Their grandparents were no more due to an unfortunate fire accident that occurred months before the twins were born. Their father was the last remaining Hisagawa in the town. The Hisagawa family were the sworn protectors of the quaint town they resided in. It was a relief to the townsfolk that two healthy baby boys were born.
Growing up, Masayuki and Maimi were two peas in a pod; never anywhere without the other. Yet, they were yin and yang. One was prone to irritation, one was easygoing. Masayuki, the progenitor; Maimii, the peacemaker. Despite their differences and playful bickering, they were both protective of one another.
Whenever their parents needed help, they were more than eager to help out; whether it was running simple errands or picking up their clothes and toys from their room. In the town they resided, they were known as the “Angel and Demon duo”. It was easy to differentiate who was who, even by a glance.
Masayuki always had a scowl or angry pout. On the other hand, Maimi always had a bright grin. They were both very active, always getting into some sort of situation that they would somehow get out of by themselves. They got into all sorts of messes, either by themselves or with the other kids in the town.
One thing was clear, though. You mess with one of them, you mess with both of them. After getting a reputation, none of the other kids dared to mess with either of them. Despite that, the townspeople knew they would help out anyone in need in a heartbeat. Such were the Hisakawa twins.
One day, the family decided to venture out to visit the aunt of the twins. She moved to the city soon after turning 18, leaving behind her younger brother and parents. Due to this, the parents unofficially disowned her for not wanting to stay in the town.
However, before they arrived at the residence of the aunt, the cab they were in was struck by a car driven by an intoxicated teenager. The cab had slipped around before flipping over and crashing into a nearby tree near the barricades of the road. The driver was already unconscious, as well as the father. The mother was bloodied up and banged up, yet still managed to smile weakly at her baby boys.
“Don’t be scared..mama is going to get you out safely,” she forced the words out in a gentle tone, ignoring the pain she was in. She turned her gaze to the car door near her precious twins, activating her superpower, telekinesis, with difficulty. After a few moments passed, it finally swung open and she sighed in relief, despite the withering pain it brought to her.
She took a deep breath as she gently used her superpower to unbuckle the seatbelts of the twins. The pain of seeing them battered up and sobbing hurt more than the physical pain she was in. But, they weren’t that injured. They would survive. Being careful not to drop them, she safely got them out of the car and under the tree after gently flipping them over so they stood on the ground.
She gasped in pain as her eyes welled up with tears. She sniffled and put on a cheery tone. “Masa, Maimi..mama and papa love you so much...Always and forever. I’m..so sorry we won’t get to see you grow up.” With the last of her energy, she floated out a bag to her oldest and smiled. “Keep that with you..take care of each other..”
Her heart broke into a million pieces once the realization dawned on her. She would never get to see them grow up. Never see them fall in love. Never see them get their superpowers. Oh. She turned her head to hide the tears streaming down her face as she dangled upside down in the car still. She could not get herself out. She wasn’t capable of doing so.
Instead, in her final moments of life, she wished her two boys would grow up beautifully and continue being there for one another. She closed her eyes, doing her best to ignore the wails of her precious kids as her breathing stilled and her body went still, lifelessly hanging upside down.
The same two redheaded twins stood in front of an orphanage, holding hands. The older one had a bag in his other hand; the very bag their mother had given to them before her..demise. Unlike before, both of them sported solemn looks with hauntingly hollow eyes as they trudged inside. Their aunt did not want to take them in, so they were sent to an orphanage after being cleared by the hospital.
Once inside, they noticed how bright and cheery the inside was; ironic, considering everything. Yet, neither of them cracked a smile at the sight of new and fun toys in the play area. A woman approached them and knelt down, smiling kindly at them and placing her hands on their heads.
“Hello, Masayuki and Maimi! My name is Ichika, but you can just call me Ichi-san or Ichi-chan,” she introduced herself cheerfully as they nodded. Her smile didn’t waver as she stood up, ushering them upstairs and into a room. “This is your room from now on, okay? I’ll give you time to get used to the place and clear your minds for now. Just holler if you need anything.” With that said, she patted their heads before disappearing from view.
The older twin twitched before walking over to the lower bunk and sitting down, looking up at his younger twin with a stare. Masayuki finally moved and sat next to him, leaning against him. It was silent for a few moments until quiet sobs broke out. They held each other close as they sobbed into each other’s arms.
“I...I don’t wanna be ‘ere.” Masayuki sobbed as his brother nodded in agreement.
“I know, Masa...I don’t either, b-but we have no choice,” Maimi whispered as he hiccuped. “We have to stay here for a really, really long time..”
“We’ll..be together forever, right?”
“Always. Forever and always.”
“Okay.”
Months passed, and they’ve already gotten a reputation for themselves. They were unapproachable and were always chased away by them. Everyone except for Ichika. She took great care of them and quickly became a sister figure for them. Unlike their usual rowdy selves, they were quiet and still inseparable.
Ichika couldn’t blame them, she understood why they were like this. She was able to get a hold of their files and had cried for hours after realizing what happened to them. She would do her best to make their stay here enjoyable as it could be. She would make them smile once more. It would just take time.
She would read to them each day, separate from the other kids. She did her best to find out what food they liked and what hobbies they had. Slowly, they warmed up to her and eventually told her the things they liked. Of course, it was a very slow process, and they often told her what they liked over a long period of time. However, it was worth it in the end. Ichika felt accomplished.
A few people have expressed wanting to adopt them, but the twins always rejected them and paid no heed to them. They didn’t want to be adopted. Ichika asked them about it one day and, surprisingly enough, they answered.
“Cuz no one will ever replace mama and papa,” Maimi began, coloring his picture.
“And we don’t need anyone but ourselves and you, Ichi-nee,” Masayuki continued, munching on a cookie blankly. Ichika smiled and nodded, understanding where they were coming from but still concerned. They deserved a warm, loving home; not stuck in the orphanage. All the residents in the orphanage did.
Ichika didn’t say anything more and just patted their heads with a warm smile. “Okay then.” She nodded before excusing herself to prepare more snacks for the other kids. Masayuki leaned his head on the table as he struggled to float a cookie to his brother.
The two of them had discovered their superpowers a few weeks prior. That was the first time they smiled in months. Why? Because they inherited their parents’ superpowers They still had a part of them with them, and that overjoyed them. They were late bloomers but didn’t mind it.
Despite them being quite young, Masayuki and Maimi already knew they weren’t going to get adopted any time soon. And that was perfectly fine. They had each other and that's all that mattered to them. They would figure out everything else along the way and with one another. Maimi and Masayuki. Masayuki and Maimi. Two peas in a pod, always and forever.
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