Karamatsu-San..?

Chapter 17: Joker

Karamatsu's legs were pressed closely to his chest, his face buried in his legs.

Osomatsu can't be gone.. can he..?

No.. there was no way he was gone. I mean, he's technically dead right? So it's not like he died.. again.. That would be stupid.. probably.

Karamatsu shook his head, trying to think straight. Was there a way to get back, or was that stretch of nature Osomatsu called his home gone for good?

Karamatsu didn't know. He didn't really want to know. He'd be scared to find out the answer. 

Karamatsu closed his eyes as tears slipped from under his eyelids and rolled down his cheeks, still able to slightly feel the heat from the fire. He didn't know what to do. 

"Yo." 

Karamatsu yelped, a voice slicing through the silence. He turned his head to where the voice sounded from, which was to his right. Karamatsu's eyes widened, surpised. 

"Osomatsu-niisan..?!" 

Osomatsu was squatting down to his level, balancing on his tiptoes, his cat companion sitting next to him. Karamatsu stared at him with wide eyes, quickly wiping the tears from his eyes, blinking at Osomatsu and his cat. 

"Wait wait wait- how are you here?" 

"Huh? Because I can be?" 

Karamatsu huffed, of course he'd get that kind of answer. Osomatsu wasn't a very serious person.. well, neither was himself. 

"I mean, I though you couldn't leave that place were you uhh.. live." 

Osomatsu blinked at him, not really surprised at his restatement. 
"Oh that? I can leave whenever I want to. Ghost things I guess. Though, I didn't see any need to leave." 

Karamatsu blinking in confusion as Osomatsu lifted his hand in front of Karamatsu's face. 

"What are yo-" 

Karamatsu looked at Osomatsu's hand. 

Oh.. 

Karamatsu could see through it. 

"Yeah I think you get my point now. I'm a ghost. No one can see me or Erika." 

Karamatsu blinked at him, "Erika?" 

Osomatsu pointed to the black, translucent cat grooming herself next to Osomatsu. 

"Oh- wait then why can I see you two?" 

Osomatsu blinked at him, looking down at Erika and petting the she-cat's head, making her purr. "Well.. reasons.. how do you think Mom, Dad, Jyushimatsu, and Todomatsu react to the ghost of their son and dead brother? Todomatsu and Jyushimatsu don't even remember me.. I don't want to know how they would react to me just.. coming back.." 

Karamatsu blinked at Osomatsu for a second, "I guess that makes sense.. I would imagine it'd be.. kinda.. weird.." 

Karamatsu looked down at Erika, who was grooming herself. "Niisan? How did you meet Erika anyway?" 

Osomatsu looked up at Karamatsu, "Oh that? It's nothing crazy. She was just at the place before me and we kinda just bumped into each other." 

"Oh." 

Osomatsu blinked at Karamatsu, "Anyway, get back to sleep. I don't you getting insomnia or something because of Niisan." 

"Alright.. goodnight." 

"Night."