Twins

Discoveries

Twins

 

Chapter 11: Discoveries

'It has been two weeks since my twin brother and I first switched places.' Shinichi thought to himself while looking outside the classroom window, one fine morning.

He had his hands inside his pockets as he observed the students entering the school gate.

'If it weren’t for the play preparations and practices, we wouldn’t switch roles almost everyday after school.’

 

He then leaned one hand on the glass window.

‘And what’s worse is that I become weirdly generous sometimes, allowing that guy to switch with me for a whole day just so he could gaze at Nakamori during class hours. Sad to say, today’s one of those unusual days.’

 

His lips curved into a half-hearted smile.

‘I really can’t understand myself sometimes.’

 

All of a sudden, he felt a hand tap his shoulder. He turned around only to see a small rectangular piece of glossy paper being stuck onto his face. His left eyebrow raised in an instant.

"You will watch me, right?"

He moved aside the hands that were holding the piece of paper and saw Ran's childishly excited face. The latter held her bright 'I-can’t-wait-for-your-answer' smile as they stared at each other in silence.

Seeing the situation as pointless, Shinichi decided to check what the previous paper was all about. With one hand still in his pocket the cool way he does, he took the paper from her hand and gave it a glance. "National Karate Match"

He looked at her blankly as if implying 'So what about it?'

Ran's smile slowly turned into a pout. "Don't tell me you are not going to watch me fight those karate champs from other districts and cities…"

She bit her lower lip; her pout worsened into an expression that looks like a child who is about to cry. "I have practiced so hard to get to that level only to find out that my boy best friend won't support me when I will need him most..."

Realization slowly crept onto Shinichi's mind, the same way as how his eyes grew bigger.

"You mean, you? Karate?? National Match???"

Seeing him now interested, Ran's innocent smile came back as she nodded.

Shinichi instantly faced his left and heaved a sigh of relief from certain danger, because, the previous events quickly flashed into his mind - showing an ill temper and blaming Ran for his cold, the time when she pushed him lightly as they were walking one evening, the slap she gave him when she thought he was thinking of something nasty, the mornings filled with him teasing her about his real self, her laughter and gentle slaps on his upper arm... With that, all he thought of was, 'I am lucky to still be alive, then!'