Life is painfully slow and boring at most times, according to Matsuno Karamatsu.

He cannot say that he had lost his youth or whatsoever; it's just that he's already on his thirties, and he had learned his fair share of mistakes. Being a NEET is fun and all, but eventually, all of them must grow up and be the proper man like the society wished Karamatsu to be—no matter if he loathed it, so fortunately, he doesn't—and so here he is.

Small apartment by the river, and outside had been the first snow of the year. Usually he had been all up to going out and cooed over some ladies who will wear high heels in the midst of snow piling up the roads, but not today, maybe. Karamatsu had not being up to cold lately, and he's now kind of missing his lazy times where he doesn't have to go to work, and laze off all day long with his brothers. Daily commutes and the shorter time available to meet his brothers had make him tired, although he cannot believe that there will be a day in his life that he prefer to enjoy snow while laying around the house rather than spend some time outside.

Routine does kill his stamina in one way or another.

Welp, not like he can complained much. He is now an adult, and while he started his work from the very bottom being the chef helper back at the kitchen—not the first occupation he would've prefer, obviously—however, lately he had been getting slowly to the top of the food chain and getting some fame as the awesome newcomer chef. At least in the end he still got himself shot for magazines and getting called for some interviews, which is awesome, and that was what Karamatsu wanted at the first place; some fame, recognition, and acknowledgement.

Seems like getting all the fame you used to wish for doesn't really bring the best feeling of happiness inside for Karamatsu.

Well, whatever, today is his off day, and he should take this opportunity to sort his life a bit better. He had forgotten to wash the dishes he left since last week, and clean up some parts around his house. Returning things to the place it was all supposed to be, while waiting for his package to come—he ordered some box of chocolates and a bottle of wine he cannot find in his local store, so that might reward him well by the end of the day.

Thing is, Karamatsu did not have to wait for so long until someone knocks the door. Ah, how Karamatsu had been really satisfied with the post office's service lately. They always came earlier than expected, and that's great because that's how cool person like him should be treated, isn't it. "Comin' there!" he shouted loudly, while walking towards the door after taking some money from his wallet. He had asked for cash on delivery previously, so he got to pay it right now… ah, nice chocolates and a bottle of chilled wine must be great to spend his afternoon break—

—although, apparently chocolates and wine are not the ones about to coming in.

It was someone from the past.

"You got some empty bed?"


Matsuno Ichimatsu had never been a fan of hyperbolism, but he know well that his brothers did love it, so he decided to crashing in for several days or months—or whenever—without telling anything, especially to this particular Shittymatsu that's on the list on one of the most obnoxious people ever existing in his life.

It's not like that he hated Matsuno Karamatsu in entirety; however, if he got other choices, he wouldn't even bother to run towards any of his brothers, but apparently Karamatsu's stupidity saved him this time, so at the very least he got to thank God that he got such a stupid brother to know about pretty well. Ichimatsu had been pretty confident that he already gone somewhere far enough from where he came from, so at the very least he was relieved that at least there will be a place for him to stay for—uh, he wasn't so sure—God knows how long he could be here.

Matsuno Ichimatsu also had expected not so friendly greetings or any kinds of normal greetings with small talks and whatsoever. He doesn't into those stuffs too anyway, so it's good that Ichimatsu can skip the small talks part and hurried to get inside. "Step aside, Shittymatsu. I got some important stuffs right over here, and my stuff, in particular, cannot stand cold."

Oh, of course Karamatsu would notice by what Ichimatsu had told before as his 'stuff'.

A fucking baby.

What in the world is happening to Ichimatsu.

"W-wait! What the hell—" while Karamatsu had hoped his daily routine will slightly change into something more surprising, never in his life he ever expected to see Ichimatsu finally back after years gone missing somewhere no one knows; in addition, he wasn't alone, there was a damn baby being carried on to his chest to keep the said 'stuff' warm and unhurt. "I'd appreciate it if you'd be a bit more polite and at least greet me properly—"

"Still shitty as always, huh." Ichimatsu practically did not care at all, what's important at that time was that the baby is safe, and in Karamatsu's life, never did he saw such a sincere relieved expression coming from his younger brother. "I'll greet you later, need to take care of my child first. We got through a rough snowstorm before…"

Well, there goes the traditional way of politeness—wait.

Did Ichimatsu really said that baby was his own child?

Oh God, the idea of his younger brother getting laid is already something quite hard to be imagined, least of someone like Ichimatsu taking care of a child. All Karamatsu known about his brother that Ichimatsu is a complete shut, has the least amount of fucks to be given to others, and pretty much being either intentionally or unintentionally mysterious.

Guess after all, you know nothing of your own brother, huh.

They had their own lives, though. The whole thing was, in a sense, normal if by those spun of times, especially to those who had particularly had no contacts in any kinds of way, that there are things Karamatsu yet to know. It's just that normal to see your own brothers, started as mostly good-for-nothing, and now some of them are already or almost on their way to success. So it shouldn't be much of a surprise if Ichimatsu decided to actually trust someone, managed to get laid, and produce an offspring before he actually dead.

But the idea is just weird.

It doesn't like that he faced his own brother, to be honest.

"…your child?" Karamatsu asking with a distinct doubt can be heard from his intonation. "Wow… you… do actually have a child… wow." The idea of Ichimatsu finally getting laid is really a damn mystery for Karamatsu, really. "So where's your wife the—"

"Don't have."

Silence.

"What?"

"Don't ask about that."

His Ichimatsu is still the same Matsuno Ichimatsu that Karamatsu had known for years, apparently. So he laughed, and then told Ichimatsu that he's still the same back as before, "…and I'm much smarter than you guys." He smirked, and then slowly caressing his baby's cheek. "It's good that she's better now. It's fine if I just turn on the heat, right?"

"Y-yeah, sure."

Karamatsu is still not really sure about what's happening in here, but at the very least, if there is something he can be a help, Ichimatsu might want to appreciate it even if that's for a little bit.

He loved his brothers so much, anyway.

Especially for the kinds like Ichimatsu, he didn't even bother that he actually missed his little brother pretty much all these times.

(He kind of hoping that Ichimatsu might feel the same, guess, judging by his action, Ichimatsu is being the usual Ichimatsu where no fucks were given even if that's for him, Karamatsu.)

"So… where have you been all these times?"

That, technically is the first reasonable question that anyone would ask to someone that suddenly gone missing few years back. However, considering that Karamatsu is trying to talk to Ichimatsu, he wasn't expecting the nicest answer, anyway.

"Somewhere far." Ichimatsu looked like gazing over the ceiling of his apartment. "For someone as shitty as you, you got yourself some nice flat to live in, huh, Shittymatsu?"

Yep, there he goes with his usual remarks.

"Got here with some luck. Well, what would you expect from someone as cool as me, anyway?" Karamatsu laughed a bit loud, and his eyes peered towards his younger brother once more. "But did you have fun?"

"Huh?"

"Living by yourself, get laid, and all that stuffs?"

"Hm." His younger brother did not say much, that, to be expected anyway, so Karamatsu wouldn't bother. "They got their own fair share of the fun and not fun part, I guess."

Oh, well. Life seems to get along with Ichimatsu, huh. That's great to hear, although right now is a bit awkward, he supposed.

"And this baby?" Karamatsu get a bit closer to the baby, and slowly caressing the cheek. Oh, it feels so soft and… tender, maybe. The latter description made the cute looking little angel, pure and untainted, turn into a fucking chicken breast. "What's her story?"

Ichimatsu seemed a bit reluctant when the question was mentioned to him. "I don't want to bother to go on to the detail…" he told Karamatsu, with a slow voice. Kept on hugging and fondling the baby in attempt to make the baby more relaxed—or some sort. Honestly, Ichimatsu doesn't have any kinds of experience with this… thing. Obviously he cannot treat a baby like he treat a kitten, doesn't he.

"Oh… right. Okay. You don't mind to tell the details, I can understand… sort of." Karamatsu sighed. "So what's her name?"

There was a moment of silence, and Ichimatsu wasn't looking really sure. He kept on staring to his child, and looked like he was thinking about something until he opened his own mouth, saying the answer Karamatsu least expected to get.

"…I haven't named her actually."

Karamatsu swear that this might be the most awkward conversation he had been gone through so far.