Tokyo's Phantom Thief

Awa Subaru efficiently smoothed out the wrinkles in Momoka's discarded tights and hung them neatly in the locker.

Her voice, sweet and full of cheer, continued chirping along:

"Rinto-kun, how've things been between you and Momoka lately? I didn't get to work the same shifts with you last week, so I've only been getting updates from her. Still under siege from the twin athlete girls? You end up in bed with them every day, right?"

"I was just prepping for the new school term, so I worked less last week."

Rinto immediately countered with a sharp-tongued correction:

"And don't phrase it like 'end up in bed,' it sounds way too misleading. They're just being playful—sometimes they mess with me in the morning, that's all."

…Although, truth be told, he had spent the entire night in bed with the younger twin, Sumire, just yesterday. That part he had no intention of volunteering.

For some reason, Subaru's hands suddenly slowed down.

"School… Ah, right. It is that time of year."

She wasn't reacting to the part about morning pranks—her whole expression shifted at the word school, as if she'd forgotten that April meant the start of a new semester.

The moment passed, and her smile bounced back like nothing had happened.

"Rinto-kun, you're going to be a full-fledged high school boy now, huh? I'd love to see you in your uniform… Even if we won't get to work together during the week, you'll still show up on weekends, right? You should come in wearing it sometime—just for your big sister here~!"

"Not just me, you've got school too, don't you?"

Rinto chuckled. "And even on weekdays, I'll try to pick up two- or three-hour night shifts when I can. Gotta make ends meet. But you, Subaru—you'll be too busy once classes start, right? Between commercials and shoots and whatever else they pile on at your talent school?"

Their casual back-and-forth continued as they moved from changing clothes to prepping the storefront for customers.

Ever since Rinto started working part-time in Tokyo, he'd often ended up partnered with Subaru at different jobs.

He still wasn't sure why someone like her—a poised, elegant girl attending a talent-focused arts school and possibly a future idol—was working part-time at all.

But every family had their reasons, and Rinto never pried.

She was also a social media butterfly and, like Rinto, a big fan of Momoka's music. The first time they worked together, she'd recognized him as Momoka's roommate, and they hit it off naturally.

To Rinto, Subaru was a rare kind of friend—someone he didn't need to babysit. In fact, she often gave him advice during their chats.

Maybe more of a big sister… or maybe a little sister? It was hard to tell.

"Nee, nee~. So tell me—how far have things gone between you and Momoka?"

Subaru's eyes flicked to the mascot-suited Momoka wobbling around outside. Her voice was full of mischievous curiosity:

"She won't tell me anything, but it's obvious things are progressing between you two~. A teenage boy and girl living together—how could there not be sparks? At the very least, you've kissed, right?"

"Nope." Rinto answered flatly, without hesitation.

Standing tall in his mask and uniform, he looked like a pine tree—rigid and composed. Subaru thought he honestly looked cool enough to star in a commercial.

"Subaru-san, let me be perfectly clear. No one in their right mind falls for a booze-hounding orangutan. Even if she can sing well."

Subaru giggled and pushed on. "But you do like her, right?"

"I do," Rinto answered without flinching. "But it's more like… the way you admire an idol. I've always kept a bit of emotional distance."

"Even now, I don't really see her through that idol lens anymore, but I still want her to succeed."

"If helping her achieve success with her music means looking after her a little more—then I don't mind. But it's not romantic. I don't have those kinds of feelings for her."

"…Hmm~? Really, not even a little?"

Subaru's tone suddenly shifted—slower, almost teasing.

She looked at him with big, glistening eyes, as if peering through to the core of him. There was surprising intensity behind that stare.

Her voice, too, seemed to carry a strange, compelling tone—like it left no room for lies.

"So you're saying, if Momoka were to hold you, look up at you with those soft, trembling eyes, and confess that she loved you… that she wanted to be with you… you wouldn't feel anything? You wouldn't want to say yes?"

"...…I would."

Rinto blinked a few times… and then gave in, admitting honestly.

Yeah—if Momoka really took the initiative and confessed, they'd probably already be dating.

Unlike the still-innocent Sumire, Momoka was an independent adult. That alone earned her a lot of respect in Rinto's mind.

Plus, she didn't know about his Phantom Thief identity, which meant he could interact with her without that constant mental weight. Even being lovers wouldn't be a problem.

There it is, Subaru nodded with satisfaction, like a teacher proud of her student.

"Admitting your desires is the first step to being a good boy. You get a gold star."

She tapped Rinto on the forehead with her soft, cool fingertip.

Then she turned back toward the counter, standing gracefully with her hands folded in front of her. The kind of composure you'd expect from someone on the cover of a magazine.

In that poised, proper stance, she continued casually, almost offhand:

"I think everyone needs to feel needed by someone."

"Momoka needs Rinto-kun, and Rinto-kun needs her. You really make a good pair. I'd love to support you both."

"Momoka-san's personality can be a little rough around the edges, right? Loud, unfeminine. But I think that's just a front. She's actually really sensitive and delicate."

"Her last band fell apart. The friends she came to Tokyo with all went separate ways. She's all alone now… What she really needs is someone to anchor her."

"That's why your timing was perfect, Rinto-kun. When we first met at work, you felt like a drifting soul too—completely unmoored. But you've gotten so much more grounded since then. That's Momoka's doing, isn't it?"

She turned and glanced at him, narrowing her elegant eyes.

Whatever she'd seen in him, she wasn't saying—but there was a knowing light behind her smile.

"You're a nice guy, Rinto-kun. Friendly, capable, socially adept—you seem like a textbook extrovert. But no matter how close people get, you always keep a bit of distance. It's like a dance—you take a step back every time someone steps closer."

"Is it a lack of trust? A need for personal space? Or maybe… a secret you can't let anyone know?"

"I'm really curious about you. So if you and Momoka ever do end up together, I hope you'll let your guard down a little. Open your heart more."

Rinto: "…I could say all the same things about you. What's with the sudden psychological profile?"

He looked back at her, but her expression remained serene and unreadable.

Just a mysterious smile that revealed nothing.