Kana And Hina (1)

—The story went back to when “Cordelia” had still been “Kana.”

Everything Kana wanted always belonged to her childhood friend “Hina.”

Her first love, Ken-kun, had said, “I like Hina-chan, so will you help me?”

At the school play, her homeroom teacher had said, “The princess role has too many lines, so Kana-chan, could you play the tree and hold the cue cards?”

To top it off, the company chairman at her workplace had said, “I want to make Hina our PR department’s in-house talent, so please help with her work instead.”

(What do you mean help with her work? Basically I do the annoying chores and Hina gets the credit!)

Under the blazing sun, Kana let out a big sigh as she climbed the stairs carrying a huge amount of filming equipment.

(Hina really is cute. Even as a woman I think she’s beautiful enough to want to devote myself to her. But being dragged into it is exhausting.)

Raised since childhood as “cute, adorable Hina-chan…and her childhood friend,” treated like a bonus prize in a snack, Kana had worked hard every day to escape Hina as early as possible.

Though the only thing she could really do was study—she entered a public high school Hina shouldn’t have been able to get into, only for Hina to pass through a mysterious recommendation slot. She finally found peace at a national university, but then reunited with her again at the company she joined—and Hina was the chairman’s favorite.

(What exactly was all my effort for…?)

Three years after joining the company, her joy at entering the glamorous PR department was short-lived. Kana was made to act as Hina’s manager, ninety percent of her work reported under Hina’s name, and the one glamorous project she finally got was reassigned to Hina the moment the groundwork was laid…

She could no longer feel any fulfillment from her job at all.

“Hey, Kana-chan.”

Unaware of Kana’s feelings in the slightest, Hina walking ahead turned around in a girlish, cute voice, her beautifully dyed milk-tea colored hair fluttering softly.

“The other day Grandpa bought me a new autumn-winter bag. But I already have the same one, so I’m stuck. Want it, Kana-chan?”

Hina’s “Grandpa” was not her real grandfather but the chairman who had chosen her as in-house talent. Only she could call him that without losing her head.

“No, I’m fine. If only my bag is expensive, it’ll just look out of place…”

“Ehh? You always help me, so I want to repay you somehow. Too bad. If there’s anything you want from what I have, just tell me, okay?”

She said that while placing a finger on her cheek and tilting her head, looking utterly adorable. How many men had fallen for that gesture alone?

(She does try to be considerate, so Hina herself isn’t actually a bad person… She’s just grown up in a world where being served is normal…)

Yes, Hina did not act out of malice. She simply lived in a world where being catered to was as natural as the earth turning. But those dragged into it suffered for it—especially when caught by the men who lost their minds over her charm.

Once, Kana gathered courage and asked Hina to at least make her own documents, and later her male boss scolded her, “Why is Hina-san making documents? That’s your job.” Since then she lost the will to pursue it.

(Ah, remembering it makes me hate this again. I’ll request a transfer, and if that fails I’ll change jobs…)

Recalling that emptiness, Kana quietly resolved herself.

—However.

“Kyaaah!”

“Huh?”

It happened suddenly.

Just as she heard Hina’s scream, the girl in front fell onto Kana. Her body floated briefly as if in slow motion—then the world was swallowed by darkness along with a shock running through her head.