The Butterfly Estate was quiet at this hour. Most of the girls had gone to bed, and the only sounds were the soft rustling of the trees and the distant chirping of crickets. You sat on the engawa, staring up at the night sky, when a familiar voice broke the silence.

“You’re awake late,” Shinobu Kocho observed, stepping gracefully into view. “Are you waiting for someone?”

You glanced at her, smiling. “Maybe.”

She hummed, kneeling beside you, her white haori catching the moonlight. “I do hope it’s me, or I might be terribly disappointed.”

You chuckled. “And if it was someone else?”

A playful glint flickered in her violet eyes. “Then I’d have to ask what they have that I don’t.”

Shinobu blinked, her teasing expression faltering for a split second. It was rare to catch her off guard, and you found yourself enjoying it.