The cascade of emotions the brothers go through during her recount of events is dizzying. From pride and surprise that he'd gotten rid of the mugger, to confusion at what he'd been doing, to horror at the revelation, and finally anger towards Ichimatsu for what he'd caused.
Hana glares down Ichimatsu, who silently stares at his hands.
Nakamura briefly runs them through Karamatsu's treatment since he arrived. They'll be able to visit him soon, but he requires that they do their best not to wake him, just let him rest.
He excuses himself and offers them the room for a while longer so they can talk, motioning for Saito to follow him out to give them privacy.
Todomatsu speaks first.
"Ichimatsu," he spits with fury, "How fucking dare you-"
Jyushimatsu grabs him and covers his mouth.
"Totty, stop! He didn't know this would happen! Don't say something you'll regret."
Todomatsu struggles a bit, but it's futile against Jyushimatsu's strength.
Choromatsu frowns.
"You can't just take it out on Ichimatsu, yeah, he clearly went way too far this time, but no one did anything to stop how he treats Karamatsu from escalating. We are all at fault in that way," he tries to reason with him
Todomatsu calms down in Jyushimatsu's grip, so he releases him.
"Yeah, well, we're not the ones so cruel as to directly push our brother to suicide, no, that's all Ichimatsu," Todomatsu growls.
"Enough," Osomatsu steps up. "I'm sure Ichimatsu feels bad enough already."
He turns to Ichimatsu with soft eyes, motioning for him to stand.
"C'mere, Ichimacchan, let's talk."
He leads Ichimatsu just outside the room and closes the door. Taking Ichimatsu's face In his hands, he uses a gentle voice.
"Look, I know this is hard, but try not to be too hard on yourself. You couldn't have known he'd do that... But, what's done is done, and moving forward, things will be different," he keeps his voice calm, but the almost annoyed look on his brother's face makes him nervous.
"Hard on myself?" Ichimatsu scoffs, shoving his hands away. "Why would I be? 'S not my fault he's so sensitive. He did this to himself."
Osomatsu is stunned.
"Wh… what? You... are you saying what happened was totally his fault? Ichi- you beat him and abandoned him! You have to know how much he loves his brothers, of course he thought this was best, thinking you hate him that much!"
"That sounds like it's not my problem. I gotta piss," Ichimatsu grumbles and walks away.
Osomatsu stares after him, speechless.
Reining in his desire to chase after the younger and beat some sense into him, Osomatsu simply shakes his head in disbelief. When he re-enters the room, the rest look up.
Choromatsu and Jyushimatsu appear to have been trying to comfort Totty, who looks close to tears.
"Where'd he go?" the youngest asks with a slight shake in his voice.
Still not fully believing that what just happened actually happened, Osomatsu takes a minute to actually answer.
"He went to the bathroom, he… he doesn't care. He straight-up said it's Karamatsu's own fault."
"What? What?!" Totty stomps forward, apparently intent on going after Ichimatsu but is again restrained by Jyushimatsu. This time, he puts his all into his struggle.
"H-hey, calm down! Todomatsu!" Choromatsu attempts to placate him. "Look, I'm mad too, but we can deal with him later. We've got more important things to do now. We have to go see Karamatsu."
This attempt is more successful, the mention of going to see his partner-in-crime instantly settling him down. His eyes still hold rage but barely-held tears are there as well.
The four take a couple of minutes to collect themselves and prepare, before heading to the room they were told Karamatsu is staying in.
Ichimatsu is leaning against the wall outside the bathroom, waiting for them. Jyushimatsu grips Todomatsu by his sleeve just in case, but joins the others in silently glaring at the fourth one. Ichimatsu rolls his eyes and pushes off the wall, joining them on their trek to the correct hospital room.
Osomatsu knows that as eldest he needs to be their reliable leader right now, as much as he wishes he could be comforted and babied; though, the only one who'd likely do so is who they're about to see.
Steeling himself as they approached the door, he stops and turns to the rest.
"Don't worry, guys, you heard the doctor! He's alive and stable, he'll be fine- just needs some rest."
And therapy... His mind adds.
Hoping he's reassured them sufficiently, he opens the door and steps in.
His first instinct at seeing the state Karamatsu is in is to gasp, run to his side, and shake him awake to make sure he's alive- because he sure looks like death.
He's been patched up from all of the injuries Ichimatsu caused, and his left forearm is all bandaged up. His face is so pale and he looks utterly exhausted, and his sleeping face is far from peaceful.
Instead Osomatsu takes slow, careful steps to approach. He wants to cry, seeing his little brother in this state, but he can't. Not in front of his other brothers.
He wants to talk to Karamatsu, but fears waking him up, instead gesturing for the rest to join him. The first to make a move is Totty, whose tears finally break at the sight before him, his sobs are silent as he refrains from throwing himself onto the second eldest.
Next, Choromatsu, whose frown is wobbly and whose eyes are beginning to shed tears.
As Jyushimatsu heads over, he stops and looks over his shoulder. Ichimatsu is turned partially away. Jyushimatsu backtracks, grabs his arm, and drags him over, shushing him aggressively when he tries to protest.
They all stand around Karamatsu's bed, all of them staring at him sadly, minus Ichimatsu, who is pointedly looking away.
Eventually Todomatsu breaks.
"Look what you did to him," he mutters, anger evident in the voice he keeps down so as not to wake Karamatsu. "Look at him, damn it. Look at what you did."
Finally Ichimatsu turns bored, annoyed eyes to the second eldest. His face betrays no feelings of guilt, of sadness, not even pity, even as the other four search for it. Todomatsu begins crying harder. Choromatsu pulls him into a hug. Jyushimatsu has to hold himself back from reacting; he loves both these two equally, he can't take sides. Osomatsu. however, has had it.
"Well?" He says, demanding Ichimatsu's response.
"He looks as shitty on the outside as he is on the inside."
"Shut up!" Jyushimatsu finally breaks. "Nii-san, how can you say that?! He almost died because he thinks you hate him, how can you-"
"I do hate him!" Ichimatsu snaps, forgetting to lower his voice. "I hate him so much, I wish he had died, but apparently he can't even do that right!"
The door bursts open, and Hana storms in. She goes straight to Ichimatsu and gets in his face.
"How dare you, how dare you? Matsuno-san doesn't deserve to be treated like this by someone like you-… Oh…"
Her gaze is directed to the bed, where Karamatsu sits, fully awake, silent tears streaming down his face.
"M-Matsuno-san-"
"I'm... sorry, Ichi-" he chokes out. "I-I tried but... I'm sorry. I should be dead. Maybe then… I-I could have finally made you happy.
He sobs silently while the rest look on, searching for words. Hana approaches slowly, cautiously.
"Matsuno-san? H-how are you feeling?"
"You… why? I told you not to call, why did you? Why am I still alive? I shouldn't be, dammit!" He glares at her through his tears.
"I'm not sorry," she declares. "You'll thank me, someday."
"Well, until then, get out," he orders, shifting his gaze to his bandaged arm resting in his lap.
"…Fine. Feel better, Matsuno-san," she wishes him well on her way out.
Silence reins for a moment and the wake of her departure.
"Karamatsu," Osomatsu takes the lead. "Did… Why did you do this?" Karamatsu doesn't reply, prompting Osomatsu to repeat his question.
"Was it just because you think he hates you, or is it something you thought about doing before?"
"I don't think he hates me, he does. I know he does, he said so himself."
"Of course he doesn't," Jyushimatsu says, trying to help.
"Just ask him," Karamatsu mutters.
All eyes but his go to Ichimatsu, waiting for a denial of the accusation. It doesn't come. Instead Ichimatsu brings his eyes to meet each of theirs before drifting an irritated gaze to the second born.
Then, he simply scoffs, turns away, and leaves the room. Nobody stops him.
His exit is followed by an increase in Karamatsu's sobbing, and he wraps his arms around himself. Four other sets of arms do the same, attempting to comfort him.
No words are spoken for the next several minutes, just gentle shooshing. Eventually, they break apart. Choromatsu leads Todomatsu to the two chairs in the room and sits them down in them. Jyushimatsu leaves the room to get something from the vending machine. Osomatsu, however, gets closer and more comfortable on the bed with Karamatsu. No one seems to know what to say so they say nothing.
When Jyushimatsu returns, it's with arms full of snacks for them all to share. The elephant in the room goes unaddressed for the time being, regular conversations taking place to put off the inevitable, which Karamatsu, finally not crying, is grateful for.
An hour later they're yanked from normalcy by Ichimatsu's return. He's panting and filthy.
He storms across the room to Karamatsu , who recoils in fear. But upon feeling no extra pain he opens his eyes.
There, in Ichimatsu's hand, is a simple silver ring.