They only teased her for a few minutes, like kittens batting a silk ribbon; Alicia cleared her throat and steered the boat back to business. Hatsune let the warmth slip away, like dusk thinning over water.

Alicia said, “Ahem. Hatsune, about the school festival—wanna join?”

A soft hope stirred like a lantern’s glow, then she answered. “I’m fine with it. I’ve always wanted to try a school festival. Since I was little, I got dragged to vocal drills. Every subject came from private tutors. So I barely made any friends.”

A shadow crossed her mood like a cloud sliding over the moon; she lowered her head.

“But… my agent probably won’t let me go. In her eyes, a school festival’s just kids playing house, not worth me singing.”

Doubt pricked Alicia like a thorn in a sleeve; an agent controls even that?

“Why listen to your agent? Just go yourself.”

Hatsune gave a self-mocking shake, like a caged canary fluttering and settling. “I’m not as free as you think. Without my agent, real-world walls close in hard. I can sing, sure. But personal finances? No plan. Concerts, promo, bookings—without her, I can’t move a step. Right now we’re two riders on a seesaw; whichever gets off, the other stops smiling.”

Alicia felt her view crumple like paper in rain; maybe she’d been too simple. “Sorry. I didn’t realize the agent ties ran that deep.”

“It’s okay. Not everyone knows how that web’s woven.”

“So… there’s really no way to go? If it’s appearance fees, we can cover that.”

Hatsune shook her head, apology written like frost on glass. “It’s not about money. It’s status. If I show up, it looks cheap. Sorry—friends shouldn’t fail each other’s small wishes.”

Quiet as dew, Lian squeezed Hatsune’s arm; Hatsune glanced over, caught like a startled bird.

“Hatsune,” Lian said, voice steady as a stone in a stream, “do you want to go to the festival?”

“That… didn’t I say? I can’t.”

“Five pounds of scallions.”

“Gululp.” The swallow sounded clear as a pebble plopping into a pond; Hatsune flushed red like maple leaves in autumn.

“You—you—how do you even know that?!”

“Secret~”

“Jerk! You wicked little loli! Cute on the outside, pitch black inside! Using such despicable tricks to threaten me!” Shame and fury burned like embers on her cheeks; she drew a deep breath, the color cooling like night air, then offered a sweet smile like honey on rice. “Fine. I want to go.”

…

Five minutes later, the floor Alicia had been on blew apart, the windows shattering like thin ice; two shadows leapt out through the ragged frame.

Thud-thud-thud-thud.

Chaos rushed closer, a drumbeat of feet; Bang! The door slammed open, and a woman stormed in with a gun gleaming like cold moonlight.

“Hatsune! Are you okay?”

Alicia’s voice answered, sharp as a bell in fog. “Quick! Save Miss Hatsune! Two intruders snatched her! They’re speed-type assassins. We blinked, and they were gone!”

“What! Your Highness Alicia, are you safe?”

“We’re fine! Go! Before they get far!”

“Yes!”

Thud-thud-thud-thud—the footsteps peeled away like a receding tide. When the last echo died, Alicia and Lian’s mouths tilted into sly smiles; their bodies flickered like heat haze and vanished, leaving no trace, as if wind had never touched this room.

Elsewhere, Alicia carried Hatsune piggyback, steady as a mountain path, while Lian ran alongside like a swift shadow.

“By the way, Lian,” Alicia said, suspicion peeking out like a fox from brush, “are those two doubles really solid?”

Lian’s pride flared like green sap rising in spring. “Please. My natural magic isn’t for jokes.”

Doubt pricked Alicia again, a thorn under silk. “But… didn’t you only use the Magic Cannon before?”

Lian stiffened, a pause like a hiccup in the wind, then scolded herself inside—why is talking this hard? “Uh… I picked it up in Hawaii!”

Alicia nodded half-believing, curiosity fluttering like sparrows. “Hawaii, huh. Heard they teach kids to shoot, drive, fly. Didn’t know they teach this too. Kinda impressive. I should visit.”

Lian laughed awkwardly, a dry ripple on a pond. “Heh… you’ll get your chance.”

“Where are we heading now?” Hatsune asked from Alicia’s back, breath warm like tea steam.

“To fix your makeup,” Lian said without hesitation, words crisp as snapping twigs.

“Makeup?”

Thunk! Lian shoved a door open, the sound landing like a stone. “Perfect timing. We’re here—my secret base.”

They’d reached the house where Ling and Rafi had stayed; Lian trusted Rafi would’ve left cosmetics, like a scent trail. She was a succubus, after all.

Lian pushed into Rafi’s room; even if Rafi had rarely slept here, the place still held her traces, like petals after a storm. On the vanity lay the tools Lian needed.

“Found them. Hatsune, sis, use these and do a light touch. Alicia and I don’t really do makeup, so we’ll let you handle it.”

“No problem. I’ll take care of it,” Hatsune said, settling at the vanity like a swan to water.

While she worked, Lian kept rummaging, fingers leafing through things like wind through reeds. Thunk—a cat-ear mask dropped to the floor. Lian picked it up, glanced at Hatsune, and her eyes lit like stars.

“Hatsune! Use this too. One more layer of cover, and you won’t need heavy makeup.”

Hatsune turned, saw the cat-ear mask, and her gaze warmed like a hearth. “Mm. Let’s do that.”