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It wasn't uncommon for Ruby to have some trouble sleeping the night before a performance, but seeing as this was not one of those nights, she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. No matter how many times she tossed and turned, no matter how tightly she squinted her eyes shut, her dreams refused to greet her.
There was also the matter of a shadow outside catching her eye.
Someone had left a light on in the backyard, just outside Ruby's window. Curious, and a little frightened, she approached her window and peeked outside. Her view of the backyard was slightly obscured; all she could see was the shadow swaying in the dim light.
Ruby took in a deep breath as she rested her hand on her doorknob, mentally preparing herself to investigate. It would be easy for her to run to Dia and ask her to handle things instead, but she wasn't a child anymore. She'd solve the mystery of this shadow all by herself. Determination pushing her forward, Ruby tiptoed down the stairs (phone in hand, just in case) all the way to the back door. Sliding it open revealed...
None other than Dia, practicing her dancing.
Ruby sighed in relief. This was nothing out of the ordinary. Aqours might not have had a show tomorrow, but they did have one coming up the following week. Leave it to Dia to get some extra practice in late at night. Just as Ruby turned to go back inside, she recognized Rina's singing voice, and the infectious tune of "Doki Pipo ☆ Emotion"—
—and Dia singing along.
Ruby couldn't help but giggle, and evidently she was loud enough for Dia to hear over her music. Her dancing ceased, and she slowly turned around.
Dia's gaze immediately latched onto the phone in Ruby's hand. "Y-you didn't record me, did you?"
Ruby gulped. She didn't, but her nerves barred her from her words.
"Ruby! Give me your phone!"
Ruby immediately took off squealing, rushing around their house and down the street. She didn't want to disturb their parents, or end up cornered somewhere in their house. She hadn't even done anything wrong, but Dia's anger and Ruby's anxiety were not the best match on the very, very rare occasions where the sisters had a scuffle. When she finally found her words again, Ruby called out, "I just wanted to tell Rina-chan!"
"You can't tell anyone!" Dia snapped. Her voice sounded a lot closer than Ruby had expected it to be, prompting Ruby to pick up the pace.
It didn't take very long for her sister to catch her and steal her phone. Dia wasn't one to snoop, at least; she left Ruby's phone locked, and settled on placing it in her pocket. Out of breath, Ruby collapsed onto the sidewalk. Dia sat beside her, leaving a small space between the two of them.
"Why are you so embarrassed, sis?" Ruby asked, and Dia immediately looked away. "You love being a school idol."
"I do, but — I'm not a cute one."
Ruby gasped. "What are you saying?!"
Dia was quick to put a hand over Ruby's mouth. If she hadn't, there would be no stopping her. "I'm saying that within Aqours, I'm seen as the graceful one. The calm and collected senior. I'm not...the cute one. I just wanted to see what it's like, to stand on my own like that." Cautiously, she removed her hand from Ruby's mouth.
"You're allowed to be cute, you know."
"I never said I wasn't!" Dia argued, tapping at the mole by her lip. "But as much as I love school idols, I still have some trouble letting myself act like that."
"You seemed just fine a minute ago."
"I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone about this. Especially not Rina-san. I don't think I'd be able to face her."
Ruby frowned. She had no doubt Rina would be overjoyed that someone saw her song as a paragon of cuteness, or a paragon of anything, period, when she tried so hard to convey her true feelings. "Whenever you're ready, you should tell her."
"Right," Dia laughed. "Whenever I'm ready."
Ruby held out her pinky finger, garnering an incredulous look from Dia, though her sister eventually accepted the gesture, solidifying their promise with a pinky swear.
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Ruby asked quietly, Dia's wide eyes and gaping mouth burned into the forefront of her thoughts. She was almost too nervous. "You've always been there for me, so I want to be there for you!"
"It's not as big of a deal as you're making it out to be. I'm...a little envious of you, is all."
"Of me? Why?"
"You've grown so much since joining Aqours. I want to catch up to you, and become the me I want to be."
Suspending her disbelief at the idea of Dia being envious of her, Ruby reached out for Dia's hand. "Let's find our shine together."
Accepting the gesture with a smile, Dia said, "Of course."
Beaming, Ruby pulled her sister into a hug, the gesture a stark contrast to Dia restraining her mere minutes earlier. She heard Dia laugh quietly, possibly at that same realization, just as Ruby had another of her own.
"Hey, sis, can I have my phone back?"
"Oh, right. Sorry." Dia reached into her pocket and handed the phone back, averting her eyes. Her finger circled her mole once more as she added, "Remember, not a word."
Ruby giggled. "Right."
One day, Dia would be honest with herself. Ruby was sure of it.