Brothers (Part 3)

Chapter 39 - Forgotten Memory

Jyugo: "Jinx, what are you doing? Go back to the cell."

Jinx: "No, I need to come with you."

Jyugo: "Why?"

Shin: "Seems they don't have enough data on building 13's number 15 and building 4's number 634 either."

Jinx: "... Because... because I said I'd help you. So I'm going with you to see Musashi! What Hajime said back then... he was right... I know I follow you around like the plague. But that's because... I always want to make sure you're okay... make sure you're safe."

Jyugo: "... I get it... Come on, then."

I smiled and took his hand.

Hajime: "Hurry up, you two."

Jinx & Jyugo: "Coming!"

We both fell asleep in the van on the way to building 4. I woke up first to see Jyugo crying, so I gently shook him.

Jinx: "Jyugo... hey, wake up."

He opened his eyes and looked down at me. I gently wiped his face.

Jinx: "Why are you crying? Did you have a nightmare?"

Jyugo: "......More like... a memory... one I haven't thought about in a long time..."

Jinx: "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jyugo: "...... Jinx... I want to tell you the story from one of my old prisons... back when Musashi and I were cellmates..."

Guard: "C'mon already, stop dawdling. I heard you're some famous prison breaker, but don't even think about trying anything here, or you'll be sorry! Hey, are you listening?"

Jyugo: "They dragged me beaten and bloodied to my new cell."

Jinx: "Why did they hurt you so bad?"

Jyugo: "Because I broke out... they weren't as nice as Hajime."

Jinx: "Heheh."

Guards: "This is your cell now. You're getting a new cellmate, number 634. Don't cause any trouble, got it?"

Jyugo: "Ugh-!"

Jyugo: "They threw me in, as if they hadn't done enough to me."

Musashi: "We're gonna be cellmates starting today, so I guess I might as well ask – you got a number or something?"

Jyugo: "I'm... number 15."

Musashi: "Are you alright?!"

Jyugo: "My face hurt so bad, it was hard to talk. We had just met... but all the same, he treated me... bandaged me up."

Musashi: "Well of course they're gonna do that if they see you take your handcuffs off right in front of em. More importantly, why would you do that when they're watching? You're such an idiot... Why do I gotta do this right on the first day... Hey, I'm gonna give that back to the guards now, so hurry up and bring it here."

Jyugo: "Say... why did you go out of your way to do this?"

Musashi: "Don't get me wrong. I only did it cause I thought it'd be a pain in the ass to deal with down the line if you didn't get it treated. Like if it got worse or got infected or something. Besides, the medical treatment here is pretty sloppy, so it's quicker to just do it yourself. Since all they care about is how to cut down on labour."