Makoto woke up the next morning to the smell of omelets and toast. It was a warm, comforting aroma that was completely at odds with the chaotic mess he was currently entangled in.
He was in the middle of the futon, with Yuna a possessive, grumpy lump plastered to his back, her leg thrown over his in an unconscious act of ownership. Ayane was sprawled out on his other side, one arm thrown dramatically over his chest, a soft, sleepy smile on her face.
He felt a pang of guilt. "Shit... It should be my turn to make breakfast today." He carefully extricated himself from the tangle of sleeping limbs and stumbled into the kitchen.
At the kitchen table, a cup of tea in her hand, was Mafuyu. She was wearing a simple, elegant sundress he had never seen before, one that Mika had clearly lent her.
Her hair was brushed, and her eyes, when she looked up at him, were shining with quiet happiness. The bruised, terrified woman from the supermarket was gone, perhaps, replaced by the kind and caring woman she used to be.
Mafuyu just offered a small, shy smile. "Mika-chan was kind enough to let me borrow some of her clothes," she said, her voice a little stronger than the days before. "We went shopping this morning while you were all still sleeping." She took a calm, deliberate sip of her tea.
Mika was already at the stove, humming a cheerful, off-key tune, a plate of perfectly fluffy omelets beside her. She was wearing the pink apron again, the ridiculously small one which he had given her, and nothing else.
Her long hair was tied up in a neat bun, and the morning sun caught the dark, angry love bites on her neck, a stark contrast to her otherwise angelic appearance.
"Good morning, darling," Mika chirped, her voice a little too bright. "Did you sleep well? Mafuyu and I made breakfast together for all of us."
And then, Makoto realized something: He had been outplayed. Behind his back, Mika and Mafuyu had somehow formed an alliance.
"Damn, you've started gathering your allies already?" he shrugged and glanced at the clock. "10:30 AM? Oops, I didn't know we had slept that much." He walked back and gently pinched Yuna's cheek. "Time to wake up, lazy bums."
Yuna let out a low, guttural growl, like a small, angry bear being roused from hibernation. She swatted at his hand with a sleepy motion. "Fuck off. Five more minutes, big bro." She muttered. But the smell of food was a powerful lure. She slowly sat up with a jolt, her hair a wild, tangled mess, her eyes wide with hungry, almost feral light. "Omelets?"
Makoto ignored Yuna and walked to the couch to wake Ayane up, with a kiss on her forehead. She just melted into the kiss, and a small, contented sigh escaped her lips. She stretched like a cat in a sunbeam. "Mmm," she purred. "That's the best alarm clock ever, boss."
She sat up, her eyes still a little hazy with sleep, and took in the scene. Mika was in her naked apron. Mafuyu, a quiet, newly liberated older woman, was sipping tea. Yuna, the grumpy, possessive gremlin, has just woken up. Her eyes move to him, the fat, disgusting, and completely adored pig at the center of it all.
"Well," Ayane said with a lazy drawl. "Looks like it's gonna be a busy day today."
===
After breakfast, Makoto started setting up the camera for their photoshoot. "We're going to do it properly this time," he said, showing them the reference poses. "It should be around thirty solo photos each, and then twenty group ones. Did I miss anything?"
"You forgot the pairings," Mika said, her voice calm and even. She was already in her Nezuko costume, the bamboo muzzle held loosely in one hand. Her expression was serene, but her eyes sparkled with amusement.
"We'll need photos of Shinobu and Mitsuri, Nezuko and Shinobu, Mitsuri and Nezuko. And, of course..." She looked at Yuna, and then at Ayane, a silent challenge in her eyes. "...all of the above, with Muzan."
"And the props," Ayane added. She was in her Mitsuri costume, the ridiculously open top fully showing her assets. "We'll need some fake blood, maybe a fog machine for atmosphere." She winked slowly. "And maybe some rope. Just in case our Muzan gets out of line."
"No Muzan photo. I've already agreed to wear that ridiculous costume to the cons with you all," Makoto grumbled, shaking his head.
Yuna, who was struggling with the intricate butterfly haori of her Shinobu costume, just let out a long, suffering groan. "This is going to take all day," she muttered.
In the middle of it all, sitting at the dining table with a cup of tea in her hand, was Mafuyu. "Don't worry," she said softly. "I'll make sure you all stay hydrated."
After finishing calibrating the camera, Makoto started taking some test shots to check the lighting. "Tch, our background is too bland. And we don't have time to book a studio now, so let's improvise and photoshop it in later. Get ready, Yuna, you're first."
Yuna scoffed, but she was already moving into position like a natural performer. The moment she stood in front of the makeshift backdrop (a plain green bedsheet Ayane had just taped to the wall), she transformed. She was no longer his grumpy, tsundere little stepsister. She was Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira.
Her movements were graceful and deadly. Her smile was a beautiful, terrifying mask of serene calm. She struck a pose with her hand resting on the hilt of her katana, her butterfly haori fanning out behind her like a pair of wings.
That was enough for a perfect shot. Makoto started snapping photos, the sound of the camera shutter a staccato rhythm against the room's quiet, focused energy.
The other girls watched in silence. Mika's eyes were wide with fascination as she studied Yuna's every move, every subtle shift in her expression.
Ayane just leaned against the wall, grinning. "Damn," she muttered. "The gremlin's got some skills."
"You look lovely," Makoto winked as he finished taking photos from multiple angles and poses. "Can't wait to do naughty things with you in that costume later, Yuna."
Yuna's Hashira-like composure shattered for a fraction of a second. A deep, furious blush exploded across her face. "S-Shut up, you fat pig!" she sputtered. But a small smile touched her lips as she stepped out of the makeshift studio space.
He turned to Ayane in her Mitsuri cosplay. "It's your turn, Ayane."
When Ayane stepped into the frame, the entire mood of the room shifted. Where Yuna had been controlled and deadly graceful, Ayane was a whirlwind of comically over-the-top joy.
She was Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira. And she was here to have a good time.
She struck a pose, a ridiculous, almost impossible contortion that showed off her breasts to their absolute fullest. Her whip-like sword was a blur of motion in her hands, and her smile was bright and infectious.
"Are you ready for your close-up, boss?" she purred.
Her photoshoot degenerated into a chaotic, gloriously lewd mess. Ayane was a natural, a shameless and skilled model who knew exactly what Makoto wanted.
She knew exactly how to pose to make his heart pound and his breath catch in his throat. And she was loving every second of it.
Yuna just watched with her arms crossed and jealous fury written all over her face. "Slut," she muttered. "She's not even in character. She's just being a slut."
Makoto cleared his throat. "You should cover up a bit." He came closer and took a good look at her boobs between her open shirt, and then covered them up. "I wouldn't want others to... see what's mine..." He turned away and went back, covering his face with the camera, and resumed his shooting.
Ayane froze, her playful, over-the-top performance faltering. Her bright smile softened into something else, something real. She looked down at her now-closed shirt and then back up at him. A deep blush spread from her neck to the tips of her ears. "Oh," she whispered, surprised, almost giddy. "Okay."
She took a deep, shuddering breath. And then, she smiled, a really bright smile. It was a fragile thing, but it was the most beautiful thing he had seen all day.
She struck a new pose. Not lewd or over-the-top, but elegant and surprisingly powerful. She was Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, here to protect the ones she loved.
The camera clicked softly. And from across the room, he heard a quiet scoff from a certain gray-haired, butterfly-themed gremlin.
"Not too bad, but still not as beautiful as my little sis," he giggled.
Ayane's genuine smile instantly morphed back into her signature, predatory grin. "Oh, is that so?" she purred. She sauntered out of the frame, her hips swaying just a little too much. "Just wait until you see Yuna-chan and me in our pairing shots. And then we'll see who's more beautiful."