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Azaka despised her.
Did she think that only ever wearing kimono was supposed to look cool? It made her look old-fashioned, like she hadn't heard that it was the turn of the millennium. As if that alone weren't annoying enough, she also always had on that ridiculous jacket— where had she even found such a thing?
Whenever the topic of Ryougi Shiki came up, let alone the actual woman, Azaka invariably found herself so fixated on her that any hint of positive mood instantly evaporated. Even now, the parfait that had been so delicious mere moments ago now seemed oily and cloyingly sweet. Azaka sighed and pushed it away.
"What do you want?" she asked, and her rival smirked. Even this twitch of her lips annoyed Azaka— what kind of person smirked when asked a question, like some kind of manga protagonist?
"I just felt like stopping in," Shiki lied. Azaka had never seen her at this cafe, and even if she had, Azaka knew that Shiki didn't much care for sweets. If she were on a case, then that might explain things, but Touko had been traveling abroad with Mikiya for weeks. There was no way Shiki could be on a case right now.
Azaka sat silent, unable to decipher her response. Shiki didn't interrupt her thoughts by speaking. Several minutes later, Azaka spoke.
"You shouldn't be dating my brother."
Shiki laughed. It was the first time that Azaka had ever heard her laugh before, and the melodic sound of it was especially infuriating. How dare she!
"I'm serious!" she said, and Shiki shook her head.
"I told him that I would kill him, and he's still such a damn fool that he kept hanging around," Shiki finally replied, still panting. "Kokuto does what he wants, and what Kokuto wants is me."
Azaka felt herself burn in response. If anyone knew how she felt about Mikiya, it should be Shiki. She knows how important their relationship is, and for her to flaunt Mikiya's love in front of her face—
"Have you ever tried to get with Kokuto before?"
The question caught Azaka off guard. What was that supposed to mean of course she had!
...Hadn't she?
Azaka felt herself flush as she realized that she had never truly pursued her brother. She had laid claim to him, and felt herself responsible for chasing off suitors, hoping to be the sole object of his affection... But she had never confessed her feelings. He had to know, right?
"Of... Of course!" Azaka stammered, feeling herself flush at the realization that she hadn't.
Shiki smiled as a fox might, in a way that made Azaka vulnerable and exposed. She stood to leave, but Shiki sidestepped and blocked her path before she could take more than a single step.
Shiki utilized her height advantage, slipping one arm behind Azaka's back and kissing her in one fluid motion.
Time seemed to stop. Too startled to resist, all Azaka could think about was how unexpectedly soft Shiki's lips were. Her arm was supportive— if it weren't, Azaka might have crumpled to the floor. Her scent, something like black tea and iron, filled all of Azaka's awareness, even when Shiki pulled back.
Azaka gazed into the inky depths of Shiki's eyes, and when she realized she couldn't help but laugh. The male Shiki hadn't died that day— it was the female! He was just pretending to be her, so that Mikiya wouldn't leave him. How else could anyone explain the emotions conveyed by that kiss, and their ability to stir her own? The kiss was a sign from him, that he was still here, and it was Azaka's duty to not give up on her brother.
"Kokuto gets back tomorrow; I expect he'll stay at my place," he said. "Come by tomorrow night and tell him about your feelings."
"Won't he just reject me?" Azaka asked, beginning to wonder if Shiki knew something she didn't. "If he doesn't, that means he'd have to break up with you, right?"
Shiki, for the first time, looked confused.
"Why would he have to do a thing like that?"
"Because!" Azaka sputtered, unable to articulate the obvious.
"Would you make him break up with me if he said yes to you?" Shiki asked, and Azaka didn't know how to respond. Of course she would, she hated him!
But even as she thought it, she knew that he was right. The entire reason Azaka hated Shiki was that he stole her brother. If her brother said yes... She wouldn't have to hate Shiki, would she?
As she began to piece together the situation, she realized what that kiss had truly been meant to convey. Shiki was a man pretending to be a woman in order to date her brother. That wasn't just morally wrong, it was downright taboo. It was more reprehensible than the idea of loving her brother... So of course, she couldn't put a stop to things. Besides, a three-way relationship was also taboo— love was meant to be shared between two people!
Azaka smiled, and took Shiki's hand in her own.
"What do you want to do until tomorrow then?"