"Mom, I'm really gonna be okay. You don't need to walk me to the Dojo."

She smiled. "I know, but I just wanted to see if I could meet some of your friends today!"

"Friends…?" I turned away. "You've already met Kagura-san."

She looked mildly surprised.
"Huh? What about those girls who invited you to Karaoke?"

"They haven't spoken to me since that day."

"Oh, so that's how it is." She smiled reassuringly, patting my head. "Just keep your head up. It's better to have a few good friends than many dishonest friends."

"I know…" She was always good about giving advice that was actually good advice.

She walked me to the corner and we paused. "I can go on from here on my own, Mom." I gave her a small smile.

"Alright dearie, whatever you say!" She leaned down to ruffle my hair. "Have a good day, sweetie!"

When I turned the corner, I was beyond surprised to see… Yuki...Waiting for me.

"Kanae-san." He said with something that only could barely be considered even a polite smile.

I didn't let my gaze linger, I instead kept briskly walking as if he were a stranger.

"Kanae wait." He grabbed my wrist painfully. I looked back at him in anger and bewilderment. His voice was cold and commanding. A far fall from his usual airy politeness. I met his steely gaze. His face like a cold mirror; identical sterling eyes and chromium hair. The resemblance was unsettling to the degree that I found it difficult to keep the stare. What did he need so badly? And couldn't he think of a better time or place? We could both be late.

I twisted my wrist in his grip. "No-honorifics huh?" I grunted as he released me. His grip was...curious. Like an infant grasping his mother's forefinger. Instinctual and desperate.

He shrugged. "I am older than you."

I took in a sharp breath. Something about the way he said it pierced like a blade.

"Funny, I was under the impression that we were the same age." To the day even, as I had learned.

"Almost. I was born mere hours before you were." He was so blank. Does he have any feelings about what he was saying at all?

"How could you- wh-" No, we couldn't be twins. That'd be too cliché, and aren't twins supposed to be much closer than we were?

"You've always wondered, haven't you?" He was withdrawn, seeming unwilling to be near me.

"Yeah, I have. That was the first and only thing I said to you."

He smirked. "That is correct." His tone remained flat, making me writhe internally, I had to refrain from outwardly cringing.

"Yeah? So what if I did?" I asked dismissively, shouldering my gym bag and turning away from him.

"Wait, Imouto-san." I froze.

"Why did you call me that?" I inquired, my eyebrows knitting together.

"Because we are siblings." The lack of emotion on his face made me want to punch him even harder than I did before.

I scowled. "I thought tact was among the prized Sohma traits." Maybe on one of those cheesy-ass soaps this would be a heartfelt reveal, but instead it was just even more infuriating. "What gave you the right to tell me like this?" I said through clenched teeth. "Honestly, what prompted this after 6 years?"

He gave a small sigh, replying with a single word.

"Haru."

I blinked.

"I swear..." Hatsuharu's miserable timing must have rubbed off on poor Yuki. "I'm gonna kill'em." I growled.

I swore I saw maybe a fleck of amusement in Yuki's face, if only for an instant.

I glared. "So I'm your twin sister or whatever. Don't see how it matters now. "

"Well, you see-"

"You're not twins." A voice suddenly came from...above us.

"HATSUHARU?!" I shrieked in rage. I watched him as he hopped down. Landing on his feet by Yuki. He stared at me blankly too, but not a soulless stare.

"You two are three-quarter siblings. "

"Haru, if you don't start making sense-" He cut me off.

"You have the same father. "

"So...that makes us half-"

"And your mothers are sisters. "

Yuki looked almost bored, it must have been Haru who told him in the first place.

"So..."

"You were meant to be the Rat."

My teeth clenched. That was something that I never wanted to hear. Because I would have to believe it, the proof was irrefutable.

"...I'm due to test for my purple belt soon. I shouldn't be late!" I yelled in defiance, dashing away from them, hoping that they would just let me go.

I just couldn't stand it. Seeing him, and how he acts; so spoiled by affections, it makes me think too much of myself, and how much I yearned for everything he took for granted.


"Kanae? Are you not feeling well?" Kagura said with concern as she helped me up from the ground. My mind was muddled and my emotions askew. This was a major detriment to my fighting skills.

"Yeah. 'm fine. It's nothing you need to worry about." It was useless to avoid her.

"You're not sick are you?" Her hand flew to my forehead.

"No." I swept her hand away. "It's not my physical health."

"Is something on your mind? A boy perhaps."

"Yes but not like that."

"You're so cold, Kana-chan."

"What? Is it so wrong to not find my true love so early on?"

"No! You're just not as lucky as me." Her reasonable side suddenly becoming eclipsed..

"Please. No tackling Kyou today. That poor boy deserves a break."

"That reminds me, I haven't given Kyou his lunch today!" I managed to hook her by her elbow before she disappeared. Spinning her around and throwing her off balance.

"No."

"You're so mean!"

"Without me, the love of your life would have another concussion."

"But, he made me! If he weren't so thoughtless, my feelings of love wouldn't have driven me to tossing a chair at him!"

I sighed. Closing my eyes and putting a hand to my forehead. "I honestly don't know what it will take to talk some sense into you." But she was gone. Gawking idiotically at Kyou as he seemed to be fighting off Haru.

Of course, she had forgotten all about my compromised performance today. She was the only one who had the opportunity, and far too often she let it fly by.

Maybe I'm expecting too much. What do I know about how friends are supposed to act?