Mao Kisaragi's POV:

I used to follow after Shiina everywhere she went, copied her every move, wanted to be like her. We grew up receiving 'equal' attention from Mom and Dad, but at some point that gap widened. Although we were family, we lived different lives. She was perfect through it all. So irrevocably perfect I even started to dislike her.

Shortly after Shiina met Rin, Mom and Mrs. Mizotaro signed the both of them up for vocal and dance lessons. Mom tried signing me up, too, but as soon as I gave it a try and was ridiculed for my "frog-like voice," I cursed the arts altogether.

When Dad started teaching Shiina how to play the guitar, he offered to teach me too. But as soon as I gave it a try and accidentally tore all the chords, I never picked one up again.

Shiina did. Everything she put her mind to, she gave it one hundred percent. No matter how often she stumbled and fell, she got back up. Again and again.

Naturally, the gap widened.

Naturally, I was left completely in her dust.

Even now, it was tough to say anything had really changed between us.

"Shiina has a boyfriend, doesn't she?"

"H—h—huh? No! Huh? No!"

In a flustered panic, she shoved her cell she'd been sillily glued to behind her back. Regardless, on the living room couch we were seated on, there was little space to retreat to. Her blush was immensely revealing as well.

I narrowed my eyes into slits.

She avoided eye-contact.

Aside from the TV program playing in the background, a skin-crawling quiet engulfed us.

Slumping her shoulders in defeat, Shiina swallowed, hard.

"Don't. . . tell Dad or Chie yet. It was recent."

The string of my witch hat dug into the underside of my chin—proof that my jaw had plunged beyond belief. I'd said it spontaneously, and never expected a genuine answer.

I wasn't supposed to get an answer.

Not one like this.

Heartbeat stalling, I yanked her arm.

"Mao requires further details. Spill."

"Details deemed unnecessary!"

"Is it Rin? One of those boys who visited our dwelling that day? Another mortal?"

Tongue-tied, beet red, she shook free. "It doesn't matter! Let's keep watching this show, all right?"

A ding! went off.

We glanced at her phone.

I yanked it out of her hand when she least expected it. Then booked it.

"Mao!"

She was on my heels in an instant, fuming and desperate. Quick on my toes, I evaded her advances. Nonetheless, she chased me all across the house, bumping into and dropping items left and right. Up and down stairs, in and out of rooms.

"Mao has put up a barrier to keep she-devils at least two metres from me. If Shiina enters her range, she shall be obliterated by the powers that be."

"Drop your nonsense!" She swiped for my arm. "Give it back!"

"Shiina's password is. . . Mom's birthday!"

"I'm strangling you if you look!"

"Weaklings don't frighten Mao one bit." While she stumbled into the bathroom, I petulantly stuck out my tongue. "Hmm? It didn't work? Let's see. If I can at least read his name—"

"Mao!"

It occurred in less than the blink of an eye. In her attempt to snatch it, she yanked the fabric of my elaborate cloak. My elbow bumped the wall. I lost my grip on the device, and it plopped straight into the unoccupied toilet.

Neither of us moved.

My stomach lurched. I retreated to the safety of the exit.

"That was. . . Shiina's fault! Not Mao's! She entered Mao's range, and. . . and—"

She wasn't listening, however. Without the slightest hesitation, she plopped onto her knees and lifted it out. Expectedly, it didn't turn on. There was too much water damage.

"Mao knows a special charm for disasters like this," I spitballed. The fact that Shiina didn't make a single peep, the fact that she desperately tried to turn it on in spite of my rambling, caused me to tremble. "And Sh-Shiina can use Mao's phone tonight to talk to her boyfriend. All night, if she wants. Mao won't peek this time."

"I. . . had Mom's messages and videos saved on this." A choked breath accompanied a pool of tears.

My lungs constricted.

"Mao didn't mean to—"

"It's always 'I didn't meant it' with you!"

I lost my footing.

"Why can't you be normal for once? Ugh, I hate you!"

The shout, her sheer anger, echoed in my ears, knocking my heart off beat. Sure we argued often, sure we drove each other up the wall, but not to this extent. Shiina made it a point to never scream at me.

I messed up.

Badly.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

TWO WEEKS LATER

"You still haven't spoke to her?"

"Shiina is much too stubborn." Crouched as I was, I puffed my cheek. We'd never gone this long without speaking.

After placing her phone in rice, it turned back on in a few days. Fortunately, she managed to save her mementos of Mom in time for it to power off again. So what if she needed a new phone and it was kinda, sorta, completely my fault? She had no reason to hold a grudge!

"You've gotta apologize, Mao."

Obviously, he didn't agree.

A frown claimed my mouth.

Ryota Mizotaro frowned right back.

Huddled behind our middle school's vending machines—our designated hideout space in which not a soul could eavesdrop on our top-secret conversations—I went to great efforts to put on my witch attire. In comparison, he wore his plain uniform.

Although we were the same age, Ryota was way easier to approach than his older brother, Rin.

"It wasn't Mao's fault," I responded. "Mao had to eliminate the enemy responsible for stealing Shiina's heart. Depending on who it turned out to be, Mao may have even granted mercy!"

"In other words, you have doubts whether or not this boyfriend of hers is worthy of her and is treating her the way she deserves."

"Shiina is possessed by the creatures of darkness. As such, she consigns her soul to others at random."

"On top of that, she's too trusting—will throw herself at those around her, pure intentions or not, without proper consideration," he translated in a heartbeat.

Cheeks warm, I added, "Mao has the responsibility to rescue her from doom. Which is why Mao confiscated her brainwashing cellular device."

Ryota bore a sparkling smile. "You did all this because you're worried about her."

"That's not what Mao said!"

"You didn't have to. I know you better than anyone else."

As far as I hated to agree, he did. Because of Shiina and Rin, we'd been acquainted our whole lives. And unlike Rin, Ryota hardly had a presence.

We were alike in that regard. Overshadowed by our uber talented older siblings.

Ryota's golden eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

"Me and Rin fight over dumb stuff too," he reassured me. "Of course, most of the time, he's off pretending I don't exist."

I frowned. "Is Shiina dating Rin?"

"From what I know, he convinced himself he was dating her for a whole year, then when he came back last month, she told him it was a misunderstanding. I'm not too sure if they are dating for real now. . ."

A misunderstanding. . .

If Shiina was dating Rin, she would've just told me. Then again, she had a habit of stretching tiny things out of proportion (re: our fight). It wouldn't be strange if they started dating for real and she was too flustered about the whole ordeal to admit to it.

Or she wasn't seeing him, and Shiina was dating a whole different guy.

"Which is it?" I gripped my hat. "Is Shiina dating Rin? A different mortal? Mao has to know!"

A lightbulb went off above my head.

"That's it!"

"What's it?" Ryota asked.

I extended my index finger toward the clear sky.

"Cue Operation: Find Shiina's Boyfriend!"

"You know," Ryota sighed, "you can just say 'sorry' and earn her forgiveness. I bet Shiina will answer if you ask her then."

"As Mao's familiar, Mao expects Ryota to work hard. If he performs well, Mao shall reward him with incredible gifts!"

His shoulders sagged in defeat. "I already feel a headache coming on. . ."