Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kirari knew everything there was to know about her older twin sister. For eighteen years, she was able to predict Ririka’s every thought and Ririka likewise was able to do the same, seeming to know what Kirari was thinking before she even spoke. They were, of course, trained at a very young age to do this. They knew each other arguably better than they knew themselves because they were trained to act and be seen as the same person. Ririka’s personality was Kirari’s and Kirari’s personality was Ririka's. Two sides of the same coin. 

And then Kirari began to notice something change in her dear older sister. Ririka wore her smiling porcelain mask far less than she ever would in the past, she started conversations much more often, openly vented her emotions, and even started to make decisions on her own, even if they were small ones such as what the twins would eat for dinner or what channel to watch on their television.

When they were children, Ririka was the submissive and meek one who let everyone give her orders that she would always blindly follow. She was never the one to propose ideas or decide things on her own unless she was asked to. It was like this their entire life until now. 

The point in the matter was, Ririka was evolving into a completely different person. She was evolving into her own person, finally creating an identity for herself that she had been denied for too long. Kirari wasn’t bothered with that. In all honesty, Kirari was actually pleased to see her sister creating an identity for herself now that they were no longer children who followed what their elders told them.

From birth, Ririka was forced to live and be seen as someone else, never as herself. Ririka didn't exist in the eyes of her family; everything she experienced, saw, and followed was through Kirari. So for her to finally experience the life she was robbed of, Kirari was ecstatic. She only wanted Ririka to be happy and that’s all she ever wanted.

However, the source of Ririka’s changing behavior is what Kirari wasn’t so pleased about nor did she understand it. Much like Kirari’s relationship with Sayaka, Ririka had found someone who she felt genuine attraction and romantic love toward for the first time. Someone Kirari couldn’t understand why her sister would be interested in for any reason. The only person to ever deny Kirari for an honored position on the Student Council. One of three people that Kirari was utterly fascinated by: Mary Saotome.

Make no mistake, Kirari had no issue with her twin showing romantic interest in someone. Ririka deserved love and happiness just as much as she did, but why... why did Ririka have to fall in love with Mary Saotome out of all the fish in the sea? She was rude, loud, arrogant, and a commoner nonetheless; definitely not a suitable romantic partner for a Momobami. It raised many questions for Kirari and she always came to a dead end when trying to find a logical explanation as to what her sister saw in Mary.

The two were a pair no one ever expected to get together. Mary was hot headed and clumsy, Ririka was graceful and posed; one was the embodiment of hot embers and the other was the embodiment of cold, yet soothing water. Yet at the same time, it was hard to imagine them not being with each other either. Their love for each other was no secret and they didn't try to hide it like Kirari and Sayaka did with their relationship, for they both would actually be in danger if people found out they were together. But because of having to hide their relationship, Kirari found difficulty in maintaining it and saw that Sayaka struggled as well. 

While Kirari tried her best to privately express her affection and emotions to Sayaka through many intimate touches or grand presents, Sayaka still held back with expressing her feelings and touches for Kirari even when the two were completely alone. Ririka and Mary had already crossed that path with each other after only being in a relationship for two months. Kirari had been trying to get to that point with Sayaka for three years. She was perhaps even a little envious that her sister and Mary had made so much progress in such little time compared to her and Sayaka.

In more ways than one, Kirari’s relationship with Sayaka was very different from what Ririka and Mary shared. Mary was openly affectionate, never afraid to be touchy or vocal about her feelings for Ririka. Whenever the two were with each other, to separate them would be like trying to separate the stars from the night sky. It was impossible. And what baffled Kirari beyond belief was how the two seemed to grow even more inseparable every day. At least from what Ririka told her. 

Now, Kirari could easily theorize why Mary showed interest in her sister and claimed to love her. Ririka was a member of the wealthiest and most powerful family in Japan; both Kirari and Ririka had dozens upon dozens of suitors hoping to gain a taste of that wealth and power only to be turned away each and every time. Sayaka was different. Not only did Sayaka fascinate her more than anyone she had ever met and continued to do so, but the young woman also had proven time and time again who she was loyal to and that she saw past Kirari's background, loving her for who she was.

Mary was not like Sayaka. Kirari didn't deem her worthy enough to be the lover of the other bearer of the Momobami name. Yet Ririka had confirmed more than once that Mary was the one she chose as her life long partner. Kirari trusted her sibling's judgement, it was Mary who she didn't trust. Kirari didn't know what Mary's true intentions were and for all she knew, Mary could leave Ririka as soon as she got what she really wanted, whatever that was. Mary could easily grow bored of Ririka or leave her out of fear of the hundred devouring families she would soon have to face some day. And there was no real way for Kirari to find out the truth either. The blonde would tell her nothing even if Kirari tried to force the answers out of her; not that she would ever try to, knowing she would have to get past Ririka first.

So she simmered at the dining room table, her mind swirling with pent-up emotion and confusion. She was desperately trying to understand what she was doing wrong in her relationship with Sayaka, trying to understand why Mary and Ririka were so drawn to each other, and how she could find out.

Kirari watched as Ririka ignored the breakfast in front of her and refused to unglue her eyes from her phone screen or stop her smiles and giggles whenever she received a text that obviously came from her girlfriend. It was almost sickening to see, but it was fascinating to see as well since Ririka never acted this way in front of her.

Tap tap tap tap tap… followed by a brief pause before a ping sound emitted from Ririka’s phone which warranted some sort of reaction from her, always a joyous one. 

Kirari wondered if Sayaka reacted the same way whenever she texted her late at night, trying to imagine her laughter or roll of her eyes at a suggestive text. But she didn’t know, nor had she ever seen it happen in person. The closest reaction she would get from her beloved would be a flustered expression followed by Sayaka telling her to keep her focus on whatever they were working on.

“Riri, I’m going to eat your food if you don’t eat it soon yourself,” Kirari finally spoke up.

Ririka was too lost in her digital conversation to even register what her twin said. That was a bit unusual, considering Ririka would usually quickly glance up or place her phone down and ask Kirari to repeat herself. 

“Ririka,” Kirari tried again, this time more impatiently. 

Once again, Ririka didn't acknowledge her sister’s presence. Now Kirari grew frustrated, not appreciating being ignored whether Ririka realized she was doing it or not. 

Kirari refused to repeat herself a third time. To get her sister’s attention, she grabbed the nearest item she could get her hands on which happened to be a peach pastry and threw it across the table, striking Ririka’s chest.

Ririka flinched and stared at the pastry that bounced off of her before looking up at her sister in confusion, her cheeks lightly becoming pink from embarrassment. “Why did you do that?”

“Because we have been sitting here for fifteen minutes and you haven’t touched your food yet or try to speak to me,” Kirari glared at her.

“Oh… sorry,” Ririka murmured. “Mary was just telling me a really funny story about Itsuki-san.” 

“Sumeragi? I didn’t know the two of you were on a first-name basis,” Kirari commented, finishing the last of the food on her plate.

This wasn't very surprising news to discover. Even before Ririka and Mary entered a relationship, Ririka would hang around Mary and her friends which obviously meant they were close now if Ririka was able to address them by their first name. 

"Yes, I... have friends now," Ririka smiled. "And it's nice."

"All because of Mary," Kirari rolled her eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ririka frowned.

Kirari shrugged and took a sip from her perfectly heated tea. "I mean no offense, but do you really think any of Mary's friends would have opened up to you had you and her not become close? Think about it."

It was a hard pill to swallow and Kirari could see that it was solely based on Ririka's expression alone. Her twin knew she was right; Kirari was often never wrong. Kirari had experienced it herself with Sayaka's best friend. Midari was another of the three people she didn't understand, but after entering her relationship with Sayaka, Midari showed up in her life far more than she ever did before which in turn did help Kirari gain a better understanding of her. She was able to openly talk to her more and though she never admitted it, she now considered Midari as an ally. She was trustworthy to an extent.

Perhaps if she would do the same with Mary, even for just a day, she would be able to gain a better understanding of just why her sister was so infatuated with the blonde and why Mary claimed she fell in love with Ririka.

"Perhaps not," Ririka admitted. "But it doesn't matter now."

"I beg to differ," Kirari interjected. "You're a Bami, Ririka. We don't have friends in this clan. We have enemies, allies, or lovers. And based on our history with Sumeragi and the rest of Saotome's friend group, can you truly consider them as allies?"

Ririka hesitated. "Well... they're different. I don't necessarily trust them as I do with Mary, but they're at least pleasant company."

"Pleasant or not, any one of them could stab you in the back at any moment," Kirari reminded her. "You are one of the most powerful people in Japan. You're aware of the constant target on your back."

"You're talking about yourself, Rari," Ririka sighed. "Not me. As much as we were forced to believe it for most of our lives, I am not you."

That struck a nerve, but she was absolutely right. Kirari pursed her lips in consideration. "Do explain further, because last I recalled, you are just as much the heir and leader to the Bami clan as I am."

A few text notifications suddenly echoed from Ririka's phone and she quickly placed her focus back onto it. However, her reaction to seeing the messages was different from the others. Her face turned bright red, her blush traveling to her ear tips, and Kirari could have sworn she heard a small gasp from her sister, likely from shock.

"I-I'm excusing myself," Ririka stuttered, quickly standing up. "We'll discuss this later."

"We will not," Kirari stood up, blocking her path. "Hand me your phone."

The twins stared at each other in a silent stand-off, one waiting for the other to make her move. Ririka protectively clutched her cell phone to her chest as if it were the most valuable item she owned. Kirari raised a brow at her and outstretched her hand, waiting for Ririka to hand it to her.

"I...I don't need to," Ririka spoke calmly, but confidently. "I'm older than you, therefore you cannot tell me what to do." 

This was the first time Ririka challenged Kirari like that. No doubt Mary was the cause of this. Yet another thing Kirari failed to understand was how Mary's attitude was rubbing off on Ririka as well. A few months ago, Ririka would have rather jumped off of the Tower of Doors than do what she just did. Kirari was unsure if this was good or bad.

Kirari smirked, though her eyes flickered with anger. "I am your clan leader, therefore I can tell you what to do."

"But wasn't it you who just said I was just as much the heir and leader to our clan as you are?" Ririka replied snarkily, much like Mary would.

Kirari inhaled sharply, trying not to let her inner frustration show. "Why do you love Saotome?"

Ririka looked taken aback by the sudden change of subject. "What? Why do you want to know that?"

"I'm trying to understand what's going on in your head, Riri," Kirari grumbled. "I wish to know why Saotome has captivated your heart and what she did to change you. I want to understand your love for Saotome because perhaps... it will help me learn to show Sayaka how much she means to me and how I can provide the best version of my love for her. I don't want to continue being in the dark about this. All of this."

Ririka's expression softened and she placed her phone in her pocket. "My love for Mary is far more complex than you could ever imagine."

"Can you at least try to explain it to me?" Kirari asked impatiently.

"Can you tell me why you love Sayaka?" Ririka shot back, raising a curious brow. "Your relationship with her isn't exactly easy for me to understand either."

Kirari shrugged and looked away, glancing at the rising sun through the window in their dining room. "What's there to tell? I built a tower as a monument of my love to her, courted her for three years, and officially announced to the members of our family that she will be the only person I will marry or I will not get married at all. That should make my intentions with her very clear."

"Then why do you sound upset about it?" Ririka questioned.

"Sayaka has only told me she loved me once, when she was faced with certain death. She's afraid to initiate any romantic gestures and I cannot figure out why. I want to know what I'm doing wrong, why she's so afraid of showing her affection," Kirari sighed, her heart feeling heavier than ever. "But that's my personal issue that I will deal with on my own. I still wish to find out not only Saotome's intentions, but I want to understand your relationship with her."

"I have a propositional experiment for you then," Ririka suggested. "Let's trade places today. You will see how Mary is around me when we're alone, so maybe you will understand our love for each other. In return, I will try to better understand your love for Sayaka when I am disguised as you."

It was an intriguing idea for sure, especially since Ririka was never the one to suggest switching places. In fact, Ririka openly admitted how much she hated trading places with Kirari. Obviously, Kirari wasn't going to decline this opportunity. Posing as her sister would be no issue as long as she didn't need to remove her mask and Ririka would have no difficulty acting like her since she had been doing so her entire life anyway. However, Kirari was curious whether or not Sayaka would be able to tell the difference. She was fairly certain Mary wouldn't be able to.

"How interesting," Kirari mused with a slight grin. "I am willing to try this. It should be fun to see how Saotome reacts if she discovers I am you today."

"I have a hunch it won't take her too long to figure it out, but even I'm unsure whether or not she'll be able to tell the difference right away if at all," Ririka chuckled. "Sayaka however... she's quite prone to noticing even the most subtle difference in your demeanor. She's been able to tell the difference before." 

"Then this should be an engaging challenge for you," Kirari nodded. "I am confident I will have no issue fooling Saotome though."

Ririka smirked. "Pride comes before the fall, Rari. Don't underestimate Mary."

"I never have and I won't start now," Kirari admitted. "However, I wish to make this a gamble. Not just a simple experiment."

"Of course you do," Ririka groaned, rolling her eyes. "Fine, what do you want?"

"If Sayaka discovers you are posing as me before Mary discovers I am disguised as you, then you will be attending the clan meetings as me from now on," Kirari explained. "I hate speaking to those snakes just as much as you do, so I wouldn't mind having to never attend one of those dreadfully boring meetings again."

"And what do I get if I win this gamble?" Ririka questioned.

Kirari thought briefly. "Well, then I will grant your request from not too long ago to give Mary a key to our home. She will be allowed to come and go as she pleases." 

Ririka's eyes widened in surprise and glinted with excitement. "A-are you serious?"

"Sayaka already has a key, so I suppose it would only be fair if your chosen partner has one as well," Kirari shrugged. "Today will determine just how loyal and loving Saotome is to you and thus, our family."

"So the very moment either of our positions are discovered, we will call or text each other?" Ririka asked.

Kirari nodded. "Yes, and the gamble will be over. We will also switch back since there would be no point in staying swapped."

Ririka grabbed her mask that was placed on the dining room table and handed it to Kirari. "Good luck."

"Good luck to you as well," Kirari grinned before the two shook hands, making it official. "I look forward to seeing the results of this gamble."

Ririka may not have enjoyed posing as Kirari, but Kirari definitely enjoyed it whenever they switched identities for the day. Ririka slept through a majority of her classes which gave Kirari the opportunity to take a nap herself during Literature; the subject bored her anyway. Nobody even batted an eye when they saw the "Vice President" roaming the halls, neither did any of the student council members suspect anything when their morning meeting began. So far, everything was playing out smoothly.

When it was time for morning break, Kirari searched for Mary. From what information Ririka provided her with, Mary would have been on the south side of the campus where the second years often loitered and every morning the two would greet each other with a kiss or a hug. Kirari would make sure to only let Mary hug her; letting Mary kiss her was an appalling thought and she knew she would have to come up with an excuse as to why Mary wasn't going to be kissing her "girlfriend" today. Or why her mask would remain on the entire time.

As expected, Mary was where Ririka said she would be and Kirari was grateful she wasn't alone. Yumeko was with her, babbling on about something Kirari couldn't hear yet. She noticed how close Yumeko was to the blonde and how she clung to her arm as they walked. Kirari knew how much Yumeko got under Ririka's skin and apparently, Yumeko's behavior was much more flirtatious before Mary and Ririka got together. This would be a good topic to bring up with Mary, hopefully, to see where her loyalties were. Kirari was able to detect a lie very easily.

Kirari saw Mary look up and watched as she slipped free from Yumeko's grasp, walking faster to meet up with her while Yumeko began to walk in the other direction. Unexpectedly, Kirari was wrapped in a tight hug and Mary's expression was much more bright and cheery than it was when she was with Yumeko. Well, that was a good sign at least. It also reminded her to hug Sayaka more since she rarely did it.

"Hey beautiful," Mary smiled, placing her hands on Kirari's hips.

Kirari shuddered from disgust, but Mary took it as something else and pulled her closer. She took a deep breath, remembering that she was Ririka right now. She had to remind herself that this was in no way her being disloyal to Sayaka.

"What did Jabami want?" Kirari asked, her voice muffled from the mask.

Mary rolled her eyes. "She was hiding from Midari. Midari ran off when she saw Yumeko start to talk to me."

"Oh," Kirari responded, uninterested.

"Don't worry about it," Mary chuckled as they started to walk, wrapping her arm around Kirari's. "Anyway, why didn't you ever respond to my texts earlier? Was it too much?"

Kirari had to think of something and fast. "No, I just didn't know what to say. I... really enjoyed the picture you sent me."

That was a complete bluff. Kirari didn't actually ever get to see what it was that flustered Ririka earlier since her twin destroyed the evidence before handing over her phone, but she assumed it was a picture.

"Did you?" Mary smirked and they stopped walking. "Why don't you take off your mask so you can thank me properly, Riri?"

"W-with all these people around?" Kirari purposely stuttered, imagining that's how Ririka would respond to that.

Mary chuckled. "I was only teasing. You can thank me for the picture later after school when I come over to your place."

Kirari almost choked on the air. It would have been awfully nice if Ririka had given her this information earlier. Or at all. "You... are?"

"Well, yeah? You're the one who invited me?" Mary asked more than said, scrunching up her nose in confusion. "Do you not want me to come over now?"

"No, no, I do," Kirari said quickly, though she wanted to say the exact opposite. "I just forgot that Sayaka will be coming over today and I... my sister and her might be a bit obnoxious."

Kirari wasn't expecting to keep this up the entire day. Sayaka was still supposed to be coming over to the estate for dinner and hopefully have a long conversation with her about what she wanted in this relationship and why she was still so skittish with touching and intimacy. Now it looked like she might have to postpone that conversation.

"Great," Mary groaned sarcastically. "Oh well, I guess we'll just have to stay up in your room. Not that I have any complaints with that."

"How will you get in? You know Kirari wouldn't allow you inside if she saw you," Kirari commented, hoping Mary would take the hint.

Mary shrugged. "I'll just come in through your window again as long as you let me in through the gate."

Kirari clenched her jaw behind the mask. So Mary had been on her property before even after Ririka had denied it. She now understood why her twin started to randomly lock the door to her bedroom. She wondered how many times Mary had been in the house without her knowing.

She made a mental note to enhance her security system and check the cameras every day; though not necessarily to keep Mary out, but to keep other possible intruders out. If someone like Mary was able to enter her domain without her knowledge, though granted, she had Ririka's help, then who knows who else could sneak past her defenses?

"Yes, I'll be sure to do that," Kirari nodded.

Mary grinned and played with the ends of Kirari's unbraided hair. Kirari felt her stomach churn uncomfortably, restraining herself from slapping Mary's hand away. She only let three people touch her hair: Sayaka, Ririka, and her hairdresser. Mary was not on the list. This little gamble was proving to be more trouble than it was worth. She wasn't the one who was supposed to be uncomfortable. Her plan was to mess with Mary and learn about her love for Ririka, but things appeared to have spectacularly backfired already.

"Are you using a new shampoo?" Mary questioned curiously.

"No, why?" Kirari responded, trying not to let her irritation show. It did surprise her how observant Mary was though.

"Your hair is softer than normal. And you smell like peaches and lavender," Mary commented. "Hm, whatever. I gotta go find Itsuki and help her out with that issue I mentioned earlier. I'll see you at lunch?"

"Sure," Kirari breathed out, wanting nothing more than to go find Sayaka and be with her instead.

"Good. Meet me underneath the big sakura tree in the courtyard at lunchtime. I wanna give you something," Mary smiled.

Kirari tilted her head to the side curiously. Though this gift was for her sister, she was still intrigued that Mary got Ririka something at all. From what she knew, Mary didn't like spending money on anyone regardless of who they were. "Oh? Is today a special occasion?"

"Nope. I got it because it reminded me of you when I saw it in the store," Mary explained, her cheeks dusting with red. "And... because I love you."

"Thank you. I look forward to seeing what it is," Kirari responded automatically.

She knew she probably should have said "I love you" back to Mary so the blonde wouldn't suspect anything, but even she had a limit. The only person those words were reserved for was Sayaka. Even though she hadn't exactly said it out loud to her yet. Instead, she told Sayaka she loved her through elaborate gifts or touches. Words seemed too plain and basic. Though, if Mary often told Ririka she loved her, perhaps Sayaka wouldn't mind hearing it either. It was just extremely difficult for Kirari to say it.

"Alright," Mary nodded, reaching for Ririka's mask.

Kirari skittishly recoiled and grabbed her hand instinctively, keeping it from reaching its destination. "Not here."

"Come on! No one's around anymore," Mary pouted and lightly scuffed the ground with her shoe. "I want a kiss from my Riri."

Kirari wanted to laugh at this display. Though the sappiness of it all disgusted her, it was amusing to see how much of a different person Mary was when she was around Ririka. It was much different from her snarky and tsundere attitude she had with everyone else, that much Kirari couldn't deny.

It was comforting to know Mary acted as her true self around her sister. It meant she trusted her a lot which in turn meant Ririka likely was herself with Mary as well. They were comfortable enough to let their walls down around each other, something Kirari and Sayaka had not quite fully gotten to yet. Perhaps Kirari would start and drop her usual dominating and intimidating persona when she was with Sayaka. Still, Kirari wasn't going to let her guard down around Mary simply because of her romantic attitude. 

Kirari sighed and lifted the mask slightly, just enough to reveal the lower half of her face. She placed a gentle kiss on top of Mary's head, feeling wrong for doing so, but Mary seemed satisfied with it. Once Kirari covered her face fully again with the mask, Mary leaned forward and placed a kiss on the smiling section of the mask. It took everything in Kirari's control to let it happen rather than back away or kick Mary in the shins for getting this close to her.

"I'll see you later," Mary said with a softness in her tone reserved only for Ririka. "I love you."

"Hm, thank you," Kirari hummed.

Mary gave her a strange expression before turning around and walking away. Kirari knew the younger girl definitely suspected something now, but she didn't say anything. Kirari didn't care. She just couldn't say "I love you" to that girl. Though now she found herself wanting to tell Sayaka that now more than ever. But that would have to wait until the gamble was over. If lady luck was on her side, then it would end soon. She was confident that Sayaka would be able to tell the difference far sooner than Mary would be.

Kirari knew she had a free period, but Ririka didn't. This meant she was supposed to attend the class in Ririka's place.

Supposed to.

Instead, she ditched the class she was supposed to be taking for Ririka and headed toward the student council room. Sayaka also had a free period which meant she would be with her sister right now in the student council room going over house pet complaints or finance reports. Kirari wanted to make sure Ririka didn't overstep her boundaries with Sayaka while she was posing as her. Surely she wouldn't in her presence.

As soon as she opened the door to the student council room, she was met with a sight that made her want to rip the mask off and end the gamble right then and there. Ririka's hand was gently stroking Sayaka's cheek and her arm was wrapped around her waist, Sayaka pressed up close against her. It wasn't like this was an unusual sight to see; Kirari was very open with her touches and affection with Sayaka. It reminded her to keep her cool, knowing that Sayaka believed this wasn't Ririka she was with.

"O-oh, Vice President!" Sayaka stuttered when she noticed the masked girl enter the room. She broke free from her supposed lover's grasp and bowed her head in respect to the third person in the room.

"Leave, Igarashi," Kirari commanded and it felt so unnatural to do so since she wanted nothing more than for Sayaka to stay.

Sayaka glanced at the fake Kirari who gave a gentle nod. "I will see you later, Sayaka. I love you."

Like Mary did to Kirari earlier, Sayaka gave Ririka a strange expression as she said that, not saying the three words back. She gave that same strange expression to the real Kirari in disguise before she left the room. Kirari smiled behind the mask, knowing Sayaka suspected something was off and likely even figured it out. Ririka had possibly just lost the gamble and didn't even know she did.

As soon as the door shut, Kirari removed the mask and placed it on the table. Ririka closed her eyes, letting out a sigh she had been holding in and her cheeks instantly turned red.

"You have lost, dear sister," Kirari smirked.

"I disagree," Ririka huffed. "Sayaka has not revealed that she has figured out we have switched places, therefore the gamble isn't over yet."

"Ah, but she now suspects something is wrong," Kirari giggled. "I have never told her I loved her out loud."

Ririka scowled at her. "You act like that's something to be proud of. Mary and I say we love each other every day. It's sad that Sayaka has never heard you say it after all this time."

Pathetic was a better word for it in Kirari's opinion. She was the leader of a family that could make anyone "disappear" at the snap of her fingers and those around her revered her like she was a goddess. She had no fears except for one: admitting her love out loud for Sayaka. She knew it was a stupid thing to be afraid of, especially since Sayaka loved her and had been waiting to hear those three words. But to Kirari, those three words would change everything.  

Kirari shrugged. "She's only said it out loud to me once. We show our love in a very different way than you and Saotome do."

"I can tell," Ririka sighed, rubbing her temples.  "So, did you discover anything about Mary, Ririka?"

Kirari rolled her eyes. "Quite a bit actually. I really did not like the way she touched me. She also demanded a kiss from me like a greedy child. I was barely able to avoid kissing her. Is she like this with you all of the time?"

Ririka chuckled. "Don't be hypocritical, Rari. You touch Sayaka every chance you get. Mary is... like you in that respect. She likes to touch me. Though I'm shyer about touching her, I make up for it by telling her sweet nothings or that the amount of love I have for her is endless."

"So telling Sayaka cheesy, sappy nonsense is the path I should take if I want her to touch me more?" Kirari asked flatly.

"Maybe... Or have you ever tried asking her to?" Ririka questioned.

Kirari opened her mouth to respond but shut it. She realized she actually never did ask Sayaka to touch her. She was always the one to initiate things and Sayaka was always the one to willingly receive. Was she perhaps afraid to touch Kirari if Kirari didn't ask it from her first? Didn't Sayaka know Kirari had been wanting Sayaka to initiate these things sometimes too? Sure, neither were experienced with relationships, but Kirari knew enough about expectations and she expected Sayaka to be much more affectionate with her once they got together. 

"Hm, you may have a point there," Kirari hummed in consideration.

"I was like that with Mary at first. I was always afraid to cross a line with her even though she was the one to touch me," Ririka smiled as she explained, her blush deepening by the second. "Until she asked me if I wanted to touch her. And well... I did and I was honest with her. Now we don't really have boundaries with touching anymore."

"Good to know," Kirari commented. "But don't expect me to touch Mary today. I would honestly rather touch scalding water."

"Oh, I wasn't expecting you to. You better not try to kiss her at all today either or else this gamble is automatically over," Ririka warned, her tone sounding possessive.

"Don't touch Sayaka again then," Kirari glared at her. "The same applies to you. It made my blood boil to see you touch her the way you did earlier. But I promise I won't kiss Saotome. I wouldn't willingly do it anyway."

"Believe me, it made me sick to my stomach to do that to Sayaka," Ririka grumbled. "But I never planned on kissing her. I would rather lose this gamble than kiss Igarashi."

"Good. I feel the same about Saotome," Kirari nodded.

Ririka shook her head and laughed. "We probably should have considered this before we agreed to this gamble. Mary and Sayaka won't be pleased with us when they find out we did this."

"No, but they'll get over it," Kirari assured her.

"They love us too much to stay mad," Ririka agreed. "Hey, wait a minute... I have a class right now. Why aren't you there?"

"Oh, I just wanted to make sure you weren't shoving your tongue down my most beloved's throat or something like that," Kirari smirked. "Now that I know you are not, I suppose I can go now."

"Damn it, Kirari! I already have several tardies and absences for that class!" Ririka complained.

"Since when did you start cussing? How unlike you, Riri," Kirari giggled.

Ririka blushed from embarrassment. "Mary cusses a lot. She... may have influenced me to start cursing as well, but I rarely do it!"

"You don't say?" Kirari teased. "Well, Miss. President, you'd better finish the house pet reports I was supposed to do today."

"I'll have Sayaka do it. I want to nap right now," Ririka yawned. "Being around her was tiring."

Kirari wrinkled her nose in confusion. "How? She is literally the most calming person to be around."

"No, she's a bundle of nerves and anxiety," Ririka corrected her. "But she did appear to be much more relaxed when she was alone with me and I assume that's how she is with you."

"You have much to learn about my dearest," Kirari sighed happily. "I will see you later, Riri."

"I'm sure we'll find out the results of our gamble very soon," Ririka commented.

Kirari smiled and nodded. "I don't doubt that."

When the bell rang for lunch, Kirari walked through the halls, watching as the people around her scurried away or looked in the other direction when they saw her out of fear. Kirari wasn't used to this treatment, but it wasn't unwelcome. It was nice to have a break from people flocking around her to gain her attention or for her to glance their way.

Hardly anyone ate their lunch outside in the courtyard which Kirari suspected was partially why Ririka and Mary often ate there together. Ririka could remove her mask and be herself if there were no other people around. The main reason why the courtyard was an unpopular lunch location was because there was no gambling held outside nor was there the cool air from the air conditioners inside. It was a perfect temperature outside, not too warm or too cold. Kirari had a pleasant thought of eating lunch with her beloved outside before that thought left her mind when she heard Mary's voice. 

The blonde was sitting up against the trunk of the largest sakura tree in the center of the courtyard, protected from the sun by the shadows of the tree. She was already eating, something Kirari frowned at. Whenever she and Sayaka ate together, Sayaka never started eating until Kirari arrived or took out her lunch. 

"Hey, babe," Mary greeted who she thought was her girlfriend. 

Kirari noticed the plastic bag on the ground next to Mary that looked like it came from the mall. "What's with the bag?"

Mary looked at the plastic bag next to her and grinned, standing up. She reached down and took out a small stuffed animal which Kirari identified to be a panda bear. "I saw this and thought of you. It kinda has a mask just like you do. It's your gift."

"Thank you, it is adorable," Kirari replied and took the stuffed animal into her arms. "I'll cuddle with it every night and pretend it's you."

Mary blushed and looked away. "It was cute, ya know? Cute like you."

"Thank you," Kirari said again, rolling her eyes behind the mask at the cheesy sentiment. "So, how were your classes?"

"Boring as usual. You?" Mary asked, stretching an arm above her head. 

"I fell asleep for most of them," Kirari admitted, which was truthful. 

"Yeah? You tired today?" Mary asked, affectionately wrapping her arms around the fake Ririka and nuzzled into the crook of her neck.

Hesitantly, Kirari wrapped her arms around Mary as to not seem suspicious. This is all for the gamble... I refuse to lose, she reminded herself. 

"Not really. I was just bored," Kirari said quietly. "Besides, I couldn't pay attention. I was too busy thinking about you all day."

Suddenly, she felt something warm press against her neck. A disturbed chill ran down her spine at the realization that Mary was kissing her neck and felt bile rise in her throat when she felt a hand go up her shirt. Maybe she shouldn't have added that last part, it gave the appeal that she wanted Mary. Though in her defense, it was definitely something Ririka would say to her.

'You're good at kissing at least, but dear god, when was the last time you used Chapstick? Your lips are so rough! Sayaka would never-'  Kirari's thoughts were instantly halted when she felt Mary began to nibble above her pulse.

Her appetite disappeared and she felt sick to her stomach as the blonde continued her assault on her neck. Not even Sayaka had kissed her there and even if she did, Kirari knew she wouldn't be so aggressive about it. It made her skin crawl to think Mary was the first person to discover this area of her and not the one she actually wanted.

Forget the gamble. This feeling was far too uncomfortable. She was a second away from revealing herself just so the blonde would remove her lips from her neck, but thankfully Mary didn't stay there for very long. She stared into the dark eye holes of the porcelain mask as if trying to hint at something.

"I want to see you," Mary finally whispered, reaching for the mask. "I haven't seen the real you all day."

Instinctively, Kirari backed away to prevent Mary from removing the mask. "No."

Mary raised a brow at her in confusion. "It's okay, Riri. It's just me. We're alone."

"Why do you love me?" Kirari blurted out, hoping to deter Mary's focus on removing the mask.

"What?" Mary laughed uneasily. "Where did this come from?"

"Kirari thinks... you are only in this relationship for some sort of benefit, that eventually you'll leave me once you've gotten what you want," Kirari explained truthfully. 

That was her main concern. Her fist impression of Mary was that she was someone who only cared about money and herself. Even after what she already saw today, she was still worried that Mary only entered a relationship with her sister either for their family's wealth and power. Well... she now added lust onto that list considering Mary was so eager to put her hand up her shirt and kiss her in a rather intimate place. But that much wasn't too much of a concern with the way she knew her sister lusted after the blonde as well. 

Mary scoffed. "Okay, first of all, I don't give a fuck about what your sister has to say about us and you shouldn't either."

"But is she right about what I just told you?" Kirari pressed.

"No, of course not," Mary said sincerely, pain etching in her voice. "You don't actually believe her, do you?"

"No," Kirari responded. "But you didn't answer me. Why do you love me? Is it my looks or my wealth? I need to know, Mary."

Mary sighed and pressed her forehead against the mask. "I couldn't care less if you were rich or poor, beautiful or ugly. I love you for who you are and that will never change, Ririka. I feel... safe around you. Complete. Whenever I'm not with you, I'm not myself. I've told you before you own my heart, so when you're not around, neither am I. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you and you have to understand that. I love you for who you are and that's all that matters."

Kirari was impressed and could honestly relate. She felt the exact same way for Sayaka, but still in a sense it rooted deeper than that. But Mary understood it, she knew what love was and she made it very clear that she was in love with Ririka. Kirari knew everything Mary said was genuine and honest. And for the first time, Kirari was starting to warm up to her. The blonde still had a long way to go to gain Kirari's full approval, but this was a good start.

"I understand," Kirari nodded. "Thank you for telling me. I needed to hear it."

Mary's cheeks flushed with red and placed her head on the taller girl's shoulder. "W-well it's the truth, baka. Jeez, Kirari really needs to stop filling your head with nonsense and worry about her own relationship over ours."

"Worry? Do you think there's something wrong between her and Sayaka?" Kirari asked, curious to know Mary's answer.

Mary shrugged. "I question what the hell Sayaka sees in that psychotic woman, but I can't judge. You can't control who you fall in love with. I do kinda think their relationship is one sided though."

One sided? Kirari never thought of their relationship to be one sided, even before they got romantically involved. She knew from the very start that Sayaka took interest in her. Those feelings were mutual. Even now, Kirari thought their relationship was very much mutual. 

"How so?" Kirari asked nervously. "Do you think Sayaka doesn't truly love her?"

"No, I'm not talking about Sayaka. Sayaka jumped off of a fucking five story building for her after confessing her love or so you've told me, so I know Sayaka is hopelessly in love with her," Mary snorted. "But I don't think Kirari's ever told her if she loves her. The poor girl has probably been waiting to hear it this whole time, but personally? I think Kirari is just bored and Sayaka's her play thing for the time being." 

The instant pain she felt in her chest from Mary's words was far worse than jumping off of her tower and landing on the ground without a crash mat. If someone like Mary believed this, then why couldn't Sayaka believe it either? What if Sayaka truly did believe the President was just bored and playing around with her until she became bored with her too? It couldn't have been further from the truth, of course, but she knew it made sense. Everything Sayaka did for Kirari, she did it out of service to her. She wanted to please Kirari no matter what, even if it meant disregarding her own feelings. 

"Y-You're wrong!" Kirari shrieked in rage, startling Mary.

"Woah, hey relax. You asked me what I thought," Mary said slowly, raising a brow at her. "I didn't mean to offend you or anything." 

"I... I'm sorry, I'm just protective over both of them," Kirari muttered, trying to calm herself. "Kirari's feelings for Sayaka are complicated to say the least. She has difficulty expressing her love because she's never experienced what it's like to be genuinely loved by someone in that way. She's... afraid. Afraid of love. She's afraid of admitting it out loud because then it would confirm that everything she has with Sayaka is real, including the very real danger she put the two of them in. Her family would stop at nothing to take Sayaka away from her if they found out Kirari loved her more than anyone else in this world... Even more than herself." 

Kirari couldn't believe she just told that to Mary. It was something she didn't even talk about with Ririka, but it all came out unintentionally after being locked away for so long. Mary was surprised to hear it too, for she stared at her in shock for a few seconds trying to process it.

"Wow, that's... you're right. I was wrong," Mary breathed out. "I never realized she felt that deeply about Igarashi. It's... kinda nice to know Kirari is afraid of something like everyone else."

"Everyone is afraid of something I suppose," Kirari agreed. 

"Yeah," Mary nodded. "Alright, let's talk about something else. That conversation was a bit heavy."

"I cannot," Kirari shook her head. "There's something I must do first."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Mary asked with a baffled expression.

"I will return, don't worry. But this is important. Just stay here and hold onto the panda for me," Kirari commanded, giving the stuffed animal to Mary.

"Okay then?" Mary said slowly. 

"Oh, and one more thing," Kirari reached into her pocket and pulled out the spare key to her house, handing it to Mary. She forfeited right then and there, no longer caring about winning. There was something much more important on her mind now. "Don't lose this."

"What is it?" Mary chuckled. 

"You could say it's the key to my heart," Kirari replied softly, knowing that's exactly the kind of sappy thing Ririka would respond with. "And my house."

Mary blinked at her, staring down at the key. "Wait a minute, why the hell are you-"

"You will understand soon enough," Kirari cut her off. "Now wait here. I'll be right back." 

Mary said nothing more and Kirari laughed at her disoriented expression before walking away toward the student council room.

Kirari wasted no time in barging into the student council room, noticing yet another sight she never wished to see. Ririka was pinned against her prized aquarium with Sayaka leaning in closely, looking like she was about to kiss her. Ririka's face was bright red from embarrassment, her body shivering from panic. The moment she saw her twin in disguise enter the room, her eyes glimmered with tears of relief. 

"Sayaka, stop!" The masked girl commanded. 

Sayaka looked over at the masked twin and gave a knowing smile, moving away from the girl she had pinned up against the aquarium. 

"Forgive me, Ririka-san," Sayaka turned back to the other girl and politely bowed her head apologetically. "I had to make this just as uncomfortable for the President as it was for you. I knew she'd show up here eventually and it appears my timing was right on point."

"You... figured it out?" Kirari said breathlessly, removing the mask. 

"I wasn't certain at first," Sayaka admitted. "Until Ririka-san said she loved me, that's when I knew. You... haven't exactly told me that yet and I found it peculiar that you would randomly say it all of a sudden and in front of your sister no less."

"Y-you weren't actually going to kiss me, were you?" Ririka stuttered.

Sayaka giggled. "Of course not. If your sister hadn't shown up, I would have told you I knew you two switched places before I got too close. You may share the same face as her, but I could never kiss you. You're not her."

"I appreciate that," Ririka sighed with relief. "And I'm sorry for deceiving you. Kirari and I had a gamble we arranged and neither you nor Mary were allowed to know."

"I suspected just as much," Sayaka replied calmly. 

"You aren't upset?" Kirari asked cautiously. 

"I never said that," Sayaka huffed. "I wish to talk to you alone if that's alright?"

"Of course it is," Kirari nodded. She owed her girlfriend that much. "Riri, Mary's waiting for you in the courtyard. I gave her the key and she has a panda plushy for you."

"Aw, she does?" Ririka grinned dopily. "She didn't have to do-wait, you gave her the key?! Why?"

"I understand your relationship with her now. I understand her feelings for you. And it made me realize I've been doing some things wrong in my relationship with Sayaka," Kirari explained, giving her lover a forlorn glance. 

Ririka nodded, starting to unbraid her hair. "Good. I hope you didn't give Mary too much of a hard time today."

"Well, it was more the other way around," Kirari corrected her. "I nearly exposed who I was once she kissed my neck."

Sayaka and Ririka had almost the exact opposite reactions of each other. Ririka's face took on a shade of crimson that traveled all the way down her neck and she hid her face in her hands. All of the color in Sayaka's face drained instantly and Kirari was concerned she would pass out.

"She did what?!" Sayaka asked through gritted teeth.

Kirari giggled, absolutely thrilled to see Sayaka's possessive side show as it calmed her nerves significantly. "Relax, darling. Mary didn't know it was me."

"You promised me you wouldn't kiss her!" Ririka screeched, also becoming very possessive.

"I didn't. She was the one who kissed me, so I kept my promise," Kirari smirked. "And it wasn't like she kissed my lips. The mask stayed on the entire time. I told you earlier I would rather touch scalding water than touch her, that includes kissing her."

"Gosh, she must be so confused right now. Give me my mask. I need to go talk to her," Ririka muttered, now feeling extremely irritated. 

"Lock the door on the way out, will you, Ririka?" Kirari requested as Ririka snatched her mask.

"It's now or never, Rari," Ririka whispered to her twin before she placed her mask on and left the room.

Sayaka still looked pale, as if imaging Mary kissing her lover's neck. Kirari smiled fondly at this and walked over to her, but Sayaka did not look up at her.

"This gamble... what was it even for?" Sayaka asked softly, still looking away. 

"I was unsure of Mary's feelings for Ririka, so we switched places so I could find out for myself," Kirari explained briefly. 

"I wish you would have told me," Sayaka said softly, though there was still irritation in her voice. 

Kirari chuckled. "That was a part of the gamble. If you figured out Ririka was in my place before Mary figured out I was posing as Ririka, then I would have won. Neither you or Saotome were allowed to know my dear sister and I traded places today for the sake of the gamble."

"I see," Sayaka hummed, finally looking at Kirari. "Did you learn anything or... erm, find what you were looking for?"

"Saotome is a hopeless romantic, almost as bad as my sister," Kirari scoffed. "But she does love Riri without a doubt. She is in love with her, not her power or wealth like I had been concerned about. She sees beyond all of that and loves Ririka for who she is."

"I am glad to hear it. Ririka-san needs somebody like her in her life," Sayaka agreed. "Was there anything else you learned?" 

I learned that I should have said I love you to you long ago, my dear. Kirari thought, but refused to say. Why was it so difficult? It was only Sayaka and her now. There was no possibility of anyone hearing them. And she did love Sayaka, she loved her with every ounce of her being. She loved her so much it ached, and her heart yearned for her to finally tell her that. 

Kirari glanced at the window, admiring the golden sunbeams that shone through from the afternoon sun. "The moon is beautiful, isn't it?" 

That was one way someone could tell another they loved them. At least she thought it was. However, it only seemed to confuse Sayaka. Perhaps that line only worked at night. 

"What?" Sayaka asked, looking toward the window only to see the bright sun outside. "I'm afraid I don't understand, it's still day time out-"

"Sayaka, do you love me?" Kirari interrupted. 

Sayaka blushed intensely, looking down at her shoes. "I-I... of course I do, President! Why would you-"

"No," Kirari cut her off again. "Do you love me, not as the Student Council President or the leader of the Bami clan, but for me? Do you love me as Kirari?" 

Sayaka sighed and hesitantly reached up to cup Kirari's cheek. Kirari flinched from the action, not expecting it in the slightest, but quickly leaned into her touch before she got the chance to remove her hand. Sayaka's hand was warm and comforting, a life line that Kirari could forever cling onto no matter the scenario. It was during these rare touches that Kirari knew that to be true.

"I love you, Kirari. I always have," Sayaka spoke softly. "Do you doubt my love for you? Tell me what I did wrong. Please, I beg of you. Tell me." 

"Do you doubt that I love you?" Kirari questioned in all seriousness.

Sayaka bit her lip. "I'm not sure. You've never told me that you do."

Kirari was never one to cry. She had only ever cried twice in her life, but hearing Sayaka say that made her eyes tear up. She knew she only had herself to blame for this, for causing Sayaka to doubt Kirari's feelings for her.

"You've only told me you loved me once when you believed you were about to die," Kirari laughed bitterly. "Though I am not in any position to say this because you're right. I haven't told you."

"You don't have to if you aren't ready though," Sayaka added quickly. "I don't want you to feel forced by this."

Always quick to please me, even now. 

"But that's the thing, my dear Sayaka," Kirari scoffed. "I've been wanting to tell you... but I've been afraid as well."

"Afraid?" Sayaka frowned. 

"For a while I was afraid you no longer felt the same," Kirari sighed. "But what's more, is the moment I finally say it to you, all of this will become real. It will no longer be some beautiful dream. I will wake up and realize the danger of... of loving you. My family will want your head on a silver platter the moment they find out."

"Let them try," Sayaka replied calmly. "If I am to be with a devourer, then I must be prepared to face the other devourers. I'm not afraid as long as I have you."

Sayaka had a brilliant mind, but she did not know Kirari's family. She only knew of them, heard the rumors that people from all around Japan would spread. Kirari never told her the true horrors of her family and exactly what they're capable of. She decided it was best to spare her of that, for the anxiety and fear of what could happen to her or those she loved would surely devour her. Kirari herself never let it consume her because she was at the top of the so called "food chain" her family lived by. However, even she couldn't completely keep away the fear now that she actually had someone she loved, someone who could be taken away from her.

"It's not that easy, darling," Kirari laughed weakly. "I cannot imagine any of them harming even a single hair upon your head. And if they did... I could never forgive myself." 

Sayaka smiled warmly at her. "I don't think you're giving me enough credit. Do you really think I haven't considered this before? I'm very aware of the danger I'm in. I've prepared for it. Why do you think I have martial arts training and carry my taser on me even when I'm not at school? I'm well aware that my life is at risk. And I do not care. Loving you is my gamble and your family discovering that and going after me is my risk. And when or if they do, I'll be ready for them."

Kirari shook her head and smiled. "I'll never understand you, Sayaka Igarashi, but one thing I will never stop doing is loving you."

The expression Sayaka gave was priceless, forever engraved in Kirari's mind. 

"Y-you..." Sayaka stuttered. "You said it."

"I love you, Sayaka. More than you know," Kirari said sincerely, stroking Sayaka's soft hair. 

And it felt so good to finally say it. It was like a weight was finally removed from Kirari's shoulders. For three years, she had been trying to find the courage to say those words. At long last, she did. She knew that now she herself said it out loud, a new gamble was formed between her and Sayaka. One she did not know the rules of, but was well aware of the risks, consequences, and rewards that would come out of it. To see her lover's eyes so full of adoration and dedication to her was enough for Kirari to know she will never regret telling her she loved her, no matter the outcome of the future now. 

"I love you too," Sayaka grinned, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "And I can't believe you thought I didn't anymore."

"Well, you don't touch me nearly as much as I'd like. I'm always the one initiating things," Kirari explained, playfully pouting.

"I was afraid of crossing a line with you," Sayaka admitted, turning away to hide her embarrassment. "That never meant I didn't want to."

"Oh? So you do want to touch me then?" Kirari teased. 

Sayaka looked back at her with dilated violet eyes. "You have no idea." 

"By all means," Kirari grinned mischievously. "Claim what is yours."

Sayaka didn't need to be told twice. With a spark of desire, she impulsively pulled her lover by the collar of her uniform and passionately connected their lips in an electric kiss that made Kirari's head spin. The urgency and roughness was unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome as she felt Sayaka's hand grip the back of her neck to pull her closer. 

The touch of Sayaka's lips against her own, the taste of her mouth, the touch of her tongue grazing against her lower lip; Kirari was convinced this is what pure ecstasy felt like. She had kissed Sayaka before, only carefully and gently, but this was what she had been wanting. Sayaka was no longer tentative; she was boldly crossing that line she was so afraid to cross and the feeling was sublime.

Kirari cursed herself for never discussing this with Sayaka sooner, for she was instantly addicted to the warmth spreading all throughout her body as one of Sayaka's hands tangled into her hair, lightly pulling to show her thirst that could only be quenched by the platinum haired woman. Kirari soon discovered just how dangerous this feeling was when she felt her lower stomach heat up with raw desire, her mind telling her to push back and take control so she could absolutely devour Sayaka until she was reduced to nothing but wanton moans of pleasure, crying out her name.

However, Sayaka denied her of this and broke the kiss with a gasp for air, their lips letting go with a pop. Kirari had almost forgotten that she and Sayaka still needed to breathe. If she could, she would have happily kissed Sayaka and drown in her touch like that for hours on end without ever needing to come back up for air.

Kirari stared into those violet eyes she had been intrigued by since the very start. Sayaka stared back at her, her expression showing unadulterated love and desire for her.

"There," Sayaka whispered huskily. "I took back the kiss Saotome stole." 

Kirari smirked. "Actually, it was my neck she kissed."

Sayaka hummed in thought before she placed her lips on Kirari's jawline, slowly kissing downward until she reached her neck. Kirari remembered Mary kissing her neck earlier and was immediately able to tell the difference. Sayaka was gentle; her lips were soft and warm. Kirari knew Sayaka's lips belonged on her skin because of the moan that involuntarily escaped her mouth when her lover softly bit down. It caught her by surprise, but Sayaka seemed to expect it and bit down harder, starting to lightly suck on the area. 

Kirari's mind was hazy, trapped in a state of euphoria. The pulsing in her chest and between her legs was almost enough to cause her to lose focus on the blissful feeling on her neck. She was close to unbuttoning her blazer to give Sayaka a hint of what she was desiring that very moment, however before she could, Sayaka removed her lips from her neck.

Kirari pouted from the loss of contact. "Why did you stop?"

"Because I know you'll want me to kiss you lower than your neck," Sayaka laughed. 

"And... is there an issue with that?" Kirari questioned. 

Sayaka sighed happily and briefly pecked Kirari's lips before walking over to pick up some documents off of the table. "Forgive me for not wanting our first time to be at school. I'd much prefer the privacy and beds from one of our rooms." 

"You are still coming over to my estate tonight. We can always continue this over there," Kirari reminded her.

Sayaka inhaled sharply, her face turning bright red. Kirari knew exactly what sort of scandalous thoughts were going through Sayaka's mind because she had the same exact thoughts. 

"Only if you want, of course," Kirari added.

 "I-I..." Sayaka stuttered. "Are you certain?"

Kirari groaned, nearly facepalming. "Dearest, have I not made my desires clear?"

"Y-you have!" Sayaka squeaked. "I just wanted to be sure."

"But do you want this?" Kirari pressed. "Be honest with me."

"I was afraid to tell you, but I have wanted to get to that point in our relationship for quite some time," Sayaka whispered.

"It's a shame you didn't tell me sooner," Kirari chuckled. "Oh the things we would have done to each other by now." 

"Yes, you no doubt would have done shameful things to me in this very room, perhaps even on your chair or on the table," Sayaka challenged with a smirk.

Kirari didn't back down. She bit her lip, shamelessly drinking in the mental image of what Sayaka was implying. "Absolutely." 

This entire situation didn't go as planned in the slightest, but that was Kirari's gamble. In the end, she found what she was looking for and even more. She finally understood Mary and Ririka's relationship through and through. And in the process, she came to the realization that Sayaka was the only one meant to be with her.

It was ironic in a sense. Kirari used to scoff in disbelief at the ideas of soulmates or the cheesy notation that perfect relationships exist. Her opinion of that has changed. She still didn't believe in soulmates, but she knew that there was no one in this world meant for her except for Sayaka. No one would ever hold as much significance. And although even she couldn't say her relationship with Sayaka was perfect, damn was it close. Chaotic, spontaneous, passionate, frightening at times, and thrilling all the same. She wouldn't have it any other way.

Chapter Text

It was astonishing to Ririka how just one person could impact her life so greatly. For the majority of her life, she had no identity. She was either her younger twin's sister or she was her younger twin's shadow, never allowed to remove the mask that successfully prevented her from creating a personality of her own. When she wore that mask, she was nothing more than a silent, smiling vessel that always followed orders and only spoke when asked or spoken to.

Anything else she ever experienced was always as Kirari, never herself. For years she thought she wouldn't get the chance to discover who she was. In the eyes of the majority of her family, she was either Kirari... or the girl who was born unlucky and lost the very dice game her own caretakers forced upon her and Kirari at birth. 

Sometimes she wondered how much differently she would have turned out had she ended up winning her very first gamble. Well, she wouldn't have been named or raised as Ririka, she would have been Kirari. Her twin would have been in her position had she won the dice game. Would she have developed Kirari's outgoing and logical personality? Would she have remained her quiet and introverted self? She would never know the answer to that, nor would Kirari.

They were raised to be each other, so perhaps not much would have changed at all. They were both born to be the same person. One of them was unplanned, after all. And Ririka knew it wasn't Kirari; the dice game set that fate in stone the very moment the blinding lights of the world hit their eyes. Age or birthright doesn't apply in the Bami clan. Luck and skill always ruled victorious. 

So for eighteen years of her life, she was Kirari when she needed to be and Ririka, masked and quiet, when she was instructed to be. She obeyed and did not question the decisions of her authorities and her sister. She mindlessly followed every command thrown at her. And because of it, there was little room to develop much of a personality. In many ways, she was treated as a clone copy of her sister and felt disposable. By doing so promised her safety and kept her out of trouble. 

Until she met Mary Saotome. No one had dared to remove her mask, see her as her own person, treat her as an equal. In Mary's eyes, Ririka may have been Kirari's twin, but that didn't mean she was Kirari. She was Ririka and it was about time she acted like it.

Mary helped Ririka come out of her shell and discover things about herself she should have learned long ago. For starters, Mary taught her what it was like to love. In a sense, Ririka did know what love was, but only in one form of it. She felt sisterly love toward her twin, which was unconditional and created a bond between the two of them at an early age that no one could sever. But other than that, Ririka had no experience or understanding of what other forms of love there were. 

Through her partnership and eventual friendship with Mary, Ririka discovered that having friends wasn't simply an alliance, but also provided platonic love. Friendship was fun, exciting, and new. It required trust which was something not easily given without a doubt, but it was nice for Ririka to hear about her new friend's experiences, fears, and embarrassing moments. And they never once addressed her as Kirari. They knew her as who she was, the person she was slowly but surely discovering herself. It was scary, but also as if a giant weight was lifted from her shoulders. It was so nice being able to be herself and not forced to be someone she was not. It was nice having people outside of her family who knew she existed.

Then there was the form of love that took Ririka by surprise and that she was still learning about: romantic love. Mostly, she had to learn what it was on her own. She knew she felt differently toward Mary than she did toward any of her other friends like Itsuki or Ryota. She knew right away that she didn't just like Mary as a close friend. She would stay up late at night, unable to keep the blonde out of her thoughts. She would always glance her way and stare a bit longer than she did with anyone else. She would often look at Mary's lips and for some reason found herself wanting to press her own lips against them. This confused her, especially since she had never experienced these kinds of feelings for a girl, let alone anybody before. 

And when Mary kissed her for the very first time... everything seemed to click. Her instincts took over, causing her to kiss Mary back because deep down she wanted to badly; she had for a while. She realized then that she liked and wanted Mary a lot more than a friend would. To Mary, the feeling was very much mutual.

Ririka had learned a considerable amount of things since then. All the same, she still had much to learn about romance, herself, and Mary. She didn't know enough to understand love completely, and that was okay. This form of love didn't need to make sense one hundred percent because she had Mary to teach her and guide her through it every step of the way. She didn't know what to expect for her future with Mary, which somehow made it all the more exciting. It was something she would experience as herself, not as Kirari.

What she did  know was how happy the blonde made her. Even during the early hours of the day when she was eating breakfast, Mary never ceased to make her smile, albeit it was through a conversation in their text messages. 

Ririka didn't touch her food yet, too preoccupied with what Mary was texting her. She grinned and held back a laugh when she read about how Itsuki spilled her coffee all over her shoes which ruined them and that she would have to show up to school in a pair of Mary's ugly gym sneakers that the blonde let her borrow.

She thought she heard Kirari say something, but she paid no mind to it. She may have also heard her name, though she couldn't distinguish if it was Kirari's voice or the sound of Mary in the back of her head.

Suddenly, she felt something strike her chest. Startled, she jumped in her seat slightly and looked down to see a peach pastry. She felt her face heat up in embarrassment, realizing Kirari was really trying to get her attention about something. Maybe it was important.

"Why did you do that?" Ririka frowned. 

Kirari gave her an impatient glare. “Because we have been sitting here for fifteen minutes and you haven’t touched your food yet or try to speak to me"

“Oh… sorry,” Ririka murmured slowly. “Mary was just telling me a really funny story about Itsuki-san.” 

“Sumeragi? I didn’t know the two of you were on a first-name basis,” Kirari commented, finishing the last of the food on her plate.

Itsuki and Ririka becoming friends was honestly unexpected and sort of just happened on it's own. The two didn't have the best attitude toward each other due to Itsuki's past affairs with the student council at first, but that bitter attitude didn't last. Ririka knew deep down it was best not to have any animosity towards Mary's friends. There was no point in fueling petty negativity.

"Yes, I... have friends now," Ririka smiled sincerely. "And it's nice."

"All because of Mary," Kirari rolled her eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ririka asked in a slightly accusatory tone.

Kirari shrugged and took a sip from her tea. "I mean no offense, but do you really think any of Mary's friends would have opened up to you had you and her not become close? Think about it."

Ririka knew Kirari wouldn't understand, but did she have to put it that way? She couldn't deny it stung to hear, but she also knew Kirari may have had a point. It was Mary who introduced Ririka to her friend group and encouraged her to become friends with them. Ririka certainly wouldn't have done it on her own. Heck, she forgot Ryota existed until she began to hang out with him and Itsuki. 

Kirari saw people as one of three things: enemies, allies, or lovers. There was no time or room for friendship when she was the leader of the Bami clan. The closest thing Kirari had to a friend was Sayaka. And even then, Sayaka fell under the 'lovers'  category. So it was natural that Kirari was suspicious seeing how she never really had a friend before. 

"Perhaps not," Ririka admitted. "But it doesn't matter now."

"I beg to differ," Kirari interjected. "You're a Bami, Ririka. We don't have friends in this clan. We have enemies, allies, or lovers. And based on our history with Sumeragi and the rest of Saotome's friend group, can you truly consider them as allies?"

That was a rather loaded question. Ririka did trust them with certain things, like how she could rely on Itsuki to give her advice on relationship advice or count on Ryota to do something stupid and make her laugh whenever she's stressed. She didn't, however, trust either of them enough to know about her personal secrets or trust them to help her out of a difficult situation. So in that respect, neither of them were quite to the point of being Ririka's allies. 

Ririka hesitated. "Well... they're different. I don't necessarily trust them as I do with Mary, but they're at least pleasant company."

"Pleasant or not, any one of them could stab you in the back at any moment," Kirari reminded her. "You are one of the most powerful people in Japan. You're aware of the constant target on your back."

Ririka bristled at the mention of that. "You're talking about yourself, Rari. Not me. As much as we were forced to believe it for most of our lives, I am not you."

Kirari pursed her lips in consideration. "Do explain further, because last I recalled, you are just as much the heir and leader to the Bami clan as I am."

Ririka wasn't in the mood to discuss this. Hearing her text notification, she ignored Kirari's comment and placed her focus on the photo Mary sent her. In the photo, she had just gotten out of the shower with a blue towel wrapped around her torso, but exposed her cleavage partially and winked. Ririka instantly felt her cheeks heat up and she gasped from shock, trying to think of what to say. There were several things she wanted to say, but every single one was a lewd thought. Was she supposed to send a similar picture? Perhaps one of her changing into her school uniform? It was a sure way to fluster her girlfriend which she would never decline the opportunity to do.

"I-I'm excusing myself," Ririka stuttered, quickly standing up. "We'll discuss this later."

"We will not,"  Kirari stood up, blocking her path. "Hand me your phone."

The twins stared at each other in a silent stand-off, one waiting for the other to make her move. Ririka protectively clutched her cell phone to her chest as if it were the most valuable item she owned which in that moment, it was. The very last thing she needed was Kirari discovering her and Mary’s private conversations. 

"I...I don't need to," Ririka spoke calmly, but confidently. "I'm older than you, therefore you cannot tell me what to do."  

Ririka wouldn't have done this a few months ago, but Mary had taught her to start stepping out of her comfort zone and to not submit in an uncomfortable scenario. Although Mary would have been proud to see her stand her ground, this scenario was more dangerous than it was uncomfortable. 

Challenging Kirari in any way more or less was equivalent to challenging a queen for her throne. While in most cases Kirari would have been intrigued by such a reaction from Ririka, her eyes flickered with anger. Even though she smirked, Ririka could see right through it. She was treading across thin ice at this point, she knew that much. 

"I am your clan leader, therefore I can tell you what to do," Kirari proclaimed in a commanding tone.

Ririka wouldn't back down. "But wasn't it you who just said I was just as much the heir and leader to our clan as you are?"

Kirari inhaled sharply and then sighed. "Why do you love Saotome?"

Ririka wrinkled her nose in confusion. The sudden change of subject threw her off, so she suspected Kirari was trying to play one of her little mind games now.

"What? Why do you want to know that?"

"I'm trying to understand what's going on in your head, Riri," Kirari grumbled. "I wish to know why Saotome has captivated your heart and what she did to change you. I want to understand your love for Saotome because perhaps... it will help me learn to show Sayaka how much she means to me and how I can provide the best version of my love for her. I don't want to continue being in the dark about this. All of this."

Ah, now it makes sense. Ririka could understand Kirari's position because she was recently in the same position. The only difference was Kirari courted Sayaka for three years and well... Mary courted Ririka for roughly three months. She had picked up on love a lot quicker than Kirari did apparently. Perhaps it was due to their different thought processes. Kirari's thoughts and actions aligned with her brain while Ririka's thoughts and actions aligned with her heart.

Ririka's expression softened and she placed her phone in her pocket. "My love for Mary is far more complex than you could ever imagine."

"Can you at least try to explain it to me?" Kirari asked impatiently.

Ririka wouldn't simply answer Kirari's questions without receiving a few answers of her own first. She still failed to understand just why Sayaka and Kirari were so drawn to each other and how they acted as a couple. From Ririka's perspective at least, it seemed like not much had changed since Kirari and Sayaka entered a relationship. Sayaka still addressed Kirari as her superior and Kirari still treated her like her Secretary. Ririka rarely saw them give affection or say anything that validated each other's feelings. Wasn't that the entire point of being in a relationship?

"Can you tell me why you love Sayaka?" Ririka shot back, raising a curious brow. "Your relationship with her isn't exactly easy for me to understand either."

Kirari shrugged and looked away, glancing at the rising sun through the window in their dining room. "What's there to tell? I built a tower as a monument of my love to her, courted her for three years, and officially announced to the members of our family that she will be the only person I will marry or I will not get married at all. That should make my intentions with her very clear."

Blunt and straight to the point as always. Ririka appreciated that. She could at least relate to Kirari in the sense where she knew she hoped her relationship with Mary lasted beyond their high school and even college years. Maybe even marriage.

"Then why do you sound upset about it?" Ririka questioned.

"Sayaka has only told me she loved me once... when she was faced with certain death. She hasn’t said it again since. And she's also afraid to initiate any romantic gestures and I cannot figure out why. I want to know what I'm doing wrong, why she's so afraid of showing her affection," Kirari sighed, but quickly brushed it aside. "But that's my personal issue that I will deal with on my own. I still wish to find out not only Saotome's intentions, but I want to understand your relationship with her." 

"I have a propositional experiment for you then," Ririka suggested. "Let's trade places today. You will see how Mary is around me when we're alone, so maybe you will understand our love for each other. In return, I will try to better understand your love for Sayaka when I am disguised as you."

It was the best way for her to gain an input on Kirari's secluded time with Sayaka. Kirari also enjoyed seeing her questions answered through her own actions, so that worked in her favor. It sounded like a good plan to both twins. Besides, Ririka was fairly confident Mary would figure out she and Kirari traded places since she knew Ririka almost as well as Kirari did by this point.

"How interesting," Kirari mused with a slight grin. "I am willing to try this. It should be fun to see how Saotome reacts if she discovers I am you today."

"I have a hunch it won't take her too long to figure it out, but even I'm unsure whether or not she'll be able to tell the difference right away if at all," Ririka chuckled. "Sayaka however... she's quite prone to noticing even the most subtle changes in your demeanor. She's been able to tell the difference before." 

"Then this should be an engaging challenge for you," Kirari nodded. "I am confident I will have no issue fooling Saotome though."

Ririka smirked. "Pride comes before the fall, Rari. Don't underestimate Mary."

"I never have and I won't start now," Kirari admitted. "However, I wish to make this a gamble. Not just a simple experiment."

"Of course you do," Ririka groaned, rolling her eyes. "Fine, what do you want?"

"If Sayaka discovers you are posing as me before Mary discovers I am disguised as you, then you will be attending the clan meetings as me from now on," Kirari explained. "I hate speaking to those snakes just as much as you do, so I wouldn't mind having to never attend one of those dreadfully boring meetings again."

"And what do I get if I win this gamble?" Ririka questioned, not willing to agree to the gamble if it wasn't worth her while. 

Kirari thought briefly. "Well, then I will grant your request from not too long ago to give Mary a key to our home. She will be allowed to come and go as she pleases." 

For a split second, Ririka thought she misheard her. She wanted to give Mary a key to their home. That was an enormous deal. Only the heads and the spouses of the heads of each family were allowed keys that granted them access to the Bami property. Sayaka, of course, had a key since Kirari had plans to marry her in the near future. But Kirari allowing Mary access to the Bami manor meant she would see Mary as Ririka's life long partner. It was equivalent to her blessing.

Ririka's eyes widened in surprise and glinted with excitement. "A-are you serious?"

"Sayaka already has a key, so I suppose it would only be fair if your chosen partner has one as well," Kirari shrugged. "Today will determine just how loyal and loving Saotome is to you and thus, whether or not she has a place in our family."

"So the very moment either of our positions are discovered, we will call or text each other?" Ririka asked.

Kirari nodded. "Yes, and the gamble will be over. We will also switch back since there would be no point in staying swapped."

Ririka gave a slight nod and glanced at her porcelain smiling mask. Kirari would lose instantly if she interacted with Mary without wearing Ririka's mask. Ririka may have mastered acting as her sister, but Kirari wasn't nearly as experienced in posing as Ririka. The mask was the only thing that would make this a fair and equal gamble. 

Ririka grabbed her mask that was placed on the dining room table and handed it to Kirari. "Good luck."

"Good luck to you as well," Kirari grinned before the two shook hands, making it official. "I look forward to seeing the results of this gamble."

Ririka was looking forward to it just as much. The only thing she wasn't  looking forward to was the fact that she would likely have to flirt and attempt to fluster Sayaka which may have led to Sayaka attempting to kiss her at some point if she didn't already see past the disguise. This was something Ririka wanted to avoid altogether and she just hoped Kirari didn't find herself in a similar situation with Mary.

Usually Ririka didn't enjoy swapping positions with Kirari, but this time seemed like it could be fun. Of course, she had to fulfill her duties as the President for the first portions of the day and make sure nobody suspected anything during their morning Student Council meetings. So far no one could tell the difference. Even Sayaka, who remained close to Kirari's side, was completely oblivious that the President was not who she appeared to be.

Unfortunately, the one downside of posing as Kirari meant that Ririka had to spend most of her time in the student council room for the majority of the day. At least she had Sayaka to keep her company. Well... sort of. Sayaka appeared to be placing her focus on student files and housepet reports. In fact, she had hardly interacted with Ririka at all, causing Ririka to suspect Sayaka had already figured it out. Though if she did, she likely would have called the twins out on their deception, so Ririka knew Sayaka couldn't have put the pieces together. Yet.

This situation was tricky; fooling Sayaka wouldn't be an easy feat. While she knew practically every aspect of Kirari's personality and mannerisms, she knew little to nothing about how she treated Sayaka behind closed doors when it was just the two of them. She didn't know where to start and the only way she could possibly trick Sayaka was to gain a read on her.

"Sayaka, darling, can you come here for a moment?" Ririka said softly, but imitated Kirari's voice perfectly.

Sayaka stiffened and nearly dropped the tea she was pouring into a cup. "I will be there in a moment with your tea, Madam President." 

"It's just the two of us, you know. You can call me by my name, Sa-ya-ka," Ririka pressed a finger to her chin in contemplation and over enunciated Sayaka's name, much like Kirari would. 

"I apologize, Kirari, it's a habit," Sayaka sighed and relaxed slightly, walking over to Ririka. 

Ririka wasn't sure she had ever heard Sayaka address Kirari by her first name before. It was a good sign, at least. There was a time when Ririka could remember Sayaka refusing to call Kirari by her first name even after Kirari had informed her it was okay to. It was a matter of respect in Sayaka's mind. Now that she and Kirari were in a relationship, things were different.

"You seem tense, dearest," Ririka commented, taking a sip of the tea. It was strong, just how Kirari liked it. "Would you tell me what's wrong, my love?" 

Sayaka's expression grew confused. "Well if I'm honest, I'm a little concerned about you." 

Ririka's heart skipped a beat in fear, but did not let it show and instead raised a curious brow. "Oh? And why is that, my little lily?"

"You're acting differently," Sayaka commented.

"How so?" Ririka pressed.

"This morning during our meeting, you seemed distracted and unfocused which is unlike you," Sayaka explained.

"Stress. I was up late discussing family affairs with Ririka and I'm a bit tired today," Ririka responded cheaply. "Anything else?" 

Sayaka inhaled and exhaled. "The nicknames you're giving me also. You have addressed me by a nickname at least four times within the past couple minutes now. You don't call me those things very often and when you do, it's outside of school or when you're distressed about something."

Ririka found it strange that Kirari rarely gave Sayaka pet names. She had a dozen pet names for Mary that she used on a regular basis in front of others or when they were alone. Regardless, now Ririka was concerned. She figured Sayaka would detect something off about how she portrayed Kirari and she already noticed two major things. This meant that if she slipped up any more, her position would be compromised.

"But we are alone. Surely there isn't anything wrong with me trying to be affectionate with my girlfriend, is there?" Ririka asked.

"I suppose not," Sayaka shook her head. "It's just rather unusual for you to be so needy for it. Usually you just initiate it rather than ask for it." 

Ah. Now that gave Ririka a better image of what she was working with. Kirari wasn't used to asking for what she wanted, she would usually just do it herself and Ririka assumed the same applied to whenever she showed her love to Sayaka. Kirari apparently  voiced her affection on rare occasions. This meant Ririka would have to be more assertive. She remembered that this was Sayaka, not Mary. Mary expected Ririka to voice her wants and needs, Sayaka expected Kirari to just do it.

"Hm," Ririka hummed in consideration, swiftly standing up.

Sayaka eyed her as Ririka slowly walked closer. Ririka could tell Sayaka sensed something was off. She just couldn't figure out what. Ririka may have been the only one who was able to understand everything about Kirari, but it appeared she was no longer the only one.

If she was honest, it had been that way for a while. Sayaka's logical mind was able to tell even the slightest of changes in Kirari's body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions. That made Ririka's current position much more challenging, for she had to be sure everything she did was without flaw.

"Kirari?" Sayaka asked slowly as Ririka stopped in front of her. 

Without warning, Ririka wrapped her arms around Sayaka in a tight hug and placed a gentle kiss on Sayaka's head. Sayaka froze in place and let out a slight squeak as she did this, blushing intensely. Ririka herself blushed, though it was from embarrassment since she would only ever do this with Mary.

"Do you not enjoy this, Sayaka?" Ririka asked, feigning Kirari's cockiness in her tone.

Sayaka did not hug her back, but simply placed her chin on Ririka's shoulder. "O-of course I enjoy this."

Ririka released her slightly, but kept an arm wrapped around Sayaka's waist, lightly caressing her cheek with her free hand. "Then why won't you hold me back?"

"I..." Sayaka began to say and looked deeply into Ririka's cerulean eyes, searching for something. 

Before she could finish her sentence, the door to the student council room flew open and in came the disguised Vice President. Ririka briefly glanced over toward her masked twin and noticed her fists were clenched. She smirked slightly, knowing Kirari was likely very jealous seeing her holding Sayaka in a way only she was allowed to.

"O-oh, Vice President!" Sayaka stuttered when she noticed the masked girl enter the room. She broke free from her supposed lover's grasp and bowed her head in respect to the third person in the room.

"Leave, Igarashi," Kirari commanded, and Ririka could tell Kirari was furious from her cold tone.

Sayaka glanced at the fake Kirari to which Ririka gave a gentle nod.

 "I will see you later, Sayaka. I love you," Ririka smiled, sensing Kirari's eyes staring daggers at her from behind the mask.

Sayaka stared at her in utter confusion and almost irritation. Ririka tilted her head to the side, expecting Sayaka to say those three words back to her, but she never did. Instead, she glanced at the fake Vice President with the same bewildered expression before walking out of the room.

As soon as the door shut, Kirari removed the mask and placed it on the table. Ririka closed her eyes, letting out a sigh she had been holding in and her cheeks instantly turned red as she thought about what she had just done.

"You have lost, dear sister," Kirari smirked.

"I disagree," Ririka huffed, raising a brow at her. "Sayaka has not revealed that she has figured out we have switched places, therefore the gamble isn't over yet."

"Ah, but she now suspects something is wrong," Kirari giggled. "I have never told her I loved her out loud."

Ririka scowled at her. "You act like that's something to be proud of. Mary and I say we love each other every day. It's sad that Sayaka has never heard you say it after all this time."

Now Sayaka's shyness and unsureness made much more sense. Kirari initiating touch was something Sayaka was comfortable with because she constantly wanted to please her. But for Sayaka to initiate, touching Kirari must have felt like something forbidden for her to do. She might have been still trapped in the mentality that she was in love with Kirari, but Kirari was not in love with her.

Sayaka was a logical and straightforward person; communication and constant reassurance was crucial to her. For Kirari to never say she loved her would make her think that this relationship of theirs was only temporary, so why would Sayaka put any effort into something she might think would eventually end some day? It was alright for Kirari to do what she wanted so long as she was happy, but Sayaka probably didn't want to push any boundaries and jeopardize anything. It all made sense now and Ririka realized the severity of her mistake in telling Sayaka she loved her since Kirari never had and to do so and was out of character for her. 

Kirari shrugged. "She's only said it out loud to me once. We show our love in a very different way than you and Saotome do."

"I can tell," Ririka sighed and rubbed her temples, deciding it was best to change the subject. "So, did you discover anything about Mary, Ririka?"

Kirari rolled her eyes. "Quite a bit, actually. I really did not like the way she touched me. She also demanded a kiss from me like a greedy child. I was barely able to avoid kissing her. Is she like this with you all of the time?"

Ririka could just imagine how insufferable Kirari thought Mary was being when really she was usually even more affectionate than that. And for Kirari to experience it first hand from someone who was not Sayaka, especially someone she didn't particularly like, must have been torturous for her to endure. 

Ririka chuckled. "Don't be hypocritical, Rari. You touch Sayaka every chance you get. Mary is... like you in that respect. She likes to touch me. Though I'm shyer about touching her, I make up for it by telling her sweet nothings or that the amount of love I have for her is endless."

"So telling Sayaka cheesy, sappy nonsense is the path I should take if I want her to touch me more?" Kirari asked flatly.

Ririka shrugged. "Maybe... Or have you ever tried asking her to?" 

Kirari opened her mouth to respond but shut it. Ririka raised a curious brow at her. Had Kirari really never thought to do that before? 

"Hm, you may have a point there," Kirari hummed in consideration.

"I was like that with Mary at first. I was always afraid to cross a line with her even though she was the one to touch me," Ririka smiled as she explained, her blush deepening by the second. "Until she asked me if I wanted to touch her. And well... I did and I was honest with her. Now we don't really have boundaries with touching anymore."

"Good to know," Kirari commented. "But don't expect me to touch Mary today. I would honestly rather touch scalding water."

Ririka suddenly received a mental image that made her heart pang with jealousy. She highly doubted Kirari would allow Mary to kiss her or do something else that would be too intimate, but then again, Kirari hated to lose. Ririka wanted to be absolutely sure Kirari wouldn't go to that extent and allow something like that to happen just to increase her chances of victory. 

"Oh, I wasn't expecting you to. You better not try to kiss her at all today either or else this gamble is automatically over," Ririka warned, her tone sounding possessive.

"Don't touch Sayaka again then," Kirari glared darkly at her. "The same applies to you. It made my blood boil to see you touch her the way you did earlier. But I promise I won't kiss Saotome. I wouldn't willingly do it anyway."

"Believe me, it made me sick to my stomach to do that to Sayaka," Ririka grumbled. "But I never planned on kissing her. I would rather lose this gamble than kiss Igarashi."

Ririka's stomach churned at the thought of kissing Sayaka. It wasn't because Sayaka was unattractive or undesirable, but rather because Ririka saw her as a younger sibling more than anything else. Besides, there was only one person in the world who Ririka would willingly kiss. 

"Good. I feel the same about Saotome," Kirari nodded.

Ririka shook her head and laughed. "We probably should have considered this before we agreed to this gamble. Mary and Sayaka won't be pleased with us when they find out we did this."

"No, but they'll get over it," Kirari assured her.

Sayaka may or may not have been mad if she found out, but Ririka knew Mary would be frustrated with her. However, she also knew Mary wouldn't stay mad over it. It was all for a gamble after all, surely Mary would understand that much. 

"They love us too much to stay mad," Ririka agreed and then a thought occurred to her. "Hey, wait a minute... I have a class right now. Why aren't you there?"

"Oh, I just wanted to make sure you weren't shoving your tongue down my most beloved's throat or something like that," Kirari smirked. "Now that I know you are not, I suppose I can go now."

Ririka ignored that appalling thought. "Damn it, Kirari! I already have several tardies and absences for that class!" 

"Since when did you start cussing? How unlike you, Riri," Kirari giggled.

Ririka blushed from embarrassment. "Mary cusses a lot. She... may have influenced me to start cursing as well, but I rarely do it!"

"You don't say?" Kirari teased. "Well, Miss. President , you'd better finish the house pet reports I was supposed to do today."

Ririka nearly groaned. One of the first things she did earlier that morning was signing official documents that Sayaka gave her. When she complained and tried to get out of it, Sayaka persisted and gave her long speech on "fulfilling your duties as Student Council President"  which Ririka had heard her say to Kirari on a number of occasions. Kirari usually found it to be cute and endearing that Sayaka would say these things, but Ririka found it to be annoying. She wasn't sure how many housepet reports she'd have to read through before she would go insane. That was something Sayaka could do for her, at least.

"I'll have Sayaka do it. I want to nap right now," Ririka yawned. "Being around her was tiring."

Kirari wrinkled her nose in confusion. "How? She is literally the most calming person to be around."

"No, she's a bundle of nerves and anxiety," Ririka corrected her. "But she did appear to be much more relaxed when she was alone with me and I assume that's how she is with you."

"You have much to learn about my dearest," Kirari sighed happily. "I will see you later, Riri."

"I'm sure we'll find out the results of our gamble very soon," Ririka commented.

Kirari smiled and nodded. "I don't doubt that."

Ririka was awoken from her nap once she heard the school bell chime for lunch break. She got up from the futon and stretched, briefly looking at her reflection in the window. Her braids were slightly falling apart and her blue lipstick was slightly smudged. She was glad she caught that and quickly fixed it before Sayaka returned to eat lunch with her.

One benefit of Ririka being the acting President of the day was having Sayaka as her personal Secretary which meant she didn't need to walk all the way across campus to buy lunch in the cafeteria. She paid for Sayaka's lunch, of course, since Sayaka went to the trouble of getting her lunch for her. Apparently Kirari and Sayaka did this every day. It was a lunch time ritual between them that couldn't be altered, Ririka knew that much. 

She supposed spending lunch with Sayaka wouldn't be so bad. She'd done it before, but she enjoyed seeing Mary at lunch every day. She enjoyed hearing the blonde rant about something stupid Yumeko or Itsuki did, she liked being able to hold her hand; she even liked it when Mary tried to steal her melon bread. It felt strange not being able to do that today, but at least it was only for one day.

She wondered how Kirari was doing with Mary since they should have met up by now. Hopefully Mary wasn't being too unbearable with her flirtatious advances. The thought of seeing Kirari squirm while Mary tried to flirt with her made Ririka smile and laugh. 

"Is something funny, President?" Sayaka asked as she entered the room.

"Oh nothing," Ririka calmed down and crossed her legs, leaning back on the futon. "What did you get for me today?"

"Fresh filet sole with a side of lemon and rice," Sayaka explained with a smile, placing the meal on the student council table.

Fish? I hate fish. Maybe there's a way I can get out of eating this without seeming suspicious.

Ririka grimaced and tried her best to smile back. "I see. Thank you, Sayaka."

"What's wrong? Is that no longer your favorite?" Sayaka pouted.

"Will we be sharing it?" Ririka dodged the question.

Sayaka nodded. "That was my intention, yes, but first..."

"Hm?" Ririka hummed.

Sayaka walked over toward her, but went behind the futon. Before Ririka could voice her confusion, Sayaka draped her arms around Ririka’s shoulders and nuzzled her face in the crook of her neck. Ririka stiffened, not prepared for this sudden attack of affection. Hesitantly, she reached up and brushed her fingers against Sayaka's arms.

"What are you doing?" Ririka chuckled uneasily, uncrossing her legs.

"Showing you affection, Ki-ra-ri~,"   Sayaka smiled, emphasizing Kirari's name.

"Oh, is that so?" Ririka asked.

"Is this not what you wanted earlier?" Sayaka whispered in question and placed her lips on the lobe of Ririka's ear, causing Ririka to shiver uncomfortably. 

Ririka swallowed hard and felt her face instantly heat up from embarrassment. This wasn't like Sayaka and she knew it. She had no idea where this sudden boldness came from on the violet-eyed girl's part. Unless... was this actually how Sayaka treated Kirari in private? 

No, it couldn't be. Kirari had voiced her displeasure earlier on how Sayaka rarely showed her physical affection. One of the reasons why Ririka was in this position was to find out why, but Sayaka's unexpected actions changed the game. 

"I... it is," Ririka confirmed, trying her hardest not to break character. "But-"

"Oh, of course, you wish for more than just a hug, hm?" Sayaka asked, cutting her off.

Sayaka walked around the futon and took Ririka's hands into her own, pulling her up to stand. She gently tugged on one of her arms, guiding her to the aquarium across the room.

What is she doing? I don't know how much longer I can-

Suddenly, Sayaka pinned Ririka to the glass of the aquarium, causing the fish in the surrounding area to swim away from the scene as if they were intruding. Ririka swallowed the bile slowly rising in her throat. Sayaka's violet eyes almost seemed to silently interrogate Ririka, yet her expression and smirk was dripping with lust. Ririka couldn't tell what Sayaka was thinking.

She knows. She has to know.

But if Sayaka already knew Ririka was posing as Kirari, why was she continuing with this behavior? Certainly she wasn't doing this out of some unspoken attraction toward... Ririka, was she? A thousand thoughts swarmed within the older twin's mind. Sayaka wasn't the cheating type and she definitely wasn't the kind of person to go after someone who was already in a relationship which she knew Ririka was. 

However, she did still say Kirari's name earlier, not Ririka's. Did she truly not figure it out yet? Ririka didn't know and she also knew she couldn't allow this to continue any further. Sayaka may or may not have figured out the twin's ruse, but the fact that she didn't say it out loud that she figured it out meant that Ririka would have to say it first before this got out of hand. It already was.

"What's the matter, dearest?" Sayaka smirked even wider. "I thought this is what you have been longing for."

"I-I..." Ririka couldn't complete her sentence.

Sayaka gently stroked her cheek and leaned in so close her lips almost touched Ririka's. "How odd. Have I rendered you speechless for once? This is very out of character for you, Ki-ra-ri.~"

It was too much. Ririka knew either Sayaka had to stop this and say she knew Ririka and Kirari switched positions or Ririka would have to stop this herself. Either way, this gamble was over for her. If she allowed Sayaka to kiss her, she would lose. If she revealed her position, she would lose. But with Sayaka's lips being only mere inches away from hers, she knew now was the time to make a judgement call. 

However, before she could say a word or push Sayaka away, the doors to the student council room flew open. The fake Ririka marched in and froze in place instantly once she saw the sight of her most beloved about to kiss her twin. Ririka had never been so happy to see Kirari in her life. She looked at her younger sister in desperation, releasing the air she had been holding in.

"Sayaka, stop!" The masked girl commanded. 

Sayaka looked over at the masked twin and gave a knowing smile, moving away from the girl she had pinned up against the aquarium. 

"Forgive me, Ririka-san," Sayaka turned back to the real Ririka and politely bowed her head apologetically. "I had to make this just as uncomfortable for the President as it was for you. I knew she'd show up here eventually and it appears my timing was right on point."

"You... figured it out?" Kirari said breathlessly, removing the mask as she approached them. 

"I wasn't certain at first," Sayaka admitted. "Until Ririka-san said she loved me, that's when I knew. You... haven't exactly told me that yet and I found it peculiar that you would randomly say it all of a sudden and in front of your sister no less."

Of course. That had been Ririka's losing mistake during this gamble. She didn't doubt that Sayaka would eventually figure it out, but she may have gotten away with it a lot longer than she did had it not been for her mistake. This meant she knew Ririka's position even during their lunch time interaction. However, there was just one thing Ririka still didn't understand.

"Y-you weren't actually going to kiss me, were you?" Ririka stuttered.

Sayaka giggled. "Of course not. If your sister hadn't shown up, I would have told you I knew you two switched places before I got too close. You may share the same face as her, but I could never kiss you. You're not her."

Ririka instantly felt relief wash over her. So Sayaka wasn't attracted to her at all, but her behavior was a way of getting revenge on both of the twins for not informing her about the gamble. That made Ririka feel a lot better, for it would have complicated things ten fold if Sayaka did have unspoken feelings for her. She only had love for Kirari like she always had. 

"I appreciate that," Ririka sighed with relief. "And I'm sorry for deceiving you. Kirari and I had a gamble we arranged and neither you nor Mary were allowed to know."

"I suspected just as much," Sayaka replied calmly. 

"You aren't upset?" Kirari asked cautiously. 

"I never said that," Sayaka huffed. "I wish to talk to you alone if that's alright?" 

"Of course it is," Kirari nodded and turned to Ririka. "Riri, Mary's waiting for you in the courtyard. I gave her the key and she has a panda plushy for you."

Ririka grinned, her heart swelling with love. "Aw, she does? She didn't have to do-wait, you gave her the key?! Why?"

"I understand your relationship with her now. I understand her feelings for you. And it made me realize I've been doing some things wrong in my relationship with Sayaka," Kirari explained, giving her lover a forlorn glance. 

Ririka was more than happy to hear this. She was glad Kirari finally understood her bond with Mary, but even more, she knew Kirari accepted Mary as Ririka's partner not just in gambling, but in life. This was her discreet way of accepting Mary into the family. She didn't know what Mary said to her to gain her approval, but whatever it was must have been a grand declaration of sorts. Ririka wished she was there to hear it.

Ririka nodded, starting to unbraid her hair. "Good. I hope you didn't give Mary too much of a hard time today."

"Well, it was more the other way around," Kirari corrected her. "I nearly exposed who I was once she kissed my neck."

Ririka was right in the middle of unbraiding the second braid and stopped dead in her tracks. She stared at Kirari who wore a smirk, feeling herself heat up all the way down her neck as she imagined it. She was not embarrassed or entertained by the thought of it, but in fact extremely jealous and buried her face in her hands, as if trying to cool off. Based on Sayaka's angry expression, it seemed she felt similarly.

"She did what?!"  Sayaka asked through gritted teeth.

"Relax, darling. Mary didn't know it was me," Kirari giggled. 

Ririka could no longer contain her emotions. "You promised me you wouldn't kiss her!"

"I didn't. She was the one who kissed me, so I kept my promise," Kirari corrected her. "And it wasn't like she kissed my lips. The mask stayed on the entire time. I told you earlier I would rather touch scalding water than touch her, that includes kissing her."

"Gosh, she must be so confused right now. Give me my mask. I need to go talk to her," Ririka muttered, now feeling extremely irritated. 

"Lock the door on the way out, will you, Ririka?" Kirari requested as Ririka stomped toward her and snatched her mask.

Ririka caught a brief glance of Kirari's expression. She was nervous, scared even. Not even Ririka could say Kirari had nothing to be afraid of since she knew Sayaka wasn't exactly thrilled. Anyone would be nervous if their significant other was upset with them. 

"It's now or never, Rari," Ririka whispered to her twin before she placed her mask on and left the room.

As soon as she locked the door, she headed in the direction of where the courtyard was. Her palms were sweaty and she clenched and unclenched her fists close to a dozen times as she continued walking, ignoring the hundreds of eyes on her when she passed by the onlookers.

She could only imagine Mary's reaction once she told her about the gamble. Their number one rule in their relationship was to communicate with each other about everything. Ririka wasn't so sure what to expect Mary to say or do once she found out she was interacting with Kirari the entire day or that Ririka left her out of something important like this.

Mary was sitting by the tree they always sat by at lunch. She was staring at the gold metal key in her hand, puzzled yet intrigued by it; Ririka would have to eventually tell her that it was made of real gold and to be very careful with it and not to lose it. But for now, there were more important matters to address.

Mary looked up to see her girlfriend approaching her and stood up, raising a brow at her different uniform top and hair that was slightly wavy due to the braids. 

“Okay, I was gonna ask about the key, but now I have to ask what… all that is,” Mary gestured to Ririka’s Presidential uniform.

 "I'll explain that in a moment, but first I'm sorry," Ririka said solemnly, removing her mask so Mary could see her.

“Sorry for wh-” Mary began to ask, but stopped mid sentence when Ririka wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. "Woah hey, what's this about?"

"I'm sorry," Ririka said again, trying to find the right words.

Confused, Mary hugged Ririka back, wondering several things now.

“If you’re apologizing for hugging me, there’s really no need to, babe,” Mary laughed uneasily. “You’ve been acting strange all day, so are you gonna tell me why?”

Ririka grimaced. “Yeah, because that wasn’t me you were interacting with all day… it was Kirari.”

“What’s that supposed...” Mary said and the realization hit her. “Are you telling me that the neck I kissed today at lunch was Kirari’s?! God, no wonder you… she didn’t want to take the mask off!” 

Ririka frowned. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Mary. We made a bet this morning to see whether or not you or Sayaka would discover Kirari and I swapped places today.” 

“I kissed Kirari fucking Momobami’s neck,” Mary ignored what Ririka said, still trapped with that one thought repeating over and over in her mind. “I think I’m gonna need to spray my lips with bleach when I get home.”

“I have the same DNA as her, you know,” Ririka grumbled. 

“Even so, she’s not you!” Mary snapped harshly. “She isn’t my Riri.” 

“Well, I’m here now,” Ririka offered weakly. “Are you… mad?”

“No, not really,” Mary sighed. “Just grossed out that I was with Kirari all day and not you.”

“Did you not have any suspicions?” Ririka asked curiously.

“Tsk, of course I did,” Mary scoffed. “The first sign was when she refused to remove the mask when we were alone together. There were other things of course, but I tried to think that maybe you were just feeling off today. But I know for a fact that if she would have removed the mask at all, I would have been able to figure out it was her instantly.”

Ririka supposed she wasn’t too surprised to hear this. It was difficult to tell the difference with the mask on since it not only hid her physical features, but muffled her voice as well. Even Sayaka would have had a difficult time figuring out Kirari was Ririka in disguise with that mask on.

“That’s understandable. It was really difficult tricking Sayaka, but she eventually figured out I wasn’t Kirari,” Ririka explained.

“Did she touch or kiss you at all?” Mary raised a suspicious brow at her. 

“Oh, don’t act like you weren’t all touchy with Kirari!” Ririka smirked and teased her. “I know you were.”

“Hey! In my defense, I didn’t know it was her! If she would have taken off that damn mask, I probably would have slapped her for trying to pull a stunt like this!” Mary growled. 

“Then you wouldn’t have gotten the key to our house, so it’s a good thing she didn’t, hm?” Ririka smiled.

Mary stared at her dumbfounded and then at the key in her hand, blushing intensely. “W-wait… this is the key?”

“Yes, love,” Ririka nodded. “Whatever you said to Kirari earlier must have made her immediately approve of you.”

Mary rubbed the side of her neck. “Not that I need or care about here approval. I mean, I was kinda needy today and said some really sappy things earlier, thinking I was telling you.” 

Ririka took a step forward, staring intently into Mary’s golden eyes. “What sort of things?” 

“Well uh, she asked me why I loved you,” Mary replied shyly. “And I answered honestly.” 

“What did you say?” Ririka pressed.

Mary’s face turned red. “Remember the time in the peach orchard?”

How could Ririka forget? It was the first time Mary confessed that she loved Ririka. Hyakkaou was hosting a festival and Mary was able to convince Ririka to abandon her tasks and sneak off with her. The older girl went along with her, of course, not much of a fan for social events herself. Mary took her to the peach tree orchard behind the school. 

Mary had asked the question Ririka had been afraid to admit to anyone, even herself: Was she in love with Mary? She knew she liked Mary and felt happier around her more than anyone else, but to be in love was something she never experienced before. It was new. Unknown. And though it was exciting to experience something so different, nothing terrified her more than not knowing the outcome of something.

The blonde gave her an answer first, saying that she was in love with her. Ririka wasn’t expecting her to do that and asked why. Mary told her she loved Ririka not for her riches, or looks, or connections, but fell in love with everything about her. The way she smiled when she saw something beautiful, or wouldn’t give up on a puzzling challenge, or when she looked so peaceful when she was asleep. 

“How could I ever forget?” Ririka chuckled. 

“Kirari asked me why I loved her, erm… you, and I thought at that moment that maybe you had forgotten what I said or that you were afraid I was lying to you. I wanted to make sure you had no doubt of my love for you. I hope you don’t have any doubts now,” Mary explained shyly. 

Ririka responded by lovingly pressing her lips against Mary’s, feeling the blonde smile into the kiss and pull her in closely by her hips. It wasn’t greedy or impatient, it was slow and passionate and assuring as their lips engaged in an intimate conversation. If a single moment of time could last forever, Ririka knew this was the exact moment she’d choose. 

“Finally,” Mary breathed out when they broke the kiss.

“Pardon?” Ririka asked with a curious expression.

“I’ve been waiting to do that all day,” Mary sighed contentedly. 

“My apologies, ma’am,” Ririka purred.

There was suddenly a mischievous and possessive glint in Mary’s eyes. “Don’t call me that if you don’t expect me to do something deserving of such a title.” 

Ririka kissed Mary’s forehead affectionately, not wanting to turn this soft moment into something more heated; at least for the time being. “Maybe later, but for now I have to make up for lost time today. Shall we go to the peach orchard and spend time with each other for a while?” 

“Sounds perfect,” Mary nodded. 

Ririka locked hands with her lover and guided her in the right direction. She thought of the golden key sitting in Mary’s pocket and smiled to herself. She knew this was a big step in their relationship, yet she couldn’t help but think even further ahead. Ririka Saotome had a nice ring to it; somehow, thinking of spending the rest of her life with Mary didn't sound so scary anymore.

That, she decided, was what real love felt like.