If there's one thing I've learned since meeting Aiko Tsukishiro, it's that peace is a temporary illusion.
The calm before the storm.
The filler episode before the chaos.
The silence right before she texts me:
> Aiko: shoumaaaaaa
Aiko: urgent news!!!
I stared at the screen for three seconds before replying.
> Me: what now
> Aiko: there's an anime convention this weekend!!!
> Me: and
> Aiko: AND we're going.
> Me: no
> Aiko: yes
> Me: no
> Aiko: rin's going too
> Me: still no
> Aiko: there'll be food stalls and free merch
> Me: …what time
Saturday — Hanamura AnimeCon, 10:42 a.m.
The convention hall was insanity.
Crowds of cosplayers, flashing lights, and more cat ears per square meter than any human soul should endure.
I had no idea how Aiko talked me into this.
Actually, no — I did. She didn't talk me into it. She dragged me.
"C'mon, Shouma-kun!" she said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me through a sea of people dressed like warriors, mages, and school idols. "We'll miss the cosplay contest!"
"I don't even know who half these people are supposed to be," I muttered.
"That's because you don't watch enough anime!"
"I watch plenty."
"Then name five current airing shows."
"…I don't do pop quizzes outside class."
She laughed, eyes shining. "You're impossible."
"Accurate."
We stopped at a booth selling plushies and posters. Aiko's eyes sparkled like a kid at Christmas.
"Look! It's my favorite character, Haru-kun!" she squealed, pointing at a poster of a silver-haired anime boy.
I glanced at it. "He looks like he hasn't slept in weeks."
"That's his charm!"
"His charm is insomnia?"
"Don't judge him!" she said, clutching the poster dramatically. "He's emotionally complex."
I smirked. "He's two-dimensional."
She gasped. "Blasphemy! Shouma Kisaragi, take that back!"
"Make me."
Her eyes narrowed. "You asked for this."
Before I could move, she shoved a cat-ear headband onto my head.
"There! Now you're part of the convention spirit!"
I stared at my reflection in a nearby mirror. Dark hair. Deadpan eyes. Black hoodie. Cat ears.
"I look ridiculous."
"You look adorable."
"Take them off."
"Nope."
She smiled proudly, hands on her hips. "You're my bodyguard neko now."
People were staring. Some even took pictures.
I sighed. "…I'm going to set your manga collection on fire."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Try me."
We wandered through the stalls for a while. Aiko kept stopping to chat with artists, admire cosplay outfits, and geek out over limited-edition figurines.
I followed behind, carrying her shopping bags like some reluctant boyfriend stereotype.
"You could at least help me choose something!" she said, looking at a display of matching phone charms.
"They all look the same."
"They're couple charms!"
I froze. "We're not a couple."
"I know," she said with a small grin. "That's what makes it funny."
I didn't respond, but my ears — the real ones, not the cat ones — felt suspiciously warm.
That's when Rin showed up.
"Tsukishiro," she said calmly, approaching from the crowd. "Kisaragi."
Aiko beamed. "Rin-chan! You made it!"
"Of course," Rin said. "I promised I'd check on you after your 'recovery dessert phase.'"
"That was one time!"
Rin smiled politely, then looked at me. "You look… festive."
I frowned. "Don't."
She tilted her head slightly. "The cat ears suit you."
Aiko burst out laughing. "See, even Rin-chan agrees!"
"I change my mind," I muttered. "I'm never leaving my room again."
The three of us ended up exploring together.
Or, more accurately, Aiko ran ahead like a hyperactive child, Rin walked gracefully behind her, and I got dragged along somewhere in between.
It was… weird.
Rin and Aiko were opposites in every way.
Aiko was sunlight — loud, unpredictable, impossible to ignore.
Rin was moonlight — quiet, sharp, steady.
And somehow, I found myself caught between them.
At one point, we stopped for lunch at a food stall selling takoyaki.
Aiko immediately stuffed one into her mouth and winced. "Hot!! Hot!! My tongue!!"
Rin handed her a drink without hesitation. "You never learn."
Aiko groaned. "I just wanted the joy of first bite!"
I chuckled quietly.
Both girls turned toward me, surprised.
"Was that… a laugh?" Aiko asked, eyes wide.
"No."
"It was!" she said triumphantly. "You laughed, Shouma-kun! Rin-chan, did you hear it?"
"I did," Rin said, smiling faintly. "It's rare. Cherish it."
"See? He's evolving!"
I sighed. "You two are exhausting."
After lunch, Aiko pulled out her phone. "Okay! Next up is the Cosplay Couples Contest!"
"No," I said instantly.
"Come on! It's just for fun!"
"No."
Rin looked at me, amused. "Are you afraid?"
I crossed my arms. "I'm sane."
Aiko pouted. "But you'd look so cool in a uniform cosplay! Or maybe a demon slayer outfit—wait! I have an idea!"
Before I could escape, she was already rummaging through a shopping bag.
Minutes later, I was standing there wearing a dark coat and holding a foam sword.
"…What is this."
"Demon prince outfit!" she said proudly. "You're the stoic anti-hero, and I'm your loyal mage companion!"
I stared at her. "You're ridiculous."
"And you're perfect!"
Rin folded her arms, smiling slightly. "You two really do look like a couple."
Aiko blinked, caught off guard for once. "H-huh? No, it's just for fun—right, Shouma-kun?"
I didn't answer immediately. For some reason, her reaction made my chest tighten a little.
"Yeah," I said finally. "Just for fun."
But when we stepped onto the small stage together for the photo contest, something felt… different.
She stood beside me, laughing nervously, cheeks pink.
The crowd cheered. Cameras flashed.
And for a brief moment, I forgot the noise, the lights, everything.
I just saw her.
The way her eyes sparkled when she smiled.
The way she looked at me — not like a classmate or a friend, but like I was someone important.
I didn't know what that meant.
But I knew it scared me more than any rumor ever could.
After the contest, we sat outside under the fading evening sky. The festival lights glowed softly around us.
Aiko was quiet for once, sipping her drink.
Rin sat on the other side, reading something on her phone.
It felt peaceful — strange, but peaceful.
Then Aiko spoke. "Hey, Shouma-kun?"
"Yeah?"
She hesitated. "If I ever… disappeared again — like last time — would you notice?"
I looked at her. "Of course I would."
She smiled faintly. "Then I guess I'm lucky."
For a moment, the world felt still again.
But then she grinned. "Anyway! Wanna see how we ranked in the cosplay contest? Maybe we won snacks!"
Just like that, the moment passed — swept away in her laughter.
But as I watched her walk ahead, Rin quietly said beside me:
"You should tell her, you know."
I frowned. "Tell her what?"
Rin smiled knowingly. "That you like her."
I didn't answer.
Because maybe… I didn't need to.
Maybe it was already obvious.