Chapter 6: Why?
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On a gentle summer afternoon, the university's central square bustled with students, its heart marked by the distinctive clock tower.
Kyouko walked out of the lecture hall alongside the twins—Lynen and Loken. They made their way toward the cafeteria, Loken moving quietly through the crowd until his shoulder accidentally brushed against Kyouko's bag. He apologized softly.
Kyouko sat facing the twins and gestured silently, mouthing without a sound: "Is he comfortable?"
Lynen gave a thumbs-up, signaling that all was well.
Loken lifted his head, his silver eyes turning toward Kyouko, and said: "The place has grown quiet. This year passed quickly."
Kyouko smiled and replied: "Yes, and tonight the preparations for the summer festival in the city begin."
Their food arrived at the table. Lynen guided the plate toward her brother, then took his hand and placed it gently on the edge of the plate, saying softly: "It's here. Go ahead, start."
Kyouko smiled at the tender sight, and they ate together. After exchanging some light conversation, Lynen teased: "Shall I feed you with my own hands? We're almost done anyway."
Loken turned his face toward her: "I'm not a child."
Lynen replied: "Oh, but you are—your face is a mess!"
Kyouko laughed, and they all laughed together.
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In her small home, Kyouko stood in the kitchen, preparing lunch. She called out: "Kyoury! Come here!"
No answer. She called again: "Kyoury, what are you doing?"
She went to her sister's room. She wasn't there. Kyouko muttered to herself: "As I expected. Of course you're not studying now, you lazy little thing."
She walked toward her own room, still calling her sister's name. Passing by the kitchen, she noticed she had left the stove on—the food was burning. She rushed to salvage what she could, muttering: "Damn... I forgot." In her haste, she burned her hand on the pot and cried out in frustration: "Kyoury!!!"
Kyoury appeared instantly, skipping and beaming with innocent joy, holding up a folded piece of paper: "Look what I found!"
Kyouko asked, puzzled: "What is that? Where did you find it?"
Kyoury replied, mimicking a grown-up lady holding the paper between two tiny fingers: "I found it in your bag. I think it's a love letter!"
Kyouko's face flushed. She snatched the letter from her sister's hand: "Who told you that? You can't even read properly. And don't touch my things."
Kyoury replied: "Mama used to let me, and I always found candy."
Kyouko read the letter carefully, her expression shifting to something unreadable. Kyoury, curious and confused, jumped up and shouted: "What does it say?!"
Then Kyouko clutched the paper and ran to her room, with Kyoury chasing after her. She opened her wardrobe, pulled out clothes, and tossed them onto the bed.
Kyoury asked: "What did it say? Are you getting married?"
Kyouko replied as she arranged her clothes: "No time for jokes. Go put the food on the table quickly. I need to change."
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In a warm, pleasant atmosphere, the two sisters sat at the table, both dressed neatly. Kyouko asked: "Why did you change your clothes?"
Kyoury replied with perfect confidence and innocence: "I'm coming with you, of course."
Kyouko placed her hand on her head and said: "What am I going to do with you! Now eat your food."
Kyoury's expression grew strange as Kyouko ate quickly. Kyouko asked: "What's wrong?"
Kyoury replied: "The food is too delicious."
Kyouko laughed: "So delicious that it's burnt? I'm sorry—I didn't have time to cook anything else."
Then Kyouko stood up hurriedly and said: "Wash the dishes while I'm gone... Goodbye!"
Kyoury called out loudly: "I have to study!"
Kyouko shouted back: "I'm not in the mood for you!" and slammed the door shut.
Kyoury whispered to herself: "All my plans failed. I'll try feeding this thing to the street cat... I hope it doesn't die."
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In the empty university square, Kyouko ran beneath the clock tower, which read 8:00 PM. She walked through the dark hallways, the echo of her footsteps unsettling. She entered one of the lecture halls and found Loken sitting alone, smiling.
She approached him and said: "Hello. Sorry I'm late—I have a little sister who needs taking care of."
In his gentle, calm voice, he replied: "Hello. Don't worry—I have a sister too, and we take care of each other."
Kyouko smiled and sat in the seat across from him: "You're impressive. How did you manage to come here alone?"
He lifted his silver eyes toward her and said: "I'm sorry—this is the only place I can get to without Lynen. I wish I could have taken you to a café instead."
Kyouko's eyes sparkled. She thought to herself: He's a man. He doesn't want to depend on others for everything.
Loken smiled and said: "Your clothes are beautiful."
Kyouko was taken aback and asked directly: "What do you mean? Can you see me?"
He laughed softly and said: "I wish. But when you sat down, the sound was different from your usual one."
A thought crossed her mind: He tries so hard to make me forget he's blind.
Kyouko blushed and replied: "So are you—your clothes are beautiful too, but your colors don't match. Looks like you put in the effort to dress yourself."
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Time passed as they talked in that quiet place, bathed in moonlight. A peaceful smile lingered on both their faces.
Suddenly, the room lit up with bright, dazzling lights. Kyouko turned toward the window—fireworks were bursting across the city sky, lighting up the night. She was mesmerized. Without realizing, she found Loken standing beside her, facing the window.
He whispered in his distinct voice: "What do you think—shall we go there?"
She looked at him with longing eyes and said in a deep voice: "You only hear her voice. I wish you could see her beauty."
Loken descended the stairs slowly and said: "Perhaps she's even more beautiful in my imagination than she is in reality."
Kyouko went down first to make sure he wouldn't stumble, then approached the door—only to find it locked. She tried again. No use. It was sealed.
She said in surprise: "I didn't even close the door. Why is it locked?"
When she looked at Loken's face, he seemed uneasy, staring at the ground: "Maybe someone locked it from the outside. But how didn't I hear them?"
Kyouko kept trying. Then Loken placed his hand on the door and pushed. He said to her: "It's solid—not even a kick would open it. Relax, Kyouko."
He heard her footsteps moving toward the window.
Kyouko looked out—they were about a floor and a half up.
Loken returned to his seat. Kyouko rummaged through her bag, then said apologetically: "I forgot my phone at home."
Loken replied calmly: "I left mine on purpose. I guess we're destined to spend the night here."
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Time passed, and they kept talking. The fireworks continued to cast their beauty and light into the room.
Loken said: "This day is always special—strange things happen to me on this day."
Kyouko smiled and asked: "Like what? Nothing stranger than today has happened to me."
With a smile, he gazed toward the window, his eyes gleaming with the sparkling lights: "I'll tell you a story that happened with Lynen when we were children."
Kyouko rested her hands on the bench, laid her head on them, and looked at him: "Go ahead—it sounds interesting."
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A mother sat amid the noise of two children playing. The little girl held the ball with her tiny hands, threw it at her brother, and shouted: "Catch it!"
It bounced off his face and he fell to the ground. Their mother rushed over and said:
"Watch out, Lynen! I told you Loken can't see!"
Little Lynen asked in confusion: "What do you mean he can't see? What does that mean?"
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Little Lynen sat playing. Her mother called out to her: "Take Loken to the bathroom. Stay with him—he can't see."
She asked again: "What does that mean?"
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Lynen drew with her tiny hands while Loken sat beside her. She said: "Look how beautiful this drawing is!"
Loken replied: "I think it is, but I can't see it."
Lynen grew frustrated and said: "You idiot... Just open your eyes and you'll see it!"
She came close to his face, and he opened his eyes. She saw her own small face reflected in his silver eyes and asked: "Can you see now?"
He replied: "No, I don't see anything."
She said, enchanted by the sight: "But you have beautiful eyes!"
He replied: "I don't know. I feel thirsty."
She said: "Come with me—let's get a drink."
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From her earliest childhood, everything Lynen was taught revolved around helping her brother. She fed him, gave him water, played with him, walked with him. She learned this from the moment she could remember. Sometimes she'd grumble, sometimes she'd run away from him—but she never left him if he was alone.
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The streets of the city sparkled with decorations beneath the dark night, the sounds of celebration rising into the air. It was the summer festival.
A little girl looked at her mother with innocent eyes, tugging at her hand: "Mama... Mama, I want to play over there!"
The mother smiled and said: "Lynen, you're still too young to go alone. How about we sit down? I'm tired."
Little Lynen didn't know what to say. She climbed onto a chair in the garden and kissed her mother's cheek deeply, then said: "Pleeeease!"
The mother laughed, gently lifted her other child down from the chair with both hands, took his hand and clasped it together with Lynen's small hand. She said: "Take Loken with you. Watch over him and don't wander far."
In her innocence, Lynen ran, dragging Loken along with her.
While they played, Lynen noticed her mother was occupied with someone. She crouched behind a bush with Loken, who had no idea what was happening.
She whispered: "Look at this—I borrowed some money from Mama."
Loken replied: "You idiot, I can't see. And that's called stealing."
Lynen held his cheeks and said: "I'll buy you ice cream too. Just don't tell Mama. Come on—let's hide."
Lynen snuck with Loken between the garden shrubs until they reached a small hut behind the garden. No one was there. She sat him down on the grass and said:
"Wait here for me. Don't move at all, so you don't get lost!"
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She walked alone, her small steps full of confidence, when she heard that sound—her eyes lit up at the sight. It was an ice cream cart.
She pointed at the vendor with her tiny hand: "I want this one and this one and some of that one."
The vendor leaned down to her and said: "Do you have enough money for all this?"
She pulled out a folded bill like a tiny sword and shot him a confident look.
He laughed: "This is barely enough."
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Lynen held a beautiful cone of ice cream in her tiny hands as she walked between the legs of the crowd.
She carefully looked for the garden bench—it was empty.
Panic gripped her: "Where is Mama?"
She searched the garden... ran through the streets alone... searched every corner she passed... until she reached home.
She found her mother collapsed on the doorstep, crying. When she noticed her daughter, she grabbed her and shook her until the treasure in her hand fell to the ground, then asked: "Where were you? Where is Loken? I looked everywhere for you!"
Lynen cried, and her mother screamed: "Where is Loken?!"
Lynen remembered and said in a trembling voice: "I forgot him... I'll bring him right now!"
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A park guard stood beside Loken, speaking to him:
"I told you I'd find your family. Just walk with me."
He replied: "Sorry, I can't see. My sister will come get me."
The guard said: "It's okay—I'll carry you."
Loken insisted: "There's no need."
He walked away and said: "Call me if you change your mind."
He heard their voices rising—his sister and mother running toward him.
A heavy weight landed on his small chest. They were holding him tightly, their tears flowing freely.
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The city fell silent. The night grew still. In the empty garden beneath the moonlight, the mother took her daughter's hand and looked at her with serious eyes:
"Listen, Lynen. Loken needs you. You are the eyes he sees through. We will leave, and you will stay with him... You are the one who makes him live like everyone else, live as you live. Even if you fail in your own life... at least you'll succeed as a sister."
Loken's heart stirred. He thought: I will learn to rely on myself, so I don't tire anyone.
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In the dimness of the lecture hall, Loken heard the sound of snoring. Kyouko had fallen asleep without him noticing. He smiled and said softly:
"I hope she heard the ending." Then he turned his head toward the locked door.
Lynen was sitting on the floor behind it, whispering:
"I heard it all, brother."
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Thus, Lynen's identity was forged—an identity whose essence was Loken, the one who gave meaning to everything she did. Without him... meaning fades and identity blurs. And with his loss... purpose dissolves. So who is Lynen now?
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Kyouko opened her tired eyes to the ceiling of her room. Her pale face and weary eyes spoke volumes of her sorrow.
She looked at her phone from under the blanket. The scene no longer hurt as it once did.
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She slid the phone under her pillow and closed her eyes:
"Loken died again. There's no use. I'll just sleep."
A tear slipped down, dampening her pillow.
To be continued...