Don't Worry

Chapter Twenty-Three

Three years later...

"Ichimatsu are you sure you're going to be okay?" Choromatsu asked his brother worriedly, desperately wanting him to stay. "Do you even have an apartment or somewhere to stay in?! I know you love cats, but is the Cat Cafe down the street really going to provide enough money for you to live?"

Ichimatsu sighed and picked up his small suitcase, shaking his head.

"I-I..don't know..." Ichimatsu mumbled, "but I do know...it's time to move on in life..we can't stay together forever."

"You're not leaving because Jyushimatsu left, are you?" Todomatsu asked, his eyes looking quite moist.

"Tch..." Ichimatsu spat, not replying as he stared down at his suitcase. "I better get going now...I'll see you this weekend, I guess..."

"My brother," Karamatsu said, throwing his arms around Ichimatsu, hugging him to death. "It won't be the same without you around here. It's going to feel so empty with you and Jyushimatsu gone now."

"We're adults...we shouldn't still be living off of our parents..." Ichimatsu mumbled, sliding open the front door, walking out into the snow, soon disappearing from his brothers' sight.

Karamatsu let out an exasperated sigh as he shook his head, sitting down in the living room.

"It's happening again..." Choromatsu thought worriedly, glancing over at Osomatsu's picture across the room. "But you knew this day would come again, didn't you?"

Todomatsu sat down in front of the phone, staring at it desperately as he waited for it to ring. He had recently sent in a job application for a full time job at Starbucks, yet he was skeptical that he would be hired again after a certain incident several years ago.

But, alas, to Choromatsu's dismay, the phone rang. And as soon as Todomatsu hung up, he began to jump up and down in joy.

"Guys I got the job!" Todomatsu exclaimed, pulling out his phone, most likely tweeting his great news. "I'm so happy right now!"

"Good job, my brother!" Karamatsu said, giving his brother a thumbs up. "When do you start?"

"Tomorrow morning, actually!" Todomatsu said, tears of happiness beginning to run down his cheeks. "That means I can finally move into my apartment!"

"It really is over now then," Choromatsu thought, beginning to tremble. All of his brothers had jobs now, including him. "Once we're all in our apartments...it really will be over...and when our jobs start..."

"Should we just go on and pack all of our things then?" Karamatsu said, laughing a little. "That way we can all leave at once."

"That seems like a less painful way to do it," Todomatsu said, slipping his phone into his hoodie pocket.

One week later...

Choromatsu inserted his brand new key into his apartment's door for the first time as he clutched tightly to his duffle bag.

The door creaked open, causing him to shudder just a bit. He wasn't used to being all alone, especially in a new place like this.

Walking inside, Choromatsu turned the light on then closed the door behind him, locking it just to feel a bit safer.

Inhaling, Choromatsu took in the new, greasy scent the apartment gave off. It didn't smell bad, but it certainly would never feel like home. After all, home was where he always felt he belonged.

Luckily for Choromatsu, since his dad, once again, had helped him get his job, the boss at his new office had furnished the entire apartment for him.

Creeping into the open living room, Choromatsu threw his bag on the floor and sat down on the sofa, shaking just a little.

And for the first time in a very long time, three years to be exact, Choromatsu began to think of all Osomatsu had ever done that made him happy.

A single tear ran down his cheek as he unzipped his duffel bag and pulled out the photograph of Osomatsu, setting it on the glass coffee table in front of his sofa.

"I miss you, Osomatsu..." Choromatsu whimpered, gently rubbing under his brother's nose in the image. "You would have liked to do that, wouldn't you? I wish I could talk to you right now...so badly...I just wish I could tell you all that's been happening since you've been gone. Nothing has felt right, Osomatsu. I really did try to move on, to not worry anymore...but it's so hard without you here..."

Choromatsu pulled Osomatsu's handkerchief out from his hoodie pocket and dabbed under his damp eyes, getting up the tears that had escaped his eyes.

Sniffing a little, Choromatsu shook his head, forcing a weak smile on his face, smiling back at his deceased brother in the image.

Then, trying his best to move on, Choromatsu reached into his bag and pulled out an old book which he had started to read back in America, but never finished it after his brother had died.

"What's with this bookmark...?" Choromatsu mumbled, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, pulling it straight out of the book.

And to his utter dismay, at that moment, he remembered why he hadn't touched this book in so long. It had Osomatsu's letter in it.

"No..." Choromatsu thought, his mouth barely handing open, his lips quivering as he stared at his brother's handwriting on the envelope. "I thought I had thrown this away..."

Sighing, Choromatsu glanced over at the photo of Osomatsu, then back at the envelope in his hands.

"If it makes you happy, Osomatsu..." Choromatsu thought, slowly beginning to rip open the envelope. "I'll read it now..."