And so, after an earth-shattering battle…
The sisters had just concluded the fiercest fight of their lives, both collapsing onto the ground, gasping for breath, unable to rise.
"…I like Senpai."
With a tearful, aggrieved voice, Yoshizawa Sumire covered her weeping eyes.
"I know. I like him too."
Staring up at the broken ceiling without knowing when it had happened, Yoshizawa Kasumi answered earnestly.
"Then let me have him." Sumire sobbed, her voice choked with tears.
"You're already so amazing at gymnastics, just go win your gold medal. Give Senpai to me—I'll cherish him forever and stay with him for the rest of my life."
Kasumi gave an indignant huff. "I want the gold medal, and I want Rinto-senpai too. You know me—I've always been greedy."
"Also, Sumi, I want you as well. We promised to win gold together. I won't let you quit halfway."
Kasumi painfully climbed to her feet, sweat dripping relentlessly down her face.
They'd only just awakened their Personas for the first time, and their physical strength had been pushed far beyond their limits.
Kasumi's hand slipped, and just as she was about to fall, Rinto, who had been quietly observing, rushed forward and caught her, helping her stand steadily.
Kasumi smiled gratefully but gently pushed him away.
"Thank you, Rinto-senpai. But hold on—this is a matter between my sister and me."
"Mm."
Already accustomed to his role as both prize and butler, Rinto obediently stepped aside, ready to serve the sisters at a moment's notice.
Sumire continued to sob miserably.
"I can't do it. This is my limit, and besides, I don't love gymnastics as much as you do… Honestly, my heart hasn't been in it recently."
"To me, Senpai is more important than gymnastics. Even during training, he's all I think about. Sometimes, I even feel practicing gymnastics is a waste of time."
"Sometimes I get distracted… imagining him doing things with Ann-senpai… Their relationship is progressing so quickly, they'll definitely end up together…"
Kasumi agreed wholeheartedly. "That's true. Ann-senpai is really feminine and easy to get along with, just like one of the guys. Any guy would fall for her."
If Ann Takamaki heard the school's two beauties complimenting her so highly, she'd probably blush with pride.
But really, once you opened your mind, things became simple.
Exhausted and sore all over, Kasumi also couldn't stand any longer and simply lay down beside her sister.
"Sumi, have you ever thought about what we'll be like when we become adults?"
"...?"
Sumire didn't quite understand what Kasumi meant, turning to look at her in confusion.
Kasumi lay on the ground, gazing up at the heavy, murky sky of the Metaverse.
"I've never dared think about it. A gymnastics career is short—even for us, we'll retire in our twenties."
"And then what? In our twenties, we'll still be young, right? We'll travel around, enjoy life, do all the things we missed out on in our teens… then we'll each find a man to fall in love with, marry, and have kids?"
"…Probably?" Sumire replied uncertainly.
That was indeed the typical path for most athletes—even the most idealistic scenario, actually.
The truth was, most athletes wouldn't be so fortunate. There were countless setbacks and tragedies possible.
But even facing such a dreamy future, Kasumi merely let out a long sigh.
"I don't like it. Just thinking about living a life that predictable makes me want to die."
"I want to die on the gymnastics stage. Ideally, I'd set a record no one could break for a hundred years during my final competition, then drop dead right there. I'd live forever in that moment, not having to worry about anything afterward."
Sumire sighed softly. "That does sound exactly like something you—a sports fanatic—would say."
She wasn't particularly surprised. Her older sister had always been a single-minded fool.
But knowing was one thing—they'd never explicitly talked about it before.
Thus, Sumire answered clearly for the first time:
"Dad and Mom would be heartbroken…and so would I. I'd cry myself to death."
Kasumi smiled faintly. "Yeah. So I won't actually die—I'm just imagining."
"Besides, now I don't think like that anymore. Even after retirement, I'll still have Rinto-senpai."
"I want to date him, marry him, and have his children. Until I've done all of that, even getting hit by a truck won't kill me. I'll live on for all of you."
Kasumi rolled onto her side, facing her sister.
She gently cupped Sumire's face in her hands.
It felt like they were children again, tucked in the same bed, whispering to each other in the dark.
Both their rebellious masks had vanished.
Facing the other half of her soul, her identical twin, each chose honesty.
Kasumi spoke first, softly:
"Sumi, you are the other me. I believe in you even more than you believe in yourself. So, you can trust me—the one who believes in you."
"Even if we lose gymnastics someday, I never want us to become distant strangers. We'll win the gold together and then move on to the next stage of life…together."
Kasumi paused.
She cast a brief glance toward Rinto standing not far away, then leaned closer to whisper to her sister.
In a hushed voice only they could hear, Kasumi shared a shocking proposal:
"So, I've thought of a solution that'll make everyone happy. Let's both be with Rinto-senpai—and have his children together?"
"...Are you serious?"
Hearing this outrageous idea, Sumire stared at her sister, wide-eyed and speechless.
Yet, the sparkle in her eyes indicated no aversion to the suggestion.
Kasumi nodded firmly:
"I've been thinking about it for a while. Before, I hesitated because it seemed unrealistic, and Dad would definitely object."
"But now that doesn't matter. After all, we've caught up to Rinto-senpai's level—we're Phantom Thieves now, aren't we? Why should we conform to society's common sense or care about other people's opinions?"
With a confident grin, Kasumi clenched her fist proudly:
"If Dad objects, we'll just change his heart. Mom would surely support us, and everyone else's opinion is irrelevant."
"If Rinto-senpai hesitates and won't agree, we'll just lock him in a basement together! And then assault him every day, make it a done deal, and have his kids. Then, whether he likes it or not, our happy family will become reality!"
"…Pfft~!"
Even Sumire couldn't hold back laughter at her older sister's absurdly aggressive words.
She burst into giggles, trembling with amusement:
"Kasumi, you're really…really something… If only I could be as confident and cool as you—as proud and queen-like as you."
Kasumi chuckled lightly. "I thought you were already very cool earlier. You yelled at me so harshly I almost cried."
The sisters exchanged glances.
Finally, they both couldn't help but burst out laughing at the same time.
Laughing so hard they rolled around on the floor, the wrecked Palace around them suddenly felt more like a children's playground—warm and harmonious.
"…"
Standing dutifully as both prize and butler, Rinto watched over them from the side.
Seeing the sisters' joyful expressions, although he hadn't heard what they'd said, he figured it must've been something heartwarming.
"Family is truly wonderful… Too bad I don't have one."
From deep within his heart, Rinto envied them and wished he too could have a family like that—one you could argue fiercely with, yet reconcile happily afterward.