Karamatsu didn't know how long he stayed there, curled up in that alleyway. He had no intention of getting up at all, and it wasn't until he heard a panicked "Sheeh!" that he moved at all. He looked up to see Iyami walking closer.
"Jyushimatsu? What happened, zansu?"
Just hearing his brother's name made him shrink and tremble. Karamatsu actually felt guilty for the reaction. His brothers were right, after all. It was his own fault that he'd ended up like this. Being stupid enough to think he'd be loved, in any sense of the word.
Iyami must have felt immense pity, because he bent down and pulled Karamatsu to his feet.
"Tell me what happened, Todomatsu."
Karamatsu shuddered again at the name, the guilt doubling at the reaction happening twice. He shook his head.
"Why not? Oh, wrong name, zansu... Karamatsu?"
A nod.
Iyami walked him out of the alley, not asking again, figuring Karamatsu wouldn't speak. He walked them down some roads, but Karamatsu didn't pay a speck of attention to where they were going.
"The hell?!"
Karamatsu looked up to see he'd been led to Chibita's cart. The short man met them partway, assessing what he could see of Karamatsu's injuries. Totoko, who must have been at the stand, ran up as well.
"Who did this?" She asked, voice laced with concern. "Don't tell me your brothers beat you up again. You need to start fighting back!"
"He won't speak, zansu. Found him in an alley."
They guided him to the bench, Iyami sitting to his left, Totoko to his right. Chibita hopped back up on the other side of the cart.
"Please, talk to us. Karaboy," Chibita begged. "We need to know."
After a minute or two, Karamatsu finally spoke.
"It... it started... five months ago…"
He went on to tell them how everything happened, pointing out repeatedly how it was his own fault, how stupid he'd been, how he was just being too sensitive with how he was reacting.
The other three listened, growing increasingly disgusted with the other five brothers. They also found it concerning that, not only was Karamatsu not crying, he seemed to be void of emotion entirely.
When he finished, they all exchanged glances, speechless.
Then, Chibita thought of something.
"Wait here, Karamatsu, we'll be right back."
Karamatsu nodded.
Chibita motioned for the others to join him a ways away, keeping his voice low.
"I'm going to take him back to my place, you two go reprimand those damn idjits. Okay?"
"Got it," Totoko nodded, "We'll do our best to straighten them out."
Iyami nodded as well and they went back to the cart, finding Karamatsu hadn't moved at all.
"We're going to my apartment," Chibita told him, beginning to close up shop even though he'd usually be open for a couple of hours longer. It was a slow night anyway.
Karamatsu nodded mutely.
"See you later. Take care, Karamatsu-kun," Totoko patted his shoulder. She and Iyami headed off to the Matsunos' house. Chibita finally finished packing up, the air between the two remaining silent all the while. He motioned Karamatsu off the bench, and they headed off. No words would be spoken the rest of the night.
Rather than ringing the doorbell, Totoko took a deep breath, before banging on the door as hard as she could without breaking it.
A few seconds later Todomatsu answered the door, looking annoyed. When he realized it was Totoko, his face lit up.
"Totoko-chan? What are you do-"
"Totoko-chan?!" Four voices shouted, and footsteps rushed towards the door. All five of them smiled, excited to see her. Until they saw her furious, disgusted face.
"What the actual hell is wrong with you?" She was trying to keep her voice level. "He's your fucking brother. He doesn't deserve all of the abuse you give him, and this time, you went so far beyond 'too far', I can hardly believe it. This is so messed up."
"Oh, he- he told you?" Osomatsu asked, looking nervous. "It's really not a big deal, we were just messing with-"
A slap echoed all the way down the street.
Osomatsu put a hand to his cheek, and all five stared in stunned silence at the hand that had slapped him.
Now, Totoko would punch them anytime she deemed it necessary. However, she had never slapped any of them.
She glared at them, breathing heavily, Iyami glaring just as intense beside her with his arms crossed.
"Messing with him? You honestly call what you did messing with him? I don't even want to know how you all came up with this shit, what even was the point? What were you trying to accomplish?"
"...Shatter him. We wanted to-" Ichimatsu tried, before she interrupted.
"Stop. Shatter? You wanted to break him? What does that even mean? What did you want to break, his facade? That's just how he is! His heart? Well, congratulations. You did it. His heart is broken, his mind, his spirit, and you all know what you did to his body. All of him is shattered," she scolded coldly.
"Me can't even understand how you could do this, zansu. You're all horrible."
"We don't want to hear that coming from you!" Osomatsu snapped, doing his best to block out their words.
"Exactly, zansu."
"If even Iyami thinks you went beyond too far, how far past 'too far' must you have gone?" Totoko said, tears forming in her eyes. "Karamatsu-kun trusted you. He loves you. Or maybe now he doesn't, and I wouldn't blame him. Thanks to you, he's probably afraid of his own face now!"
The brothers froze. Karamatsu not loving them? They... hadn't considered that. They hadn't really considered any consequences. None of them could even remember why they decided to do this in the first place. What did they hope to gain? Had they lost something precious instead?
"Karamatsu-kun won't be home tonight. I wouldn't blame him if he never came back. As for the rest of you, I'm more than disappointed. I'm disgusted, and our friendship? That's shattered too. Never speak to me again."
With that, she turned and walked away, followed by Iyami, after a shake of his head.
The five watched them until they could no longer see them, before closing the door and entering the TV room. They sat around the table, quiet for several long minutes.
Jyushimatsu broke the silence.
"Karamatsu-niisan wouldn't stop loving us, would he?"
"Don't be stupid, loving us is, like, his whole reason for living!" Todomatsu snapped.
"Yeah, but that's even worse! After what happened, what if he thinks he's got nothing to live for now? I told you guys I had a bad feeling about this-"
A punch sounded through the room, followed by silence save for Osomatsu's panting.
"Don't. Even. Choromatsu. You played your part just like the rest of us!"
"Look," Ichimatsu intervened, "We'll fight about this in the morning. For now, go the hell to sleep."
He slinked out of the room and up the stairs. The rest silently followed suit, preparing for bed. When they entered the bedroom after their bedtime routine, they found Ichimatsu had skipped it all, simply throwing on his pajamas and rolling out the futon, where he curled up at the very edge.
They all tucked in as well, trying to keep their distance from each other without invading Karamatsu's empty spot.
They awoke early the next morning, or at least, that's what they would insist on if asked, rather than admit to not having gotten a wink of sleep.
They sat around the table, waiting for… what? Their mother wouldn't be up for quite a while, and even so, they were expected to figure out their own breakfasts on the weekends.
While they sat, they were each trying to figure out what to say, how to broach this issue. They all knew they had to go out and find and apologize to Karamatsu later, even if he wouldn't accept it, but what could they say? They'd been blind to how horrible they were, and it was doubtful that they could change very quickly.
Just as Osomatsu was about to speak up, they heard the front shoji open. No one dared to move a muscle.
The person who had entered didn't announce their arrival, though they all knew who it was. They heard Karamatsu moving about in the kitchen. No one spoke, just waiting for him to enter the TV room.
Half an hour later, he did. He moved listlessly, bringing in dish after dish and presenting them to his brothers. Once everything was set out for them, though, he moved to a corner, notably not Ichimatsu's.
"I'll be here," he muttered, planting himself there, eyes unfocussed.
The five stared at him a while until Choromatsu spoke up.
"Um, Karamatsu, uh, nii-san?" He tacked on the honorific, clearly unused to doing so. "Aren't you going to eat?"
"I did."
"Oh. When?"
"While cooking."
"What, ah, what did you have?" Choromatsu wanted to make sure he wasn't lying.
"Snack bar."
Ichimatsu was growing irritated at the short responses. He was doing his best to control himself.
"But, Nii-san! You need more than that! Come eat!" Jyushimatsu offered, uselessly hoping he'd listen.
"Not hungry." Karamatsu's voice had never sounded so dulled out, so monotone, so empty.
"That can't be, come on, just eat something," Todomatsu tried.
"...not enough." Now Karamatsu was making excuses, there was plenty.
Ichimatsu didn't know how much more he could put up with.
"Guys, leave him alone, don't pressure him," Osomatsu intervened. "Don't make him do anything he doesn't want to."
The 'anymore' was silently understood.
They all turned to their food and ate up. As always when Karamatsu cooked, it was delicious.
Ichimatsu kept glancing to the corner, watching the other. Karamatsu was simply sitting there, staring at nothing, not moving. At last, Ichimatsu broke.
"Kusomatsu."
A tiny flinch.
"Hm," he replied, not moving his unseeing eyes.
"Ichimatsu!" Someone whisper-shouted, likely at the cruel nickname.
"Get up," Ichimatsu commanded.
Karamatsu rose to his feet, still looking at nothing.
"Come here."
Karamatsu obediently complied, gaze still distant.
"Look at me."
This time, he didn't follow the order. He swallowed hard, but otherwise didn't move.
"I said, 'look at me'," Ichimatsu repeated, standing.
Karamatsu flinched again.
Ichimatsu continued testing his theory. He raised his arm.
Karamatsu inhaled sharply and braced, but made no move to defend.
This broke Ichimatsu's patience, and he thrusted his fist forward. It didn't go far before hands were on him, pulling him back. The others restrained him while Totty approached Karamatsu.
"Nii-san?" He put a hand on the elder's cheek, turning his face.
The moment their eyes met, Ichimatsu saw the fear in those empty eyes that looked away quickly.
Karamatsu stepped back, and Todomatsu let him. They watched him go back to his corner and sit back down.
Ichimatsu heaved a sigh, sinking to the floor. The hands gripping him fell away and they all resumed eating.