When they stepped out of the Snow-Reflecting Pavilion, the sky was already fully bright.
Sunlight spilled over the eastern ridge, bleaching the stone path in front of the inn a pale white.
A light rain had fallen the night before, leaving the ground damp and the air thick with the scent of soil and greenery.
The surroundings were quiet, broken only by the low rumble of suitcase wheels rolling across the pavement.
You led the way, with Chihaya, Mai, Futaba, and Hitomi trailing behind him.
Like a little train.
Chihaya walked just ahead of Mai, her posture and movements carrying the unmistakable air of a noble young lady.
Even the sound of her suitcase wheels against the ground was kept deliberately even.
Mai walked in the middle, her gaze unfocused, not looking ahead.
Her steps were slower than usual, and her fingers absently twirled the ends of her hair.
Futaba walked at her side and slightly behind, occasionally glancing over at her with a faint, knowing smile.
Hitomi brought up the rear, her expression still that same gentle smile.
The traffic light ahead turned red.
Chihaya stopped, and Mai bumped straight into her back with an “Ouch!” as she clutched her head.
“What’s wrong, Mai?”
Chihaya asked without turning around.
“Did you not sleep well last night?”
Mai’s body stiffened visibly.
“Ah… I… didn’t sleep that well.”
Her voice sounded a bit distant.
Chihaya turned to look at her, then gently rubbed her head.
“You need to watch where you’re going, Mai.”
She withdrew her gaze and continued forward.
Mai shook her head and forced her eyes to the front.
Hitomi stepped up from behind and naturally took Mai’s hand.
Her palm glowed with a faint light, barely visible under the morning sun.
Spiritual power seeped from her hand and slowly flowed into Mai’s body.
“Feeling a little better now, Mai-chan?”
Hitomi’s voice was soft and soothing.
Mai’s chin nearly touched her chest, and the tips of her ears turned bright red.
“Mmm… much better… thank you… Hitomi-nee.”
You walked at the front, not looking back.
But his ears were listening closely.
He could hear every footstep behind him, could hear the guilty pause in Mai’s voice when she spoke.
His heart lurched when she answered Chihaya’s question.
He couldn’t help but scold himself internally.
‘What are you being such a coward for? We’re not even married. Why do I feel like a husband who got caught cheating?’
Futaba quickened her pace to walk beside Mai, her eyes darting between Mai and You several times.
Her fan had somehow reappeared in her hand, tapping against her palm in a steady rhythm.
Then she leaned in close to Mai with a lazy, teasing smile.
“Mai-chan, didn’t sleep well last night… could it be…”
Mai’s body jolted, and she answered on reflex.
“I wasn’t thinking about You-kun.”
The air went silent instantly.
Very silent.
Even the sound of suitcase wheels rolling over the pavement seemed to stop.
You couldn’t help but cover his face with his hand.
Only two words echoed in his mind: ‘It’s over.’
Futaba’s tone shifted from lazy to excited in an instant.
“My, my, Mai-chan, I never mentioned You-kun just now. So… what’s this all about?”
Mai’s face went pale instantly.
Hitomi kept holding Mai’s hand, her expression shifting from gentle to astonished.
Her gaze darted back and forth between Chihaya and Mai several times.
‘So… it was Mai-chan? Last night? I never would have thought Mai-chan was such a bold girl.’
She had assumed it would be Futaba who made the first move, or Chihaya, or even herself.
But she never expected it to be Mai—the shyest, most unnoticed girl who was always treated like a child.
Hitomi sighed inwardly, mourning for Mai for a few seconds.
‘I can’t help you in a situation like this. You’re on your own, Mai-chan.’
Chihaya stopped walking.
She turned around.
The handle slipped from her hand, and her suitcase toppled to the ground.
Her expression shifted from the gentle warmth of a caring sister to sheer disbelief.
Like ice slowly cracking.
She smiled.
It was a smile so gentle it was terrifying.
Chihaya crouched down to meet Mai’s eyes directly.
Her voice was crisp and pleasant, yet carried an indescribable chill.
“Mai—lying isn’t something a good girl does.”
Chihaya’s voice was soft, but that softness was more chilling than any loud accusation.
Mai kept her head down, not daring to meet her sister’s eyes.
Her eyelashes trembled, her lips moved several times, but not a single word came out.
Chihaya didn’t press her.
She simply stayed crouched, looking at her levelly.
“Mai, your sister is asking you a question. What exactly happened last night?”
Mai’s tears finally fell.
One by one, they hit the stone pavement, quickly mixing with the damp ground until they were indistinguishable.
“Sis… sister…”
Her voice was shaking.
Hitomi couldn’t watch any longer.
She stepped forward, trying to help Mai out.
“Chihaya, Mai she—”
“Miss Hitomi.”
Chihaya didn’t turn her head.
Her gaze remained fixed on Mai’s face, but her words were clearly directed at Hitomi.
“This is between Mai and me.”
Hitomi’s steps stopped.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but when she met Chihaya’s eyes—what she saw in them wasn’t anger, wasn’t jealousy, but something deeper: the hurt and disappointment of being deceived by someone closest to her.
She swallowed her words.
Hitomi said nothing more, only tightened her grip on Mai’s hand.
She sighed inwardly again.
‘I really am an outsider after all.’
Futaba leaned against a nearby pillar, her fan tapping against her palm.
She stayed quiet, and that amused smile on her face faded somewhat.
Her gaze turned unusually serious.
She spoke up:
“Chihaya, watch your limits.”
Chihaya didn’t argue, and the tension in the air eased slightly.
You stood off to the side, watching the scene unfold, feeling uneasy.
He hadn’t expected Chihaya to react so strongly.
Maybe she wasn’t angry that Mai had sneaked off, but that Mai had started keeping secrets from her.
And if he tried to intervene, it would probably only make things worse.
Mai spoke.
“Sister, I…”
“You and You-kun—what exactly happened last night?”
Chihaya’s voice was still calm, but You noticed that her fingers resting on her knees were trembling slightly.
“I… I had You-kun hold me. At the end… I used… my hand.”
Each word Mai forced out was painfully difficult.
Chihaya looked at her expression, and her own gradually changed.
Not to anger.
Not to sadness.
But to bewilderment.
“Mai, why did you hide this from me? Would your sister really have stopped you from doing something like this?”
Mai lifted her head, tears streaming down her face.
“Because… because if you knew, sister, you would have come with me. And then… You-kun would have only been looking at you again.”
Chihaya was stunned.
“I…”
“Sister, you’re always like this.”
Mai’s voice was trembling, but her tone was firmer than before.
“Everything has to be decided by you. In You-kun’s eyes, I’m just your little sister.”
Chihaya’s lips moved, but no words came out.
“I’m not a child anymore.”
Mai’s voice was choked with tears, but every word was spoken clearly.
“I know you like You-kun too, sister. I won’t fight you for him. But… even just once, I wanted You-kun to look only at me!”
By the time she finished the last sentence, Mai was sobbing uncontrollably.
Chihaya crouched there, looking like she’d been punched in the gut.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.
She looked at Mai’s tears, at her flushed face, at those eyes that had always been so innocent and naive—now filled with stubborn resolve.
There was a long silence.
So long that You thought time itself had frozen.
Chihaya reached out, pulled Mai into her arms, and held her.
“Your sister was wrong.”
Mai’s body stiffened for a moment, then went completely limp.
She buried her face in her sister’s shoulder and burst into loud sobs.
Chihaya said nothing, just held her, gently patting her back with one hand.
Her movements were slow and tender—a complete contrast to the aggressive Chihaya from moments before.
Everyone else remained silent, waiting for the two sisters.
After a while, Chihaya stood up, took Mai’s hand, and said quietly.
“Let’s go. The train’s about to leave.”