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How do you even tell them apart?"
"How can you not tell them apart? The one with long hair and holds herself with elegance clearly is Focalor and the short hair with a bratty attitude is Furina."
"AHHH!" Furina flinches as she suddenly drops the flashlight in her hands, immediately burying it into the muddy ground. The rain was pouring so hard that the sudden lightning and the loud thunder rumbling startled the younger child. Sandrone immediately turned around and yelled at the younger one but she didn't even hesitate to approach her despite nearly stumbling and falling face flat on the puddles.
"Oh my archons, Furi!" She yells, picking up the already broken flashlight that almost drowned in the puddle, but thankfully was retrieved by the older one. "Our flashlight's broken now!"
"How is it my fault?! Why are you still looking for that bracelet in the midst of the pouring rain?! It might've been lost in the rivers already…"
"Then you should've not lost it in the first place! And if you don't want to help me anyway, you should've just stayed behind!" Sandrone immediately snaps back at her before putting the broken flashlight in her pocket and walking away from the younger girl who was pouting under the pouring rain but continued to follow after her anyway.
"Sandrone, let's go back already please…" Furina calls her out again, but the rain seemed to be pouring so hard that the older couldn't seem to hear her. "HA?! I can't hear you!" She says, but she doesn't look back at her and simply keeps on walking.
The younger one simply gave up on trying to raise her voice as loudly as she could since she knew the other wouldn't be able to hear her. Just as she was about to reach the older, Sandrone laughed out loudly, "AHA! LOOK! LOOK!" She says before as she was about to cross the raging river.
Just as she was about to lunge forward, Furina rushed and immediately grabbed her arm, pulling her back, before the current attacked both of them. Just as Sandrone was fortunate enough to land on Furina, the younger one however, hit her head on the boulder behind them when she was pulling Sandrone back.
Only did Sandrone find that out when she heard a loud, resounding thud despite the harsh downpour. She was even hesitant to look back at first since she didn't hit herself and landed on something else behind her—and the moment she turned around, her eyes widened in horror as she saw something red behind Furina's head, painting the boulder where she landed on.
"FURINA!"
—
It has been weeks, then turned months since Sandrone saw the younger one—to be frank, she wasn't even that young. They were just nine to ten months apart but Sandrone still treats her like a fragile thing to be protected.
Yet she couldn't even protect her in that one, single, specific time.
In those months that have passed and Sandrone had been wondering what happened, how bad it was that it took this long to finally meet Furina again... But… Now that she was finally back, seeing her again felt… surreal…?
She doesn't know how to describe it but… something definitely has changed. Furina seemed rather distant… and …different.
When her father was about to pick her up from school, he asked her where the young child who saved her life was. She hesitantly pointed towards Furina and her father, Alain, immediately went up to her and kneeled in front of the child while holding her hands.
"Pa…" Sandrone stands next to him, eyes widened in shock and fear, as her father kept muttering apologies to the child who seemed unfazed. Sandrone looks back at Furina and she smiles widely, gently squeezing the old man's hands.
"It's alright, Sir. I will always take care of Sandrone!"
"Y… you're not…" Sandrone mumbles softly as she looks at the frame sitting on top of whom she thought was Furina. She then takes the frame, holding it in her hands as her fingertips graze across the glass. She hears Furina sigh, her light footsteps resounding throughout the room. Sandrone finally lifts up her head as she meets the woman's eyes. No wonder why it felt different, looking into them.
She was not Furina.
"Took you long enough, huh?" The woman says as she keeps her frown, brushing her hair back. "You know, Sandrone… It's not new anymore for people to mistake me for Furina… or vice versa. We could be twins despite the fact that I'm older than her by a year and a half 'cause we look so much alike, do we not?" She starts to speak. Those words made the other woman's heart sink to her stomach and her throat restricting the air from entering her lungs. Unknowingly, her hands tightened their hold onto the frame she was holding.
"But, I personally think I play her quite well, don't I? After all, you also seemed to believe I am her." She continued when the silence stretched as Sandrone remained silent. "You see, when my sister comes back from Fontaine, she might not recognize you due to that impact when she hit her head to save you."
"But at least make sure to address us correctly. Okay?" She says lastly before Sandrone finally musters up to speak the words she wanted to say. Since they were a lot, she just said in response,
"Then… How… should I call you?"
"Focalor." She says, while smiling. "Address me as Focalor."
Am I asking for too much from you?
Sandrone… I only have one wish from you…
And that is… for you to love me too…
"Do you plan on getting diabetes before reaching thirty, Furina?" Sandrone asks as she furrows her brows at the woman sitting across her, almost inhaling all of the macarons in front of her. It hasn't even been a minute since they ordered the pastries and yet the other seemed like she was starved for a whole year with how she finished three of them, out of the six, in 30 seconds… honestly, Sandrone was just exaggerating.
"It's really good, okay?" the younger responds, smiling while humming a tune to herself before sipping from her milkshake glass. The older girl across from her simply rolled her eyes, putting down her cup after sipping tea from it.
"Oh, How's your older sister?" the engineer asks which made Furina visibly pause from whatever she was doing, her mood changing almost immediately.
If she was smiling earlier, it was obvious how it dropped just as how the clear skies from earlier, with the sun shining brightly, where the rays seeped through the windows suddenly turned gray as the clouds covered them all up. Not long after, pitter-patters were heard and raindrops poured from the heavens.
How fitting it was for how Furina felt. It was as if the heavens were aiding her, giving signals towards the woman across her that the topic she just brought up was by far the worst topic she could ever think of.
'Here you go again… Looking for Focalor.', was what the younger intended to say in response. Thankfully, she thought things through before speaking this time. She then placed her milkshake down on the table, averting her gaze to the scenery outside. She stared at the window for a few seconds, trying to debate on how to reply.
Am I really that boring that she has to bring up my sister all the time?
Is it too much to ask for her to ask how I'm doing instead?
I'm the one who's here, am I not?
Why are you still looking for someone else who isn't around?
"Oh, Focalor?" She mumbles softly. "Hm… I'm not sure when she's coming back here in Nod-Krai." She responds, not even bothering to turn her head to the other. She didn't want to see her reaction. She knows what face Sandrone would make anyway, and she will just be disappointed with it—so what was the point of it all?
"Oh, did she not say anything yet? She's taking so long there back in Fontaine." Sandrone says, huffing softly as Furina catches her crossing her arms on her chest. She doesn't turn her head, but from her peripheral view, she also catches how the other pouted. Sandrone was looking at the huge windows outside, mimicking Furina, as she watched the people walk with their umbrellas opened. The rain was becoming ruthless by every second as some umbrellas were being dragged by the winds. It was a good thing for Furina since the other wouldn't catch her looking at her.
"Aw… that's a shame… I miss her."
Ah.
She just wished she never heard that.
So she simply looked directly at the windows again, swallowing the visible lump in her throat.
Not that Sandrone's going to notice that anyway.
Of course you'd miss her.
"Why didn't you tell Mr. Alain the truth yet?" Focalors mumbles, trying to contain her voice as the man who they were hiding something from was just on the other side of the door. There was no guarantee that the room could hear the noise, or their conversation, from outside after all. Sandrone then looks away from her, after removing her hand that was gripping onto her wrist. She tried her best to keep her calm composure but she just couldn't contain it when Focalor kept asking useless questions.
"What do you want me to do? Tell Father the truth so he'd get a heart attack because of the fact that he mistook you for the actual girl who saved her daughter? Are you seriously going to let him wallow in guilt, Focalor?! He still doesn't forgive himself because of what happened to Furina, and then now he's going to feel even more guilty for forcing us together all this time!"
"Well, isn't that the truth?!" Focalors bites back, unable to contain her voice any longer. Sandrone was no better since she was first to do it anyway, and to hell if her father hears now. It looks like the two of them don't seem to be bothered at the setting they were in, after all. They had just finished talking to Alain, Sandrone's adopted father.
Focalor sighs as she brushes her hair back, trying to calm herself down, but she snaps once more, saying, "I'm getting sick of lying, Sandrone. I'm already tired of playing as my sister… and I know you are too. I know that you want to finally be with Furina—and so do I want to live my own life!"
Sandrone falls silent at this, her eyes widening as her hands on her sides turn into fists. Focalor was right, all she wanted was to be with Furina now, without pretending that she likes her older sister, the woman standing and arguing in front of her right now—just outside her father's room.
"Until when are you going to hide this fact from Mr. Alain? He doesn't have that much time left, Sandrone!" Focalor hits her once again with the harsh reality. They were like a slap on the face, hoping that Sandrone wakes up from this lie, this delusion she was trying to live for the sake of her father. "The only thing you can give for his passing to be peaceful is the truth!"
The younger woman doesn't respond, her eyes still never meeting Focalor. They've never met eye-to-eye this whole 15 years that they've acted as lovers. How they deceived everyone successfully. No one knew Focalor was dating someone else and Sandrone was in love with Furina, all this time, with how well they've both played their parts.
"Fine, I may be the evil one now, I may be the villain because I lied to Mr. Alain, to Furina—my own sister, but I doubt they'd ever hold that against me… but then again… I hope you know that you are also hurting both of them." The taller woman nudges her finger on Sandrone's chest before continuing, "Both of us, we're both liars here, Sandrone. You hid the truth from both Mr. Alain, and especially to Furina.
But now? I can no longer stand my sister hurting… because all her life, she thought that I was the one whom you love and not her."
"Pa… I'm sorry—"
"My poor girl… you didn't do anything wrong. You don't have to apologize…" Alain says, smiling at her while he reaches to gently wipe the tears from her eyes with his calloused hands. "It wasn't the best choice, but that was still what you chose to do at that moment. Now that you know your mistakes, make them right, yes?" The woman simply nods her head, leaning against her adopted father's hand.
"Just pursue whatever, whoever makes you happy. It doesn't matter if it's Focalor or Furina—but if it is indeed Furina, then tell her the truth. Be happy with her.
My poor girl, don't keep hurting yourself by hiding your feelings anymore. I just want you to be happy."
—
"Sandrone?" The younger one of the two approaches Sandrone, but the other did not seem to look up from her glass nor do anything to acknowledge the other's presence. Nonetheless, Furina did not leave and sat next to her, sighing softly. "I'm sorry for what happened to Mr. Alain." The white haired woman with blue highlights mumbles softly.
Still, Sandrone did not speak, instead she lifted the glass and downed the alcohol in one go. Furina's eyes widened at this and immediately took the glass from the other woman's hand, which she did not protest—since the drink's already finished anyway. She could feel Furina's eyes glaring at her as her nagging became muffled from the speech in the background and the alcohol slowly clouded her senses.
Well, thanks to the alcohol, she could use this as an excuse the next day and do whatever the hell she wanted—and what she wanted right now was to remain close to the woman whom she still cared for all this time. She knew something was off from the very beginning with the other woman who looked like a carbon copy of her, but deep down, within her… within her hear—mind, she will eventually know who the real girl who saved her life was. Thankfully that girl was still alive and kicking despite her missing memories. Would she ever forgive me if she knew?
You're too kind for this world, Furina.
I do not deserve you.
As soon as she closed her eyes, she let her heavy head drop to the woman-next-to-her's shoulder. She felt how the younger one stiffened for a moment. Her heartbeat is so loud…
…but that's fine.
At least I know that you're alive.
Despite the pounding heartbeat that Sandrone could hear despite resting her head on the younger's shoulder, she felt Furina relax after a few deep breaths. She even felt how her hand gently reached to pat her head. Gentle as always, was the engineer's last thought before alcohol knocked her out of consciousness and off to dreamland she went.
"I'm here, Sandrone."
"Arle, can you please check who's at the door?" Furina yells from her room, fresh from the shower. As she was still trying to fix her hair, she called her roommate, Arlecchino, who simply sighed as she got out of her own room to fetch the door. It had been a while since the person on the other side of the door kept knocking. The woman thought it was just some rando who would leave when dismissed, but it didn't seem like it—after all, it had almost been a minute. What Arlecchino did not expect as soon as she opened the door though was that she was greeted by who she almost mistook as Furina.
"Eh?" The two furrowed their own eyebrows as they stood in front of each other, confused. They both didn't know each other yet after all.
"Fu… furina…" The taller woman said, trying to make sure if this woman before her would answer or someone else from upstairs would respond.
She was sure it was from Furina's room earlier. And the woman in front of her was just silent.
Who is this woman?
Thankfully, the 'real' Furina appeared, rushing down the stairs, almost stumbling but thankfully caught herself in time. "Arle, did you check the door? Do you not know who…" Just as the shorter woman was about to continue what she was saying, she stopped herself—her expression just as stunned as her roommate as she also stared at the woman who was a spitting image of her…except she had longer hair.
The other woman finally smiled, still standing by the door, patiently waiting for permission to enter upon seeing her younger sister.
"Furina, can I enter?"
Of course, who am I to dictate your own emotions?
You know yourself best, do you not? Even if you mistake admiration for love…
I know that from the very beginning, you've had eyes for my sister, Focalor… eyes for her that'd never look at me the same way. I mean, it's understandable… at least Focalor has everything figured out… unlike me who is still unsure of what I want to do with my life…
I'll admit that I envy my sister… 'cause she seems to know everything—know what to do, what to say… just everything. She's a woman who has figured everything out for herself—she knows what she wants and can stand her ground to make it hers… and then here I am… still figuring out how to be like that… how to actually speak what I want and think of how to actually stand up for it.
So who am I even to pursue you when I do not have the courage to tell you?
Do you even know? Sandrone… I really… really…
—
"Furina, what do you plan to take in college?"
"Since your sister is opening a branch in Fontaine, why don't you take business as well and settle here so you can manage ours here in the Nod-Krai?"
"Mom, Dad, Furina already wants to do something. Right, Rina?" Focalors spoke up, the dinner table falling silent, the atmosphere becoming heavier the more Furina remained silent. Despite knowing what the outcome would possibly be, she hesitantly nods before putting her utensils down. "U..uh.." she stutters, trying to search for her words. It took a while before she could say something coherent after just opening and closing her mouth a few times which made their father shake his head, while their mother simply sighed.
"I can handle the family business here in the Nod-Krai." She finally speaks up, surprised at her own voice. She was able to actually say something without stuttering. Her parents paused from what they were doing and stared at her in surprise. It didn't last too long as their father decided to let out a soft huff before speaking. "Hm. This is a sudden change of heart, but I guess it is for the best."
It was Focalor's turn to stay silent as she stared at her younger sister, her expression concerned as her brows furrowed. She then stood up from her seat, slamming her hand on the table. "No." She says, which made their parents' heads turn. "Mom, Dad, I am already working on the business. Furina can do what she likes." She says, turning to Furina with a smile. "She likes theater. Let her pursue what she wants."
"Focalor… you don't have to do that. I'll be fine… walking on the same path."
"Oh… y-you're getting married?" Furina asks as her older sister sips her tea by the counter. "What about.. Sandrone? Does Sandrone know that you're getting married already?"
"Haha, why do I have to tell her, Rina?" The older of the two asked.
'She still.. doesn't know?' was a question that appeared inside Furina's head. She doesn't want to be the person to tell Sandrone anyway since she knows that the other woman would be devastated and… there wouldn't be any more reason for the other to meet with her anymore.
She knew she didn't have any chance with Sandrone in the first place. After all, the other woman had eyes for someone else… that really had to be her sister, who was apparently getting married already.
"Don't tell me she still has feelings for me?" the older one finally says, which made Furina's eyes widen. This made Focalor laugh at how her sister was a little too expressive that made her easy to read. "I thought that she's moved on already since I always see you two together in her social media." She added, lifting her cup back to her lips and sipped the tea there. Furina was just stunned at her older sister's response.
"She-She's just doing that to get your attention, Focalor!" Furina finally breaks, which made Arlecchino, who was sitting from the couch in the living room, flinch. She decided to stealthily go upstairs in her room not to accidentally eavesdrop from the conversation. "She… she still likes you… I.. I don't know what I'll do anymore if she gets devastated that you're getting married to someone else…"
Focalor sighs softly after putting her now empty cup down, getting off of the high chairs by the counter, approaching her younger sister. Only Focalor knew about her younger sister liking Sandrone and how their relationship was complicated as thw woman she loved was in love with her sister.
Just how twisted can this get?
But before responding, Focalor sighs… then smiles, before speaking.
"Rina… she will fall in love with you easily. She will eventually learn to love you," The older one then tucks a stray strand from Furina's face, tucking it behind her ear before leaning forward to whisper in her ear,
"…because we share the same face."
Hah, How many years has it been, Pa?
I'm sorry for not telling you immediately.
If I told you earlier… Maybe I didn't have to lie to myself… and to her…
Maybe then… things didn't have to turn out this way…
"Pulonia, if ever someone looks for me, tell them I left to go somewhere." Sandrone says as she tidies her desk up, removing her hair tie and tossed it into her desk drawer. She then proceeds to grab her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. Shit, where the hell did I place that perfume that Furina gifted me?
"Pulonia, did you see where my perfume—" Just as she was about to continue, Pulonia handed her a blue envelope. Her brows furrow before raising one of them, motioning Pulonia to speak.
"Ah, I'm sorry. Someone left this earlier at the lobby. It's addressed to you." They said before Sandrone hesitantly accepted the invitation. She doesn't open it yet though and asks another question.
"Who left it there? Did someone say anything?"
"Well, the woman who left this to the receptionist said that you'll be able to know what the content is if I tell you that it was from a woman named, Ms. Focalor." Her secretary, who also was her closest friend and confidant, says, seriously. Sandrone's laughter as a response made their eyes go wide, their expression from their serious, professional one turned into a confused one which made the other woman laugh louder.
After regaining her composure, Sandrone only smiles. "Hah! I'm not attending that wedding." She crumples the envelope in her hand, attempting to shape it into a ball, which fails—but she takes Pulonia's hand before dumping the trash in their hand.
"Burn it."
No. It was too familiar for her to be mistaken. Of all the people that filled the bakery today, why did she stand out in the midst of this vast ocean of customers? Why did her ash-colored hair, tied up into a messy bun, stand out? Before Furina could even stop herself from saying the name out loud, amongst the chattering crowd, she just wished that people didn't stop talking so her voice would be overpowered because her lips couldn't stop the words that already spilled the woman's name.
"Sandrone..." Please do not turn around—blue eyes finally met her own heterochromic ones. The younger woman froze, and remained standing in front of the woman who she just called out.
Why was everything becoming so blurry? This was embarrassing, yet she couldn't move her feet. She could already feel her legs shaking, trembling. She wanted to break their eye contact, yet she couldn't as she could barely make out that the woman's figure slowly got closer. She could finally recognize that it was her own tears that were blurring her vision as they started to water, tears running down her face. Despite all this, her eyes remained on the woman, who was now approaching her, stopping right before her—whom her heart continues to hold despite being broken by the same person.
But she almost immediately regretted ever calling her out as the other's eyes widened, holding a longing, painful gaze that was not directed to her despite them looking back into hers.
The chattering became distant, and so did the beat of her heart thumps loudly, reaching her ears, distorting all the noise around her. It was painful. Everything felt painful and what she feared was yet to happen right before her before she could even run away from it. She could never run away from it.
Please, just this once...
Let me be the one who you—
"Focalor?"
"Sandrone." Furina calls her friend out while the other is busying herself with different beads and strings. Her brows were furrowed as she concentrated so hard on what she was doing that she didn't have time to raise her head and meet Furina's eyes. It didn't matter to the younger woman as she just crouched in front of Sandrone, her eyes also watching as her hands fiddled and finally tied a knot after placing the last charm—turning it into a bracelet.
"What would you do if you mistook me for my sister?"
Sandrone's expression was quick to change from concentration to what-a-stupid-question expression at the younger's inquiry. She huffs before flicking Furina's forehead with her free hand, who whines saying that her forehead hurts. "Are you stupid? I've never even seen your sister. How the hell am I supposed to know?"
“But people said I look like her! What will you do if you see us both side by side? How will you know I'm Furina?” The younger of the two continues to bombard her with questions before she stares at extended hand towards her, the hand that flicked Furina's forehead. Furina tilts her head in confusion before the older one mutters, 'give me your hand', which she obliges.
"There." The brunette says as she places the newly made bracelet around Furina's wrist. The younger girl's eyes widened and sparkled, smiling, as she raised her hand towards the sun—showing off her new bracelet. "You're the only one with that bracelet. So don't lose it if you don't want me to mistake you for your sister."
Upon hearing Sandrone's remark, she rolls her eyes before pouting. "Hmp. Okay!" But the pout didn't last for long because she knew that the brunette was just teasing her, so her smile came back and she jumped to hug the other girl.
Even if I don't have the bracelet, I know Sandrone will still know that I am Furina.
Furina let out a bitter laugh as she heard the name that slipped the other woman's lips. She has yet to realize that people started staring at the two who seemed to have their moment in the middle of the bakery. Sandrone finally notices this as she tries to get a hold of the bakery owner's arm, but Furina was quick to take a step back before the other could even get closer. The owner simply shakes her head, lowering it after. "Furina…" she mumbles softly, enough for Sandrone to hear her.
"Furina. That's my name." She says, lifting her head to meet Sandrone's widened eyes upon meeting her own. Her brows finally furrowed after a while, before the other woman turned her head away, unable to maintain eye contact.
"I hope you recognize me as Furina the next time."