Hina's eyes were bright, fueled by the whiskey and a sudden curiosity that she couldn't fully hide. She tried to hide it behind her hair, using it like a curtain the way she did when she was nervous.
I could still tell.
Aya topped off Hina's mug.
Like she didn't have enough.
The amber liquid swirled, the ice clicking against the glass like dice.
"It's simple, Hina," Aya said, her voice more sisterly now. "We're streaming and the viewers are bidding. They're deciding how much they are ready to pay for different things."
Hina took a long, shaky gulp. "They see you…. do things…"
Aya smiled, pulling up her phone. "Yes, just like this."
Hina looked at a photo. She blinked hard. "Who is this?"
"It's me," Aya chuckled. "I found this AI filter. It tweaks the shape of your eyes and mouth only a little. But that's enough so that even if a regular from the convenience store saw you, they wouldn't recognize you."
I saw Hina's shoulders relax.
"So viewers wouldn't know… that it's me?"
"Exactly."
Aya pulled up the streaming app.
"You see this?" she asked, tapping the screen. "This theme is trending. The Boyfriend and the Sisters. We'll use it to get the most viewers we can. We just create a room and define the challenges they can bid on."
Hina's hand, resting near her knee, twitched.
Taboo, normalized.
"Right in this menu," Aya continued, typing sample challenges. "1) Undress me. 2) Undress my sister. 3) Touch my body… Now viewers can use their coins to vote for a challenge."
She pointed to the timer. "Time limit is important. It makes them bid faster."
Hina sort of nodded.
"They bid. We move. The more they want it, the higher the numbers climb. Then we choose what we cash in."
Hina looked at the menu. Her breathing slowed. A menu was something she understood. It was only a list. Nothing could go wrong with a list.
"Wow," she gasped suddenly, "Is that the goal you set for this challenge? 5,000 coins?"
"That's the lowest I'd use," Aya replied. "For harder challenges, it'll be much higher." She winked at her sister. "Those men especially like to feel in control, so they bid even more—like ten times more—to give specific commands."
Hina's mouth fell open: "And they'd pay that much money?"
"That, and more."
Hina looked impressed.
"They can see and hear, right?" Hina asked, her voice calmer. "No talking back?"
"No. Just the chat wall," I said. "But they can drop a few hundred yen anytime as an Instant Tip. That's much better than talking."
Aya nodded.
"It's like a game," she said. Her thumb swiped the screen. "A special game, nothing more. And we won't use our real names. I'll be Onee-san. The older sister. Kaito goes by Goshujin."
"Goshujin—The Master," I repeated. The words felt heavy. Right.
Hina shivered. She looked at the floor, then back at Aya. "And what would I be?"
"You'll be Imouto. The younger sister. That's the hook." Aya winked to Hina. "You'll be the star of the show, sis."
I watched the flush spread down Hina's neck to the collar of the oversized shirt.
Aya stood up suddenly and put her hands on her sister's shoulders. Hina flinched, but she didn't pull away.
"We're going to go live in twenty minutes," Aya said. "Let's just try it. Let's make some money. No more counting coins. Just one stream, Hina, okay? If you hate it, we'll never speak of it again. But look at Kaito, Hina. Look at me. We did it, and we only enjoyed it. I'm sure you'll like it, too."
Hina's head swayed slightly. The highball was doing its work. "I'm... I'm wearing your old shirt. I look like a mess."
I think you look very sexy in that shirt.
"That's exactly what they want!" Aya beamed and then gave me a sharp, commanding look. Here's where you help! "They want the girl next door. They want the shy sister who finally stopped following the rules."
Hina turned her head toward me. Her pupils were blown wide. A fixed stare.
She was waiting for a push.
It's always easier that way, isn't it? When someone else decides for you.
I got up from the floor and stood directly in front of her.
"Don't worry, Hina," I said. "You'll be fine. We'll be with you."
I ran my fingers over Aya's necklace. "Isn't poverty the real sin, Hina?"
A pause.
A long pause.
Aya glanced at me and shrugged impatiently. You're no help at all!
"Come on," she exclaimed playfully. "Let's get everything ready. Onee-san is waiting for her Imouto."
She pulled Hina up.
Nothing can stop Aya when she really wants something.
Hina got up, a bit unsteady. Her pale bare feet planted on the hardwood, cute miniature toes curling for balance.
She gripped her mug like a lifeline and drained the last of the highball. Only then was Aya able to drag her to the bedroom.
"Ring light, Kaito!" Aya called out from the doorway. "And draw the curtains. Every single one!"