The world of darkness slowly faded back to a more realistic world. Even though it wasn't real, Ichimatsu felt safer here.

Grasping his chest, Ichimatsu felt a sickening pain flow through his body. He felt so terrible for having forgotten all those times he had with Jyushimatsu. The good times, and the bad. He was always there, wasn't he?

"I'm a terrible person, aren't I?" Ichimatsu asked himself out loud as he walked down the empty streets.

"Hey, Ichimatsu?" the voice asked, laughing cruelly. "Would you like to see in the real world right now? At this very moment?"

"Yes!" Ichimatsu spat angrily. "How is Jyushimatsu? Is he okay...tell me he's doing okay..."

Immediately, like a tv screen in front of his eyes, Ichimatsu could see exactly what Jyushimatsu was doing in the real world at that very moment.

He was climbing up the cliff near the ocean, tears running down his face.

"What is he doing...?" Ichimatsu raped, and the voice only chuckled. "Jyushimatsu...don't..." he spat.

Jyushimatsu reached the top of the cliff walking closer and closer to the edge.

"JYUSHIMATSU FREAKING STOP RIGHT NOW!" Ichimatsu yelled, running away from the screen. He had no idea WHERE he was running, but somehow, he ended up in the alleyway.

He sat down beside the two trash cans a flipped out his pocket knife. And without another thought, he stabbed himself in the chest.

He fell over, dead. Only seconds later did he come back to life, wheezing angrily.

"I can't kill myself here, can I?" he spat. "How nice..."

Ichimatsu stood up shakily, pulling the knife out of his chest. It didn't hurt at all.

"The one thing I love can't be felt here, can it?" Ichimatsu muttered. "No pain? This place is stupid..."

Back in the real world...

Jyushimatsu sat down on the cliff, listening as hard as he could. Only seconds ago did he feel like he could hear Ichimatsu yelling at him to stop.

"I'm sorry, nii-san..." Jyushimatsu whimpered. "I didn't mean to upset you...I just can't do this anymore. Everyone expects me to be happy. I can't be happy when you're just dying in front of my eyes, getting worse each day..and Akari...she's giving up too...why is everyone giving up, Ichimatsu? Why can't we just start over? Go back in time..?"

Jyushimatsu continued to sit on the rock for a few more minutes, then eventually got back up.

"I should go home!" he said, trying to shove his own cheerfulness down his throat like medicine.

When he arrived home, his four brothers were sitting around the table, casually eating dinner.

"Hey, Jyushimatsu!" Todomatsu called, waving at his brother. "Mom just fixed dinner for us!"

"Nice!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed, dashing into the room. He sat down beside Choromatsu and Todomatsu.

"Hey, so how was Ichimatsu today?" Choromatsu asked between chews of his dinner.

"He was worse today, but I know he'll get better!" Jyushimatsu replied, taking a sip of water.

"I don't know if that'll happen, but I hope it will," Todomatsu said, standing up from the table. "I'm going to go to the gym now! Bye guys!"

"Bye, Totty!" everyone said, waving goodbye to him.

"So tell us, Jyushimatsu," Osomatsu said, leaning in closer to the table, "Who's Akari?"

"She's just a girl at the hospital," Jyushimatsu replied. "She's
Homura-chan's sister."

"I see..." Choromatsu said quietly.

"I'm going to go play pachinko!" Osomatsu said, changing the subject. "Anyone wanna come?"

"I'll go," Karamatsu said, putting his dark shades on. "Maybe I'll find my Karamatsu girls,"

"I'm going to go to the bookstore instead," Choromatsu replied. "Do you want to go with any of us, Jyushimatsu?"

Jyushimatsu shook his head.

"I would rather stay home for now,"