Hina got up, all stiff.
She reached for her oversized shirt on the floor and pulled it on in one jerky motion. She didn't even look for her bra.
She walked away, her bare feet sticking slightly to the floorboards.
"So?" Aya called after her. "Tomorrow, same time?"
Hina didn't reply. She didn't stop.
The door of her room clicked behind her.
Aya stared after her for a moment. Then she slammed the laptop shut with a sharp thwack.
She clenched her jaw.
Simmered. Silently.
"Fuck!" she exclaimed, leaning back against the pillow. "Didn't even turn her head!"
"She's drunk and tired," I said.
"So what?" Aya spit out. "She'll start overthinking and then for sure will chicken out. Fuck! And we were going to make a heap of money."
Aya was hard to calm.
"We'll still make money."
She just glared at me.
She looked at me like this a couple of times before. When she did, I couldn't tell if she actually loved me.
"You go talk to her," she said coldly. "Right now. Maybe she'll listen to you."
It's the worst possible time to talk to her.
I leaned toward Aya.
"Maybe she needs to sober up first," I said.
Aya's eyes flickered. "No! Go talk to her now."
I stood up. My body felt heavy, like I drank all of the highball. I hadn't.
I wish I had.
I stood outside Hina's door for a long time.
The air felt cooler here, away from the ring light. Plus, I really didn't feel like going in.
But I knew Aya was waiting. She couldn't see me from where she sat, but I knew she was listening. Because the apartment was silent as a grave.
Shit. Fine, I'll do it.
I knocked. Softly.
At least she's not crying.
I knocked a little louder.
There was no answer.
I turned the handle and walked in.
The room was dim. Only the nightlight was on. Hina was a shadow on the edge of the mattress. She just sat there, her hands folded in her lap.
"You're okay?" I asked and closed the door.
She gave the tiniest of the nods.
That's something. That's a start.
I took a couple of steps and lowered myself on the floor not far from Hina.
I saw her knee tremble.
"Don't worry," I said. "I won't touch you."
She slowly turned her head. In the half-light, her eyes were huge and dark. She looked at me for a while, her breathing shallow and slow.
I guess she's not going to say anything.
I cleared my throat.
"We made a lot of money tonight," I said. "Aya thinks we can make way more before your mom comes back."
At the word Mom, Hina's eyes focused. They sharpened, the whiskey haze gone.
Then she looked down again. She looked down at her fingers.
I sighed.
"Anyway, rest up and come to eat," I said. "We ordered delivery. A lot. Even steak. The good stuff."
I looked at the side of her face. I really couldn't tell what she was thinking.
But the shirt was still was too big for her. And her shoulder was still sharp and glowing.
"And about touching you..." I started.
What is there to say? That those were the rules? That I'm sorry about it when I'm not?
"I didn't mind that," Hina whispered suddenly.
What?
I stared at her. I waited for her to look back, but she didn't.
The kitchen smelled of expensive grilled steak.
Aya had set the table with the good plates. The delivery containers sat in the center, steam rising. The steak was the kind Hina had been dreaming about. Marbled Wagyu ribeye.
We sat down.
Aya was glowing. She'd changed into a fresh sweater. She looked like she'd just won the lottery. Hina sat across from me, her hair still damp. She looked into her plate.
The clink of forks sounded louder than it actually was.
Or maybe I was suddenly not that hungry.
"Can you believe it?" Aya went on. She stabbed a piece of steak and popped it into her mouth. "That's more than I make in two months. In ninety minutes, Kaito."
I didn't answer. I glanced at Hina.
Hina was eating her steak in small, deliberate bites. She chewed methodically.
Her cheeks look cute when she chews.
"I was checking the chat while you were in there," Aya continued. Her voice was stubbornly bright. "The numbers are insane. Everyone is talking about the 'Imouto' debut."
Hina pushed a tiny piece of fat to the edge of her plate. She didn't flinch at the name.
"For next time, we should definitely do the French Kiss," Aya said. She leaned forward, eyes wide. "That gets huge tips. And also—in the chat—they're begging for a shower scene. Two sisters." That was for Hina. Then she turned to me. "Can you imagine the coins for a shower scene?"
I could.
I nodded.
"We should do it, right?" she beamed.
"Maybe," I said.
"Not maybe. Definitely." Aya turned again to Hina. "Hina? A shower scene would put us over the top. We could buy that designer coat you always wanted."
Hina didn't look at Aya. She looked at me.
It was a brief glance. Two seconds. Her eyes were—different. There was no fear in them anymore. Just… the calm?
She went on with her steak.
"Kaito?" Aya exclaimed. "We'll need a longer cable for the bathroom."
"Yes," I said. "Probably."
Aya kept talking. She talked about the Super tips. She talked about the Master commands.
I stopped listening.
Hina finished the steak. She put her fork down with a little 'ding'.
She looked at me again. This time, she didn't look away.
I didn't mind that.
Her words echoed in my brain. I watched Aya laughing, calculating the potential total for the next stream.
Does she know? What if she knew what Hina said?
"It's going to be perfect," Aya said, reaching out to pat Hina's hand.
Hina let Aya touch her. But she looked at me, again.
"I'm full," Hina said.
It was the first time she had spoken. Her voice was steady.
She stood up and took her plate to the sink.
Aya watched her go, a satisfied smile on her face. Like she was Hina's proud owner. "See? I told you she'd be fine. She's a natural."
I looked down at my plate. My food was almost cold.
"Yeah," I said. "A natural."