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𝑳𝑰𝑻𝑻𝑳𝑬 𝑯𝑨𝑾𝑲𝑺
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The twins concluded that you and Hawks had lots of fun like they did at school that was why you were asleep when they got back home. And they further concluded that the fun you two had was the physical exercise Hawks told them yesterday.
"I can't just tell them what we really did, you know," Hawks said while he was cleaning the table and you sat there.
"So you really had to say physical exercise?"
"I didn't have any other excuse right off the bat."
After breakfast, the twins had gone upstairs to get their things for school. You shook your head after hearing what Hawks said before you looked at the time.
"I'll go check on the twins. It's almost time for their school bus to arrive."
You stood up, taking your now empty mug and putting it on the sink before you left and went upstairs. You noticed the door to the twins' room is left slightly ajar as you made your way to their room. You opened the door more before you leaned your shoulder on the doorframe, watching as the twins put their bags around their shoulders.
"Did you two check your school stuff?" you asked, pushing yourself off the doorframe.
"Mama!" Keita said as he ran up to you and gave you a hug. "The pancakes and waffles are so delicious."
"Yes!" Keishi said, running up to you as well. "They're so much better than the ones papa used to make."
You hummed in response as Keita leaned back before he spoke. "Oh, our school stuff."
"What about them?" Keishi asked.
"Mama asked if we checked our school stuff," Keita said before he turned to Keishi. "Shi-chan, turn around. I'll check yours, then you'll check mine."
You watched as Keishi turned around and Keita opened his twin brother's school bag as he looked inside to check if he had everything. Books, pencils, notebooks and whatever it is they bring to school, you thought. Then after Keita checked, he turned around and let his twin brother check his bag as well.
You were going to check their bags but seeing them doing this is much better as you felt the upturn of the side of your lips into a smile.
"You two really have each other's backs, huh," you muttered before the twins looked at you.
"Did mama say something?" Keita asked, tilting his head to the side.
You shook your head before lifting your hands towards them. "Let's go downstairs."
They held your hands as they walked on either side of you. Once you three are downstairs, Hawks is already in the living room.
"Ah, my grade school boys are ready to go to school," he said before you let go of their hands, sitting on the couch beside Hawks as the twins stood in front of you.
"Alright, listen carefully," you said, propping your elbows on your knees as you leaned forward as the twins took a step closer to you and from the corner of your eyes you can see Hawks moving closer to you as well. "Today's hero mission."
"Hero mission," the twins said in unison, their voices in awe as you mentioned a mission. And a hero's mission at that.
"Go make friends."
After you said those three seemingly simple words, the twins were silent for a few seconds as if they were letting your words sink in their minds before they tilted their heads on the same side.
"But mama," Keishi started, furrowing his eyebrows in the same way that Keita is furrowing his as Keita continued what his twin brother was about to say.
"We don't need friends," Keita said.
"We only need each other," Keishi added before the two looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, that's a given," you said, leaning back. "But you still need friends."
"Why do we need friends?" Keishi asked. "Those kids at school are crybabies."
"Does mama have friends?" Keita asked back. "If mama has friends, then Ta-chan might consider making friends."
"Mama..." you started, before you let out a smile. "Mama has lots of friends."
"Really?"
Not only twins, but Hawks also asked in unison with them and you looked at Hawks for a moment before averting your gaze back to the twins.
"Friends are an important investment for the future. You can benefit from them in the long run. Especially the ones with useful quirks."
Hawks was sure you were talking about exploitation and those friends you were talking about weren't exactly friends. So before you can continue, Hawks had to jump in.
"And, friends are also important people you can rely on," Hawks said before you looked at him and he looked at you, smiling before he turned back to the twins. "Make sure you make genuine friends."
The twins seemed to think about it before they nodded.
"We'll try to make friends today!" Keishi said and Keita nodded his head.
"It's mama's hero mission for us!" Keita said this time.
After that conversation, the twins' school bus arrived and they both gave you and Hawks a kiss on the cheeks.
"Mama and papa, have lots of fun too!" they said before running off.
A few seconds after they're gone, you felt Hawks looking at you and you slowly looked at him.
"What?" you asked.
"You heard what our twins said."
"They said see you later." You stood but Hawks quickly held your wrist, stopping you from taking a step forward before he suddenly yanked you back down, cushioning your fall with his arm before he moved closer to you.
"They said, mama and papa, have lots of fun too."
Hawks put his arms around your waist as you sat there before turning your head to the side to look at him.
"You know," you started. "If we do it everyday, I'll get bored of it."
Hawks let go of your waist and lifted his arms up in mock surrender as he smiled. "Please don't get bored."
Of course, you thought. You won't get bored of it, you were scared you might get intoxicated by it. But Hawks doesn't really need to hear that.
And while you and Hawks were at home trying not to have way too much fun as you two did yesterday, the twins decided to start their hero mission, like what you told them, and decided to try and make friends.
It was during the break time after lunch, when kids are given an hour to play outside in the field before their afternoon classes, when Keishi and Keita decided to befriend a group of boys their age. They recognize them as the boys who sit at the back of the class.
"I'll do the talking, Ta-chan," Keishi said as they approached the boys while Keita stood behind his twin brother.
When they got near their circle, Keita tried to sneak a peek before Keishi cleared his throat to get the boys' attention.
"Hey, what are you guys playing?" Keishi asked.
"Huh?" one of the boys asked before he turned around. "And who are you?"
"I'm Keishi!" Keishi looked behind him before he took a step to the side so Keita could be seen. "And this is my twin bro, Keita."
"Wait, you look familiar," the boy said, looking at Keita before his eyes lit up. "You look exactly like the Wing Hero, Hawks! Your hair and your wings."
"That's cause he's our dad!" Keishi said, grinning before the boy continued.
"Hey, wanna be friends?" he asked but he wasn't looking at the two, instead his eyes were only focused on Keita who noticed it as he furrowed his eyebrows. "I'll show you what we're playing."
The boy put his arm on Keita's shoulders and stood beside him, which made Keishi take a step back when the boy bumped into him on purpose before he started to walk along with Keita.
"Wait," Keita said, stopping as he looked over his shoulder. "What about Shi-chan?"
"Who?" the boy asked before Keita looked behind and saw Keishi who was smiling at his twin brother before he lifted his arm to make a thumbs-up.
"It's alright, Ta-chan," he said, still grinning. "Don't mind me. I'll go look around to make more friends. At least you passed mama's hero mission!"
"But..." Keita trailed off when he saw Keishi made a double thumbs-up and the boy whose arm was still on his shoulder started to walk again, which made Keita avert his gaze from Keishi as they started to walk off.
Keishi slowly put his arms down before he looked around.
"Alright then," he started. "I need to pass mama's hero mission too."
He ran off while Keita sat down among the boy's other friends. They told him what they're playing but Keita wasn't really listening. Until the boy, who Keita guessed was the leader of the pack, spoke.
"So, your dad's Hawks?" he asked and Keita nodded his head, not really looking at the boy but instead he's looking at where his twin brother had gone off to.
"Hey, what's your name again?" the other boy asked.
"Maybe we could get him to ask his dad to sign our Hawks merch," the other commented.
But Keita wasn't clearly listening. He doesn't like the fact that the boy purposely left out his twin brother and Keita only followed him because Keishi said it's alright. But it wasn't alright with Keita at all.
"Hey, Tashi," the boy said and Keita thought he's calling someone else before he felt his shoulder was nudged. "Tashi!"
"My name's not Tashi," Keita finally spoke, looking at the leader. "You said you want to be friends. You can't even remember my name."
The boy chuckled, but his chuckle was a little forced and a little dark and intimidating. "So?"
"So, what about my brother?"
"What about your brother?" he asked back.
"You want to be friends with me but not with my brother?"
The boy looked past Keita to stare at Keishi up ahead before he spoke, still looking at Keishi. "Looking at your brother, he doesn't really look like your dad. No one will ever guess he's Hawks' kid."
"But he's my twin. He just...looks like mama more," Keita said before he stood up. "If you don't want my brother as your friend, then I don't want to be your friend too."
Keita turned around and ran towards Keishi as the boy looked at his back before his eyes darkened into a glare.
"Did that pipsqueak just...turn down my offer to be my friend?" he asked slowly, his face turning red from feeling embarrassed and angry at the same time and his other lackeys started to feel the heat coming out of the boy. "No one had ever done that. Refusing my offer. Who does he think he is?"
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