"Your favorite cousin is here!"
I said cheerfully as I greeted Akari in the garden.
She was standing there with her arms crossed, her two ever-present guards behind her, and she was definitely not pleased to see me.
Well… if I were in her shoes, I probably wouldn't be either.
"Cousin Akari… are you still mad at me for yesterday?" I asked gently, keeping my voice calm.
She didn't even look at me—just folded her arms tighter and turned her back.
I tried again, stepping closer with my best pathetic puppy eyes.
"I promise… I won't cause a scene anymore, cousin Akari…"
She stood there for a long moment, completely still. Then, finally, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"I'll give you one last chance," she said at last, her voice quiet but firm. "You are my favorite cousin… we grew up together as kids, so… one more chance."
She started walking, and I quickly scurried after her.
"Where are we going today?" I asked, brightening.
"To the market square," she replied.
"Wow!" I said with genuine excitement.
A real manga-style market square! Finally, I'd get to see what one looked like.
I imagined it already—long rows of colorful fabric stalls, with bright silks and patterned kimonos fluttering in the breeze. Shops selling delicate glass ornaments, handmade fans, shimmering jewelry, and piles of exotic spices that filled the air with rich scents. Children laughing as they played by fountains, people bargaining loudly over bundles of vegetables and baskets of fresh fish, fortune-tellers reading palms in shadowy corners, and lanterns strung overhead swaying gently.
It sounded just like the vibrant, lively markets I'd always read about in manga.
But then Akari leaned closer and whispered in my ear—soft enough so even her guards couldn't hear:
"…And Rei and I are having a date."
Ah.
Of course.
If Rei and Akari were together…
Then Selene would show up.
She always showed up when those two were alone.
Not today, though.
Today I was going to be on my watch.
And if Selene tried anything again—poison, ice, dragons, whatever—
I'd stop her.
I smiled to myself, my determination already burning.
"Okay, cousin Akari," I said aloud, grinning brightly as I caught up to her.
"Let's go to the market square."
...
"So what is it that you want to buy, my laaadiiiieeees?"
A vendor with a huge, ridiculous mustache and a voice that sounded like he was auditioning for a villain role in a play leaned over the counter at the fabric shop as we stopped.
His mustache… honestly looked fake. It wiggled when he talked.
"We would like the latest designs," Akari said, polite but confident.
"Ahh~! The latest designs!" he crooned, throwing his arms out theatrically.
"Okay, okay! I have many types of designs!"
He rummaged under the counter, then dramatically plopped a stack of fabrics in front of us.
"There is the 'Blazing Phoenix Screaming at the Moon'—perfect if you like to make a statement!"
He held up a horrifyingly bright orange and pink cloth with glitter.
"Then we have the 'Whispering Bamboo in Sad Rain', for the more… emo of you."
He sniffed and held up a drab gray-green fabric.
"Or the timeless 'Rei of Sunshine'—soft, delicate, but secretly dangerous!"
He winked at us with his enormous mustache twitching.
That's when it hit me.
The red hair.
The faint glow of tattoos peeking out from under her sleeves.
That cocky smile as she pretended to "fold" fabrics behind the counter.
Rei.
"REI!" Akari and I both shouted in unison, pointing dramatically.
Everyone in the shop stopped.
Even the guards snapped to attention, their hands already reaching for their swords.
Shoppers froze mid-bargain. A child dropped a steamed bun on the ground.
Oh crap.
We just called out an Arakawa in Hoshino territory.
Akari was the first to recover, laughing awkwardly.
"Ahaha! No no no! I meant the 'Rei of Sunshine' design!"
She grabbed the ugly fabric and waved it around like it was her favorite thing.
"Yes! That's the one we want!"
I quickly nodded, laughing along nervously.
"Y-yes, exactly! We LOVE the 'Rei of Sunshine'! So bright! So… sunny!"
The tension slowly eased as the other shoppers and guards went back to their business.
Akari leaned over the counter, whispering to Rei, "I thought we were supposed to meet at the other side."
Rei just smirked, pretending to fold another piece of cloth.
"Well… I was bored. And I wanted to have some fun."
She shot Akari a look, and they both giggled.
Then Rei's eyes flicked toward the two guards posted at the shop's entrance, standing there like statues with "NO FUN ALLOWED" carved on their foreheads.
"Hey…" she muttered, lowering her voice so only we could hear.
"How do you get rid of those two? We can't have fun with them watching us all the time."
We all looked toward the guards in unison, who glared right back at us like two suspicious bouncers at a club.
I swallowed.
"Well…" I said.
"That… is a very good question."
The guards were still standing there — arms crossed, glaring, unshakable as two ancient statues.
I leaned closer to Akari and Rei and whispered:
"Don't worry, ladies… leave this to me."
I glanced around the market square until my eyes landed on a flamboyant street performer in a sparkly kimono, juggling fire sticks. Perfect.
I slipped him a couple coins.
"Hey. Start the biggest, loudest, most ridiculous dance you can. NOW."
He grinned and nodded.
The performer clapped his hands together and shouted,
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! TIME FOR THE LEGENDARY DANCE OF THE CLANS! JOIN IN OR BRING SHAME TO YOUR FAMILY!"
A drumbeat BOOMED out of nowhere — where did he even get drums? — and suddenly half the market exploded into wild, synchronized dancing.
"CLAP! SPIN! JUMP!"
Shocked, the guards glanced at each other nervously as a line of dancing grandmas yanked them into the middle of the square.
"W-wait! We're on duty!" one of them stammered.
But it was too late.
A huge merchant grabbed the other guard and twirled him in a circle, shouting:
"You! Must! Feel! The rhythm!"
Meanwhile I, Akari, and Rei slowly slipped away toward the back alley while the guards were busy trying to moonwalk and stomp in time with the mob.
Behind us, the crowd chanted:
"LEFT, RIGHT, SPIN, CLAP! HOSHINO, ARAKAWA, WE ALL SNAP!"
Akari hissed, barely holding back her laughter.
"Rin… you planned this?"
"Of course," I smirked.
Rei raised an eyebrow. "You're scary."
"No," I said, adjusting my robe. "I'm prepared."
We ducked around the corner just as the guards were forced into a conga line by a squad of dancing children.
I peeked back and snickered.
One of them tripped over his own feet and shouted, "I WAS NOT TRAINED FOR THIS!"
Mission: Success.
Akari shook her head, clearly trying not to smile.
Rei patted my shoulder and whispered,
"You're dangerous, Rin. I like that."
I just grinned to myself.
"Let's go before they realize."