cttro
~
December 2005 - Winter
"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid Atsumu!" Her words cut through the air with a sharpness that was intensified by the melodic lilt of her Kansai accent.
"Stupid Atsumu!" The little girl cried, touching every strand of her hair on the floor that her older brother cutted while she was asleep. Thankfully, she had awoken just in time to prevent Atsumu from completely shaving her head.
The door swung open with a force that matched the intensity of the situation. "What on earth is going on?!" exclaimed the younger twin, his voice laced with concern as he rushed to his sister Etsuko's side.
"Atsumu! Have you lost your mind?!" He yells, his eyes wide with disbelief and anger.
Atsumu, standing sheepishly by the bed, pouted and averted his gaze, unable to meet his twin brother's piercing stare. "I swear, I didn't do it!" he protested, though the evidence was damning.
"Hey! Don't you dare lie. You are literally still holding the scissors."
Atsumu glanced down at his left hand, realizing he was indeed clutching the very tool he had used to commit the hair-raising act. With a simple, nonchalant response, he muttered, "Ohh..."
The other twin arched a skeptical eyebrow, his disbelief evident in his expression. "Seriously?" he questioned, his voice laced with a mix of incredulity and exasperation.
Osamu reached out and tousled Etsuko's hair, causing her unevenly cut strands to stand on end. The haphazardness of the haircut was apparent, with visible signs of Atsumu's amateurish attempt using nothing but the kitchen scissors.
Sniffling against Osamu's chest, 9-year-old Etsuko muttered through her sobs, "Stupid Tsumu did it."
"Atsumu!" The accused culprit stood defiantly, showing no remorse for his actions. Osamu let out a weary sigh, contemplating whether he could possibly evict his twin from their shared crib.
"I wanted her to look like me!" Atsumu argued, finally meeting his twin's gaze.
"Huh? Have you lost your mind? She's a girl, Tsumu!" Osamu retorted, throwing a pillow at his brother with his free hand.
Atsumu caught the pillow and retaliated, launching it back at Osamu, who shielded Etsuko protectively with his body. "Hmp! It's not that bad," Atsumu defended. "It suits her! Besides, she's not just a girl," he whispered the last part, but it was enough for Etsuko to hear, eliciting a glare from her.
Stepping back, Atsumu sought refuge behind the curtains. "See? Did you see that? I told you! She's a devil in disguise!"
"How dare you call your sister a devil?!" Osamu's voice boomed with anger.
"But she is!"
"Atsumu!" Osamu shouted his twin's name, his anger flaming.
Atsumu flinched, dropping the scissors to the floor. His face turned blank, tears streaming down his cheeks. Even Etsuko ceased her crying, startled by the intensity of Osamu's outburst.
"You don't love me anymore, Osamu!" the older twin cried, wiping his tears with the back of his hands. "You yelled at me! You... you don't love me..." Atsumu's voice trailed off, his shock palpable. "You hate me now! I'm not your twin anymore!"
"I never said I don't love you anymore, you idiot!" Osamu retorted, his voice choked with emotion as he sniffed and started to cry. Perhaps it was a twin thing. When one cries, the other will also cry.
Mrs. Miya swung open the door, a stick held firmly in her left hand, ready to administer a midnight wake-up call to her misbehaving children. However, her expression shifted as she was greeted by three disheveled, tear-streaked kids in their pajamas, causing her to question her life choices.
~
The next day, Etsuko and her mother went to the salon to get a proper haircut. As she looked at herself in the mirror, a smile spread across her face. The new hairstyle suited her, just as her brother Atsumu had said. She couldn't wait to show it off to her brothers.
Upon arriving home, Etsuko was met with an unusual silence that filled her with guilt. She wasn't accustomed to this kind of atmosphere. Osamu was still upset with Atsumu for what he had done, and Atsumu was still angry at Osamu for yelling at him.
Determined to mend their relationship, Etsuko hurried to the twins' room. However, as she entered, her smile faded. The twins weren't speaking to each other. Atsumu was on one side of the room, absentmindedly tossing a volleyball against the wall, while Osamu lay on his bed, engrossed in a book about cooking. They didn't even notice her presence.
"I need to do something," Etsuko thought, her worry evident in her furrowed brow as she tightly gripped the doorknob.
"Hey, stupid Tsumu! Look! Look at my hair!" she exclaimed happily, jumping up and down until she reached Atsumu.
"Whoa! You look pretty!" Atsumu stood up in surprise, his eyes sparkling. "You dyed it white! That's cool!"
"I was born pretty, Tsumu!" she playfully retorted, then turned to Osamu's side. "Osamu-nii! How do I look? Do I look like you and Tsumu?"
"Yeah, it suits you well. You look even prettier," Osamu complimented with a smile on his face.
"I know, I know!" Etsuko exclaimed, grabbing both Atsumu and Osamu's hands and twirling in circles. The twins looked at her in awe.
That day, Osamu made a decision. He wanted to have the same haircut as Atsumu. He couldn't wait for another day; he wanted to have the same undercut hairstyle as his brothers. His mother giggled at how cute Osamu was when he begged her, while Atsumu teased him relentlessly. But Osamu didn't care.
"Do you really want this?" Mrs. Miya asked in a soft tone, surprised by Osamu's rare request. He was known for being calm and laid-back.
Osamu nodded. "Yes, please."
Mrs. Miya ruffled his hair affectionately. "Let's go, Osamu."
~
When Osamu returned home, he found Etsuko and Atsumu playing volleyball in the backyard. "Oh! You look good!" Etsuko exclaimed, tucking her hair behind her ears so she could see her brother clearly.
"Aren't you lucky to have the same handsome face as mine?" Atsumu grinned mischievously, his 10-year-old confidence shining through.
Osamu playfully punched him in the stomach. "Narcissistic dumbass."
The three of them burst into laughter, enjoying their playful banter as they messed around with each other's tosses and spikes. Unbeknownst to them, their mother watched from the kitchen, a warm smile on her face. She took out her phone and captured the wonderful moment, knowing it would be a cherished memory for years to come.
