"Osomatsu, what are you doing out here? We have school in the morning and-are you smoking?!"

Osomatsu jumped, quickly snuffing the cigarette out on the balcony railing, before flicking it away. "No! No, I'm not. You're seeing things Karamatsu!" He said quickly, turning to face the second brother with a sheepish grin. Karamatsu stared between him and the burn mark that was now imprinted in the wood. Of course he wasn't stupid, he knew better than to think he didn't see that.

"Mom's going to kill you. If she finds out you're smoking, she's going to kill you." Karamatsu deadpanned, eyes blank as he stared tiredly at his only older brother. This was his role model. Still in high school and already smoking. To be fair though, they were in their last year and graduation was fast approaching. Way faster than he even realized.

"If she finds out." Osomatsu repeated, scratching under his nose, still grinning. "You wouldn't tell on Onii-chan, would you? Come on, my secret's safe with you, right?" He threw an arm around Karamatsu's shoulder lazily, before suddenly tightening his grip, trapping the poor second brother in a strong headlock. "Because if mom finds out, Onii-chan will know exactly who told her."

"I won't tell…! Isn't it a little late for this kind of thing?! Osomatsu!" Karamatsu gripped Osomatsu's arm tightly, trying to pry the grip away from his neck, to no avail. Even though the sextuplets seemed to be built the same, Osomatsu managed to be the strongest of them all. The grip around his neck tightened just a little more. "A-Ah, I give! I give, I give, I give!"

Laughing, Osomatsu finally released Karamatsu from the headlock, leaning back against the railing. "So what brings you out here? We have school tomorrow, so you should be sleeping. You have to stay after for rehearsal, don't you?"

"I came out here to ask you that. You're the one who woke me up." Karamatsu muttered, looking more than a little exasperated as he fixed his hair and rubbed his neck. "That's right though. I have to stay after school tomorrow for rehearsal. The play's next week, the day before graduation. Such a perfect way to leave my mark before we move on to adulthood!" Karamatsu smirked proudly, looking more than pleased. After so long, he finally managed to get the lead role in a play. A perfect way to make his grand exit from high school!

Osomatsu's grin suddenly seemed a bit forced, turning away to rest his arms on the balcony and stare out at the city. "Yeah, that's right. You'll do great. I'll be there to cheer you on, for sure." His tone sounded kind of sullen now, which made Karamatsu frown, his previous excitement forgotten.

"You're not happy for me?" Karamatsu asked slowly, taking a place next to the eldest brother. "I've worked really hard for this though. And this is my last chance! After we graduate, who knows if I'll ever get a chance like this again!"

"It has nothing to do with you." Osomatsu muttered, slouching a little more, until his chin rested against the railing, his arms hanging down. "Its nothing, actually. Don't worry about it." The long, drawn out sigh was hardly convincing and Karamatsu let out a little huff.

"You come out here late at night, I catch you smoking, and now you look like you're sulking. Nothing's wrong?" The second brother reached over, gently rubbing Osomatsu's back. "Bare all of your woes to me, Aniki! I will listen and help ease all of your worries!"

"Ow, ow, ow! Fine, okay, ow! If it keeps you from saying painful things, I'll tell you!" Osomatsu grinned just a little, to show he was kidding, before his expression fell again. "...I'm just thinking about what's going to happen after graduation, that's all. Doesn't becoming an adult seem kind of scary? Everything we've known up to this point is going to change."

Karamatsu blinked in surprise, staring at Osomatsu curiously. So that was it. This sort of serious thinking was the last thing he imagined from his older brother. Osomatsu was always the prankster, always goofy and laughing. He never seemed to be bothered by much. But this...this was a side of him that Karamatsu wasn't sure he had seen before. A serious side. "Well, it might be scary, but we have to do it. It's just a part of life."

"Sure it is. But can you actually see us as adults. I've tried, but honestly? I thought I'd be dead by now." Osomatsu laughed at Karamatsu's horrified face. "I'm kidding! It's just...being an adult seems so impossible for me. I just can't see it, so it's like some weird ending for me. Since I won't be a kid anymore and I don't think I can be an adult, what does that leave? I guess I'll just…?"

"It does seem a little farfetch'd. Think of us as adults, I mean." Karamatsu admitted, doing his best to picture it. He didn't really have any plans yet, for after school was over. Maybe he could go to school for theater? Yeah, that didn't sound half bad! Well, except for the 'school' part. "But we can figure something out, can't we? We'll ease into it eventually!"

"Mm. I guess." Osomatsu shrugged a little, standing up straighter and staring out at the city blankly.

"That's...not everything that's bothering you, is it?" Karamatsu pressed, watching his brother worriedly. He was taking this graduation thing pretty hard, wasn't he? The second brother wasn't sure he liked this side of Osomatsu very much.

"How long do you think it'll be before we all go our separate ways?" Osomatsu asked softly.

"What do you-"

"If we're adults, we can't live together forever, right? So after we graduate, how long will it be before we're out on our own? Without each other." Osomatsu gripped the railing tightly, his knuckles turning white. "Living all alone...I don't know why, but that really…"

"Ah! But we're never really alone, are we?" Karamatsu slapped Osomatsu on the bag, smirking a little as he scrambled for words. Osomatsu looked up at him in surprise, raising an eyebrow. "That is...even if we don't share an abode, we'll only be a phone call away! We can still spend our days together, brother!" It was a weak attempt at reassuring, he knew, but the impact of Osomatsu's words hit him too. There would come a time when they weren't together anymore. It was inevitable.

"You don't know that for sure, though." Osomatsu mumbled, closing his eyes and sighing heavily. "What if someone gets a job faraway? Or if they decide to go away for college? A lot of things could happen."

"You've been thinking about this a lot, haven't you?" Karamatsu sighed, closing his eyes and letting the night breeze calm him. It was refreshing, but it didn't offer any answers. What should he say to put his older brother at ease? "We'll all go our separate ways eventually. Fate will put a fork in our paths, and we'll all have to choose a different road to take. There's nothing that can really stop that."

Osomatsu bowed his head. Of course he knew that! That was the problem. He wasn't ready to let go. He wasn't ready to say goodbye!...He wasn't ready to be left alone. What would life even be like, without five little brothers constantly arguing or playing with one another? The silence would be absolutely deafening. Just thinking about it made Osomatsu's heart beat just a little faster.

Karamatsu didn't miss the way Osomatsu's shoulders bunched up, or the way he almost winced, like someone who was trying to prepare themselves to be hit. But it was a different kind of pain Osomatsu was trying to protect himself from, it seemed. "Osomatsu…"

"Look, I get it. It's going to happen, nothing I can do about it, right? Everyone's going to move on eventually. But I don't want that. I want to be with all of you, for as long as possible. Is that really so wrong?" Osomatsu laughed a little, shaking his head at himself. He knew he sounded needy and clingy, but that's how it was. He wanted to be with his brothers for as long as he could. "So, uh...stick around for as long as you can. Okay, Karamatsu?"

Karamatsu looked at the grin Osomatsu directed at him. On the surface, it just looked like his brother's usual grin. That charismatic, goofy grin that somehow managed to make people feel at ease around him. But right now, it just seemed kind of anxious. Sad, maybe? Hopeful? There were a lot of different messages he was getting from his brother right now. He wanted to help him, so bad. Make him feel at ease, give Osomatsu someone to rely on for once. After all, the eldest brother had just shown Karamatsu a weaker side of himself that he didn't know existed.

"Osomatsu. Aniki, I promise...for as long as it takes, if you don't feel comfortable being left alone, I'll stay put. I won't leave you to suffer alone." It was a pretty big promise to make. To put a hold on his own future, until Osomatsu gave the okay. But this was his brother he was talking about! And his brothers were very precious to him.

Osomatsu stared at him for a moment, looking more than a little dumbfounded by the sudden promise. At the same time, though, he felt his heart soar. That promise made him happy. And just as Karamatsu said he would do, Osomatsu fell most of his worries just fall away. He even felt his eyes burn a little, but he forced any tears back, his grin turning more sincere. "That sounds great." He admitted, smiling as he turned his gaze to the street below. The same street he had known all his life. The same street he always travelled with his brothers. Maybe things wouldn't change as quickly as he thought.

"Then it's a deal." Karamatsu smiled, patting Osomatsu on the back gently. "I'll be there for you, whenever you need me to be, Osomatsu! Don't forget that, okay?"

"W-What are you-hey, let go of me, Shittymatsu! Hey! I'll kill you! I said let go!"

Karamatsu slammed the door shut behind him, throwing Osomatsu down to the ground with as much force as he could muster, teeth grinding angrily. "Just what the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Karamatsu snapped angrily, glaring down at the eldest brother. "What was that just now? You hurt Jyushimatsu! Jyushimatsu, out of everyone! What is wrong with you!?"

Osomatsu rubbed at his jaw, teeth clenched. "He kept bumping into me. I told him to stop." His voice sounded so cold. So spiteful. Karamatsu had to hold back his own anger, to keep from pounding Osomatsu down into the dirt.

"You and I both know this has nothing to do with that. You hurt Jyushimatsu, because you're upset that Choromatsu's leaving. You took it out on the wrong brother. Actually, no." Karamatsu clenched his fists, narrowing his eyes. "You shouldn't be taking your anger out on anyone. You should be happy for Choromatsu, supportive! You're the oldest brother! But instead, you're just being selfish!"

"Fuck you!" Osomatsu jumped to his feet, shoving Karamatsu hard. The second brother stumbled back, only just managing to keep his balance. "You don't know anything! I don't give a damn if he leaves! I don't need Choromatsu! If anything, I'm glad he's leaving! Now I won't have to listen to him nag about getting a job and all that other bullshit!"

"Who are you trying to fool? All of this is because you're upset that he's leaving! We're not stupid, Osomatsu!"

"Apparently you are! I don't need Choromatsu, I don't need the others, and I don't need you! I'm so done with all of you guys! I'm so sick of all of your shit!"

Osomatsu could only see white for a moment, before pain began to throb in his eye. He was back on the ground, Karamatsu standing over him and rubbing his fist, refusing to look at him. Shit, he was going to have one hell of a black eye tomorrow.

"Is that how you really feel, Osomatsu? Are you that tired of us?"

"...Go to hell."

"Hm. I see." Karamatsu took a deep breath, before releasing it slowly. He wouldn't go back inside and make a scene. This was a happy day, meant to celebrate Choromatsu's new job. The third brother was the first of them to get a job. To move out. To find independence. It was only a shame that Osomatsu couldn't be happy for him. "If that's how you really feel, then give me a few days. I won't be a bother to you anymore."

Osomatsu barely noticed when Karamatsu left him alone in the back yard. He too caught up between the second brother's words and a promise that was made, what seemed to be, forever ago. A promise that had comforted him throughout these years, shattered, just like that. It was his own fault, he knew that deep down.

Osomatsu didn't know how long he sat there. He wasn't sure when it started raining, soaking him, until he was left shivering and shaking, curling into a ball to conserve warmth.

He wasn't sure when the first few tears fell. Or when those tears turned into silent sobs.

When did the lights in the house go off? No one came to check on him. It was like his worst nightmare, come to life.

Osomatsu was all alone.

"Y-You promised…" He mumbled shakily, a soft rumble of thunder answering him. "Don't go...I'm sorry, please don't go. Please…don't leave me alone."

But he knew it was too late for that. The damage was done. He would have to watch, one by one, as his brothers left him behind. It was his own fault. It was too late to take back his words and actions. They probably wouldn't forgive him anyway, so what was the point? Osomatsu just wasn't the type of person that could apologize easily. Even in this case…

Osomatsu didn't see how Karamatsu sat by the door the entire time, glancing out at him now and then, just to make sure he was okay. Or how Karamatsu cried with him. He didn't hear Karamatsu answer him, as he mumbled to himself.

"I'm sorry, Osomatsu. I-I'm sorry for breaking my promise, but...this is for your own good. Please...f-forgive me, Aniki."