Beyond The Fine Line

Chapter VIII - Ally

The dimly lit hallway stilled as the echo of Win's voice reverberated off the peeling paint on the walls. Jay's heart skipped a beat, and for a fleeting moment, he stood frozen in place. It was safe to assume that Win, as Tay's best friend, would figure it out eventually, but he didn't expect it to happen so fast. It showed how well Win knew his twin. It was quite a gap from Art, who claimed to be close with his brother but could not help him with any useful information.

Finally, he slowly turned around to confront the inevitable. Win stood in front of him with confusion and concern etched into his face. The silence between them seemed to stretch on for an eternity, the unspoken questions hanging heavily in the air. Jay briefly considered whether he should be honest with him or play it safe. Ultimately, he decided that revealing the truth without ensuring that Win is fully convinced of his identity was stupid.

His eyebrow quirked questioningly. "Is this some kind of joke?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement, his lips curled in a playful half-smile.

Win frowned, unsure if his mind was playing tricks on him or if he was right. If this wasn't Tay, who else could it be? These few moments aside, his face was identical to his friend's. But was it? His hair seemed softer and well-looked after, same with the skin – this wasn't something Tay ever paid attention to or had funds for. Then, despite the same sharp and well-defined lines, his gaze seemed more distant than Tay's. Not to mention, since when was Tay so good at climbing? The last clue was the bike. Tay loved his bike more than anything, yet Win couldn't recall seeing him with it the whole week. He took a deep breath and decided to bet everything on one card.

"I could ask you the same. Who are you?" Win insisted, glaring straight at him, his brows furrowing as he examined him closely.

Jay sighed and wordlessly invited him inside. Win hesitated for a moment as if considering his options, but then, like countless times before, stepped inside and tossed his bag on the floor by the bed before hoping on it and sitting crosslegged in the middle.

"So, who are you?" he asked, looking expectantly at him. He couldn't help but notice the difference this person carried himself with. It was more refined and elegant but also confident than Tay. A few seconds was enough for Win to say that this person did not belong in a place like this.

"First, can you tell me when you last saw my brother?"

"Your what?!" Win exclaimed in shock. "Tay has a brother? Impossible."

Jay couldn't help but chuckle. "How else would you explain this?" he asked, amused, circling his face with his index finger. "Jay, Tay's older twin brother."

"Right," he mumbled, slightly embarrassed that the idea of twins didn't occur to him. "We had classes that day they went to the factory, but I haven't seen him since. I assume you know where he is now."

"He is in a coma in hospital."

Win turned ghostly pale, his eyes wide in terror, then suddenly jumped to his feet and dashed across the room, his trembling fingers gripping Jay's shoulders. "W-what? No, no... impossible... What happened to him?!"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Jay replied calmly, gently removing Win's hands from his hoodie. "He is still in critical condition after suffering multiple injuries in what I can only describe as needlessly violent assault."

"No...," he muttered, taking a few shaky steps back. "Is... is he going to be okay?"

"Unsure. I moved him to the best hospital in the city, but the doctors aren't optimistic. It may take months."

Win slumped back onto the bed, the reality of the situation crashing down upon him like a tidal wave. He sat there in silence, his mind struggling to process what had happened, while the room seemed to close in around him, and he couldn't tear his gaze away from the floor. His shoulders sagged with the weight of the news, and his fingers nervously tapped on the edge of the bed.