"Hmph. Maybe that's just your way of covering it up."
Kurisu Makise actually enjoyed this kind of casual banter, teasing and taking jabs at each other without worrying about the other person getting angry, she said with a smile.
In the lab back in America, you could never find people like this. Anyone she talked to for more than a few sentences would immediately put some distance between them.
She was just stating facts, but some people just couldn't handle it.
She'd had a good feeling about him from the start, and getting to know him was just as pleasant as she'd expected.
The lab was the same; the atmosphere there was exceptionally harmonious.
This kind of leisure time in the evening was a rare treat. Amidst the day-in, day-out research at the lab, relaxing like this once in a while...
...was quite nice.
Before long, Anon's group was ready to leave. The introverted girl was smiling, the corners of her mouth turned up, and she even gave Chihaya Kaiser a little wave before she left.
Taki Shiina also gave him a polite nod to signal her departure. Soyo Nagasaki looked at him for a long moment before saying goodbye with a smile. He chalked it all up to the effects of his passive talent and didn't think much of it.
Just then, a certain pink-haired cannonball still lingering in the café charged over to their table. Instead of choosing the seat next to Chihaya Kaiser, she plopped right down next to Kurisu Makise.
"Hehe, I'm Chihaya Anon, Little Chi's older sister."
"Younger sister," Chihaya Kaiser corrected.
"Mah, what's wrong with letting me be the older sister when we're out?" Anon propped her elbows on the table, brought her wrists together, and rested her chin in her palms, staring intently at Kurisu Makise.
Being stared at so intensely made her shiver. "Kurisu Makise. My name is Kurisu Makise."
"Ehh—can I call you Kurisu? You can call me Anon. Are you a high school student, too? Is that a uniform you're wearing?"
Anon's eyes sparkled as she fired off one question after another, her enthusiasm a bit overwhelming for Kurisu Makise.
She looked at Chihaya Kaiser, wondering how twins could have such drastically different personalities.
"No, I'm about to graduate from university."
Anon was a little taken aback. She thought Kurisu was just a high schooler a few years older than them, but she was already graduating from university?
"No way! You don't look that much older than me and Little Chi! Eh? Then what about the school uniform?"
"I'm eighteen. I skipped a few grades."
Kurisu Makise got a little shy from all the questions and argued back with a blush.
"I go to university in America. I just thought this style was cute, so I wore this outfit."
"I see, hehe."
She smiled again. "How did you two meet? How long have you known each other?"
"Chihaya..." She looked directly at the boy across from her.
"Anon, don't ask so many questions. It's rude."
With just a single look, Chihaya Kaiser understood her plea for help and cut off Anon's barrage of questions.
"Fine, I won't ask anymore." She pouted. "But I'm also Chihaya. Kurisu, shouldn't you use a different name for him? You can call him 'Little Chi' like I do."
"But..."
"What does Little Chi call you? I thought I heard him say Christina? Isn't that a nickname?" Anon was highly enthusiastic, intentionally trying to play wingman.
"It's a name for friends... but you're asking me to call him... I..."
Kurisu Makise pursed her lips and looked at Chihaya Kaiser. Her voice was barely a whisper. At first, only her cheeks were a little red, but then her whole face flushed, the blush spreading all the way to her ears.
The pink at the tips of her ears showed that she understood the significance of calling each other by name. The words wouldn't come out, but finally, she managed to open her mouth.
"Little Chi..."
"Don't listen to her. You can just call me Chi if you want." Chihaya Kaiser didn't hear her clearly and waved his hand dismissively.
Kurisu Makise's face turned beet red, and she gritted her teeth. "You idiot who insists souls exist! I already said it, so you have to call me Kurisu, too! Don't make me be the only one who's embarrassed!"
"Huh?" Chihaya Kaiser was momentarily stunned.
Anon giggled, finding the situation amusing.
The café was suddenly filled with a lively atmosphere. Outside the window, the sky had already grown dark.
What a beautiful night.
He followed Anon's lead and let out a genuine smile, not one of his formulaic fake ones, and laughed along with her.
"I get it, Kurisu."
"What are you two doing next?" Anon looked at them, asking about their plans.
"We're going to see tonight's live show," he said.
"In that case, I'll... oh, I just remembered I have homework to finish, so I'll head home first."
With that, Anon shot up from her seat.
But Kurisu Makise called out, making her stop in her tracks and tilt her head.
"Wait... Little Chi, is he afraid of the dark?"
"Eh?" She looked from Chihaya Kaiser to Kurisu Makise, hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Yeah. Ever since he was little, he's had to sleep with a light on to feel safe."
"I see," she said, looking thoughtful.
"Well, I'm heading home then. See you."
Anon gave them their space, leaving the two of them alone again.
"Okay, see you, Anon." Kurisu Makise had no trouble saying her name.
Watching Anon's departing figure, she turned her head back to Chihaya Kaiser and stared at his face.
He felt a chill and touched his cheek. "What's wrong?"
"I've found a loophole."
Kurisu Makise began, "You said you remember the feeling before you were born, and you remember most things from your childhood until now."
"Mhm."
"However, you also said you don't know whether you or Anon was born first? An infant should be able to open its eyes a few minutes after birth." Kurisu Makise met his gaze.
"It's true that I don't remember it clearly. All I felt at the time was a bright light, and when I opened my eyes, I was in a nurse's arms. She even smacked me because I wasn't crying."
His gaze shifted upwards and to the side, his eyes moving as he tried to recall the events of fifteen years ago.
"As for more details, I've thought about it carefully before. The sensation was just that the space had become wider. I have no idea about the order we came out."
"...Hmph. I'll make a note of this when I get back. If there's any research in this area, I'll contact you."
Kurisu Makise felt that his explanation seemed plausible enough.
The light cast their two shadows, and where they overlapped on the table, the shade was distinctly darker.
Seeing her lost in thought, Chihaya Kaiser called a waitress over and bought two tickets for the live show.
When he returned, the girl was still contemplating.
"Figured anything out?" Chihaya Kaiser placed the tickets in the middle of the table and pushed one toward her.
"More or less." She picked up a ticket. "How much was it? I'll pay you back."
The two settled the bill for their drinks and tickets and headed to the live venue inside 'ring'. They went up a flight of stairs, past some flower decorations, and arrived at the door.
Instantly, it was as if the lights had vanished. Only a few small lamps were on, emitting a glow like fireflies.
There was no band on stage yet, so of course, the main lights were off.
Kurisu Makise slowed her pace, a hint of concern in her eyes, though her expression remained neutral.
"Should I turn on my phone's flashlight?"
"It's fine. I'm only afraid of complete darkness. As long as there's a little light, I can handle it."
Chihaya Kaiser hadn't expected to be cared for in this way. He gave her a reassuring smile.
Then he added, "But if you're afraid of the dark, Kurisu, I wouldn't mind lending you my hand to hold."
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