Chapter 2 – Do you think you can find it?

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Sousuke asked, his brows drawn up in slight worry as he watched Makoto pack up the last box in the living room.

Makoto nodded fervently at first, wincing when pain spiked through the back of his head. Once the pain had dulled, he gave a small smile and hummed, taping up the box labeled "fragile."

"Everything will be fine, Sousuke. I've still got my apartment for the twins to stay. And your dad got me that job, remember?" Makoto said as he smoothed out the tape.

Sousuke reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Are you sure? I mean… you guys can stay with my parents here. Makoto, you can keep going to school, just a more local one. Don't throw away that chance—"

"It's not throwing it away," Makoto interrupted softly. "It's just… on hold until things settle down. Besides, Ran and Ren need help getting through this. I can't just put off their lives for my sake."

"But you're still hurting, too," Sousuke said, making Makoto's blood turn ice cold in his veins. "It's okay to take things slowly, Makoto. It's okay to grieve."

Makoto stared down at the box, his hand frozen on the tape. He had carefully packed the new shrines inside, making sure they were wrapped in enough bubble wrap and paper to prevent scratches. His lips wobbled and he pressed them into a tight line to prevent any tears.

"Thank you for your concern, Sousuke," Makoto said gently. He turned his head to look up at him, giving him a watery smile. "If anything happens, you'll be the first person I call."

Makoto stared down at his phone through sore, puffy eyes.

On the screen was Sousuke's contact, ready to call. His thumb hovered over the green button and shook, refusing to lower those final few centimeters. His thumb touched the key and…

The phone dropped on the floor in between his feet and he held his head in his hands. He sucked in a breath and held it in his stomach to prevent more sobs from crawling up his throat.

I'm sorry, Sousuke, Makoto prayed, hoping that his friend would somehow get the message.

He lowered his hands and looked down at where his phone dropped. It landed right next to his foot and alongside the opened mail. The phone bill, insurance, medical bills, rent… funeral costs… they were all piling up quickly.

Earlier, Makoto sat down and added up everything with the calculator on his phone, finding out that he would be okay to pay off most of the bills with his last paycheck.

But…

The pantry and refrigerator were almost empty.

And that was not the only issue.

Makoto turned his head to look at the burning letter that sat on the small coffee table in front him. The envelope, addressed from Tokyo Social Services, was tattered at the edges from when Makoto had opened it with shaking fingers. The contents were enough to make Makoto's knees give out on him.

Dear Tachibana Makoto,

We are informing you of an upcoming house visit from one of our social workers, scheduled for Friday of next week. Be advised that you are required to have the following for the inspection…

Makoto tore his eyes away from the letter and hung his head. One of the requirements was that the guardian had a steady income, which Makoto had had for the last four months up until now. If Makoto did not have a job then…

If you do not meet all of these requirements, then further action will have to take place.

…then Ran and Ren would be taken away.

Makoto choked on a sob and released a huff of air while tears jumped out of his eyes. His breath hitched and he reached up to claw at his shirt, desperately wanting to rip his heart out.

I can't lose them, Makoto thought as he squeezed his eyes shut.

I can't lose them, too.

That afternoon, once he had slept off his migraine, Makoto was found standing in front of the gate to Ran and Ren's middle school. He was early for once, which felt foreign to him. He was usually at work until Ran and Ren were done with their club activities. But today, he was there at the gate before the activities were done.

Makoto sighed and hung his head, shoving his hands further into his coat pockets. The rent was due at the end of the month. As well as old medical bills that still needed paying off. His wallet burned a hole in his pocket just thinking about it.

How would he explain this to Ran and Ren?

He needed to come up with a plan and fast before they were forced out onto the streets. He needed to find a new job, and a new source of income so that his siblings could just eat. He needed—

"Eh? Onii-chan?"

Makoto jumped and lifted his head, blinking rapidly when he saw Ran and Ren quickly approaching him from beyond the school gate. They both collided into him and wrapped their arms around his waist.

"What are you doing here, Onii-chan?" Ran asked, chirpy as ever.

"Yeah! You're usually not here for another fifteen minutes," Ren said, his smile wide.

Makoto glanced down at their bright and smiling faces. They looked like they had had a good day today, which was a rarity in their household these days.

"I, uh…"

Makoto wanted to savor it. He would come up with a plan later. But for now… he just wanted to see his siblings happy.

"I just wanted to surprise you," Makoto said as he patted their heads. "Are you guys ready to go home?"

"Mhm!" Ran hummed. She started to lead the way down the block towards their apartment. "Let's go eat some dinner!"

"I want miso ramen!" Ren said, jogging up next to her.

"With takoyaki!" Ran said.

"Huh? That doesn't mix well."

"So what? It'll still be yummy!"

Makoto watched them fondly as they spoke, trying his best to keep his smile from wobbling. He wanted what was best for them, and he would do anything to preserve what they had left.

So with a painful smile, Makoto walked alongside them and listened to how wonderful their club activities had been that day, not daring to mention how awful his day had been.

After a small meal that both of the twins were luckily satisfied with, they had retired to their bedroom to start on homework, leaving Makoto alone in the living room. His laptop sat closed on the coffee table in front of him, seeming to stare at him.

Makoto had only six days left to find a new job before the Social Worker would show up. He had even fewer days to get some sort of steady income before the next bill would be due. The landlord was already getting antsy about his overdue rent.

Makoto remembered that he had checked his bank account online just the day before, blanching when he saw that it was almost empty. His parents did not set aside a lot of money for them in their wills. A majority of their funds were used for Makoto's college fees, and his stomach plummets every time he thinks about that.

I have to find a job, Makoto thought. I have to check them before… before…

Feeling the onset of a panic attack, Makoto forced himself to relax, taking wheezing breaths until his lungs ached. After a few moments, his breaths started to slow, calming the stutter in his chest. With one final huff of air, he slapped his cheeks hard, forcing small tears to jump from his eyes.

"Okay," he said aloud and he grabbed his laptop from the coffee table. He opened it up and clicked on the Internet tab, typing job openings in the search bar.

"Time to search."

Thank you for your interest in our company. Unfortunately, we cannot accept you due to…

Good evening, Tachibana Makoto. We received your application but the position requires more experience…

"Hello, Tachibana-san. We are calling to inform you that we received your application. Sadly, we will not be having a follow-up interview because…"

We are sorry to inform you…

You need more schooling…

You are not experienced enough…

We are sorry to say that we cannot hire you at this time.

Makoto clicked his laptop shut after reading the fifteenth rejection email and rubbed his face with a heavy sigh.

"What's wrong, Onii-chan?"

"E-Eh? Oh, n-nothing. Let's get you guys ready for school."

A few days later, after Makoto had submitted his résumé to over twenty positions in the area and received painfully harsh rejections, his phone rang. It was from a nearby company that was offering a similar position to his previous job. The man on the phone seemed impressed that he had worked at the marketing company and asked him to come in for an interview.

Makoto had quivering butterflies in his stomach as he quickly got dressed in a nice collared shirt and pants. He glanced at himself in the mirror as he grabbed his tie from the sink.

This could be my chance, Makoto thought. If I can get this job, then things will be more secure. I can give Ran and Ren a chance for a better life.

He tied his tie as best as he could, albeit a little crooked, and hurried to get some food ready for Ran and Ren. He packed the last of the rice and vegetables for their bentos and wrapped them up. His stomach protested, sending hungry pangs at the sight of food. Makoto sighed and shook his head, tightening the knots on the bento wraps to stop his temptation.

Food had been… tight the past few days. But he hoped that the twins had not noticed anything amiss.

Once Makoto had also given them the last of the convenient store fish for breakfast, he pushed them out the door and led them to school, his mind buzzing with the opportunity for a new job and full bellies.

They passed by the restaurant again—"Onii-chan, when can we go?" "Never." "Eh? Why?" "Why's your face all red, Onii-chan?"—and Makoto dropped off the twins.

Once he saw that they were safely inside, he turned on his heel and headed down the street to the station, traveling a few stops until he got to the western district. His held his résumé tightly in between his fingers as he approached the building, his heart pounding thickly against his chest as he crossed the busy street.

You can do this, Makoto told himself. Just relax. Relax. Relax…

A zooming car sent a violent jolt down Makoto's spine, making him jump and sprint forward to the sidewalk. His jittering legs somehow managed to carry him down the sidewalk and right to the company building.

When he found the building, he walked in and spoke to the receptionist, who guided him up to the top floor to the manager's office. Makoto gulped as he rode the elevator up ten floors to the top and walked into the office, speaking to yet another receptionist.

Makoto was jittery as he sat down and waited for his name to be called. He tugged at the frays on his dress pants and bit his lip until it was raw, shakily trying to steady his breathing.

And, finally, his name was called. Makoto jumped up from the seat and was guided into the manager's office. When he walked in, a short, bulky man sitting behind a desk looked up and smiled gently.

"Ah, welcome, Tachibana-san," the man said, standing to his feet and offering a small bow. Makoto scrambled to bow deeply to the man and stuttered a soft greeting in reply. "Please, have a seat."

Makoto gulped as he sat down in the chair, his limbs tingling. He sat stiffly with his hands clasped tight in his lap. He had placed his résumé on the man's desk and watched as he quietly studied it with a thoughtful expression.

At first, he seemed open and gentle, asking questions about Makoto's background at the marketing firm and the experiences he had while working there. He even asked about the manager of the firm, Makoto chuckling and saying that he was as terrifying as ever.

But, as the man's eyes scanned the page, his brows pushed together. Makoto's stomach tightened in an uncomfortable knot and he fidgeted in his seat, somehow hoping that would untangle it.

"Tachibana-san," the man said, looking over the résumé in his hands one last time with a quirked brow. "I see that you don't have a degree."

Makoto's heart jumped and his smile became strained. The knot clenched tighter, sending a fire to his chest.

"Ah, y-yes. Er, I mean! No! No, sir. I don't have a degree," Makoto fumbled, feeling his cheeks burn.

The man paused and looked over the résumé again, then back up to look at Makoto questioningly.

"But you worked at the Tokyo Marketing Firm on the east side of town," the man said. "How did you manage to get that job without any degree?"

Makoto squirmed in the chair. It was suddenly too hot in the tiny office.

"Um… a close friend of mine recommended me and they decided to hire me," Makoto said.

The man's brows lowered sharply. Makoto gulped.

"And… how long did you say you worked at that company?" the man asked.

"Oh, uh…" Makoto rubbed his palms on his dress pants to soak up the sweat. His hands then found each other in his lap and clenched hard. "About four months."

"Four months," the man echoed plainly.

His face no longer had the enthusiastic shine that it had when Makoto had first walked in. His eyes drooped and his mouth was pressed into a tight line. He looked bored.

"Okay, then," the man said, setting down the sad résumé on his desk. "And you left the job because?"

Makoto's heart froze and then cracked.

"Uh," Makoto started intelligently. He felt a bead of sweat slide down his temple. "They… they let me go."

The man's features instantly darkened. "You mean to tell me that you were fired?"

His heart then shattered, the pieces settling in his stomach and poking him in the ribs.

"Um…" Makoto stuttered, his voice lowering. "Y-Yes."

The man licked his lips and rubbed his temple, and Makoto lowered his eyes to look at the floor in between his feet.

"I see," the man finally said with a sigh. "Well, to be honest, when I saw that you worked for the Tokyo Marketing Firm, I was immediately interested. But it was my own fault that I didn't do my homework."

Makoto swallowed and shrunk in on himself, his shoulders hunching up by his ears and his hands squeezing into tight fists on his lap.

"Well, Tachibana-san," the man said pointedly. "I'm afraid that we cannot hire you. I thought you would have had more experience if you had worked for that firm, but…" The man paused to wipe his face. "My, this is disappointing."

Makoto's shoulders sagged and he bowed his head.

"I'm sorry," Makoto apologized.

The man hummed and handed Makoto back his résumé, Makoto receiving it with shaking fingers.

"Yes," the man said. "I'm sure you are."

Makoto dragged his tired legs down the sidewalk, ignoring the cold that nipped at his nose and ears. He had been walking for hours, time lost to him as his head was muddled with fierce and harsh thoughts.

He had ended up on the eastern side of town, closer to his apartment, when he stopped, leaning against the brick wall of some building. He did not even bother to look up at the sign.

Makoto glanced down at the résumé in his hand and sighed sadly at it. His chest tugged painfully as he read over it, his own failures screaming back at him.

What am I going to do now? He asked himself.

Makoto's eyes filled with tears as he slid down to sit on the cold cement, his legs bent and his head hiding in his arms. Over twenty applications and they all turned him down, each more painful than the last. His phone sat heavily in his pocket like a brick.

I need to call Sousuke, Makoto thought. He would want to know about this.

He crumpled his résumé in his fist and held himself tighter. It was a phone call that Makoto did not want to make.

"Um… are you okay?"

Makoto jumped at the sound and snapped his head up.

Blue. It was another sea of blue.

Why was this all so...

"Are you okay?"

...familiar?

Makoto jolted when he realized he had been staring and finally glanced at the person standing in front of him. When he saw the black hair and white apron, his breath caught.

It was the chef from before.

"Oh," the chef said, his expression still deadpan. "It's you. From before."

The tips of Makoto's ears burned red and he quickly wiped the tears from his cheeks. He scrambled to his feet, bracing himself against the brick wall, and stuffed his résumé in his coat pocket.

"A-Ah, mmn," Makoto hummed, rubbing the back of his head. He glanced up and finally noticed that he had been standing in front of the Nanase Rest House restaurant. "Sorry. I'm probably loitering around here, aren't I? I probably shouldn't hang out here so much, especially if I haven't paid for your chalkboard display, yet."

He chuckled breathily and caught another tear that threatened to slide down his cheek, offering the chef a wobbly smile. But the chef's brows twitched and lowered, looking more… irritated?

"It's not a problem," the chef said. "We can get a new one."

Makoto's lips pressed harder together to prevent cries from escaping his throat and it ended up looking like a pained smile. He tilted his head and tried to smile wider.

"Is that so?" Makoto croaked. He cursed himself internally when his voice cracked. As a diversion, he checked his watch. "Well, I must be taking up your time. I'll get out of your way," Makoto said, lowering his head and trying to hurry past the chef.

But the chef put up his hand, stopping Makoto in his tracks.

"You were crying," the chef said.

Makoto winced. He felt as if this guy was peering through his soul. He quickly averted his eyes and forced a strange, quivering smile onto his face.

"I… I'm okay," Makoto said, his smile breaking as it fell into a wobbling frown. "Really."

The chef made a strangled noise. Makoto could see the chef's hand move forward, almost touching his shoulder before Makoto pulled away.

"Sorry," Makoto apologized, ducking his head so the chef would not see his tears. "I'll be leaving now."

"Wait—"

"I'll try and get you the money for a new sign. I promise," Makoto said with a wobbling smile as he brushed past the chef, his ears burning as he rushed away from the chef with the mesmerizing blue eyes.

His jittering legs carried him to Ran and Ren's school, where he slumped against the opened gate and waited for classes to be over.

"Hey, it's the crybaby!"

Ren jolted in front of his shoe locker and dropped his street shoes on the floor, both of them clattering and bouncing in different directions. He slowly turned his head and saw the three faces he had been trying to avoid all day. They were the second-years who were in the same club as Ren, who he had managed to avoid at club activities this afternoon. But, unfortunately, he could not get away from them at the shoe lockers today.

"Hey, hey, Tachibana! Are you gonna cry again?" one of them asked, looming over Ren with a wicked smile on his face.

"Yeah! You almost cried when you broke your dumb colored pencils in club today!" the tallest of the three scoffed, moving forward to get in Ren's face.

Ren cowered away from them until his back hit the lockers, tears immediately springing to his eyes.

"Oh, look! He's actually crying!" the third one laughed, pointing at Ren's glossy eyes.

"No way! Tachibana, you shouldn't cry so much. You're in middle school now!"

"Yeah! Middle-schoolers don't cry!"

Ren sniffed and lowered his head, his shoulder hunching up by his ears.

Don't cry, don't cry, Ren told himself, desperately trying to hold back the tears from spilling.

A flat palm slammed against the lockers next to Ren's head, making him flinch and recoil. His shoulders started to shake and he glanced up at the boys before shutting his eyes tight.

Why hadn't he had his growth spurt, yet?

"We should probably teach you how not to cry," one of them sneered.

Another slam against the locker by Ren's shoulder and he was slumping down further.

Don't cry, don't cry, Ren thought as the tears were about to squeeze out of his eyes. Don't cry, don't—

"HEY!"

Ren's eyes popped open to see a flash of long, brown hair followed by a loud "oof!" And soon enough, one of the bullies had stumbled backward a few steps and an angry girl was standing in front of him.

"Stay away from my brother!"

Ren's breath hitched.

"R-Ran?" Ren whispered, seeing his twin sister standing in between him and the bullies.

"Why are you always coming to his defense?" one of the boys asked, looking more agitated than before.

"Yeah, he's such a crybaby!" the other spat.

Ran's hands curled into fists and she took a step forward.

"I said," Ran hissed before she pushed the leader of three back, making him stumble even further away from Ren. "Leave him alone."

The three boys hesitated as they stared at Ran's intimidating snarl. With peeved murmurings escaping their lips, they turned away from Ren's shoe locker and left out of the school.

Ran watched them leave, her eyes fierce and fists shaking. When they were out of sight, she turned on her heel and stomped over to her shoe locker, swinging the door open and dropping her street shoes onto the ground.

"Ran…" Ren said softly, wiping his face. "I… s… sorr—"

"Let's go," Ran said, slamming her locker shut and turning to leave.

Ren floundered a bit, hurrying to put his shoes on.

"Wait, Ran!" Ren called.

He quickly shut his locker and hurried out to Ran, who was waiting for him by the entrance with her arms folded across her chest and her foot lightly tapping.

"Ah," Ren said intelligently when he saw the scowl on her face. "U-Um…"

Ran sighed heavily, cutting her brother off, and shut her eyes for a moment, rubbing her hand on her face.

"Why do you have to cry all the time, Ren?" Ran asked as she dropped her hand.

Ren flinched back as she turned her stare on him, not daring to open his mouth. He gulped and lowered his gaze, his hands clutching the straps of his backpack.

Ran sighed again. "Forget it. Let's go wait by the gate for Onii-chan."

Ren wiped his nose on his sleeve and followed the sound of his sister's footsteps down the path towards the gate. He kept his eyes glued to the pavement, his neck and back aching from the strenuous day. His body was drained, and all he wanted to do when he got home was work on his art project for his club.

"Oh? Onii-chan?"

Before Ren could even react, he bumped into his sister's back, fumbling backward a few steps. He glanced up to see his big brother looking at both of them with a strange smile on his face. His reddened eyes twitched as he tried to lift a hand to wave at them.

Normally, Ran and Ren would be excited to see their brother so early. But today, their older brother looked pained.

"You're here early," Ren said, his eyes curious but his brows creased. "You're… surprising us again?"

Makoto stared down at them both. He opened his mouth to answer but his jaw quivered so badly that he could not get a word out. Instead, he closed his mouth and cleared his throat, reaching up to tug at the collar of his shirt.

"Is everything okay, Onii-chan?" Ran asked, ever so observant and blunt as usual.

Ren glanced at her, seeing that her eyes were big. She obviously sensed something was off—she always could. It made Ren's stomach flip.

"Ran, Ren," Makoto said gently, making Ren snap his head back to look up at his brother. Makoto got down on one knee to be at their eye level, something he had not done in a while. It made the knot in Ren's stomach tighten even more. "There's… there's something I need to tell you."

"Eh? What is it?" Ran asked.

"Is it… bad?" Ren asked tentatively, his hands moving down to clutch at the fabric of his pants.

Ran and Ren saw Makoto bite his lip and he sighed heavily, reaching up to rub his head. Ren pressed his lips together and fiddled with the hem of his untucked shirt.

"Well, a few days ago…" Makoto started, his eyes flitting to the ground for a moment. Ren watched a bead of sweat slide down his brother's temple as he tried to speak. "I, uh… I lost my job."

Both Ran and Ren jumped, staring up at their brother with bulging eyes. They hesitated, their jaws slack and hands limp by their sides.

Ren's lips widened into a grimace and started to twitch, his eyes prickling with fresh tears. He could feel it coming—another breakdown of tears pushing at the back of his eyes. It would burst at any moment now; the dam would break and he would instantly fall apart.

"Why?!"

But before any tears could fall form Ren's eyes, Ran blurted out her question, making him jump and turn to stare at her with wide eyes. Her brows were knitted together in distress and Ren could not help but feel partially responsible for her grief today.

"Why would they fire you, Onii-chan?" Ran asked desperately.

She looked ready to fight someone, so Ren moved closer to nudge her arm to get her to calm down before she went ballistic.

But Makoto's sad smile seemed to calm her down, and he opened his mouth to reply in a small voice.

"I was late too many times," Makoto explained.

Ren jolted at his words, quickly forgetting about calming his sister, and his face scrunched up in a painful grimace.

Late too many times? Ren thought as he lowered his gaze to the ground. Was that… because…

Ren's lip and chin quivered as his hands white-knuckled the straps of his backpack. He kept his gaze glued to his shoes.

"What are you going to do?" Ran asked, ignoring her twin brother's distress.

Makoto's smile faltered a little as he scratched his cheek.

"I'm looking for a new job," Makoto said. "I had an interview today but…"

Ran was looking at him like he had two heads while Ren avoided any eye contact altogether. After a moment of staring at their faces, Makoto sighed and reached up to pat their heads gently.

"Don't worry, okay?" Makoto said. "I'll take care of you guys."

The twins had worried looks on their faces as Makoto rose to his feet. He tried for another smile, more reassuring than the last.

"I promise," Makoto added, more firmly this time.

Ran and Ren's shoulders sagged a little, some tension immediately releasing from their little bodies. Ran looked a little skeptical while Ren was still teary-eyed, his gaze still pointedly avoiding his siblings.

"C'mon," Makoto said, gently grabbing their shoulders and pulling them away from the school gates. "Let's go home."

Ran hesitated only for a moment before she started following Makoto down the street. Ren followed behind glumly, his mouth wobbling as he struggled to keep the tears at bay.

Did his brother really lose his job because of—

"Oh, hold on, guys."

Ren almost bonked his nose into his sister's back as they abruptly stopped, Makoto looking up at a construction site. There were several men with orange vests and yellow helmets working around metal frames. It looked like they were building a new skyscraper.

"I need to go see something real quick," Makoto said, pointing to the small work trailer next to the site. "Stay away from the road, okay?"

Ran and Ren watched him as he hurried into the work trailer, their heads cocking to the side.

"What's that all about?" Ran muttered, pursing her lips to the side.

Ren blinked at her sudden foul mood and took a step back, feeling his chin quivering even more. He glanced up at the work trailer where his brother disappeared and studied the windows to distract himself from crying. A dirty sign in the window caught his eye and he squinted to see it.

Laborers Needed

"Did you guys get enough to eat?" Makoto asked as he gathered up the dishes.

Ran nodded happily, finally in a better mood, and praised Makoto's improved cooking skills. She helped gather up some dishes to put in the sink, but she paused when she reached for Ren's plate.

Ren's face was pulled downward in a tired frown, his eyes red-rimmed and puffy. He managed to eat everything on his plate but still seemed unsatisfied. It was a gnawing feeling that churned the good food inside his stomach.

"Are you done, Ren?" Ran asked, curling her fingers around the edge of Ren's plate.

Ren flinched as if he were pulled out of a daze and looked up at Ran, scrambling to give her his plate. He bit his lip and glanced down at his lap, brows furrowing.

Ran blinked at him curiously but took his plate anyway. She took it to Makoto who stood at the sink, already scrubbing at a pan.

"Do you guys have homework?" Makoto asked from the sink.

Ran groaned and leaned on the counter. "Onii-chan, can't we just watch a movie?" she whined.

Makoto turned to look at her, his brows furrowed.

"Ran, I start my new job in the morning," Makoto said.

Ren flinched at the sentence and shrunk in his seat, staring sadly at a spot on the table.

"Then, what about a show?" Ran asked. "Please, please, Onii-chan? We haven't watched a show together in a long time!"

Makoto paused in his scrubbing and considered Ran's proposal, his lip pulling into a small smirk.

"Only if you get your homework done first," he replied.

Ran leaned up from the counter, eyes wide and mouth open with a smile.

"Really?" she asked. When Makoto nodded fondly, she whirled around and rushed to Ren's side. "C'mon, Ren! Let's go!"

She grabbed his wrist and dragged him down from the table.

"Ah, wait, Ran!" Ren whined as he was pulled to their shared bedroom.

"Don't you wanna watch something with Onii-chan?" Ran asked as she pushed open the door and pulled them inside. She quickly rushed over to her books and placed them down on the table in the center of the room. "C'mon, you grab your books, too! I'm going to the bathroom first and then we'll finish our homework super fast!"

With a happy skip in her step, Ran left the room to hurry to the bathroom down the hall, leaving Ren to stand in the middle of the bedroom alone.

Ren relented with a heavy sigh, dragging his feet over to his backpack and digging through his books to find his English textbook. His fingers brushed something sharp in the bottom of his bag and he winced. His fingers maneuvered around it and pulled it out.

It was a broken colored pencil.

Ren grimaced, recalling the older kids from his art club.

"Oh, look! The crybaby just tripped!"

"You're right! I wonder if he's going to cry!"

Ren remembered leaning up from the floor of the art club room and looking down below him. He had fallen on his brand new pack of colored pencils, specially bought for him by his older brother.

When he had taken the pencils from the box, tears immediately sprang from his eyes.

Every colored pencil in the box had snapped in half.

"Wow, he really is crying. And about colored pencils, too!"

"Hey, crybaby! You can just ask your mom to buy new ones!"

"Yeah! Why don't you just ask her for some?"

Ren sniffed and dropped the pencil down on the floor, not wanting to ask Makoto for new pencils. He remembered showing the pencils to Makoto in the store, and his brother could not shake the shocked look that he had on his face when he saw the price.

But Makoto had saved up enough money to buy those pencils just for him.

Ren sniffled again, feeling his breath hitch and his throat close. He felt something wet slide down his cheeks and he furiously wiped them with his sleeve.

"Onii-chan! Ren is crying again!"

Ren stopped scrubbing his face, bowing his head to stare down at the textbook in his lap.

"I lost my job today."

He watched the tears fall from his eyes and onto the book below, each landing with a dull plop.

"I was late too many times."

A hiccup finally seized in Ren's chest and he gasped for air, desperately trying not to cry. He covered his eyes with his arm and leaned down over his book and the broken colored pencil.

It was my fault, Ren thought.

Onii-chan lost his job because of me.

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