"Sounds like… big sister's back." Barbara lay exhausted in Star's arms, those words draining her last strength.
"I'll go look. Rest here." Star kissed Barbara's lips, set her on the sofa, and stood.
She too had heard the door, yet the footsteps that followed sounded odd.
The cadence matched Jean's boots—distinctive enough for Star to recognise after all this time.
But Jean hesitated just inside, lingering by the entrance instead of striding in.
"Jean, you're finally—" Star broke off mid-greeting.
The reason was simple: Jean wasn't alone.
"Good morning, Little Cutie." Lisa greeted her with a gentle smile and a wave.
"Lisa?!" Stelle's eyes went wide; for a moment she didn't know what to do.
Why was Lisa here??
She'd clearly heard only Jean's footsteps a moment ago.
"Morning—no, good afternoon…" Stelle hurried a greeting, then slowly shifted her gaze to Jean's face.
Jean gave her a smile that carried far more meaning than words.
Things… probably weren't what she imagined, right?
"Uh, you two—just wait a sec!" Stelle spun around and, without letting them speak, darted back inside.
She rushed to Barbara's side, straightened the girl's clothes under Barbara's bewildered stare, then helped her up from the sofa.
"W-what's wrong?" Barbara asked in surprise.
"Lisa's here too…" Stelle whispered.
"Sister Lisa?!" Barbara squeaked; too weak to move, shock was all she could manage.
Once Barbara was tidy, Stelle zipped back to the doorway and again faced the two visitors.
The whole detour had taken barely an instant.
"Is Barbara awake?" Jean asked calmly.
"Y-yeah, she's up." Stelle scratched her head, guilt flashing across her face.
She should've woken long ago.
"Good." Jean nodded and stepped into the house.
Apparently she and Lisa had waited only to confirm Barbara's condition.
Back in the living room Barbara sat ram-rod straight; meeting Lisa's eyes, she looked a little embarrassed.
"Sister Lisa… why are you here?" Barbara murmured, head lowered.
"Well, at first I went to find Jean; when she said you two probably hadn't had lunch yet, we came together." Lisa studied Barbara as she spoke.
The scrutiny made Barbara squirm, though she still lifted her eyes to her elder sister.
"That's right," Jean confirmed, giving Barbara an inscrutable look.
"O-oh, I see." Barbara exhaled in relief.
She quickly read her sister's meaning; if that was all, she had nothing to feel shy about.
She just hadn't expected Sister Lisa to… Stelle really is popular.
"My, who would have thought." After sizing Barbara up, Lisa sighed softly.
Barbara was no innocent little girl anymore; in this respect she'd even overtaken Lisa—utterly unexpected.
"You Little Cutie—such a ravenous wolf in disguise." Lisa turned to Stelle.
"Haha, um, I…" Stelle gave an awkward laugh and rubbed the back of her head.
She knew Lisa had seen through everything; Jean must have told her plenty.
Stelle had no idea what to say; she'd never been in a situation this mortifying.
"Relax, I'm only here to satisfy my curiosity." Lisa smiled—though her real purpose went far beyond a casual visit.
"Little Cutie, are you free this afternoon?"
"Huh?"
—
"Are you free this afternoon?"
Strictly speaking, no—she'd already promised Mona they'd finish her master's task, and far too much time had slipped by without progress.
Partly it was the earlier meteor incident keeping them busy; partly Mona herself wasn't in a hurry—perhaps hoping the longer the task dragged, the longer she could stay with Stelle.
That suited Mona fine; she'd hardly pressed Stelle about it at all.
So, truthfully, their afternoon was wide open.
After a moment's thought Stelle accepted Lisa's invitation, and at the appointed hour she arrived at the Library.
Inside, Lisa lounged at her desk, a steaming cup of coffee in hand.
"Oh, you're here." She brightened at the sight of Stelle, setting the cup aside.
"Seeing you is lovelier than the strongest afternoon tea."
H-hello, Lisa." Stelle greeted her, a strange unease stirring at Lisa's languid posture.
"Sit, let's have a proper chat." Lisa patted the chair opposite her.
The Library was empty—perhaps everyone was at work.
"Coffee?" Lisa slid her cup toward Stelle.
Stelle sniffed the rich aroma hesitantly.
She'd never liked coffee—maybe Himeko's brew had scarred her for life.
"Don't worry, I haven't touched it."
"Even if you had, I wouldn't mind." Stelle chuckled, took a sip.
"So, Lisa, did you call me here for help?" She licked a stray drop from her lip.
The coffee tasted surprisingly good—probably Milk or something similar; she happily drank again.
"Help, yes—but mainly…" Lisa paused, eyes on Stelle, and finished,
"Sister wants a date with you."
"Pfft—cough!" Stelle nearly sprayed coffee across the desk.
"A date?!"
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