Chapter 13: The Rumor Mill

Haruka, frustrated by Rina’s stoic refusal to crack, decided it was time to escalate. If subtlety wouldn't work, she'd use a sledgehammer. She couldn't outright say "Rina is Ectiqa" without proof, as it would make her look like a crazy, obsessed rival. But she could destroy Rina’s carefully crafted "normie" persona, leaving her isolated and vulnerable.

The rumor started in the school's otaku circles, a place Haruka knew would be fertile ground.

"Did you hear about Rui Hinamata's sister?" she'd say to a group of anime fans, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. "She pretends to be so above it all, but I heard she's a massive, closeted otaku. Apparently, she has a secret Ectiqa shrine in her room."

The rumor was perfectly crafted. It was just believable enough to be juicy, and it painted Rina as a hypocrite. From there, it mutated and spread.

By lunchtime, Kenji slid into his seat across from me, his expression grave.

"Dude," he said, leaning in. "We need to talk about your sister."

"What about her?" I asked, taking a bite of my sandwich. "Did her secret boyfriend finally get her a motorcycle?"

"Worse," Kenji said. "There's a rumor going around that she's a secret otaku. Like, hardcore. And that she's a total Ectiqa wannabe. Some people are saying she tries to copy Ectiqa's makeup and fails miserably. They're calling her 'Ectiqa-chan,' but like, in a mean way."

I stared at him. Then I burst out laughing, a loud, genuine peel of laughter that made several people in the cafeteria turn to look.

"Rina?" I snorted, wiping a tear from my eye. "An Ectiqa wannabe? That's the funniest thing I've ever heard. The girl thinks 'Gundam' is a type of pasta. She doesn't have the passion, the dedication, the artistic soul to be a true fan of Ectiqa-sama." I shook my head, still chuckling. "Nice try, rumor mill. That's just impossible."

Kenji looked relieved. "I thought so! It sounded totally out of character."

Across the cafeteria, Rina was living the nightmare. Yui was frowning at her.

"Rina-chan," Yui said, her voice hesitant. "Sato-kun from Class C just asked me if it's true you have a body pillow of that guy from 'Abyssal Throne.' Is there something you're not telling us?"

"Of course not!" Rina said, forcing a laugh that sounded brittle. "That's ridiculous! You know I'm not into that stuff."

"Okay, good," Yui said, though she still looked uncertain.

The rumors were working. They were creating a crack in the foundation of her social life. The normies were starting to see her as weird, and the otakus saw her as a pathetic poser. She was being pushed into a no-man's-land of social isolation.

That day after school, Rina had enough. She saw Haruka by the shoe lockers, holding court with her friends. Rina marched right up to her.

"Ito-san," she said, her voice cold and even. "We need to talk."

Haruka feigned surprise. "Hinamata-san? What could we possibly have to talk about?"

"You know what," Rina said, her fists clenched at her sides. "Stop spreading lies about me."

Haruka’s expression turned into one of mock pity. "Lies? I have no idea what you're talking about. I can't control what other people say. If they think you're a strange, two-faced wannabe, maybe you should do some self-reflection." She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper only Rina could hear. "Or maybe you should just admit who you really are. It must be so exhausting, keeping up the act."

Rina stared into her rival’s triumphant, malicious eyes. She felt a surge of pure, white-hot rage, followed by a wave of complete and utter helplessness. She couldn't fight back. Any defense would be an admission of guilt.

She just turned and walked away, the sound of Haruka's saccharine laughter following her down the hall. As I unknowingly defended her secret with a laugh, my sister was fighting a battle I couldn't see, completely and utterly alone.