Chapter 137

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**Two Pairs of Sisters. (1)**

I didn’t think walking with just the three of us would feel this awkward.

Whenever Toya tried to talk to me, Nozomi would jump in. And when Nozomi tried to speak, Toya would cut in.

I couldn’t tell if they were so in sync that they spoke at the same time, or so out of sync that they just kept colliding.

Feeling the slightly different but similar sensations from each of their hands, I couldn’t help but giggle.

> “Did something funny cross your mind?”

> “No… It’s just, you two really are sisters.”

There may have been some bumps in the middle, but sisters are sisters, after all.

I wonder, if Koyuki and I had grown up together from the start, would we have felt like this?

That thought left me feeling a little nostalgic.

I kind of missed Koyuki all of a sudden.

As I blinked slowly, swept up in the gentle longing, a familiar figure came into view across the intersection.

> “Koyuki?”

> “Huh? Yeoreum—wait, I mean, Natsu?”

Koyuki had started to call me “Yeoreum,” but upon spotting Nozomi next to Toya, she corrected herself.

It was thoughtful of her, but Nozomi already knew my real name was Han Yeoreum.

I smiled brightly at her, and her expression clearly said, _you should’ve just told me already._

Still—Koyuki being outside? That’s apocalyptic-level stuff.

Ragu-sensei had said that Koyuki spent more than 80% of the year holed up inside.

> “I _do_ go outside sometimes, you know.”

> “Sorry, sorry.”

> “…A doppelgänger?”

Shouldn’t your first thought be “twins”?

Watching Nozomi look back and forth between me and Koyuki, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

Really now—even her quirky moments are just like Toya’s!

After giggling for a while, I tilted my head in confusion.

Wait… why is she alone?

> “I had a fight with Minori.”

> “That’s a lie, right?”

> “Yup, it’s a lie.”

At least moisten your lips before lying, Koyuki.

It was obvious they hadn’t fought. They were like me and Toya—just not the type to argue.

> “So, where’s Ragu-sensei?”

> “Hmm… probably still chasing after me? Anyway, who’s the person next to Toya?”

Ah, there it is. The question I’d been waiting for.

She meant the person standing beside Toya…

Before I could say more, Koyuki gave me a knowing look.

Hey, don’t just read my mind like that, Koyuki.

> “Nice to meet you! So your name is…?”

> “Ah, I-I’m Nozomi.”

> “Nice to meet you, Nozomi!”

Koyuki cheerfully grabbed Nozomi’s hand.

Nozomi looked totally overwhelmed by the bubbly greeting.

Well, Koyuki _is_ a lot more outgoing than me, after all.

Even though I’m the one who goes out more, she’s way more sociable. Funny how that works.

> “So, Ichinose-san. This person is…”

> “Koyuki! Just call me Koyuki!”

Koyuki beamed at her, and Nozomi awkwardly averted her gaze.

Was she shy? No, she was _definitely_ shy.

She never acted like that around me, but Koyuki was getting a totally different reaction.

And they’re identical twins! Weird.

> “She’s my twin.”

> “…I see.”

Nozomi’s flustered face was enough to make me stifle a laugh.

And I wasn’t the only one.

Toya, still holding my hand, was also trying hard not to laugh.

Maybe she found it fun to see her little sister thrown off like that.

Come to think of it, we now had two pairs of sisters walking together.

> “I’ve never seen twins before. I didn’t think you’d be _this_ identical…”

> “Right? Yeoreum’s super cute because she looks like me~”

> “…Stop pulling my cheeks.”

The sunscreen made my cheeks smooth and slippery, so her grip didn’t last long.

Still, I’d managed to forget that, and now she was messing with them again!

Koyuki laughed playfully as I pouted.

She always has to tease, doesn’t she?

> “Honestly, I think Toya and Nozomi look alike too.”

> “…Me?”

> “…Me?”

See? Even the way they react is the same.

They probably didn’t even realize it themselves.

Anyway, with Koyuki tagging along, our little group had grown to four.

She lived next door, so we were heading in the same direction anyway—but from the way she just naturally walked with us, it was obvious she was coming to our place.

> “So, what brought you out today?”

> “Hmm, take a guess~”

> “…You bought a new game?”

> “Ding ding ding! Yeoreum, you know me too well~”

Koyuki pulled a game package from her eco bag.

Ragu-sensei once told me that the _only_ reason Koyuki ever went out was to buy new game releases.

If Koyuki was walking around outside alone, it was a 100% guarantee it had something to do with a game.

Me? I only ever went out with Toya.

She had less stamina than me due to her surgery, but she still managed to run around like this.

Maybe her love for games outweighed her physical limitations.

> “So, how far did you go?”

> “Hmm? Just the electronics market nearby. It’s really easy these days since I can just call a taxi with an app~”

> “Glad it was a smooth trip. Wait—did you walk back?”

> “I _was_ taking a taxi, but I saw you while passing by and asked to get off.”

Oh… so that’s what happened.

She and I exchanged glances and nodded in understanding.

Well then—how about a game when we get home?

Sounds good. We have two PCs anyway.

Without saying anything out loud, we shared our thoughts, grabbed hands, and headed home.

—

Once the four of us got back to the house, things were… not too different from before.

We sat around the table, chatting about random things.

No emotional arguments this time—just regular, everyday questions.

Asking how everyone had been lately, what music we’d been listening to, stuff like that.

> “Don’t you think it’s a bit awkward between them?”

> “Ah…”

Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.

Koyuki tilted her head as she looked at Toya and Nozomi.

For Koyuki, I was the only sister she’d ever known, so I guess she thought our dynamic was what siblings were supposed to be like.

If that’s the standard, then yeah… things were awkward.

Koyuki and I were more like two versions of the same person.

> “If we’d grown up together from the start, would we have been like that?”

> “I don’t think so.”

> “Right?”

> “Yep.”

We’d planned to play games, but ended up just observing Toya and Nozomi’s conversation instead.

Some people are just fun to watch, and these two were exactly that.

Honestly, maybe before their falling out, they were just your average siblings.

Even if one was a total honors student and the other a free spirit, worrying about each other’s eating habits was a pretty normal sibling thing to do.

People don’t pay attention to someone they truly dislike, after all.

> “By the way, Yeoreum, I heard something interesting.”

> “Hmm? What is it?”

> “That you’ve been exercising lately.”

> “Ah.”

Not surprising that Koyuki knew—it wasn’t exactly a secret.

Anyone who watched my or Toya’s streams would know.

But Koyuki didn’t seem to be talking about _just_ whether I exercised.

She was staring at my arm like a predator about to pounce.

What… what is it? Is something wrong?

> “Hmm, we used to feel exactly the same, but now…”

> “Koyuki?”

> “Now you’re different!”

> “R-Really? I feel the same though…”

She fiddled with my arm with a pout, clearly dissatisfied.

Apparently my arm didn’t feel like hers anymore, and she wasn’t happy about it.

I hadn’t noticed much of a difference myself.

I even reached out to touch her arm to compare—but honestly, they felt the same to me.

Or maybe I just couldn’t tell?

> “It’s less soft and more firm…”

> “…Is that so?”

> “Yes! Ugh, I _hate_ exercising… And Minori keeps telling me to work out even though she doesn’t do it herself!”

Koyuki pounded her little fists against my palm with a pout.

Even her complaints were cute.

To be honest, I didn’t like working out either.

There were already enough inconveniences in my daily life, and now I had to push my body even more?

If I hadn’t wanted to sing again so badly, I never would’ve started.

> “Then… do you want to exercise with me?”

> “Even if it’s you, Yeoreum, that’s a hard no. Ah, but I like _being_ with you! Maybe I’ll just cheer you on instead.”

The way she smiled made it clear her earlier sulking was an act.

Well… I hate exercising too, so I can’t really say anything.