Just arriving back, the ladies start unfurling and lighting up the dark home..
Candy: "Phew.. home at last. I gotta say.. that car was built for you, Minori-chan."
Minori: "Why.. thank you! Don't mind me taking advantage of these Sunday Cup events all over this country."
Candy: "Only that it comes with no more department store hijinks. Now, I'm headed for the nearby onsen for a bath. You're welcome to join if.."
Minori: "That won't be needed. Remember.."
Minori places her point by taking out one of her arm blades and knocking her metal plated chest//
Candy: "Ohh.. right. I forgot. I expect my big sis to come over though, so if she's here.."
Minori: "I know. I'll take care of it, Candy-sama."
And as Candy readies to exit, she thought..
Candy: "That's efficient. I mean REAL efficient. Her perfectionist really shows, huh?"
Done with her refreshing experience, Candy walks back to her home, noting the lack of additional cars.
She walks in the relieving joy of being under her roof, greeted by Minori..
Candy: "I'm back."
Minori: "Ehe. Welcome back, l-miss!"
Candy: "Thank you, Minori-chan. Well.. any sign of Rin-san?"
Minori: "Khe-no.. not at all. Or rather.. she's not here yet."
Candy: "Hmm.. odd. I suppose they have something else to deal with. I'll leave you to it then.."
Minori: "O-kay!"
However, as Candy moved to her room, she had a hunch something was amiss..
Candy: "Is it just me, or did Minori-chan get.. small? Must be the soothing bath salts.."
Now dressed for bed, Candy heads out of her room and heads for her kitchen, while brushing her hair..
She notices her maid cleaning her coffee set..
Candy: "Minori-chan?"
Minori: "Eh? Heh-how can I be of s-service?"
As Minori turns and stands tall, Candy then saw something even stranger as she puts her brush aside..
Candy: "(Now she's taller?!) Umm.. it's getting late. You don't have to clean the counters anymore.."
Minori: "Uhh, but, yes.. well, there's no rest for the w-wicked! Pfft.."
Candy: "You got that right, but I do want you up first thing tomorrow, you know?"
Minori: "R-right! Sorry.. I like your coffee grinder is all. Yes!"
Candy then thought it odd as she walks back out..
Candy: "Oh.. (Ginnie actually HATES cleaning the coffee grinder.. something is going on, or my name's President Richard John Clinton Washington the Third, and it's not!)"
Unaware, she then runs into Minori carrying clothes..
Candy: "Oh, you get around rather fast."
Minori: "You sure like to wander off into the mind scape, Candy-san."
Candy: "You got that right.. actually.."
She then backs to the kitchen to see her brush on the counter..
Candy: "I knew I left it here!"
Minori: "Heehee.. this calls for the vacuum cleaner."
Candy: "Still on the counter, Minori-chan?"
She then realized..
..and quickly looked back, to see Minori closing in with the laundry.
Candy: "Wait, isn't she? Wait, I know she's there, and now here?! Why am I seeing double?!"
She exclaimed with her hair messed and her eyes shrunk in manic confusion.
Minori then, putting her finger on her face, wondered what's going on, asking..
Minori: "Something up, bebe?"
Candy: "Oh, it's nothing, Minori-chan. Just that.. wait."
The Minoris then got in the same room, assuring Candy that she indeed is..
Candy: "I AM SEEING DOUBLE!"
The Minori handling the coffee then snapped..
Minori?: "KHHH-HEEEHEEHEEHAAHAAHAA!!"
Candy: "I know the one person that can't help hold their laughter like that!"
Taking off her fake blonde hairdo, the coffee working Minori is none other than..
Izumi: "Would you look at-at that?! Fooled like a rat being led to a mouse trap!"
Candy: "This Minori-chan's much too.. umm.. flat and not artificially enhanced in any way."
Minori: "You got that right."
Candy then turned to the Minori handling the clothes, and saw the slots that hide her hidden blades, deducing at least this is the real Minori.
She also deduces that..
Candy: "This is yet one of big sis's funny little schemes, is it?"
Izumi: "HAHA! Oh yes! Yes indeed. Bernardo actually was going to be a part of this, but oh he is such a MAN!"
As Izumi takes off the eerily similar maid outfit, Candy then remembered of the smaller Minori..
Candy: "Where's Rin-san now?"
Minori: "On your computer. She's a tech wiz and couldn't stop working her way through your, as she says, messed up software."
Candy: "I'm going to dock your pay for going along with this, Minori-chan.."
Minori: "Oh no.. anyways, to the TV room?"
A quick intermission comes and goes as the ladies gather at the now crowded TV room to see the last impostor maid having a time on the PC..
However, the owner of said PC..
Candy: "BIG SIS!"
Rin (as Minori): "Big who, now?"
Minori: "It's over, Kate, back to normal for you."
Amused by this whole issue, Rin then tossed aside the blonde hairdo..
Rin: "About time! Our disguises were on point this night."
Candy: "Don't tell me the dark one told you I'm the lab rat again?!"
Thinking for a moment, she then replied, as if it was perfectly destined..
Rin: "Oh snap, my little sis is quite bright."
Izumi: "Pfft.. b-bright is not what I had in.. in.. hehe.."
Minori: "Regardless, an idiot is not what I can describe madame Candy, so you know.."
Candy then comes close, querying on why her friend's rummaging her computer..
Candy: "Rin-san, since when is it okay for you to just.. go through my virtual stuff?"
Rin: "I'm not just doing that, little sis.. I'm setting it up for cyber protective reasons. There are red flags EVERYWHERE! What if there was a virus from some dark forces out there, ehh?"
Understanding her digital paranoia, Candy takes great advantage of Rin's presence..
Candy: "I suppose now that you're here.. I need to know if Jake's told you anything I might want to hear."
Rin: "In Augur? Umm.. my partner can help with that."
Like a wolf to their prey, Izumi leaped onto the other Asian women.
Izumi: "Did somebody say.. say.. HELP?!"
Rin: "WAA!! H-heyyy!!"
Candy: "I-IIIITAAA!! Y-yes.."
She got off quickly, then after, asked..
Izumi: "To be honest this is more Bernardo's thing, you know. Where is he anyways?"
Rin: "Probably getting drunk somewhere nearby."
Izumi: "I figured as much.."
Thinking of the three men and a good time drinking away the sorrows of life, Rin then remembered..
Rin: "Which is strange.. I know Son-son doesn't drink. I'm guessing they're at one of those non-alcoholic bars."
Candy: "There's one a couple blocks away.. I wonder if they've planned for this, because.. I didn't say a thing."
Rin: "You make me SO jealous of your real estate luck, little sis!"
Candy: "Hey, focus! That's my desktop you're trying to fix!"
Minori then asked as she entered and repositioned the cushions for her slumber..
Minori: "What about Jacob?"
Izumi: "Last I hear.. he's doing dirty work. When I mean dirty.. I mean.. teehee.."
Izumi points towards Rin, and Minori got the hint with the shadowy tone she gives out..
Minori: "This will be good, oui? Outside?"
Izumi: "Ohh hoho! Kage-san, I didn't know you were so.. so.. khkk.. EAGER!!"
The two left the room, leaving the unofficial siblings to remain..
Rin: "And there we go!"
Candy: "Huh?"
Gestured to point towards the desktop, Candy sees the desktop clear of clutter, but with a caveat: a picture of Rin squeezing her, then newly met little sister from Week 2..
Candy: "GWAAH! Rin-san!!"
Rin: "I know, you like it, right?!"
She's fuming from the inside, but it quickly quells as soon as she sees that smile..
Candy: "Hrr.. huhh... (that damned smile) well.. lay it on me, big sis."
Rin: "Gave it network and virus protections. Updated your software drivers. Optimized its storage usage. How's a test?"
Candy: "Oh? A test?!"
Rin went straight and double clicked on a desktop shortcut.
The screen darkens, which Candy didn't hesitate to question of..
Candy: "Now what did you do.."
Rin: "Installed
Baldur's Gate 3."
Candy: "Did you just hand me an illegal copy of some fantasy nerd game?"
Rin: "Nah. If I was pitching, I'll just mention I bought it DRM free."
Candy: "I don't care what you said, but.. well.. at least I'm morally sound.."
She might've been given yet another favor from a friend she didn't deserve, but then..
Candy: "I don't know why but I feel like crying.."
Rin: "Ohh, I know why! I heard of your little threatening assault last week.."
Candy: "M-maybe. I just.. realized how I don't want to be alone anymore."
Rin: "Don't you worry, little sis. After my quick mission, I-I was going to surprise you.."
Candy: "Like you did with appearing in Tsukuba and dressing up like Minori-chan?"
Rin: "Ehh.. sort of. Okaa-san's back here with Alan and they might need some extra company. I'll be transiting from my place in Tochigi to Moto-san's pitiful excuse of a home in Tokyo Bay."
However hard she tried to keep it dry and happy, a lone tear did drip out..
Candy: "Why.. I appreciate all this, big sis!"
After another quick sister to sister hug, Rin had something else to share..
Rin: "Also.. Nash-san wants us in France next week. Just a friendly meet with the Initiative, all paid for. As for my Jake.. he doesn't mean well when it comes to what he does in Augur, but.. I will keep him in check for our sakes. I promise."
And done with her work, Rin gets up, not quietly, however..
Rin: "But for the next couple days, Moto-san wants my company. I'm not too familiar with Ginza, so.."
Candy: "Shop till we drop?"
Rin: "You read my mind, little sis! How's tomorrow sound?"
Candy: "Sure! Sure! Don't forget to bring Moto-san."