The following day is a weekend and Kouichi's part time job starts at one in the afternoon. Today, he's supposed to meet his twin's family by lunch. He spent most hours in the morning cleaning the house, before taking a shower and cooking a meal for himself. By eleven, he puts on his sneakers, trousers, a red long sleeved inside shirt then topped with a white shirt. He puts on his cap, grabs his keys then goes to the train station.
After a short ride, he arrives at the café fifteen minutes early but surprisingly, he sees Kouji wave at him from one of the seats but his dad and mom are nowhere to be seen. Kouichi smiles back going to his twin.
''Mom and dad will be here in a bit,'' Kouji began as Kouichi nods while taking his seat. ''Since they decided to bring Ryu along.''
Kouichi simply blinked. Ryu Minamoto is apparently his and Kouji's step brother born two years ago. He'd seen him once and thought that it's nice to have a baby brother. But at the back of his mind, he's already expected that they won't be having the same bond he and Kouji have.
Kouji studies his twin's nonchalant reaction. Recently, he had felt a distance between him and Kouichi. Kouichi tries to hide it but Kouji could feel things aren't the same as they were that time they got out of the Digital world. He had always wondered since when did this dent between them happened, and Kouji thinks it probably began when Kouichi met their dad. Kouji knew Kouichi only went for his sake but he wanted to give his dad and his twin the chance to get to know each other, like how he and his birth mother did. The addition of Ryu in the Minamoto household seems to also have an effect on their relationship but Kouji can't say for certain. And now with them being in high school and the death of their birth mother, things became really different.
''How have you been?'' Kouji asks.
''Doing fine, I guess.'' Kouichi replies flashing a smile. Kouji smiles back and before he could say another word, he sees his father and mom with a sleeping Ryu in her arms, enter the café.
"Dad! Mom!" Kouji called out, while Kouichi quietly sits down, eyes cast down on the table. Kouji transfers to the seat next to Kouichi while the Minamoto's occupy the seats in front of them. They both greet Kouichi, but Kouichi can only manage a fake smile. Kouji glances at his twin aware of the sudden change in Kouichi's aura. Their dad called out the waitress for orders.
"Is there something you want?" their dad asks Kouichi.
"I'm not hungry," Kouichi replies sounding monotonous.
His dad exchange glances with his wife then with Kouji who obviously is not feeling comfortable.
"Well, since we're already here we should eat lunch," their dad said.
"I'm here to talk, not to eat lunch." Kouichi retorted. Silence passed their table in a quick bit before Ms. Minamoto breaks it with her order. Their dad also orders and the waitress awkwardly leaves the group.
"I know things have been difficult for you these past couple of days," his dad started.
"Do you?" Kouichi blurts out. The last thing he wants is to disappoint his twin brother yet again, but he just can't help it. This is a man who left his mom, abandoned them and didn't even show up when his grandmother died. "I'm grateful that you paid for the funeral expenses but don't start talking like you can sympathize with me."
Their dad didn't say anything but the look of shock is all over his face. Mrs. Minamoto looks worriedly at her husband. Noticing the growing uncomfortable tension, Kouji looks at his twin with pleading eyes to calm down. Even though without looking at Kouji beside him, Kouichi could tell that much. He crosses his arms and without batting an eye he asks his dad, "What do you want?"
"I know wasn't a good father to you but if you could give me the chance then I'll make it up to you," their father regains his composure. Kouichi still looks at him unmoved by the words.
"With your mother now gone, you should come live with us."
Kouichi shifts his eyes to Mrs. Minamoto and Ryu, then back to his dad. "No."
"Kouichi please," Kouji takes it upon himself to talk his brother out of it. "You know you can't just live here by yourself."
Kouichi knows. He's just fifteenth but, he'd rather live by himself or live in disgust with his dad and the woman he left his mom for. "Why not? All I need is a guardian and 'your' dad can be that person. My school is here. Many of my friends are here. My part time work is here. I cannot just leave this place."
"But—"
"You'll be my guardian but I'll stay here. That should be alright right?" Kouichi asks his father. His dad exchange glances with his wife yet again. He is against the idea but didn't want to right away force Kouichi into something the boy didn't want to do. He looks at Kouji who waits for an answer. With reluctance in his voice his dad said, "If that's what you want then we can do that arrangement."
"Dad!" Kouji looks disagreeing with his dad for quickly deciding to just let Kouichi do as he pleases. But at the back of his mind he understood why his dad agreed to do so. Moreover, his dad wants to give Kouichi time. But still…
"That settles it." Kouichi stands up, "I'll be leaving now, I have a part time job to attend to."
Kouji doesn't say anything but his eyes on his brother says, 'Wait were not done'. Kouichi in return looks back with determined eyes. Kouji understanding Kouichi isn't so willing to stay, made way for his brother despite his reluctance to do so.
"Kouji, don't follow me," Kouichi says as if knowing what Kouji will do. "There's nothing you will say that can change my mind." Kouichi didn't wait for Kouji's response and simply walked towards the door without looking back. Kouji, feeling disappointed and hurt, watched Kouichi leave the café.
"Kouji…" his mom says his name in a concerned tone while Kouji stays standing looking at the direction of the door. Soon, the waitress arrives bringing their orders. Little Ryu seems to have woken up, Kouji can hear the child's tiny cries. He turns around and looks at his dad who looks dejectedly back at him, then his mom smiling at Ryu. Clenching his fists, something tells him that if he doesn't talk to his brother, that invincible wall between them will just get bigger. And that's what Kouji had been avoiding all this time.
''Don't wait for me," he tells his dad and mom, before he starts running. "I'll be home before sundown!"
Kouji hears his dad call his name but he ignores him not looking back.
