"Thy presence from this over-busy world,
And bearing silence with thee disengage
Our twined fortunes? Deeps of unhewn woods
Alone can cherish thee, alone possess
Thy quiet, teeming vigor. This our crime:
Not to have worshipped, marred by alien moods
That sole condition of all loveliness,
The dreaming lapse of slow, unmeasured time."
-"Leisure" by Amy Lowell

"We're off."

"Mm, see you later."

The only answer aside from the waving of hands was the front door closing with a clack before the five brothers started forth on their way to the respective schools of the younger ones, the buildings fortunately close as well as the day care center. Karamatsu usually assumed the responsibility of dropping off the youngest and alternated turns between Choromatsu and Ichimatsu when it came to retrieving him at the end of the day, as their right to this had long since been disputed with the aftercare staff with the result being that they would be allowed to do so in place of their mainly absent parents.

Ichimatsu clung onto Jyushimatsu's and Karamatsu's hand after Todomatsu had been dropped off on the way to their school's building complex. They usually strode along unattended by the second born, who would usually spend the day either buying groceries, cooking or tidying the house where he saw fit- however, since their alleged stalker had begun trailing after the younger ones and more recently the rest of them, Karamatsu had taken it upon himself to at least accompany his little brothers part of the way to school and set up a time for when they should regroup at the end of the day.

The walk had mostly been a silent one as per usual, with the quintet being too tired to say much until they had begun to branch off, the second eldest slipping his hand from the fourth born's grip before pulling both Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu into a warm embrace. "Have a good day you two." The fourth born eagerly hugged him back and Jyushimatsu was not as quick to follow, but duly returned the latter's affections with a nod.

"Bye, Kara-niisan." Ichimatsu mumbled before grasping Jyushimatsu's sleeved hand with his own, the two setting off in the direction of their school, leaving the second and third eldest brothers alone.

"I uh, guess I'll be going now." The third born nearly gave the other a nervous grin, but he remembered in time and kept his expression mostly placid, his voice soft and meek as he turned away from Karamatsu. "See you later...?" He didn't bother to wait for a reply as he turned away at once, starting down the road with a brisk pace before a sharp tug on his arm dragged him back. Choromatsu froze in place, eyes wide as he struggled to process what could have possibly prompted such a reaction from the other, if he's noticed or-

"Stay safe."

Karamatsu's voice lacked its usual harshness which the latter had grown accustomed to hearing and he couldn't help but blink in surprise as he was pulled into a tight hug, a hand resting atop his head. The third born's cheeks flushed with bright pink as the other carded his fingers through his hair for a brief moment before releasing him, giving him a small yet not unkind smile. "Use the front door rather than the back stairwells and just make a run for it. They'll have a harder time finding you that way." Choromatsu could only nod, trying to keep his shock from being too evident as he easily cracked what he hoped would be a similar grin back at the other.

"Okay, thanks Karam-" He cut himself off instantly with a fake sneeze, cursing inwardly as he noted the brief questioning look upon the other's face as he paused whilst turning.

"Thank you, K-Kara-niisan." It was all Choromatsu could do to keep his blush from deepening, his hand finding the collar of his uniform and tugging on it as he dropped his gaze. Karamatsu blinked before simply shrugging and started away from the flustered third born.

"Goodbye, Choromatsu."

In a few minutes, the second born had greatly distanced himself from him, disappearing back the way that they came and the third born nearly collapsed upon the ground in relief.

It worked, it had truly worked! His plan had been nothing more than successful thus far, which could only be seen as a sign of definite future progress. Alone now without any of the brothers to bear witness, Osomatsu was quick to shed himself of the slightly enlargened middle school uniform that he had purposely stretched out- and unfortunately had torn- much earlier in the morning and dug his own hoodie out from the borrowed backpack, pulling it on before quickly striding in the direction opposite the school once he felt enough time had passed, breaking into a run once he was across the street which eventually slowed to an idler pace upon reaching the city.

Osomatsu tugged a folded sheet of paper from one of the pockets of the backpack, partly slinking underneath the shade of a tree to avoid passersby as he looked it over, scrutinizing the hastily scribbled addresses and numbers on the page that Choromatsu had scrawled from his notebook.

"A-Are you sure you want to do this, Oniichan? Kara-niisan will get r-really mad if he finds out..."

The third born nervously twisted the end of his shirt as he looked up at the other, eyes nearly pleading for him to reconsider. The eldest was not to be deterred however and he only pat his head, flashing the younger boy a winning smile."That's only if he finds out- and he won't because your Oniichan has a secret weapon up his sleeve!"

Choromatsu squeaked at the head pat, involuntarily flinching out of habit before his eyes lit up with curiosity.

"W-What is it...?"

Osomatsu dropped his hand, striking a pose which his own version of the second born would be sure to be proud of should he have borne witness to such graceful movements being executed in his honor. "A certain someone's painful acting skills!"

His own ribs could probably break by this alone, that much Osomatsu knew, but seeing the small smile that formed on the other's face at his silliness was rewarding enough and he couldn't help but to contort himself into another pose, winking at the other though his inward abashment was threatening to dissolve his dignity.

"If you're really certain about this-." The third born stifled a giggle, clamping a hand over his mouth for a moment as he struggled to appear serious. "Kara-niisan is observant, almost as much as Jyushimatsu... I-If you can find a way to keep from drawing too much attention, um- Actually, he doesn't really pay me any, so- J-Just don't ask any questions, that makes him m-mad and-"

"Woah, woah, easy Choromatsu!" The first born was no longer acting "painful", having immediately set his act- thankfully- aside upon seeing the other tense up. "Hey, it's going to be okay buddy. You don't have to worry so much, alright?" Osomatsu's smile softened as he held his arms out to the latter who hesitated before slowly drawing near.

The eldest closed his arms around the other, gently rubbing his back as the younger boy timidly gripped onto him as well, leaning against him. "Don't you worry about your Oniichan, he's strong and can handle anything that Shittymatsu can throw at him!" The small nod was enough of a response and he pulled back, eyes bright as he met the anxious gaze of the third born.

"T-Then, we should probably hurry..." Osomatsu watched the other as he pulled his uniform from the top drawer of the dresser, then searched through the bottom one before extricating a sewing kit from underneath a pile of fabric squares. "U-Um, can you sew? S-Sorry, I probably shouldn't ask..."

This too, did the first born have his Karamatsu to thank for. Osomatsu glanced at the sewing kit and back to the third eldest, giving the other a wide grin. "It's fine, not a big deal and you bet I can! C'mon, give it here!"

Choromatsu obliged, handing him the kit and his uniform before looking to the door. "I-I'll be right back, there's something else that you should have." Osomatsu nodded as he set to work, looking over the uniform before rifling through the kit as the third born scampered from the room. He returned when the other was more or less done, a single sheet of paper in one hand and his backpack in the other. He stood by the entrance of the room for a moment, eyes widened in dismay at the state of his disheveled clothes and remained silent for some time. "U-Um, O-Oniichan...?"

Osomatsu cursed his own incompetence as he plastered on a smile, looking up sheepishly at the other. "Yeah...?" The third born was nearly speechless, but he managed to voice his wavering inquiry.

"D-Do... Do you r-really know how to s-sew?"

The first born remained silent for a moment, looking down at the cloth in his hands helplessly. "U-Uh..." He reached around to rub the back of his head with a sheepish grin. God, if his Karamatsu saw him now... He really should have paid much more attention during those painful sewing lessons, now that he thought about it.

Choromatsu bit his lip and joined him on the ground, folding the paper and slipping it into the pocket of his backpack before setting it off to the side. He sat cross-legged upon the tatami before cautiously taking up his uniform shirt and examined the torn fabric. "I-I can fix this..." He mumbled mostly to himself as he took up a needle, threading it swiftly before falling to his task.

Osomatsu dropped the patch of black fabric and the other's pants in defeat, the needle soon following suit. "Sorry about that, Choromatsu." He ruffled the third born's hair who squinted, eyes narrowed slightly in concentration as he flinched a bit at the initial touch before remaining adamantly still.

Osomatsu's hand fell and he crossed his legs as well, quietly studying the other as he worked, nimble fingers moving deftly as the needle was worked in and out of the fabric. The almost austere atmosphere created by the third born's silence was reminiscent of his own Choromatsu, and the other's heart ached with remorse and longing to see him and the rest of their brothers again, to lavish upon them the same loving attention that he did upon those of this world now-

"I-It's not the greatest, but it's fixed... M-Mostly, I think." The third eldest's voice wrung the other from his thoughts and he mustered a grin.

"That's great Choromatsu, thanks!"

"S' not a problem." The third born blushed, cheeks pinkening as he took the offered clothes from the other and stood, shooting a quick glance behind him before looking back to the other. "Um, some of these could be outdated... I-I'm not sure which ones are though. Be careful, Oniichan..." Osomatsu changed into the other's clothes with a bit of a struggle, but he was soon standing fully clad in the third eldest's uniform and answered him with a prompt nod.

"So, I just have to lay low and track these people down, right? Got it!" The first born gave the other a thumbs up, and Choromatsu managed a tiny smile in return before it fell.

"W-What do I do...? If you don't come back before Kara-niisan does, he'll know you left." The eldest thought for a moment, mulling over such a prospect for a while before responding.

"That's where you come in!"

"M-Me-?!"

The third born's eyes widened as Osomatsu nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I need someone to cover for me in case that happens, and who better to do it than you?" Choromatsu could only stare at the other in mute shock and the eldest sighed, kneeling down in front of him to ruffle his hair. "I know it's a lot to ask of you, but I need your help for this to work, Choromatsu." He gently pushed his bangs back, peering into the other's eyes with a warm smile who stiffened. "Can you at least try for Oniichan's sake?"

The third born laxened as the hand which rested on his head playfully tousled his hair and he glanced at the floor before looking up again, determination shining in his eyes. "O-Okay... I will."

"Yes, I knew you would say that! You're the best, Choromachuu~!" The first born threw his arms around the other who squeaked in surprise but couldn't resist nuzzling in his hold as the other pat his head. "Karamatsu and I had a... Fight, so to speak. So all you have to do is mope and sleep whenever he's around, and it'll be perfectly normal! That sounds easy, right?" The third born hummed in agreement, enjoying the petting.

"Kara-niisan walks with us to school to be sure we're safe, and all of us usually meet after school at three at the crossroads since Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu get out at that time. Um, we also usually take turns picking up Todomatsu, but I end up being the one to do it... Most of the time."

"Wha- Three?! We used to get out around five at most!" Osomatsu pulled back, thoroughly awed. "You don't have any club activities?" Choromatsu flushed and inched away, unsure what to do with his hands which he drew towards himself.

"W-We um, well- No... N-Not really, uh- I think Kara-niisan tried drama club during his first year, but it didn't last very long. I tried to join a book club this year but it didn't work out..." The third born mumbled and off to the side. "A-Anyways...! School starts at eight thirty, so it'll be better if you get ready to go soon." The first born grinned and stood upright again.

"'Kay! Why don't you curl up in my futon for now? Then all you have to do is say goodbye when we leave."

"O-Okay."

"Right then, we've got a plan!"

"Ah, geeze... I really should have asked if he had a map or something." Osomatsu groaned as he looked over the addresses, seriously lamenting his lack of a phone not for the first time in his life. Surely a kind pedestrian wouldn't mind lending him theirs for a short while? The first born sighed as he made his way down the sidewalk, taking care to note the names on any signs that he came across.

There was a total of four addresses and two numbers penned beside their corresponding owners. The first born murmured the names aloud to himself as he strolled along, hoisting the backpack a bit higher. "Let's see here, Narisawa, Tsuchida and Ozaki?" He traced the names with his index finger, studying the kanji and didn't look up until he very nearly ran into a man standing by a bus stop sign.

"Oh, excuse me! Do you mind pointing out which direction Kabukicho is from here?" The man blinked, turning to him.

"It's on the east side of Shinjuku." His light brown hair shone in the sunlight as he studied him, a frown forming on his face before he shook head. "I wouldn't go there at this time though kid, it can get pretty rough around those parts." Osomatsu simply shrugged. He's gotten himself and his brothers into plenty of scrapes in his time, this couldn't be any different.

"It's fine, I've just got to drop by real quick. Do you happen to know of anyone by the name of Narisawa from there?"

The man scratched his head, pondering for a moment. "... Narisawa... Is she originally from Nishinomiya?"

Osomatsu blinked, clearly uncertain. "Uh... Not too sure." He held out the sheet to the man who took it, looking it over. His eyes lit up soon after they ran over the details surrounding the woman's name and a smile broadened his face.

"Oh, it is Chisato-san! She and I used to attend the same school back in Nishinomiya. The last I've heard of her, she became a lawyer and moved into one of Tokyo's districts."

The man handed the paper back, green-gray eyes roving over the other with far more interest now. "What sort of business do you have with her?" The first born folded the paper, stuffing it into one of the pockets of his hoodie along with his hands.

"Ah... Just a few questions about my family's case. She's been looking after it for a long time now, so we became close enough that she trusted me with her immediate contact details."

God bless his Choromatsu and those painstakingly horrible practice interviews he's been forced into doing with him. Were it not for that, he would have been at quite a loss on how to reply so readily for sure. His answer appeased the man who nodded thoughtfully, glancing at the bus stop for a bit. "I missed the train earlier, so I'm already going to be late for work... If you wouldn't mind some company, I would like to go with you to see Chisato-san again?" Osomatsu nodded at once, grinning widely.

"I don't mind at all! I'm Matsuno, Osomatsu by the way. You're...?"

"Watsuji, Haru. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Matsuno-kun."

The bus ride had been uneventful, but not without conversation. In a matter of minutes, Haru had divulged nearly the whole of his relations with Chisato and how it had come about in the days of their youth. A former scraggler who had recently landed a position in one of Shibuya's office complexes, the man had been cloistered in the Hyogo Prefecture of Nishinomiya since birth until he had obtained his degree in economics.

Job searching had been difficult on him and he's had more than a few run-ins with unsavory folk in Kabukicho in his prime, but has mostly settled into respectability, quite liked both in the office and among friends. Osomatsu in turn relayed to him what he considered to be tales of grandeur, the both of them sharing a laugh over the ridiculously large tab that the latter and his brothers had acquired at Chibita's oden cart.

Haru had inquired politely why the sextuplets refused to pay it off, to which the first born had admittedly informed the other of their current financial- as well as social- status. "Living the NEET life is hard, ya know?" Osomatsu had lounged back in his seat, arms crossed behind his head as he shot his companion a lazy grin.

"I have suffered through that a few years back, and I can agree." Haru had his suit jacket folded, resting atop his lap.

The conversation had since drifted, and it took a great deal of self restraint for Osomatsu to keep from bursting into flames on their shared seat as Haru spoke lovingly of his ex-wife and daughter, both having been left in Nishinomiya after their separation. "Akane and I had what one would call "creative differences", not so much a lack of feeling. I longed for the city, and she wanted more than anything for our little Umiko to be raised in our hometown."

Osomatsu immediately shook off his envy for a moment in place of inquiring as to what the others life in Nishinomiya had been, in terms of the Showa Era. Haru generously supplied him with enough details throughout the whole rest of their ride, and Osomatsu had truly and utterly regretted not having snatched a notebook before departing from the house.

"Nishinomiya had been strongly impacted by the War." Haru had stated with sudden seriousness. "School was interrupted by air raid alarms, and everyone in the district would make instant headway for a bomb shelter. Many were widowed and had to rely on food rations."

They jolted forward as a bus ran over a bump without warning, surprising its passengers. Haru continued on, expression quite solemn now. "Chisato-san had lost her father by the end of it. He was part of the Imperial Navy, and you know a good many people were found to have been lost in the aftermath once the surviving ships returned... I kept her company when I could, we used to sit on the rooftop during lunch and just talk about menial things." He smiled sadly, shaking his head. "Shame that I never had the courage to ask her out then, we really did get along so well."

"And you don't now?" Osomatsu pressed, more out of a feeling of necessity than any genuine interest. Haru fell silent for a bit before he shrugged, turning to look out the window as the bus turned a corner onto another road.

"The last time we had met was when I had introduced Akane to her. It was during Hanami I believe, and we arrived a bit late. We stopped by a stall for takoyaki and found her nearby, talking with someone from one of the classes next to ours."

Here he frowned, looking back at the seat in front of him. "He was a strange fellow and not exactly the conversational type, but she apparently mattered a great deal to him for some reason." The first born nodded, partly in acknowledgement and in thought.

"Did they get together or something?"

"Quite the opposite. Chisato-san made quite the ruckus and stormed away. I found her an hour or two later with Akane, and that was the last we've seen of each other since."

"What did the guy do to cause that much of a reaction?"

"From what I can remember, I think she said something regarding how she found out about one of his hobbies and it really freaked her out."

Osomatsu twiddled with his thumbs, a keen more interested now. "Yeah? What was it?"

Haru frowned in concentration, before shaking his head. "... I wasn't too sure, but there were plenty of rumors going around class the following year. Nearly everyone in town had heard about it to some degree, and were really kicking the guy around after that." The man rubbed the back of his neck. "Even I got around to finally asking him what all of that was about myself, and the guy flipped out on me pretty badly."

Haru glanced at his right arm before dropping his gaze to the floor, and Osomatsu miraculously had the right sense not to question it further. Surprisingly enough, Haru himself revived the topic after a few minutes of understanding silence had passed them by.

"He ended up behind bars for a time, I believe. Apparently gotten into some bad company and was rounded up with them during an attempted heist." The man sighed resignedly. "... He really was the unfortunate type. I can only hope that he's gotten himself straightened out by now."

"Maybe he did."

The bus pulled up to their stop and the passengers filed out. Osomatsu slipped his hands into his pockets and exited through the sliding doors with the other in tow, pulling out the folded sheet and looked it over in the brightening sunlight. Haru peered curiously at the rest of the hastily written lines and Osomatsu flushed slightly upon realizing this, crumpling it back in his pocket and started away at a brisk pace.

"Are all those people from Nishinomiya?" The man blinked, surprised but was quick to fall into step a little ways behind him. The first born cursed- again, not for the first time- his lack of knowledge upon such a subject. It really could have been remedied had he bothered to clarify with Choromatsu firsthand all the details concerning the unknown persons on the paper.

"Maybe?" He hazarded a guess, not wanting the other to be suspicious of his motives and possibly obstruct him in his quest of- ironically- obtaining more information.

Haru nodded thoughtfully, studying the other for a moment and suppressed the urge to ask his companion if he knew where he was going. "I've heard of a Tsuchida, Rui. She was in the class a few doors down from mine and Chisato-san's. She became an officer at the Hyogo Prefectural Police station, and there's quite a few who went by the name of Ozaki in my time from school." Osomatsu took the opportunity to study the address leading to Chisato's apartment as the other rattled off names, nodding to show that he's heard but wasn't paying much attention.

"-an was felled during an attempted arrest. One of the guys had a gun with him, and she was gone in moments. No one saw it coming, not even her fellow officers." They strode past the Pachinko parlors, of which the first born duly swore to himself to try out once he had the time to, and ascended a back staircase of an apartment complex. "They were working on a pretty large case at the time, had to talk to a family and all. Well, tried to. From what I've heard, one of the immediate members wanted nothing to do with it and the rest were either completely ignorant or too burdened by other issues to care."

Osomatsu mumbled something incoherently in response, the boredom in his eyes clear and quickly replaced with growing irritation as Haru chattered on. The first born no longer paid the other any mind as he read off the numbers on the apartment doors before climbing up three more flights of stairs, resuming his mental checklist once again. "-ame, they were there for a time but the family left before-"

"Ahhhhhh! Shut up for a second, will you?! I can't think with you blabbering on like this!"

His fuse ended far shorter than the latter originally imagined that it would, and his countenance betrayed his abashment at the sudden outburst once his companion quite quickly shut his mouth. "... I'm sorry, I ended up getting carried away." Haru laughed, although it was forced. "It's just... Been a while since I've talked about my home." Osomatsu turned back to him, hands still tucked in his pockets as he gave him a sheepish grin.

"Nah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that. This whole thing is just confusing and annoying, is all." The man nodded in understanding, smiling easily.

"Well, you know what they say about kids these days. They certainly lack the tact us older folk have." The first born resisted the urge to retort that no, he was most absolutely not a kid and he did have tact, how dare he? Ah, but he supposed he did deserve the quip after having yelled at him and all... Damn it.

"Yeah, yeah, so we do. Mind helping me find the right apartment so we can talk to her and go?" Osomatsu plastered on one of his million smiles on reserve, one for each occasion such as dealing with a precocious middle aged man such as this.

"Of course. What is the number?" Said middle aged man was already pacing the stretch of hallway in between the two stairs on either side of the building, studying the number plates in silence which rested alongside its corresponding door. Osomatsu glanced at the sheet in hand before starting down the other end, calling out to the other.

"4C."

Haru paused by one door at the end and waved Osomatsu over who was quick to join him by his side. "4C, Narisawa." The man appeared more youthful as a grin formed on his face. "This must be it." He reached for the door then paused, glancing over at the first born who shrugged. Taking this as confirmation to proceed, Haru rapped upon the wooden frame and both men remained frozen in place as the door languidly swung inwards with a creak.

The hall was dark, the light clinking of keys on the other side of the knob being the only disturbance between the space of time that the pair had taken to fully process what they had seen. Osomatsu turned to the other, as if questioning their next choice of action and Haru met his gaze, equally perplexed. At last, the spell had broken and the man straightened himself, pushing the door the rest of the way and stepped inside.

"Excuse us for intruding..." Haru's voice was soft, softer than it had been on the bus when he was reminiscing over his high school days. "Chisato-san? It's me, Watsuji, Haru. I'm here with a client of yours." There was no mistaking the worried expression that overtook the other's face as he cautiously made his way into the living room, Osomatsu soon following suit but not before he brushed his hand alongside the wall and flicked the light on upon finding the switch.

The room was bathed in the faded halogen glow of the ceiling light, the fan turning on and beginning its slow rotation which quickly picked up speed. A black fur throw lay flung across the back of a white loveseat, the coffee table before it complementing the modern set up of the furniture fixtures. There was the sound of something crunching underfoot and Osomatsu paused mid-step, a glance downwards confirming the cause to be shattered fragments of broken glass. It was then that he realized Haru too had stopped and taken a step back, the look in his eyes speaking of unimaginable terror as he nearly lost his balance. It only took one look for Osomatsu to see why.

There, lying prone and crumpled upon the carpet was their lawyer in question; one Narisawa, Chisato.