Kyabarie Kara was considered a gentleman, despite his gullible nature and his tendency to be the victim to unfortunate events. But he needed to keep his cool persona for his Kara boys and girls! Katsuna Todo, his roommate, his number one supporter, his childhood friend, and practically his brother-figure, had always told him that by keeping his cool persona active at all times, even around strangers, he was sure to emit an aura that would make people believe in themselves and make the city seem like a better place, even with the criminal activity going on recently. Heck, Todo told him that if he showed the world he cared about his ficus outside, wonderfully named Rosa by your's truly, everyone would feel a little better every time they exited their apartment rooms.
He had no idea why this stranger who was claiming to be his older brother stood outside alongside two individuals, one taller and one shorter in comparison. Not to mention, the man had a frown! An actual frown plastered across his face! His lip was quivering and tears were streaming down his cheeks and Kara didn't know what to do, because he was sure Rosa would have lifted this man's spirits as soon as he saw her outside with the lovely scarf Todo had bought for her and the beautiful hat Kara had knitted, but this man was crying and his two accomplices seemingly noticed after an unknown amount of time and started nudging him on his sides and telling him to stop crying-
"Why don't you all come inside?" Kara gestured to his home and stepped to the side to make room for them to come in. He cleaned up all the mess Todo made earlier, since Kara was a neat freak ever since he was a little boy, and because he knew Todo would complain about how messy the house was, despite the source of the mess being Todo himself. Nonetheless, Kara wouldn't embarrass Todo with such a trivial thing like that. "It is rather cold. And I'm sure we can discuss this matter better with a cup of tea! Do excuse me if it is such a mess, but I didn't expect any visitors today at all."
Chibita and Iyami were taken aback by this painful man's hospitality towards strangers. After hearing a few more sniffles from Osomatsu, Chibita nodded and went inside as Iyami ushered his childhood friend to also go inside Kara's domain, while murmuring something to him that had something to do with the fact that he was crying. Chibita looked around the apartment, noticing the abusive amount of supposedly men's perfume wafting through the air as soon as he stepped in. Besides that, everything looked rather nice. The floors and furniture were polished, orange lights gave the room a somewhat calming feeling, and he inwardly cringed once he saw a frilly apron and a painful-looking one hanging on the doorknob leading to someone's room.
The sofas were soft too with about six pillows, so Chibita, Iyami, and Osomatsu sat there as Karamatsu busied himself in the kitchen preparing treats for his guests. Chibita would argue that he already had a parfait earlier, but Iyami probably didn't have anything to eat as soon as they got in the city, because Iyami only drank a mug of beer and ate his oden about three hours ago. Or was it four? Didn't matter. Besides, Osomatsu drank his entire mug of bitter coffee in one go with nothing else, so he was probably hungry too. Though Chibita wasn't really hungry compared to those two. "Ah, uh.. sir-"
"Please! Call me Kara! Formalities are nothing more than what you use to address strangers! And you are my guests, not strangers." Kara came back to the living room with a tray on one hand, a box of tissues on the other. He set down the tray, containing a pile of freshly baked cookies on one large plate, and three cups of green tea. "The cookies are still warm, thankfully. I hope you do enjoy it with the tea. And for you!" He gently set down the box of tissues on Osomatsu's lap, who was looking down at his own lap and was still sniffling. "My good fellow, there is no need for such tears! Do tell me what brings you to my humble abode! And help yourself to the cookies. My roommate loves those cookies, but I have another fresh batch awaiting him."
If there was any word Chibita and Iyami agreed on when deciding an adjective for the man's vocabulary, they would have to go with "painful". Not complex, not educated. Just plain painful. Honestly, at this time and age, who in the actual living fuck would still decide to speak like someone out of an old movie, and a bad one at that? "Uh.. thanks." Iyami said as he took one cookie and bit into it, which was hard to do so with his overbite and all. To his relief, it actually tasted good and was thankful it didn't taste like what his apartment smelled like; bad cologne. "Me thinks it's pretty good."
Kara swelled with pride, but it was more like a giddy teenager being praised. His cookies were one of the things Todo appreciated, so he made sure to make it a lot. "Really? Thank you! I'm glad I baked a lot of cookies today, even if I didn't expect such a visit." He sat across them, at the other sofa. "Oh. It is alright for you to take off your coats. It's warmer here than it is outside. I'm sure you feel stuffy with those on."
Chibita nodded and took off his own coat and scarf. When Osomatsu didn't make a move to remove his own, Iyami gently removed Osomatsu's beanie and took off his coat, as Chibita took off Osomatsu's scarf and mittens and set them to the side with his own clothes. "Oi, Osomatsu. The hell are with those tears?" Chibita addressed his childhood friend. "You were looking forward to meet this guy, right? Then stop sobbin' like a baby, damn it." He ripped a tissue from the box and handed it to Osomatsu's slightly chilly hand.
Finally, Osomatsu responded. He took the tissue, sneezed into it and crumbled it into his palm. "Sorry for the waterworks." He mumbled as he wiped his teary eyes with the sleeve of his red hoodie. He was the eldest brother and he wasn't supposed to react that way, Osomatsu told himself. Karamatsu was his slightly younger brother, and Kara, this blue-eyed gentleman was this dimension's version of his brother. He was still painful, hospitable, and kind of an idiot, so Osomatsu didn't complain. This guy was his brother. "Got overwhelmed by your presence for a sec. Almost thought you weren't real."
Kara chuckled in amusement. "I am very much real, Matsuno-san. Flesh and blood, as well as a perfectly healthy, beating heart."
Osomatsu thankfully had his senses back, so he snorted once Kara replied to him. "Hey, weren't you the one who said to quit it with the formalities?" He chided. It was almost like the time he went fishing with Karamatsu and got exposed to Karamatsu's ridiculous tank top and his contact lenses. Todomatsu somehow popped out of the river after that. "Just call me Osomatsu." Matsuno-san could refer to any of his brothers, Osomatsu thought. He reached out to his own mug of tea and took a light sip, regretting the fact he didn't take his time with his coffee earlier. Well how was he supposed to react when he suddenly got a painful text from one of his brothers? "And I'm sure what I said earlier isn't forgotten, am I right?"
"Osomatsu. It is a rather nice name." Kara commented with a smile, though Osomatsu could tell it was utter bullshit. For god's sake, his name meant "lame" and "ill-prepared", so where was the good in that? "You did claim to be my brother, correct? Specifically, my older brother?" Osomatsu nodded, in which Kara only made another painful grin at that. "I do very much believe you! After all, everyone in this planet is my brother and my sister! Why, we all live in the same earth, breath the same air, and mostly look at the same sun and moon. Or moon, we cannot directly look at the sun."
You can't be serious.
If cringe had a physical form, it would be both Matsuno Karamatsu and Kyabarie Kara, both who are practically the same person and practically had the exact same level of cringe. Iyami gagged on the cookies he had already consumed and Chibita felt like he just witnessed a murder of an entire family. This guy's family to be precise. This guy probably murdered his own family with his own words! "Is he actually serious..?" Osomatsu heard Iyami whisper to Chibita. The smaller male attempted to ignore what Kara had said and drunk the tea. "Me thought Osomatsu was lying when he said one of his brothers was painful.."
That disgusting sensation of cringe crawled onto Osomatsu's back, his mind slightly remembering that ficus from outside. "Kara-kun." Osomatsu rubbed his forehead in exasperation, emphasizing the honorific. He knew how to handle this, but it didn't mean he was used to it. It was like dealing with a spider back at home; he knew how to kill it. Just use a flamethrower! But it didn't mean he liked doing it. "I didn't come all the way from the town to the city to simply tell you what you believe in. I'm your older brother, really."
"That seems impossible, Osomatsu." Kara sighed. "We do have different surnames for one. You are a Matsuno, and I am a Kyabarie. Second, your eyes are as black as the night sky and mine are as a deep blue as the sea! Your eyes are pretty, nonetheless! You claim to have come from the town outside this city, but I have been here all my life! I was born into this world by my mother who is very much a Kyabarie, and I was bought into this world by my parents and the doctors of Akatsuka City's hospital! I grew up and studied at Akatsuka City's local schools with a dear friend I live with in my humble abode and a friend I grew up with, and-"
Enough of the painful language.
"We look alike, you know." Osomatsu pointed out the obvious. Iyami and Chibita, who had remained silent throughout their entire exchange, were honestly amused by the fact that Osomatsu went from a sobbing heap to a rather composed and immune-to-cringe clone of their Osomatsu from another dimension. Aside from pointing out that fact, Osomatsu crossed his legs as Kara finally realized. Slow. Kara was slow. He was a bit like Karamatsu, who was slow at times. "Kyabarie means 'cavalier'. I'm not that good with complex Japanese, but I do know that means something about being a gentleman, right? And I know for a fact that you are one." Osomatsu pointed out. "You're the kind of guy that has a little old lady fanclub, one that consists of all those ladies you've helped cross the streets or carry the groceries. You're the kind of guy to believe in nearly anything." Nearly anything, mainly because Karamatsu was the second most gullible, as he discussed earlier with Iyami. "You dressed up that ficus outside. It has a name, doesn't it? What is it, Daisy?"
"Rosa. Her name is Rosa. Daisy died a long time ago, I'm afraid. She was such a lovely plant, but alas, it was her time." Kara remembered yet another old potted plant he had dressed up with, except that one had a flowing white hat with blue ribbons tied around her stem. He couldn't recall if it was another ficus, though. But he did know that houseplant was dressed nicely for spring. "How do you know about my Kara girls? I doubt you heard it from a rumor, seeing as how I'm only a rumor in their little haven. What happens there stays there." Kara asked. That little, adorable fanclub of old ladies that were at the retirement house were fond of Kara ever since he helped the caretakers of that place with their groceries. Hey, they said he had a nice backside too! He took pride in that! "And how do you know about how.." He looked away, almost in shame. Todo always told him that was his biggest weakness. "How do you know about.. how gullible I am?"
He wasn't a victim to bullying due to how gullible he was. Kara was fairly strong and could throw a punch to anyone who would hurt the weak. But he was a sensitive person, a sinful man, a guilt guy. People always told him that he was easily swayed as long as a person had either a pretty face, or a sob-filled story to tell. He was ashamed that even of how cool he was (or he thought he was), he easily believed in anything anyone would say. Plus, many people said his vocabulary was painful! How can his words cause such physical pain to those he wanted to amuse? To those he wanted to believe in themselves?
Osomatsu, this stranger who claimed to be the blue gentleman's older brother, sighed. "You do have boundaries though, Kara. Like me telling you I'm your brother. You don't believe that, do you?" He grabbed a cookie by his fingers, eyes softening once he felt the texture of the snack. Exactly the same as Karamatsu's. "But I bet if I cried longer and harder, you'd believe me. Wouldn't you now?" A smirk crept onto his face.
The other clenched his fists which he used to clutch against the fabric of his own pants. "You don't know anything about me as much as you claim." Ah, Kara was losing his patience. Osomatsu wasn't fazed though. The only time he got to Karamatsu's bad side was when he kicked Jyushimatsu hard enough for the younger to hit the wall, and his anger only lasted until Osomatsu started crying. But that wasn't the point right now. "Are you making fun of me, Osomatsu-san?" And after all his hospitality? "And you come here in the coldness of winter, the loneliest and most quiet season of the year, and claim to be my brother? Claiming to know everything about me?"
Unknown to him, Osomatsu knew every single detail about him. Even with Iyami and Chibita looking at him in confusion and even the slightest bit of concern, Osomatsu continued acting like himself. "Nothing to be ashamed of, buddy. You name plants one by one, you bake cookies that taste good, and you have this vocabulary that you picked up ever since you were in high school, in order to be noticeable. And wearing that." He pointed to Kara's hoodie and sun glasses. "Makes your cool persona seem much more believable. And it's cool. Really. You don't need those ridiculous shades or that.. kinda disturbing hoodie in order to be cool. You're a nice guy, all in all. Or do you think that no one will think you're cool?" His shit-eating smirk was replaced by a genuine smile, one only a big brother with five little brothers could muster. "You don't have to pretend to be cool. You're pretty awesome for taking care of your friend, even if he's.." His thought shifted to this dimension's Todomatsu. "Not really.. the best example of a good guy."
And that did it. Kara raised his head and looked at Osomatsu with disbelief. "How.. how did you know about Todo?!" He made sure that every time Todo came home with bruises or with small stains of blood decorating his clothes, he washed it all off and wrapped each bruise or scar with bandages. He made sure that no one in this apartment complex would suspect Todo, his childhood friend, of being such a criminal. And no matter what, even if Kara would get accused of protecting a supposed thug that hung out with the wrong people, he would protect Todo. Because Todo was there for him when no one else was. "Don't.. don't tell me you told.."
So that was his fear in this dimension, Osomatsu concluded. He wanted to protect Todo. He was curious on what else Todo was doing besides dooming himself by hanging out with a bunch of bad influences for friends, but he was much more focused on Kara now. "I didn't tell anyone. But I guess your roomie's in a deeper pit. He dug way too deep and he can't re-surface all on his own." He sighed. This won't be easy then. "I learned from his old co-workers, Kara. I asked 'em. I don't think they know if your friend's doing anything much, much worse than what he's already doing. But that's not the point." Standing up from his seat and walking towards Kara, he slightly leaned forward to give a light pat on the other's shoulder. "Do you believe me now?"
"I'm not gullible." He said softly.
"You won't be gullible if you believe me." Osomatsu grinned. "In fact, you'd be really smart to believe me. I promise I won't tell any kind of police about Todo. Really."
Kara remained silent for awhile. He was gullible, he knew that. But this person, Osomatsu, there was something about him that made him feel at ease. Though he felt odd with Osomatsu seemingly testing his patience earlier, he wasn't.. it seemed like Osomatsu wasn't a bad person. A careless smile and the like to tease others, Osomatsu didn't seem like the type of person to break a promise. Kara hoped he wouldn't make anymore mistakes with this one. He had to protect Todo. "How are you my brother in any way?" He asked.
Ah. It was time. The time to drop the bomb and make it known he was nearly insane. Almost sheepishly, Osomatsu rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you may be an only child in this world. And so is Todo, if I'm right. But since you believe the fact I'm your brother, I guess it won't be hard to accept the fact that I'm also someone from another dimension. And in that dimension, we're sextuplets and you and Todo are my little brothers."
An awkward silence replaced the horrible smell of men's perfume, with the only sounds being heard were Iyami's nervous chattering with his overbite clicking against the tea mug, Chibita's heartbeat as he listened to the entire conversation and wished Kara would believe that fact as they believed Osomatsu, and Osomatsu's somewhat nervous foot-tapping against the wooden floor.
But with everything he heard today, Kara only released a heavy sigh. "I suppose.. that isn't all?"
Trust me, Osomatsu mentally told Kara. It wasn't all. He had a long story ahead of him, and these cookies were enough to satisfy his hunger as he explained to Kara what was really going on.
