The Twin's Magic

Yuri's POV Green Woods Street, Oakwood City Sometimes in April The afternoon sun shone brightly over Green Woods Street, painting everything in a soft golden glow. It had been five months since our family moved here from Loy Town, and somehow everything still felt new. For me and my twin sister, Suri, every day in Oakwood City felt like an adventure. Especially today. Early this morning, we received an email that could change our lives. And if everything went according to plan, Mom and Dad would be the happiest parents in the world. But for now, it was still a secret. A surprise. "Hey, sis, back off!" I snapped. Suri had her hand on our parents' bedroom door, ready to burst inside. She looked even more excited than I was. "Duh! What's with you, girl?" she asked, clearly annoyed. I stood in front of her and crossed my arms. "We're waiting until Dad gets home. Don't you dare tell Mom." Suri rolled her eyes dramatically. "And what makes you think I'd tell her? It's a surprise, remember? Relax." "I'm warning you, Suri Last. If you ruin this, I'll shove you." The threat sounded weak even to my own ears. She laughed. "Oh, come on, Yuri. You know you can't do that." A playful grin spread across her face. "That wasn't a warning. It was a joke." I stared at her with my best expressionless look. Thankfully, she seemed willing to keep our secret a little longer. __ A few hours later, the front door opened. "I can tell you're exhausted," Mom said cheerfully as she hurried toward Dad. "Leave everything to me, honey." She was always like that—full of energy, no matter what. Dad loosened the top button of his shirt and dropped onto the couch with a tired sigh. "Thanks, sweetheart. The bakery was packed today. We had to bake and deliver hundreds of cookies just to keep up with the orders." His voice carried the weariness of a long day's work. "Dad!" I stepped forward dramatically. Nobody had noticed me. Dad blinked and then laughed. "Oh! Yuri, my baby. Come here." He opened his arms wide. "I think I deserve a hug and a kiss after working so hard." I happily ran into his embrace. Dad wasn't just a baker. He was the best baker in Green Woods. Everyone loved his cookies. But more than that, he was a loving father and a devoted husband. Our family wasn't wealthy, but we had everything that truly mattered. Love. I glanced at Mom. She stayed home to take care of us, and somehow she managed to do everything perfectly. She cooked meals that could outshine those served in expensive restaurants. She kept the house spotless. She took care of everyone. And somehow, after all that work, she still looked beautiful and calm. Honestly, I had no idea how she did it. "Where's Suri?" Dad suddenly asked, looking around the house. I shrugged. "I don't know." Mom immediately frowned. "Oh my goodness. I told her not to stay outside after dark. It's dangerous." I raised an eyebrow. Lately, she'd become strangely overprotective. She wasn't like this back in Loy Town. It felt as though she was hiding something. Something important. I closed my eyes. Concentrated. And reached out. For years, Suri and I had shared a connection we couldn't explain. I first discovered it when we were fifteen. During a school camping trip, she wandered off and disappeared. Everyone was searching for her. But somehow, I knew exactly where she was. Since then, our strange abilities had only grown stronger. Now, all I had to do was focus. Immediately, an image appeared in my mind. The garden. "There she is," I murmured. Mom looked at me. "Where?" "She's in the garden." Through our connection, I could see her clearly. She was kneeling among the flowers. Laughing. Talking. And somehow... The flowers were talking back. Tiny voices giggled around her. The flowers seemed delighted by whatever she was saying. I opened my eyes. Gosh. Was my sister losing her mind? Or was I? Using our silent connection, I reached out to her. **Hey, girl. Dad's home. Get inside.** Her response came instantly. **Give me a minute, sis.** Talking through our minds had become completely normal. Normal for us, anyway. Not for anyone else. There were too many strange things happening lately. Things that made no sense. Things we kept hidden from Mom and Dad because we weren't sure they'd believe us. Or worse— Maybe they would. Honestly, it scared me. But if I was being truthful... A part of me was beginning to enjoy it. __ That evening, after dinner, Suri and I exchanged excited glances. This was it. The moment we'd been waiting for. "Mom. Dad." Suri stood up. "We have something to tell you." I let her do the talking. She was better at dramatic announcements. "We made it!" Mom blinked. Dad sat upright. "What do you mean?" "We passed the entrance exam at Oakwood University." Silence. Complete silence. Then— "WHAT?" Mom nearly dropped her glass. Dad's eyes widened so much I thought they might fall out. Neither of them had expected it. Mostly because we'd never told them we were taking the exam in the first place. We knew money was tight. Sending two children to university at the same time seemed impossible. So we studied harder than ever. Every day. Even during vacation. And now all that effort had finally paid off. "And that's not all," I added. Both of them stared at me. "The university approved our scholarship applications." Another moment of silence. Then Mom's eyes filled with tears. Dad looked completely speechless. "You mean..." he whispered. "You won't have to pay our tuition," Suri finished. Mom covered her mouth. Dad stood and pulled us both into a tight hug. "We're so proud of you," he said, his voice trembling. "My babies..." Tears rolled down Mom's cheeks. "I thank God every day for giving me such loving, hardworking daughters." She smiled through her tears. "You two are the greatest blessings of my life." Dad wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Beautiful things happen in this family because of you, sweetheart." Mom laughed softly. "Oh, stop." "Nope," Dad said. "Family hug." He stretched out one arm toward Mom and the other toward us. Within seconds, all four of us were wrapped together. A perfect mess of laughter, tears, and happiness. "Oh, I love this family!" I exclaimed. Dad laughed loudly. "Ha! I love you all even more, my angels." As we stood there holding each other, I realized something. Passing the exam was incredible. Getting the scholarship was amazing. But seeing Mom and Dad this happy? That was priceless. And somehow, I had a feeling that this was only the beginning of our story.