BELOVED BY THE TWINS

CHAPTER 6

"BELOVED BY THE TWINS"

by: Dark Flame Master

Ruka stretched his arms and yawned feeling the exhaustion from the long day as they wrapped up their work at the hospital. He looked at Shin who seemed deep in thought as they were all prepared to leave.

"Shin, we're done. We can go home now," Ruka said with a tired but gentle smile.

Shin simply nodded picking up his bag without saying much. He had been feeling a bit overwhelmed since moving in with the twins but their kindness made everything feel easier.

As they made their way out of the hospital, Ruka groaned dramatically. "Haaaa... I’m so tired. Luca, carry me!" he whined leaning toward his twin brother. He was trying to make Luca feel sorry for him.

Luca being as serious as always, shot him a cold look and said, "No."

Ruka pouted, disappointed that Luca wouldn’t play along but he let it go quickly.

As they walked outside the hospital, Luca turned to Shin with a calm but serious expression. "Once we get home, there’s something important we need to talk about," he said, his voice steady and firm.

Shin blinked, surprised by the sudden announcement. "O..okay," he said, wondering what they could possibly need to discuss.

When they finally arrived at the apartment the twins suggested they all sit down for dinner first. Shin, still feeling a little nervous quietly joined them at the table. The food was simple but it was nice to have a meal together. The house had a warm cozy feel to it and despite Shin's worries he felt at ease being around the twins.

After they finished eating, they all remained seated at the table. Shin nervously glanced at the twins wondering what this important conversation was about.

"Shin," Ruka started, leaning forward with his hands clasped together, "you’re going to do the household chores from now on and we’ll give you some money in return."

Shin’s eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t expected that.

"It’ll be helpful for us, especially because we’re always so tired after work," Luca added. He spoke plainly but there was kindness in his tone.

Ruka nodded, backing up his brother’s point. "Yeah, you can think of it as your job while you’re staying with us," he said with a smile.

Shin was surprised at first but then quickly realized this was actually a great opportunity. He wouldn’t have to feel like a burden and he could contribute while also earning a bit of money. He felt a sense of relief washed over him.

"T..then can I also cook for you guys?" Shin asked, his voice filled with excitement at the thought of being able to do more.

Ruka blinked, surprised by the question but he shrugged. "W..well, if that’s what you want to do, then sure," he said.

Shin’s heart swelled with happiness. He had been worried about feeling like a freeloader and this arrangement made him feel like he had a real place in their home. He wouldn’t feel guilty anymore for accepting their help especially with his mom’s medical bills. Now he could give something back.

Shin, eager to please then asked, "What’s your favorite food?"

Without missing a beat both twins immediately answered, "CHICKEN NUGGETS!" Their voices harmonized in perfect unison and the look of enthusiasm on their faces made Shin burst out laughing.

The twins glanced at each other confused by Shin’s sudden laughter.

"What? Why are you laughing?" Ruka asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Shin wiped a tear from his eye, still giggling. "It just... it really suits you two," he said with a bright smile. It was such a simple and cute answer that Shin couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Ruka pouted, pretending to be offended but he was clearly enjoying Shin’s laughter. Luca, on the other hand just rolled his eyes though there was a slight smile on his face.

"Anyway, you can start with the chores tomorrow," Ruka said, pushing back his chair and standing up to stretch.

Shin got up as well, feeling lighter now that everything was settled. He decided to head to his room to prepare for a bath when Luca suddenly called out to him.

"Shin... wait," Luca said, his voice calm but with an edge of seriousness.

"Hmm?" Shin paused, turning to look at Luca.

Luca hesitated for a moment then cleared his throat before speaking. "Um... you don’t have to wait for us to come home at night. We usually get home pretty late. And, uh... just don’t try to go near our room late at night, okay?"

Shin blinked in confusion. "O..okay," he said, nodding. The request seemed strange but he didn’t want to pry. It wasn’t his business what the twins did in their private time and he respected their space.

What was even stranger though was that this was the longest thing Luca had said to him since they had met. Shin couldn’t help but feel a little surprised by that.

After a brief pause, Shin shrugged off his thoughts and went to take a bath. The warm water relaxed him and as he washed up his mind filled with excitement for the next day. He couldn’t wait to start his chores especially cooking for the twins. Just imagining their reactions to his breakfast brought a smile to his face.

The next morning, Shin woke up early feeling energized and ready to start his day. He tiptoed out of his room carefully not to wake the twins and went straight to the kitchen. The sun was just beginning to rise casting a soft light through the windows as he started cooking breakfast.

He couldn’t stop smiling as he fried the chicken nuggets thinking about how much Ruka and Luca would enjoy them. He wanted to show them his gratitude for everything they’d done for him and his mom.

As the smell of food filled the kitchen, the twins finally stepped out of their room, groggy and still half-asleep. Both of them weren’t wearing any shirts and their hair was tousled from sleep.

"Good morning, Shin," Ruka mumbled, rubbing his eyes and yawning as he stumbled into the kitchen.

"Morning," Luca echoed, though his voice was quieter, still heavy with sleep. "What did you cook?" he asked, sniffing the air.

"Chicken nuggets," Shin replied with a proud grin.

"Really?" Ruka’s eyes lit up, his sleepiness instantly vanishing. He rushed over to the table suddenly wide awake at the mention of his favorite food.

Shin laughed at Ruka’s enthusiasm but as he did he noticed something odd. "Ruka, what’s that on your neck?" Shin asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Huh? What?" Ruka said, glancing down at himself. He looked at Luca who immediately glanced away pretending not to notice.

"It looks like a bug bite you," Shin said, leaning in closer to get a better look. "Maybe it’s because you weren’t wearing any clothes while you slept."

Ruka glanced quickly at Luca, his eyes narrowing slightly and then he secretly pinched his brother’s thigh under the table causing Luca to flinch but remain silent.

"Isn’t that scary?" Shin said, shaking his head. "I think we really need to clean the house."

Ruka nodded, doing his best to keep a straight face. "Yeah, you’re right. We definitely need to clean up. Don’t worry you can take care of that today."

"I’ll make sure to clean everything," Shin said confidently.

After breakfast, the twins grabbed their bags and headed out the door for another day of work. "Bye, Shin!" Ruka called out as he left.

"Bye," Luca added quietly before following his brother out the door.

Shin smiled as he waved them off feeling happy and content. Once they were gone he immediately got to work. He started with his own room organizing everything neatly and wiping down every surface. He wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

But when it came time to clean the twins’ room, Shin hesitated. He remembered Luca’s strange request from the night before, the one about not going near their room late at night. He thought it might be best to respect their privacy so he decided to skip their room for now.

Instead, he focused on the rest of the house cleaning every nook and cranny. The whole place sparkled by the time he was done and Shin felt proud of himself for the hard work he had put in.

As he stood back and admired the clean apartment he smiled to himself. He was beginning to feel more at home with the twins. Even though there were still some mysteries surrounding them he felt comfortable living there. He was grateful for the chance to be part of their lives and he was determined to keep doing his best to help out however he could.