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Choromatsu has taken it upon himself to become the households second stay at home 'housewife'.
Struggling and despreately trying to change his situation was getting tiring. The hope for seeing the outside world was becoming smaller and smaller. Everyone in their own way telling him to give up.
Just like they always did. Like they always have.
Getting a life, doing what he enjoys, having dreams. All of them just seemed to be frowned upon by his brothers before and after everything.
So, Choromatsu decided it was better to do something and act like the 'mother hen' (quoted from Todomatsu) that he was before, hoping it could help or change something. He'd just finished stacking the books, again, and put away everything that his brothers didn't, again, just to be left in his 'room' alone, again.
He couldn't tell if doing something that now seemed like routine was a good or bad thing. It was boring. Is this what it's like to be their mom? Almost anyway. Suddenly turning into an adult sounded a lot more boring and less achieving than Choromatsu thought. Wait, no! Being stuck in here really is messing with his head. He didn't want to be a Viring NEET forever without a family!
But...
It's not like he has much choice now, huh?
Choromatsu shook his head and slaped his own cheeks. He shouldn't think that way. Despite how low his hope is, it's still there, and there was still a chance! Yeah, he just had to think a little more positively. Now he wasn't sure what to do. Their mom wasn't here and only one of his brothers were still here, he just wasn't sure which one. He'd been subconciously counting the times the door has opened for someone who's left along with "I'm going"s and "Im homes"s without realizing it but he didn't pay attention to the voice. Whoever it was, they sure had a-
"Meoooow~"
....Eh?
Meow?
Meow.
Wait, MEOW?!
Choromatsu snapped his neck towards the source of the sound as fast as he could he felt like he'd actually snap his neck. When he turned he froze and had a blank yet anxious look. This was real right? He blinked. Then blinked again.
"Nya?"
This was real. There was an actual cat in front of him. A real cat that meowed and moved and was alive, real. Choromatsu never thought he'd ever be so happy to see a cat. It's not like he hated them, but he felt indifferent for real cats. Nyaa-chan was obviously the except, she was a pretty idol, not an actual cat but she sure was beautiful. Oh, Nyaa-chan. Who knows what kind of new songs she's made, or what his buddies he'd go with to concerts were doing and still going- Wait he was getting side tracked! Damn his rising mind!
Choromatsu was carefully approaching the cat, as if it'll run, though he knew it wouldn't, it was Ichimatsu's ESP Kitty after all, the closest he's gotten to having a permanent housecat. "Hey now, what are you doing here- Or well, how did you get in here?" It's been a long time since he's seen an actual cat, Ichimatsu wasn't allowed to bring them inside anymore, which made him a little more than upset. Choromatsu didn't expect an answer, Ichimatsu did say the ESP power was gone so it's not like he'd talk to him any soon.
What Choromatsu got something else he didn't expect. ESP Kitty got closer to him and jumped his arms, making Choromatsu quickly try to catch him and hold him. He wasn't sure what to do with the cat once he was safely in his arms, he's never had the same interest in them as Nyaa-chan, so he didn't even know what to do with a real cat. Choromatsu just did the logical thing to do with pets, or the most simple and basic thing, and softly pet the top of ESP Kitty's head. His fur was so soft and nice, the green-clad man didn't think he'd ever feel a cat's fur ever again nor that he'd miss feeling it. Before he'd get mad if there was any hairballs or fur everywhere in the house or couch, but now there wasn't any and he surprisingly missed it.
The pets made the cat purr, bringing a warm feeling to the man. He wasn't sure what it was about making a cat purr, but he felt accomplished. Is this what Ichimatsu felt? Choromatsu could see why Ichimatsu liked petting cats so much now, it felt rewarding.
After a while, Choromatsu sat down and placed the cat on his lap, who happily stayed. As Choromatsu stared at the cat, trying to drill his image into his head so he'll never forget this moment, he just realized ESP Kitty was wearing glasses. Sure, he always wore glasses, but why? He was a cat, and Choromatsu wasn't any cat expert, but don't they have different eyesight than humans? It felt kind of pointless to put glasses on a cat, but either way it made him look a lot cuter. It reminded Choromatsu about his glasses. He'd been wearing his contacts ever since they've graduated highschool but still kept his glasses to occasionally look "professional" or if he was getting lazy. Now that he thought about it, there wasn't exactly anyone to impress, and despite how restricted he is, he held some authority in this house than he thought he had, that his brothers didn't know he had. So, maybe he'll just start wearing his glasses again. Putting on his contacts was easy and second nature, but sometimes it was just too tiring, he felt like he was trying to impress someone who wouldn't even notice.
Choromatsu's thoughts broke when ESP Kitty jumped out of his lap and stretched while yawning. It was a cute sight, but it quickly turned into some sudden fear when he saw the cat about to leave. He quickly got up and followed the cat. He wasn't sure what it was that made him feel the urge to follow him or that gave him this fear of the cat leaving, of being left alone.
All the doors were locked and the windows boarded as always, so how was he planning to leave? The cat was sure to know that he couldn't just jump out of nonexistant windows! Maybe he was going towards Ichimatsu, since the proof that he was the one at home was right in front of him, the cat. How else could he have gotten in? The thought of Ichimatsu realizing ESP Kitty was in the house and that Choromatsu actually spent time with him and was following him was making him nervous. What would he say? Or do? Would he tell Osomatsu? Just Ichimatsu finding out was pretty scary considering he was a scary guy. They were awkward before this, but now it was even worse, it's as if they couldn't even look in their general direction.
The room ESP Kitty ended up going was surprsingly empty. No purple seen in sight nor any dark aura surrounding the room, so why would he go in here? "If you were looking for Ichimatsu he clearly isn't here," he deadpanned. Having a one sided conversation with a cat was calming in a way, "So why come in here?" Choromatsu was genuinely curious. Most cats that came into the house never wandered around, they especially never walked into a specific room. They were in the room that was across their bedroom, it was like a little storage area where they shove things they hardly use but don't want to throw them away because they'd occasionally grab something from in here.
The cat seemed to walk to a corner and jumped up onto a shelf and moved in a coordinated way. "Where are you going?" He tilted his had and followed the directions in which he moved. ESP Kitty finally got on the very top of a bookshelf and moved towards the end of it which was a corner. Just what was he doing?
He got the answer to his question soon after as the cat moved towards the corner, jumped towards the wall, and vanished. Wait, vanished?! Choromatsu was left bewildered as he stared at the wall with eyes as big as dinner plates despite how small they usually are. He looked around the room as if he'd find an answer somewhere and looked back at the place he'd disappear, still dumbfounded. He decided to take a 'chair' (which looked more like an old stool) and put it next to the bookshelf so he could try to peak on top. Standing on the stool was terrifying by how wobbly it felt, but he was able to see the corner. The first thing he noticed as he was faced with a wall, but it wasn't the same color as the inside of their house, although it was very small, probably the size of his hand. The wall looked more like, bricks? The next thing he noticed was breeze. Breeze? As in, actual cold air that didn't come from the air conditioner? Now he really needed to get closer, so he tippy toed the best he could to get as close as he could-
Choromatsu heard a door loudly opened that scared the third oldest, making him jump with an "Eep!" and leaned too much one side, making him fall onto the floor with a loud Thud!
Next, he heard footsteps going towards him the room, "Choromatsu?!"
Choromatsu looked up from laying backwards on the floor to find Ichimatsu in front of the door, making the green brother be quick to try and sit up, only to be hit with a headache. "Are you uh...are you alright? What happened?" Ichimatsu's eyes darted around the room as if he could find the answer hidden, or just to avoid eye contact with his older brother. Choromatsu just shook his head and held a hand on his head, hoping it'll help the headache. "I'm...fine. I was just..." he shook his head again, hoping it'll help cover the fact he was making up an excuse right then and there, "I was...looking for a book," he turned to the younger.
Ichimatsu didn't seem too convinced, but slightly nodded, "Uh...alright well just...be careful and get some pills or something to help that...headache." At that he was quick to leave as if he was passed his limit.
Truth was, despite this headache, he was more than fine. He felt breeze, air, real air, air from outside.
He'd stay and try his best to get as much of whatever he could with his little discovery, but he knew it would only bring more suspicion to the fourth youngest, so he'll have to check it out later, when it was more safe and he had a stable chair.
But at least now. Now he knew how the cat got in, and how he got out.