Papa and Mama left because of an accident a long time ago. Young RIN once asked her older sister about it.
Her sister said—they went to a faraway place.
At that time, she was naive and ignorant.
After their parents left, only she and her sister remained.
But she didn't know when it started, her sister became busy, often going out, even leaving in the dead of night.
Although her sister often waited until she was asleep before leaving, RIN gradually noticed it.
Even though her sister still often accompanied her, perhaps because children were very sensitive, she could see the fatigue in her sister's eyes, even if she tried to hide it.
Was it because she didn't want her to worry?
RIN didn't know what kind of work her sister did, but she subconsciously felt that it was dangerous.
"Sigh."
Sitting in the park's corridor, the cherry-haired girl in a white shirt rested her chin on her hand, her young face carrying a worry unbefitting her age.
However, she couldn't show such an expression.
After all, she had promised to meet her sister here. If she showed this expression, her sister would worry, right?
Worried about her sister, but also understanding that she couldn't do anything, the sensible RIN could only maintain a smile, appearing happy, because this was perhaps the only thing she could do for her sister.
"Sis…"
A flash of pink in her peripheral vision made RIN's face light up, and she instinctively rushed over.
"Ah~!"
A lively and sweet girl's voice exclaimed in surprise. This unfamiliar voice, along with the completely different touch and scent, made RIN instantly realize something was wrong and quickly let go.
Looking closely, she saw a beautiful girl with pink hair held back by a butterfly hairpin, wearing an exquisite outfit that looked like some kind of uniform.
After seeing her face clearly, RIN subconsciously said:
"So cute~"
Hearing this, the pink-haired girl narrowed her eyes and revealed a brilliant smile.
"Hmm~ What a sweet-talking and discerning little sister~ I think you're very cute too~"
"S-Sorry, I mistook you for someone else. Because your hair color is so similar, I subconsciously thought you were my sister." RIN, complimented, was a little embarrassed and apologized.
"Hmm~ It's okay. Your sister must also be a very cute girl~"
"Hehe, of course. My sister is the most beautiful~ Even you, big sister, can't compare to her."
It seemed Jiang Qiao's compliment triggered RIN, instantly giving her a great deal of Likeability towards this unfamiliar girl she had just met. She chuckled and boasted about her sister.
"Oh dear~ I can't just ignore those words, can I? When it comes to beauty contests, beautiful girls have unlimited motivation."
The pink-haired girl raised a finger, put on a serious expression, and said with a smile:
"However, I'm also looking forward to meeting the sister you mentioned who is even more beautiful than me. She must also be a very cute girl, right? Of course, second only to Elysia~"
"My sister won't lose to you, but… Elysia… Big sister, is that your name? It sounds so nice!"
"Hmm~ Sort of. You can call me that now~"
RIN didn't notice anything unusual in these words, and Elysia sat down familiarly on the bench, smoothing her slightly rumpled clothes and hair.
—Finding the elusive Previous Era's Donkey wasn't an easy task.
Since that was the case, instead of going through the trouble of finding Donkey, it would be better to wait for Tuna to come to her.
Look~ Sakura's younger sister, RIN, was quite easy to find~
"Little sister, I saw you looking sad just now. Is something bothering you? I can give you some advice~"
"It's nothing, really. It's just my sister… I don't really know what's going on with her, but I'm just very worried…"
It had to be said that Jiang Qiao's current appearance was extremely deceptive. After a few words of small talk, RIN, who already had some Likeability towards her from their previous conversation, didn't hesitate to explain why she had been frowning.
"Hmm… Although I don't know the details, but… how about I perform a magic trick for you? Maybe watching magic will cheer you up."
The pink-haired girl pretended to think, then quickly changed to a knowing expression, and offered to perform a magic trick.
RIN, still a child, was very curious. Hearing about the magical trick, she happily nodded:
"Magic? Yes, yes~"
"Then, watch closely~"
Jiang Qiao smiled and pulled out a knife from somewhere.
Then—
"Bang~"
With a puff of smoke, a small figure appeared out of thin air.
"Sister Elysia~"
The Big Sister Monster pounced on Jiang Qiao as soon as she appeared.
RIN's eyes lit up at this scene, staring at Higokumaru and exclaiming:
"Wow~ This is a real-life transformation… But she looks just like me."
"Could it be that she transformed based on me?"
Looking at Higokumaru in a kimono with fox ears, RIN couldn't help but guess.
Unexpectedly, these words made the Big Sister Monster unhappy. She flew in front of RIN, put her hands on her hips, and examined her closely, saying Unconvinced:
"Huh? Who are you? I think you're the one who transformed based on me!"
For some reason, she felt a bit annoyed looking at this girl!
"This little guy can talk?"
RIN, who had been retorted, was stunned, surprised and delighted.
Just like a small pet, a girl RIN's age would naturally like this kind of thing.
Higokumaru was very cute… but that face, although cute, was somewhat annoying.
This feeling was very novel to her.
The kind-hearted RIN rarely felt this way, especially towards something she saw for the first time.
"What little guy! Hmph, I'm much older than you~ Don't look at me like this, if I transform, I can scare you to—death!"
As she spoke, Higokumaru, with her hands on her hips, wagged her little tail and spat out a small ball of foxfire.
Poking RIN's cheek with her tiny finger, she puffed out her chest and said:
"You be careful, if you make me angry, I'll burn your butt with fire!"
The two incredibly similar girls, one big and one small, played and laughed under the pink-haired girl's smiling gaze, looking exceptionally harmonious.
—Oh dear~ I wonder what Sakura's expression will be when she comes to find her sister and sees this scene?
As he thought about this with amusement, a message from Elysia popped up in the chat group—
Elysia: Caught a very cute maid girl, humph~
Elysia: Very Beautiful Maid.IMG