I Can Distinguish the Twin Sister - Chapter 45

A Determined Discussion

We had always been mistaken for one another… Our faces looked so similar, and we never separated from each other.

I never felt burdened by this.

Being with my beloved Aneki even filled me with a sense of pride…

However, gradually, cracks began to appear in our relationship.

『Rin’ne-chan is amazing, isn’t she!』

『She’s really good at studying!』

『As expected of Rin’ne-chan!!』

Aneki was different from me; she could do anything… She was truly outstanding.

My pride in Aneki remained unchanged, but gradually I began to feel impatient as the gap between us widened… and slowly, I was getting tired of it

『Rin’ne-chan is really incredible!』

I also have heard that word from people that was referring ‘me’ as Rin’ne.

It’s not surprising that there are such misunderstandings when our faces are the same… But every time it happens, I want to say, ‘What about me as ‘Yomi’?’

I’m not like Aneki, who can do anything… But I still wanted to loudly proclaim that I too was doing my best.

『Don’t mistake me for Aneki… Please, don’t… 』

I didn’t break down crying… but I was that frustrated.

I’m also trying my best… But no matter how hard I tried to get closer to Aneki, the gap only widened… Those were my daily life.

But then a change occurred in those days――when I reunited with him… with Akito-kun.

『I can tell the difference between Rin’ne and Yomi… 』

His presence, which could clearly notice our differences… was like salvation for me, who couldn’t be recognized.

In the end, even after recalling the past, it remained unclear how he could distinguish between us…

It was a little funny, but it was a trivial matter that could be dismissed because he’s ‘Akito-kun.’

『… I am… I am… 』

The more time I spent with Akito-kun, the more I remembered the past.

The days when I used to laugh innocently… But since these were old memories, I couldn’t recall everything… Still, that was a trivial matter.

『… What do I… think of Akito-kun?』

I had been pondering this for a long time.

▽▼

“Let’s talk, Aneki.”

“… Alright.”

Aneki nodded at my suggestion.

I think she didn’t refuse because she also felt the need to talk to me.

Sitting on the floor, I faced Aneki, who sat on the bed.

“First of all… I’m sorry, Aneki. I said many terrible things.”

“No! I am the same… I also said awful things to you…”

For Aneki, the thought of me disliking her seemed to hurt deeply.

Seeing Aneki shed tears, I couldn’t help but approach her.

We cuddled as if we hadn’t been avoiding conversation just a while ago.

“Really now… Don’t cry, Aneki.”

“I will cry… Because I’ve always felt… that way about you.”

“Oh, come on! If you realized that, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t say things like that anymore! But let’s leave that behind! I came here to discuss something important.”

I firmly grasped Aneki’s shoulder and looked into her eyes.

“What do you think of Akito-kun?”

“Wha-!?”

The moment I asked, Aneki was visibly shaken.

The sad expression from earlier disappeared, and her face turned red as if she were a lovesick girl thinking of someone.

And that someone could only be one person.

“You like him, don’t you?”

“I like… I like Akito-kun… Oh.”

Oh… Could it be that I unintentionally gave her the final push?

After a brief pause, Aneki’s face turned as red as a boiled octopus and she looked down… she looked incredibly cute, unlike I’d ever seen her before.

“Well… looking back at our past, it’s obvious, isn’t it?”

“…Us?”

Aneki muttered, looking somewhat surprised.

I’m sure my face was just as red as Aneki’s, but I nodded in affirmation.

“It seems I also like him… just like Aneki.”

“……..”

Facing Aneki, I reflected on everything up to now.

So many things had happened since I met Akito-kun… indeed, both embarrassing and happy moments seemed to cycle around in equal measure.

“Is that so… Yomi feels the same way too…”

“Yes… It’s not like some kind of poem, but we can’t stay as kids forever——there’s only one person with whom we can have a special relationship.”

“I… won’t lose.”

“Huh?”

“I won’t lose!”

Taken aback by Aneki’s fierce gaze, I was stunned.

Aneki was always kind, always composed… she could calmly handle anything.

A perfect superwoman… that was Aneki… my Onee-chan.

But now, she was staring at me with such a desperate look…

Seeing her like this, I realized that Aneki wasn’t the perfect superwoman I thought she was.

(No, that’s not it. I just assumed Aneki was this perfect superwoman, and I stopped seeing the real her. Aneki is this cute, this kind, and this competitive.)

“… So Aneki is quite competitive, huh?”

“Competitive… Maybe I am. After all, I love Akito-kun so much.”

“Hehe, this is going to be a tough competition. I also like him — I love Akito-kun.”

Clearly, we both had a sense of rivalry.

But we are not enemies… because we are sisters… no matter the outcome, we respect and care for each other.

Moreover, just as I never hate Aneki, she never hates me either… because we cherish each other deeply.

“No matter how long it takes, I won’t lose, Aneki.”

“Neither will I. Bring it on, Yomi.”

That day, for the first time, we talked about the feelings we held.

And in a way, it was also the day I declared to Aneki that I would never lose.

***

TN: Last chapter in the raws