I Can Distinguish the Twin Sister - Chapter 40

Sometimes Recalling is a Matter of Time

“…Rin’ne?”

“…………”

I had just seen Yomi off and was about to head home when I bumped into Rin’ne.

With emotionless eyes, Rin’ne stared at me…

Honestly, it was a bit scary, and I felt like running away. That’s a secret though.

(…Why do I feel like I’ve done something wrong and that I’m about to be scolded?)

I couldn’t just stand here, lost in such uncertain thoughts.

“What’s going on?”

“…….”

Even when I spoke to her, Rin’ne gave no response.

I began to feel anxious, wondering if I had done something wrong… If I could think of one thing, it might be that during this study session, I had left Rin’ne out.

(But Rin’ne shouldn’t have known about it in the first place… Hmm.)

I really hate how bad I am at sensing these things in moments like this.

Her face was so expressionless that I couldn’t tell if Rin’ne was in a bad mood or not, which was unnerving.

“…sigh, what am I doing getting so…”

“Huh?”

“I’m sorry, Akito-kun. I was just a bit jealous.”

“Jealous…?”

Is it… about Yomi and me being together?

The tense atmosphere from before disappeared, and with her usual beautiful smile, Rin’ne walked right up close to me.

We were so close that if one of us took a step forward, our bodies would touch.

While gazing into each other’s eyes in such close proximity, Rin’ne started to talk about us.

“Originally, I was told by her that there was going to be a study session with friends for a while. I didn’t know who it was with, but when I saw that girl looking forward to it from the bottom of her heart… I thought it might be with you, Akito-kun.”

“…I see.”

“It seems I guessed right. No matter how much she likes being with you, Akito-kun, she wouldn’t be playing around right before a test—there’s no mistake that she was studying with you, right?”

Rin’ne had hit the nail on the head.

There wasn’t really anything to hide, nor did it seem right to deceive her.

I even considered denying it, but deceiving her after being confronted like this seemed difficult, and more than anything, I didn’t want to lie.

“…That’s right.”

Well, if I didn’t want to lie, I shouldn’t have kept a secret in the first place.

I wondered if I hurt Rin’ne…

However, as I was pondering this, she poked my chest with her index finger.

For a moment, it seemed as though she puffed her cheeks in displeasure, but she continued speaking with her usual smile.

“I’m not angry or anything, so don’t worry. Remember, I once asked you to go out with me and kept it a secret from Yomi, didn’t I?”

“That’s true… that did happen.”

“See? So, I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything now. I imagine Yomi will ask for help with her studies before bed, so I’ll just have a bit less to teach her today.”

“Compared to Rin’ne, my academic ability isn’t all that great, you know?”

“Even so, if she finds studying, which she usually considers a chore, somewhat enjoyable in some form, that’s good. In that regard, I apologize for any inconvenience I may cause you, Akito-kun.”

I don’t mind at all.

More so, studying with someone has proven today to be both fun and meaningful for me as well.

“Well, I might hint at it to Yomi and hope she includes me eventually.”

Rin’ne deepened her mischievous smile as if she’d come up with an idea.

Chatting like this made me forget, but quite some time had passed since I escorted Yomi home, and I really needed to get going before I worried my mother.

“Well then, Rin’ne, I’ll be heading home.”

“Okay. Please take care when Yomi comes over to your place.”

“Got it… oh, by the way.”

I then conveyed what my mother had told me—that not only Yomi but also Rin’ne should come over.

“In that case, I absolutely must go there later♪”

“Yeah, we’re really looking forward to it.”

Even if she doesn’t remember the past, just seeing Yomi made my mom react so oddly…

I’m a bit scared to think of what would happen if Rin’ne was added to the mix.

I hope that the two of them can bear with my mother without being too surprised.

“Akito-kun”

“Hm?”

“Can I ask for… the usual?”

“Uhh…”

The usual… Hearing those words, tension instantly rose within me.

Rin’ne looked at me with her ever-present smile, holding her arms out wide, not moving, as if beckoning me.

As if being drawn to her, I wrapped my arms around her back, embracing her.

“…fufu, I really do love this♪”

“Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“I am… of course I’m embarrassed. But the happiness far outweighs it, so I never tire of it and always want more.”

While still embraced, she tilted her head at a perfect angle to look up at me and said this.

Rin’ne’s smile made my heart race for a moment, but then a flood of memories raced through my mind.

『Akkun, I love you!』

『Hehe! I’ll always do this!』

『Then, you know, I want to marry Akkun! 』

…Is this a memory from the past?

Embracing Rin’ne, these bittersweet flashbacks felt like promises from our younger days.

(Really… There’s a better time and place to remember these things…)

While having these thoughts, I continued to hold Rin’ne close to me… and Rin’ne, in turn, didn’t let go of me either.