章 6: [6] Nino's clone.
After classes, Shiki hurried to escape from the group of girls who followed him with a mixture of curiosity and admiration.
Although he tried to be courteous, he had noticed that his presence attracted too much attention, which he preferred to avoid.
With a bento that he had prepared in previous chapters in his hand, he went to the cafeteria in the hope of finding a quiet place.
Upon arriving at the cafeteria, the bustle and murmur of students talking filled the air.
The tables were almost all occupied, with groups of friends laughing and sharing stories of the day. Shiki looked around, looking for an empty table.
Finally, he found a table in a corner, away from the central hustle and bustle, and went towards it.
Just as he was about to sit down, the girl who was already sitting in the seat in front of him was surprised to see someone occupy the same table at the same time.
"What...?" Shiki was also paralyzed, not knowing what to do. They both looked at each other, wondering how this coincidence had happened.
Finally, Shiki broke the silence. "Nakano-san?"
The girl in front of him was identical to his classmate Nakano Nino, but with red hair and a different hairstyle.
'Twins?' He asked himself.
"What?" The girl arched an eyebrow, confused. "Do you know me from somewhere?"
Shiki frowned and then smiled slightly.
"Not exactly. Your sister, twin? Nakano Nino is my classmate. I confused you with her."
"Ah, of course, that makes sense," said the girl, relaxing and giving her a smile.
"I'm Nakano Itsuki, and we're not twin sisters, but quintuplets. Nice to meet you," Itsuki said with a smile as she explained.
'Five!' Shiki was surprised and wondered how it felt to have 4 sisters.
"I'm Suzuki Shiki, nice to meet you," Shiki replied with a cordial smile.
While they were having lunch, the conversation flowed naturally. They talked about their classes, their teachers, and the peculiarities of Toyogasaki High School. Shiki, curious, couldn't help but ask about the test exam on the first day.
"So, how did the exam go? Did you get a good score?" Shiki asked, trying to sound casual but with a glow of curiosity in his eyes.
Itsuki's face turned red in an instant. Her hands played nervously with the edge of her skirt.
'Did she get a very low score?' Shiki wondered, noticing her discomfort.
"I didn't do so well..." Itsuki murmured, avoiding Shiki's gaze, her voice barely audible over the murmur in the cafeteria.
"You don't have to show me if you don't want to," Shiki said, trying to alleviate her discomfort.
"It's okay... but don't make fun of me, okay?" Itsuki answered, extending the sheet with some reluctance.
Shiki took the sheet and looked at it. '47 points out of 100,' he read in his mind, while looking back at Itsuki, who now seemed to be more interested in floor patterns than in making eye contact.
"Now it's your turn, it's fair, isn't it?" Itsuki said with a mischievous smile as she took Shiki's exam sheet from his desk.
When she saw the rating, her eyes opened wide.
"C-A HUNDRED POINTS!" She exclaimed, her voice attracting curious glances from nearby students. Itsuki covered her mouth, surprised to have let herself be carried away so much, and her face reddened even more.
Shiki felt a twinge of embarrassment when he saw Itsuki's reaction. He knew that his hundred points were not the result of his effort, but of the almost unlimited knowledge he had acquired with [Rasiel]. However, seeing the dedication and effort in Itsuki's eyes made him feel guilty.
"Grrr, it's so unfair that you're so good at studying!" Itsuki protested, inflating her cheeks in a way that Shiki found incredibly adorable.
Shiki couldn't help but blush, but not because of the praise, but because of the awareness that he was cheating in a way that Itsuki would never imagine.
"Are you weak to praise? How cute!" Itsuki said, her tone of voice soft but full of fun.
"I'm not," Shiki replied, looking away.
"Of course, of course... keep telling yourself that," Itsuki replied with a giggle.
The conversation continued, and before they knew it, lunchtime was advancing rapidly.
Both felt a little closer, as if the gap that separated them had narrowed a little.
"Oh, by the way," Itsuki said, suddenly changing the subject, "What did you think of the director's speech at the welcome ceremony? It was so long that I thought I was going to fall asleep!"
Shiki smiled, remembering the director's ceremonial words.
"Yes, it was a little tedious. Although I must admit that the part about 'building our future together' was interesting... but only a little."
Itsuki laughed, nodding.
"Exactly! My sister Yotsuba almost fell asleep. And then, when the director said that this would be 'an experience that would change our lives', she almost fell out of the chair from laughing. She's so energetic that sometimes she can't even stand it herself!"
"I imagine it must be entertaining to have such different sisters," said Shiki, genuinely interested.
Itsuki nodded with a warm smile. "Yes, it is. There is always something new every day, but it is also a challenge. Sometimes it's hard to find my own space among all of them."
"I guess it must be difficult to stand out in such a large group," Shiki reflected. "But, from what I see, you seem very focused. Surely you'll do well."
"Thank you," Itsuki said, smiling shyly.
"Oh, I just came up with a great idea," Itsuki said suddenly, her face lighting up with a spark of emotion.
Shiki looked at her, amused. 'Here comes some nonsense,' he thought.
"Since we are friends and tablemates... please teach me how to study!" Itsuki said, clasping her hands as if she were praying, her voice imbued with an irresistible charm.
Shiki couldn't help laughing softly. "Is that your great idea?" he asked.
"Please, please!" Itsuki insisted, leaning towards him with bright eyes.
"It's okay, it's okay... but only if you promise not to put me on a pedestal, it's uncomfortable," Shiki replied, surrendering to her enthusiasm.
"Deal!" Itsuki exclaimed, satisfied with her small victory.
Shiki then helped Itsuki study, where Shiki, with a calm smile, began to explain some key concepts using his almost unlimited knowledge thanks to [Rasiel].
"So, how do you understand it so far?" Shiki asked, observing Itsuki as she carefully wrote down each word.
"It's incredible... I've never understood this so quickly before!" Itsuki replied, amazed by how clear everything suddenly seemed to her. "You should be a teacher, Shiki!"
Shiki let out a soft laugh. "I don't think so, but thank you. It's just a matter of finding the right way to see it."
"Ah, you're so modest!" Itsuki said with a slight smile.
The minutes flew by. While reviewing the problems, Shiki used ingenious examples, some of which drew laughs from Itsuki. At one point, he even made a small cartoon drawing on the margin of his notebook to explain a complicated concept.
Finally, the bell that indicated the end of lunch rang, breaking the charm of the moment. Itsuki sighed, clearly disappointed that time had passed so quickly.
"I guess we'll have to continue tomorrow..." she said with a tone of sadness in her voice, as she began to store her things.
Shiki, surprised by how much he had enjoyed Itsuki's company, felt a small void when he thought about separating. "Yes, tomorrow... but here, take my contact," he said, taking out his phone and extending it.
"Ah, yes..." Itsuki blushed a little, since he was the first boy with whom she exchanged numbers.
After exchanging contacts, they separated, but not without Itsuki taking one last look at Shiki before heading to her class.
While Shiki was on his way to his next class, he couldn't help but smile.
— — —
(A/N: I tried to correct the spelling errors with a page. How about now? Are there still many errors? Remember that I don't speak English, so I can't know).
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