Chapter 75: Ripples and Reflections

The encounter with the shy, purple-haired girl in Akihabara stays with me on the train ride home. It is not a crush, not really. It is more a feeling of profound relief. It is a reminder that normal interactions with girls are actually possible. My life has become so saturated with the high-stakes drama of Rina’s possessiveness and Haruka’s predatory flirting that I had forgotten what a simple, pleasant conversation felt like. It was easy. It was nice. There were no mind games, no territories to defend. Just two people who liked the same thing.

"You are smiling like an idiot," Kenji observes, slurping down a drink he bought from a vending machine. "What happened when I was gone? Did you find a rare, limited-edition figure?"

"Something like that," I say, deciding not to mention the girl. It feels like a small, private moment that I do not want to share, not even with Kenji. It would only complicate it.

When I get home, the apartment is filled with the familiar, comforting smell of curry. Rina is in the kitchen, humming to herself.

"Welcome home, Onii-chan," she says cheerfully. "Guess what I saw on sale today?" She holds up the box for the 'Starlight Paladin' Blu-ray collection. "I thought we could re-watch it. For old time's sake."

My heart warms. Our shared love for that old show is the bedrock of our entire relationship, the foundation upon which all this chaos has been built. "That is a great idea," I say, a genuine smile on my face.

I do not mention the girl from the store. It does not even occur to me. The encounter feels completely separate from my real life, a pleasant, one-off daydream.

Meanwhile, in a sleek, modern, but mostly empty apartment in a different part of Tokyo, a girl with long, purple hair carefully places a brand-new Princess Astra figurine on her shelf. Her name is Aiwa. She has been in Japan for less than a week, and she is terribly lonely. The city is big, loud, and she does not know anyone. The encounter in the store was the first genuinely nice, friendly interaction she has had since she arrived.

She thinks about the boy with the kind, passionate eyes who got so excited about her favorite show. He was handsome. He made her feel, just for a moment, like she was not a complete stranger in this new country. A small, hopeful smile touches her lips.

In the studio the next day, Miki is going over the final guest list for the Winter Comicon Festival, which has just been released to the featured participants.

"Okay, team, listen up," she says, looking at her tablet. "The guest roster is confirmed." She scrolls down the list. "The usual local talent… a few minor overseas guests… Haruka is on the list, of course." She pauses, her eyes narrowing at a new name. "And here is our new variable. The featured international guest star."

She turns the tablet around for Rina and Hana to see. On the screen is a name: LUNA. Next to the name is a professional headshot. It is a beautiful, doll-like girl with large, expressive eyes and a cascade of long, lavender-purple hair.

The new challenger has a name and a face. And she is about to walk right into the middle of our circus.