Illusive Tears

•Chapter 3: Maturity•

 As usual, the Matsuno quintuplets walked around their neighborhood. Singing songs, telling jokes, throwing insults at people. Of course, that could only happen once the target walks away, possibly a good 9 feet away from them, then they threw the insults as if they were bullets.

Todomatsu eagerly scanned his surroundings, waiting for the next victim to walk around the corner, Choromatsu assisting. Soon enough, they heard cheerful, graceful whistling, as they could hear feet making contact with the sidewalk as they skipped along joyfully.

"Ohohoho! Whos that?" Osomatsu grinned, his head in between Karamatsu and Todomatsu's shoulders. Gasping, Choromatsu recognized who it was, as the eldest brother chuckled. "Hey, Totoko!" She seemed to giggle before responding, "Good afternoon!" She waved politely. "Where are you going?" he asked, noticing the bag of food in her grasp. "Back home. I had to run an errand for my mom." "Can we come?" Todomatsu blurted out, grinning.

"No! Trying to-" She almost seemed to snap immediately. "N-No, no thank you." Osomatsu pouted. "Aww, ok." Mood. "Well, off I go!" Totoko awkwardly laughed.  "Ok, we'll see you later!" Choromatsu smiled, as they all kept on walking aimlessly. Except for Ichimatsu.

Silently, he began following Totoko. Imitating each step trying to make it sync with the sounds of her own footsteps. Totoko paused, looking around. "Didn't I forget something?" She crossed her arms, thinking. The longer it took her to think, the more The little boy began to sweat. 'If she turns her head around, I'm done for-' He began to imagine. But, the more he thought, the more it would have backfired. Then once she arrives home, she'll see him!

Oh well, he's already progressed this much on the little mission. might as well continue. "Well, I suppose not! I don't have any change so... That should be good!" With that statement, Totoko continued skipping joyously. After a few more minutes, they finally arrived at her humble house. It wasn't too big or too small. Just a medium sized one.

Almost running on the stoop's steps, Totoko impatiently knocked on the front door. "Mom! I'm done!" She sighed. "Mom's outside." Her brother said. "Tch, Still?" The siblings shrugged, lighting a cigarette. "Don't do that inside! Go outside with mom, Fighting!"  "Hey! You can't tell me what to do! I'm already twenty, I can do whatever I want." 

"Yeah, you should move out soon." "So? I'll do that when I'm... Hmm..." He inserted the cigarette into his mouth, inhaled, then released it. "Twenty-Five." "Such a child, even I'm more mature than you!" She complained. "Uh... Hello." Ichimatsu risked to interject and made Totoko jump, as she turned around. "Osomatsu what are you doing?!" "I'm Ichimatsu.". Totoko seemed to have furrowed her brow. "That doesn't matter!" She flailed her wrist in a circular motion.

"I need advice," Ichimatsu said. He could feel another body in the room, but knowing who it was he ignored it. "About what?" "The future." Ichimatsu kept a serious expression on his face, unlike the usual energetic one. "Sure! You can sit down if you want!" Totoko gestured to the seats in her house. "What about mom-" "Can it, you piece of trash!" She yelled, not even looking at her brother.

The older brother sighed, "Fine," Fighting pouted. "I'll go to her myself." And with he went to grab the bag from his younger sibling's hand and carried it to his mother. "What's wrong?" "About Dewberry." "... Berries?" Totoko raised a brow. "No, what you told us... Months ago. You went through Dewberry?" "... Puberty?" "I think that was it." "Is that bad?" "Very." Ichimatsu seemed to have been frightened by her instant response. "Does it happen to everyone?" "Yes." She couldn't stop responding at quick speeds.

"Well, anyways." Ichimatsu seemed to look to the side, all he could see were the clean floors from their house. "Please don't laugh..." "Stop wasting my time! It's Wednesday, and I'm usually extremely busy!" She interjected. "Ok! I just don't know how to say it..." "I'm definitely gonna laugh then." "Ihaveanimaginaryfriend." He rushed to say. "What?" "Is it bad to have a friend?" The female scoffed. "What kind of question is that?"

Ichimatsu stuttered, embarrassed. "I-Is it bad I have an imaginary friend?" He felt the persons presence closer. She froze, her cheeks full of air, almost bursting with laughter. "I-IMAGINARY?! WHAT ARE YOU? SOME KINDA EMO KID?" She blurted out in between chuckles. "No- It's just-" "OH MY- THAT'S HILARIOUS! YOU'RE LONELY? A QUINTUPLET?" Ichimatsu felt a red tiny spread across his face. "I-I said not to laugh!" He pouted.

Ichimatsu felt arms wrap around his waist. "Rude! Doesn't she know I'm here!" He heard Jyushimatsu complain. "This is just stupid." The fifth brother complained. "She doesn't understand. Why do my brothers like her so much? I mean, she's cute! But she's just a jerk. Almost everyone is." Ichimatsu muttered, pretending his brother heard. "Yeah." He nodded in agreement.

"Get rid of them. What are they? A monster?" Totoko got back to the discussion. "Human." "Doesn't matter, you shouldn't have answered. Just forget about your 'friend'. It's not as great as the real thing anyway." Totoko sighed, hoping her childhood friend wouldn't embarrass her if they ever go to the same middle school. "Oh, ok."

Shocked, Jyushimatsu tried to change his mind. "You can't! You'll just be bored again! I'm here for a reason! To make you happy, smile!" His creator ignored his reasons. Whatever she said happens, one way or another. Which means he would have to try to end something he made, even if he was beneficial. And so, it slightly felt a bit roomier in Totoko's house, as someone just left for a long time.