Daichi woke up completely unaware of what time it was. The spot where he knew Manjoume slept in was gone, but it was still warm to the touch. He must not have been gone for long.

Turning onto his back, he spotted Manjoume sitting on the edge of the bed. His phone was to his ear, causing Daichi to swallow down whatever he wished to say. If it was his older brothers, then he didn't want to get Manjoume in trouble. But his boyfriend spoke quietly as he stared down into his lap. A sense of dread filled Daichi as he watched the phone lower to his lap

Moving closer, Daichi dared to place a hand on his lower back. Manjoume felt tense beneath his touch, but he didn't pull away. His first instinct was to ask about his older brothers, but he kept quiet. Daichi wanted Manjoume to become aware that he was here, awake and ready if he was needed.

"Everything okay?" Daichi asked quietly.

Manjoume could only bear to look at him for a moment before he looked down at his lap. "That was… That was Mrs. Roux's doctor…"

His violin teacher? Daichi had seen her only a week or so ago. She seemed fine back then.

"She's not doing too good," Manjoume admitted. "There's something about an underlying sickness? I don't know… I didn't quite understand what he meant…" He leaned forward and buried his hand in his hands.

Daichi moved closer to rub his hand up and down his back. Mrs. Roux had done so much for Manjoume. She supplied him a safe place to run to when his brothers became too much or too abusive. From the few interactions he had seen between them, they loved each other very much. Manjoume cared for her almost as if she was his flesh and blood, which Mrs. Roux returned in kind.

It must be so painful to know that something was wrong with her.

He got up from the bed and walked over to his dresser. Daichi grabbed a set of clean clothes and placed them down onto his chair. "Let's head over there—the sooner the better. We'll need to shower first, though."

Manjoume smiled just as Daichi looked at him. His knees grew weak. "Thank you, Daichi…"

The shower lasted longer than either of them expected. After last night, curious hands would wander over one another, wondering what was satisfying or not. It took them two hours, but they made it to the hospital. Daichi was sure that the driver knew of the urgency of the visit and speeded most of the way there.

Manjoume went straight to Mrs. Roux's room. When they walked in, she didn't seem so terrible to Daichi. At least, that was just a first glance and what he could see. Mrs. Roux was a little paler and her hands were weak. They shook when she tried to pick things up until Manjoume grabbed the item and helped her with it.

This was only what he was seeing physically. There was no way for him to tell what may be happening within her body.

Mr. Misawa came at Manjoume's request. Daichi didn't leave the room as his father talked with Manjoume and Mrs. Roux. He at least gave them privacy and stood on the other side. Their voices were quiet, and he couldn't hear what they were discussing. Eventually, his father and Manjoume left the room to talk.

Daichi went ahead and sat beside her. She still smiled warmly at him, despite the hospital she was located in.

"How have you been, Daichi?" Mrs. Roux said, covering his hand with her own. "Has Jun been taking care of you? I hope you've been doing the same for him. You two are adorable together."

He smiled, stroking her hand. "I'm fine, and we've been taking care of each other really well. How are you feeling, though? I'm more intrigued to hear about that."

Mrs. Roux dropped her smile. She looked to the door to make sure that no one would interrupt their conversation. When she was sure that they wouldn't barge in, she squeezed Daichi's hand and closed her eyes. "I've been sugar coating it for Jun's sake… but he'll find out soon enough…"

Daichi felt his heart drop.

He knew exactly what she was being vague about.

"I want to hear Jun perform…"

"Excuse me?"

Mrs. Roux sighed, her shoulders rising and falling. "Just once… I want to know that Jun performed live on stage for people. I think I can go in peace if he were to do that."

Manjoume had been clear the first time that he had no interest in performing for anyone else. He had no time for it thanks to his brother's busy schedule. It was possible that his brothers would object to the idea of him performing.

For Mrs. Roux, though, perhaps Manjoume would still find a way to make it happen.

Daichi leaned closer to her. "Ask him and I'm sure he'll do it for you."

She smiled and cupped his cheek. "I think he will, too…"

Manjoume stepped into the room. He sat down on the other side of the bed and Mrs. Roux clasped his hand. Sensing that they needed time together, Daichi stood up. He leaned forward and kissed the old lady's cheek, wishing her well even though he knew it was futile. Her fate was already laid out before her, but that didn't mean he couldn't hope.

His father was waiting for him outside of the room. Together, they walked through the hospital until they reached the sanatorium.

The moment he realized they were there, Daichi took off at a jog. He wanted to get to his mother's room; he wanted to see her. When he arrived at her room, he threw the door open. Mrs. Misawa welcomed him with open arms. Daichi immediately jumped into them, burying his face in her neck.

At the moment, Daichi couldn't begin to understand all that Manjoume was going through. He had lost his mother, then he lost his father, and hen he was put into the abusive hands of his older brothers. Other than Yukiko, Mrs. Roux was a shining beacon in Manjoume's lie. He needed her to survive and escape his brothers when they became too much.

And now he would lose her soon.

If they weren't dating, if they hadn't meant, what would Manjoume' life be like? What depression would he succumb to when Mrs. Roux passed away and he didn't have Daichi to leave on? He tried not to think about it too much. Whenever it came down to his worries for Manjoume, Daichi found that his mind went off the grid. It would concoct the most devious ideas that the older Manjoume boys could do to hurt their little brother.

"What's wrong, Daichi?" Mrs. Misawa asked. Her hand was rubbing his back in small circles, which was a comforting gesture.

Pulling back, Daichi wiped his tears away. He didn't know that they had fallen in the first place. His mother's neck was wet now. "It's nothing. I'm just… I'm just grateful that I still have you and father in my life…"

His mother cupped his damp cheek. "My sweet boy…" She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Did you father tell you that I should be well enough to come home in a few days?"

"He didn't. I-I can't wait."

"Oh, darling. Now, enough of these sappy moments—tell me how your birthday went! I've been excited about the news since the other day."

Daichi told her everything that happened in the last two days—the adventures he had with Asuka and their friends, what happened with Manjoume and where he was taken. When asked about the presents he received, he told his mother everything except what Fubuki had spent him. After he mentioned gifts, Mrs. Misawa motioned for her husband to grab something from her personal cabinet. Dutifully, he did so, pulling out a present for Daichi to open. He expected the sweater that his mother had hand-knitted for him. Even though he had more than five sitting in his dresser, Daichi loved each and every one of them.

With the situation with Mrs. Roux, he appreciated them even more.

"I'm so glad to hear that you had fun," Mrs. Misawa said. "Jun called me about his plans and I knew I couldn't ask you to pay me a visit. You had fun, and that matters more to me than seeing your face. You did enjoy yourself, yes?"

"Very much so."

"I'm glad."

The door slid open and Manjoume stepped into the room. While he had a smile on his face, Daichi could see how exhausted he was. "Hello, Mrs. Misawa. It's good to see you again. How are you feeling?"

Mrs. Misawa ushered him closer. "I'm doing well, my dear. How are you?"

His smile couldn't be any faker and it faltered for a moment. Daichi could only imagine how hard he was trying to not break down and cry in front of them all. There was no doubt that his father had broken the news to him. Manjoume must still be trying to process everything that was going on around him. Daichi wished he could hold him close and never let go.

"I'm doing what I can," Manjjoume admitted. "Do you mind if I spend some time in here with you two? At least until Daichi is ready to go home?"

"You don't have to ask, Jun." Mrs. Misawa patted the bed beside him. "Come up here on the bed. We can talk about what we'll be doing for summer vacation!"

It pleased Daichi to see Manjoume crawl onto the bed and bury his face into her lap.

They remained in the hospital for only a few hours. Manjoume started to drop subtle hints to Daichi that he would like to leave. Whenever he dropped them, Daichi quickly checked to see if his mother had picked up on it. Either she didn't, or she decided to ignore it. However, they excused themselves for the night, both of them kissing Mrs. Misawa cheeks before they left. There were promises that they would visit soon, but she said she wouldn't hold them to it. She would be back before they had the chance to visit again.

He followed Manjoume out of the hospital and to the car. The limo was waiting for them with the engine running. His driver was standing at attention, holding the door open. They climbed in silently and sat side by side. The moment the door closed, Manjoume curled into Daichi. Sensing that he wanted silence, Daichi decided to remain that way. He still wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, hoping that he his presence would help calm him.

Daichi held Manjoume closed and took deep breaths of the generic hair products that resided in his bathroom.

"I'm going to perform for her."

He kissed the top of Manjoume's head. "She asked you, huh?"

"You knew that she would?" At Daichi's silence, he sighed. "Yeah… I want to do this for her. We're on our way to her house so that I can pick up my violin."

"What will you do when your brothers find out?" Daichi asked.

Manjoume pulled away from him. He hunched over and buried his face in his hands. "All my life… I've done something for them and nothing for myself… When I do, I always hide it—I hide my relationship, I hide my friendships, I hide my talents, and so much more… I'm tired of hiding everything. I want to do this for myself and for her. Once I'm done, I'm never touching the violin again."

He remained silent for a few more moments. "I don't think I could play if she—"

Daichi pulled him in lose. "Shhh, shhh… You don't have to say it."

Manjoume shook with a sob and Daichi held him through it. He whispered comforting words in his ear, stroking his back. This was all Daichi felt that he could. There weren't enough words in the dictionary that could soothe his boyfriend's pain.

What could he say to someone who lost more than he had ever gained? Daichi was at a loss for words.

The limo stopped with a jolt. When the driver opened the door, Daichi waved him away. On a usual day, he wouldn't have taken an order from him. This time, he closed the door to leave them alone in the car.

After rolling his shoulders, Manjoume sat up. He wiped a hand down his face. "I'm okay… I'm okay…" Sniffling, he reached for the door.

Daichi held onto his wrist gently. "Do you wish for me to come with you?"

"This won't take long."

He believed him. Daichi released his hand and allowed Manjoume to leave the car. He watched him through the window as he walked up to the house, disappearing behind the door. Only five or so minutes had passed before Manjoume was out of the house. He had his violin case in hand, walking quickly down the pathway as if he was trying to escape something.

Manjoume didn't wait for his driver to open the door. He pulled it open himself and climbed into the car. It was only after he set his violin case on the seat across from them that he broke down. Manjoume swiftly turned to Daichi and wrapped his arms around his waist. His shoulders shook as he struggled not to cry Daichi could only comfort him, running his fingers through his hair.

"I wonder who will take over the house and take care of Beethoven…"

"Does she have any children?"

"Maybe, but I don't know any of them. I've… I've never met them…"

"We'll find out who they are. After that, we can start on arrangements if… anything were to happen to her."

"I don't want to think about it anymore."

"Of course." Daichi looked out the window. If he had to guess, it had to be past midnight. They had slept in late and then stayed in the hospital late as well. Their day had completely slipped by and neither of them cared. "Why don't we head back to my house? We can rest for a little while before you head home."

Manjoume turned his head so that he could smile at him. "I'd like that a lot."

Manjoume was nervous.

He had gone back to Daichi's house to rest, but he felt like he hadn't slept at all. Whenever he closed his eyes, he would think about how his brothers would take the news of what he wished to do. He knew that they wouldn't take it well. That was what worried him so much. Daichi pressing against his back comforted him, though, and it made him feel invincible.

Outside of the Misawa home was a different story.

Manjoume bounced his leg up and down. They had arrived at the manor, the gates opening as they approached. Yukiko waited at the stairs, her form stiff and perfect. That was never a good sign.

The car stopped, and Manjoume was let out. Yukiko stepped forward and started to fix her appearance. He realized that her lips were set in a straight line. All three clues lined up—her waiting for him, fixing his hair and shirt, her face—perfectly to tell him that the older Manjoume boys were home.

Taking a deep breath, Manjoume walked up the stairs with Yukiko behind him. She whispered in his ear on where he could find them. While it was strange to hear that they were waiting for him in the dining room, he tried not to let it get to him. But Manjoume's thoughts went dark and he faltered in his step. Some far-off memory played at the edge of his memory—something that he wasn't sure had really happened or not. The pain he felt seemed all too familiar as it sliced into his flesh.

His chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath. Yukiko was whispering something in his ear, but he couldn't hear her. His brain was trying to convince him that it never happened, but it felt all too real.

"Master Jun!"

Manjoume snapped out of his self-induced torture. He found himself on the floor, curled in on himself like a child.

Yukiko was hovering over him, tears on the edge of her eyes. In seconds she would be crying all over him. Manjoume didn't want to see that. He forced himself to his hands and knees, swallowing large breaths of air. When he was calmer, Yukiko helped him to stand.

"You don't have to do this now…" Yukiko whispered. Her grip was tight on his right arm, refusing to let go.

"I have to…" Manjoume whispered back. "I left my violin in the car. Please make sure it gets there safely."

Yukiko lingered. He could only imagine what situations she was concocting. They were most likely worse than his own or milder. As much as neither of them wanted to part to avoid such situations, they had to. She bowed, turned on her heel, and then headed back to the foyer.

It made Manjoume happy to see her go.

She didn't deserve to see what would happen next.

With as much confidence as he could muster, Manjoume strode into the dining room. Even from where he stood, he could tell that their wine bottle was half empty. Sometimes they would drink a glass or two for dinner, but this was different. This was excessive drinking that was usually reserved for parties. They had been drinking for a while now and their laughter proved it.

Manjoume was about to be their literal buzzkill.

"Well, now! If it isn't our little brother!" Shoji announced. He extended his arm wide, inviting Manjoume into a hug—an invitation that wouldn't be taken.

Chosaku swirled his wine. His attention remained on the glass, examining its color. "You didn't come home at all last night. Where were you? We were worried."

He didn't believe them at all, but whether or not be believed them didn't matter.

Because Manjoume ended up saying the absolute worse thing he could ever say to them.

"I was giving blowjobs for cash."

The moment it was out, Manjoume closed his eyes. It was a dangerous thing to do when they were around. At any moment, his brothers could be upon him with their fists clenched. He would rather face physical harm than see how they were looking at him right now.

It was Chosaku who sneered at him, stormy grey eyes boring into him. "That isn't something a member of the Manjoume Group should say."

For once, that was something he would agree with them on. "My apologies… It won't happen again…"

Chosaku snapped his fingers then pointed to the seat to his left.

Manjoume felt like an obedient dog as he followed the command. He dropped in the seat, keeping his eyes on his lap. A glass of wine was placed in his line of sight. It was an offering that Manjoume loathed to take. And yet, he still did. He brought it to his lips and downed it in three large gulps. The wine was much too bitter for his liking. It didn't tickle the way champagne did.

A sense of calm trickled in like a leaky faucet, bringing back a memory from a time so long ago.

When the manor was filled with laughter and warmth; when flowers were in every vase he walked past.

"Jun—we were talking to you."

Mnajoume put the wine glass down and looked at his oldest brother. "I'm sorry. Before you repeat that, there's something I wish to talk to you both about."

His brothers looked at each other. While Manjoume didn't know what they were thinking, he knew that it couldn't be good. For once in a long time, he prayed that his brothers would be understanding about his choice.

Chosaku nodded at him, signaling that he may speak.

Manjoume took in a deep breath. "There's going to be a violin performance in two weeks… I wish for you two to allow me to participate in it."

"That's not happening, Jun," Shoji answered.

"I'll never take another violin lesson again," Manjoume said. He gripped the edge of his chair, digging his nails into the fine wood. "Mrs. Roux… Mrs. Roux isn't doing so well, and she wants to see me play live once—"

"Your brother has spoken, Jun," Chosaku said, interrupting him. "Why should we let you play an instrument for hours when you could be doing better things for our family?"

Whenever Manjoume had to deal with his brothers, he kept his emotions in check. He never wanted to deal with whatever repercussions they may have for him. There were many scars on his body from the times when he decided to snap at them.

But this time, it was harder. Manjoume saw red and he couldn't grasp his control. It slipped from his fingers, dropping down to the ground to shatter as his feet.

And deep down, he wanted to lose control.

Manjoume slammed his hands down onto the table as he stood up. His chair toppled backward, and his wine glass wobbled, threatening to fall over and stain the tablecloth.

"You can't just order and boss me around like I'm some expensive dog!" Manjoume snapped. "I'm eighteen years old—if I can be considered old enough to buy cigarettes and have sex, then I'm old enough to make my own decisions. And this is what I want! And I'm going to do it."

The glares they gave him would have typically chilled him to the bone. It wouldn't happen this time, and he wasn't going to let it happen ever again.

"What are you two going to do in two months when I leave?" Manjoume asked. "Who are you going to bully around then? The maids? They will happily get fired and go elsewhere."

Manjoume stared hard at his older brother. He could feel Shoji staring at him, but his attention wasn't as important as their older brother. After all, Chosaku was their leader. If he asked Shoji to jump, it was expected that he would be asked: "how high". Chosaku was the one who came up with ideas on how to better their name and expand their chance for world domination.

The oldest Manjoume brother rose from his set. He walked around the table to stand before his little brother. This was a challenge that Manjoume had no plans on backing down from. Standing tall, he faced his brother with his chin in the air. Fear didn't exist to him anymore and it hadn't since the Winter Ball.

For once, he could do the unimaginable and was confident that he wouldn't suffer from it.

Chosaku put his hands behind his back. "You think that you are tough shit now, don't you?"

"I do," Manjoume said confidently.

He watched as his brother nodded his head with pursed lips. "All right, then."

Chosaku raised his hand and gripped the back of Manjoume's neck. It wasn't tight, but it held a silent warning along with it. If Manjoume moved the wrong way, then they would make sure that he regretted it.

He willed his legs to keep strong as his brother led him through the house. Behind them, Shoji followed, and he couldn't tell how devilish he looked. While Manjoume was confident that his brothers wouldn't do anything, years of the fear they had enforced had him worrying. His body was a map of scars from years of the abuse. Believing that they wouldn't do anything to him was foolish.

They reached his side of the manor. Manjoume couldn't tell if Shoji was still with them or not. He didn't dare look behind to check. Chosaku brought him through his entertainment room and then into his bedroom. Now more than ever, Manjoume was afraid. He could be injured and dumped on the bed to nurse his wounds like he had plenty of times before.

"I have to say that I'm proud of you, Jun," Chosaku said.

What?

Manjoume looked up at Chosaku when his hand left him

"You've dutifully carried out the plans we laid out for you—with very little complaints, might I add. Sure, you've had your attitude problems here and there, but you're out little brother." Chosaku chuckled. "It makes sense that you would have a bit of that."

Manjoume was now more confused than he before. He was in a dazed state as he watched Chosaku walk back to his entertainment room.

"Let's see if we can teach you a lesson to correct that attitude problem—one that will last for the next two months."

Hearing the click of a door being locked ripped Manjoume out from his daze. He looked to his bedroom door, knowing what had happened before he could confirm it. Turning to look at Chosaku, his heart leaped into his throat as he watched the door start to close.

Manjoume couldn't recall a time where he ever ran so fast. But it didn't matter. The door closed just as he reached it. He heard the lock click into place, breaking his heart.

Grabbing the handle, he shook it. The frame shook as Manjoume jostled the door. He wasn't sure what he expected—for the door to snap, or the handle to break, or something. Manjoume wanted something to break so that he didn't have to be the one to do so. But it was slowly happening, he was slowly breaking apart.

"No! You can't do this!" Manjoume shook the door harder, pounding his fists on the hardwood. "Let me out! You can't keep me in here!"

But they could.

And Manjoume knew that they would.

He fell to his knees, still clasping onto the door handle. Tears burned his eyes and he tried not to let them fall. It was out of his control and he couldn't hold them back from sliding down his cheeks.

What bothered him the most wasn't that they had done this to him.

What bothered him was that even though he was close to being free, there were still things that they could do with him and get away with them.