As the sun rose over the face of snowy Tokyo, a boy is running with all his strength while carrying a boy who looks like him, but much paler, shivering and coughing. He decided to take him to the doctor, even though they're all but rich. Even though their parents left them to fend for themselves. He won't stop running, because of his promise.
A few years ago, the boy and his paler twin were left by their parents. They never wanted to see them again. And their faces... One not to be forgotten.
Fury. Anger. Hate. No trace of regret. Not one single tear shed. Not even... saddened. In fact they looked... relieved.
At a nearby park, they decided to stay there for a while. No home, no money. No parents. The boy couldn't take it all in. Why? Just why?
His pale twin was already crying, unable to accept what just happened. He became so angry. But he let it slide. And decided to speak.
"We'll never leave each other. We'll never let go of each other. Even though we'd face many big bumps on the road, as long as you're with me and I'm with you, we'll conquer them all. Promise me this, okay, Azuki?"
The paler boy looked at his twin with amazement. To keep such a promise, even though it'll be so hard for them. He shed a tear and answered, "Okay, Kazuki..."
"So, what are your names?" the doctor asked. "I am Kazuki Ayama, and your patient is my twin, Azuki Ayama."
The paler twin, named Azuki, slept soundly on the bed. No sign of shivering or coughing. Complete bliss. The doctor looked at Azuki, then returned his focus on Kazuki. "And how old are you two, if I may ask?"
"We're 12, doctor. About to be 13 this December 24."
"Ah, seems like a month away, huh?" the doctor responded while putting on his stethoscope and placing it on Azuki's chest, checked for his heartbeat.
"It might take a while, so why don't you sit outside?"
Kazuki nodded, and went out. Sitting on a nearby chair, he thought and thought.
"Please, God, please don't take him away..." he prayed while shedding tears. He loves his twin so much that he blamed himself after discovering that the lad had Stage 1 leukemia. Kazuki also has leukemia, but he doesn't want Azuki to see his weak side, because he wants to empower him. Help him get through his leukemia.
*creak*
"Ahem, Kazuki, you can come in now. I have news for you."
Kazuki then proceeded to the doctor and said, "What is it, doc?"
"I'm afraid to tell you that your brother won't last long," the doctor said in a saddened tone. And Kazuki looked at him with a poker face, "What... do you mean, doc?" clenching his fist in the process.
"Your twin... has Stage 4 leukemia, and pneumonia to greatly shorten his lifespan. I'm sorry that he's gonna-"
*hic* *sniff*
The doctor was surprised to hear that. He looked at Kazuki, now shedding tears while dropping his knees to the floor. He looked up at the doctor, and, while in a crying voice, replied, "*hic* Please tell me you're joking. *sniff* Please! Tell me that my twin brother's going to be alright! He's not gonna die, right?! RIGHT?!"
And the doctor just shook his head. And Kazuki feared for the worst: his twin's death. He's all the family that he has left. He can't afford to lose him too. He won't be able to survive in the cruel world.
Fortunately for Kazuki's favor, the doctor asked for a little money than any doctor in Tokyo. The doctor then stepped out to have the brothers have their moment. He thought to himself, "Kazuki Ayama... You're one of the few dandelions found in a field of grass..." and started to walk outside for a while.
Meanwhile, Kazuki sat beside his twin's bed, looking at the tiled floor. Certainly angry at himself. But he doesn't want to show it to Azuki. He wants him to see him in a good and serious light. So that... so that...
"K-Kazuki..." a faint voice said, coming from Azuki. Rubbing his eyes, defining the eyebags that he had after not sleeping for multiple nights, he looked at his twin, to see him in a saddened look. One look at that face, and he knew that his conditions got worse. His eyes were overshadowed. "…sorry..."
"Hm?" Kazuki heard a faint voice from Azuki.
"…sorry if I'm being dead weight ag-"
*slap*
Azuki didn't comprehend what happened. One moment, he's emotalking, and then his twin slaps him in the face.
Kazuki's eyes were overshadowed in anger, "Don't. Ever. Say that again, you hear me? We're twins. We're always beside each other through thick and thin okay? Please... don't make it even worse by... jacking yourself up."
Azuki then learned from his mistake. He wants to be cured, but that'll not happen if he keeps downing himself like that. He averted his gaze, "Yes, I'm sorry Kazuki. I won't emotalk ever again."
And a smile lined on Kazuki's face. "Don't worry. We'll get through all this together. I'm your older brother after all."
"Hello? Excuse me? We're five minutes apart."
"And who came out first, I may ask?"
And Azuki timidly answered, "You... big brother..."
A few days passed and it is now December, and snow kept falling on the peaceful city of Tokyo. Kazuki's taking good care of his twin, not wanting to lose him. Just a day with him. And another day. And another. He wants to prevent his twin's early death. Sometimes, he would go around Tokyo just to do people's errands for them in exchange for a bit of money. Some people think of him as 'one of God's blessed', others 'a hardworking young man for his brother's sake', and some others think of him as 'a one-of-a-kind child of the modern days'.
"Can I?" Kazuki said, offering his hand to an old woman.
"Sure, please, young man," the old woman clasped Kazuki's hand and let him guide her across the street.
"Oh, aren't you a thoughtful boy..."
"Thoughtful..." Kazuki said to himself, making him smile. And together, they proceeded to the other side of the road.
A few days before the 24th, Azuki's illness got worse, and Kazuki had to earn more money than before, but the problem is he's slowly weakening. Along with overworking his body too much, his leukemia is getting the better of him. He's slowly turning pale by the day, even so that Azuki noticed. "Why are you so pale like me now, Kazuki?"
"Just... Older twin's just a bit sick, that's all..."
"Are... *hic* you sick with my disease?"
Kazuki quickly answered, "No. No. I'm not 'sick'. Okay?"
"Okay... But please... *sniff* don't leave me as well, okay?"
Kazuki now feared for his own death, leaving his brother alone... To die alone... He doesn't want that... He can't accept that. He shed a tear, and quickly wiping it off, he said, "Didn't we promise each other that we won't ever split up, right?"
A faint smile appeared on Azuki's face. Yeah, that's the face that Kazuki always wants to see. The smile that hits his own soul. How he wishes that that light-hearted face can last forever and ever.
"Right!" Azuki answered enthusiastically, with a tear shed from his right eye.
And at one point, the people who Kazuki did errands for helped them financially, and in turn, slowly relieved Azuki's and Kazuki's pain. But sadly...
December 24th. The day of the twins' birth. Snow kept falling in a peaceful rate and everyone is preparing for the day ahead: Christmas.
Kazuki, having only an old scarf to keep him warm, went to a nearby cake shop. Because of the help given to them by the people, he has saved enough money to buy a cake. He thinks of Azuki's shocked face as he sees the cake, their cake, for their birthday.
The man handling the shop looked at Kazuki as he tries to pick a good flavor. Apparently, he's one of the few people that Kazuki took errands for, and smiled at the boy's dedication. "This boy is a one-of-a-kind boy in this modern society. If only some siblings and friends had his mindset, this world would have a step to happiness," he thought to himself, then he sighed.
"Pick the strawberry one, if you have a sweet tooth," he advised the lad. He took it in and picked the strawberry flavor.
"Thank you for your patronage, and for the help you've given me, it's on the house."
"On... On the house?!" Kazuki said, clearly shocked that he's given a free cake. "It's your and your twin's birthday right? Take it," the man said happily and contented.
"T-thank you!" Kazuki bowed and went on his way.
"If only kids like them were more frequent... Too bad they have... no time..." the man said to himself, putting his right arm on the glass and used it to support his head.
Taking off and cleaning his glasses, he stated, "If only... Fairytales... Happy endings... True happiness existed in this world..."
Taking irregular breaths, Kazuki ran and ran towards where he and Azuki live: a small abandoned shack somewhere in Tokyo.
Opening the door, he shouted, "Azuki! Azuki! Come out!" but no response.
"Azuki! A-Azuki? Don't joke around with me..."
Again, no response. Kazuki became pale and cold, dropping the cake in the process. "No, please no. Dear God, no," he muttered over and over again, walking to Azuki's room.
*creak*
THUD!
"A... AZUKI! AZUKI, WAKE UP!"
Azuki, now shivering like a poor abandoned chick, coughing like no tomorrow, and feeling pain all around his chest, shouted, "KAZUKI! MAKE IT STOP!"
Kazuki, now shedding tears, can't accept what's going on. His twin. Is…
About to die...
"NO!" Kazuki shook his head furiously. "NO! NO! DON'T TAKE HIM AWAY! NOT ON OUR BIRTHDAY!"
*hic* *hic*
Crying echoed through the house. Kazuki gritted his teeth. No, he won't let it happen! He decided to carry Azuki on his back, and ran as fast as he could to the hospital. He ran. And ran. And ran. Like no tomorrow. He wants to save him. He won't let him die! No way!
Only their faint breaths can be heard.
But then, Kazuki noticed.
No breathing. No pulse.
No heartbeat.
Kazuki's heartrate went fast. "No, please no..." he muttered as he brought Azuki down on the snowy ground. He checked his chest. None.
Kazuki looked in horror. He's too late.
His twin's already dead. Dead.
He shed more tears than before. "Azuki! Azuki, no, don't dare abandon me! You... *hic* you can't... We *hic* made a promise. A PROMISE!"
He cuddled his brother's lifeless body, crying all so loudly, "NO! NOOO!"
And he realized.
His body's light. Like... light... His arms... He can't move them. He can't move his body. His vision deteriorating.
He's about to die himself.
He fell to his knees, and then lied down on the snow. Beside his dead twin. In a sidewalk. He's going to die here. He knows the cause: his leukemia. It has become Stage 4 as well.
As his eyes close down, he remembers the times he spent with Azuki. All the good and the bad. All the happiness and the hardships. All the times... they spent together.
Seeing what seems to be two angels coming to get him and his brother, he closed his eyes, and muttered.
"Always together... my twin..."
And Kazuki and Azuki Ayama died. On the 24th of December. Their birthday. Their 13th year... in this world.
Two passersby ran towards the two. But they were too late. One of the men fell on one knee and leaned in close to one body. He checked for a pulse.
"We were too late, Chester..."
The man's companion, named Chester, then answered, "It seems like they are, Jason. But..."
"But what?"
"I heard one of them say something..."
"What?"
Chester thought for a while, and answered, "Always together... my twin."
Jason looked at Chester with a skeptical look, "What, Chester? Always together, my twin?"
"Life can be such a cheater. Two of the fewest shining stars in the darkest night... suddenly died..."
"You and your philosophical words, but yes, life sucks..."
Chester felt sorry for the two kids. Dying on a street… no one really deserves to die on a street. It was then that he was hit with an idea, one that'll make him feel happy for a long time.
"Let's pay for their funeral... They... No one deserves to die... And just have their bodies rot..."
Jason looked at him with a smile, "Heh, you're right... But do you have the money?" and he carried one of the bodies, Azuki, on his back.
"Come on, we're 23 years old, remember?" Chester proudly said, fixing the scarf around his neck and carrying Kazuki's body on his back, he walked along with Jason.
A few days later, and the twins were given a proper burial, courtesy of Chester and Jason. While looking at the tombs where the bodies are buried, Chester said:
"There are no fairy tales. No happy endings. No second chances. These two learned that at a young age. A silver lining would appear, sometimes none. But all of us... We're someone sitting on a chair, in an enclosed room of four walls, humming a song stuck in our heads. That doesn't mean we can't make our own ending."
He looked up at the sky, "These two... Now they have no worries wherever they are... And they'll be..."
Sighing, Chester continued, "Always together... Forever."