After the Ceremony

'Yuki Haku, class 1-E. And the four of us are in the same class too.'

The entrance ceremony had ended, and I hadn't paid much attention to what happened. I didn't think it was important.

I glanced at my ID card, contemplating heading straight home.

On the other hand, Erika seemed less interested in the ID card and was examining me from different angles, as if admiring a work of art.

"Yuki-kun, you're so pretty. Are you sure you're a boy?"

Mizuki nodded rapidly, her face turning red. "That's right, Erika. If Yuki-san hadn't told us just now, maybe we would have dragged him into the ladies' room." She covered her face in embarrassment after saying that.

Letting out a sigh, I smiled. "Yes, I am a dude. Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Yuki-kun! Shiba-kun! Shall we go check out our homeroom too?" Erika stopped and looked around, inviting me and Tatsuya to visit the homeroom.

'Homeroom?'

In today's high school, the homeroom system was not implemented since administrative circulars were distributed through terminals connected to the entire school. It had been that way for decades.

So, the only reason this high school still followed the old way was for the convenience of practical lessons and experiments.

Also, if one wanted to make new friends, visiting the homeroom was the fastest route.

"Sorry," I shook my head at the invitation. "I'm busy after this." I smiled apologetically at the cheerful girl.

"Apologies. I have to meet up with my little sister," Tatsuya also showed no interest in the homeroom.

I whispered to him, stifling a yawn. "Model student duties?"

Fortunately, I had been accepted into Course 2, which meant I wouldn't have as many challenging classes.

"Yes, that's correct."

"What a drag!"

Erika chuckled at Tatsuya's response.

"Heh... if that's Shiba-kun's little sister, she must be really cute, right?" Erika's comment made Tatsuya puzzled.

"Is she your little sister... the representative of the freshmen, Shiba Miyuki-san?"

Tatsuya nodded in response to Mizuki's direct question.

"Really? Then, are you twins?" Erika's bold question piqued my curiosity.

Twins? Impossible.

Half-siblings? Possible.

Or perhaps, more intriguingly, one of them might have been born outside the mother's womb.

As I mentioned, this world was more radical than my previous one.

"I get asked that a lot, but we're not twins. I was born in April, while she was born in March. If I had been born one month earlier or she had been born one month later, we wouldn't be in the same school this year."

He explained without any objections or taboos.

Erika made a face as if to say, "Oh, I see." Then she said, "Hmm, I guess that really complicates things, huh?"

I couldn't help but smirk. Did that mean their differences were too apparent? Perhaps.

"And it's surprising that you knew. Shiba isn't a rare surname, after all."

A faint smile appeared on their faces. "No, no, it's quite rare," Mizuki quickly interjected, waving her hands. On the other hand, Erika's dumbfounded smile seemed to have a deeper meaning.

Unlike Mizuki, she seemed to see beyond the surface.

"Your features are similar."

Mizuki's soft smile was hesitant. Tatsuya took a deep breath and asked, "Do we look alike? I wonder."

I didn't understand what he meant, but I was certain Mizuki had seen something. Hopefully, she wouldn't reveal my secret, right?

Observing Tatsuya, he appeared lost in his thoughts. 'What is he thinking?' I murmured to myself.

"If you put it that way... uh, yes, you do look similar. Shiba-kun is quite cool too. It seems like your features can't get any closer."

Answering Tatsuya's question, Erika seemed to be trying to encourage him, or so she genuinely believed. Mizuki, on the other hand, awkwardly nodded in agreement.

"Hunk', you say? What era's word is that... and that means we don't resemble each other if you remove my face, right?"

I suppressed my laughter as much as possible, but it burst out like water from a dam. I wondered if Tatsuya was trying to conceal his strength.

Erika was taken aback by his response, and I chuckled at that.

"That's not what Tatsuya meant, Erika. Mizuki's glasses don't have any prescription, you know?" I said with a slight giggle.

Erika was slightly surprised by my words, but a small grin appeared on her face. "Eh? Is it okay to address me and Mizuki by name? But I like that better!"

Mizuki also nodded in agreement with Erika, but her eyes remained wide and frozen as if the secret behind them had been easily deciphered by Tatsuya and me.

'Oh yeah, using someone's name is a big deal here.'

It seemed that Mizuki was uncomfortable with this conversation.

Glancing to the side, I exchanged a knowing look with Tatsuya, signaling him to stop, and he nodded.

"Um... sorry if I was rude earlier, Shibata-san, but from now on, just call me Haku." Mizuki shook her head and smiled kindly. "No, no, it's fine. You can call me Mizuki, Yu-Haku-san." Why was she so shy?

"Call me Erika, okay?" Erika said cheerfully, still perplexed by Mizuki's glasses.

Still smiling, my smile widened into a smile with my eyes. It seemed that both of them blushed because of that, and Erika squinted her eyes as if there was a light shining on her.

Then our attention unconsciously shifted to Tatsuya. "Oh? Just call me Tatsuya," he said. Hearing that, Erika nodded with satisfaction.

Pfft, this is rather cute.

"Onii-sama, sorry for keeping you waiting."

From behind our group, which had gathered in a corner near the exit of the auditorium, a soft, slightly breathless voice was heard.

Tatsuya gasped slightly, then turned toward the voice. The rest of us followed suit.

I observed Miyuki as she slipped away from the crowd, creating an awkward atmosphere between the siblings. Their relationship wasn't typical, and it intrigued me.

As I shifted my gaze, I noticed two individuals following Miyuki. "Hello, Shiba-kun. We meet again," one of them said, and our eyes met. She seemed surprised at first but then smiled as if relieved to have found me.

Curiosity led me to glance at her right wrist, where I spotted something shiny. 'A CAD? She must be from the student council.'

This was someone I preferred to stay away from.

Torn from my thoughts by Miyuki, who seemed uncomfortable, I noticed her smile turning cold. There was something unsettling about her.

"Shibata Mizuki and Chiba Erika. We're in the same class," Tatsuya introduced them.

"Two girls at the same time?"

Miyuki's smile grew even colder, adding to the eerie atmosphere. I simply smiled and nodded, not allowing her demeanor to affect me.

"There's no way that's happening, right, Miyuki? We were just chatting while waiting for you. You were rude to both of them, weren't you?" Tatsuya's words, typical of a sis-con, were quick to defend the two newcomers.

Miyuki then put on a more graceful smile. "Good afternoon, Shibata-san, Chiba-san. I'm Shiba Miyuki. I'm also a freshman like my brother, so I hope to be in your care."

"I'm Shibata Mizuki. Same here; I also hope to be in your care," Mizuki responded politely.

"Nice to meet you. You can call me Erika. May I call you Miyuki?" Erika asked with enthusiasm.

"Yes, please do. It will be hard to tell the difference between me and my brother from our surnames," Miyuki replied.

"Woah! Miyuki, I didn't expect you to be so friendly!" Erika exclaimed, expressing her surprise.

Feeling a sense of relief, I realized I couldn't simply leave this group, as it would be awkward.

I subtly elbowed Tatsuya, and he quickly understood, suggesting that he could spend time with me if Miyuki had unfinished business with the student council.

However, Tatsuya's choice of words caught me off guard. 'Why did he bring up my name?' It seemed they were indeed from the student council.

While Miyuki looked at me with a piercing smile, misunderstanding the situation, the student council president simply replied, "It's okay."

But it was the other party who responded to Tatsuya's question and suggestion. "I'm just here to say hello today. Miyuki-san, may I call you like that too?"

"Yes, please do. Sorry for the confusion," Miyuki replied shortly, offering an apologetic smile.

"Then, Miyuki-san, we'll catch up another day," the senior student said, bidding us farewell with a smile and leaving the auditorium.

As she departed, the male students accompanying her seemed displeased with Tatsuya, glaring at him while clicking his tongue.

I sighed with relief that the encounter was finally over. "Now, shall we go back?" I suggested, looking up at the sky that was transitioning from bright blue to a subtle yellow.

"I'm sorry, Onii-sama. It's because of me that you got a bad impression from the others," Miyuki apologized.

"You don't need to apologize for that," He assured her.

As the siblings started their own conversation, I felt the urge to escape and go home.

"Well, since we're all here, why don't we have some tea?" Tatsuya suggested, smiling wryly as I saw their enthusiasm.

"Hmm?"

I hummed softly, contemplating that this was a normal and harmless way for high school students to get to know each other. I smiled, thinking, 'Why not?'

"Sounds good! There's a great cake shop nearby," Erika exclaimed, and I raised an eyebrow, amused by her excitement.

"But didn't you get lost earlier? How do you know there's a good cake shop here?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

Erika giggled. "Of course! It's an important skill, isn't it?" She looked proud.

"What do you think, Onii-sama?"

"I think it's a good idea. After all, we've just become acquainted. What about you, Haku?"

Tatsuya asked, including me in the conversation.

Smiling and nodding in agreement, I responded, "I'm in."

Meanwhile, Mizuki and Erika started teasing Tatsuya about his excessive care for his little sister, while he remained silent, wearing a bitter smile on his face.