Tokyo's Phantom Thief

Awa Subaru was, to Rinto, a bit of an enigma.

Like a gallery visitor admiring art from behind the rope, she kept just the right amount of distance—no more, no less. In that way, she was every bit his equal.

And she made no effort to hide it, either. That Mona Lisa-esque smile only deepened as she said:

"Observing humans is my hobby, after all. You and Momoka-san are both precious subjects for my case study. You're definitely going into my end-of-term report. I really, really like you both."

"And you, Rinto-kun, totally bring out my maternal instincts. Sure, you come off as this cool, dependable guy, but it's your quiet driftiness—the kind that makes people worry and want to figure you out—that's even more compelling. You're like a kite with its string cut. If no one keeps an eye on you, you'll fly off somewhere no one can reach. That's why you need extra attention."

That was a pretty maternal take, Rinto thought. Maybe he should start calling her onee-san.

He was self-aware enough to admit it, though.

After everything he'd experienced as a Phantom Thief—after seeing so many people's darkest desires and broken inner selves—he'd honestly grown kind of tired of humanity.

If he had to be honest, Rinto didn't really like people anymore.

He wasn't interested in heavy emotions or being tied down by responsibilities. He just wanted to maintain a comfortable distance, watching quietly from the sidelines.

But the problem was—he wasn't actually capable of staying a bystander.

The second someone asked him for help, he couldn't stop himself from stepping in.

A self-perpetuating loop. And Rinto himself couldn't quite make peace with it.

Still, being lectured one-sidedly by Subaru did hurt his pride a little. So he shot back:

"Subaru, are you an only child? You want a little brother or something?"

"Yup."

Subaru nodded without hesitation. "I'd love to have a little brother or sister! I'm already this cute, so if I added the big sister role on top, I'd be completely unstoppable, don't you think?"

Fair enough. Rinto had no counter to that kind of confident self-praise.

She really was dazzling from every angle. Compared to the Yoshizawa sisters, Subaru had a calm maturity and subtle mystery that made her even more alluring.

If he turned on the TV right now and saw her voted "Most Beautiful High School Girl of the Year," he wouldn't even be surprised… even though she technically wasn't in high school.

Still, Rinto wasn't about to let her have the last word. He fired back:

"Well, from where I'm standing, you seem like the one who needs looking after. Having an older sibling would be better for you—you'd finally get to be the one getting spoiled."

"You talk about how I keep people at arm's length, but you're no different. Just observing people won't solve your own problems. If there's ever a day you feel like talking, I'll listen."

"…You'd make a good onii-san, Rinto-kun. Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Her response was delivered with a flawless smile—graceful and composed, like a perfect idol in front of the camera.

...

"—I'm dyinggggg!! (?>△<｡)"

By the time their shift ended and they returned to the break room, Momoka finally pulled off her mascot head, her entire body soaked like she'd just been hauled out of a river.

She'd taken multiple breaks throughout the day, stopping every hour to hydrate and avoid heatstroke.

But even with a fan running inside the suit—and despite it only being early spring—it was still a hellish work environment.

Rinto helped pull her out of the bulky costume. She was limp and boneless, totally out of energy.

Underneath, she wore nothing but a tank top and shorts—standard gear for athletes, though Momoka technically wasn't a "girl" anymore.

He handed her a towel and blocked her path as she tried to collapse.

"Subaru, help me out! Could you wipe her down?"

"Got it!"

The flawless Awa Subaru gave a cheerful salute and picked up a bath towel.

Even though they were all coworkers, having a guy like Rinto touch Momoka up and down would've looked pretty bad. In that moment, he was truly grateful for Subaru's presence—she was reliable in every situation, even when caring for a disaster-prone onee-san like Momoka.

That said, Subaru was also a bit of a gremlin.

She lifted Momoka's arms to wipe them clean, then worked her way down from chest to stomach—methodically, but with theatrical commentary:

"Hmm~. You'd never guess from Momoka-san's rough-around-the-edges act, but she does take care of herself. Her underarms are squeaky clean. And she uses deodorant properly too. So she does have a little bit of grown-woman elegance."

"As for her body… Hmm, I'd say mine's better. If Momoka-san is 2K, then I'm 4K. Rinto-kun is 8K. Together, we make a 14K dream team!"

"There's no such thing as 8K," Rinto shot back. "Even if there's a difference between men and women, my bust size isn't gonna double yours. How big even are you—wait, no. That question crosses the line into harassment."

That was close. Rinto caught himself just in time—damn this cunning little fox.

She'd clearly baited him into snapping back, and now she was snickering evilly while still wiping down Momoka's chest.

But if he had to be honest… all jokes aside…

Momoka was taller than Subaru, but when it came to figure, this seventeen-year-old JK had the edge. Her body was soft, supple, and had that flawless, glowing skin of someone who probably went to the spa twice a month. Totally pampered.

Which only made Rinto more confused.

With a background like that… Why is she working so much? Why do I keep running into her everywhere?

"Ah."

Subaru suddenly let out a little sound, drawing Rinto's attention.

He tried to avoid looking at Momoka from the front—no peeking—and focused on holding her steady.

"What's up? Need help with something?"

Subaru's reply was a little awkward. "Not really… I just noticed she's got a bit of a beer belly. All soft and squishy. Momoka-san, maybe lay off the alcohol a bit, yeah?"

"…You two are so loud! (〃＞目＜)"

Having her body treated like a plush doll, Momoka finally whined through gritted teeth and kicked them both out of the locker room to finish wiping off herself.

After Momoka changed into clean clothes, the three of them left the store together.

The manager, as a personal thank-you to Rinto (emphasis on "personal"), handed him four giant tubs of leftover premium ice cream—worth more than his day's wages at retail value.

Momoka and Subaru both looked at him with wide, green-eyed envy—mostly Momoka—once again confirming that this man really had the potential to become a top-tier host.

Rinto handed one tub each to Momoka and Subaru, and planned to bring the rest to the Yoshizawa sisters.

Momoka tugged at her damp shirt collar, her steps wobbly:

"Hey, Rinto… Let's hurry home, okay? My whole body's still sticky—my tights feel like they've been soaked in soup stock. Ughhh… I'm gonna drink two ice-cold beers tonight. Make grilled squid for me, please? As a snack?"

Rinto: "Sorry. I've got plans with the Yoshizawa sisters tonight. You'll have to handle dinner on your own."

"…Eh? (???)"

She didn't know why.

But the moment she heard those words, Momoka's face froze completely—like her brain had been dunked in chilled yogurt.