A Sister's Test
Shine and I slipped out of Rabin's clinic together. Rabin had already contacted Amy to let her know we were heading back to our room first, so we didn't have to worry about crossing paths with her on the way.
As we walked down the corridor, my mind drifted. Shine. My family, always by my side. I had never been apart from her, not even for a single moment. That was the only truth I knew. Yes, it has to be the truth. I nodded to myself, whispering the reassurance internally.
"Jeff?"
"Yeah?"
Shine was always incredibly sensitive to my emotions. Even when I was lost in my own thoughts, she never failed to notice.
"What's wrong, Shine?"
Shine stared at me in silence. Reflected in her slowly wavering eyes, a little girl was smiling.
My head throbbed with a dull ache. I'm fine. I pretended to be okay—no, I really was okay. I shook my head, trying to dispel the faint whisper echoing deep inside my mind.
"Are you really okay?"
I stopped in my tracks. The persistent whispering kept my head pounding relentlessly.
"I'm fine," I breathed out, letting a soft sigh slip past my lips.
Shine peered into my face, her brow suddenly furrowing into a deep scowl. "Jeff. You're acting strange."
Shine reached out. Her small hand moved gently, caressing my cheek. Her touch felt so comforting that I instinctively leaned my face into her palm.
"Am I strange?"
Honestly, even I thought I was a bit off from time to time. A faint, self-deprecating chuckle escaped my lips.
Shine mumbled, hesitating at my question. She was still young, an age where she still had so much to learn. She didn't know complex words, and her vocabulary was limited.
"Yeah..." she finally whispered, offering a brief nod.
I gently stroked Shine's hand as I spoke. "Shine, I'm not strange."
So don't look at me like that. I raised my hand, gently covering her eyes.
"Jeff?" Shine's voice sounded flustered.
The throbbing pain in my head refused to subside, and the whispering voice persisted. I was someone special to Shine. She always put me first; everything she did was for my sake. I slowly shifted my hand. Moving gently, I caressed her cheek and stroked her soft white hair.
As my hand slid down, revealing her clear gaze, I looked straight into her eyes. "Shine. Who am I?"
I needed her confirmation. The voice echoing in my head didn't matter. It was nothing but white noise—something that would vanish instantly at a single word from Shine. Right? No. I slowly shook my head. Keeping my eyes locked onto hers, I asked again, "Shine. Who am I?"
A blanket of pure white snow seemed to cover my hazy, rising memories. Sitting amidst that snow was a tiny, pale girl. Yes, she looked just like the Shine standing right in front of me.
"Jeff, are you broken again?" Shine asked, her voice laced with worry.
I parted my lips, stunned by her question. Again? Broken? Have I been like this before? I desperately searched my memories. My current mental state was far from normal. It was dizzying, as if two entirely different identities were being violently mashed together.
"Am I... broken?"
Shine's face crumpled into a tearful expression at my question. She reached out with both arms and pulled me into a tight hug. Her embrace was warm and soft. I let myself lean into her.
"It's okay, Jeff. I'll fix you again."
I had Shine. No matter what happened to me, I had family who would always stand by my side. There was no need to be afraid. I pushed the whispering voice out of my head. The anxious voice retreated weakly. She was my reliable sister.
"Let's go back for now, Jeff," Shine said, taking my hand and leading the way.
I followed closely behind her. I didn't let go of her hand. I felt like if I let go, something else would break free.
It felt like walking a tightrope. Whenever my expression faltered, Shine would stop and look back at me.
"Jeff. It's okay."
I nodded at the soothing tone of her voice. We walked slowly until we finally reached our room. Opening the door, we stepped inside. The room was empty. Passing by the piles of fluffy plushies, I sat down on the bed. Shine sat right beside me and raised her hand.
"Lie down for a second."
I didn't refuse. Yet, the anxiety lingered. As I lay back, I tightly gripped Shine's hand.
"Shine."
"Yeah?"
"Can we... not do this?"
I looked up at her, my eyes filled with unease. Shine looked down at me, her expression turning puzzled. "Why?"
"This feels strange."
I couldn't think of any complex words. It was just a simple combination of terms squeezed out of my trembling lips. Did she understand what I meant? Shine seemed to ponder my words for a moment.
"Strange?"
"Yeah."
"But you've gone strange too, Jeff."
I shook my head. "I'm not strange."
"No, you are."
Shine wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I shook my head again, protesting, "I'm not..."
"Jeff. In that case, can I ask you a few questions?"
I nodded.
"First question. How old is Jeff?"
"I'm..."
I trailed off, my mouth freezing. Two different numbers flashed in my mind. Only one of them was the correct answer for this body. As my silence stretched on, Shine's expression grew darker. She looked genuinely sorrowful.
"Twelve... twelve years old."
"That's right! Correct."
Shine's face instantly lit up. She was genuinely thrilled that I had gotten the answer right.
"Then here's the second question. Who are Jeff's mom and dad?"
The moment she asked, my breath hitched. Mom and dad? I couldn't remember. A wave of extreme confusion washed over me, and my breathing grew shallow and rapid. As I gasped for air, Shine's expression shifted into something unreadable.
"Jeff. Answer me."
"I..."
No matter how hard I racked my brain, no faces came to mind.
"Hurry."
Shine urged, her voice pressing. Cold sweat dripped down my neck from the sheer anxiety. My tongue felt heavy and useless in my mouth.
"I... I don't remember..." I finally squeaked out, completely defeated.
Hearing my answer, a playful smile spread across Shine's face. "That's right, Jeff. We've never seen our parents' faces."
Was that the right answer? I let out a long sigh of relief. Shine gently wiped the sweat from my forehead.
"Now, the third question. What was the name of the laboratory Jeff used to work at?"
My foot slipped on the tightrope. A loud, screeching alarm seemed to ring in my head. I almost answered reflexively before catching myself and clamping my mouth shut.
"S..."
"S?"
Shine's eyes curved into mischievous crescents. A knowing smile played on her lips as she darted her tongue out to lick them.
"I... I..."
"Yes?"
"Jeff... Jeff has never worked in a place like that..."
My hands and feet went completely numb. At my response, Shine burst into a bright, ringing laugh.
"Ahahaha!"
Shine's clear, melodic laughter was beautiful to hear, yet it sent a shiver straight down my spine. I swallowed hard.
"Good job, Jeff."
Shine leaned in closer, her face descending toward mine. Her white hair cascaded down, draping over my face and tickling my skin.
"That's the correct answer."
Chu. Shine whispered the word, pressing her lips gently against my forehead. My entire body shuddered at the sensation of her soft kiss through the rough texture of my bandages.
"Good job, Jeff," she praised softly. She lay down beside me, her hand continuously stroking my hair. "You did so well, Jeff."
I panted softly, my chest heaving, while Shine wore a thoroughly satisfied smile.
"Now, for the final question."
Shine's praise echoed in my ears, and the faint whispers that had been plaguing my mind were now long gone.
"Can Jeff pass the exam?"
Shine asked, adding softly, "Jeff always needs to be safe, right?"
I nodded. She was right. If I passed the exam and started working with Amy—if I joined the team and went out on missions—danger would constantly shadow me. But Shine is doing it too. Shine was the older sister, so she claimed it was fine. She insisted it was an older sister's duty to protect her younger sibling. But I want to protect Shine, too. It was fine, though. Shine was much stronger than me anyway.
"The exam..."
"Yes, Jeff. The exam. Can you pass it?"
If I failed the exam, I would undoubtedly be safe. I wouldn't have to go on dangerous missions and could live peacefully in this secure room. But then... I would be left behind all alone. I hated the thought of that.
"Yes," I said, nodding firmly.
A flash of bewilderment crossed Shine's eyes. I pushed myself up and grabbed her arms.
"I can pass it."
Our positions reversed. I sat up and pinned Shine down onto the mattress. Shine, who had been looking down at me, was now beneath me, and I was hovering over her. She tried to pull her hands free in surprise, but I held on tight.
"I can do it!" I declared, locking my eyes onto hers. I was going to pass the exam and stay with everyone. Shine, Rain, Amy, Victor... they were all precious to me. I refused to be left behind. "I don't want to be alone!" Jeff had always been a loner. But not anymore.