The next day...

Karamatsu sat down next to Ichimatsu's bed at home, pulling out his journal.

He craved a cigarette, though he was holding off for Ichimatsu's sake.

"Ichimatsu," Karamatsu whispered, even though he knew his brother wouldn't hear him, for he was fast asleep. "I know you will never ever her my disgusting voice again- you haven't for most of your life..but-" Karamatsu inhaled deeply, opening up an old, old journal. "Can we go back together, just a little?"

Karamatsu opened up the old book, rubbing his old, wrinkled fingers over a photo that had been taped on the very first page.

In the photo, Ichimatsu and Karamatsu were both in the nearby park, side by side in front of blue and purple hydrangeas. From the looks of it, it had been taken a year after Ichimatsu lost his hearing.

"My God..." Karamatsu whispered, turning the page. He cleared his throat, beginning to read the very first entry.

"Dear Ichimatsu,
Today was an extremely rough day for me at work..."

Karamatsu stopped reading, chuckling a little. "Those were only the beginning of your problems."

Ichimatsu, who had been asleep, blinked open his eyes weakly, not making as sound as he shifted his gaze over to Karamatsu.

Chest rising and falling heavily, Ichimatsu tried to lift his hands to sign to Karamatsu, but he was too weak to even move a muscle.

Quickly, Karamatsu signed to Ichimatsu, telling him everything was going to be okay.

"Now that you're awake," Karamatsu signed to Ichimatsu. "Would you like me to tell you some stories from our past?"

Ichimatsu nodded his head weakly, but closed his eyes again, falling asleep. His chest was still rising and falling, but something didn't seem right.

Flipping through the old journal, Karamatsu stumbled across another photo of him and Ichimatsu, sitting on a park bench together. Ichimatsu was in a hospital gown, an iv connected to him, and he looked absolutely dead tired.

Then something hit Karamatsu inside, stirring his fragile soul. It was a simple thought that had never occurred to him.

"Ichimatsu...before he went deaf, said he had absolutely no will to live. He wanted to die. He hated life with a passion!" Karamatsu thought to himself in anguish. "Ichimatsu had no reason to even have all those surgeries in his past. They lengthened his life...but for what reason? Why did he...decide to live?"

Karamatsu slammed the journal shut, only to look up, finding Ichimatsu was staring at him, having woken up again.

Using absolutely all of his energy, Ichimatsu signed, "I love you."

Hands limply falling down to his sides, Ichimatsu took one final, peaceful breath, then passed away.