A year before the beginning...

Karamatsu rolled over in his bed, bones cracking and popping as he reached out his withered, frail, wrinkled hand to silence his noisy alarm clock.

Groaning as he looked at the time, the man came to the realization that he had been letting his alarm go off for twenty minutes.

"Is my hearing beginning to fail me?" Karamatsu questioned himself as he sat up and placed his feet firmly on the cold, wooden floor. "I'm becoming like Choromatsu, and soon, Ichimatsu."

Slipping his feet into his plush, blue slippers, the man mad his way to the kitchen to fix a morning cup of tea.

Several minutes later...

With a cup of tea in one hand, newspaper and a pack of cigarettes in the other, Karamatsu made his way to his small living room.

Popping his head inside Ichimatsu's room, he was comforted to find that his little brother was still fast asleep.

The day before had quite a difficult day for the two. Aside from a very distressing call from the doctor, the two had attended their first funeral since their parents had passed on.

Jyushimatsu's beloved wife, Homura, had passed on just a week ago. Nobody knew how or why she died. All Karamatsu knew was that his precious brother was heartbroken.

It seemed like just yesterday that Jyushimatsu's child had gone off to college. Having gotten married late, the couple had raised a child in their early forties.

"Homura was a good wife to my brother," Karamatsu thought. He himself was never given the opportunity to even find a woman. Ichimatsu was far more important, especially with his rapidly declining health. "Maybe I'll send some flowers to Jyushimatsu later today..."

Taking a delicate sip of his tea, Karamatsu leaned back in his favorite seat in the living room. It wasn't too hard, nor too soft. It was the perfect chair.

Not being in any sort of mood to read the depressing headlines of the daily newspaper, Karamatsu tossed it aside, picking up his journal and pen instead.

"My dearest brother, Ichimatsu," Karamatsu wrote inside his journal. "Spring has finally arrived! Usually, whilst the cherry blossoms are blooming, carpeting the sidewalks in different shades of pink, we would be going out for a walk together. The hydrangeas will be in bloom soon, as well. You still know that, don't you? Nowadays, all you are able to manage is to sleep, waking up just long enough for me to take you to the hospital or to feed you. I hate seeing you in such a condition. You must be tired, though. I understand that you want to give up on breathing."

Suddenly, there was a loud crash that came from within Ichimatsu's usually silent bedroom.

Slamming his journal shut, Karamatsu pushed himself up out of his chair, trying his best to get to Ichimatsu's room as soon as possible.

Behold, as the second son stood in the doorway of his brother's room, he was greeted with the body of Ichimatsu, as well as his tray of medicine all over the floor.

Throwing himself to the ground, Karamatsu lifted Ichimatsu's limp body up carefully, pulling him partially into his lap.

"Ichimatsu?!" Karamatsu yelled. "ICHIMATSU WAKE UP..." The poor old man was so shaken up that he completely forgot his brother was deaf at that moment.

Two hours later....

Karamatsu sat in a chair in the hospital waiting room, trembling in fear. His peaceful morning routine had been disturbed by such an unnecessary accident.

How or why Ichimatsu even tried to get out of bed was all Karamatsu could think about. Had he been feeling better? Was there something important he had needed to tell his older brother?

"Oh my God," Karamatsu's voice shook as he held his head in his hands, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. "I can't do anything right. I was supposed to watch him. The doctor told me to...didn't he..? I'm positive he told me to keep a close eye on Ichimatsu! And what do I do? I start writing to release my feelings. I can't even speak at this point...."

"Matsuno," the doctor called out, but the poor man hadn't heard him.

Entire body shaking like a leaf, Karamatsu prayed and prayed that Ichimatsu would be okay, whatever had happened only two hours ago.

"What if he doesn't make it much longer...what if..what..." Karamatsu's heart skipped a beat when he felt a soft tap on his shoulder.

Weakly, he stood up to face the doctor.

"Please, come with me," the doctor spoke firmly, showing absolutely no pity towards the man. Though, he pulled a handkerchief out of his long, white coat, handing it to Karamatsu to blow his nose and wipe away his tears.

Following the doctor, Karamatsu felt as if he would puke within just a matter of time. Good news hadn't come his way in years, and he certainly didn't expect any now.

Opening the door to one of the hospital rooms, the doctor led Karamatsu to his brother Ichimatsu.

Both the doctor and Karamatsu sat down in separate foldout, metal chairs next to the man's hospital bed.

"Listen," the doctor spoke slowly, cutting his eyes over at Ichimatsu, then looked the elderly man in the eye. "Ichimatsu is near the end of his life. Cancer has spread throughout his body again, and it's aggressive this time. There's absolutely no way with his current physical condition, that his body can survive chemotherapy."

"W-What..." Karamatsu's face was drained of all color. "Y-You're saying..."

"Hospice will be his best option," the doctor went on. "Or, you could keep him at home. Most of our families choose to do that. Would you like to do the same?"

Karamatsu nodded his head yes, though he had absolutely no idea what was even going on.