Chapter 80

After parting ways with Patrick, I returned to my room alone.

My mind was filled with thoughts of the me in the parallel world.

She is particularly hostile towards me, but I can't bring myself to hate her. I dislike her for looking just like me and speaking ill of me, but it's not the same as a deep-seated hatred.

Her long hair, which covers one eye, makes me feel helpless when I think about how she can't get it cut. And that frilly Gothic Lolita dress... I guess it's just a matter of taste. Her clothes are just impossible. To wear such a fairy-like outfit with a straight face makes me question her sanity. Wearing a Gothic Lolita dress is even more incomprehensible than destroying the world.

However, thanks to that dress, we can tell each other apart, which is probably a good thing. If we had the same hairstyle and similar clothes, no one could tell us apart, right?

Even close friends wouldn't be able to distinguish us if we changed our way of speaking.

I came up with an enhanced version of the twin switch prank. It would definitely be fun. I really want to do it.

"Alright, let's do it."

I immediately began to act.

Fortunately, I was alone right now. I said I wanted to be alone, but it wasn't to think; it was to carry out the prank. Yes, that must be it.

I rushed out of my room and ran down the stairs. Of course, I made sure no one noticed me. Walking quietly has become a habit.

I arrived at the mansion's bath. 2nd should be bathing right now. Taking off her clothes in enemy territory is quite careless, isn't it?

I quietly entered the changing room. Just one more door and I would be in the bath. I could hear the sound of water splashing.

Now, where is that dress? Just as I was about to start looking, a sharp voice rang out.

"There! Is someone there?"

2nd has an incredible ability to sense others.

But it's okay. I have a plan for situations like this. I raised my voice slightly and said,

"…I've brought your change of clothes."

"You servants should share information. I already told you, I have no intention of wearing anything other than that dress."

"I'm sorry. I'll leave now."

Wait, does she wear that dress to sleep too? That's bad. She should at least wear normal pajamas.

I had to leave quickly to avoid arousing suspicion, but I had already found the dress. I quietly picked it up and left the changing room.

Of course, I left a replacement. The normal pajamas I always use.

With 2nd's Gothic Lolita dress in hand, I quickly changed and headed to Patrick.

Would he notice? Ah, this kind of prank is the best.

However, I struggled with the unfamiliar and complicated dress. The buttons were in strange places, and it's definitely not something you can put on by yourself.

I had to hurry before 2nd got out of the bath and started to get angry.

I walked down the hallway, irritated by the frills, when I ran into Elenora.

2nd was always unfriendly to her, but Elenora smiled at me anyway.

"Ah! Um... Yumiera... is that right?"

"You can call me whatever you like. If it's confusing, you can call me 2nd like she does."

"2nd isn't a cute name. Yumiera is so indifferent... Ah! This Yumiera is the original Yumiera, right—"

"I know! Yumiera, Yumiera, you're so annoying."

Oh! Elenora thinks I'm 2nd. This dress is really effective.

I also think my acting skills are pretty good. Since we are the same person, just mimicking the tone of voice makes it completely the same.

The only thing I couldn't replicate was the hairstyle. Then, that point was pointed out.

"Huh? Your long hair...?"

"I cut it because it was in the way. What's wrong with that?"

"…Could it be Yumiera?"

"What? I've told you multiple times. My name is Yumiera."

Not good. She seems to have noticed something from the haircut. She tilted her head and looked at me with a suspicious gaze.

"Hmm? Huh?"

"What? If you have nothing to say, I'm leaving."

"Okay... goodnight?"

I cut the conversation short and walked past Elenora, as I was afraid of being noticed.

She didn't seem to have a definite suspicion, but she had some kind of unease. She has a good intuition in strange places.

I quickly left the scene and headed to Patrick's room. He doesn't have a wild intuition, so he probably wouldn't notice.

I knocked on Patrick's door with determination.

"Come in, who is it?"

"It's me."

"Yumiera?"

"Huh? Can't you even recognize your lover's voice?"

I opened the door and started with a nasty remark. Good, I'm 100% 2nd. This will definitely fool Patrick.

He was writing at his desk and glanced at me before returning his gaze to his work.

His reaction was surprisingly indifferent. I thought he would be on guard if 2nd came to his room.

Patrick, still looking at his work, said,

"You seemed unusually troubled... What's with that outfit?"

"It's always been this dress... What? Could you be mistaking me for her? I just cut my hair because it was in the way."

"No, you're Yumiera, right?"

Our conversation wasn't matching. He was completely relaxed with 2nd... or rather, me disguised as 2nd, and Patrick's behavior was strange.

No, I can't show concern. I'm 2nd now. I shouldn't show any caring gestures towards him.

"Yumiera, so what? I don't get it."

"Did I say it wrong? Right—"

Patrick raised his gaze from his work and looked me in the eyes.

"I don't like calling you 1st... You're my Yumiera, right?"

"Y-Your Yumiera... Calling me like I'm your possession, that's... "

"You're my Yumiera, right?"

"...Yes."

No, I'm not just Patrick's... Forget it, I'm Patrick's Yumiera.

So, he knew from the beginning. That's why our conversation didn't match.

"How did you know? I thought I was a perfect 2nd except for the hairstyle."

"Hmm... It's more like a feeling or a presence... I just had a sense that it was you, Yumiera."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

No logical reason? You recognized me just by your intuition and senses?

That's... Do you like me too much?

Patrick looked me up and down and said,

"You look good in that dress too."

"Ah, this outfit is just for the 2nd disguise. I won't wear it again."

Oh. I suddenly felt embarrassed when I realized he recognized me.

I'm standing in front of Patrick in the Gothic Lolita dress that I said I would never wear again. What was supposed to be a fun prank turned into an embarrassing situation.

I was thinking about leaving quickly when Patrick spoke.

"Still, I was surprised."

"It's not like that! I didn't want to try this outfit or anything!"

"I meant that it was surprising that she lent you the dress."

"Ah, I should return it soon, or it might be dangerous."

I hope 2nd is the type who takes long baths.

By the way, I take very short baths. I don't think I'm short, but I'm often suspected of not getting in properly. If I take too short a bath, they start to say I need help washing my body, so recently I've increased my count from 100 to 200...

While I was thinking about this, I heard a commotion from downstairs. Ah, it's too late.

If she starts causing trouble in an unrelated place, it will be a problem, so I stuck my head out into the hallway and said,

"Over here! It's on the second floor!"

The sound of running footsteps.

2nd quickly appeared, wearing only a towel.

"What are you wearing!?"

"It's you! I can't believe it!"

It's not me, it's your outfit. Patrick is watching too.

The half-naked woman barged into the room. She's wearing a triangular hat. She didn't like the polka-dot pajamas, I guess.

"Sorry, sorry."

"If you're going to apologize, return the clothes quickly. Take them off!"

She grabbed me, trying to take off my clothes while still in a towel.

If this continues, we'll both be almost naked. Who benefits from this? ...Patrick might. After all, he's a boy, and it's normal for him to want to see the naked body of a girl he likes.

So, is this okay? We'll eventually be intimate anyway. If I think of it as a preview of a future event, it's fine... I think it will happen in the near future, sooner than when everyone wears mysterious full-body tights and rides flying cars.

"Alright, I'll take them off, I'll take them off."

"You're just saying that to run away, right!? You can't fool me!"

2nd, who has an abnormal attachment to the Gothic Lolita dress, clung to me with her wet hair, which was about to fall off the towel.

...Hmm? Is 2nd more sensual than me?

If this scene is burned into Patrick's mind, he might start to prefer 2nd... This is bad, bad, bad.

I had a vision of the worst possible future, so I interrupted the R-rated event.

I grabbed 2nd's hands and tried to think of a way to stop her. Is she not embarrassed? Even if it's in front of a man, just a towel...

Maybe she's so angry that she hasn't noticed Patrick's presence. She lacks calmness.

"Do you realize that Patrick is here?"

"...He left right away."

"Huh?"

I looked around the room but couldn't see him. He must have left at an early stage. Maybe I was the one lacking calmness.

As I stood there in a daze, 2nd urged me on.

"So take them off quickly."

"I'll take them off, I'll take them off."

I let 2nd take off my clothes. I could have taken them off myself.

2nd quickly changed back into the Gothic Lolita dress. And I... what should I wear?

"Hey, where are my clothes?"

"I don't know."

A new crisis hit. I had no clothes to wear.

I thought we could just exchange, but she came here with only a towel.

I have no choice. I'll have to ask 2nd to get them. Just as I was about to ask, she opened the door with a half-smile.

"Alright, do as you please."

"Wait, my—"

The door slammed shut, drowning out my voice.

That girl! She knew and left! Is this payback? She must have been really angry.

But what should I do? This is Patrick's room. What can I wear as a replacement... I looked around the room and saw a shirt casually hanging on a chair.

It's unusual for the tidy Patrick to leave his clothes lying around, but this time it's a stroke of luck.

I put on his shirt. It's quite big on me, but it covers my lower body, so it's just right. It's like a dress.

Now, I have a replacement outfit nearby. I've done what I wanted, so I'll go to bed.

Before that, I should find Patrick and say a word. I left the room and wandered the mansion looking for him.

I'll ask someone for his location when I run into them.

As I walked down the hallway on the second floor, Patrick came from the opposite direction. Oh, what good luck.

"There you are, Patrick. Sorry for the commotion in the room. It was mostly 2nd's fault."

"Yumiera!? What are you wearing...?"

I checked my appearance. Ah, right, I'm only wearing Patrick's shirt. I should thank him for lending me the clothes.

"Ah, I'm just borrowing it. 2nd took my clothes... I mean, the clothes I was wearing."

"Ah, I see... That's what happened."

Patrick's gaze wandered as he spoke.

I should also thank him for leaving when 2nd barged in.

"Thanks for leaving. It was embarrassing, even if it was someone else."

"Yeah, she might be embarrassed later too."

He was also concerned about 2nd, who was only in a towel.

Patrick is too saintly. If I ran into a half-naked guy, I would make up all sorts of excuses to peek.

But you know, even if he acts like a gentleman, the idea of him wanting to hug me and being excited inside is kind of cute. ...But that's impossible. It's impossible, right?

"But it's free to imagine."

"Yumiera, put on some clothes quickly. Someone might see you."

"Huh? I'm already wearing clothes. Ah, I'm only in underwear underneath, but it's like a dress, right?"

"Of course not! Don't walk around like that."

Patrick has been acting strange since earlier. He won't meet my eyes.

Hmm? He's talking about my clothes, but I'm wearing his shirt. I'm not like 2nd, who would stand in a fan shape in front of people.

What's going on? Is he upset about lending his clothes to someone else? If so, I did a bad thing.

"Ah, sorry. I'll return it soon."

"Don't take it off, don't take it off!"

"I'm not going to take it off here!"

Don't say weird things all of a sudden! I would never take off my clothes or expose them in front of people. We've known each other for a long time, so he should know that.

"Go back to your room quickly and change, quickly."

"Ah, okay."

I was pushed into my room without understanding what was going on.

I have no idea what Patrick's attitude was about. The only thing I understood was that the theory that he doesn't have a crush on me came up.

Regarding the story I wrote in the previous afterword. Thank you for your concern.

When I found it, the view count was in the single digits. I think the negative impact is zero.

I don't care. I even laughed at the certainty of the answer.

However, please be careful about fake news. There are people on the internet who lie while pretending to be well-intentioned.

This is the "well-intentioned" afterword by the junior high school girl author, Tanabata Satori.