As Sam and Mahiru approached the store shelf where Anna had been hiding, they found nothing but a suspiciously wobbling coat rack.
"Anna," Sam called, crossing his arms. "Come out. Now."
Silence.
Mahiru leaned in slightly, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Maybe she ran away?"
Just as Sam sighed in relief, a dramatic voice came from behind them.
"AH-HA! YOU CAUGHT ME!"
Mahiru let out a small yelp as Anna suddenly jumped out from behind a nearby mannequin, striking a ridiculous pose as if she had been waiting for this exact moment.
Sam groaned. "What are you even doing here, Anna?"
Anna grinned mischievously, placing her hands on her hips. "Me? Oh, nothing. Just shopping, minding my own business, when I happened to see my dear brother out on a very suspicious shopping trip with a girl."
Mahiru stifled a laugh, but Sam shot her a look. "Suspicious? What, am I not allowed to go outside anymore?"
Anna gasped dramatically. "Of course, you are! But! Since when did you go shopping for fun? And more importantly—" She turned to Mahiru with an exaggerated squint. "Since when did my brother start spending so much time with a girl?"
Mahiru blinked. "Uh—"
Anna suddenly grabbed Mahiru's hands, leaning in close. "Are you being forced to be here against your will? Did my boring brother trap you in some weird deal?"
Sam smacked a hand to his forehead. "Oh my god, Anna—"
Mahiru, caught between confusion and amusement, shook her head. "No, no, I actually invited him."
Anna gasped even louder, her jaw dropping. "YOU invited him?"
Sam looked at his sister dryly. "What's so shocking about that?"
Anna dramatically clutched her chest. "I never thought I'd see the day!" Then, she turned to Mahiru. "Wait. You mean… you like spending time with this awkward loner?"
Mahiru chuckled, looking at Sam with a soft smile. "I do."
Sam's face turned bright red, and he quickly looked away. "C-Can we move on?"
Anna grinned, clearly enjoying her brother's suffering. "Wow, Sam, you actually have rizz?"
Sam groaned. "I'm leaving."
Anna quickly grabbed his sleeve. "Wait, wait! I actually have something important to tell Mahiru!"
Mahiru blinked in surprise. "Me?"
Anna nodded, her usual playful expression turning serious for a moment. "Yeah. Just us. Brother dearest can go wait somewhere else."
Sam looked between them, raising an eyebrow. "Why do I feel like this is a trap?"
Anna smirked. "Because it probably is."
Sam sighed but eventually relented. "Fine. But don't cause trouble."
Anna gave him a salute. "No promises!"
As Sam walked away, Mahiru turned to Anna, curiosity in her eyes. "So… what did you want to talk about?"
Anna hesitated for a moment before sighing. "It's about my brother. There's something you should know about his past."
Mahiru's eyes widened slightly. "His past?"
Anna nodded, looking away as a hint of sadness flickered across her face. "Yeah… and why I'm so protective of him now."
Mahiru could tell this wasn't just another one of Anna's playful tricks. Something serious was coming.
And she was ready to listen.
----