QUOTE(Palaxius @ Oct 7 2012, 12:26)

He couldn't quite figure out it was two people sharing the same balloon, again the only one out of everyone I asked.
The most readable thing I can think of that keeps the parallel text effect, without altering the balloon or having the text bleed out, is something like this

You're right, it doesn't work well in the original, either. If I was going mainly for readability, I'd be tempted to have the text bleed out of the sides of the bubble.