Little Intrigues
Cast:
Cure Muse, Shirabe Ako - age 9
Natsuki Yuu - Cure Rouge's brother - age 9
Natsuki Ai - Cure Rouge's sister - age 9
July, 2011
Natsuki Ai is in her third year of elementary school. She has a twin brother, who attends the same school, and is in the same year, but a different class.
She is presently taking his math test.
This is a trick they have pulled before. She is better at math, and he is better at writing. They often arrange to take tests for each other, and have learned the enough about each other's friends and classmates to avoid getting caught.
Not that Ai is in particular danger of getting caught. Even if she were not an expert at impersonating her brother, Yuu's seat is in the back row and next to a wall. On the opposite side, there is a girl sitting next to her, but Shirabe Ako has never seemed to look at either Ai or her brother with anything but indifference.
A note appears on Yuu's desk. Ai never saw Ako move, but there isn't anyone else who could have placed it there.
[Easy test, right?]
[Easy-peasy!] Ai writes her answer on the note and leaves it for Ako to retrieve.
The note returns. [Looking forward to swim class?]
[?]
[Did you forget? We have to change into our swimsuits right after this.]
Ai does not look toward Ako. She tries very hard not to change the expression on her face, but in fact this is very bad. In Yuu's class, it is the rule that the girls go to another room when changing for gym, while the boys stay in the classroom. With no opportunity to sneak away, she would almost certainly be caught and get herself and her twin in serious trouble.
So she fakes a stomach ache. The teacher buys it, and lets Ai go. Nobody can be spared to escort her. Everyone else is taking the test, and the teacher must watch over them.
She doesn't go to the infirmary, of course. Instead, she sneaks over to her own class and signals her brother. He fakes sick as well, and they swap back.
Later, when they are walking home from school, Ai tears into her twin.
"How could you be so foolish?" she shouts. "Normal gym is hard enough, but there's no way I could pretend to be you in a swimsuit!"
"What are you talking about, Sis? I don't have swim class until next week."
It takes a moment for this to sink in.
"Oh..."
"What is it?"
Ai bites her lip. "Ako, that girl you sit next to. She's good."