Introductions
Koji closed his eyes, took a deep breath. Counted to ten. Fifteen, for good measure.
Gee, two years and I still have anger problems. Koji opened his eyes and noticed that the queue was moving. This is a flower shop. This shouldn't be taking so long.
It took a whole five minutes before the man at the counter was satisfied with his purchase and it was Koji's turn.
"A message for Satomi." Koji slammed the piece of paper down on the counter and turned to leave.
"Hey, you're her kid, right?"
Koji turned back, bit back a sharp reply. His response still came out harsh.
"I'm not her kid." His eyes flashed. "She's my father's wife."
"Sorry." The new assistant was a young, bright young man. His smile dimmed a few watts. Koji felt a little regret. Just a bit. He spared the guy a cold glare and turned again. Just a few steps to the door and he would have been free.
"I'm Gary, by the way."
Koji stopped. I don't care what your name is. Bu he had promised his father nicer to people in the future. He turned back, suppressing a sigh.
"Koji."
"I know."
The small shop was deserted. Koji toyed with the leaves of the closest plant. Gary was looking at him strangely. The humidity in the place was pushing in on Koji and claustrophobia was slowly edging closer.
"Where's Satomi?"
"She's out for now. She'll be back soon."
Koji stuffed his hands back into his pockets, tried to avoid Gary's eyes. They were freaking him out.
"Will… will you check that she gets that? It's important."
"Sure… sure. Hey, listen, you into Star Wars?"
Koji failed to hide his surprise.
"Star Wars? No!"
Gary grinned.
"Harry Potter?"
"That's for little kids…" Koji grimaced and inched towards the open door.
"How about Lord of the Rings? Come on, everybody likes it."
"I've read the Hobbit. It was dumb."
Suddenly the bell above the door tinkled and Satomi stepped in.
"Ah. Koji, I see you've met Gary," she smiled.
"Note on counter, bye," Koji muttered and escaped into the street.
He hated flower shops. The air inside was always thick and difficult to breathe. He gulped in fresh air, stuffed his hands deeper into his pockets and headed to where his friends were waiting for him.
Everyone had changed.
Takuya and Zoë were dating. They went to the same school and were practically inseparable. Zoë was still the pretty, funny, happy-go-lucky flower girl of old but Takuya had matured into a tall, handsome youth. He hadn't lost his impulsive air-headed manner, but took it upon himself to arrange meeting between the six of them every two weeks.
JP had grown. Upwards and outwards. He had finally mastered the art of sleight-of-hand, but still couldn't hold down a girl.
Tommy had evolved from a cute, tiny kid to an insightful, cool-headed boy. He had his own band of friends now, but always managed time with his old partners.
Koji watched his brother look at him as he neared them. Koji never knew what he was thinking, yet Koichi could read his twin like a book. It scared and comforted Koji, but it was like Koji had to let a stranger into his life every day.
Koji's face clouded as he remembered the confrontation between his father and himself that nearly led him to run away from home.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was trying to protect you!"
"Protect me? By lying to me? Do you have any idea of what I've had to go through? I thought she was dead!"
"I'm sorry! I thought it would be better if we could start over! After that accident, neither of us wanted to see each other again, so we made an agreement and stuck to it!"
"And you didn't think that we'd find out? You didn't think of the consequences!"
"Koji."
"What?" Koji, blinked, frowned at his brother.
"Dude, you're always distracted." JP ripped open a packet of crisps and poured the contents down his throat. Koji grimaced.
"I said, now that you cut your hair, we'll never be able to tell you two apart." Zoë grinned and flung an arm across Takuya's shoulder.
"Oh." Koji blushed. Since he could no longer refuse to cut his hair, an exception he had managed to wrangle out of his father by using his 'mourning' excuse, his mother had tricked him by tying him to a kitchen chair and attacking him with scissors. The result was very similar to Koichi's own head. Koji had stomped around for days, yelling at everyone and everything, but finally got over it and abandoned his trademark bandanna.
Koichi sent Koji a quick sideways glance and jumped to his brother's rescue.
"Yeah, our mom decided that we might as well confuse everyone. And she said that long hair doesn't suit sixteen-year-olds."
"Oh, well, I didn't care."
Koji leaned against the bench and watched Tommy try to score some crisps from JP and Takuya whisper something in Zoë's ear as she giggled quietly.
"I gotta go. I got a summer job yesterday and want to get there early." Koichi glanced at his watch.
"Yeah. I gotta go unpack." Koji pushed off the bench and started to follow his brother.
"Wait! Didn't you move yesterday?" Takuya called.
"Yeah! Which is why I need to go!" Koji called down the street.
"What's it like?" Tommy shouted back.
"Well, it's got walls and doors and windows. You have to see it yourself."
He turned back, pleased at his retort, and then caught sight of the amused look on his brother's face.
"What?"
"You do realize that you just invited them to your house, right?"
"Shit." Koji stole a glance over his shoulder and saw the whole gang traipse after them. "Do you think I can outrun them?"
Koichi frowned.
"Didn't you promise to be nicer?"
"How do you know about that?" Koji stopped dead, stared at Koichi in disbelief.
"We might not live together, but there are lines of communication between our parents thanks to your little outburst two years ago."
"Shit." He sped up, saw that his brother was deliberately slowing down.
Koichi started to laugh and headed across the street.
"It's faster this way," he called across.
"Betrayer!" Koji called back.
Then the flock caught up.
-
"I'm COMING!"
Koji stumbled over a cat and swore. The old-fashioned doorknocker silenced itself as he started down the wide staircase. He sped on, disregarding the silence at the front door.
A key jangled in the lock and Koji paused halfway across the lobby. Why would someone knock for ten minutes, and then take out their keys. Maybe it's Satomi…
The door flung open and Koji froze.
Gary picked up the flowers from the doorstep and flashed Koji a smile.
"Hi, Koji. Your mother had me drop off this. I didn't know you had a twin!"
Koichi stepped into the house, surprise and curiosity written across his face.
Who's that? He mouthed at his twin and jerked his head towards Gary's back.
Gary stood back, studied the flowers and nodded his approval. He turned to the twins.
"Wow. What a resemblance. You two really do look alike."
Koji continued to stare. As did Koichi.
"Well, see you around," Gary said, smile fading and left, locking the door behind him.
"Who's he?" Koichi repeated as Koji sped to the window to watch Gary retreat.
"Gary. A weirdo who works at Satomi's shop. Where on earth did he get the keys to my house?"
"Maybe Satomi gave them to him to get in?" Koichi proposed. Koji missed the sarcasm.
"Probably."
Koichi's gaze turned from disbelief to concerned instantly. Koji turned to Koichi.
"What are you doing here?"
"I've come to stand in your lobby and stare at you."
"Sorry. I've been a bit distracted."
"More than usually."
"It's nothing." Koji shrugged off the strange feeling. "Come check out my room."
After about five minutes of traipsing up unending stairs, they finally reached his room. Koichi was out of breath.
"You couldn't have chosen one closer to the front? I'm going to get lost in here."
"That's what Tommy said," Koji smiled slightly and pushed at the door. "But I like this room."
It was small compared to the house. His old bed and desk stood in one corner and two boxes labeled "Koji's stuff" in another.
"Look." Koji stepped up to the window and swung back the shutters. "It opens up."
With the shutters open, the window nearly doubled in size and let in twice as much light as before. It had a magnificent view of the back garden.
"Wow."
"Yeah."
"Nice choice. Zoë probably loved it."
Koji's smile vanished.
"You didn't show them."
Silence.
"Why?"
"I dunno. It's private."
"You and your privacy. They're your friends. Trust them."
"Get real. I barely trust you."
"True. But at least you showed me this."
Koichi ventured an arm across his brother's shoulder. Growing up with women, hugs were natural and everyday occurrences to him. Koji's large personal space was difficult to penetrate and last time Koichi had tried to hug him, he ended up with a bloody nose.
Koji tensed, but Koichi's face was still unbruised. Progress.
"Okaythatsenough." Koji stepped away. Koichi hid his disappointment, but triumph filled him and showed on his face. It took two years, but he finally received a half-hug from his brother. Today would go down in history.
Koji sighed.
"Sorry."
"It's okay. You're improving."
Koji nodded.
"Oh yeah, Mom wants you to stay over next week. She'll call Dad, but she told me to tell you."
"That's cool." Koji shrugged. "I'm hungry. Want some lunch?"
Food was found, wolfed down and the TV was switched on. It was one of the two pieces of furniture Koji insisted on bringing in first, along with his bed.
Koji was the first to fall asleep. Koichi watched some more, noticed his brother was snoring, shrieked at the time and rushed to work.
