Chapter 25
“Whoa, it smells good, Aunty. What are you making?”
The smile on Haruna’s face grows wider from Hakaru’s compliment. She doesn’t hold back from giving him a big portion.
“Oh, you know how to say sweet words. But it’s actually nothing fancy. Eiharu’s cooking is much better than mine.”
“I know he often cooks for you, but I’m skeptical about how good it tastes.”
“Oh, you have no idea, do you? Everyone compliments his cooking. Even your brother thinks so.”
Hakaru squints his eyes at Kanryou. “Brother, when did it happen?”
“Hmm? A few days ago, when he caught a heatstroke and rested in my office.”
“How does it taste?”
“Delicious. It’s visually appealing, too.”
“Now I’m curious…”
“I will ask him to make one for you, Hakaru-kun. Don’t worry.”
“Say…” Eiharu’s whispers make the other three turn their head at him. “I am here, but why do you guys talk about me as if I’m invisible?”
“So you’re here!” Hakaru exclaims, dramatically looking shocked. “I thought you were a ghost!”
“Funny.” Eiharu snorts. “I don’t wanna cook for you.”
“Why not?!”
“I don’t feel like it.”
“Oh, c’mooon! I’m eligible to earn a special treatment!”
“I don’t remember any.”
“Why are you still so stingy when you’re sick?”
“Why are you expecting a sick person to cook for you?”
“Eh, I don’t mean it right now, not right now.” Hakaru hands Eiharu his portion, and Eiharu takes it unwillingly. “I won’t ask you to make something hard. I can eat anything since I’m not picky.”
“I haven’t said I will.” Eiharu is looking for a spoon, and Kanryou silently hands it to him with a napkin and a glass of water. Eiharu gives him a look and gestures his thanks, to which Kanryou replies with a smile. “I only cook when I feel like it.”
“So what did brother do to earn that special treatment?”
“I made too many that day.” Eiharu starts eating. The soup tastes bland in his bitter mouth, and the heat is too much for his weak tongue.
“Do you often make too much food?” Hakaru notices it and pushes the cold pickle’s plate to him. Eiharu hesitates, but he takes a bite of the pickle anyway.
“No. It was coincidental.”
“Shall I place an order, then?”
Eiharu gives him a look. While slowly gulping the water, he shakes his head lightly. “I still won’t do it.”
“Tsk, you’re so hard to please.”
Eiharu shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly and continues eating. As the brothers ensure Eiharu can eat peacefully, they also start eating.
“Brother, when he saves a portion for you, you have to give it to me.”
“Hmm… I’ll think about it if you have something equivalent value to exchange with.”
“Why are you being stingy too??”
Haruna watches the three boys with complex expressions. She didn’t mean to interrupt them, and eating together with Eiharu was always silent. When they talk, it usually ends abruptly or turns into banter. Since Hakaru and Kanryou are guests, she doesn’t want to appear unsightly; thus, she refrains from commenting about the littlest thing Eiharu does. Who would have thought she would end up witnessing how the brothers take good care of Eiharu? They don’t even exchange words; they just move their bodies as if it were the most natural thing to do.
“Can you eat the carrot, Ei? If it’s too hard to chew, give it to me.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not a picky eater, are you?”
“I’m not you.”
“Let him eat, Hakaru.”
“I can’t help it, brother. He keeps pushing the carrots to the corner of his bowl.”
Now Kanryou is peeking into Eiharu’s bowl as well. “Are you the type who saves the best part for the last, Eiharu-san?”
“Kind of.”
Hakaru clicks his tongue while shaking his head. “The best should be eaten first.”
“Last.”
“First.”
“Last.”
“Alright, you two. Just eat.” Kanryou sighs as he refills Eiharu’s glass of water. “Saves the banter for later.”
“Brother, refill my glass as well.”
“Yes, yes.”
Again, the brothers casually tending Eiharu’s needs without much thought. Their gestures are smooth and nimble. Before Eiharu says anything, they are ready to give whatever he needs. Eiharu was visibly confused by their action, but he was seemingly too exhausted to comment, so he accepted their help without protesting much. Rather, Eiharu looks much more relaxed now despite claiming he dislikes the noise they make.
Halfway through the meal, the brothers have finished their share and casually chatted. On the other hand, Eiharu looks half-awake. His munching speed decreased a lot, and his eyes looked unfocused. He only hums when the brothers ask him questions, clearly not listening properly, yet the two don’t force him to engage in the conversation.
When it becomes too much, and Ei finally puts down his spoon, Hakaru swiftly removes his bowl, pats the bed off in case of food crumbs, and hands Eiharu’s medicine to Kanryou. The older brother helps Eiharu drink his medicine before laying Eiharu on the bed.
“Hakaru, the kool-aid.”
Hakaru opens the package and hands it to Kanryou, watching how his brother puts the cooling patch on Eiharu’s forehead. They wait briefly until Eiharu has fallen asleep, then simultaneously let out a relieved sigh.
“I’ll come here again tomorrow. Brother, do I need to get more medicine?”
Kanryou checks the stock on the table. “It’s okay for now, but he needs more nutrition. Bring fresh fruits with you.”
“Alright. I’ll update Sen about his condition after I go home. Good thing we don’t have any incoming deadlines.”
“He still needs a proper rest, so refrain from getting him too worked up.”
“Got it.”
Haruna, completely forgotten still exists in the same room, feels her heart warmed up. For so long, she hopes to see a friend visiting Eiharu when he is sick. Eiharu never seems to talk to anyone besides herself and the store clerk he often comes to. When Haruna asked if Eiharu befriends anyone online, like how youngsters these days love to do, Eiharu never gave her a clear answer. There were times when Haruna gave up and prayed for her own health so she could stay with Eiharu as long as possible. However, deep down, she still wishes to see Eiharu happy even without her around. And she doesn’t believe he can achieve it by himself. He needs at least a single friend to spend his time with.
Seeing how Hakaru and Kanryou behave around him, Haruna feels a wave of relief she never felt before. She had never felt this happy seeing Eiharu conversing with other people. She never felt this peaceful when she thinks about Eiharu.
“You two… thank you for taking care of him.”
Hakaru and Kanryou turn their heads. They briefly exchange glances before smiling at her, truthfully forgetting about her existence.
“I… all this time, only me and Mutsuo-san stay with him. Eiharu isn’t a bad kid, but he is hard to deal with. I understand if his attitude makes it impossible for him to… have a friend. That’s why I’m so relieved to see you two here.”
“It’s nothing, Aunty. I want Eiharu to be healthy, after all.” Hakaru grins. “I am sure brother thinks the same way.”
“He’s right, Seishichi-san. Besides, Eiharu-san isn’t as bad as you always think.”
“You only know him recently, Yukisada-kun.” Haruna lowers his gaze. She looks solemn. “That kid is too unfriendly. When he was a little, he…” She stops talking, at a loss of words.
“But now, he has us.” Hakaru understands there are complicated things he shouldn’t hear now, so he stops her from talking too much about it. “Aunty, I know that you’re worried. It’s okay; we’re here to help.”
Haruna raises her gaze. She looks at Hakaru and Kanryou in turn, can feel the genuity in their expression and gestures, and can’t bring herself to reject their help. After all, they are the hands she and EIharu need the most. To push these kind souls is a foolish move.
“...thank you.” Haruna is about to bows her head, but Kanryou and Hakaru move in a flash to stop her. “You know, you guys can come and see him any time. You don’t need my permission to enter the house either; just come and crash.” Haruna smiles. “I’ll tell you where I put the spare key--”
“Hold on, Seishichi-san.” Kanryou hurriedly cuts her words. “I’m happy to hear that you trust us, but telling us where you keep the spare key is too much. What if we ended up robbing you?”
Hakaru nods his head in agreement. “Brother is right. You’re being too reckless, Aunty.”
“I saw how you two behave around my son. I believe you two aren’t that kind of guy.” She holds their hands. “I believe you two are trustworthy.”
Hakaru and Kanryou exchange glances. They are unsure of what to say.
“Keep being friends with my son, okay? We fight a lot, but I care about him. It’s just… we… I am probably not the person he wants to share his heart with. I don’t want him to feel lonely, so your existence is so important.” Haruna squeezes their hands. “If possible, stay with him as long as you can. I don’t want to lose him. I almost lost him once, and I don’t want to experience it again. However, I really don’t know how to communicate with that kid.” Haruna shakes her head. “Be his ears in my place, please?”
Hakaru and Kanryou can’t say anything. They only return the grip, silently hoping their small gesture will lift a tiny part of her burden and ease her feelings.
=====
When Eiharu opens his eyes at that time, the headache seems non-existent. Though, he doesn’t expect to see Hakaru’s face the moment he wakes up.
“Oh, you’re awake?” Hakaru turns his head upon hearing Eiharu’s groan. He immediately pauses the video he is watching and touches Eiharu’s forehead. “Hmm… much better.”
“Why are you here…”
“To take care of you, what else?”
Eiharu wants to protest, but his throat feels painful, and he cannot breathe. Hakaru offers him a glass of warm water--Eiharu is late to notice--, and gulps it down in one go. It nearly burned his throat, and Eiharu choked.
“What the--”
“Drink slowly.” Hakaru lightly pats his back. “You better drink something warm, but it doesn’t mean you can just gulp it down in one go.”
“...say it sooner.”
“You didn’t give me a chance.” Hakaru shrugs nonchalantly. “Are you hungry?”
Eiharu shakes his head and slowly sips his glass.
“You still need to eat. I brought more fruits for you. Your mom cut them up before she left for work this morning. I’ll get it from the fridge.”
Eiharu says nothing despite wondering how Hakaru and his mother became so familiar with each other. He never says a word about Hakaru’s existence to anyone. While his personal information, like his home address and phone number, is recorded in the office, he never thought Hakaru would dig that far just to visit him. Since Hakaru is that friendly, he guesses it’s not strange that his mother has already been swooned by it.
-Come to think of it, Yukisada was…-
Eiharu is looking for his phone when Hakaru returns with a fruit bowl. The man raises his eyebrows when he sees Eiharu fumbling around, but he doesn’t ask instantly, just staring bewildered.
“What kind of dance are you doing?”
“I’m looking for my phone, dumbass.”
“It’s there on the table. You can’t see it?”
That is a stupid question. After all, Eiharu just woke up, still having a fever, and obviously not wearing his glasses. The look Eiharu gives him returns with an awkward grin, though Eiharu probably can’t see his expression either.
“Here, here.” Hakaru hands him the phone. “Do you wanna text my brother?”
“Who?”
“My brother.”
“I don’t know your brother.”
Hakaru looks confused. “We talked last night.”
Eiharu raises his head, looking equally confused. “There was only you, my mom, and Yukisada.”
“Exactly.” Hakaru points at himself. “Aren’t I Yukisada, too?”
“...hah?”
“Yukisada Hakaru and Yukisada Kanryou. We’re brothers.”
A second of silence.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
“...hah?”
Eiharu is looking at Hakaru with mouth agape. It’s too much information for his brain to process; now his brain cells are scattered around in panic, rioting inside his head, and he doesn’t even know what to think of.
Hakaru and Kanryou are brothers? For real??
“Wait, the joke isn’t funny.” Eiharu massages his temple. He feels the headache returns.
“It’s not a joke. How come you didn’t know we share the same last name?”
“You never tell me??”
“But we introduced ourselves at your recruitment day, though??”
“No, you clearly just mentioned your given name because that’s how you want to be addressed!”
“Oh, really?” Hakaru thinks briefly. “I guess it happens a lot. Haha, I forgot I did the same to you.” Hakaru laughs. “Anyway, Kanryou is my big brother. We only found out last night that you’re our mutual.”
“How… how could this be…”
“It’s good, isn’t it?”
“Of course not!”
Hakaru looks at Eiharu. Eiharu’s tone isn’t something he expected to hear. He understands if the coincidence is funny, but he doesn’t think it’s something worth feeling upset about.
“Why are you angry?”
“Because--! It’s… Uhh…”
Eiharu stutters. He can’t explain why he feels upset. Though, rather than upset, he’s embarrassed. If Hakaru and Kanryou are brothers, does it mean… Does Hakaru already know how he was in the past? How much had Kanryou told him? How did Kanryou speak about him?
“...what did Yuki--your brother said?”
“Nothing?”
“No way.”
“He only said you were his upperclassman.”
Eiharu squints his eyes. “Really?”
“Ask him yourself if you don’t believe me, but,” Hakaru shoves the fruit bowl to Eiharu’s chest, “do so after you eat and have your medicine. A patient should act like one when being taken care of.”