Chapter 78: My cousin came to visit for a bit

After returning home from the field trip, I immediately sat down at my desk. Midterms were only a month away. Student council duties would be less demanding now, so I needed to focus on studying.

And after midterms… summer break! ‘I can’t rely on luck this time!’ I told myself, opening my notebook with renewed determination, the rhythmic scratching of my pen against the paper a soothing sound in the quiet room. I studied for a while, then looked up, needing a break, my gaze falling on a white fox mask sitting on my desk.

The one Aya and I had bought at Fushimi Inari Shrine. Just looking at it brought back the memory of walking through the seemingly endless tunnel of red torii gates, Aya’s hand in mine. The Senbon Torii… it had felt like a dream, the sunlight filtering through the vibrant red gates, creating an ethereal glow. ‘They say if you walk through those gates together, your bond will strengthen…’ The memory of that moment, the excitement, the subtle thrill of our intertwined hands, still lingered.

I picked up the mask, holding it up to my face. ‘Hee hee… it’s cute.’ Just thinking about Aya brought a smile to my face, a warm, fuzzy feeling spreading through my chest. I put the mask down. I couldn’t get distracted now.

“Focus!” I returned to my studies.

****

Both Aya and Mizuki had said they were free this weekend, so I’d assumed it would be a quiet one. But then, during breakfast on Saturday morning, my mother said, “Your cousin is coming over this afternoon.”

“Cousin…?” Did I even have a cousin? I searched through Rina’s memories. Wait, I did.

“Yes, Miyu. Have you forgotten?”

“Uh… who…? Haha…”

“Well, she hasn’t visited from Korea in a while.”

“Korea…?”

“Yes, she graduated from university there and is working there now.”

Ah… right. I quickly sifted through Rina’s memories.

Kurosawa Miyu. My father’s niece, half-Japanese, half-Korean. And the one who’d introduced me to the world of frilly, eye-catching fashion that now filled my closet. And someone I’d always envied, according to Rina’s memories.

“She’s… pretty.”

“Is she?”

“Yeah!”

“Should I get you one of her outfits?”

“Really?”

“Sure!” My cousin’s clothes, despite her petite stature, had always fit me perfectly. She’d been like an older sister to me, an only child, visiting during school breaks, and we’d always had fun together. But now… with my past life memories… could I even act normal around her?

****

But I couldn’t change what had already been set in motion. I was studying in my room when I heard the front door burst open, followed by a rapid thump, thump, thump up the stairs, and then, my door swung open.

“Hee hee~ Rina-chan~! Annyeong~!”

“H-Hi…?”

“Ooh~ our Rina-chan hasn’t forgotten her Korean~?”

W-Well, that’s because of my past life memories… I chuckled awkwardly, and my cousin grinned, walking over to me. She was… striking.

Fluffy orange hair, a full-on lolita outfit, her petite stature… she looked like a character from a manga.

Wait a minute… why did I, a background character, have such a flamboyant, half-Korean cousin?! She held out her hand.

“High five!”

“Sure!” I high-fived her back. Clap—!

“Hee hee, Rina-chan, you’re still so cute~”

“Miyu-unni…” But somehow, being with her wasn’t awkward. The casual banter, the comfortable physical contact… it felt… natural, like a distant memory resurfacing. She leaned against me, giggling. “I missed you, Rina-chan~”.

“Me too.”

“Oh, I have a girlfriend now~”

“…A girlfriend?” A girl? Before I could process the implications, she proudly held up her iPhone, showing me a picture. Silver hair, blue eyes, tall, and… well-endowed…

“Whoa…!”

“What?”

“Is that… cosplay?”

“Huh? No, she’s real.”

“I… see…” The resemblance to Aya was startling, and I quickly hid the red fox mask on my desk. “It’s just… surprising… that someone who looks like that… exists.”

“Why~?” she asked, tilting her head.

“N-Nothing! It’s… complicated.”

“Hmm~ Rina-chan, are you seeing someone too~? Tell me, tell me~!” Her energy was overwhelming. I reluctantly pulled out my phone and showed her a picture of Aya.

“Whoa.”

“See why I was surprised?”

“We have similar taste, huh?”

“…Yeah…” Two girls dating, both with silver hair and blue eyes, tall and… well… If our parents found out…

“Rina-chan, you said you go to Takamari, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, I’m so jealous! I wanted to go there, but I ended up fleeing to Korea,” she said, jumping onto my bed and kicking her feet playfully. She was cute. I remembered the younger Rina trying to emulate her older cousin’s style. Perhaps Aya also thought I was… cute… like that?

“So, you’re studying?”

“Yeah… midterms are in a month.”

“Oops, sorry for interrupting…”

“It’s okay…!” I quickly reassured her. She rarely visited, only once or twice a year. And Rina’s memories of her cousin were… fond.

“Then, want to hang out? We could go for a walk around the neighborhood.”

“Sure. Should I change?”

“Yeah!” I changed into a more colorful outfit, matching my cousin’s vibrant style, and we left the house. Walking side by side, dressed like this… we kind of looked like… well… never mind. “School?”

“Yeah.”

“You walk this way?”

“Yeah, straight down this road.”

Walking beside her, I realized she was actually a bit shorter than me. As we reached my usual meeting spot with Aya, Miyu pulled out her phone and showed me… her Twitter account. With over 300,000 followers. And it was in Korean, a language that felt strangely foreign now. Her username was Kim Yeoreum. I made a mental note to follow her later. My cousin was surprisingly popular online.

“Rina-chan~! You’re so famous~”

“W-Wait… how did you…!”

“Takamari’s Trinity~! Everyone knows you~!”

“Ugh… why did you have to look that up…!” My face burned. I quickly looked away, and Miyu giggled, teasing me relentlessly.

“Actually, I’m also… kind of famous.”

“Huh? For what?”

“In Korea.”

“S-Seriously?”

“Sort of. Not as famous as the Trinity, of course.” She grinned, nudging my side playfully, and I dodged, chuckling. “You said you’re working in Korea?” I was curious. This world’s Japan felt different, so I wondered if Korea was also different.

“I’m a… virtual YouTuber.”

“Ah…!” So that’s what she was doing. It was a world away from my own reality, though. Takamari Academy was a college prep school; there was no time for such things.

“You’re working hard, Unni.”

“What do you want to do after graduation, Rina?”

“Graduation… that’s still three years away!”

“Is it? Hee hee~” she grinned, and I couldn’t help but smile, her playful energy infectious. I remembered the younger Rina, looking up to her older cousin. Perhaps this was how Aya felt when she looked at me… “Oh, and!”

“Yeah?”

“Coming to Takamari… is also a pilgrimage.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You’ll see~” she giggled, not elaborating. I was curious, but I just smiled and let it go. We reached the school gates, always open on weekends for students using the library, though I’d heard the security guard locked them at night.

“Wow… this school is amazing. You actually go here, Rina.”

“Yeah…”

“Enjoy your youth! No regrets!” she said, patting my shoulder and slinging her arm around mine. We sat on a bench under the shade of a large tree, its branches heavy with green leaves. “How are your classes?”

“They’re okay.”

“Really? Not too difficult?”

“I ranked third on the midterms!” I couldn’t resist bragging, and she looked at me, tilting her head in disbelief.

“In the whole school? Or just your class?”

“The whole school!”

“But… isn’t this, like, a top school?”

“I-I guess so,” I mumbled, giggling, and she said, her voice laced with envy, “You’re so lucky, so smart. My girlfriend is smart too.”

‘My girlfriend is also smart…!’ I wanted to say, but I held back. She pulled out her phone and opened Twitter. It was in Korean, which felt strange now. 300,000 followers. Her username was Kim Yeoreum. I’d have to follow her later. My cousin was surprisingly… influential.

It was strange to have a relative who was… internet famous.