BELOVED BY THE TWINS

CHAPTER 13

"BELOVED BY THE TWINS"

by: Dark Flame Master

The next day the twins woke up early as usual. They decided to cook breakfast for Shin hoping to surprise him. The sound of eggs sizzling on the pan and the aroma of bacon filled the air. Ruka was humming a cheerful tune while Luca was more focused stirring a pot of soup on the stove.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Shin finally woke up. He stretched his arms and yawned before heading to the kitchen. The sight that greeted him was unexpected. The table was already set with plates full of food.

"Let’s eat," Ruka said, smiling brightly as he gestured for Shin to sit down.

Shin nodded still a little groggy. He dragged himself to the table and sat down while rubbing his eyes. After a few bites his mood started to lift. "It’s good," he mumbled between mouthfuls of rice and eggs.

"Hmm, Luca is really good at cooking," Ruka said proudly as if he’d been the one cooking the meal.

Luca just smiled, quietly eating his own food. He was happy that Shin enjoyed it.

When they were done, Ruka and Luca headed to the bathroom. It had become normal for them to do everything together and Shin had grown used to it. Once everyone was ready they all grabbed their bags and headed for the door.

As they walked down the hallway, Ruka glanced at Shin. "Shin, that cute girl—" he started to say.

Shin cut him off. "She’s not my friend," he said, shaking his head trying to end the conversation before it even began.

"You know, it’s okay to have friends," Luca said calmly. "Maybe she’s not the same as the others."

Shin nodded though he didn’t really believe it. He has been hurt too many times to trust easily. Still, he appreciated the twins trying to encourage him. They always knew how to say the right things.

Before they left, Ruka turned to Shin. "Don’t wait for us today. We have to go visit our parents after our shift. I guess we will go back late at night"

"Okay," Shin replied, not thinking much of it. He had never really met the twins’ parents and to be honest the idea of meeting them made him nervous. He figured they were probably strict considering the twins came from a wealthy family.

Shin started walking to school alone like he always did. The twins had offered to drive him a few times but he always refused. He didn’t want to stand out or draw any unnecessary attention.

As he approached the school gates someone tapped his shoulder from behind.

"Shin!" a familiar voice chirped. It was Juri.

Startled, Shin flinched. "Wh–don’t do that. You scared me," he said, glaring at her.

"Good morning!" Juri replied, unfazed by his reaction as she walked alongside him.

Shin watched her for a moment, confused by her cheerful demeanor. "What is she thinking?" he wondered silently but didn’t say anything out loud.

When they got to the school entrance Juri suddenly stopped and turned to Shin waving her arms. "SHIN! HURRY UP!"

Her loud voice caught the attention of several students nearby who started staring at Shin. He winced, embarrassed by the sudden attention. He slowed down on purpose hoping she’d stop talking to him.

When he finally reached the entrance he continued walking as if she weren’t even there ignoring her entirely.

"Shin, do you want to eat with me at lunch?" Juri asked, keeping pace with him.

Shin didn’t even bother replying. He just kept walking, determined to get to class without making any kind of connection with her.

"Shin!" Juri called again, her voice filled with determination.

Shin sighed, thinking she had finally given up. But when he glanced over his shoulder he saw her still trailing behind him trying to catch up.

"Stop... don’t move... you walk too fast," she said, panting as she tried to close the gap between them.

"Shorty..." Shin mumbled under his breath chuckling a little.

"Hey! I heard that!" Juri shouted, her voice filled with mock anger.

It wasn’t that Shin hated Juri. In fact, he found her persistence somewhat amusing. But every time he thought about letting someone get close he remembered how it felt to be hurt. He didn’t want to go through that again.

In class, Juri was surprisingly quiet for once listening to the teacher. Shin glanced at her from the corner of his eye, curious. Just as he did Juri turned to look at him at the same moment catching his gaze.

She smiled with a warm, genuine smile that made Shin’s heart skip a beat for a second. He quickly looked away and his face turned red.

The teacher noticed the exchange and smirked. "Hey, you two, stop flirting and pay attention to the lesson!" he joked.

Shin’s face grew even hotter with embarrassment. He slumped in his seat trying to disappear.

Juri didn’t seem bothered at all. In fact, she leaned forward and placed a small folded piece of paper on Shin’s desk giving him a playful wink.

Shin stared at the paper for a moment before glancing at her again with a look that said, "What’s this?"

Juri grinned at him, her eyes sparkling with mischief signaling for him to open it.

Reluctantly, Shin unfolded the note and read the words scribbled inside: "Do you think I could see my face in his head?"

There was a little doodle of their bald teacher underneath the words. Shin couldn’t help it he let out a soft chuckle.

He quickly crumpled the paper and stuffed it in his pocket though he was still smiling to himself. But despite the brief moment of humor Shin went back to ignoring Juri. He didn’t want to risk getting close to anyone again.

At lunch, Juri tried once more. She approached him with a tray of food and a bright smile. "Shin, let’s eat together!" she said cheerfully.

"No," Shin replied flatly. "And stop bothering me. If you want a friend, pick someone else in class, not me."

Juri’s face fell slightly as Shin stood up and walked away. Just as he left one of the girls in class grabbed Juri’s arm.

"Come on, let’s eat together," the girl said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Juri nodded and followed though she noticed something strange. The girls kept glancing at her and whispering as if they were talking about Shin.

"Don’t get close to him," one of the girls said quietly.

"Yeah, it’s better to stay away from him," another girl added in a hushed tone.

"And why is that?" Juri asked, frowning slightly.

Meanwhile, Shin had left the classroom but realized he’d forgotten his wallet. As he approached the room again he overheard one of the girls talking loudly.

"He’s gay. He was making out with some guy," the girl said.

Shin’s heart sank. "Maybe now Juri will stop talking to me," he thought bitterly.

But to his surprise he heard Juri’s voice louder and more confident than ever.

"HUH? What are you saying?" Juri shouted, standing up from her seat.

Shin froze, his heart racing. "Is she... defending me?" he thought, tears stinging his eyes.

Juri continued, her voice filled with anger. "Did you see it with your own eyes? And even if it were true, why would that be a problem? Who knows maybe you're doing it too with guys older than you."

The girls looked at each other unsure of how to respond.

Shin couldn’t believe what he was hearing. No one had ever stood up for him before especially not in front of his classmates.

"But... he’s always alone and gloomy..." one of the girls mumbled.

"Shin? Alone and gloomy? I just saw him laughing earlier like a normal student," Juri shot back crossing her arms. "Did you try talking to him to know if that's true?"

"Don’t get mad at us," the girl said, her voice small and nervous.

"Oh I see it now" Juri said, rolling her eyes. "You're bullying him aren't you."

The girls exchanged guilty glances clearly uncomfortable.

"Huh, you really have no shame," Juri muttered before walking out of the room.

As soon as she stepped outside she spotted Shin standing nearby tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Hey... um... are you crying?" Juri asked gently, her voice softening.

"No, I’m not," Shin replied quickly, wiping his eyes and turning to walk away.

"Did you hear what they said? I’m sorry about that," Juri said, hurrying after him.

Shin kept walking but the tears wouldn’t stop. He didn’t know how to feel. For the first time in a long while someone had defended him.

As Shin continued walking, Juri followed him persistently refusing to let him be alone.

"Hey, let’s eat together," Juri said, catching up to him again.

Shin sighed, his shoulders slumping as he realized she wasn’t going to give up. He stopped walking and looked at her. "Fine," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Let’s eat."