Five.

That's a number they had to get used to.

They've always said they were sextuplets, they always did everything as sextuplets, if not then in pairs or triplets.

All six would go the bathhouse, all six would go to same Oden stand of their childhood friend, all six would do crazy antics or try to get jobs together, all six went to Totoko's concerts, all six.

But now, the third oldest wasn't allowed out the house. So things turned into five, an uneven number that maybe that said brother left out would've thought was perfect. They have a center now.

The adjustment was hard on everyone, even their parents, but it seemed even more so to the one who's affected by it, Choromatsu.

He's done his best and tried to act like things were normal, hanging out with all the brothers if they were home, but Choromatsu wasn't the only one who changed. His immediate older brother and the younger three couldn't stop worrying, stop looking out, stop being so cautious.

So when it was obvious how hard Choromatsu tried to make and keep things as normal as they could, the remaining brothers couldn't help but just stare at him, sneak glances, do something yet nothing, which inevitable ended in the third oldest to put down whatever he was doing and leave.

Now and days after Osomatsu closed the hole in the wall, they hardly saw the third. He wouldn't put any effort in being the same room as them, it'd be a miracle if they saw him, but even then they didn't say anything.

At first they wouldn't speak to him or be in a room alone with him in fear he'd snap, which in reality, they didn't want to feel the guilt of keeping him in here with little to no freedom and created excuses for themselves like "its to help" or "its not part of the rules". Excuses they knew were wrong. They just couldn't see what this was doing the third oldest nor did they know how to deal with it, so like all problems they'd have, they avoided it.

Maybe. They've been avoiding it for too long.

No. They should've never avoided it from the start.

They were never there for Choromatsu. Never told him things will be okay, reassuring him, being there for him.

It seemed too late at this point, but they had to do something about this. Choromatsu wasn't the same, he was changing and slipping away from them even more, and all they did was act normal as if nothing was wrong when he wasn't in the room.

They were all there, save for the green Matsu, doing what they do. Osomatsu read manga, Karamatsu looked in his mirror, Ichimatsu was laying down the couch and seemed to stare off at nothing, Jyushimatsu and Todomatsu played a game together.

Everything was normal, as if the missing brother wouldn't have changed anything.

But it was a lie. None of them could focus on what they were doing, their minds busy of the missing brother. They all want to talk about it, say something, but no one did. No one knew how to. That was until.

"Because none of us pieces of shit will say it I will," Ichimatsu spoke out clearly, everyone froze, "This isn't helping Choromatsu and we're doing absolute shit about it."

No one knew who would mention it, and Ichimatsu was the last one they would've thought of. The middle brothers didn't interact much at all so it showed even he noticed and knew this was wrong. But what could they do about it?

"It's not like we can do anything" the eldest spoke, "You know we can't change his situation or give him what he wants, he just has to get used to it."

"Are you serious Osomatsu-niisan?!" Todomatsu was in disbelief, " 'Get used to it'?! You do see the irony in that coming out your mouth right?"

"No because this is an entirely different situation! Choromatsu can't go outside whether he wants to or not. If we keep giving him false hope it'll only make him worse so it's better not to let him!"

Todomatsu simply scoffed, "Such a shity thing to say for trash like you."

"What did you say?!"

"The total worst!" Jyushimatsu chimed in.

"Hah?!"

"Usless shity eldest, at least try to be a decent person." Ichimatsu deadpanned.

"Bullying?! Is that it now?!"

...

Silence.

Something was missing. Someone was missing. They all waited for something they knew wouldn't come.

"Ah. It's not the same without Choromatsu-niisan." Jyushimatsu slightly deflated.

"He would've came up with the worst." Ichimatsu added.

Everyone stood in silence, seemingly distracted in their own thoughts of the brother who isn't present.

Karamatsu put his mirror down, finally joining in after thinking long and hard about this. He pointed his finger to the eldest, who had a confused yet conflicted face, "You should go fix this. You two have always been close before this, you know him better than any of us. Beside, I think in this situation you've been making him feel worse than any of us! You don't give him the slightest hope that things will get better nor really help him!" It was odd for the second oldest to not speak poetically, so this really was something he wanted fixed and was serious.

There was something Osomatsu couldn't stand by what he said though, "Me? Make him feel worse than any of you? And what is this about only me fixing it?! Hah, you guys are really just using me as a scapegoat because you don't even know how to solve this yourselves nor do you want to deal with it!" Osomatsu stood up, "I'm not the one who keeps sending glances and stares at Choromatsu when he is with us thinking he cant see, making him uncomfortable, because if I notice I'm pretty sure he does too! When was the last time any of you even tried to approach or have a conversation with Choromatsu anyway?!"

No one could say anything, not even Karamatsu who brought it up. What Osomatsu said was the hard solid truth no one wanted to admit. It wasn't only Osomatsu, it was clearly all of them, but he as the oldest and the one who was the closest to the third brother, who else could they have chosen? But they knew it was unfair. It was unfair to Osomatsu and Choromatsu.

Osomatsu scoffed as he opened the door, "That's what I thought." Was the last thing he said before storming off. Maybe he could distract himself from this stupid situation and their shity solution somewhere else where he isn't being blamed for everything.

Although, that was almost impossible. Osomatsu does blame himself. He doesn't like this situation, not even in the slightest. Osomatsu knows Choromatsu like the back of his hand and this situation is the absolute worst for him.

In a way, it crushed Osomatsu on how much it crushed the younger. But he couldn't do anything. He couldn't change this situation, he could only try to accept it the best he could. And that meant being what Osomstsu hated, the 'bad guy' in this sense. He had to take away what could give Choromatus hope, because it'll never happen and he doesn't want his younger brother to be crushed even more when he realizes just how much this so called 'hope' is slowly ruining him and it'll never come true.

When he was near the front door, he realized Choromatsu was sitting down in a small step where they usually leave their shoes in front of the door.

Choromatsu simply had his head down and his legs close to his chest. Despite Osomatsu not being able to fully see him, he could already tell what sort of expression he could be making, what thoughts ran through his head, and why he would even been here despite it being a risk.

Maybe...he really should talk to him.

"Choromatsu-"

Osomatsu wasn't able to continue as the green Matsu stood up and seemingly finishes for him, " 'It is part of the rules for me to never even be close to the front door, especially right in front of it' " Choromatsu recited in a monotone voice, almost tired as he looked towards Osomatsu, he had bags under his eyes with a dazed yet cold expression, "I know."

Osomatsu should've seen that coming, but didn't. It caught him completely off guard. His expression and eyes, his voice, the words that he said. Choromatsu had already walked away, presumably to his room. But Osomatsu was left dumbfounded.

He wasn't even going to mention the rule that he knew Choromatsu was breaking, but Choromatsu brought it up himself, as if he thought it's what he'd say. Was thst such an expected thing of him to say now? Was that what Choromatsu now knows him as? The one who kept reminding him and taking away any false 'freedom' he had?

Choromatsu didnt even bother to justify himself, to defend himself or show resistance, to even show fear that Osomatsu has so easily been able to detect and has wanted to change it by avoiding the cause of it and going to a new subject.

Maybe he shouldn't have. Maybe he shouldn't have used his fear to his advantage, to simply avoid it and try to act like things were okay and things were normal as always. To be so harsh on him.

But. He didn't know how else to do it. How else to fix it. Because from the state he just saw Choromatsu in, so different than he normally is, than he even tried to be in this situation, it seems they're already begining to be too late.