"You know you don't have to walk me home, Koji."
"Koichi, it's fine." He said it with conviction, but Koichi knew better. The way he had his hands shoved into his pockets, the way he had his shoulders rounded as if walking through a storm, even the subtle variations in his expression of passive annoyance at the world all betrayed him. It was not fine.
"I can tell you don't want to be here," Kouichu said in a low voice, tightening his grip on the grocery bag. "You're still mad at me about last night."
"Is that something you 'sense?'" He mumbled as if to himself, but even without volume the bitterness was palpable in Koji's voice.
"I don't have to sense anything; your irritation's like a smog," Koichi snapped before he could stop himself, instantly regretting it. Koji threw an ice-cold look over his shoulder, but bit back the scathing retort he had all prepared. His twin looked stressed, his jaw tight and his breath shallow. Their eyes didn't meet.
"Koichi-" he tried instead, but was cut off.
"I get it, you don't have to force yourself to be around me."
Koji stopped abruptly right in front of Koichi, causing a near collision and the panicked sidestepping of the few people who'd been walking behind them. It was late on a Friday night and, though the train stations and down town were packed with people out enjoying life, the maze of residential streets and small grocery stores was relatively empty. For a moment Koji considered his options, then turned to face his brother. He looked like he was going to say something, but was cut off by a shout from across the street.
"Hey! We caught you!" Koichi noticeably started at the sound of Orimoto Izumi's voice, his head jerking in her direction. She had one hand cupped around her mouth while the other waved excitedly in the air above her head. A set of simple golden bracelets slid to her elbow and jingled faintly as she moved. Her hair was held out of her face by a single, jeweled butterfly and her white pants glowed orange in the sodium lamplight. A quarter-sleeved lilac shirt proudly framed her figure, displaying a significant amount of chest and belly skin.
Most of the people around her looked a little annoyed with her flamboyance, but she didn't look like she cared too much. Her boyfriend seemed oblivious as well, but then again, Kanabara Takuya rarely had the good sense to be embarrassed about anything. He was sporting kaki pants, a red T-shirt, a decorative pair of goggles, and a huge grin. His arm was hooked around Izumi's waist in a gesture of possessive affection and, as his eyes found the twins, a brown-gloved hand acknowledged their presence. The two seemed to make people slightly uncomfortable with their open displays of fondness, but neither noticed nor cared. With a flip of her golden hair and Takuya in tow, Izumi jogged across the street towards them.
"Hey," greeted Koichi as they got closer, his face softening. "It's nice to run into you guys."
"Likewise," said Takuya. He looked like he was going to go on, but Izumi beat him to the conversation starter.
"What's with the scowls? Are you two fighting again," she asked lightly.
"We weren't fighting," said Koji with a distinctly defensive edge, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.
"Please, I could spot that dark cloud from a mile away."
"Tch."
"Do you wanna share or should we guess?"
Koichi's smile faded just a little and he looked at Koji uncertainly. Izumi nodded knowingly, pursing her lips, but Takuya didn't quite get the hint.
"So," he prodded playfully. "What's it this time?"
"Takuya, if it's private we shouldn't-"
"Koichi let slip to our dad that I got a 78% on my history exam over dinner last night."
Izumi and Koichi both winced as if physically injured by the news. Takuya looked unsure as to what the tragedy was, but sort of smiled sympathetically.
"Ah… yeah, that would be bad," he mumbled awkwardly.
"I didn't mean to it just came out," sighed Koichi, sounding like this was the thirtieth time he'd said it.
"I know and that's what makes it so annoying. If I don't tell people things it's usually because I want to keep it a secret. But you find out anyway, so what's the point? You're gonna know one way or the other, so I guess I should just give up on secrets."
"I knew it," sighed Koichi, looking defeated. "I knew it; you're still mad."
"Koichi, is there anyway you can, you know…" tried Izumi, taking Takuya's hand and looking like she might be regretting bringing it up.
"Not read Koji's mind?" Izumi's lips tightened over some comment or another. Koichi noticed and sighed in frustration, looking dejectedly at the pavement. "I am trying. And it has gotten better, but sometimes I still…"
"What are you guys doing here any way," said Koji suddenly, taking his hands out of his pockets and readjusting his ponytail. There was a bitter battle with the high school, but in the end he'd been allowed to keep his long hair on the condition that it stay tied up. "You both live on the other side of Shibuya."
"Come on! Do we really need to be scheming something to run into you," teased Takuya, wiggling his fingers ominously.
"Yes," answered Koji shortly.
"Well," said Izumi, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Truth be told, the five year anniversary of our trip to the Digital World is passing us by and Takuya and I, at least, wanted to celebrate."
"'Course, it won't be all of us, what with Junpei at university and Tomoki doing that summer exchange program, but we figured four out of six wasn't too bad."
"Uh-huh," said Koji with raised eyebrows. He pulled out his cell phone, noted the time, and turned and started walking again. But his mannerisms were more relaxed and, as he shot them an expectant look, the others quickly fell in step behind him. "So you want to have a little celebratory get together and couldn't invite us over the phone because…"
"We'd miss the chance to experience your charming personality firsthand," said Takuya in relief. Koji was never quite what you'd call 'easy-going,' but he did have his lighter moments. For now, he seemed to have moved past brooding about his family life, which was always a good thing. "Besides, it's not that much harder than calling you; Koichi's been picking up groceries here every Friday after school for the past three years. Hate to break it to you, but you're kinda predictable."
"We all have our habits," laughed Koichi as they wove deeper into the residential. "It's just convenient for us to pick some things up for Mom on our way back. She works late tonight, you know."
"Yes, well, it's convenient for us to catch you while your out. So, what do you think?"
"About?"
"Having dinner or something. I can cook a surprise Italian dish that you've never had before." Izumi trotted up to Koji's side, leaning forward expectantly. Koji rolled his eyes and kept walking.
"Although I usually avoid spending unnecessary time with the goggle-head," he started.
"Hey!"
"I'm always up for Italian, 'specially if you're cooking."
"That's great!"
There he is…
Koichi stopped suddenly, causing Takuya to bump into him. His smile had faded and he looked a little pale.
"Hey man, what gives?"
"I'm sorry, I-" he said slowly, frowning at the ground. "I just… I got a chill…"
As he spoke goose bumps visibly erected on the exposed portions of his arms and a tremor shot through his body. He felt heavy and stiff, like he'd just walked into a portion of air that was somehow significantly more viscous… or like he'd been doused with a bucket of ice water. His free hand moved up to his mouth and he breathed slowly through his nose, still staring at the sidewalk.
You there… Please…
"Are you all right, Koichi," asked Izumi, pausing. There was concern in her voice, but uncertainty on her face. Even now, five years later, she wasn't quite sure how to deal with the Chosen of Darkness's… oddities. Whether she should leave him alone when these things happened or try to help. Whether she could help at all. It could get really awkward with Koichi for that reason
"He's fine," cut in Koji. "He gets these sometimes." His tone had regained its unsympathetic frost and he didn't bother to look over his shoulder. For the first couple years he had. He'd stressed and worried and hovered every time Koichi'd gotten a chill or a headache or suddenly become nauseous. Then it just got old. There was nothing he could do to help anyway, and besides, these little episodes tended to coincide with spikes in Koichi's ESP ability. Which translated to Koichi was extra sensitive to Koji's thoughts and frankly that made him uncomfortable. They both knew it.
"Please don't worry about me," said Koichi, meeting Izumi's gaze and forcing a smile. "Koji's right, there's nothing to be concerned about. I just need a minute."
"Do you want us to wait for you," offered Takuya, hand hovering over Koichi's back in case it needed a pat or two. "It's already dark."
"Oh, no, I'm fine," insisted Koichi, brushing him off and nodding reassuringly. "You guys go on ahead; I'll catch up in a bit."
"Alright…" said Takuya skeptically, jogging up to Izumi.
He slid one hand around her waist and the two threw sympathetic grins back at Koichi. Koji did not. The dark twin gave them a false smile, waving them on until they looked forward once more. Then, smile fading, he turned his attention to the calling.