"Why's someone missing from our drinking session?"
In the living room, Aya, munching on peanuts, glanced at the empty spot where Yuugi usually sat.
Only Yukari and Suika remained, sipping leisurely, making the atmosphere feel oddly incomplete.
"Hmm~ indeed. Where could she be?" Yukari smirked, her tone playfully suspicious.
She was dying to see Suika's reaction when she found out what Yuugi was really up to.
Meanwhile, Suika downed another bottle, her expression melancholic.
"Yuugi's been... distant lately. We used to share everything─secrets, drinks, hangovers..."
"Now she's always hiding things, avoiding me. She didn't even come to today's drinking party. The bond's fading..."
She sighed, looking world-weary, as if she'd seen all of life's tragedies.
"What if she told you her secrets?"
"Obviously, I'd blackmail her into quitting the competition so she doesn't threaten my guard position. Plus, monthly tribute of 80 bottles as hush money."
"..."
'The fact you two haven't killed each other really shows your deep friendship.' Aya rolled her eyes, tossing another peanut into her mouth.
"Want me to go fetch her? Maybe grab more booze too?"
"Sure."
Aya hopped up, heading straight for Yuugi's room.
Inside, Yuugi was long past coherent thought.
Slumped on the floor, the empty bottle beside her, the room reeked of alcohol—so thick it felt like a curse, dragging her deeper into drunken oblivion.
Knock knock knock—
"Yuugi! You awake? We've got snacks and drinks!"
… No response.
Aya frowned, trying to twist the doorknob—
Locked.
"Yuugi! I'm coming i—"
Before she could pick the lock, Marisa's boisterous voice echoed from outside.
"WE'RE BAAACK!"
Aya jumped, quickly pretending to just be passing by as she retreated to the living room.
Marisa barged in, hauling two buckets of fish, grinning like she'd won the lottery.
"You caught that many?!"
"Mostly Reimu's. Her luck's insane. I only got a few."
"Where's the boss?"
"He blew up half the lake and still got nothi—"
THWACK!
A walnut shot from nowhere, smacking Marisa's head.
"Ow! What the—?!"
"Put. The fish. Away." Rin's death glare made Marisa scurry off to the kitchen.
As he stepped inside, Aya peeked behind him, puzzled.
"Everyone else went home?"
"Yeah, just me, Marisa, and Reimu came back."
"Wow, the store feels so empty now."
"They'll visit. It's fine."
Rin handed Suika a bag of supplies.
"Stick this in the warehouse."
"Got it~"
As Suika wandered off, Aya noticed Reimu already at the counter, looking unusually diligent.
"Thought Reimu would've gone back to the shrine."
"No urgent duties, so her mom dumped her here as a temp worker. Said she lazed around too much."
"I do clean sometimes!!" Reimu's indignant shout made Rin and Aya share an eye-roll.
'Like Yukari, she's glued to the floor unless pried off.'
Back in the living room, only Yukari remained, happily shelling peanuts.
"Where's everyone else?"
"Ran's prepping dinner. Patchouli collapsed earlier—no idea why—so she's resting."
"Yuugi's holed up in her room too. Both acting super weird today." Yukari's knowing gaze made Rin sweat.
"Uh... Not sure. I'll go check."
"Don't get too distracted in there~"
Aya perked up at the implication, but Yukari yanked her back.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"News material! Man and woman alone in a room? That's a prime scoop of the century!"
"You really wanna provoke the boss right now?" Yukari tapped Aya's stomach, where a faint pink mark glowed.
"Remember this little souvenir? He's never activated it, but if he does... Who knows what'll happen~?"
Aya shivered, a tingling warmth spreading from the mark.
"Does... anyone else have one of these? What happened to them?"
"Nope. Just you."
"Wanna test it out for us?"
"OH, HELL NO!" Aya scrambled back, horrified.
No way in hell she'd risk being the guinea pig for Rin's questionable abilities!
Meanwhile, Rin knocked on Patchouli's door.
"Patchy, you awake? Feeling better?"
Inside the room, Patchouli stiffened.
She considered pretending to sleep, but the lingering exhaustion from last night's mana depletion made her restless.
Then—
A dangerous thought flickered through her mind.
Her eyes widened in panic.
'...No. Nope. Absolutely not.'