Why Not Make Both Twins 'Girlfriends'?-Chapter 1Volume .1 - Chikage Usami is an Honor Student…?

Chikage Usami is an Honor Student...?  1

It was May 25th, a Wednesday before the rainy season began.

Just after the fourth period ended and lunch break started, the midterm test rankings were about to be posted on the hallway wall.

These rankings were an old tradition at Arisuyama Academy High School.

Out of approximately 240 students in each grade, the names and total scores (excluding practical subjects) of the top 50 were posted after each regular and achievement test.

It was sort of an event, with already about thirty students gathered around.

At that moment, Sakuto was standing among the eagerly waiting crowd of students, looking extremely sleepy.

Language arts after physical education is just too much, and with this crowd, he feels like he’s going to suffocate.

He wished they’d hurry up without making such a fuss.

While yawning and waiting, Tachibana Fuyuko, who was standing in front of the ranking list, glared around.

“No photography! It’s also forbidden to upload this to SNS or anything like that!”

Tachibana wasn’t in charge of Sakuto’s class, but she was a teacher responsible for student guidance in the mathematics department.

She was a beautiful but strict teacher, known for her dedication to her job.

Among some students, there was a secret wish to be stepped on by her high heels(?)——though this is strictly a desire of some students.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

“Alright, let’s open the ranking list!”

Finally, the ranking list was revealed.

Fiftieth place, forty-ninth place, forty-eighth place… counting down to the first.

Then, a murmur spread to the end of the hallway.

As if called by that noise, students began to emerge from the classrooms, leading to a massive crowd.

Tachibana and other teachers repeated their earlier warning, but it was drowned out by the noise of the crowd.

In the midst of the commotion, Sakuto let out a sigh of relief almost like a yawn after having finished viewing the ranking list.

(Eighth place… well, at least it’s within the top ten. For now, eighth place is good enough.)

Now that he knows the results, there’s no need to linger.

He quickly started heading towards the cafeteria when—

“Takayashiki-kun, can I have a moment?”

A familiar female voice called out.

As he knew her, Sakuto turned around without surprise.

But he felt a chill run down his spine.

────Chikage Usami. In this Arisuyama Academy, she’s somewhat of a celebrity.

They came from different junior high schools, but they knew each other from attending the same cram school in their third year of junior high.

Sakuto had thought she was a beautiful girl since then, and after entering high school, she had become even more polished, particularly standing out among the first-year students.

She was probably the most beautiful girl in his grade.

In addition of being the first in the grade, she was also the top-ranked entrant.

He just confirmed earlier in the ranking list that she had also ranked first in this midterm test.

Beauty and brains────

Sakuto was not without interest in her, who excelled in both.

Although it’s regrettable that they ended up in different classes, he also wanted to become friends as they are both external students.

For some reason, Chikage Usami was glaring at him with sharp eyes.

‘Did I do something wrong? I don’t think I did anything to make her angry’, Sakuto thought.

She approached slowly, looking angry. A beautiful woman’s anger can be quite intimidating.

For now, Sakuto slightly smiled and raised his right hand a little.

“Hello, Usami-san.”

“Hello… don’t ‘hello’ me!”

“Okay… why are you so pouty?”

“P-pouty? I’m not pouting…!”

She sounded pouty as she denied being pouty.

“So, if it’s not pouty… then, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong is my line! What’s with that ranking list result!?”

Usami said, placing her hands on her hips with an unhappy face.

Perhaps she is dissatisfied with him being ranked eighth in the grade.

“What do you mean? I was ranked eighth, and you were first, right? Congratulations.”

Sakuto spoke calmly without breaking his smile, but Usami pouted again in anger.

“Don’t say congratulations!”

“Yes? Isn’t it a good thing to be first?”

“T-this is not about me!”

Usami looked at Sakuto with her eyes narrowed in frustration.

Sakuto stared back at her, wondering what she wanted to say and why she was so angry.

After a moment of silence, Usami let out a short sigh.

“…why?”

Her anger seemed to have faded, leaving a hint of disappointment in her voice.

“…? What do you mean?”

Usami tensed her expression, making her look more resolute.

“…Why didn’t you take it seriously?”

Caught off guard, Sakuto was bewildered.

“… take it seriously, you say?”

“Your true ability.”

“Uh… what are you talking about?”

“If you wanted to, you could have ranked first, but why didn’t you? Did you do it on purpose? Did you deliberately hold back?”

Usami’s tone was accusing as she asked her questions.

“I don’t really understand what you mean by holding back…”

Sakuto said, putting his hands in his pockets and giving a wry smile.

Usami didn’t pursue the matter further and just silently looked into Sakuto’s eyes.

Now it was Sakuto’s turn to avert his gaze.

“No, I did try my best, but there were so many questions… I just ran out of time in the end.”

“…Ran out of time?”

“Ah, yeah, it felt like a baptism by fire at Arisuyama Academy. It’s definitely different from junior high.”

Sakuto shrugged, but Usami looked at him with a skeptical gaze.

He wondered if this was the moment to communicate more clearly with her──

“Oh right!”

“…? What is it?”

“The karaage set meal.”

“What? The karaage set meal…?”

Usami’s expression suddenly deflated as if all her tension had drained away.

“Today’s lunch at the school cafeteria is the daily special. It’s really good.”

“What does that have to do with anything…?”

“Would you like to go together with me? My treat?”

Sakuto said so with a smile.

Then, Usami’s face instantly turned bright red. She fidgeted and started stroking her side hair tied with a ribbon with her fingers.

“I have my lunchbox with me…um, I am interested in going to lunch with Takayashiki-kun, but… you see…”

Sakuto felt something was off with her sudden change in behavior.

‘Why is she acting so shy? Wasn’t she angry just a moment ago?’

“Well, you don’t want to eat at the cafeteria?”

“It’s not that, I think having lunch together at the cafeteria is what a couple does…”

Sakuto hadn’t thought about that perspective.

He put his hand on his chin.

“I see… so I have to be a couple with Usami-san to invite her to the cafeteria…”

He muttered to himself, and for some reason, Usami started to panic.

“What!? Does that mean, like, that thing!?”

“…That thing?”

“So you’re saying that you… Takayashiki-kun, do you want to be a couple with me!?”

Sakuto almost fell over.

“Ah, no, it’s different… I just meant it’s a hard condition or something like a high hurdle. Like, if we’re not a couple, inviting you to the cafeteria is out of the question?”

After he responded calmly, she turned even redder and became angrier.

“That’s what it means for a man and a woman to have lunch together!”

“I-I see, so that’s how it is…”

Sakuto had a hard time to fully understand her. But he could somewhat grasp what she was trying to say.

If a man and woman were seen having lunch together, regardless of their actual relationship, they might appear as a couple to others.

(There’s no need for her to worry about it though...)

Sakuto initially thought so but then reconsidered.

It is true being alone together in the cafeteria would stand out, and there was the risk of being seen as a couple, especially with Chikage Usami.

He didn’t want to start any weird rumors, and as someone who lived by the saying ‘the nail that sticks out gets hammered down,’ this wasn’t what Sakuto desired.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have invited her after all.

“Usami-san, you don’t want to be misunderstood by those around you?”

“It’s something like that…but it’s also true in romance manga, there’s often a pattern where a couple forms after being misunderstood by those around them…”

“Then sorry for suddenly inviting you.”

“Ah, but, but! I mean, I’m not necessarily opposed to it either…Sorry?”

“I see. Then, I’ll invite you again later if there’s another chance──”

Saying this, Sakuto turned his back on Usami.

He might have been too hasty.

Not just with Usami, but such matters should probably be approached step by step properly.

Instead of inviting her to a meal all of a sudden, he should first develop a casual talking relationship.

As Sakuto started to walk away with these thoughts──

“Wait a minu──kyaa!”

Startled by Usami’s scream, Sakuto turned around and exclaimed.

“Ah──”

For some reason, she was losing her balance and about to fall forward.

He hurriedly caught her in his arms, and her left ear and cheek bumped softly against his chest.

“──Phew, that was close… Usami-san, are you okay?”

“Yes… I’m fine…”

“…? What happened?”

“Um, well… someone pushed my back…”

Looking behind Usami, he saw the backs of students crowded around the ranking list.

Someone must have accidentally bumped into her.

But at that moment, Sakuto quickly grasped his situation.

Unexpectedly, his left hand was on her waist and his right hand on her head, embracing her from the front.

He felt Usami’s body heat against his chest.

The smooth, silky hair under his fingers carried a sweet, distinctly feminine scent, making his heart beat faster.

Once he realized Usami could stand on her own, Sakuto immediately stepped back.

“Well then, be careful next time.”

“Yes… I will be careful…”

Leaving a blushing Usami standing there, Sakuto quickly walked away.