"Guys, I have something important to tell you," Choromatsu spoke quietly as he closed the living room door behind him. He and Todomatsu had just arrived home, and the sixth son announced that he wanted to rest.

"What is it?! What is it?!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed in an excited whisper. "Why are we talking so quietly?!"

"SHHH!" Choromatsu hushed the fifth child as the all five brothers gathered around the kotatsu. "This is about Todomatsu..."

"Oh..." Ichimatsu mumbled, casting an unreadable glance over at Karamatsu.

To hide his own nervousness, Karamatsu threw on his black sunglasses. He had quiet a few fears himself, and he'd rather hide his facial expressions.

"Well, what did the doctor say? You acted so secretive about mess this morning, and now you want to go tell the entire world!" Osomatsu sighed irritatedly. "Just make up your mind on who you want to be already."

"Todomatsu's heart isn't going to keep beating much longer," Choromatsu spoke blankly, ignoring Osomatsu. The entire room fell into an awkward silence.

Shock wasn't the word to describe the atmosphere. It was almost a sort of disappointed aura, pouring out of all of the brothers.

"You mean..." Ichimatsu's voice shook unnaturally. He wasn't used to showing any sort of emotion, but after the past few months of his life, he had managed to grow closer to some of his brothers. "Todomatsu is going to die, right?"

"Exactly," Choromatsu confirmed.

Osomatsu pounded his fists on the table, biting his lip until it began to bleed. He didn't say a word. The man simply stared down at his fists, trying to control his potential anger mixed with agony.

"Why can't the doctors do another surgery like they did when Todomatsu was a kid?" Jyushimatsu asked innocently. "People can have surgery more than once all the time! Ichimatsu has! Ichimatsu is really great!"

"It's...the doctor's fault that Todomatsu won't be having the surgery. In case none of you remember, Todomatsu was given his dead friend's heart...for a sort of experiment? Doctors said that Todomatsu had a weaker, more feminine body than most boys his age, so they experimented with him. Therefore, he was given a heart that would be unable to support his body for his entire life. Most men don't even last a year with a female heart...the fact that Todomatsu has made it this far is really a miracle...I think something else must have been keeping him alive. Some sort of hope..." Choromatsu explained.

Karamatsu sniffed a little, swiping his hand under his shades to wipe away his tears.

"All in all...we just need to make him know he's loved...?" Ichimatsu mumbled, of all people. "Let him enjoy the last year of his life...?"

"Yes!" Choromatsu exclaimed, guilt washing over his entire body. "We have to give him the love that we've failed to share with him for years and years..."

"Speaking of Todomatsu, where exactly is he right now?" Osomatsu asked, rubbing under his nose. He seemed absolutely unconcerned about the whole situation. Really, there was no point in getting upset when they had an entire year left.

"Didn't he head to the bathroom when you guys came in?" Jyushimatsu asked, hopping up from his seat on the floor. "I'm gonna go check on him!"

"I-I'll go with you!" Karamatsu burst out quickly as he scrambled to his feet, following Jyushimatsu out the living room door.