Chapter Text
Eichi stared at himself in the hospital room's bathroom mirror.
A completely unrecognizable person stared back at him.
He tilted his head to the left, and the figure copied his movement, tilting her head to her left. Dark brown hair with gray-blue tips shifted as the head moved, and Eichi could feel it fall over his shoulder, some of it lightly touching his elbow. He twisted his head to the right, and the mirror follows. Up and down he moved, and watched as the figure nodded back at him in the same, even-paced manner.
A blink, silently hoping for winter blues to look back.
Instead, soft turquoise met his gaze instead.
His grip on the sink tightened painfully, but he's too focused on the sight in front of him.
Admittedly, it took Eichi quite a while to freak out over his new... appearence. In his defense, he was stuck lying on the hospital bed for the majority of his visit, and whenever he did have to go to the restroom, the idol actively avoided glancing at the mirror due to what he'll reluctantly admit to as fear. He was quite content to deluding himself that he was not in another person's body, that he was not currently literally halfway across the world from home (it only made itself clear to Eichi thanks to the nurse assigned to him to realize that he's in America), that he didn't accidentally swapped genders thanks to the switch (another mental apology for whoever he took it from), that he didn't just die due to a sudden heart attack and got revived inside another person's body.
Without a choice now, however, Eichi forced himself to study the face of the one he was now portraying as. Lissa Halfwell was getting discharged in half an hour, after all.
(He quietly whispered a "sorry" for the girl, for taking her life away so abruptly. Eichi had no idea where she was now, but still hoped she got his apology regardless.)
Slowly, Eichi peeled himself away from the reflection and took it upon himself to clean up the mess of clothes he made while changing. He didn't dare open his eyes while undressing, out of respect for the girl (and himself); it'd be too awkward for him if he even made a single peek. Once again he lamented his predicament. Seriously, even if this is some sort of sick joke from a higher being or God himself, for all of those misdeeds he'd done for the War, then at least place him in a more comfortable environment for him to get used to. But no, he got "isekai'd" to America in the opposite gender.
Did he mention that Lissa is also apparently a sophomore in college?? He's only in his second year of high school, for Heaven's sake! How is he going to complete classes in a college level course??
"Lissa? You alright in there?" came the voice of the body's brother, a few knocks following after. "I know I said you can take as long as you need, but, uh, I kinda forgot something at the theater..."
Eichi pulled himself out of his self-pity with a sigh, and stood up to open the restroom door, a small pile of clothes in his hands. He didn't bother to verbally answer back (mostly for his own mental stability).
"It was dumb of me, I know, I should've double checked before I left, and you can take as much time as you want, of course, but— Oh. Hello, you're out."
Erin cut himself off when the door suddenly slid open, with his sister standing on the other side with a somewhat blank expression on her face. He had brought some clothes for her to choose from their house, those of which are piled in her arms along with the hospital gown. What took him off guard was her outfit; an off-shoulder white blouse top and simple light blue jeans as the bottom, her hair pulled in a half-up style, and wearing her regular black tennis shoes.
It's not a bad fit, of course, don't get him wrong; it's... let's just say that Erin had gotten used to Lissa's "baggy t-shirts and leggings" style from before.
"...Wow," Erin eventually got out. "Cute fit."
Wow, the one time your sister tries a different style and all you say is "cute fit"?! What kind of comment is that??
Lissa didn't say anything back, just nodding with a small smile before heading towards the hospital bed and shoving the remaining clothes into the duffle bag he had brought in. Most of the "get well soon" cards and presents were also placed inside; Lissa didn't get hospitalized for long (only for three days, which was a lot shorter than the intervals Eichi had stayed), so there wasn't too much to bring home.
Looking at how Lissa moved though... Erin couldn't help but think there's something different about her. He couldn't pin-point it, but something had definitely changed. He was her brother after all, her twin; it wouldn't be ideal for him if he didn't notice anything different.
The silence still hung in the air after Erin's remark, which only made Eichi feel a bit awkward. The boy was just staring at him, with a somewhat blank face as he seem to dig holes into his skull in the dullest way possible.
The idol sighed. "...is there something wrong?"
That got the boy out of his small daze, and laughed it off lightly with a smile. "No, nothing's wrong!" he exclaimed. "Just a bit different from your usual style, that's all."
"You don't say..."
Of course it's different; Eichi didn't know what sort of person Lissa used to be, but the majority of the clothes Erin brought were oversized shirts with anime print on them. The outfit he has on was the one he felt the most suitable to his fashion tastes. He may not know a lot about fashion, but the girl really needs a closet upgrade ASAP.
(While shuffling through the clothes, Eichi thought he saw a maroon red shirt with a print of AKATSUKI's logo on it, though the logo design was slightly different from the one he remembered for the unit. The kanji printed on it was still 紅月, however, so he filed that in the back of his mind for later.)
Turning back to face the boy (...should he keep calling him "boy" if he's actually older than him...?), Eichi placed one of his gentle smiles, though he's not sure how effective it was in this body. "You needed to pick up something, right...?"
Erin jolted at the reminder. "Oh! Yeah, we'd need to stop by the theater; I forgot to bring back the containers I bought at the store for Mom. It should be a fast trip... if the guys at the theater would let us go out fast enough..."
"Right," Eichi drew out the syllable, nodding lazily at his explanation. "Um. I got everything."
"Ya sure?"
"I checked."
"Alright, then off we go!" Erin cheered, swinging his arms dramatically and grabbing the duffle bag sitting on the bed, leaving his sister to hold nothing but a light jacket in her hands. The boy (rename pending) practically bounced towards the door before opening it for Eichi, letting himself take a courtesy bow as the other person exited the room.
Eichi couldn't help but chuckle a bit at his over-the-top dramatics. He kinda reminded him of a certain thespian... though Erin was certainly a lot more tamed and controlled.
The two siblings then made their trek to the front, stopping briefly to thank the nurse who took care of Lissa during her visit. She was well enough to walk without support, but they still took their time to walk. It was silent for the most part, with some humming from the older brother, but neither spoke a word.
...speaking of a certain thespian, Eichi couldn't help but let his mind wander back to Yumenosaki. Did anyone find his body? Considering that he dropped in the middle of the hallway, surely a passing teacher or custodian would notice it? Not to mention that Keito was also staying late in the student council room...
His grip on the jacket in his hands tightened. Keito promised to be the one to lay him down, didn't he? How hurt is he going to be when he has to go with the process so soon. Though, to be completely frank, Eichi's surprised he even made it to high school with his frail condition.
...he can't imagine many people to be present at his funeral. His parents, maybe, for publicity's sake. He can see them leaving as soon as the event was over.
Perhaps, if he's going to stretch his luck, Wataru would also be present. The actor had shown such interest in him, even reaching out to talk to him in his dramatic flair of doves and petals. The rose he would pluck out from nowhere, a different color each time they met. There was even this one time Wataru would offer a beautiful crystallized rose, the petals falling with such grace before dispersing in a small shower of sparkles. How such phenomenon was executed, Eichi would never know.
He wished that same crystal flower is laid on his grave, though that might be too much to hope for.
Tsumugi would join as well, he can imagine. He's kind like that, no matter how cruel Eichi's dismissal of him was. No matter how much he was used as a pawn in the blond's game, no matter how many people he'd hurt in the name of Yumenosaki's betterment and the War; he would still smile and attend. Because that's what a good friend would do.
...or maybe he wouldn't attend at all. Eichi can't blame him if he doesn't. He was too shameless to use Tsumugi's goodwill like that.
Too lost in his thoughts, Eichi didn't realized they nearly reached the front. A familiar figure was standing near the automatic doors, waiting for someone to come out to the hospital's main foyer. Erin also seemed to recognize him, but for a completely different than his sister.
Eichi nearly took a double take when he saw the person. It was a tall boy, taller than him currently at least, looking down at his phone with those familiar rigid framed glasses, short dark hair, and the same face shape; nearly a carbon copy. He couldn't believe it. Is it really—
"Oh, Keith!!" Erin exclaimed. "Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you and Layla had something to do at the theater?"
Eichi froze in disbelief. ?? His name is Keith?? It's not Keito??
'Keith' looked at the direction of where his voice was called, his face relaxing into a small smile as he greeted the two back with a wave. "Hello to you, too. Layla got the theater part covered; we're just polishing the final parts of the play before opening night since it got postponed. Oh, and... hi, Lissa."
'Lissa' only stared dumbly at the doppelgänger. That's not Keito, Eichi realized. His voice was softer than his friend's, his expression too casual. His attitude was too relaxed to be Keito. He knows Erin, too, so clearly that can't be Keito.
So why do they look so similar?
"...Lissa?" the brother asked gently, looking at him in worry. "Everything all right?"
Even Ke- Keith looked concerned at the lack of response.
Oh no, Eichi panicked. He's frozen still. His eyes darted between Erin and K- the other person in slight manic, which only caused them to worry more.
Think, think, what to do, what to do—
"Who... are you?"
Eichi could feel the pressure plummet as soon as he uttered those words.
"...what?" Keith asked, his voice breaking slightly at the sudden question given.
"Lissa... it's Keith," Erin said, hands slightly shaking. "You remember him, right? He's one of the directors of our drama club... You do remember that, right?"
Crap.
"I... no, I don't remember..." Eichi said hesitantly, making his voice small, not even sure what's happening anymore. Is he actually doing an amnesia act?
...he might be, but it's too late to turn back now.
That's when Erin suddenly dropped into a faint, a thud echoing inside the emergency waiting room.
After getting Erin to wake up, and the twin subsequently dragging his sister back inside the hospital's inner walls to demand another check on her, Keith stayed with the two as Lissa was put through neuro scans and brain examinations. The girl seemed also regretful of admitting she doesn't remember anything, if her strained smiles and continous sighs has anything to say as doctors had her follow their procedures. It was too late now, though, so she reluctantly followed through.
The two boys stood outside the room as they watched Lissa through a window; Keith watching his friend as doctors surrounded her, and Erin nervously pacing back and forth behind him, wringing his hands together as a source of comfort. "She says she doesn't remember, Keith," he muttered. "She doesn't remember!"
The brunet sighed. "I'm aware; you've been repeating that for the past fifteen minutes."
"But she doesn't remember!" Erin repeated again, his voice raising a few octaves. Keith only raised his head to look at the ceiling in slight annoyance. He loved his friend, he really did, but sometimes the actor can ramble a bit too much. "And I- I didn't catch on soon enough! I mean, I did notice her being a little different than usual, but I didn't do anything further to make sure she's okay!! I just assumed that she was still adjusting after getting stabbed out of nowhere — and I still need to strangle Kayden for that, and Sato too for not putting that wretched sword away — but to think she got amnesia instead! I never even thought! Oh my god, I'm a terrible brother!!"
"You are not a terrible brother; you're perfectly valid for not assuming she has amnesia right off the bat; it is not Kayden's fault that he stabbed Lissa; and yes, I agree, Sato's at fault here for not taking that sword home," Keith tallied off his friend's rambles, all in a slightly monotone voice. God give him strength, Erin can be too much to handle when he gets worked up, especially if it involves his sister. "Even if she does have amnesia, at least it's better knowing now than being completely oblivious to it later on. It's okay, we can wait for the medical results, and hopefully we can go after that. It's still early morning; we're in no hurry. Just breathe."
Erin slowed his pacing, and crouched down to ground himself, breathing deeply like his friend had suggested. Keith looked back at the window, seeing Lissa being put in some sort of tube; assumingly the machine that would scan her brain. Lissa herself seemed... annoyed at this whole thing, surprisingly, though her smiles and gentle movements masked that really well. Keith only managed to see she's bothered thanks to paying attention to her.
"...you're surprisingly calm for someone who just got told 'who are you' by his crush."
"Hurk—!" Keith coughed, his face slowly glowing red after being caught off guard by the actor's out-of-nowhere statement. Said person was still sitting on the ground smiling smugly, basking in the director's misfortune of being (unfortunately) called out.
"Cough- Ahem!! I am surprised, for your information, Halfwell," he emphasized, though Erin's grin only grew wider at his annoyed tone. "It's just that I hide it better than you... and I'm also clinging desperately to the idea that Lissa will be okay. I mean, she's still our Lissa... right? That wouldn't change regardless if she has her memories or not."
Erin's smile fell slightly at the half sure statement, before his face perked up again in full enthusiasm. Keith didn't miss the falter in his body as the boy got up from his spot, though. "You're right! Of course Lissa would still be Lissa, that wouldn't change even if she doesn't remember my face! She's still my beloved sister either way! Gosh, I don't know what I was so worried for!"
His friend only rolled his eyes at the obvious blunder in his tone.
One of the doctors then walked out of the examination room with Lissa in tow, and the two boys straightened themselves at the sudden entrance. She seemed glad to have the whole thing over with, and went to stand near her brother, who reached for her hand to hold them in his.
The girl appeared… almost surprised at the sudden showcase of physical affection.
"Any news, sir?" Keith asked immediately, preparing himself for any bad ones.
The young intern shook his head. "Not much, at least. We still need to examine the pictures taken to see if there's anything else that is wrong, but from what we can tell immediately from the brain signals is that she's not recognizing her environment. There's not enough waves to indicate that she knows what's going on."
"So... she has amnesia?" Erin meekly got out.
"Seems like it," the intern said, shrugging slightly. "While there is no damage to her head, since she did recently go through a traumatic experience, it could've affected her psychologically and had her memories repressed. Of course, this case is an uncommon one, so the doctors will have to monitor her for a while."
The two boys turned to look at Lissa at that, their expressions in varying degrees of concern and pity. Lissa herself only got uncomfortable at the sudden attention, and glanced away to look at some random pattern on the wall in a sad attempt to get away from their gazes.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Erin turned back to ask.
"Should be," said the intern with an easy smile. "There shouldn't be anything that would block her from functioning otherwise, but if there is, do let us know immediately so we can take another look."
"...Thank you for letting us know," Keith said softly, nodding at the young man.
"Of course! Happy to help, and I hope things get better soon for you guys." The intern waved them good bye, then left, leaving the trio alone.
The hallway was silent for a while as the three of them awkwardly fidgeted. Erin then cleared his throat and clapped his hands together in a sudden turn of attitude. "So! Reintroductions are in order, aren't they?" he cheerfully questioned, a bright smile on his face.
There he goes again.
"My name is Erin Halfwell," he said with a small bow. "I'm your older twin brother, we're 20 years old, and are sophomores in college. I'm majoring in performance arts, and you're still undecided. You do know your name, right?"
"...yeah," the girl said. "Lissa Halfwell."
"Great!" Erin cheered again. "We're both in the drama club at our college; I'm one of the actors, and you're the prop mistress for the troupe. Of course we do other things around the club as well, but that's kinda like our 'official' roles, I guess. And this guy over here..."
"...Keith Hardee," the brunet chimed in at the lead off.
Lissa blinked.
The boy coughed. "Before you laugh at my surname, it's of Irish decent. Blame my ancestors for choosing it," he shrugged. "Anyways, uh, I've known you two since kindergarten, and we've been friends ever since. I'm one of the co-directors of the drama club I'm in with you, but I've acted and done other stuff like script writing before, too. I'm also majoring in literature, if you want to know."
"Oh. Well, it's nice to meet you two..." Lissa greeted, and bowed her body towards the two. Erin and Keith quickly followed to bow back, the former fumbling slightly to do the same.
"Anything you want to say about yourself?" Erin queried.
She shrugged. "You probably know more about me than I know myself."
"Oh..."
Another awkward stance, before Keith sighed and pushed up his glasses (in that same, familiar way). "Want to meet the rest of the cast?"