I was confused and slightly defensive about what she was going to say. So, I held my hand to my chest as if to shield my body from any attack coming my way.

“My readings came true...but I didn’t expect them to trouble you the other day, Nakagawa-san.”

My brows raised for good reason. What was this woman talking about?

“Your…readings came true, Saya-san?”

She nodded feverously. At first, she seemed apologetic but now she came off as hyper enthusiastic. Like a bunny, she hopped up and down as her twin tails flipped about. My mouth jawed in awe over her reaction. Seemingly noticing my discomfort, the con artist calmed down and took a deep sigh.

“You see, Nakagawa-san…on your first day of work…the morning before my Onee-san left for work I gave her a tarot card reading. While I did my readings what came up was..."Today you will have an unexpected meet with someone special." 

 

 

My mind raced back to that day I was at work and met Saitou Risa-san. She mentioned that she had a reading earlier and it told her that she’d meet someone unexpected that day. In her eyes…that was me I take it in hindsight.

Saitou Saya-san crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side. It went a tad far and looked a bit painful if I was being truthful.

“You see, she was supposed to be on a date and I wanted to give her a bit of mysterious ambiance to make it go well. You know, spice up the person she met that day...”

“A date?”

Confused, I tilted my head now. We both probably looked like two birds in some strange dance to the outsiders of this conversation. Certainly, the way she sat alone writing didn't indicate that Saitou Risa-san was on a date that day. Could that be the reason why she was sitting alone all that time? As I questioned what happened in the past, Saya-san tapped her arms now in slow motion.

“She told me that her date skipped out though, Nakagawa-san…but in turn that she ran into you in their place. Risa Onee-san genuinely believes that you were the unexpected meeting she was destined to meet.”

“I see…”

So, Saitou Risa-san believes in all of that myth business so predominantly that she thinks our meeting was fated? I contemplated as I thought about how assertive she was when we first met.

 

 

All of her actions brought a race to my chest. That was the first time that I could clearly say that a woman was flirting with me so blatantly.

Still, on edge, I asked her another question to ease my worries if even a little.

“Ah…did she say anything about our meeting the other day?”

“Well…she told me about how she flirted with you and how she wants to get to know your schedule so she can see you more often, Nakagawa-san.”

I scratched my cheek as I try my best to get a good grasp on what would be going through Saitou Risa-san's head. 

“Isn’t that inappropriate for my stepmothers’ boss to be flirting with me, Saya-san?”

Defeatedly, Saya-san shrugged her shoulders and exhaled. 

“Listen Madoka-san…my Onee-san doesn’t open herself up to others in that way often.”

That was a shock to me as I was sure she'd flirt that way with any guy or girl she was interested in. But here her sister was saying the opposite. That felt a tad out of character to the Saitou Risa-san I knew so far.

"What do you mean she's not that open with others, Saitou Saya-san? Clearly, she has the confidence of a million men and the drive to back it up."

The grifter scratched her nose as she let out a slight giggle. It was a bit cute and gave my heart a noticeable bump. I guess even her sister had a side that was a tad adorable. But disregarding that, with a finger in the air she explained.

 

 

"Risa Onee-san has spent the majority of her life working. At the age of 30, she is one of the 4 executives of the Ojima Editorial Bureau. From that position, there is only one tier higher and that's the CEO of the company."

I just learned that Saitou Risa-san was Mari-san's boss but...I didn't consider how high up that position actually was. But what did that have to do with how this tiger acts around me? I believe Saitou Saya-san noticed my concern as she continued.

"My Onee-san doesn't open up to anyone other than me. She keeps everyone at an arm's length and is actually quite the introvert."

With a finger to her lips, she winked at me.

"In her free time, she doesn't do anything else but writes romance stories in her notebook. Onee-san...has wild fantasies about meeting her one-true-love."

My chest warmed up. One-true-love? Do I even believe in something like that still? That's a stark contrast to her mature personality for sure. It showed me that she had a different side to her that felt more...innocent to me.

"And...what does that have to do with me, Saitou Saya-san?"

"What I'm saying Nakagawa-san is that my Onee-san...I haven't seen her act this way towards anyone for a long time now…so for the time being...give her a chance...please?”

With a sly giggle to the side, she turned back to me.

“I mean…it’s not that you don’t like girls, right Nakagawa-san?”

My heartbeat ever so faster now. How did she find that out or even come to that realization? Why would she know something like that?! As all the thoughts of her reading my mind came to me...I calmed my chest and thought about it clearly. She is Saitou Risa-san's sister...Maybe Saitou Risa-san told her things about me…but what could she tell her...that would indicate that I might like girls?

Like a dam breaking, my thoughts waterfalled out of my mind causing my body to tense up. I realized the sin that I committed came back to bite me once again.

“Nooooooo!”

I cried as I lowered myself to my knees. I wanted to vanish from the world...

“It’s okay, Nakagawa-san…I know about you staring at my Onee-san's butt. To be honest…Risa Onee-san doesn’t keep much a secret from me. She'll tell me everything...”

I grabbed hold of my senior now. Shaking her shoulders I cried out.

“It was a misunderstanding, Saitou Saya-san! Why does she keep bringing this up like I’m some kind of pervert?!”

"Nakagawa-san...it's okay. My Onee-san has a really nice butt."

"Not you too, Saitou Saya-san!"

“Oh, you two seem so lively.”

That’s when the woman in question stepped out of her room. The yukata she wore brought out that perfect air of a mature woman that raptured me easily. It caused my cheeks to warm up as she swayed towards us.

“S-Saitou Risa-san.”

“I told you, why don’t you just call me Risa-san?”

“Because you’re my mom’s boss. That would be extraordinarily disrespectful if I did.”

But with the both of them here…it would be a pain to call each of them Saitou-san, wouldn’t it? But before I could say anything, Saitou Saya-san raised her finger and suggested an ultimatum suddenly.

“Then how about this Onee-san, since Nakagawa-san and I are the same age, why don’t we skip the formalities and go right to given names? That would make it easier for her to address the two of us.”

Why do people do this? I’m no good at cutting right to the chase. It feels so disrespectful for me to call Saitou Saya-san…just Saya-san. Even Sora-san forced it on me during the festival.

“But that’s not fair, Saya! Why do you get to be closer to Madoka-san than me?! I want Madoka-san to call me Risa!”

This woman wanted me to drop the honorifics?! I couldn't imagine even doing that with Mari-san yet. That was far too improper for someone like me...

“Because she’s right Onee-san…you’re her stepmother’s boss. How would it look for Naka- I mean...Madoka-san's mom seeing her daughter disrespect their boss that way?”

Saitou Risa-san’s shoulders slumped as she puffed her mature cheeks. I’m sure she already knew how this would end but is being overdramatic about it. I won't lie...it was a tad cute how upset she was getting over this.

 

 

“…Fine. But I’m not giving her up to you, Saya. Don't get all touchy-feely with her just because you call each other by given names!”

“Eh?! I never said I wanted her, Risa Onee-san!”

Wanted her? What am I? A commodity now? And where did Hana-chan go, I can’t keep toggling the sisters alone…it’s become tiring.

“Soooo, Madoka-san. What are you going to do? Are you going to call me Risa-san in the end?”

The older sister was alluring me with her sweet voice. But I had to make this establishment right here and now. Sai...I mean Saya-san was right…

“Saitou-san…and Saya-san…that is the most appropriate way to go about it...”

I barely mustered out of my thin lips. Despite Saitou Risa-san being against it her eyes shined a tad brightly. Something told me just speaking with her was enough to give her a little bit of joy. How strange it felt...knowing someone is so conscious of me like this. 

"Must be nice hearing Madoka-san call you Saya-san out of her sweet lips, isn't it Saaaaaayyyyyaaaaa!?"

Saitou-san abused her sisters’ cheeks as a punishment. This was a marvelous sight. I couldn’t imagine I would ever see…Saya-san, the composed yet occult-like girl being rattled around like a ragdoll. Family truly brings out a different person. Even Saitou-san was less of a tiger and more…cute if that’s the right word.

“I’m back Onee-san!”

Coming out of the room, Hana-chan closed the door behind her.

“What took you so long?”

With a slight wave of her hair, she nodded.

“I got a phone call from Sora-chan. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting, sorry Onee-san…”

“Everyone is here!”

A voice came from across the hall now. It was my beautiful mom with Mari-san. In a white and light blue yukata that shined an innocent tone of bright flowers and a single braided ponytail that rained down her tall back, mom wandered down the hall in…Mari-san’s hand.

“Wow, you look amazing mom!”

I couldn’t tell which mom Hana-chan was talking about though…they both looked remarkable…

But Mari-san was the one I was looking at…

In that somber green and white pattern that showed her outline my heart pulsed with every step she brought. But not only that, she held her short hair in a different style now and that captivated me more than anything. With her charcoal straight hair now tied up in a bun her pure snow-white neck was exposed…

 

 

 

“Beautiful…”

That was the only word that would escape my mouth. I found my eyes following her hips that left all to the imagination…

“You look lovely, both of you.”

Saitou-san’s mature tone woke me up from my soulless gawking. It was becoming harder for me to control my feelings and I knew it. What if someone noticed me…doing something like that?

“Thank you, Saitou Risa-san”

Mom beamed as Mari-san just blushed slightly. That’s when we met eyes with one another. For a second, we gazed at the other before turning to the side away. Her green eyes knew just how to pierce me, warming up my stomach as they melted in me.

“Now that we’re all here, let’s head to the bathhouse.”

The boss chanted as she led the charge. Saya-san rushed behind her letting her arms fall behind her back. It was a little strange the way she went about it. Now that I looked at her closer, the length of her arms didn’t match that of the yukata. I wonder if she did that on purpose, grabbing a size too big for herself?

“I won’t lie…it’s a little difficult talking with my boss outside of work.”

I turned to Mari-san who silently whispered to my mom now.

“Right now, she’s just a normal woman like you, Mari-san. Calm down, calm down.”

“Yeah…but I didn’t finish my current assignment yet. What if she asks me about it, Ayumi?!”

Now it came to light…the true reason why Mari-san was so reluctant about this was that she was being lazy. This…made me giggle.

“What are you laughing about, Madoka-san!”

Mari-san wined.

“Oh, nothing! Nothing at all.”

I took Hana-chan’s hand and quickly escaped, following behind Saitou-san.

 

“Onee-san, let me wash your back!”

“Okay, I’ll wash yours first though, Hana-chan.”

I teased as we made our way into the luxurious onsen...

 

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