For Sakura Kasugano, it had began as a perfectly normal day. She had a day off, had just woken up, was heading downstairs for breakfast, got turned to stone by her startled younger brother Tsukushi...

'...Wait, what?!' She thought. 

She could see her reflection a little in a window, able to see that her sleepy-expression was now frozen in grey stone, the only colour on her being her pink pyjamas.

"Agh! Oh no, I didn't know it could do that! Undo! Reverse!" The panicked younger Kasugano fretted, pressing buttons on what looked like a strange portable games console.

And then with another zap-noise and a flash, she was back to flesh, and now wide awake.

"Tsukushi, what the hell is that thing?!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!" 

"I get that part but.... What the hell is that thing?! People can't get turned into stone! Okay, I guess I just did but..."

"I-it arrived in the mail, it was meant to be that retro games console thing I ordered, the Nostalgia Ark? 'Setting history in stone', all sorts of old school games?" The boy explained.

"...And somehow it can shoot beams that turn your sister into stone? Did you even read the instructi-oh what now?!"

Sakura's rant was cut off by loud knocking at the window, and she was only slightly surprised to see her Rival/Friend, Karin Kanzuki, knocking on the window with an irate expression. Sighing, Sakura went to open the door, only for Karin to rush in and point at Tsukushi.

"You! Use that thing to turn me into an even more beautiful statue than Sakura!" The blonde demanded.

"Uh, who are you, lady?" The puzzled boy said.

"This is Karin, my Friend/Rival, you usually ignore her when she's here, she usually ignores you, worked out great until now.... And you saw that? And you're not freaked out or confused like I was?" Sakura groaned.

"Yes, no, certainly not! I know exactly what that is! The Kanzuki Zaibatsu developed it!"

"Well, that figures, you had it sent as some kind of trick!" Tsukushi accused.

"No, I did not, you can't win a fight against a statue, basic rules, you don't even get XP most of the time!" Karin snapped back.

"...Good point."

"Sorry, I'm still very confused here especially with the whole I GOT TURNED TO STONE FOR THIRTY SECONDS THING so if we can pause for a second to get this all explained?!" Sakura said.

"Oh, well, you see, sis, in RPG games usually if you defeat an enemy with petrification you don't get any experience points and..."

"Not the game thing, the device that turns people to stone! What's it even for?"

"Medical stasis, and for fun!" Karin said.

Sakura groaned again.

"...You know what, never mind, I don't think I care any more, let's just get rid of it."

"Actually, that's why I'm here, it was sent here by mistake, I came to recover it!" Karin said.

"Oh, good, well, hand it over, Tsuk-"

"BUT now I see what it can do I want to surpass you in both time and the beauty of the statue I will become! I will add class to your little yard!" Karin proclaimed.

"...Fine, she says it's something safe, just petrify her while I get breakfast and a shower," Sakura sighed.

"But you take ages in the shower," Tsukushi noted.

"That's of no consequence, she stood in stone for thirty seconds, I shall stand for thirty minutes! Hours! Days! YEARS! DECADES!! Well okay it actually only lasts three days maximum for some reason but the point is I CAN HANDLE IT FAR LONGER THAN YOUR SISTER!"

"...Why is your friend so loud, Sis?"

"Friend Slash Rival! The distinction is important!"

"Oh. Why is your friend-rival so lou-"

"Friend SLASH Rival! The capitalisation and the slash are vital! It elevates it beyond something as common as a 'frenemy' or some other nonsensically drab phrase!"

"Huh?!"

"She won't be loud if you petrify her," Sakura muttered.

On that, everyone agreed. And so, Karin went outside, struck a pose with her hands on her hips, a haughty smirk on her face, and allowed herself to be petrified, red skirt fluttering gently in the wind, her blonde curls frozen into grey stone.

Sakura, meanwhile, did exactly as she said she would. Tsukushi went back to simply ignoring her existence again and switched on his actual non-petrifying games console.

Once dressed and having eaten, Sakura regarded the petrified Friend/Rival.

"Well, you've 'won', Karin... whatever the heck it is you're trying to win at. I'll get that thing to turn you back so you can get rid of it," She told the statue.

A moment later, a triumphant Karin grabbed it, cheering her victory, before leaving without so much as a goodbye.

"Well, now that weird crap is over, I have that interview for a part-time job as a store display assistant in that boutique. Try not to burn the place down, little brother," Sakura said as she left her home.

---

 

Sakura blinked in confusion at what the manager had said. Yes, she knew this was a very high-end store, with prices ranging from Ooof to If You Ask You Can't Afford It And If You Didn't You Probably Still Can't. But surely she'd misheard...

"...Sorry, did you just say your 'mannequins' are all real people you hire?" 

"Yes, indeed. Our advert was not so clear, I appreciate, but it's quite simple. Merely stand on an active display plate and you'll be immobile for your whole shift! It's not like being one of those living statue performers. We prefer real people to model our wares, simple plastic is just far too drab and uniform for our clientele...." The store's manager said.

"Uh..."

"I understand if you were expecting a different role and wish to decline, of course. Oh, another error, the pay was misprinted, we give our mannequin workers seven thousand yen an hour, not one thousand."

"Seven thousa.... Well, now you've explained I am still willing to apply for this role but, who built these plates?" Sakura wondered, only for her answer to barge in.

"Aha, trying to claw back a win, eh?! Becoming a mannequin in my favourite store no less! Well, using the technology my family supplied to them I shall be a far prettier and more effective mannequin!" Karin said.

"...Good morning, Miss Kanzuki. I assume you're not here to shop today?" The manager bowed.

"Oh, no, I'm here to win!"

"Aand I'm here to get some extra spending cash hopefully, not upset a... uh, important customer so if I do get this position I would be all too happy to accommodate Miss Kanzuki?" 

"She starts right away!" Karin said.

"Welcome to our buisness, Miss Kasugano," The manager quickly agreed.

"Great, now I want to be a better mannequin than her, let her go pick a swimsuit, I'll pick out an even better one and sell tonnes of them!" 

"As you wish, Miss Kanzuki, though that does give her bonus double pay for being front-window and the swimsuit clauses... though we can deal with her contract and such later, I presume?"

"S-sure," Sakura said, realising in just one six hour shift she'd earn nearly ninety thousand yen.

"Hah! Your only reward shall be money, for victory shall not be yours!" Karin proclaimed, before sweeping off to elsewhere in the store.

"You may wish to go pick a drab swimsuit to ensure Miss Kanzuki wins," her new boss advised.

"With all due respect, sir, I think Miss Kanzuki would be annoyed if I simply let her win," Sakura said politely.

"A good point, she is rather... forceful when competing."

And so, heading in the back, and now wearing what Sakura thought was a pretty white bikini set with a floral pattern, she was introduced to her display plate.

"Just stand in place and smile, I'll adjust your pose," one of her new colleagues advised.

And with a beep, she found herself once more locked in place, smiling, unable to move a muscle. She felt the hands of the other employee begin gently pulling and pushing her arms and body around, noting that every moved muscle stayed frozen. She, however, was still aware.

"Don't worry too much, by the way, after a few minutes you just sort of go into a trance state, like you're asleep, time just flies past..." The worker assured.

As she was adjusted, and felt the onset of a slight tiredness, Sakura saw another display plate and occupant being wheeled past. On it, Karin had struck a somewhat serene pose, one hand arched on her head, the other on her hips, posing to emphasise her assets in the bright red and fairly skimpy bikini and sarong set she now wore.

'...Wait, how'd she change so fast, was she wearing them already?' She wondered, as her own plate began to move.

The pair now stood in a window display, Sakura starting to feel a somewhat sleeplike state coming on... In the window she could just about see Karin's reflection to her side, and noted that some passers-by seemed to be paying her some considerable attention.

'Guess you win...'

Of course, six hours later, Sakura would be getting paid, while Karin apparently had just been volunteering... and had indeed been a better sales display as the bikini she'd chosen apparently sold out.

But hey, Sakura's bank account would be considerably better off!