Chapter Text
A few months later….
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After more than twenty years of raising six boisterous sons, Matsuyo was well accustomed to living with near constant noise. She’d grown so used to it that she could easily drown out the majority of their petty bickering and squabbling, coasting by in blissful ignorance as she quietly tended to her own tasks. True, she did grow exasperated on those days were the arguments never seemed to stop, but unless it directly involved her she often opted not to intervene, chalking it up to the fact that they were mature enough (this being a generous notion on her part here) to settle their own disagreements without her perpetual involvement.
But for all the times they fought, there were also times when Matsuyo found the noise in the house to be pleasant, almost comforting, because she knew her sons were safe and nearby. She remembered evenings where the sextuplets would retire to the living room with their father to watch television after dinner, while she insisted on finishing up the dishes herself. As she washed and dried plates, she could hear peals of laughter resonate through the house, and animated chatter as the boys caught up with Matsuzo after his long day at work. It always brought a smile to her face, hearing her husband and her sons--the people she loved most--bonding together, even over something as silly as a sitcom. And then there were some afternoons where she would be in the backyard hanging up laundry on the clothesline, and would hear the soft strains of Karamatsu’s guitar drifting down from the roof, accompanied by Jyushimatsu’s rowdy singing. Times like this when they were getting along, acting more like friends than brothers, warmed her heart the most.
She hadn’t realized how much comfort she found in these little things until, one by one, her sons began moving out and creating their own lives. Yes, she still had Osomatsu at home during the day, but the vibe was undeniably different. Osomatsu had become silent and sullen, barely making conversation unless spoken to, both of them disheartened by the gaping hole the other brothers’ absence made in their lives. She couldn’t tell which of them was having a more difficult time coping with the abrupt change, but for his sake did her best to remain strong and upbeat, thinking that perhaps this was more challenging for him than for her.
But of course, she had to remind herself, this day had been a long time coming. She knew there would one day be a time when her sons finally left the nest, so to speak, and embarked on their own journeys in life. One day when none of them would be left at home, even Osomatsu, their belongings stripped away from their bedroom and leaving nothing but dust and an empty closet behind. Empty, that was, except for a few boxes of belongings that none of them needed anymore, that they’d long outgrown.
Matsuyo had discovered such a box the day after Osomatsu moved out, when she’d decided to distract herself from her melancholy with some deep-cleaning now that she and Matsuzo could reclaim this room for other purposes. It had been tucked in the back of the closet, and when she pulled it forward and opened it, memories flooded over her as she sorted through the contents. Baby onesies, all of them blue from the days before they wore their distinguishing colors. A drawing of their family Karamatsu had made when he was five, his name scribbled proudly in the corner with bright blue crayon. An essay Choromatsu had written in fourth grade, with a gold star sticker on the top. Todomatsu’s favorite plush bunny from when he was just two years old, the pink fur matted and worn thin with age. And buried beneath it all, a photo album bursting with pictures of her beloved boys through the years--the day they were born, their first day of kindergarten, their high school graduation...and every other memory in between, from birthdays to beach vacations and beyond. Her eyes had been brimming with tears but she’d still smiled fondly as she looked at each picture, taking her time, the crackling of paper as she turned the pages the only sound filling up the silent house.
Over time she’d grown used to the silence, too, and even came to appreciate it. She’d spent years breaking up battles, packing school lunches, taking care of six sick kids, and managing nightly bedtime routines, so she felt she deserved the peace and quiet now. But sometimes, as she tried to find ways to occupy those long stretches of time between Matsuzo leaving for work in the morning and coming back home at night, she couldn’t help but reminisce about those days long past and wish she could go back to them, if only to have her boys back for a little while longer.
Today wasn’t such a day, though. Instead she found herself humming as she bustled around the kitchen, pulling together some finishing touches for their dinner. It was a special occasion, and she’d decided yakiniku was in order--she’d even splurged and bought high-quality beef instead of the cheaper meat she would often get. It was a favorite meal of the entire family, and she wanted it to be just right.
She smiled to herself as she heard a commotion in the dining room--Osomatsu had told a joke of some sort (probably lewd, but she hadn’t caught that part), and it had caused Matsuzo to laugh so hard he started coughing. Choromatsu had said something in an admonishing tone, probably directed at Osomatsu, and was immediately berated by Todomatsu telling him to lighten up.
Matsuyo chuckled to herself as she overheard the mild, playful bickering continue. Ah, it’s just like old times...how I’ve missed this. It’s so lovely to have everyone together again, for the house not to feel so empty and still, even if just for a short while.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen any of them in ages, but due to conflicting schedules it had been a long time since all of them could come together. This night, however, it had turned out that no one had anything else going on--no work, no dates, no other commitments that needed attending to. Everyone had agreed it would be a perfect night to get together for a family dinner, and now everyone was home again, sitting around the table and chatting as they waited for the food to be ready.
Choromatsu poked his head into the kitchen then, followed by Osomatsu. “Mom, is there anything we can do to help you out in here?” Choromatsu asked.
Matsuyo smiled, touched by the offer. Of course, there was temptation to decline, because although they’d been on their own long enough to develop some semblance of cooking skills she didn’t trust them to be alone near an oven yet. But she did say, “Thank you, boys. As a matter of fact, if you’d like to take out the dishes and the tray of meat, that would be a big help.” She nodded toward the plates and the big tray of grilled meat already sitting out on the counter.
“Sure thing!” Osomatsu lifted the tray of meat, gazing hungrily down at it. “Mmm, looks great, Mom.”
“Don’t eat any of it yet,” Choromatsu reprimanded him, carefully balancing the stack of plates in his hands. “That’s for everyone, and no one would want to eat it after you had your grubby hands all over it.”
“I washed them!” Osomatsu protested, but he was snickering. “Geez, Choro, don’t you think I’m a little more mature at this point than to use my bare hands to pick at food?”
“I wouldn’t put it past you,” Choromatsu responded drily, but he cracked a smile.
“ Maaa,” Osomatsu drawled, whining teasingly. “Choromatsu is making fun of me.”
Matsuyo swatted at them with a kitchen towel, but she was chuckling. “Go on, you two. The sauce is almost ready, then we can eat.”
The two of them carried what they needed out of the kitchen, talking and joking with each other as they did so. Matsuyo had been pleasantly surprised to learn that living together had improved their relationship, rather than made things more strained between them. They hadn’t gotten along all that well when they’d still lived at home, and although she hadn’t voiced the concern out loud she’d wondered how on earth they would manage it when it was just the two of them under the same roof, back when Osomatsu had first announced they were moving in together. But it seemed that having incentive to get along and work together had done wonders for them, to the point where they actually treated each other with civility (though there was still plenty of mocking to be had--they were brothers, after all). It was a change she never thought she’d see in them, and a welcome one at that.
Soon enough the rest of the meal had been pulled together and put out on the table, to everyone’s delight. All of them were hungry and eagerly descended upon the food, helping themselves to the meat and vegetables and dipping it all in the yakiniku sauce.
“Mmmm,” Todomatsu sighed after his first bite. “It’s delicious, Mom!”
“Truly a culinary delight,” Karamatsu added with his own special flair.
Ichimatsu rolled his eyes and mumbled, “Painful.” To his credit, though, a small smile worked its way across his mouth.
Jyushimatsu didn’t say anything--he was too busy stuffing his face, which in a way was enough to express how much he loved the food. Droplets of sauce dotted the front of his hoodie, but he didn’t seem to care.
Matsuyo gave everyone a chance to start eating, then said, “So, now that we’re all together again, let’s catch up a bit. I want to know how everything has been going on in your lives lately. We’ll go around the table in a circle to make sure everyone has a chance to go, starting with…” She indicated to her right, where Todomatsu was sitting.
Todomatsu beamed with pride at getting to go first, and sat up taller. “Well, I think I mentioned already that I got the promotion to part-time manager at Sutaba,” he began, trying to sound modest. “It’s been fantastic! It took some time to get used to it at first, since it came with a lot more responsibilities, but I love it. And the pay raise has been great, if I save up a little longer I might finally be able to move into a nicer apartment.”
“Hey, that’s great, Totty!” Osomatsu enthused, grinning at his youngest brother.
Todomatsu smiled back. “Thanks. It’ll be awesome, moving into a place bigger than a closet for once. I’m hoping to move somewhere with a gym, so I can work out more, too.”
“I’m so proud, Todomatsu,” Matsuyo said with a warm smile. “You’ve done so well for yourself. I’m sure it’ll only get better from there.”
“I think you’re right, Mom,” Todomatsu agreed with hope in his voice. “Anyway, your turn, Karamatsu.”
The second eldest straightened his spine and grinned. “As you all know, business at the oden cart has been absolutely flourishing as of late. It’s gotten to the point where we can hardly keep up with all of the orders, even with both us of working there. In fact...I haven’t mentioned this to anyone yet, but Chibita has been considering expanding beyond the cart. He’s looking into purchasing a real restaurant to work out of. He said he may even want me as a business partner, after learning the way of oden under him so well.”
“Wow, that’s a big step up from the oden cart, huh?” Todomatsu remarked. “And to think we can say we knew him from the start...I’m going to miss the cart, though. We have an awful lot of memories about that little place, spending all those late nights drinking and laughing together…”
“True…” Karamatsu said with a nostalgic glint in his eyes. “Ah, but sad as it is to see that era come to a close, so opens another era full of new possibilities. It’ll be a big change, but surely a worthwhile one in the end.”
“Well, we’ll be sure to check out his new place, once it opens up.” Osomatsu grinned. “And now that we finally paid off our tab and can actually pay for our food now, I’m sure he’ll actually welcome us for a change.”
Karamatsu chuckled. “He’s certainly been kinder toward you, now that you don’t owe him millions of yen. I suppose that’s another big change that’s happened over the years, isn’t it?”
Jyushimatsu swallowed a mouthful of food then and spoke up. “Oh! Is it my turn to go now?”
“Sure, Jyushimatsu, go ahead,” Matsuzo responded.
Jyushimatsu was nearly bouncing in place with anticipation. “I have big news...I was waiting to share it until we were all together again so I could tell you all at once, and believe me, it was hard! But here it is--you know how Homura left a year ago, and we kept in touch with letters and phone calls the whole time?”
The family gave a collective nod.
“Well, she’s finally coming back! And not just to visit this time, she’s coming back to stay for good! She got this great job offer in the city through one of her friends here, so she’s moving closer now. We’re going to try picking up where we left off when she had to go last time, and see where it goes from there.”
“Jyushimatsu, that’s great!” Choromatsu enthused. “You’ve missed her so much, you must be so happy.”
Jyushimatsu nodded enthusiastically, unable to contain his grin. “I am! I missed her so much...it was so sad when she left like that, but we’re really going to try to make this work. We really think we could have a future together...it might take time, but it’ll be worth it, right?”
“Ahh, to see romance rekindled so passionately, after so long apart…” Karamatsu said dramatically, and smiled. “It’s wonderful news, my dear Jyushimatsu. Perhaps one day we’ll hear wedding bells ringing.”
“And maybe one day after that, farther in the future, you’ll bless us with grandchildren…” Matsuyo went on, daydreaming for a moment before snapping back to the present. “I’m truly so happy for you, dear.”
Jyushimatsu was grinning widely, his cheeks flushed a rosy shade of pink. It was clear that of everyone at the table then, he was the happiest of all over this news.
Ichimatsu went next, and as he spoke a fond smile slowly formed on his face, an expression that hadn’t been common for him before. “Work is good. Great, actually. I...don’t think I’ve been this happy to work before, ever. Everyone is really nice, and I love caring for the cats.”
“That’s lovely, dear,” Matsuyo said, relaxing. Ever since she’d discovered he’d temporarily been homeless, she worried about him when she didn’t hear from him for a while. She felt compelled to check in more often but tried to restrain herself--her sons were adults and capable of handling themselves now, just like she had to remind herself with Choromatsu months ago. It didn’t make it any easier, though, and that’s why it brought her such relief to hear him speak so happily for once.
“And what about the couple you live with?” Matsuzo inquired. “How have they been doing?”
At that, Ichimatsu’s smile grew slightly. “They’re great, too. Actually, I have some big news regarding them. They’re expecting a baby now. They just found out a couple days ago, and I wanted to wait until everyone was here to bring it up.”
“A baby? Oh my gosh!” Todomatsu squealed. “That’s great, Ichimatsu! When’s the baby supposed to be born?”
“In about, hmm...about seven months, they said. And they’re hoping that I’ll be willing to help babysit sometimes. I’m not so sure how good I’d be around kids...but I’m willing to try, at least.”
“Oh, Ichimatsu, I’m sure you’ll be a natural with kids,” Matsuyo said with assurance. “That baby will be lucky to have you watching over them.”
Ichimatsu seemed uncertain about that, but he cast his mother an appreciative glance anyway, comforted by her faith in him.
“Oh, I suppose it’s my turn, isn’t it?” Choromatsu cleared his throat. “Well, I have an exciting opportunity coming up at work. My boss asked if I would put together a project proposal to present to this agency we’ve been trying to work with for ages, and when I showed it to him today he said it was spectacular.”
“Ahh, c’mon, Choro, you’re selling yourself short!” Osomatsu insisted, nudging him lightly with his elbow. “He wouldn’t stop going on about it, and you know it.”
Choromatsu blushed, but he smiled slightly. “He did say it was the best proposal he’s seen in awhile,” he confessed modestly.
“That’s not all, though,” Osomatsu bragged, taking over then. “The boss asked him to give the presentation to the head of this agency next week, to really sell the idea. And if it goes well, he might get to be a project supervisor!”
“‘Might’ being the keyword here,” Choromatsu reminded him. “It’s entirely possible he won’t even like my idea.”
Matsuyo chuckled. “Osomatsu sure sounds confident in your abilities...and I am too, for that matter. I’m sure he’ll think your project is wonderful. I’m so proud of you!”
“Me too, son,” Matsuzo added, raising his can of beer in congratulations.
Choromatsu’s blush deepened at the compliments, but he kept smiling. “Thank you, I sure hope I don’t dissapoint.”
“As if that’d ever happen,” Osomatsu asserted, grinning.
“Anyway, I did have one more thing to bring up, but it’s not really a big deal,” Choromatsu added. “I had a doctor’s appointment last week, and he said everything seems fine. He didn’t have to adjust my insulin levels this time, I haven’t had any problems lately with my blood sugar...I guess I’ve finally gotten the hang of it.”
Matsuyo couldn’t help but bring to mind the memory of Choromatsu just months ago, pale and weak as he lay in a hospital bed with tubes in his arm. Back then she’d been horrified, the very thought of nearly losing one of her children enough to keep her awake for nights on end until she could convince herself that he’d really be fine--but knowing that life was full of uncertainties, and that this was the beginning of a very long road for her poor son. But the frail boy she’d seen back then was a big contrast to the young man sitting in front of her now, chatting animatedly as he helped himself to more grilled vegetables. There was color in his cheeks now, and although he was still thin--he’d always been thin, she reminded herself--he no longer looked gaunt and ill. He was strong and healthy, not allowing his disease to bring him down, and Matsuyo was eternally grateful for that.
“Anyway,” Choromatsu continued then, bringing her back to the present as he nodded toward Osomatsu, “I believe it’s your turn now, Nii-san. And if I remember right, you may have some big news to share, too.”
“Huh, guess you’re right.” Osomatsu’s grin widened as he brushed the underside of his nose. “I mean, it’s not a huge deal or anything...but I might get a promotion at the office. Out of the mailroom and at my own desk!”
“Oh, Osomatsu, that’s fantastic!” Matsuyo gushed.
Matsuzo clapped him on the back. “I knew you’d move up the ladder once you applied yourself, son!”
His brothers reacted similarly, amazed and excited as they bombarded him with questions. Osomatsu’s smile couldn’t have possibly been wider as he began to explain how his boss commented on how dedicated he’d been to his work, how quickly he’d been learning, how he’d get a nice pay raise should it go through...it was obvious he was beyond thrilled to be able to share such great news.
And to think that just a short time ago, he had no job, no aspirations, and very little motivation…
The thought was enough to make Matsuyo feel a little choked up. She’d been so concerned for Osomatsu for so long, after how badly he’d taken it when his brothers had left. It seemed he’d never find it in him to move on himself, or find a job that he was actually committed to. But now, it felt like looking at a new person--he was excited to work, happy for the opportunities he had, making a respectable living on his own. It was a happier ending than she could have ever hoped for him.
Dinner passed by slowly, everyone talking and laughing as they savored the meal. The first time they’d eaten together like this since everyone had moved out, and for once nothing chaotic happened--no arguments over who got the last piece of meat, no spilled drinks, nothing unexpected (which in and of itself was unexpected in this household, but was a welcome reprieve for once). Afterwards the brothers insisted on pitching in and taking care of the dishes themselves, allowing their parents to retire to the backyard and enjoy the lingering warmth of the sun as it set.
Matsuyo and Matsuzo sat together on the porch, their fingers intertwined as they watched the sun dip low in the horizon, painting the sky beautiful shades of pink and orange. It was quiet and peaceful, something the two of them were still getting used to in their life. The back door was still open a crack, and sounds from the kitchen drifted outside, voices calling and fighting playfully as well as the clatter of dishes being stacked and put away.
“Thinking of anything in particular, dear?” Matsuzo asked, after a moment had passed in silence.
“Nothing really...just how proud I am of our boys,” Matsuyo confessed. “They’re doing so well now, better than I ever would have thought.”
Matsuzo chuckled. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. I guess that means we must have done something right when raising them, hmm?”
Matsuyo laughed, too. “I suppose so. We’ve done well.”
A few minutes later the boys finished the dishes and emerged into the backyard as well, joining their parents.
“ Ahh,” Todomatsu sighed contently, stretching his arms as he embraced the sun on his face. “The weather is finally warming up!”
“It was so cold this winter,” Choromatsu noted. “I missed having a kotatsu to sit at every night.”
“Ahh, that means it’s almost baseball season, too!” Jyushimatsu exclaimed. “I need to start practicing again, it’s been awhile!”
“Guys, look!” Osomatsu suddenly intercepted, pointing at the tree in the corner of the backyard, The brothers glanced up at the mostly bare branches that reached up toward the sky, Near the spindly tips of the branches, tiny green leaves were beginning to sprout. “The leaves are growing back. That means the cherry blossoms will start blooming soon, too.”
“Ahh yes, cherry blossoms! The loveliest flower to behold, so pretty yet so fleeting in nature...almost like life itself,” Karamatsu observed, babbling poetically.
“How do you manage to turn everything into a poem?” Ichimatsu questioned, shooting the older brother a withering look.
“Hey, c’mon, no arguments,” Osomatsu cut in, then smiled. “You know, we should really go flower viewing again this year, all of us. That’d be fun, wouldn’t it?”
“Oh, we should,” Choromatsu agreed. “It’d be just like old times. I’d like that a lot.”
“Yeah!” Todomatsu chimed in. “We could pack a picnic lunch and plan to spend the whole day there...”
“Maybe we could organize a game of baseball!” Jyushimatsu added.
“Well, maybe not. We wouldn’t want to bother anyone else who went there to enjoy the flowers, too,” Choromatsu said.
Osomatsu snorted. “Please. As if our presence alone wouldn’t be enough to disturb the peace?”
The comment brought a round of laughter from the brothers that filled the evening sky, and brought a swell of happiness to Matsuyo’s heart. She squeezed Matsuzo’s hand and rested her head against his shoulder, and he squeezed her hand back in return and lightly kissed her cheek.
Her boys were all grown up now. All six of them, unique and individual people forging their own paths in life. They’d been torn apart before, but their bond was now stronger than it had ever been, something she was convinced could never be broken down again. They were brothers, together through the good and bad, and no matter how rough life could get or how much they all changed, they’d always found a way back to each other.
It could only get better from there.
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It was supposed to be us against the world.
The six of us, a united force against anything that came our way.
And now that we’re together again, nothing can take us down.