_Hehe…_
…
_Um, it seems I got a bit too cheerful this time._
I guess hanging out with the merry teenage high school girls lately has rubbed off on me a little.
Of course, my personality doesn’t usually have me making that much noise. In fact, it’s been so long since I’ve laughed out loud that I can’t quite remember it.
I hardly ever laugh at funny videos either. While I think they’re amusing, I’m not sure why.
I can’t say for sure, but somehow, I feel like being around those girls might eventually change me for the better.
Anyway.
I might not actually laugh out loud, but the situation itself somehow suits that kind of laughter.
“_Kotoné?_”
“_Yeah._”
I nodded in response to Koko calling me.
Of course, I know that her calling my name doesn’t necessarily mean she’s actually calling me. She’s just curious about why I’m behaving this way.
“_Koko, stay here._”
“_Uh._”
As I positioned Koko in front of the bathroom mirror, she responded and looked at my reflection. I suppose she could see me without turning her head.
If you didn’t know Koko was right next to me, it would be quite a chilling sight.
If Koko and I were to quietly sit together with our mouths shut, there would be absolutely no way to distinguish us. If someone claimed they could, that would be nothing but a delusion.
There’s a quite simple and logical reason for this.
We aren’t actual twins; Koko is simply mimicking what I’m showing her.
I can’t claim that every single hair is identical, but there’s no one who would differentiate people based on the placement of individual strands of hair.
I’ve thought about how fingerprints might be subtly different, but in Japan, when establishing a person’s identity, fingerprints are not collected. More precisely, the only country that collects all ten fingerprints when issuing a resident card at a certain age is Korea.
Since there isn’t any record of the easiest and most straightforward way to differentiate between people, it’s even less likely to identify us through other means, like the veins on the back of our hands or through the iris recognition.
Even if it were possible, who would have fingerprint recognition equipment at a school?
So, right now, we were in the middle of a test.
“……”
I stood silently beside Koko.
As Koko turned her head toward me, I said, “_Can you look at the mirror for a moment?_” Koko looked at me again through the mirror.
We look exactly the same.
No matter how I see it, we’re identical. Maybe it looked ghastly because the lighting in the bathroom was slightly dim. Two girls wearing the same black sailor uniform, looking exactly alike.
Doesn’t that sound like it belongs in a horror movie?
Snap!
I took my phone and captured that moment in a photo.
On top of the few existing photos, I added another one.
“_Um…_”
The quality of the phone photo is a bit shabby.
Well, I guess it’s acceptable for this era. The quality fills the phone screen without any blurriness, and transferring it to a computer shouldn’t be a big issue at this point.
But in five years, it might look too small for a computer screen.
Should I buy a separate camera?
Somewhere around the 2000s, film cameras were still a thing. Of course, early digital cameras were just beginning to be popular, but it’s the resolution of those digital ones that bothers me.
I might be able to find a used automatic film camera very cheaply around this time. I’ll have to scour Akihabara later.
In 2024, they’ll be sold at ridiculous prices, so if I don’t like it after using it, I could just stash it away for about 20 years and sell it at a good price on some second-hand marketplace.
Or, if I invest in Bitcoin, I could earn enough money where such things wouldn’t matter.
“……”
By the way, I wonder if everything that happened in my previous world’s future will also happen here?
Natural disasters and stuff.
…It might be good to prepare in advance.
“_Kotoné?_”
I finally snapped back to reality at Koko calling my name.
Koko was gazing at me intently while I was lost in thought, looking at the phone’s photos.
“_Uh, no, it’s nothing—_”
While saying that…
Ah, right.
I recalled the reason I had Koko standing here like this.
Okay, here we go.
“_Kotoné?_”
“_…?_”
I tilted my head mimicking Koko’s unique childlike tone, and she looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“_Kotoné?_”
In her returning “_Kotoné?_,” there was a mix of urgency and confusion.
…
It seems it would be a bit awkward to do this in front of Koko.
“_…Want some snacks?_”
“_Yeah!_”
Before she got any more confused, I decided to revert back to being ‘Kotoné.’
Well, at least I could mimic her confusingly enough to bewilder Koko.
I wasn’t sure how it would look to others.
*
Regardless, I needed to make sure of some things.
If Koko couldn’t improve her skills enough to pass the Hanagawa entrance exam within a week, I might have to take the test in her place.
And I was starting to think that would definitely happen.
Even if Koko is smarter than expected and her ability to absorb knowledge is comparable to how fast someone can eat food, it doesn’t mean she has a photographic memory.
It took several attempts to teach her difficult kanji, and sometimes she would get distracted and mess around instead of studying. Well, I didn’t really teach her that intensively myself.
Regardless, that’s why I’m planning to take the entrance exam pretending to be Koko, who has only studied through the first semester of first-year high school.
As for who will accompany me…
…Kagami should be fine, right?
It’s a little guilt-inducing to make her play the villain even at school, but it’s the only way.
To make it sound more justifiable, I did need a guardian. At least Kagami should have her and Koko legally recognized as wards. Koko’s identification was taken care of with Yuka’s help, but I didn’t think Yuka would choose someone else besides Kagami as Koko’s guardian.
As long as I can sneak in without getting caught at the school, taking the exam should be simple enough.
Once I finish the test and come back home with Kagami, it’ll all be over.
…It almost sounds too simple, which makes me a bit anxious. I’ve only worked at one job, so it’s been common for things that seem “simple” to actually have unexpected complications when executed.
Knock knock.
While I was briefly pondering, I heard a knocking sound from outside the door.
“_Kotoné, are you in there?_”
I stood up and walked toward the door.
Click.
When I opened the door, Yuka was standing there, her hands full of various items.
…She could’ve just come empty-handed.
It looked like she had stopped by a mart on the way because the bags she was clutching had chips and bread in them.
“_Yuka!_”
Koko shouted as she jumped up from her spot.
“_Hello._”
Yuka smiled as she stepped into the room.
Now that I looked again, she was also carrying the typical bag used at school. It was stuffed to its limit. I’m sure it was filled with notebooks and books.
I wondered why I called Yuka over so early in the morning when I hadn’t planned on asking for her help.
I felt a bit guilty about it.
I usually tried to avoid asking Yuka for help from Thursday to Sunday.
Those four days were just for me, Koko, and Kuro. With Yuka’s kind personality, she would probably feel inclined to take care of those two at least for that day, so how could I shamelessly call Yuka over? Even I couldn’t commit such a selfish act.
The decisive reason for Yuka coming here was the email we exchanged yesterday.
*
[Everything okay?]
Yuka often sends me casual emails without much reason. It was the same yesterday.
I suppose since we’ve become friends, and she knows that I’m not in the best environment, she checks in on me periodically like this.
[It’s fine. Nothing’s wrong.]
Naturally, I replied like that.
But oddly enough, yesterday’s email was not the typical small chatter but rather one with a clear purpose.
[Um, school’s about to start again, so I was thinking…]
This email from Yuka was much more serious than usual.
[What does Koko plan to do once school starts?]
I stared at that email for quite a while.
It was definitely a concern Yuka would have.
In the original story, while she appeared to be somewhat cold on the surface, she was actually kind and warm-hearted on the inside. However, here, Yuka has shown a surprisingly frank side to her worries, which was different from the original.
I’m not quite sure when this emotional change occurred, but if I had to pinpoint it, I wouldn’t be able to explain it well.
As I got lost in thought, I missed the timing to reply, only to receive another email from Yuka.
[If you can’t find a place for her, we can help you out.]
“……”
I washed my face with cold water after reading that email.
The truth is, I wanted to hide the fact that Koko is taking the Hanagawa entrance exam. Because if it were Yuka and my other friends, they would’ve definitely tried to help somehow.
I’ve already accumulated a lot of debt with many people, and adding to it would make it truly overwhelming later.
I know that the assistance they provide is done out of pity for me.
But knowing that and accepting it are two different things.
…The problem is,
[If we can’t find a place right away, we can protect her for a while.]
[Ah, sorry. Am I being too forward?]
“……”
I pressed my nose a couple of times with my fingers before picking up my phone again and typing a response.
[This time, I’m going to take the Hanagawa exam.]
[Hana…gawa? Koko?]
[Yeah. So if she passes the exam, she can attend the same school.]
[I’ll help!!!]
Yep, I expected that response.
*
Back in the present, Yuka seemed to be having a great time as she took a snack from the bag and placed it in Koko’s hands.
Koko, with impeccable manners, kept glancing at the snack bag yet only put the snack that came into her hands in her mouth.
Somehow, it felt very much like a puppy.
Well, kind-hearted Yuka probably doesn’t actually treat Koko like a puppy.
Rather…perhaps she sees her more like a little sister.
Yuka is an only child.
And apparently, she hasn’t made many friends of her own age. Although it seems she has a few local friends, she doesn’t have a phone full of dozens of numbers like kids her age typically do. This is reflected in the original setting.
So she pays attention to the connections around her, among which Koko elicited a uniquely protective instinct.
“_Koko can read letters and do simple arithmetic, even multiplication!_”
Yuka looked up at me with a broad smile at my words.
“_Really? That’s amazing, Koko!_”
“_Koko is amazing?_”
“_Yes, amazing._”
“_Amazing!_”
Koko beamed brightly at Yuka’s praise.
Yep, that’s why they want to help.
I settled myself near Koko and Yuka and said,
“The exam is on August 27th.”
“Wow, just a week left.”
At my words, Yuka replied with a slightly serious expression.
“…To be honest—”
“—No.”
Yuka interrupted what I was about to say.
“You should try your best until the end, okay? You found this path for yourself, didn’t you?”
Uh…
“Right, I can’t say for sure if you’ll definitely succeed, but you want to attend school with Koko, right?”
“…Yeah.”
That part is definitely true.
As for the facilities… I don’t distrust them. I’ve heard stories about mistreatment, but not all places are like that.
To be exact, it’s more about not trusting Koko.
I wonder if this is the right thing to say? But from what I see, Koko hasn’t fully grasped the rules of society just yet.
I think she needs more time to adjust and adapt slowly.
And for that, she needs people like me and my other friends to look after and teach her.
“For now, let’s work hard, and if it doesn’t work out, we can think of another way then.”
“…Yeah.”
That…
I was planning to take the exam in her place.
But seeing Yuka looking at me with sparkling eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I was certain she would be deeply disappointed.
…
Ah, I see.
Just like how Yuka influenced me, I was also being influenced by her.
It’s probably the same for the other friends too.
“Well, today I’ll do my best to teach you. If you can comprehend letters and numbers, there are a ton of things you could do, so Kotoné, you’ve done wonderfully.”
“……”
At Yuka’s words, I could only nod in silence.
*
When you spend too long isolated from people, you inevitably become weak in other areas besides simple communication.
Not only my ability to speak and understand others has declined, but I also can’t objectively evaluate myself. It’s only natural. There’s hardly any way to compare myself to anyone else.
That’s why I was under one massive misconception about myself.
That I was quiet and closed-mouthed.
Well, I have maintained my quietness to some degree. There aren’t many people among my friends who are quieter than me—only Yamashita.
But being closed-mouthed…um, I think I need to reevaluate that.
“_Koko is taking the Hanagawa High School entrance exam?_”
Not long after I left Koko with Yuka, I ended up spilling this fact to Shii.
This situation mirrored how I ended up telling Yuka.
“_Is Koko, doing well?_”
Firstly, Shii asked me that kind of question. I, of course, replied that she’s doing well, but Shii is a bright girl. She could see beyond that.
“_What will happen to Koko after school starts…?_”
Cautiously asking, Shii soon fell silent upon seeing my expression.
If Koko were still in elementary or middle school age, there would have been something said by the government about sending her to school. At the very least, that would have been true after Yuka helped to sort Koko’s identity out.
The problem is, I found out that in Japan, compulsory education only goes up to middle school. Koko is categorized as a high school student since she is the same age as me.
It might sound obvious, but it’s easy to forget that it’s entirely legal to skip high school or drop out. While they could raise suspicions of child abuse, legally, there are no issues.
Shii seemed to understand that and looked at me with an intense expression filled with concern, and in the end, I couldn’t withstand her gaze and revealed that Koko would be taking the Hanagawa high school entrance exam.
“_How is your study preparation going?_”
With that, Shii’s expression lit up as she directed that question to me.
Both Yuka and Shii spoke as if they didn’t think about Koko falling behind in Hanagawa. I found it remarkable.
Well, if they thought Koko might have some psychological problems, it would be natural for them to speak well of me as her sibling.
They’re likely aware that it could come back to bite them if they tread too lightly.
…I’m not sure if they think that way.
“…Yuka is helping.”
“_I see…_”
Shii briefly turned her gaze toward the void, sinking into thought for a moment.
*
Not surprisingly, Shii and I soon had a break in our work for the week.
It seems Shii wanted to help too but didn’t know how to say it to me directly.
Since there was already someone else helping, she probably hesitated to say she wanted to assist a middle schooler.
“…Taking a break to help your sister?”
I asked curiously, thinking the boss wouldn’t allow it, given all the time I missed over the summer. But to my surprise, the boss answered back with that same astonished expression.
“Because you’re taking your school entrance exam?”
“Yeah, seeing as I won’t be able to attend school properly for a semester…”
There are indeed various attendance issues and many other complications, but I decided I could work those out later. Maybe I could manage with supplementary classes? It sounded like something from light novels and manga; I wonder if it’s accurate.
“And your sister…?”
I never expected the boss would ask me that far into it.
More like, I never anticipated that the boss would ask with such a serious expression. Usually, he looked utterly bored unless he was making coffee.
“…She has intellectual disabilities.”
“……”
The boss stared at me for quite a while, unable to proceed with his words.
His lips twitched before he finally covered his mouth with one hand.
His expression didn’t change much, but it was evident that my words came as a shock.
“Then, does that mean she’s been hospitalized frequently…?”
No, that’s unrelated.
What on earth is he thinking? Does he think I’m overworked and about to collapse from taking care of my sister?
Sure, I had taken some time off after she got discharged, but that wasn’t the reason. It was the beginning of the semester, and I hadn’t even lived with Koko at that time.
I did end up back in the hospital, but that was due to the track team.
But it’s definitely better than saying I collapsed from excessive bleeding after cutting my wrist.
Why does he react like this when it comes to my sister, yet shows no interest ordinarily?
Does he perhaps have some sort of backstory related to having a sister?
“…Rest up. No, make sure to properly teach your sister and get her into school.”
“…Thank you.”
However, just as the boss doesn’t pry into my affairs, I decided not to pry into his life either.
That’s the way things are in this world.
“…Shii.”
“Yes!”
“Could you help a bit, maybe?”
I turned to Shii once more.
“Of course! I will!”
In the end, Shii also became a part of helping Koko study.
I’m not sure if I should be happy or feel sorry for her.
For now, I decided to part ways with Shii today. I needed to understand what Sasaki was up to. I assumed that Shii would be able to explain it to me coherently.
As I headed back to Saitama a bit tired on the train, my pocket vibrated.
Pulling it out, I saw an email from Yamashita.
[Are you doing well?]
I felt a strange sense of foreboding as I looked at her short message, knowing how the conversation was likely to unfold.
[I think I can help with Koko.]
And curiously enough, the next email I received had a tone that seemed condensed from what Yuka had previously written.
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