Ichimatsu sat down at the table in the living room with the five people who all looked alike.

When their mother came in to serve their food, she dropped the plates just as Kanola had done earlier at the Cat Cafe. Her lips quivered and her eyes filled with tears when she saw Ichimatsu sitting at the table, just staring at the floor with his eyes halfway closed.

"I-Ichimatsu!" she cried, running out of the room screaming. "I must be hallucinating!"

"Oh, come oooooon," Osomatsu complained, throwing his head back. "I just want dinner!"

"Yeah, same here," Choromatsu said, looking at Ichimatsu.

"Why do they keep staring at me...?" Ichimatsu thought, "Why do they keep treating me like a long lost brother...?"

"Hey, Jyushimatsu? Isn't there some place down the street from here that sells soup bowls and stuff?" Todomatsu asked, laying down on his back, taking a cute selfie. "Mom probably just ruined dinner from freaking out. I mean, it's just her son. Our brother. Ichimatsu is right here again."

"I won't be able to carry six bowls of soup home!" Jyushimatsu said, waving his arms in the air, "Probably just four."

"I'll go with you to help carry the soup then," Osomatsu replied, standing up. "I'm the eldest after all."

Ichimatsu also stood up from the table, moving to the corner of the room. He was tired of everyone just staring at him like some miracle had occurred.

"Leave me alone...I don't deserve kindness like this...please, just go away..." Ichimatsu thought, when suddenly, he felt a cat brush up against him,

"Harvey...?" Ichimatsu mumbled, suddenly realizing he had no idea where the name just came from.

"How did you know his name was Harvey?" Choromatsu asked, looking very interested in what Ichimatsu had to say.

"I...I don't know..." Ichimatsu mumbled, petting the cat. "I felt like his name was Harvey...he looks like a Harvey..."

"Then, what do you think your name is?" Todomatsu asked.

"Here, take my mirror," Karamatsu said, sliding it across the floor towards Ichimatsu. "Look at yourself closely. Who do you think you are?"

Ichimatsu grabbed the mirror and stared at himself, then immediately threw it down.

"I freaking look like you all..." he muttered, "What world am I in...who am i?"

Karamatsu sighed loudly.

"Look at yourself again, my brother," he ordered, scooting up to Ichimatsu, holding his mirror to his brother's face. "Who do you see?"

Ichimatsu stared at his purple hoodie. There was a certain smell to it that disturbed him. It smelled like a vague depressing place that he couldn't remember, and didn't want to go through the trouble of trying to.

Looking at his face and matted hair, Ichimatsu let out a sigh. He had no idea who he even was, or if he was even the person inside of this body that looked so depressing.

"Hey, Ichimatsu. Lift up your hoodie sleeves, will you?" Choromatsu asked. "I think you'll see something there that'll remind you...of something that happened a long time ago this year."

"This year...?" Ichimatsu mumbled, pulling up his sleeves to his hoodie. And right beneath his hoodie, were his small arms, covered from the very top to bottom in faded scars. One, out of all of them, was still very vivd, not to mention, long.

"This scar...I know I made that scar...I...I know nobody else could have done it..." Ichimatsu thought, seeing blurry images of people run through his mind as he starred at the scar. Sounds of people screaming, panicking filling his mind.

At that moment, Jyushimatsu and Osomatsu both called out, "We're back!"

Ichimatsu scooted back towards the table, sitting by Choromatsu as Jyushimatsu and Osomatsu passed the bowls of soup around.

"Boy, was there a long line!" Osomatsu complained, "This better taste good!"

"I'm sure it will," Choromatsu replied, standing up to go in the kitchen. "I'll go get some spoons for us all now."

"Yeah, okay," Todomatsu replied, sniffing his soup. "Mmm..."

"So good!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed, squirming around on the floor. "I'm so hungry right now!"

"I have the spoons!" Choromatsu said, running back into the living room, handing everyone a spoon.

Quietly, Ichimatsu began to eat his soup slowly, trying to avoid all eye contact with his brothers.

"That scar...I feel like it has something to do with this place...could it be that it happened here...? I've never been to this place in my life though..." Ichimatsu thought, taking more sips of his soup.

"I wish I could clear the fog in my mind...Things would be so much easier...or would they? I don't know...maybe I'm better off without memories of a past. As long as I'm breathing...maybe that's all that matters..." he thought, taking his final sip of soup.

"Hey, Ichimatsu nii-san! Wanna go up on the roof with me? We can look at the stars! It doesn't feel that cold up there either!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed, grabbing Ichimatsu wrist, pulling him to his feet.

Staggering along, Ichimatsu followed Jyushimatsu up to the roof, a feeling of happiness washing over his body.

When they reached the roof, Ichimatsu sat down exactly where he usually would have sat. Jyushimatsu sat down beside him, and they both stared at the stars.

Jyushimatsu glanced around, seeing if he could see those five birds anywhere, but no, they were nowhere in sight. Only yesterday did he last see them, still flying about in the cold winter.

"This feels so right..." Ichimatsu thought, staring up at the stars that were calmly twinkling above his head. "Just me and this person named Jyushimatsu who looks like me. Yes. This feels right..."

"Hey, Ichimatsu nii-san," Jyushimatsu said pointing to the brightest star in the sky. "Do you think that's
Homura-chan?"

"Homura-chan? She was...your...girlfriend?" Ichimatsu mumbled, not meaning for Jyushimatsu to hear him, but he still did.

"Yes! She was! She committed suicide though...you remember that, of course. Don't you?" Jyushimatsu asked desperately.

Ichimatsu nodded his head. He could see Homura-chan's happy face in his mind. She was always laughing around Jyushimatsu.

"Did we used to know each other?" Ichimatsu asked quietly.

Jyushimatsu nodded his head, not saying anything.

"I can't remember...I feel like I can trust you all..but at the same time I don't..." Ichimatsu mumbled, standing up and walking back towards the stairs the led back inside.

Jyushimatsu quickly followed him down the stairs anxiously, wondering where his brother was going.

Ichimatsu was putting his shoes back on at the front door.

"Where are you going?" Jyushimatsu asked frantically.

"I'm going home..." Ichimatsu replied, standing up. "It's getting late..."

"Please don't go!" Todomatsu said suddenly, running out of the living room.

Everyone else followed him out, hugging Ichimatsu tightly.

"We'll miss you, Ichimatsu!" Jyushimatsu cried. "Please don't go!"

"I have to...go home..." Ichimatsu mumbled, pushing everyone away.

"Where is your home at?" Karamatsu asked.

"It's just..down the street from here..." Ichimatsu mumbled, when suddenly, ESP kitty jumped up in his arms.

"I can't remember anything!" ESP kitty said, then hopped away.

Ichimatsu felt like he once knew this cat just as he once knew Harvey, but he could never be sure of himself.

Just as Ichimatsu began to push open the door, Jyushimatsu stopped him.

"Wait!" he exclaimed, handing him a bag of cat food. "Here. This is for your family!" he laughed, giving his brother one last hug before he walked out the door.

The cold wind beat down on Ichimatsu as he wandered into the alleyway. Sitting down between the two trash cans, he quickly found himself quite comfortable, and fell asleep.

"Ichimatsu? ICHIMATSU!" a vocie echoed in his ears. "REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE. REMEMBER THOSE MEMORIES YOU ONCE HELD DEAR TO YOUR HEART...because the more you keep lying to yourself...the more you'll be forgotten..."

Ichimatsu quickly woke up from his extremely short dream, trembling in the cold. He noticed several thin cats sat in front of him, waiting to be fed.

Ichimatsu glanced at the bag of cat food he had with him and pour some of it into the lid of one of the trash bins.

"Forgotten...?" Ichimatsu mumbled, "I've never been known anyways...but from what happened earlier tonight...I...felt loved...?"

Ichimatsu sat back down and watched the cats eat, smiling. It felt so good to take care of the poor starving creatures.

"Trash like me deserves to be forgotten..." Ichimatsu sighed, closing his eyes. "I don't have a purpose anyway..."

~ The End ~