Chapter 13: The Twins
[Day 1]
(Shiori POV)
What I just witnessed couldn't have been an act. Asahi-kun was genuinely kind and caring towards his sister. I've never seen any high school student in Fujimi Academy being this nice to anyone. On top of that, the gaze in his eyes seemed a little too mature for his age.
It was like a miracle if you ask me. The boys in our academy only come in four types — bullies, the shy guy who is too timid to reveal his true feelings, the ones putting on a kind persona to hide their true selves, and Rance wannabes. These days all the prestigious academies are like this. [1]
Despite being girls, me and my twin fell into the third category, even though we didn't want to cause harm to anyone around us.
I bumped my shoulder with Saeko. "Did you see Asahi-kun and Marikawa-sensei's interactions? He seems like a pretty genuine guy."
Any guy who cared so much for their sister was an absolute chad in my eyes. Plus, Asahi also looked like an eye candy.
His title 'Quiet Prince' in our school was well-founded.
Saeko put down her 'philosophical' book and glared at me. "Don't call a male student by his given name. People will start spreading rumors about you." [2]
I shrugged. "Let them. We already have so many rumors about us."
No, seriously. The guys have given us so many erotic titles that even I, a devout eroge fan, am too embarrassed to say out loud. Some of them even worship our pictures, which are obviously taken without our permission. We tried to stop the gross behavior but we couldn't prevent it from happening.
Saeko slipped her book into her bag and crossed her arms, frowning. "Shiori, why are you suddenly interested in Marikawa-kun?"
"Because he is an interesting guy." I held my chin with a smirk. "Saeko, we're at the age where having a boyfriend is more common than not having one."
I wasn't a fan of finding love letters in my locker and getting confessed by strangers every other day. It gets tiring after a while. But I can't accept anyone before I fix Saeko's special circumstances!
She needed a mature and caring boy who was capable of comforting her and healing her scars. The biggest problem is finding someone to fulfill these requirements. It's easier to find a candidate in university than in high school, but we can't wait that long. The longer we wait, the harder it'll be to bring her out of her self-loathing.
That's why Asahi-kun has to be him.
Saeko narrowed her eyes. "I won't stop you… just make sure to test his character."
"Obviously. What about you?"
"I'm not interested," Saeko flat out refused me, as expected, and looked to the front. "It's more useful to devote my free time to kendo practice… which has tangible benefits."
That excuse again… I couldn't even refute her because her sword skills proved its usefulness outside of kendo tournaments — beating the crap out of people. Without her, I'd have—I shook off the horrendous memories and placed my hand on Saeko's.
"Saeko…"
My darling sister, how do I help you out of this slump? How do I make you forgive yourself for a mistake that was mine to begin with?
She squeezed my hand and revealed a soft smile. "Shiori, it's my weekly rest day for the kendo club. Want to stop by the Gamestop after school?"
"Of course!"
Saeko revealed a mean smile. "I'll buy you something with my pocket money."
My eyes widened. She baited me so hard into changing topics. Saeko—this sadist sister of mine knew how to stop my pestering.
I clicked my tongue and turned my head with the sass of a tsundere. "It's not like I want your gift or anything."
"..."
…
After a usual first half at the school, Saeko and I headed toward the cafeteria. The infamous Raijuu couple of our academy — Hisashi-kun and Rei — walked by us, hand in hand.
Explode, dumbasses!
I suddenly had an idea to bring him to spice things up. It'll also give me a chance to talk to him in person and gauge his character.
"Saeko, do you mind if I invite an acquaintance?"
Saeko looked at me with sharp eyes, trying to see through my bullshit. "Who is it? Don't tell me it's Marikawa-kun…"
"Yup, it's the Quiet Prince."
Asahi-kun had a strange fanclub exclusive to girls, who admired him for his detached, almost angelic demeanor in the classroom. Sucks for them because it's just a mask to push people away!
I shifted the bentos to my left hand and grabbed Saeko's hand, and I sprinted toward Class 2-B.
"Shiori?!"
I only stopped when we were standing in front of 2-B. Shoving the bentos in Saeko's hands, I grabbed the door handle. "I'll be back in a jiffy."
I yanked the sliding door. The loud 'woosh!' brought every gaze on me except for the one I wanted. The quiet, handsome lad occupied the second last seat in the back. He seemed to be absorbed in a 'Greek' book.
He is into weird books just like Saeko. Geez, can they be more similar? It's like they are destined to be together.
"Busujima-san?" The one who called to me was a pink-haired girl with distinct red eyes. "What are you doing here?"
The spoiled princess was still as straightforward with her words.
I waved at Saya with a smile then pointed at Asahi-kun. "I'm here for him."
"Huh?" Saya made a baffled sound, looking speechless. She shrugged and went back to enjoying her bento.
I walked past Saya and took a closer look at Saya's potential boyfriend. Damn, this guy looked even more attractive in person. What a shame I have to give him to Saeko… maybe we can share him—like hell that would work out. It's not an eroge but real life.
I curiously peeked into his book, finding some familiar words like Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Lambda etcetera. Knowing them didn't mean jack to be honest. "Asahi-kun."
He lifted his gaze from the book and looked at me in surprise. "Shiori Busujima?"
"Yup, the girl from the bus." I grinned. "You can just call me Shiori. I don't mind."
Raised in the Busujima Household, I was taught proper etiquette, but I never integrated them in my life. Really, screw those stupid rules.
"Shiori," he said with a heart-throbbing smile. "Do you have a reason for intruding in my reading time?"
Guys usually get all flustered when talking to me, but he held his composure just fine. It had to be a perk of having a close relationship with his bombshell sister.
"Have you eaten your lunch yet?"
He shook his head. "I was going to, after finishing this book. Why does it feel like I'm going to receive an invitation from you?"
His frankness was quite admirable. He might just have what it takes to 'fix' my unhinged sister.
I cleared my throat and nodded. "Please come with me to the cafeteria."
He grabbed his backpack with a smile. "Let's go."
…
[1]: Rance is the protagonist of an eroge. He's a brutal warrior that loves good women and his main drive is sex. He'll go through any means to have sex, almost always raping beautiful women.
[2]: In Japanese culture, addressing someone by their given name without permission is often considered rude because it implies a level of familiarity or intimacy that may not exist. This cultural norm is rooted in the Japanese value of respect and social hierarchy. The use of honorifics (like "-san," "-sama," "-kun," and "-chan") after the family name is the standard way to address others respectfully. These honorifics signify the relationship between the individuals and acknowledge social hierarchy, politeness, and respect.
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