Chapter Text
"Ahhh, time sure flies," the blue Matsuno sighed to himself, looking at his reflection on the river. He leans on the protective railing of the bridge, he frequently hangs out. The sun has already set making the sky a beautiful mix of orange and purple. It made Karamatsu smile, a smile capable of breaking bones, especially the ribs. "I have been out of our lovely abode the whole day," closing his eyes dramatically, he turned and continues, "My dear brothers must be feeling lonely without my company! I must make haste and-"
He finally opened his eyes, ready to begin his short walk home when he found himself face to face with a stranger. He is a tall but thin man, his skin is as white as paper. His clothes are all black, his pants, his tuxedo, his cape? Why would someone wear a cape in this day and age? Karamatsu has to raise his head to see the man's face.
Karamatsu gulped, this stranger is not human. His lips are terribly chapped, his nose a bit crooked and his eyes; oh god, his eyes! It's so wide, like that of an owl, but his pupils are so small and unfocused.
Karamatsu wants to move, to run, to go home, he really does. But his body refused to move. There is something really wrong here, and he feels suffocated. "Matsuno, Osomatsu," the man, if this is even a man, began, "I'm here to collect your debt."
Shit, he got the wrong Matsuno, Karamatsu thought, "I-I'm not-."
He almost said it. He almost claimed that he is in fact not Osumatsu, but then he realized that correcting the stranger scared him more. Osomatsu might be the most obnoxious and irresponsible idiot, who is as greedy as fuck, to the point of having to loan to a monster, to the surprise of absolutely no one, but he is still his only older brother. He loves him. Karamatsu loves all his brothers. Who knows what this thing will do to him. And no, Karamatsu doesn't want to imagine that.
They wouldn't notice anyway, that he didn't return home tonight.
Except that he probably won't be going home tomorrow, or the next day, or even next week.
Ichamatsu sat at the corner of the room. He doesn't have any cats to play with at the moment and Jyushimatsu is still out. Having no one to distract him from his thoughts, which is immediately turning grim, he decided to give up and entertain it.
He lashed out again at his shitty older brother, telling him a lot of mean things that he didn't exactly mean. Most of the time, the things that come out of his mouth is the opposite of what he wants to say. His brothers are already used to it, they know that he cares for them, they know that he needed them, they know that he loves them, with all the shitty and twisted ways he shows it.
Karamatsu knows too, he should know, that's why he would still approach Ichimatsu and not avoid him. Even if the fourth brother would say hurtful things, he knows that Ichimatsu is just awkward and shy. After all, Karamatsu is a good brother. He will do anything for his brothers to be happy. If his brother will tell him to disappear, he really would; but he knows, Karamatsu knows, that that is not what Ichimatsu want. So he didn't disappear. Sometimes he would spend his time outside, but he will return definitely return.
But tonight, he didn't come back.
Jyushimatsu saw a man wearing a cape. He thinks it's pretty cool, so he watched his cape flutter with the breeze. The yellow Matsu is having a good time swimming in the river, but the elegant, black cape made him stop. He noticed that the man is not alone. Curious, he swims a little to the side to get a better view of the other person, who knows maybe he is wearing an even better costume?
"Ah!" He made a small sound of discovery upon realizing that it was his big brother. Jyushimatsu waves his arms energetically to call his brother's attention. But the second born, is not looking his way at all. Wanting to get his big brother's attention, he decided to shout his name, "Ka-"
"Jyushimatsu!" The green Matsu scoldingly called to his younger brother. Choromatsu is standing by the river bank, holding some paper bags. "Nii-san!" Jyushimatsu cheerfully acknowledged his other brother's presence, but he immediately shifted back his gaze to where the man with the cape and his blue brother is supposed to be. But no one is there now.
The fifth brother tilted his head a little, "Eh?" He is a bit confused, they were just there a second ago! "Jyushimatsu! You are going to catch a cold!" Jyushi turned his attention to Choromatsu. The sunshine brother swims his way to his older brother. "Ni-san, I saw Karamatsu-niisan on the bridge!" He exclaimed as he wiggle the droplets of water away.
"Huh?" Choro looked up in the direction of the bridge, "But there is no one there."
"Yeah! But they were there just a second ago! Then they are not there anymore the next second. So cool!" Jyushimatsu told a confused Choromatsu.
"They? Is he with Osomatsu-niisan?" Choromatsu asked as they walk. The green Matsu has been persistent in bringing Jyushi home. "Nope! He's with someone else, a man with a cape. Maybe he's a magician!"
"Or a creep," Choromatsu sighs, "Why is his choice of friends as weird as his choice of wardrobe?"
"He's not a magician then?" The fifth brother asked, his tone a bit disappointed, but his expression still has that constant bright smile.
"Heck no! Or maybe he is? Magic's not real though, definitely not real."
"But it is! Magic is real! Just like how fairies and Santa are real! And dragons and aliens!" He excitedly enumerated.
"But none of those exist!" Came Choromatsu's frustrated reply.
But Jyushimatsu is lost in his own world and is hearing none of Choromatsu's frantic disapproval.
"Oh, and witches and other dimensions!"
If only Choromatsu had taken him a bit more seriously.
Osomatsu exited the pachinko parlor with a dejected expression. It was a normal, unlucky day, but he chose not to dwell in it. Todomatsu followed shortly after, with the same expression. "You lost?" The first born asks the youngest accusingly, as if he himself didn't lose. Todomatsu surprisingly shook his head, showing a paper bag that is carries all his winnings.
"What!? Then why do you look so sad you idiot!" Osomatsu immediately snatch the bag away from Todo's hold. "That is why!" Todomatsu cried, trying to get his winnings back.
"Awww come on! You should share with oniisan!" Osomatsu lifted the bag out of reach and began to run away. "What do you mean share! Wait! You thief!!"
"We're home!" Osomatsu called, obviously in high spirit. Todomatsu on the other hand was panting as he hold unto the door frame for support. "Give that back! You stupid eldest brother!" he spat at Osomatsu. The other just laugh jovially as if the youngest had said the most ridiculous joke in the world.
"Welcome home," Choromatsu called from the kitchen. Their parents are not home, and Karamatsu still hasn't come back, so it's Choromatsu whose preparing their dinner.
However, Karamatsu didn't come back through dinner.
Neither did he come back when it is time to go to the public bath.
It's now 11:30 pm. Karamatsu is still not home.
Osomatsu is having a hard time sleeping. They already asked Chibita and called Iyami, but he is not in either's house. They tried to joke about it earlier, but now everyone is restless. Todomatsu keeps on turning, finding the empty space next to him very unsettling. Ichimatsu blankly stares at the opposite wall. Jyushimatsu already told them what he saw, and it made the atmosphere worse. Choromatsu tried to lighten up the mood awkwardly, "Come on, maybe he just went to a friend's house and lose track of time. He'll definitely be back tomorrow."
"Then, he should have called," Osomatsu can't hide it anymore, there is something wrong. He feels wrong. But he have to brighten it up for the other's, he tried to laugh, though it came out very strained, "That idiot, making random friends. He'd better introduce him to us!"
Tomorrow came, but Karamatsu didn't.