I Can Distinguish the Twin Sister - Chapter 43

Those Were Tears I Saw for the First Time

“…Come to think of it, this is the first time we’ve talked today.”

“That’s right…”

“………”

The place I brought Rin’ne to is the rooftop.

I have no weird intentions, I just wanted to hear her out.

I want to make it clear that there shouldn’t be any misunderstandings.

Well, neither of us are really worried about what others might think at this point.

“Something… happened, right?”

“Yes…I was told outright that she hates her Aneki.”

“…Are you serious?”

Without looking at me and gazing at the distant scenery, Rin’ne said that.

What happened?

Both Rin’ne and Yomi cherish each other, and it’s unimaginable for either of them to detest the other.

…However, there’s only one thing that comes to mind about this situation.

“…Did you say something to Yomi?”

“…”

Rin’ne’s body jolted in surprise.

When Rin’ne turned to look at me, she seemed surprised, and her appearance was so fragile that I felt the urge to rush over to her.

“Akito-kun really understands Yomi… even more than I do… fufu, perhaps because you cherish her?”

“……..”

“That’s right… though initially, it was just an ordinary conversation.”

Rin’ne began to tell the story.

It all started last night——After Yomi met me, Rin’ne found out the specifics, but it seemed she didn’t intend to fully convey what she knew.

But… as Rin’ne said, there was a slight lapse in her judgment.

“…It was strange. I was envious… I felt left out… and when she remembered her time with Akito-kun and smiled… I was jealous.”

“… That’s…”

“I didn’t tell her that I heard it from Akito-kun… but I ended up saying this to her – ‘Even though you can’t do anything without me.’ ”

“Ah…”

“There was a part of me that reacted impulsively. I realized I shouldn’t have said that to my precious sister and wanted to apologize immediately. But… Yomi… she lunged at me with an expression I had never seen before.”

Yomi lunged at Rin’ne?

“Though when I say lunged, she only put her hand on my shoulder. But… the words she conveyed after that were unexpected for me, but I quickly realized they reflected feelings she had been holding onto for a long time… I learned that I had been unknowingly hurting her all this time.”

Rin’ne then told me in detail about what Yomi said.

In summary, Yomi felt that Rin’ne looked down on her and thought of her as a helpless little sister who couldn’t do anything without her, and Rin’ne was reveling in the fact that she was always there to help such a sister.

“Yomi… she felt that way. From your lack of surprise, it seems you knew, Akito-kun?”

“…Kind of.”

“I see.”

In fact, witnessing that aspect of Yomi was one of the reasons I reconnected with the two of them.

I knew that Yomi had a complex regarding Rin’ne… I understood that.

But I thought it was okay since Yomi seemed to have accepted it and was always her usual self.

However… a single sentence from Rin’ne had stepped on Yomi’s landmine.

“You don’t need to worry about anything. I’m sure we’ll make up soon…”

“Rin’ne…”

“Please don’t make that face. We’re sisters; it’s natural for us to have a quarrel sometimes.”

With a small smile, Rin’ne left the rooftop.

Left behind, I wondered what to do… In the end, the misunderstanding between these two occurred because a side of them that was previously unseen had now come to light.

Just like Rin’ne said, I believe they’ll make up soon… But I can’t help but wonder if it’s okay to do nothing.

“… It’s not like I think I can do something just because I’m me, but I do want to help somehow.”

Following Rin’ne, I also returned to the classroom.

As usual, the two of them did not meet each other’s gaze.

However, that very fact made me feel like I should do something.

“Akira, let’s go out and hang―”

“Sorry.”

“…Haha, I see… Good luck.”

“Yeah.”

Yoshiki and Masashi seemed to understand from my expression, and with a pat on my shoulder, they left the classroom.

While feeling grateful to the two of them, I chased after Yomi, who had left the classroom before Rin’ne.

“Yomi!”

“…Akito-kun.”

The girl who turned around didn’t look like her usual self.

She, having the same face as Rin’ne, seemed to lack her usual vigor, and I felt as if I could see her trying desperately not to show her vulnerability.

“What will you do today?”

“…Ah, right.”

It was perfect since we had also promised to study for the upcoming test.

Sensing an uncharacteristic vulnerability in her gaze, I felt that if I were to distance myself even a little, she might disappear.

So, I quickly stood beside her.

“Am I not bothering you?”

“Of course. I also had something I wanted to talk.”

“………”

Yomi didn’t say anything, but she gave a slight nod.

Although there was no conversation between us until we reached home, I believed that everything would be fine as long as she didn’t run away… We got home and as we entered the room, Yomi said to me,

“You approached Aneki during lunch break, didn’t you?”

“Huh? …Were you watching?”

“Yes.”

So that was it…

Surprised, I looked at Yomi, who was staring at me.

I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but she continued.

“Why… Why did you go to Aneki first?”

“… What do you mean?”

“Is it because Aneki is more important? Is Aneki more precious to Akito-kun than me?”

“Hey, Yomi――”

“Why didn’t you come to me first!!”

Yomi was… crying.

Looking at me, she appeared like a little girl seeking help… I mean, I had never seen Yomi cry like this before.

I had seen Rin’ne cry in my memories, but this was a first for Yomi.