BELOVED BY THE TWINS

CHAPTER 16

"BELOVED BY THIS TWINS"

by: Dark Flame Master

It was already nighttime when Shin finally finished his homework. He let out a long sigh feeling the tension in his shoulders and back from sitting for so long. The soft glow of the bedside lamp in the hospital room flickered slightly, casting gentle shadows on the walls. The room was quiet. The only noises that he could hear are the faint beeping of machines and the rhythmic sound of his mother’s breathing.

His mother lay on the hospital bed looking peaceful as she rested. Shin stood up slowly, trying not to make too much noise as he packed his things. He glanced at the clock and realized how late it was. The hospital always seemed quieter at night. It is almost like a different world compared to the busy rush of the day.

He put his bag over his shoulder and walked over to his mother’s bedside. "Mom, I’m heading home now," he said softly, not wanting to disturb her sleep.

His mother woke up at the sound of his voice, her eyes fluttering open just enough to see him. She smiled with warmth. "Take care, Shin. Don’t forget to tell the twins you’re leaving."

Shin smiled back, nodding. "I know, I will," he replied with a chuckle. "I’ll text them."

As his mother goes back to sleep, Shin quietly closes the door behind him. The hallway outside was dimly lit and the soft echo of his footsteps made the space feel even more deserted. He took out his phone and quickly sent a message to Ruka and Luca, the twins who always seemed to keep tabs on him even during their busiest days.

Shin: I’m going home now.

Ruka: Wait.

Shin paused, frowning slightly at the unexpected reply.

Shin: Why?

Ruka: Come here to the reception.

Shin: Okay.

Luca: *Hi, Shin :) *

Shin: Hi.

Shin couldn’t help but smile as he read their responses. The twins were always protective and they rarely let him leave without saying goodbye properly. Even though they see each other almost every day the twins always want to know what shin is doing.

Shaking his head with a small grin, Shin made his way down the long corridor toward the hospital’s reception area. His footsteps echoed as he walked and he couldn’t help but feel a little lighter knowing he was about to see Ruka and Luca. The twins were a constant source of comfort and humor in his life always teasing him but also looking out for him.

When Shin finally reached the reception area the twins were already waiting for him. They spotted him immediately and to his surprise both Ruka and Luca rushed over and hugged him tightly.

"Whoa, what’s this about?" Shin asked, feeling his arms awkwardly trapped between their bodies.

Ruka hugged him a little tighter before pulling back, a slight pout on his lips. "If you go home now we won’t see you until tomorrow," he said as if that were the worst thing in the world.

Shin couldn’t help but laugh at Ruka’s expression. "It’s just one night. You’ll be fine," he replied, feeling a warmth spread through him at their concern.

Ruka crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, as if to emphasize his point. "Still."

Luca, who had been standing quietly beside his brother, smiled softly. "Should we just message mom and tell her that we can't go home today?" he said, his voice gentle.

Shin raised an eyebrow, amused by how attached they seemed to be. "No, maybe they miss both of you and I'm fine."

Ruka chuckled but still looked a bit put out. "What did you do today?" Shin asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

Ruka sighed, rubbing his forehead with a tired expression. "We helped out with the patients from that fire nearby. It was mostly basic stuff like bandaging wounds and checking vitals but it was exhausting."

Luca nodded in agreement, his face reflecting the fatigue he felt. "Yeah, they still won’t let us do any major treatments but even the small tasks wore us out. There were so many patients today."

Shin frowned slightly, feeling a surge of empathy for his them. "Sounds like it was rough. I can’t imagine how stressful that must have been."

"It was," Ruka admitted, his voice filled with weariness. "But we’re getting used to it."

As they talked, the three of them found a quiet corner in the lobby where they could sit. The reception area was mostly empty now with only a few staff members quietly moving around. Ruka leaned his head back against the wall closing his eyes for a brief moment as if trying to gather his energy.

"I don’t know how doctors do this every day," Ruka murmured. "It feels like we’ve been on our feet forever."

Shin chuckled, trying to keep things light. "Maybe I’ll just skip college," he joked. "It sounds like too much work."

Luca smiled softly, a knowing look in his eyes. "Even if you did, we’d still take care of you."

Shin laughed at that. "You make it sound like I can’t take care of myself."

Luca’s smile widened slightly but before anyone could say anything else he suddenly remembered something and nudged Ruka playfully.

"Hey, remember earlier?" Luca said, his eyes twinkling. "Someone called you as me."

Ruka’s serious expression cracked into a grin, his tiredness momentarily forgotten. "Oh yeah! Did you see his face when you showed up?"

The two of them chuckled together clearly enjoying the memory.

Shin raised an eyebrow because it's not always that he could see luca laughing like that. "Wait, what happened?"

Luca shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Someone mistook Ruka for me.. We didn’t correct him right away so when I came around the corner the guy was super confused."

Ruka laughed, his exhaustion momentarily fading. "You should’ve seen his face he didn’t know what was going on."

Shin shook his head, smiling. "You two.. hahaha... Does it always happen?"

"Yeah, even our parents don't know who are who" Ruka replied with a smirk clearly enjoying the confusion they caused.

Just as the laughter between them started to die down a sudden voice broke through their conversation, loud and cheerful.

"CUTIE!"

Shin froze in place. That voice, he recognized it instantly. Before he could react he felt someone’s arms wrap around him from behind. He turned around to see Juri grinning widely as she hugged him tightly."

"Hi, cutie! It really is you I thought I was mistaken" Juri said in her usual bubbly tone, seemingly oblivious to the tension she was causing.

Shin’s face flushed with embarrassment as he gently pulled away from her embrace, glancing nervously at the twins who had gone completely silent.

"Uh, Juri? What are you doing here?" he asked, trying to shift the attention away from the nickname she had just used in front of Ruka and Luca.

The twins, who had been relaxed and playful just moments before were now stiff and silent. Luca blinked in surprise of his usually calm expression giving way to confusion while Ruka’s expression had turned into something much more guarded. His eyes narrowed slightly and his posture became tense as he stared at Juri.

"Cutie?" Ruka said, his voice low and cold as he glared at Juri, his eyes sharp and unreadable.

Luca, sensing the sudden shift in the atmosphere looked between Ruka, Shin, and Juri, clearly confused but also wary. "Who is this girl?" Luca asked, his voice serious.

It was a weird atmosphere. One filled with tension that hadn’t been there just moments before. Shin shifted uncomfortably unsure how to handle the situation. Ruka’s glare remained fixed on Juri while Luca watched silently waiting for an explanation.

"Cutie?" Ruka repeated, his voice full of suspicion as his gaze locked onto Juri. The playful mood between the three friends had shifted into something more serious. Something unspoken hanging in the air.