Hello there, Aria here. Vcubing is fun, but sitting in front of a computer all day isn't exactly healthy. So, I decided to get some fresh air and go outside—not necessarily to touch grass, but at least to walk on the concrete at the mall.
That reminds me. I had promised Yuuji that I would take him for a walk. It wasn't anything too fancy—just a simple outing. He had been looking forward to it all week, constantly reminding me about our plan, so let's just do that now, I guess. Yuuji is happy to hear that I finally fulfilled that promise. Seeing him jumping around happily is so cute.
As I stepped out of the house, I was met with an unexpected sight—Irana standing at the entrance, looking casual yet slightly surprised, as if she hadn't expected to run into us. Her gaze flickered between me and Yuuji, who was practically bouncing in place with excitement.
"Onee-chan?" Irana called out, stepping closer. "Are you going out? Can I come along?"
Before I could even answer, Yuuji suddenly shouted, "NOOO!!"
His voice was so loud that I flinched slightly. Geez, what was that about?
He quickly moved in front of me, spreading his arms dramatically like some kind of tiny guardian. "It's my time with Onee-chan now! You had her the entire week!!"
Irana raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed. "Huh? What does that even mean?"
Yuuji crossed his arms and puffed out his cheeks in frustration. "You were always with her! You live in the same dorm, talking to her, eating with her—now it's my turn!"
I blinked, glancing between the two of them. This was escalating quickly.
"…Are you serious?" Irana asked, deadpan.
"Yes!" Yuuji huffed. "Go do your own thing, Irana! This is sibling bonding time, and you're not invited!"
Irana sighed, rubbing her forehead. I could tell she was already deciding whether to argue or just let it go. After a brief pause, she crossed her arms and exhaled.
"…Fine," she muttered, then turned to me with a look of half-serious exasperation. "Well, Onee-chan, have fun… but don't spoil that little brat too much!"
Yuuji gasped dramatically, looking personally offended. "I am not a brat!"
"Yes, you are," Irana shot back without hesitation.
"No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you are."
"I'M NOT—"
I sighed and placed a hand on Yuuji's head, ruffling his hair before this could turn into one of their endless bickering sessions. He flailed in protest, trying to bat my hand away. "Alright, alright, that's enough," I said with a small smile. Then I turned to Irana. "Thanks for understanding."
She shrugged, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't let him drag you into anything too stupid."
"I HEARD THAT!" Yuuji snapped.
Irana smirked. "Good."
I chuckled at their usual antics before gently nudging Yuuji forward. "Come on, let's go before we waste any more time."
Yuuji instantly brightened, grabbing my hand and pulling me along eagerly. "Finally! Let's go, Onee-chan!"
As I glanced back, Irana was already turning away, heading inside. Even if she wouldn't admit it, I knew she wanted to spend time together too.
Maybe next time, I'll make sure she gets a turn too.
"Where do you want to go, Yuuji?" I asked, glancing at him as we stepped outside. "I was thinking we could do some window shopping at the mall or maybe take a casual walk in the park."
"Arcade!!" Yuuji blurted out without hesitation.
I blinked. "Huh?"
"I want to go to the arcade," he repeated, his excitement practically radiating off him.
Well, I guess that settles it. Looks like we're heading to the arcade.
We took the bus to get there. Nothing much happened during the ride—just the usual passengers minding their own business. Yuuji kept staring out the window, his legs swinging slightly, probably already thinking about which games he was going to play.
When we arrived at the bus station, however, we were met with a commotion.
"Yuuji, stay close to me," I said, instinctively pulling him a little closer.
People were crowding around, their voices rising in agitation. There was a lot of shouting, though I couldn't quite make out what was going on at first.
Then, over the noise, I heard a woman yell angrily, "You *****!"
My body moved on instinct—I quickly covered Yuuji's ears before he could hear the rest of whatever profanity she was about to unleash. He gave me a confused look but didn't protest.
Through a small gap in the crowd, I spotted the source of the commotion—a red-haired woman grabbing a man by the collar, her grip firm and unrelenting.
"Give me my wallet!!" she snarled. "You think you can just pickpocket me and get away with it?!"
Ah, so that's what's happening. A pickpocket.
I quickly decided it was best to steer clear of the scene. Tugging Yuuji's hand, I turned away and walked briskly in the opposite direction. The last thing I wanted was to get caught up in someone else's problem—especially when it involved an angry woman and a thief.
But just as I was about to fully step away, I had the oddest feeling. A shiver ran down my spine, and for a brief moment, it felt like the red-haired girl's gaze flicked toward me.
Did she just look at me?
I glanced back slightly, but by then, the crowd had shifted, blocking my view. Maybe it was just my imagination. Yeah, that had to be it. I was overthinking things.
Shaking off the feeling, I focused on Yuuji, who was still waiting excitedly beside me.
"Let's go, Yuuji," I said, offering him a small smile. "What game do you want to play at the arcade?"
His face lit up, as if he'd been waiting for that question the entire time.
"Anything we can play together!" he said cheerfully, practically bouncing on his feet.
I chuckled. "Alright then, let's find something fun."
With that, we made our way toward the arcade, leaving the chaotic scene behind us.
As we got closer to the arcade, I heard a voice call out from behind.
"Hey! Irana, right?"
The voice belonged to a woman, sharp and confident.
Irana? I instinctively glanced around, scanning the area. Was Irana nearby?. Maybe she just happened to be around? But as I turned back, I saw the woman looking directly at me—expecting a response.
"I'm talking to you," she said, a little impatient now.
I finally got a good look at her. She was the same red-haired woman from earlier, the one who had caught that pickpocket.
…Wait. Was she talking to me?
I pointed at myself. "Yeah?"
Her sharp eyes stayed locked on me, as if scrutinizing my face.
Ah. I see what's happening.
She probably knew Irana and had mistaken me for her. It had been a while since someone made that mistake.
I couldn't help but chuckle a little.
The woman frowned. "What are you laughing at?"
"Ah, sorry," I said, shaking my head. "I'm not Irana."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean… wait… did you get a haircut or something?"
I let out a small sigh, still smiling. "Nope. I'm not Irana. My name is Aria—I'm her twin sister."
Her expression shifted from confusion to mild disbelief. She tilted her head, arms crossed, clearly trying to process this information.
"…Twin sister?" she repeated slowly.
I nodded. "Yup. Identical twins, to be exact."