Strangers in a Waiting Room
3. Couches Aren't a Good Conversation Starter

Takuya remembered his father complaining about hospital chairs back when Shinya was born, but the couches were surprisingly comfortable. Takuya plopped down on an empty one, figuring the one with a backpack on it was probably already taken.

He was proven right when Koichi sat next to it and pulled out a math workbook. It couldn't be anything else with the symbols on the cover.

Takuya grimaced, and totally forgetting he was talking to a stranger, commented: 'Isn't it too early for math?'

Koichi looked up from his book and stared at the other. Surprise, Takuya ticked off. Though not annoyed like Koji would have been. As an afterthought, he added to himself: Should probably stop comparing him to Koji. 'Why do you look like Koji anyway?' he asked aloud. 'I mean…your hair and eyes are slightly different and you're a little paler than he is… Twins?' Before Koichi could confirm or deny, Takuya continued: 'Clone? Mirror spirit or something like that? Time-travelling reincarnation?'

Koichi started laughing before Takuya could think of any other possibilities.

'Okay, those last few were ridiculous,' Takuya admitted. 'So…which is it? Or none of the above?'

'A multiple choice test?' But he wasn't laughing anymore, nor did he sound amused. Still not annoyed though. Uncomfortable, maybe.

Takuya hadn't even started pushing yet.

But it turned out he didn't need to because the other looked down and mumbled: 'twin.'

'Oh.' Takuya blinked. He'd been hoping for one of the other possibilities, because Koji hadn't ever mentioned a twin. 'How does that work?'

Koji would have given a sarcastic response to that, but Koichi just gave a bit of a shrug and stared at his workbook. He hadn't opened it yet though, and so Takuya took that to mean he wasn't against a conversation. Just…uncomfortable with the whole situation.

Then a nurse with a trolley packed with fancy equipment walked past and Takuya remembered where they were – and why.

Not that he'd forgotten.

'Koji, what the hell did you do?'

Koichi was staring at him again, but this time it was Takuya's eyes focused elsewhere.

Then Koichi said something and Takuya looked. 'I missed that,' he said apologetically.

'I – ' The other seemed to toy with his previous statement before repeating it. 'Did P – his – our…' Takuya noted the order. '…father say anything?'

'It was more Mrs Minamoto,' Takuya admitted. 'And she only said Koji was in the hospital. Not why.'

Koichi looked like he wanted to comment on that. Takuya recognised that look. Koji wore it only too often, especially when they hadn't known each other all that well.

And was it just Takuya, or did the other look a little relieved as well?

When Koichi said 'sorry' before anything else, Takuya decided it wasn't his imagination.

He thought he could also guess why. Takuya probably knew more about Koji than Koichi did. Considering Koji had been under the impression he was an only child and all.

There was the possibility that this was just a very bad joke, but someone had to have quite a cruel sense of humour for that.

Koichi opened his book. Takuya stared at the ceiling, trying to piece things together.