Good god.
Where the hell was Jyushimatsu? He had never stayed out this late before, especially when the sun had already set, since Jyushi wasn't fond of the coldness of the night. Scratch that, Jyushi absolutely loathed the cold, and the only reason he liked winter was because of Christmas and the fact that they could all play in the snow together. When exposed to the cold for too long, Jyushi had a tendency to throw a large temper tantrum that sometimes resorted to violence, but just give him about six bowls of hot soup and he'd fall asleep on someone's lap and calm down, probably.
At least, for a good week before he'd start throwing another tantrum.
Jyushi loved the warmth and loved going outside if the weather is good. He loved the sun, but he didn't love the moon any less. Maybe it was because he was sunny himself and his energy came from the sun itself. Even at night during his slumber, he would often cause a ruckus by snoring louder than anyone else in the room.
The five Matsuno brothers, red leader and eldest brother Osomatsu, blue and cringe-inducing Karamatsu, green and reliable Choromatsu, purple and slightly creepy Ichimatsu, and pink and two-faced Todomatsu, all ate their dinner in silence seeing as the excitable fifth brother wasn't present to talk about random topics that the others would often listen to or add something into it. Ichi had suggested to fill up Jyushi's yellow bowl with some food and cover it in plastic, so they didn't have to worry about the fifth brother starving because the last thing they wanted was to cook in the middle of the night when Jyushi had decided to finally come home. They also didn't want to argue with Ichi, since they knew that the fourth brother was really close to the fifth brother.
Dinner finished, dishes washed, everyone was doing their own thing before bed time.. still no Jyushimatsu. His yellow bowl containing food and covered in plastic to avoid the food from tasting awful was set on the table, plastic yellow chopsticks set on the top of the bowl. Beside it sat an empty traditional japanese cup with the number five scribbled on the side in yellow marker, signifying it was Jyushi's.
Oso was reading a manga book on the table, with Totty's arms on the same table as he scrolled through his social media accounts on his phone. Kara was polishing his trademark sun glasses with utmost care, and Choro was just watching the news while nibbling on a cracker coated in chocolate. Ichi was in the corner of the room playing with an orange cat they came to know as ESP Kitty, despite not having his abilities as a truth-detecting cat anymore. ESP Kitty wasn't their's, but was one of the outside cats that Ichi fed. Pretty much the one who visited the most too, especially after Jyushi found him on the alley way after Ichi had told him to get lost.
When it was time for lights out, it was obvious that every single one of the brothers, especially Ichi, were trying really hard to pretend they weren't worried in the slightest about the hyperactive brother of their's. Jyushi was always the one to dive under the covers before they all slipped under, so setting the futon without Jyushi jumping in and swimming around was a bit.. disturbing, for a lack of better term. Choro had casually set Jyushi's pillow next to his, mind drifting to the thought of the second youngest in some sort of trouble.
No no. It was best not to worry. Kara had been "kidnapped" by Chibita once, only to return in the next morning with multiple injuries, but still alive, nonetheless. Jyushi got bruises and injuries often, both by accident and the others? Well.. Jyushi wasn't the most well-liked in their old schools. Choro was ashamed to admit that Jyushi was the least liked in the group of sextuplets. But then again, who liked the sextuplets as friends anyway? They were considered weirdos, creepy in their childhood. Just because they looked alike.. at least their changes started showing in middle school, but they were still disliked due to their closeness with each other. It was damn impossible to befriend one of the sextuplets if you weren't friends with the other five.
As for actual friends.. Totoko just needed them to fawn over her, but she could be caring for them when situation called. She just wasn't interested in any of the sextuplets. Chibita was probably a friend, but mostly a rival. Iyami was a bother. Oso and Choro agreed to never let themselves, especially Jyushi, to go to Professor Dekapan for odd request; because the last time that professor was mentioned, Jyushi's.. bottom area seemed a "bit".. off. And he was crying too, so no way. Dayon was, um.. okay, they guessed. Weird, but didn't seem to carry any ill feelings towards the six brothers. Hatabou, too. He was a good friend. Still wondered what the meat was, though.
They wondered why they were hated by many. Was Oso too blunt and too relaxed? Was Kara too cringe-inducing and flashy? Was Choro too annoying and fussy? Was Ichi too creepy and quiet? Was Jyushi too hyper and loud? Was Totty too sassy and snobby? They all had insecurities one way or another. But as sextuplets, they understood each other better than most people, maybe even their parents too. They made a few acquaintances in high school, one of the worst parts of their lives, but Jyushi.. Jyushi joined the baseball team, always offered assistance when needed, was really nice to the students and staff alike. What was there to hate about him?
The more Choro thought about it, the more he realized that Jyushi was the kindest brother. If there was a stylish brother, a social butterfly, a leader, a calm and level-headed one, a logical one, a two-faced one, a neat-freak, a cringe-y one.. there was bound to be a kind one in the sextuplets. Jyushi was the kind one, as a child, and even as an adult. And since he was kind, he was easily manipulated by others into doing whatever they told him to. In return, they would bully him into submission and threaten him to not tell the other five brothers about it. Jyushi was the Matsuno that had inhuman strength, but each Matsuno brother was really strong and could fight for their own. While Jyushi could fight.. he just.. didn't want to hurt anyone unless they hurt his brothers. He could defend himself, but not by fighting. He just couldn't bring himself to hurt any of his brothers or anyone in general.
Choro remembered it like it was just yesterday.. the day when they all found out about how important their bonds as brothers were.
Jyushi had kept his promise and didn't tell anyone about the bullying, but while walking to their respective classrooms the other day, Ichi had just stopped everyone and had asked them to help him stalk Jyushi for the entire day. While Choro and Totty weren't keen on the idea of skipping classes, Oso and Kara coaxed them, since Jyushi had been acting weird for the past couple of days.
Sure enough, Ichi's instincts were right, just as they feared.
As soon as Jyushi stepped inside the classroom, the entire class seemed to have prepared a birthday party; but instead of cakes and balloons, buckets and bottles of foul-smelling liquid were hurled at him and left him drenched in what didn't seem to be regular sewer water. The class hollered with laughter as Jyushi stood in the front door, trying his hardest not to cry and nervously twiddling with his fingers as some of them choked on their own laughter. Then he started crying, covering his face in shame. And the class laughed louder.
A little snap was heard on the background after some of them managed to stop laughing but continuously pointed and snickered, and Jyushi realized Choro had appeared out of nowhere and was holding his hand as tight as he could, maintaining a stoic face as the other four came rushing in the classroom without hesitation.
The cheeky smiles and mocking laughter the students made disappeared instantly, as Oso made a demonic grin that was creepy enough to rival Ichi's, and rubbed a finger on the bridge of his nose. Ichi didn't look like he was planning on calming down either, and one of Jyushi's harder baseball bats that had nails on them were on hand. Why'd he bring that? Maybe he was really worried and decided to stalk him today, even without the help of his brothers. Totty had a shovel he picked up on the way to the classroom, as a member of the gardening club, as well as some of the hardest and thickest books Choro had borrowed from the library. Kara and Oso clearly needed nothing, cracking knuckles and all. Compared to the three demonic brothers' fake and creepy smiles, Kara had made it known he was absolutely furious.
It had been a hectic day that time, but Choro was glad he was considered the mother hen of the group; he only needed to bring Jyushi to the bath, offer him one of their uniforms (sextuplets had the advantage of being the same size and having multiple copies of the same clothing), buy him a drink from the vending machine, and let him cry his eyes out as he rubbed his back soothingly. That was back in the days when Jyushi didn't smile as wide as he did, back when he was the kind and plain silly member of the group. Choro was still the fussy one in their group, especially once they entered high school. So they sat on one of the benches in the school garden as Jyushi told him about everything, Choro getting more and more furious as he heard what his brother had been going through.
When Choro had reluctantly lead Jyushi back to his classroom, still holding his hand, the classroom seemed to have quieted down. Students were shifting in their seats, both a teacher and a nurse had entered the room, and four of the Matsuno brothers were on the back of the room while they still held their respective "weapons" in hand. Ichi had the baseball bat, Totty had the shovel, Kara was holding the books Choro loaned to Totty, and Oso was standing there with arms behind his back, grinning widely despite some of the bruises they all had received. Seeing as how all students had either a black eye, a missing tooth, or a very visible swollen cheek or eye, it seemed the brothers had won.
The teacher was the adviser of Jyushi's class, so naturally she wasn't happy when five students from a different classroom went to her class and managed to take on an entire class by themselves. She had bought in the nurse, but thanks to the explanation of Kara and Totty about how her students were ganging up on the friendless and helpless one, she couldn't argue against them; an entire class against four really strong brothers wasn't a fair fight. But every single one of the Matsuno brothers were strong as hell. Choro was a bit amused as Jyushi finally let go of his hand, burst into tears, and run to the four of his brothers and hug them as he babbled on apologies on how everything was his fault. Choro had been invited by the eldest Matsuno brother to join the group hug as they celebrated their victory.
Their bond as brothers were stronger than steel. They didn't care if they were made fun at for having a large group hug in their fifth brother's classroom. It was proof that if you messed with one Matsuno, you messed with every single one of them. Jyushi's head had been buried under Ichi's neck, knowing he was the one that had planned all of this. Totty had hugged Jyushi from the side with his cute cat-like smile as he repeatedly told him none of it was his fault. Oso, Kara and Choro, as the older trio, had formed a circle and hugged the younger trio with content smiles. And Ichi? He was the one gently running his fingers through his younger brother's hair, a rare smile on his face.
It had been common sense to the entire school since that day; do not mess with any of the Matsunos.
Choro realized he was reminiscing about the past and Totty had shut off the lights long ago. But he could feel that none of his brothers were really asleep. Ichi had his back turned to all of them, Kara's wide open eyes twitched continuously, Totty was under the blankets as he fumbled with his phone, Oso had his arms behind his neck as he sighed heavily.. all of them were worried. The last time they worried this much about the fifth brother this much.. was the night before Oso, Kara, Ichi, and Totty attacked the students in Jyushi's classroom.
Ichi sat up finally, back still turned to them. "I'm gonna go look for him. He doesn't stay out this late at night. He must have run into some trouble." He mumbled. Oso was chuckling on how hard Ichi was seemingly telling them without care, but it was almost like he wanted them to hear. "I'm not implying anything, but if any of you want to join me, go ahead. It's not like any of you could sleep anyway."
That phrase sounds familiar, Choro thought. And then it hit him.
"I'm worried about him. He isn't that quiet and behaved.. unless something is bothering him. I think his trashbag classmates might be bullying him.. or scaring him." Ichi mumbled, carelessly dropping his bag to the floor as Jyushi had run off to his own classroom. All four brothers looked at Ichi with worry. "I'm.. asking if you guys could just drop your classes for the day. Mom would understand. Jyushi isn't the type to run for help when he's in trouble."
Without hesitation, all brothers turned on the light, slipped off from their pajama tops and pants, slipped on their usual color-coded hoodies and pants, and layered their colored coats over, as well as bringing Jyushi's coat. Quietly, they sneaked out of the Matsuno household as they agreed to head to the locations where Jyushi could be.