"Hello..."

Matsuyo feared and hoped for every phone call that came to their home that day. As much as every ring could be news of her sons, she could only hope that it was the kind of news she wanted to get.

When the phone rang, it was even Matsuzo who picked up the phone for her. She was glad that he could tell how she was panicking simply from how her shaking fingers hover over the phone. She guessed years and years of marriage could make your husband a little bit psychic.

She watched how her husband's face lit up when he heard the voice from the phone. He even smiled a bit when he spoke of his name, "Osomatsu…."

Then her whole being moved towards the phone. Matsuzo already knew what to do and just gave way for her to grab the receiver.

"Osomatsu? Are you ok? Where are you? We'll be there."

She did not even realize how much she had been holding her breath.

"Mom. Calm down. I'm at Dr. Dekapan's. I found Ichimatsu and he has a crazy high fever so I bought him here." His voice was light to mask the seriousness of the situation.

Matsuyo could hear it clearly though, Osomatsu's mask would never work on her.

"That is good. And you?"

"...I'm ok."

There was a pause before his answer. With just that, Matsuyo just knew everything.

"Okay, I'll be there my little NEET. Wait for me, ok?"

"Of course.." his words were followed by a chuckle.

Matsuyo put the phone down.

She looked at her husband, "call Todomatsu and tell him what happened."

Matsuyo started to go when Matsuzo asked, "and you?"

"The two of them need a change of clothes. Osomatsu might also need his medication and I know I just saw Ichimatsu's cat on the roof."

"You're bringing all that?"

"It's the best I can do to make them feel at home. Now call the other NEETs, they are as worried sick as you and me."

.

.

The moment Dekapan opened the door to his home, Matsuyo pushed herself inside. Matsuzo couldn't even stop her. His hands were occupied with the things they brought, including a live feline.

She never forgot her manners despite the raging motherly instincts inside her, it was only when she was removing her shoes and placing them orderly beside the other footwears that the men managed to catch up to her.

The rage was not quenched and was actually re-ignited when she saw Osomatsu's shoes and Ichimatsu's slippers silently sitting on the side.

"Where are my boys?" Matsuyo's voice was borderline screaming.

"Ichimatsu! Osomatsu!" She called for them.

Dekapan guided her inside. "Ichimatsu is resting. Hoeeeh. His fever had gone down a bit but he's still very weak. I suspect malnourishment. I gave him some medicine and put him on a drip."

"Take us to him." Matsuzo was a lot calmer.

They visited Ichimatsu first, where they found him resting inside a small room set up quite nicely for a personal clinic; but Matsuyo paid no attention to any of those things. The only one she saw in the room was her little boy resting on top of a bright white bed.

Matsuyo hurried to Ichimatsu's side. He had grown smaller compared to when he left the house, and the sight brought stray tears to her eyes. She touched his face and that caused him to stir. He was warm to the touch but not hot enough to cause panic.

"Mom…" Ichimatsu muttered as he slowly awaken.

"I'm here my dear. Also, look who else is here…" She turned to her husband and took the cat he had been carrying.

Ichimatsu stretched out his hand and the cat jumped towards him. He embraced the feline close to him and snuggled. The cat mewed while staying still under Ichimatsu's touch. Ichimatsu rubbed his face against its fur. He had missed the little one so much.

"Are you feeling ok?"

He nodded in response to her mother's question.

"Were you hurt?"

He shook his head. "Just got sick… and was hungry all the time."

"Don't worry then my little NEET, once you go back home you won't get sick nor hungry ever again..." Her mother spoke words of pure love and Ichimatsu realized how much he had missed for this even more than the cats.

"I'd like that."

.

.

.

"Mom..." he heard her calling his name downstairs.

Osomatsu smiled.

The sound of her voice was always so soothing to hear that even in his deepest of sleep he would come towards it. Though he laid in an unfamiliar bed, with unfamiliar smell, texture and noise; the mere utterance of his name on her lips made it feel like he was home.

He sat up. The nap wasn't enough for him to regain full strength and it was evident in the shaking of his arms when he placed his weight on it. He was still hungry and weak. However, his mother was there and how he wanted so much to see her.

He jumped up and ordered his legs to carry him towards the door. His heart was already full with anticipation to see her face.

"Where do you think you're going?"

An all too familiar voice said from behind him. His hands were already on the door when it stopped Osomatsu on his tracks.

He looked behind and confirmed that he was alone.

"You think you can easily escape." The voice said again and this time realization sunk in. He finally knew who that dreaded voice was and whatever little color he had recovered in his face vanished as terror sucked it away.

It was a voice he never thought he would hear outside his throat, a voice he never imagined would talk to him.

"No. Not you." Osomatsu said.

"Yes. It's me." Osomatsu said.

.

.

.

Ichimatsu was now sleeping with Matsuyo gently caressing his head, fingers brushing through his hair. She hummed a familiar lullaby that gave Ichimatsu a small contented smile in his sleep.

Matsuzo was listening to Dekapan as he explained the details behind the medicine and treatment he gave to Ichimatsu.

Matsuyo grazed a small peck on Ichimatsu's forehead. When she turned to the gentlemen, her eyes went back to that worried sick look she always wore for her eldest.

"Where is Osomatsu?"

Dekapan insisted that Osomatsu was alright during the whole time they were walking towards the upper floors. But no matter what kind of assurance he gave, Matsuyo still marched steadfast.

"He's also sleeping. He looked weak from hunger and from carrying Ichimatsu, but Osomatsu looked better than Ichimatsu."

Matsuyo did not care what he said though, she would rather confirm it herself. This was Osomatsu, and that boy was the best at pretending to be fine.

"But I did notice something odd about him—"

They were already near the room Dekapan gave to Osomatsu when Matsuyo heard some loud slamming on the walls.

"What was that?" Matsuzo asked.

"Hoeeh? It came from Osomatsu's room."

Matsuyo glanced at Matsuzo and the two instantly hastened towards the sound.

She was worried. She had always been worried about every single one of them. They all had been struggling as they were growing up; they all had troubles and anxieties that she could not understand. But all she could do was watch and wait for them to come to her.

Sadly, no one did.

She waited and waited. And just when she thought that they were finally making progress, that she could finally be at ease because her babies were standing on their own in the world, Ichimatsu left without a word and Osomatsu never spoke another.

The door swung open with Matsuyo leading the men inside the room.

She could still see it clearly within her mind; the day when all her hopes were crushed the moment she heard her eldest son spoke again.

"The invitational!" That was the only thing he spoke of with that empty smile plastered on his face and that soulless stare that looked back at her.

Matsuyo and Matsuzo spoke to him everyday. Sometimes he saw them, most of the time he did not. There were times that Osomatsu would eat with them but more frequently would he stop in middle of the meal and just stare at nothing.

He spoke to himself. He laughed to himself. He sunk down further and further inside himself until Matsuyo's voice could not reach him anymore.

Yes, she could remember it all as clear as day. The pain of seeing your child slip away from your fingers until he ignored your existence altogether. It was excruciating. She cried to her husband every single time.

But with Choromatsu, Karamatsu and Todomatsu back, everything went better. Osomatsu was coming back and all her prayers were answered one by one.

Just when it was getting better, she had to see this. Now, inside that room, the face she horribly remembered was the same deranged face he was making now.

Matsuyo, including the other two, were all shocked. Blood dripped from Osomatsu's messy fringes. The right side of his head was a bloody mess with scarlet blood running from his head and down until it joined the red of his clothes. The wall was also stained with spots of his blood and bruised skin.

He looked at them half-surprised and half-apologetic as if he was caught doing something as childish as merely drawing on the walls.

"I'm sorry Mom." Osomatsu apologized. "Just for a moment. I'll…"

He then pulled away from the wall and with all intention of hurting himself he slammed his head towards it.

"Osomatsu!" She tried to stop him.

"I'll just remove this pesky voice inside my head. Let me just — "

He was about to knock his head on the wall again only to be stopped by both his parents. Matsuzo ran behind him embracing the young man's body with firm arms while Matsuyo held on to her little boy's face with gentle hands.

"Stop it. Please Osomatsu, you're hurting yourself." His father said.

"No Dad. It's ok. It's just one last voice and as soon as I knock him out I can go back to normal…" Osomatsu's eyes showed certainty. He was utterly convinced that this was the solution.

Osomatsu then turned to his mother with a more forlorn eyes, "And… and… I want to be normal."

She could feel her heart squeezed inside of her. Her lips quivered in sadness and the pain pushed the tears to flow out of her eyes.

"Dayooonn." She suddenly heard from behind. Another person had entered the room.

"Hoeeeh you finally arrived."

Matsuyo's eyes stared at the white straight jacket that Dayon was holding as he walked towards them.

"When he arrived here Osomatsu seemed… unstable. I noticed that there seems to be some other things in his mind." Dekapan noted.

"Yes, we had him undergo therapy." Matsuyo answered honestly.

"So for now let's keep him under control."

"I agree." Matsuzo instantly answered.

Matsuyo looked at him with confusion, "What do you mean you agree? You can't just bind him."

"Don't worry madam, we'll give him something to calm him down. I think we should leave him alone for now until he can sort his inner demons."

Matsuzo pulled Matsuyo away from Dekapan and Osomatsu. Dayon started to put the jacket on him while Osomatsu thrashed and tried to pull away.

"No!" Matsuyo shouted.

"This is good for him, let them be."

"No. This is not." Matsuyo then struggled away from her husband and pushed the two men aside.

"Unlike all of us here who learned how to work with our demons alone, this child did not. Because unlike all of us this child had never experienced what 'alone' meant. He had never been alone ever since he was but a heartbeat…" Matsuyo furiously explained.

"and he would never want to be alone. He never knew solitude, he only learned loneliness."

Matsuyo looked at her husband, "Matsuzo can't you see? He needs us now. He's finally asking us for help. Do we abandon him now?"

Matsuzo clenched his fist, "No. But what do we do?"

Matsuyo looked at Dayon and back to Matsuzo, instantly the head of the Matsuno family charged Dayon and pulled him away from his son. Matsuyo took this opportunity to sit beside Osomatsu.

The young man looked at his mother with fear. Not because of the straight jacket, but because of the voice that he could still hear within him.

It was loud. It was more prominent than anything else around him, and it screamed of horrible things… things that Osomatsu did not want to admit about him.

"Mom… It's my voice mom. I'm talking to myself. It's not even Akumatsu. This is me!" Osomatsu shivered with fright. He was deathly afraid.

Matsuyo pulled out a towel and started to wipe the traces of blood on his face.

"Do you still hear him?"

"Yes." his voice shook.

"What is he saying?"

"That I'm— " he gulped, "useless. That no one needs me. That no one loves me."

Matsuyo embraced Osomatsu, almost crushing his bones with how tight her arms were around him.

"Even if you believe otherwise, I love you. Your father loves you. Every single one of your brothers loves you."

"But I am useless. A waste of space. I'm just a burden to all of you."

Matsuyo held Osomatsu's face between her hands and looked directly into her child's scared eyes. She sighed. So what if he was already in his twenties, this boy was still her little baby no matter how he aged.

"Do you believe that in what that voice is saying?"

"I don't know..."

"Do you believe in me?"

"Of course Mom." He answered without hesitation.

"Then listen to me. Listen to my voice. Only my voice." Matsuyo said authoritatively.

Osomatsu nodded.

"I know who you are even before you knew yourself. I gave birth to you, raised you and watched you all your life. True, I scold you for your faults, but even if there are so many of them… I will always love you. You are my son Osomatsu. Even if the world abandons you, even if you yourself let's you down… I will believe in you!"

"Even if I'm a shitty NEET?"

"Yes."

"Even if... " Osomatsu swallowed, "Even if I just waste money in gambling?"

"I believe you can at least win something. Yes."

Osomatsu's eyes sparkled with tears as he spoke. He had tried to swallow and to ignore it but the warmth in his mother's voice, the love he could see in her eyes and the sincerity in her acceptance had him slowly let go of the mask he had been wearing.

The bravado and grin were slowly washed off when a tear rolled from the corner of his eye.

"Even if I whine and act like a spoiled child?"

"I had spoiled you all your life… do you think I'll learn how to stop?"

Osomatsu started crying, "But Mom… don't… please don't. Don't get used to all that. That's just horrible. I am horrible."

"What can I do? I love you."

His heart felt all the love that emanated from this woman in front of him. He could not bear it and the tears just continuously flowed. All the hard work she did for him, all the trust she placed in him flashed before his eyes.

There was nothing else. No other voice. No other Osomatsu. Just him and Matsuyo. He felt like a child again, a lost child that just wanted to go home and embrace his mother… to feel that unselfish kindness, to feel that unconditional love, to feel that absolute trust.

Osomatsu embraced his mother and sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Please don't stop believing in me. I'm really trying… but it's just so hard. And my brothers… they left me alone."

"Your father and I were always with you. And your brothers… no matter where they may be will always be your brothers."

Osomatsu sniffled and Matsuyo wiped the tears from his eyes, but he kept on crying.

"When you needed them they came back and sacrificed their time and lives for you. Even if all of you live far far away from each other I know that in the end you'll all still be connected. That's what being sextuplets is all about."

Osomatsu nodded, he might found it hard to speak with all his crying but he agreed. He had seen it. He had felt it. His brothers came back for him. His brothers forgave him. Time and time again his brothers had shown him how much they loved him.

"You're never alone my dear little NEET."

'I know mom… I should know that. How could I have forgotten that?''

Matsuyo glanced at Matsuzo and saw the old man crying his heart out as well. He opened his arms wide and enveloped his son and wife. The two boys cried as Matsuyo cooed and patted their heads.

'Ah', she thought 'like father like sons.'

.

.

When the brothers arrived, they trampled down the door like a rushing stampede too wild for a four-man group.

Ichimatsu was already up when Jyushimatsu crushed him in an embrace that should never be done to a sick person. Choromatsu pulled Jyushimatsu away while Karamatsu started to ask Ichimatsu various questions including "what have you been eating?" "are you sleeping fine?" Todomatsu just stayed silently on the side wiping tears away from his eyes, he too was so happy to see Ichimatsu once more.

"Oh, guys." A voice instantly called everyone's attention. Slowly the five turned towards the door where the voice came from.

"What took all of you so long?" He said with a cheerful chuckle. Of course, it was none other than the shitty eldest brother they all loved.

His father and mother stood behind him. Words could not describe the happiness the parents felt to see all of their children inside the room.

Osomatsu slowly walked inside the room. He rubbed his nose and looked at each and everyone' s faces.

Choromatsu looked stressed as usual, but even more worried when he noticed the bandages wrapped around Osomatsu's head.

Todomatsu was on the verge of tears when Osomatsu looked at him. Osomatsu made sure he looked directly at Todomatsu longer than all the others. He wanted his youngest brother to know that he could see him clearly.

Karamatsu was crying, but he gave Osomatsu a smile when his older brother's eyes looked at him. Osomatsu knew that those tears were of joy.

Jyushimatsu's eyes sparkled when he saw his brother smiling. His heart could explode that moment out of happiness, if only he could make his smile larger, then he probably had.

Osomatsu's smile faded into a gentler one when he saw Ichimatsu. He was holding a cat once more and there were color on his cheeks. He looked cleaner and happier than when he found him.

The nights that Ichimatsu slept on the streets and scoured garbage for leftovers felt like a horrible nightmare as he looked around. He missed this feeling of comfort and security. He missed them, even being with Kusomatsu was not a bad idea… although he would never say that out loud.

Both Osomatsu and Ichimatsu knew that this was where belong, surrounded by family, by the smiling faces of their brothers by the love and affection of their parents.

"We're home Osomatsu-niisan."

Osomatsu stared at each of their eyes. He was not dreaming anymore. This was not a delusion.

All of them were really in front of him.

"Un." Osomatsu nodded, "Welcome back everyone."