
Rin's head snapped toward the window.
Ice was sitting there, watching.
Her voice cracked out sharp: "Ice? When did you get here?"
Akari spun too, her tear-streaked cheeks softening in surprise. "Oh, Ice! You're here!"
He stepped closer with quiet grace, bowing low in respect. But when he rose, both cousins stiffened.
Something was different.
"What happened to your hair?" Akari asked first, narrowing her eyes as she leaned closer.
She reached out, hand hovering, but Ice instantly leaned back, avoiding her touch.
"Hey! I'm just trying to touch your hair!" Akari said, puffing her cheeks in annoyance.
"Wait—why is your hair short? You had long hair!" Rin demanded, suspicion flashing in her eyes.
But Ice stayed silent. Instead, he extended his hand toward Rin.
"Oh… you want me to hold your hand?" Rin asked cautiously. After a beat, she placed her palm against his.
Then Ice opened his other hand, revealing a folded letter.
Rin's brows furrowed. "A letter?"
"Whoa… a love letter from the Ice Queen, yeah!" Akari hyped, bouncing on her toes like a cheerleader.
Rin carefully unfolded the paper, but the second Akari leaned over to peek, Rin stepped back, clutching it close.
"This is only for my eyes, cousin," she said firmly.
"Okay, okay," Akari muttered, throwing up her hands. But her eyes darted back to Ice's cropped hair as she made another sneaky attempt to touch it. Ice twisted away sharply, keeping distance.
"Wow…" Rin whispered, her eyes scanning the page.
"What does it say?" Akari asked quickly.
Rin lowered the paper, her face falling just a little. "It just says… Are you ready for the second date? Ice will be the one bringing you." Her voice was flat, tinged with disappointment. She had expected… more.
"Good! Guess it's time to go, cousin. Don't forget to pack your nightgown!" Akari teased with a mischievous grin.
"I am not sleeping over!" Rin barked, glaring at her before turning to Ice. "… Very well then, Ice. Let's go. Let's see what the Ice Kingdom looks like."
Her chest tightened with nerves, but beneath it all was curiosity. The Ice Kingdom had never been shown before—this was her moment to see it.
Ice didn't answer. He simply turned and walked back toward the window, climbing onto the ledge with calm, deliberate steps. Then, without a single word of warning, he leapt.
"Whoa!" both Rin and Akari shouted, scrambling to the window.
Outside, Ice had shifted into a dragon. His wings spread wide, shimmering in the fading light.
But something was off. His scales were shorter in some places, jagged and uneven, like the cut in his hair had rippled through his body.
"I think his short hair affected some parts of him…" Rin whispered, eyes wide. "Because I'm only seeing a few spikes."