BELOVED BY THE TWINS

CHAPTER 19

"BELOVED BY THE TWINS"

by: Dark Flame Master

As Juri and Shin left the school gates together, Shin looked a bit nervous and hesitated before speaking. “Juri, should I bring something for your parents?” he asked, sounding shy and polite.

Juri raised an eyebrow at him. “You're kind but no need. I live alone,” she said casually.

Shin’s eyes widened in surprise. “I... Is that so?” he said, unsure how to respond.

“Calm down would you?” Juri said with a small laugh noticing how awkward he looked.

“O...okay,” Shin replied, trying to compose himself.

They walked side by side down the street. It was a calm and quiet afternoon and the neighborhood around the school was peaceful. As they walked toward Juri’s apartment something caught Juri’s attention. She stopped suddenly, her eyes lighting up as she pointed at a small food stand on the corner.

“Hey, Shin wait a sec! I’m hungry,” she said excitedly. “I’m just gonna buy something real quick.”

“Okay,” Shin nodded, watching as she ran to go to the stand.

Juri glanced over the selection of breads all freshly baked and still warm. The sweet smell of dough filled the air and she smiled. “Do you want one?” she asked, turning to Shin.

Shin looked over the various breads carefully considering his options. “I want the chocolate flavored one,” he finally decided, pointing to a soft bun coated with chocolate on top.

“That looks good,” Juri said.

They both made their purchase and resumed their walk, happily eating their bread. The warmth from the freshly baked goods made the cool afternoon air feel even better.

“This is so good!” Juri said through a mouthful of bread, her cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk.

Shin couldn’t help but laugh. “Hahaha, you look like a little kid!” he teased.

“Wh—” Juri said but before she could finish, she quickly reached over and took a bite out of Shin’s bread.

“Hey! You already have your own!” Shin exclaimed, surprised.

“Chocolate flavor is really good, huh? Maybe I should buy more tomorrow,” Juri said, completely ignoring his Shin and pretending not to hear him.

Shin looked at her and grinned. “What if someone sees us and thinks I’m k********g a little kid?” he teased again, still smiling.

Juri playfully punched his arm. “Stop saying that!” she laughed, though she tried to sound serious.

“Ouch! That hurts!” Shin pretended to be in pain rubbing his arm where she punched him even though it barely hurt.

They continued walking, their laughter echoing through the quiet streets. It felt good and Shin realized that spending time with Juri like this was something he hadn’t experienced in a while. Juri brought a kind of liveliness into his life that he hadn’t realized he missed.

After a few more minutes, they finally reached Juri’s apartment building. It was small but cozy. The exterior looked a bit old but it had a charm to it much like Juri herself.

“Juri,” Shin called as they stepped up to the door.

“Hmm?” Juri hummed in response, pulling out her keys.

“Where are your parents?” Shin asked

Juri paused for a moment, her hand resting on the door handle. “I don’t really know,” she said simply.

Shin blinked, confused. “What? You don’t know your parents? Did they abandon you? Is that why you didn’t... grow up?” he asked, the last part slipping out awkwardly.

Juri narrowed her eyes at him. “Did you really have to add that last part?” she asked.

“Hahaha... Sorry, sorry,” Shin said though he's not really sorry.

Juri rolled her eyes but smiled opening the door and leading Shin inside. “Actually my parents love traveling but since I’m still a student I asked them to find me this apartment. They didn’t abandon me. In fact, they love me too much,” she explained, kicking off her shoes at the entrance.

“Oh... I thought they had left you or something,” Shin said, clearly relieved.

“Nope! They’re just always travelling,” Juri said, walking into the living room.

The apartment was small but neat with a cozy lived-in feel. It had a minimalist style with only a few decorations scattered around but it reflected Juri’s personality perfectly. Simple, relaxed, but with a bit of a playful touch. Shin glanced around admiring how comfortable the space felt.

As he wandered through the living room something on a shelf caught his eye. A framed picture. Shin walked closer to see and he saw the photo of Juri and another girl.

“Juri, who’s this?” Shin asked, pointing to the photo.

Juri glanced over and smiled. “Oh, that... That’s Ai, my ex,” she said casually.

“The one you told me about?” Shin asked, looking back at the picture.

“Yes,” Juri nodded, her smile a little nostalgic.

Shin looked at the photo more closely noticing how happy they both looked. Ai was taller than Juri and very pretty. Ai was slightly bending in the photo to match Juri’s height. Shin chuckled softly to himself imagining the two of them together.

“So, why do you still keep this picture?” Shin asked, glancing back at Juri.

Juri’s smile turned playful. “Secret,” she said, winking at him.

Shin raised an eyebrow but decided not to push further. He couldn’t help but feel a little curious about Ai but at the same time he respected Juri’s privacy.

They spent the next few minutes playing board games though it became clear very quickly that Juri wasn’t great at them. No matter how hard she tried she kept losing which only made her more determined. Shin, on the other hand was having a blast. Shin was laughing every time Juri made a mistake or tried to bend the rules to her advantage.

“Ugh, I give up!” Juri finally declared, flopping onto the floor in defeat.

“You sure? We can keep playing,” Shin said, still laughing as he started cleaning up the pieces.

“Nah, you’re just too good at this. I’m bored now,” Juri replied, lying flat on the ground with her arms spread out.

Shin continued packing up the game, his smile never fading. He hadn’t realized how much fun he was having until now. Hanging out with Juri felt easy and natural. He found himself more relaxed than he’d been in a long time. Meeting her had made a bigger difference in his life than he’d expected even if they hadn’t known each other for long. It was different from his relationship with the twins. Juri was someone he could talk to about things he didn’t feel comfortable sharing with others.

As Juri lay there, staring up at the ceiling, she suddenly turned her head toward Shin. “Hey, Shin, when did you realize you liked guys?” she asked, her voice casual but curious.

Shin paused, caught off guard by the question. “Since I was little, I guess,” he answered after a moment. “How about you?”

“I’m not really sure when,” Juri replied, her eyes still fixed on the ceiling. “It just kind of happened.”

“Is that Ai person your first girlfriend?” Shin asked, putting the game away in its box.

“Yeah, she is,” Juri said, smiling softly at the memory. “How about you? Are those twins really just your friends?” she asked.

“Y..yeah, they are,” Shin said quickly, his face flushing red as he turned away from her.

“Really?” Juri asked, her tone teasing.

“Yes!” Shin insisted, still blushing.

Juri sat up slightly resting on her elbows as she looked at him. “Then why are you so red? Tell your ‘mommy’ the truth,” she teased with a grin.

Shin turned to face her, his cheeks still pink. “Mommy? You’re more like my little sister,” he said trying to tease her.

Juri laughed. “Come on, what’s the deal? Tell me.”

Shin sighed, realizing there was no point in hiding it. “Well... They did ask me to be their boyfriend when we first met,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Juri’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, what? Both of them?” she asked, sitting up fully now.

Shin nodded, his face burning with embarrassment. “Yeah... But when I told them I was only 17, they said we should just be friends until I’m 18.”

Juri held her forehead processing what he had just said. “Whoa... That’s... What should I even say?” she muttered, trying to wrap her head around it.

“I..It’s not like I like them or anything!” Shin quickly added waving his hands defensively. “And maybe they were just joking.”

“Joking?” Juri repeated, remembering how protective the twins were of Shin.

Shin looked away feeling even more confused now. “I mean would someone really ask another person to be their boyfriend at their first meeting?” he asked.

Juri sighed and rubbed her forehead. “You’re so dense, Shin,” she said with a frustrated look.

Some time passed and both of them decided to take a break and eat. After finishing their meal, Juri told Shin he could relax in her room while she washed the dishes. When she finished she returned to find Shin fast asleep on her bed. His peaceful expression made her smile.

She was about to wake him up when she noticed his phone buzz on the bedside table. Curiosity got the best of her and she glanced at the screen. The group chat name, Nuggets, made her chuckle. Without thinking she grabbed Shin’s phone opened the camera and took a picture of him sleeping with her in the background flashing a peace sign.

Feeling mischievous, she sent the picture to the group chat with a text: “Isn’t he cute? Peace.”

Within seconds replies came in.

Ruka’s message popped up first: “You shorty girl.”

Luca followed up with a more playful message: “He’s cute. Take more pictures.”

Juri stared at the phone. “And Shin said they were just joking. I don’t think they were,” she muttered to herself chuckling a little.