"Tell us, tell us what happened!" Koko leaned forward, her eyes sparkling like a mischievous child about to hear a bedtime story, her whole body practically bouncing with excitement.
"Every single detail," Hana added quickly, her hands clasped together like she was begging for sweets, her tone rising with urgency.
I fiddled with my bangs, trying to hide the heat crawling up my cheeks. My chest felt tight, my heart skipping. "N-nothing much happened, okay? It was just a date… and a sleepover."
Koko gasped dramatically, her jaw dropping so wide I thought she'd swallow the whole room. She leaned so close I had to scoot back, her nose almost touching mine. "Come on, cousin Rin, tell us! A lot can happen in a sleepover."
"Yes." Suki finally spoke, her voice calm, lips curving into the faintest smirk, a shadow of mischief glimmering in her eyes. "A lot."
I blinked at her. Wait—did she just… smile?
Mai caught it too, pointing at her with wide eyes, her voice louder than she intended. "You never smile often, Suki!"
Instantly, the smirk vanished as if it had never existed. "What—no!" Suki snapped, her face warming. She tugged her sleeve down to hide her mouth, but it was too late. "Just… cousin Rin, hurry and tell us the details already. We're waiting."
Their stares cornered me. They were relentless. There was no escaping this circle of hungry eyes. My shoulders slumped as I gave in, letting out a tiny sigh. "Fine. Like I said, nothing much really happened… but—" I exhaled softly, my voice slipping smaller, more delicate. "Selene made dinner for me. All by herself. And it was… delicious."
The girls erupted at once, their voices overlapping like fireworks.
"Wait—The Ice Queen cooked for you?" Hana squealed, her hands flying to her cheeks.
"That's a very important detail, cousin Rin," Koko declared, wagging her finger like a teacher scolding a bad student. "You need to explain everything. How exactly did she cook? What was she cooking? How were you served? Where did you eat? Kitchen, room, throne, bathroom, or—" she leaned close, lowering her voice to a scandalous whisper, "on her throne?"
My whole face burned. The air caught in my throat, and I gasped, clutching my chest. "Wha—what the hell are you talking about?! I meant food! Real food! The kind people actually eat!"
"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Koko said innocently, blinking, though her grin betrayed her.
"Koko!!" I practically shouted, flailing my hands as if I could swat her nonsense out of the air. My bangs bounced with my movements, and I puffed out air in frustration.
"Stop it, you're choking cousin Rin with your words," Mai sighed, tugging Koko back by the sleeve as if she were pulling back a misbehaving child. Then she turned to me, her tone softening into something patient, almost motherly. "Cousin Rin… continue. Tell us more about your date."
"The food she cooked was soba. And that's what I ate!" I blurted, leaning forward to declare it right into Koko's face, my cheeks blazing.
"Okay, okay, that's what you meant. I thought you were talking about… the other thing," Koko muttered, lips twitching.
"Really?!" I cried, my voice breaking as I stared at her in disbelief.
"Well, that used to be the first thing you always talked about whenever you went on a date," she said matter-of-factly, like it was nothing.
I puffed my cheeks, ready to argue, but the memory slipped out instead, soft and warm, like steam rising from a hot bowl of soup. "Okay… then she washed my hair."
The words came slower now, almost hesitant. But as they left me, they curled into something gentle. My eyes grew distant, my chest tightening with warmth.
"It was a quick moment, but I pictured it in slow motion… the soft care, the way she talked while her hands ran through my hair. Her touch was cold, but it gave me chills. Butterflies. Everything she did was just—" My breath caught, my smile slipping without my permission.
"Wow. Someone is falling in love." Suki's voice cut in smoothly, her tone unbothered as she raised her cup for a quiet sip, her eyes unreadable.
"No, I'm not!" I blurted, shaking my head so hard my bangs tickled my cheeks. My whole body felt like a kettle about to boil over.
"What happened next then?" Hana asked, her eyes gleaming like a curious cat, leaning closer.
"I bet she bathed you after that," Suki added casually, one eyebrow arching like she was testing me.
I froze, eyes widening, breath catching sharp. "…Ho… how did you know about that?"
"Because bathing your partner adds more flavor," Suki replied flatly, though the faintest smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, betraying her calm.
"You know… the recipe book thing," I muttered, shrinking into myself, twirling a strand of hair nervously.
"Yes," Mai said, folding her arms, her tone sharp but not unkind. "When someone tells you that you're boring when it comes to romance, you have no choice but to read romance books." She looked straight at me, her gaze piercing, like she was reminding me of something I had once said.
"Oh, that's a harsh word to say," I whispered, guilt curling in my chest.
"Well, those were your words," Mai shot back without hesitation.
"…My bad. Sorry," I said quickly, my voice slipping out in a rush, small and fragile.
The room stilled. The silence was soft but heavy.
Suki lifted her brows, her lips twitching. "Wow… another thing cousin Rin wouldn't normally say."
"Unbelievable," Hana chimed in, stifling her laugh behind her hand, her shoulders trembling.
"Okay, let's continue! What happened last night?" I waved my hands quickly, desperate to push the spotlight away from me, desperate to breathe again.
"Okay, then continue," Koko urged, leaning even closer.
"Yes… she bathed me," I admitted at last, my voice barely above a whisper. But before I could take in even a single breath of relief—
"Together? In the same tub? Naked?" Koko gasped, her eyes wide as she grabbed Mai's arm with both hands, shaking her dramatically. "What? We need details, that's all!"
My face nearly exploded in red, my head spinning. "No! We couldn't bathe together—" my voice dipped into a small pout—"because of me. We kissed. And that's all."
The word "kiss" hung in the air like a secret too sweet to vanish.
"So nothing after the kiss?" Hana pressed, leaning closer, her curiosity glinting.
"Yes. Nothing at all. Just… spark," I muttered, my hand brushing my lips without thinking, as if the ghost of the moment still lingered there.
But then a thought snapped back to me, breaking the dreamy fog. I shot upright, my voice ringing. "Mai—I forgot to tell you! I got powers."
"What?!" The four girls shouted at once, their voices echoing in chorus.
"What power are you talking about, cousin Rin?" Mai asked, her eyes narrowing sharply.
"Your type of power! Lightning. Or electric—whatever you call it!" I said proudly, standing up, my hand outstretched. "Zap! Zap! Lightning!"
…Nothing.
"Um. Lightning power, come out!" I tried again, waving my hand desperately. Still nothing. Not even a spark. Not even a flicker.
The silence that followed was painful. Too painful.
"Cousin Rin," Mai said slowly, her voice soft but firm, "I don't want to burst your bubble, but you come from a powerless clan. Which means… you have no powers."
The others nodded, their faces serious, the room sinking into a heavy pause.
"I swear I had lightning powers! I even used them this morning—zap, zap!" I waved my hands again, more frantic now. But… nothing.
Not only was there no spark, but the aura I felt last night… it was gone. Completely gone.
My throat tightened. My chest hollowed. My voice slipped out, small, trembling, breaking the air with its fragility.
"…What the hell is happening?"