I Can Distinguish the Twin Sister - Chapter 38

The Importance of Caution

They witnessed it.

“Whoa…”

“Seriously?”

It was an afternoon a week before the end-of-term exams.

Yoshiki, who didn’t belong to any club activities, and Masashi, whose club activities were on a break due to the upcoming tests, were on their way home together when they saw their friend Akito walking ahead of them.

“…Which one is she?”

“Um… I’m not sure.”

The two were surprised because there was a girl walking next to Akito — a girl who recently became close to him and a popular student in the school… Yomi.

It was Yomi, but the two couldn’t distinguish between her and Rin’ne.

While that was interesting, the most surprising thing was seeing Akito walking with a girl after school.

“That direction is Akito’s home… right?”

“Yeah… No way, they aren’t going all the way to his house, are they?”

Yoshiki and Masashi exchanged glances. They were tempted to follow out of curiosity but decided against it.

Regardless of the circumstances or any unknown facts… they didn’t want to intrude rudely into the private life of their best friend.

“Well, let’s ask him tomorrow!”

“Yeah! Since we don’t have club activities for a while, let’s go to the arcade.”

“… Aren’t you going to study?”

“I’ll do it when I get home!”

▽▼

“Please come in.”

“Sorry to bother you♪”

The end-of-term tests are now looming next week.

Today is the first day of the study session I had promised with Yomi.

As soon as school ended, I met up with Yomi and headed back home.

“Let’s see… let’s grab some juice and snacks.”

“You don’t have to go to all that trouble, you know?”

“What are you talking about? Even if it’s only for a study session, you’re still a guest, so it’s fine.”

I think it would be rude not to have anything to offer when a girl comes over.

Since I couldn’t carry everything, I asked Yomi to hold just the glasses.

I prepared snacks, mainly easy-to-grab chocolates.

“It’s a bit warm, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is. Summer is approaching, and we’ve been walking for a while.”

I lightly turned on the air conditioning and kept a fan on standby.

When the wind blows, textbooks and notes might get flipped, and handouts might fly away, so I’m not sure if I should use it.

“…Now that I think about it, I feel a little guilty towards Aneki.”

“Ah…”

I can’t deny that I feel like we’ve left her out… Well, I do feel that way.

“Do you remember when I told you that I would always run to Aneki for help before tests?”

“Right.”

“…I can’t always be with Aneki, and I want her to think that I’m okay even when she’s not around.”

“I see.”

Yomi mentioned before——she feels inferior to Rin’ne.

I’ve seen occasions where Rin’ne’s words, meant to comfort Yomi, have unintentionally hurt her.

However, Yomi accepted it without lashing out at anyone.

While I do feel guilty for leaving Rin’ne out, I respect Yomi’s desire to show that she can do well without relying on Rin’ne.

“…But, if my test results are too bad, it might affect my chances of advancing to the next grade… I’ll probably ask Aneki for help to some extent. Or rather, I bet Aneki will be so worried she’ll nag me about it.”

“Ahaha, that’s true.”

Such a scenario is easy for me to imagine, and I can’t help but laugh.

I’ve thought about it many times, but although Yomi indeed feels inferior to Rin’ne, their sisterly bond is so strong that there are no cracks in their relationship.

This allows me to watch over them with peace of mind.

“Let’s give it our best, Yomi.”

“Yes! Let’s do our best!”

Yomi and I pumped ourselves up by bumping fists, then spread out our study materials on the table and started working.

“…………..”

“…………..”

Once we start studying, both of us become less talkative.

There are parts we don’t understand and places where we hesitate… but even then, by concentrating hard, we gradually find the correct answers.

Yomi seemed to be struggling more at a certain part than me, but since the topic was the one I was good with, I could confirm that her answers were correct.

“You got it right.”

“Really!?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a relief♪”

Before exams, I often studied with Yoshiki and Masashi, but regardless of gender differences, our sessions were also relaxed and pleasant, like this one.

Recalling times spent with friends and suddenly exchanging glances with Yomi, we both spontaneously break into a smile…

Even though studying can be bothersome and challenging, it was enjoyable.

“Phew, good job, Akito-kun.”

“Thanks. Good job too, Yomi.”

It was almost five o’clock when we finished studying.

Considering the time school ends and the time we get back here, we only have 1 hour of productive time left, but… it’s not a problem.

“…Hey, Akito-kun.”

“Hmm?”

“How about this Saturday?”

“Saturday… for studying?”

“Yes.”

“Sounds good.”

“Really!?”

Saturday… I don’t have any plans, so I’m totally fine with it.

I nodded in agreement.

Smiling at the delighted Yomi, I felt the need to use the restroom and left the room.

“…Phew.”

I reflected on the day as I attended to my business.

Keeping my promise to Yomi and studying together like this… the ambience of working hard alongside someone is simply too comfortable.

“No… maybe it’s not just that. It might be because Yomi is with me.”

It’s not just Yomi but Rin’ne too… I always wonder why I feel so comfortable around them.

“… It’s really mysterious.”

The moments with my friends are undoubtedly the best, and the moments with them are just as precious…

While it’s natural not to compare, there’s a certain value to these moments that I never want to let go of.

Staying too long in the toilet while immersed in such feelings might be a bit weird, so I chuckled and left after washing my hands.

Just then, I heard a sound from the entrance.

“Is that Mom?”

Heading to the entrance before going back to my room, I found that, as I suspected, my mother had returned.

“Welcome home, Mom… Oh——”

Then it hit me… This could be a problem.

It’s not like I did something wrong… not really.

But Yomi’s shoes, which shouldn’t usually be there, were placed at the entrance.

It was the first time I brought a girl home while my mom was around.

“I’m back, Akito. Whose shoes are these?”

“Uh…”

Realizing the presence of the shoes, my mother smirks as she stares at me.

Given the blatantly obvious situation, trying to deceive her is pointless, so I let out a resigned sigh.

“…A friend is over.”

“Is it the child from the house you visited before? The one you said you met a long time ago?”

“…Yes.”

“I want to meet her!”

…There’s no escaping this now.

Well, Yomi did mention she wanted to meet my parents or at least greet them, so maybe this is a good opportunity in some ways.

“You want to meet her?”

“Yes!”

And so, I brought my mother to the room.

“Yomi, my mom’s back and wants to…huh?”

“Ah…”

” ? ? ? ”

What I saw when I returned to the room with my mother… was Yomi hugging my pillow and burying her face in it.