As soon as Ichimatsu awoke, anger overflowed his body. He couldn't believe he had missed the girl's name. Even though he was quite sure that he already knew her name, it irritated him to just not be sure at all.

It hadn't yet dawned upon him that the girl could actually see him in his "dream", despite the fact that he was supposed to be invisible to every living creature.

Sighing, just as he usually did when he woke up, Ichimatsu sat up in between his two brothers. He couldn't believe he had fallen asleep beside them both. Karamatsu and Jyushimatsu were always loud snorers; he had to have been more tired than he thought to have fallen asleep right next to them.

"Still asleep too, huh?" Ichimatsu thought, almost finding the urge to laugh in pity at his lazy brothers.

He looked over at the clock on the wall. Ichimatsu couldn't help but notice that it was just fifteen minutes before they would have to leave.

"They're definitely going to be late," Ichimatsu thought, carefully stepping over Jyushimatsu as he crept towards the window. Sunlight was fighting through the green curtains, and Ichimatsu didn't hesitate to let it all in.

In a single brisk movement, Ichimatsu pulled back the curtains, hoping the sunlight would immediately awaken his brothers.

And, of course, it worked.

"I can still help the future, right?" Ichimatsu thought, watching Osomatsu angrily sit straight up in bed. "Even if it makes them angry at first, I'm sure I just saved them from a scolding at school..."

"Why the heck is there so much light suddenly?!" Osomatsu yelled groggily, jumping out of his futon, stumbling towards the window.

Ichimatsu dodged out of the way, just in case his brother could possible feel him.

"Osomatsu!" Choromatsu said, sounding perfectly alert. "Look at the time! Everyone, get up! We're going to be late for school! I don't need this on my records!"

Jyushimatsu rolled out of bed, already laughing innocently.

"Nii-san you shouldn't worry about your records! Nobody expects you to be perfect!" Jyushimatsu said as he snuck into the closet to quickly get dressed for school.

Todomatsu stood up, waiting outside of the closet for Jyushimatsu to finish. They were always supposed to go youngest to eldest, but today, Jyushimatsu had gotten ahead of him.

Something in his eyes told Ichimatsu that his situation at school wasn't getting any better. Of course it wasn't.

"I wish I could help Todomatsu, but that's something he needs to do on his own. It's not like I'd ever understand anyways...love isn't one of my strongpoints." Ichimatsu thought.

And after all of the five brothers had gotten dressed, they grabbed their school bags and ran out the front door, forgetting to shut it behind them.

Ichimatsu shook his head and sighed, closing it behind himself as he began to chase after them to catch up.

And as usual, by the time he reached the school gates, he had caught up with them. Well, Choromatsu and Jyushimatsu at least.

"Jyushimatsu...?" Ichimatsu thought in confusion as he watched his brother run past the school, down the sidewalk a little ways towards a girl.

Her light brown hair was in a messy braid and from the way her body jerked, she was crying. It was obviously Homura.

"What happened..." Ichimatsu thought, running up to his brother.

"Jyushimatsu!" Homura gasped, trying to stop herself from crying. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this...Should I just go home...?"

"No! It's okay!" Jyushimatsu said, hugging his friend tightly, then backed away a few steps. Gently, he wiped the tears away from her eyes then placed both of his hands on her shoulders, staring into her sorrowful eyes. "What's the matter, Homura? What's happened?"

"It's nothing, really," Homura said, looking away from her friend. "I don't think you'd understand what it feels like..."

"What does what feel like?" Jyushimatsu asked, nothing but worry on his eyes. "Homura are you alright?"

"Something came up yesterday morning..." she whimpered. "My sister, you know, the one you met in the mall with your brother, Ichimatsu, well...she..."

"Ichimatsu..." Jyushimatsu repeated quietly, his eyes going blank for a split second.

"My sister...was very sick yesterday morning," Homura began to cry again. "and I don't know why, but my parents waited until the last minute to send her to the hospital! They knew that her condition was getting worse! They...knew..."

Homura fell into Jyushimatsu arms, sobbing loudly, not holding anything back.

"Shhh," Jyushimatsu soothed, rubbing her back. "you don't have to talk about it if it makes you upset."

"But Akari..." Homura whimpered hoarsely. "she just fell out of her wheelchair that morning before school. It's all my fault...I should have been listening to her when she asked for a glass of milk. But I'm a terrible sister...and when she fell, she just began to shiver, screaming out loudly...'I'm sorry'..."

"Is Akari okay?" Jyushimatsu asked, still hugging her.

Homura backed away from him, shaking her head violently back and fourth.

"Akari died!" she screamed loudly, falling onto the pavement crying, trembling. "And it's all my fault, Jyushimatsu..."

Ichimatsu felt nothing but pity for Homura at that moment, but when he saw Akari in her wheelchair behind her distressed sister, he knew that she had already died when he was speaking to her the day before.

"Akari..." Ichimatsu muttered. "why didn't you..."

Akari stared at Homura, tears running down her cheeks. She hated to see her sister so upset. And over her, at that.

"Homura it's okay..." Akari said, trying to get out of her wheelchair, but she was too frail to even move.

Ichimatsu quickly approached Akari. "What the heck are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm doing just like you were doing. Looking out for my sibling. Or, of course, for you, siblings," Akari replied, sniffing as she wiped her eyes.

Ichimatsu turned away as he watched Jyushimatsu bend down to help his friend up. They were already very close to each other, and it wasn't hard to tell.

"Ichimatsu," Akari said politely, "will you please take me to the park today?"

"Why..." Ichimatsu mumbled. "I was actually going to watch my brothers in school today. I don't want anyone to hurt them..."

"Nobody will hurt them today. In case you don't remember, the weeks following your birthdays were calm and peaceful. I'm not going to mention Claude here," Akari said as Ichimatsu walked up behind her, beginning to push her wheelchair down the street.

"How do you know about that...?" Ichimatsu asked somewhat angrily.

"I've been around a long time," Akari said with a sigh. "I have plenty of time to tell you the answers to your questions, but for now, they will remain unanswered. Just know that I know everything about you, okay?"

"Then, can I ask you if you're..." Ichimatsu stopped walking, picturing the pleasant looking girl in his dream. Surely Akari couldn't look so beautiful in the future.

"I already told you I'm not going to answer," Akari said with a sigh. "If I answer your questions, it will hurt me."