“Mmm…” Her chest knotted like a stone sinking in deep water; the suffocating pull grew stronger, like a tide closing in.

“Nn—mm…” Heat uncurled under her skin like spring sun on frost. It hurt—yet why did her body ask for more of that hurt?

“Mmf… ha…” Two crystal-bright mouths finally parted like dew-slick petals. As they drew apart, they could only stare, eye to eye.

She wanted to look away like a skittish deer, yet fear of misreading held her. Keep staring, and shame steamed up like morning mist.

Alicia’s eyes shone like stars in a still pond. Ling saw her own flustered face reflected there; blush climbed like a sunrise to her ears.

Call it awkward, call it shame; either way, Ling felt veiled from the world, faceless as a moon behind clouds.

Her brain was sticky paste, thoughts dragging like feet in mud. She gave up and dove into Alicia’s arms like a homing sparrow.

She clutched Alicia’s clothes with stubborn little hands, burrowing into those soft, dangerous mountains like a sleepy fox.

“Little one’s shy?” Alicia’s voice fell like a feather. Ling only pressed harder, fingers tightening like hooks in cloth.

Alicia looked down at Ling’s small head. The storm in her mind settled like dust; that dull ache ebbed like a receding wave.

—See? I did this for Ling. All for Ling. If it’s what she wants, what can’t I be, like water taking the shape of its cup?

Gill’s face rose in memory like a mask in candlelight. He toyed with her thoughts in idle talk like a cat with string.

Alicia set her jaw. Change, she vowed, like a tree rooting after wind. —Power, I need. With Ling, it’s enough; I’ll grow in other ways.

“Hm? Sis, why are you frowning again?” The question plopped into the quiet like a pebble.

Who knew when the little one slipped out like a fish? She popped free and caught that stern look at once.

Some burdens, Alicia would swallow like bitter tea. Let her carry the shadows; Ling should keep the sunlight.

“It’s fine. As long as you stay with Sis, Sis will be fine, come storm or frost.” Her smile curved like a crescent moon.

“Geez, Sis, you’re the clingy one,” Ling huffed, tail up like a cat. “Teasing me and—huh?” A white flash skimmed Alicia’s hair like frost.

“What is it?” Alicia felt Ling’s stare on her crown like a prickle. Did something odd sprout there like a weed?

“Don’t move, Sis!” Ling steadied Alicia’s head like a jar on a shelf. Her fingers foraged, pinched a strand, then plucked it like a harp string.

“Oh!” The cry popped like a firecracker. She cradled the prize like a pearl, and Alicia leaned in, curiosity prowling like a cat.

“Sis! Look at you. Skip sleep, get white hair~” Her glee sparkled like mischief, payback tossed like a snowball.

Whether it came from late nights or not—who cared? Her grin flew like a kite in a fair wind.

Alicia ignored the tease and lifted the hair into the light like a sliver of moon. She studied it, patient as a monk.

“Doesn’t look like it…” No dullness of age, only silk-smooth gloss like water. Even the feel wasn’t brittle; it lay like any normal strand.

“So it should be—” “Hey! Ling, what are you doing?!” A small hand snatched it and blew it away like dandelion fluff.

In this dimness, finding it again was like fishing a silver needle from a dark well. Chances fell like dry leaves.

“You dummy, what are you doing?” Alicia raised a playful karate-chop, wind before rain, then froze at those puffed-cheek storm clouds.

“Hmph! What’s more fun, your little sister or a hair? Choose, now!” The demand cracked like thunder, bossy and bright with innuendo.

Alicia smiled, half ire, half laughter, like sun through rain. She pinched Ling’s cheeks, soft as steamed buns.

“How old are you? Jealous of a single hair?” Her tone skipped like stones. “I’m standing in air; is the air hugging me?”

“If I open my mouth and breathe, did the air French-kiss me?” She arched a brow like a drawn bow. “Jealous of air too?”

Ling blinked twice, eyes round as moons, thoughts whirring like dragonflies.

“…That’s not the point!” The retort snapped like a twig.

“…” Silence pooled like ink.

“The point is I’m not happy now!” Her grievance flared like a little stove.

All right. With a childishly jealous girl like this, Alicia once had no remedy—like a sword without edge. Now, it was different.

Their bond had shifted like spring into summer. Ways to soothe jealousy were as many as stars. For example—

Her palms settled on Ling’s slim waist like rings. With Ling’s stunned-owl face, she lifted her, and their heads drifted closer like magnets.

“Uwah~” The tiny sound fluttered like a moth. A small shadow at the corner watched, delight peeking like dawn.

Two pairs of beast ears on her head twitched like grass in wind. Blushing cheeks and wide eyes waved her shyness like flags.

“Can Nina and Sis do this too?” she whispered, voice thin as thread, hope bright as a lantern cupped in both hands.