ep [1] flowers for?

Hmm…

…Didja pick out your flowers yet? If you can’t decide, I can pick some out for you. Just lemme know.

Thank you, Brother Dearest. But I think it’d be best if I chose them myself.

…Yeah. It’d be better for him that way too.

Did you pick yours out already?

Yeah. We can start practicin’ makin’ bouquets after you’re done picking.

Ah, okay. I’ll try to be fast.

S’alright, take your time.

Okay…

Brother Dearest… Don’t leave me behind, okay?

Dummy. I’d never do that.

…Yeah.

……

……

Toi.

Hm?

Ah… What’s wrong…?

You looked like you wanted a hug. Am I wrong?

…Heheh.

Nope, you’re right. You always know exactly what I want.

‘Course I do. ‘Cuz we’re two parts of the same whole.

Ah…!

Hm?

Maybe I’ll go with this flower… It feels like it was trying to get my attention.

It suits you. I think he’ll like it too.

Yeah. I just hope it makes him feel a bit better.

Alright, then let’s get started on our bouquets for him.

Do you have the scissors, Brother Dearest?

I’ll cut ‘em for you. Don’t want ya to cut yourself, y’know?

I can do it by myself… Look!

Yep. You’re handlin’ it like a pro.

Eheheh!

……

……

Hey, Toi… Do ya remember the pair of scissors you got when you started elementary school? The lime green ones.

Yeah, I remember those. We bought ours separately, but we still ended up choosing the same color.

Right.

And our teacher put stickers with our names on them, so we wouldn’t mix them up.

Yeah, and you ripped yours off, ‘cuz you said that we didn’t need ‘em.

You ripped yours off at the same time.

Yeah.

We’ve always been together… Choosing the same things, living the same lives…

When I got hurt, you’d get hurt in the same place, and when I felt like calling you, you’d end up calling me first. We always matched each other.

And when we went to the bathhouse, even our parents would mix us up.

People only told us apart by the color of our clothes, so we would always swap them as a prank.

…Right.

(We’ve always been the same, since the moment we were born. We even had the same hair color before I met Aa-chama…)

I’m so happy we’re twins.

Yeah. I can’t even imagine bein’ an only child.

……

Y’want me to hold it down while you tie the ribbon?

Yeah. Thank you.

Hmm, I can’t really get it right… It keeps coming apart…

You can tie it a bit tighter.

Okay… I’ll try that.

……

……

(Brother Dearest, if I’m able to outlive our father, will we still match each other, even in our old age?)

(I wonder if you would like that too.)

(Because I always want to match you.)

Hm? Didja say somethin’?

Nope. It’s nothing.

C’mon, tell me. I wanna know.

It’s okay. It’s not important.

……

(It’s been a few weeks since I came back from Hakodate.)

(We started preparin’ for our first tour or whatever, and somewhere along the way, he disappeared… A lotta stuff has happened.)

(I’m sure I made Toi worried… He prolly thought that I was gonna leave him behind in the Shiramitsu household.)

(But I’d never do that. We’re always gonna be together. At least, as long as Toi wants us to be…)

Ah, I think I almost got it…!

I’ll hold down the knot for ya. Give it another go.

Hm… Hmmm… Put this here…

…Look like you’re doin’ a granny knot.

Huh?! You’re right… One more try… Hm? Huh?

I can’t do it right.

This ribbon just ain’t behaving. Alright, lemme see if I can wrestle it into shape.

…Okay, looks good.

Wow…! It’s perfect!

Impressive, ain’t it? I sure as hell do a better job than that damn florist.

Eheheh, yay!

This one’s lookin’ good too.

I didn’t expect you to use dry flowers, Brother Dearest. It’s so unique! I think it’s beautiful.

These ones were just for practice, but I’ll make sure to get better at makin’ ‘em and make one for you too. Something real fancy.

Really? I’d love that! Maybe I’ll put it in our room… Oh, or in the fortune-telling house!

…Looks like you’re doin’ better now. That’s good.

Yeah. Thank you for everything, Brother Dearest. I’m sure our final bouquets will look perfect.

Then we’ll be able to apologize to him from the bottom of our hearts.