Chapter Text
Araragi Koyomi has a twin. Or, more accurately, he had a twin. That is to say, he used to have one, but doesn't anymore. No, perhaps that’s also inaccurate. The correct would be: Araragi Koyomi has a twin he hasn't seen since he was 8 years old.
His parents got a divorce 10 years ago. They had 4 children and each one got 2. He stayed with his mother alongside his younger sister, Karen, while his twin and his youngest sister, Tsukihi, stayed with his father. Araragi Koyomi didn't know why they got separated, nor did he ever ask. Perhaps there was negligence, infidelity, or even physical violence, or perhaps they simply drifted apart. He didn't know which one to blame, or if there was even someone to blame, but that's neither here nor there.
The point is that for most of his life, Araragi Koyomi was a child of divorce, living alongside his mother and little sister, though said little sister had surpassed him in height a long time ago. That was his normal life— he had been living it for so long and without any shakeups that he sometimes forgot he had 2 siblings somewhere out there. He knows their names and has vague recollections of what they were like, but if you were to ask him what it was like growing up with them, or even what they looked like, Araragi Koyomi wouldn't be able to give a proper answer.
Although, that situation might not last for long.
“Hello, thank you for welcoming me, my name is Araragi Ougi, I will be in your care.”
Said an androgynous-looking girl(?) as she presented herself to the class.
Araragi. That name was written on the board in kanji as "阿良々木".
The same surname written upon all his documentation. That was certainly his surname, there was no doubt or way to deny it. An 18-year old senior year student with the surname Araragi had arrived at his classroom.
That is to say, for the first time in 10 years, Araragi Koyomi had come face to face with his twin.
—
Before we continue this tale, I think we should establish who, or rather why, this man is our protagonist.
Araragi Koyomi is not what you would call special; he isn't a genius teenage detective, he isn't the current head of a legendary swordsmanship school, and he isn't the thrall of a legendary 600 year-old vampire.
Araragi Koyomi is, to put it in very few words, an idiot. He isn't someone who will think before acting, he won't come up with clever plans or secret techniques, nor will he fight with the idea that he will succeed. Araragi Koyomi will bash his head against a concrete wall until either one of them breaks down, or until someone just as stubborn and thick-headed stops him.
“I don't think you should talk to her,” said a concerned class president with thick glasses and twin braids.
"Huh? But wouldn't it be even more awkward if I waited even longer to say anything?" our protagonist blurted out.
"That would be correct, but Araragi-kun is the type to completely fumble first impressions,” she said, referencing a certain panties-peeking incident that happened over spring break.
"..." No comment.
“I'm just saying you should think before you speak. This is your grand reunion after 10 years— you won't have a second chance at this.”
“Hanekawa-san is so wise and collected, as expected of our class president.”
Although perhaps it would be more accurate to say he was too impulsive to begin with.
“Please don't say it like that— I'm simply stating common sense.”
“‘Common sense,’ huh…”
Well, in the first place, applying common sense to such an uncommon situation might be the least common thing one could do.
And while speaking these not so carefree words, the bell tolled, signifying the end of lunch.
As students filled the classroom, Araragi stared at his twin, Araragi Ougi. Well, calling themselves twins felt wrong in this situation— he remembered so little about her and of course they weren't identical. For an outsider looking in, they might look like complete strangers. They don't share a face, they don’t share an upbringing, and the few memories they do share have been dyed with a sepia color scheme.
But that was his twin sister. He didn't know what those words meant to him, but he knew that at the very least, they weren't something he wanted to let go of so easily.
—
It was the end of the school day. The last bell tolled, and Koyomi followed Ougi just before she reached the classroom door.
Araragi Koyomi put his foot forward and faced his goal head on.
“H-hey!”
“Yes?”
The girl that answered wasn't Ougi, but one of the few girls walking around her, asking questions and smiling, and now all of them were staring daggers at Koyomi.
What was this? How did she make so many friends on her first day?! And why did they have to all walk on a cluster like that!?
No, focus; this was a reunion 10 years in the making. Araragi Koyomi wasn't the kind of man to be intimidated by a group of girls so easily like that.
"I!" he declared confidently.
His confidence was met with even harsher stares.
“I…”
His confidence was quickly dwindling. Araragi Koyomi hadn't made any friends since his first year of high school. Most of them didn't even know his name, they certainly didn't, otherwise they might have already made the connection.
Araragi Koyomi looked at his twin, that girl with pitch black hair and pitch black eyes, and she gave him a smile that only made him more nervous the more he looked.
“I—! I... need to get through the door…”
In the end, Araragi Koyomi was actually the kind of man to be easily intimidated by a group of teenage girls.
In that moment, despite being on the other side of town, he could feel his bigger little sister looking at him like he was lower than trash.
Koyomi's Summary of the Day
Accomplishments: 0
Self Confidence: -5
Sense of Shame: +5
And so his school day ended with 0 progress. No— maybe he did learn something out of all of this.
And so he walked towards his after school job with a lesson forever scribed in his heart:
High school girls are really scary.